Billy Corgan hugs Baseball Mascots! Read/See it here.
LINK: Must be Opening Night!
Billy Corgan hugs Baseball Mascots! Read/See it here.
Evan “Snake” Davies’ The Metal District, on WFMU!
I woke up today to a reminder that I hadn’t listened to Evan Davies’ show on WFMU last Wednesday night. It turns out that on April Fools Day Evan had a show dedicated to metal, the musical style that brought much crunching pulchritude to MTV, and lots of musical derision. All of it earned.
But listening to the show today I was reminded just how catchy some of these tunes were, which is why they were on MTV in the first place. You can see the playlist here, and sample the show or listen straight through.
But I wanted to highlight a few tunes I’d never heard before, or was too wasted to remember.
Song of the Week – I Am Constant, Climax Blues Band
IGNORED OBSCURED RESTORED
It can’t be denied that the Climax Blues Band was basically a “one hit wonder” with their #3 “Couldn’t Get It Right” in 1977. I know, they had another “hit” that reached #12 in 1981, but I don’t even know how “I Love You” goes.
But this limited chart success belies how good this band really was. I always enjoyed the two albums that preceded their hit – FM Live (1974) and Stamp Album (1975). FM Live was taped from a concert that was broadcast live on WNEW in New York, the first FM station I listened to as a teenager. In fact, the album cover shows a receiver tuned to 102.7, NEW’s frequency.
There are live versions all over YouTube so I’ll share the version of “I Am Constant” from Stamp Album.
By the time this album came out, the British band had moved on from their bluesy roots (though they kept the reference in their name) and was performing songs more like their contemporaries, The Doobie Brothers and Ozark Mountain Daredevils.
“I Am Constant” relies on steady shuffle beat, tight harmonies and a nicely placed sax solo. The lyrics are a straightforward statement of loyalty and integrity.
Enjoy… until next week.
John Phillips, “Oh Virginia” Meet the Stones’ “Sweet Virginia”
So, Mamas and Pappas talk. Things were great for a while, but did not end well.
In the interim, there is this album, called Pay Pack and Follow, which is basically the Stones lending their talents as a backup band to yet another dubious (but talented) character.
A little bit earlier the Stones recorded their own song about Virginia, though they may not be singing about the state. You be the judge.
Good Hard Shit
People ask me: hey Gene, how come you never play anything nice, and easy? But there’s just one thing: we never, ever, do nothing nice, and easy. We always do everything nice, and rough. But we’re gonna take the beginning of this song and do it…rough. Then we’re gonna do the end rough. Yeah, that’s the way we do Think, It Ain’t Illegal Yet.
The Lovin’ Spoonful, “Do You Believe in Magic”
The first album I owned was the Lovin’ Spoonful’s first greatest hits album, so I’m captive. And I was a kid.
But what I’ve learned since, is that this was a tight band with pop ambitions but not a little bit of soul.
Excuse my golden oldie. Too good to be forgotten: https://youtu.be/R8ifTS5NEsI
Rolling Stones, “Wild Horses (acoustic)”
The Stones are releasing a deluxe version of Sticky Fingers in May, which includes this acoustic version of Wild Horses. Nice enough, but I couldn’t get over the thought that Jagger sounds like he’s got a head cold.
I went back to the original, because my thought was that it was pretty acoustic itself, and it is, except for some electric guitar flourishes from Keith. Plus the album version has healthy harmonies on the chorus. Both of which enrich the song a lot.
One funny bit of trivia from Wikipedia. The song was recorded at Muscle Shoals and even though Ian Stewart was present, the piano part was played by Jim Dickinson. It seems that Stew didn’t like to play minor chords!
One other item of note. Many are reporting that this reissue of Sticky Fingers commemorates the 50th anniversary of the album’s release. Nope. The album came out April 23, 1971, forty four years ago this month. Math.
Lunch Break: Liz Phair, “Mesmerizing”
When Liz Phair’s Exile in Guyville was released in 1993 I could not get enough of it. Much like the recently favorited Hans Condor’s Sweat, Jizz, Piss & Blood, which was so evocative of the early Stones, so was Phair’s disc whose title simply screams response to Exile on Mainstreet.
Phair’s label, Matador, pushed a second disc (Whip Smart) out quickly to cash in on the success of Guyville, but it wasn’t till album three, WhiteChocolateSpaceEgg that Phair cemented herself in my brain as a serious artist, rocker, songwriter, and performer.
Unfortunately, for me Phair peaked with that third, album, and has never come close to equaling the power or beauty of that pair of records.
But, the other day, while trolling through my discs, looking for something to listen to as I drove to meet my pal Eric for Sunday golf, Phair and Exile jumped out, and on it went, and it still sounded pretty good.
This tune, Mesmerizing, clearly shows just how much Liz garnered from Jagger and Keef et al.
Peter Tosh and Mick Jagger, “Walk and Don’t Look Back”
I was in a bar last night where this song was on the system. What impressed me was how Reggae it was, and how Jagger was unmistakeable.
It sounded good.
Haile Wreckommended: Must-See Flickee
More the music of you guys than me (Lawr especially), just saw this tonight and it was quite excellent. Not quite It Might Get Loud (more my music than yours), still quite excellent nonetheless.
My guess is you guys probably know the gist – this bunch of unheralded primo musicians made the entire 60’s more like The Monkees than anyone wanted to admit at the time. Please do see it. You will like it: