Category Archives: night music

Night Music: 801, “TNK” (Tomorrow Never Knows)

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I was driving up to Davis to pick up Lindsay who was spending Super Bowl Weekend with us (she is a huge Red Hot Chili Peppers fan), listening to my shuffle on the way, when Roxy Music’s More Than This came popping through the speakers.

More Than This is a lovely song, and I am a big Roxy fan, though apparently not as devoted as my mate Gene.

But, as I was thinking about Roxy, my thoughts went to the 1976 spin-off fostered by Phil Manzanera and Brian Eno, 801.

Backed by the stellar bass of Bill MacCormick and equally deadly drums of Simon Phillips (with additional keys by Francis Monkman), 801 lived long enough to produce a live disc (from which this version is culled) 801 Live along with a studio piece, Listen Now.

I did buy both LPs, but the thing I remember is the first time I heard TNK.

It was Christmas Eve, 1977, and I had a sort of girlfriend, Cathy Fabun, with whom I went to hang with (along with her friends) the early part of that night.

We were all sitting around talking, and getting stoned on some Maui Wowie, which was primo stuff at the time. $50 a quarter of an ounce, which was an unheard amount.

Eventually, I had to go back home as my roommates had stuff planned for the holiday.

In those days, I had one of those little mid-engine Porsche 914’s, so it was like a little spaceship, and instead of taking the main interstate home, I chose to drive on Frontage Road, in Albany and Berkeley, which hugs the bay, and gives a great view of the bridges, San Francisco all the way across the Golden Gate to Marin.

Since it was a nice clear night, you could see every light, and I had the stereo in the Porsche blasting to KSAN, the first free format FM station in the world, and one that at the time was still playing DJ’s choice.

So, on came TNK with no verbal introduction, nice and spacey with Eno leading things off, then MacCormick falling in behind, then the drums, and then Manzanera adding this rugged rhythm chords, and finally things are cranking full tilt.

This first time, I heard the vocals, and the words, and I kept asking myself, “I know this song, what is it?” till it finally came.

As soon as the record store was open (remember, the next day was Christmas) and I bought 801 Live and it has remained a top five live album of mine over the years.

So, on a finally rainy morning (53 days without rain, making it the first January in recorded history with no rain in Northern California till today), a Super Bowl Day when I am having fun cooking for the feast later, here is just a fabulous cut, live or not, cover or not.

 

 

Night Music: Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, “What’s the Matter Now”

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Roll it back to early 70s. My favorite bands were Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen, the New York Dolls, the Rolling Stones, the Allman Brothers. Something of a mess, but lots of great music.

Commander Cody and the Airmen were my home group. I saw them many times, they played smallish clubs, and I was devoted to them.

What’s the matter Now is less novelty and more straightforward than much CC. But what I liked about them was the way they played straight rock ‘n’ roll (great version of 20 Flight Rock) and corny old timey country (Family Bible) and stoner classics (Down to Seeds and Stems Again Blues), all with nothing in mind but fun.

Night Music: Richard Hell and the Voidoids, “Walking on the Water”

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This is a fabulous song that is about religion and faith, and all the richer because the Ur punk Hell is covering the Ur hippie band Credence Clearwater Revival.

What you need to know? Catchy as heck. With meaning. And a great guitar solo.

This is another song I can remember hearing the first time, though there really isn’t a story attached. But in those days buying an album, almost always at a tiny story on Second Avenue just south of Eighth Street, on the west side of the street, was an act of faith. I was working lots of hours to pay for school, and actually closing the deal on some vinyl was a little like sacrament.

I don’t know that anyone listens to The Blank Generation album today with anything more than academic interest, which is probably right. I don’t recall thinking that this was music for the ages, but I do remember the intense pleasure that came from Love Comes in Spurts and Down at the Rock and Roll CLub and Walking on the Water. And really every cut on the album was, if not perfect, it represented the imagined perfection of the time.

And at that point we were getting close to the end of the time when any of us would think that one good thought might solve all of us.

Night Music: Temple of the Dog, “Hunger Strike”

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This is another tune that was on the birthday disc Lindsay burned for me in October.

