Closed for Monkey Business

Hey, as you may have heard, I've had a busy couple of days in my real life due to some medical mishegass, so cut me some slack, jack. In any case, new music posting resumes on the morrow.

Great Bands Steal, Mediocre Bands Borrow

And speakng as we were last week of the fabulous Any Trouble, please enjoy -- from their 1980 debut album (on Stiff, natch) -- my personal favorite track, the ska/pop charner "Second Choice."

And from 1982, dig the equally fab The Floor Models and their equally insinuating live confection "She'll Make Up Her Mind."

As you will notice, those two tracks sound suspiciously similar, which is totally my fault. When our late great 12-string genius Andy Pasternack first presented us with the song, I immediately commandeered the arrangement, knowing that the guys had not yet heard the Any Trouble album and thus would have no idea I was pilfering from it. Later, after the resemblance had been pointed out to them, they looked at me and basically said, oh well, in for a penny, plaigarism-wise.

I liked them for that. I mean hell -- it wasn't like we were gonna be sued a la George Harrison.

La Fin de La Semaine Essay Question: Special “Most Beautiful Sound Occurring in Nature” Edition

From 1986, please enjoy Fire Town and their beyond glorious neo-folk rock jangle anthem "Carry the Torch."

The indie album that's from crossed my desk at Stereo Review unbidden one afternoon back in the day, and it will surprise nobody to learn that the main reason I gave it a spin right away was due to the Vox guitar posed so enticingly on the right hand side of the album cover.

As for Fire Town, they got signed soon after to Atlantic, who re-released the album; alas, it still refused to sell despite my raving about it in the pages of SR. Two of the band members, however, went on to form Garbage with Shirley Manson, and the rest, as they say, is history.

But now to business! To wit...

...and the most memorable use of an electric twelve-string guitar on a rock record is...?

Discuss.

Have a great weekend everybody!

An Early Clue to the New Direction

From 2007, please enjoy the great Any Trouble and their infectious and inspirational ode to "That Sound."

On Stiff Records, where they (and it) belong, I hasten to add.

Meanwhile, a coveted PowerPop No-Prize© will be awarded to the first reader who gleans the song/video's relevance to the subject of tomorrow's end-of-week essay question.

When the Moon Comes Over the Mirren

Dame Helen on Conan O'Brien, 2008.

Okay, its not the greatest Keith Moon story ever, but I had never heard it, and it's pretty damn funny anyway. And, of course, Mirren.

In any case, I forget who said it, but it's true -- the Brits should have nationalized Moonie.

Die Lieden des jungen Dave Davies

From 1965, please enjoy Sir Ray's little brother Dave and his gorgeously weepy folk-rock lament "Wait 'til the Summer Comes Along."

I've been cryin all winter

I've been waiting for some good to come my way

But I'll wait tll the summer comes along

Dear lord have I done so much wrong

I've adored that song since forever for lots of reasons, not the least of which is that it's a wonderfully callow/pretentious Sensitive Kid's blues. Dave all but sobs the song's opening line, and the clear implication is that his life has been nothing but endless heartache, self-lacerating guilt and tragedy, and frankly what's the point of going on?

We note here, in passing, that the author of those Woe is Me! miserabilist lyrics was all of 17(!) at the time he wrote them. Not to mention a pop star fighting off hordes of adoring teenage girls.

Scenes From a Misspent Life

The following little trivia challenge has sort of gone viral at La Livre du Visage Facebook, or at least in the precincts I haunt there, so I thought I'd put my two centimes in and share it with you guys. Obviously, I'm curious about how you'd respond in the same categories, so please -- comment away!

FIRST CONCERT

The Beach Boys, Asbury Park Convention Hall, July 10 1965. Glen Campbell(!) was standing in for Brian, and they premiered(!!) "California Girls," which wouldn't get released to radio for another couple of days. I should add that this was the only Teen Scream show I ever attended.

MOST RECENT CONCERT

Robert Plant and Allison Krauss at Forest Hills Stadium, summer of 2022. I'm a fan, but the show struck me as a bit of a snooze. Maybe it was the humidity.

WORST CONCERT

Queen, the Beacon Theater (I think), 1973, touring the first album. The band arrived in NYC trailng clouds of hype; I had been moderately intriqued by the kitchen sink over-production of the debut record, and went into the show ready to be convinced. But boy, did they stink. The sound was heavy metal aural sludge (with a yowling lead singer up front who was way too impressed with himself) that resembled the album not at all. Every song sounded like every other song, and the whole act was massively headache-inducing; if there hadn't been a reliable headliner (can't remember who) on the bill, I would have fled the theater in mid-set. Obviously, I mellowed about Queen over the years as the radio hits kept coming, but it wasn't until the Bohemian Rhapsody film that I finally became a raving fan, mostly because of the memory of that 1973 live show. Boy, did they stink.

LOUDEST CONCERT

Blue Cheer, the Fillmore East, April 1968. Wall to wall Marshall amps (turned to eleven) employed as a weapon of torture by a trio of speed-freak-skinny biker punks who thought they were doing something socially valuable by transforming the surrounding air into cottage cheese. I endured their sonic assault from an 8th row center seat, and it was the only time I ever wished the Fillmore's justifiably celebrated sound system wasn't so good.

BEST CONCERT

The best single concert in a concert-going lifetime? Really?

ACT YOU'VE SEEN THE MOST TIMES

Not really sure, but if I had to guess, it would be either Springsteen, Southside Johnny, or The Smithereens (who used to play all the time at a club across the street from where I lived). It's a Jersey thing -- you would't understand.

SHOW YOU WISH YOU'D SEEN

The MC5, Lincoln Park, Chicago, August 1968 during the Democratic Convention and its attendant police riots. Never got to see the 5 anywhere else either, alas.

BAND YOU WISH YOU'D SEEN

Buffalo Springfield. I had tickets to see them at (I think) a Murray the K extravaganza in ' 67 or '68, but I got sick and missed it (one of the great regrets of my adult life). Runner up: The Bangles.

NEXT CONCERT

I have no idea. What am I -- Kreskin?

La Fin de la Semaine Essay Question: Special Chairman of the Board Edition

From 1967, and produced by the incomparable Glyn Johns, please enjoy The Easybeats and one of the great lost singles of its decade -- "Heaven and Hell."

And now to business. To wit...

If you had a band, and could have your band produced and/or engineered by any producer or engineer in rock history, it would be....who?

Discuss.

(I think you can guess from the producer credit above who my choice would be. Heh.)

Meanwhile, have a great weekend, everybody!

PS: I'm bringing this whole subject up because I just started Johns' autobiography Sound Man, which is a smashing read with more rock celebrity stories than you can shake a tape reel at; I highly recommend that you order it Amazon now.

Canadian Air Space Alert

Given how our neighbors to the north are suddenly in the news of late, I thought this might be an oldie worth revisiting.

Seriously, I'd forgotten how funny that is.

Meanwhile, fear not -- a fin de la semaine essay question on a non-Canuck related subject will close out the week tomorrow.

Closed For Monkey Business

Regular posting resumes tomorrow.

But while you're waiting, go check out a fabulous new Lemon Twigs video over at friend of PowerPop Sal Nunziato's invaluable Burning Wood blog right HERE.