As I listened, I kept thinking “man this sounds like Eddie Vedder.”

In fact on Christmas Day this year, we were sitting in the living room at Lindsay’s parents’ home (with Lindsay’s shuffle plugged in, of course) and Hunger Strike played and we both agreed it really did sound like Vedder.

Well, that is because it is Vedder.

Temple of the Dog were indeed a grunge band who released one disc in 1991, with Vedder, Mike McCReady, and Matt Cameron, Stone Gossard, and Jeff Ament–who would collectively release big disc, 10, as Pearl Jam a year later–along with Soundgarden core Chris Cornell.

The album was a tribute to the late Andrew Wood, singer for Mother Love Bone out of whom Temple of the Dog was born, and then the evolution completed with Pearl Jam or Soundgarden, depending upon who you were and where you went.

As with the best of Pearl Jam, I would call this song haunting. And, I know there are those who really dislike PJ, and well, likes are subjective. I happen to really like them. If nothing else they are excellent musicians and songwriters, even if not your cup of tea.

 

Night Music: The Slits, “Heard It Through The Grapevine”

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I had a memory yesterday of walking into the Woolworth’s five and dime in Smithtown, my home town, and hearing this song on the radio for the first time. It was as memorable as JFK being shot in that way. But then I tried to imagine whether what I heard was the Gladys Knight and the Pips version (that would be September 1967), which peaked at No. 2, or the Marvin Gaye version, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts in October of 1968, and I wasn’t sure. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the Creedence Clearwater version, which I remember as a big hit, but which topped out No. 43 in 1970. And was 11 minutes long.

What’s for sure is it wasn’t the Slits’ version, which was the B side of their first single, Typical Girls, in 1979.

Night Music: Ann Peebles, “I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down”

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Room by room by room.

I came to this from the Graham Parker cover, but as hot as that is, Ann Peebles brings a Dusty-like chill to the anger that makes it feel even more destructive. And more perfect, too, one for the pantheon. (I’d like to see a cage match between this and Heard It Through the Grapevine, not because Playhouse would win, but because both are the pinnacle.)

Night Music: Modest Mouse, “The Whale Song”

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Modest Mouse is a band I really like a lot, and yet I forget to listen to even more than I like them for some reason (I do own a couple of their CD’s).

Not so niece Lindsay, who keeps me honest and dropped this killer cut on the birthday CD she burned for me. In fact, that disc is so good it prompted me to create the “Lindsay Says” category which I tagged to this piece.

But, I figure I can share the stuff she turns me onto to:

  • Give credit where credit is due.
  • Show that she is keeping me current on new shit (and that I am trying to keep up).
  • Make sure the site covers some bands more on the College list, which is always more interesting that what they play on the standard formats.

Either way, I love this song all the way through.

 

http://youtu.be/iG4tkZUCIW4

 

Night Music: Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Catholic Schoolgirls Rule”

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Thoughts of Freaky Styley led to this, a video with a little too much nudity for MTV. And if not MTV, where could you see it back in 1983? I’m sure I never did. In any case, we’ll see if some bare breasts and fake crucifixion scenes jack up our page views.

There’s plenty to get Tipper Gore worked up. Dan Rather, too.

Night Music: Garland Jeffreys, “Wild in the Streets”

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Feels like a million years since I posted one of these, when in reality it has only been a couple of weeks. But, travel and work and all that life shit kept me distracted and out of my groove.

However, during that hiatus, I remembered this great Garland Jeffreys cut from his 1977 album, Ghost Writer. I bought the vinyl when it came out (of course still have it) on the strength of both this song and the other tune on the disc that got radio play, 35 Millimeter Dreams.

But, I will save posting that tune for another day, for I have a fun theme idea for it.

I do understand that the Circle Jerks covered Wild in the Streets which is great, cos it is a terrific little cut. Note, if you are a fan of The Boss, there is also a YOUTUBE of a live version of the song with Springsteen playing along (it was part of a benefit for Parkinson’s Disease).

However, this version, with Jeffreys’ original band totally cranks.