Night Music: The Sex Pistols, “Roadrunner”

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When I got out of college I got a job as a projectionist for a film distribution company. Back in those bad old days there were no DVDs and the only real tape machines were giant Umatic Sony devices that cost a fortune. So most films were sent to the office in the 35mm format. I had a projection booth behind the conference room and showed all sorts of great art films of the late 70s to the four old industry vets who owned the company.

Because it was helpful to have me around, they at first had me do office chores when I wasn’t projecting, increasing my hours and my tedium. Filing sucks. But before long the sales manager, not that much older than me, a baseball and rock ‘n’ roll fan, taught me how to handle the advertising buys as the company’s films played across the country. This mostly involved schmoozing with theater owners and deciding how big a campaign would be run in their town, and how much each of us would pay for it. There was more to it than that, but the point is that my role in the company grew.

So even though there were fewer movies to project on film, because there were more movies coming in on the Umatic Betacam tape, I had plenty of work. I also had keys to the office, and I now look back in horror at the Sundays when I would throw football-watching parties in the company conference room. I can’t recall why that seemed like a good idea.

What was a good idea, however, was checking out what movies had come in on tape. These were films I generally didn’t get a chance to see as part of the work day, because the old guys didn’t need me, but I saw lots of these great (and many not so great) films long before their release after everybody went home or on the weekends. One of these films was The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle, Julian Temple’s ode to Malcolm McLaren and his creation of the Sex Pistols. This was a movie that I’d been tracking in Variety and NME for seeming years, a movie that for various reasons involving rights and financial expectations wasn’t expected to see a live movie screen, and I got to watch.

It felt dangerous to slip the cassette into the hydraulic apparatus that smoothly sucked it into the machine, threaded the tape and then let it rock. It was crap, but not without interest, and I think it included video of and early rehearsal by the Sex Pistols playing the song. Or maybe memory is a gas. Maybe Roadrunner isn’t in the movie at all (I can’t find any reference to it or clip from it), but it is on the soundtrack album. In any case, I got to see the Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle before almost anyone else did.

And this ragtag cover of Jonathan Richman’s great song is both monumentally sloppy and also demonstrates how good this band of louts was. The rhythm never wavers, the chords chime, and when Johnny can remember the words he’s a rock artist.

All Hail the Radio

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Over the months since RockRemnants was founded there has been discussion about the radio, both in listening to, and as in songs about.

I am still a big lover of radio. I still love listening to baseball on the radio, something that never seems to get old, and, with a station–like KTKE (101.5, in Truckee, Ca., and I cannot hype them enough–and a shuffle, I just am not that interested in subscribing to much.

So, I decided to try a list of songs about the radio. These are not necessarily the best, but they are indeed tunes I first heard over the tuner on my stereo, and they are the ones that came to mind as my favorites.

So, obviously, if you have suggestions or favorites, fire away.

PS-I considered putting Eddie Money’s Shakin’ on here, as it is a great radio and car song, and I do dig it. But, lately, all I have is the image of Eddie in those awful Geico (I guess “awful Geico” is redundant) commercials, and I just could not do it.

Road Runner (Modern Lovers): I don’t care what anyone says:  This IS the best song about the radio, in fact it is the best riding in the car song listening to the radio, ever. Nothing else is close.

Mexican Radio (Wall of Voodoo):  Just to show how terrific Road Runner is, I rank this song second among radio tunes, and it still isn’t close. And this song still kicks ass,which indicates how great The Modern Lovers are.

On Your Radio (Jackson): Part of what started these thoughts were Joe Jackson references in a couple of earlier pieces on the site. And, this is an excellent cut and terrific live performance. And, Joe plays a pretty mean harp.

Radio Radio (Costello): Also a great song, cynical Elvis at his best, and one that seems to work perfectly paired with Jackson.

Radio Free Europe (REM): I remember when I first heard this tune, when I first played my Murmer vinyl. I head heard a lot of REM hype, but I had yet to hear them, and when this song came on, I knew it was love.

Having a Party (Sam Cooke): I mistakenly referred to this song as Dancing with my Baby, but whatever you call it, this is so sweet, and Sam was so cool.

The Spirit of Radio (Rush): I recently wrote about this song as part of Night Music. Great to revisit, with a different live clip. Again, just a great song, and another one that is great with the car radio cranked up, way high.

Radio Wall of Sound (Slade): A fun tune, and one I know the least among this cluster, but I knew Steve would get a kick out of my putting it here.

Night Music: Jesus and Mary Chain, “Just Like Honey”

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We (I) hated Jesus and Mary Chain when they came out. They seemed then more derivative of good stuff than, hmmm, Joe Jackson. But that was wrong.

Jesus and Mary Chain didn’t always make great songs, but often did, and always made a sound that you couldn’t help but like. It was a sound that had listened to all of rock history, and most importantly didn’t forget the Crystals and Suicide and the Clash (though the Ramones are in there too).

In Defense of Joe Jackson

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Steve’s New Year’s article included a bunch of discs Mr. Moyer was considering blowing a bunch of holiday Amazon cash on.

looksharpAmong the coveted was Joe Jackson’s terrific 1979  Look Sharp, a solid and even pretty diverse debut released during the hey day of Punk and the New Wave.

At first I dismissed Jackson as an Elvis Costello wanna be, but several songs from Look Sharp really nailed me. Is She Really Going Out With Him, Sunday Papers, and One More Time not to mention the great title cut made me buy the vinyl (I got the same issue as Peter, two 10″ discs) and the album was strong enough for me to easily take the plunge with Jackson’s second album, I’m The Man.

I felt Jackson’s second work was even stronger than his first, with the title track resting among my favorite Jackson tunes (it is also a song I played lead guitar on and sang with my first band, Mid Life Crisis). The album also had On Your Radio and the lovely and ironic It’s Different for Girls.

I bought Jackson’s next foray, Beat Crazy, and it did not do that much for me, but the eclectic musician and songwriter–who studied at Britain’s Royal Music Academy–followed that up with his Jumpin’ Jive Review, a wonderful homage to Cab Calloway and especially Louis Jordan.

Next for Jackson was Night and Day, a nod to pop and to Cole Porter, and an album that featured perhaps Jackson’s best known tune, Stepping Out and while there were still guitars and bass and 4/4 time in Jackson’s compositions, it was clear Jackson’s love for big bands and orchestrations was guiding his evolution as an artist.

By the way, Night and Day was again a very strong product, with diverse, tuneful, and thoughtfully constructed pop tunes. And, Stepping Out represented the first produced video by Jackson, who had eschewed the format that had become a staple in 1982, because he felt that video detracted from the music.

Jackson’s next work, Body and Soul again displayed the move towards a more refined jacksonsound well as jazz in a work that lovingly replicates the cover art of the 1957 release by Sonny Rollins, Sonny Rollins, Vol. 2. Body and Soul has also proved to be my favorite Jackson disc, and the one that made my Top 50 (which now seems like a Top 75) for the site here.

Jackson’s next work, Big World, sampled even further beats and rhythms of the world at large, while also displaying another aspect of the principled auteur, for though the album is a double disc, Jackson only felt he had enough quality material for three sides. So, side four is left intentionally blank.

From there Jackson generally moved more towards works that pushed towards fuller orchestrations, eventually delivering his Symphony #1 (1999) and though I stopped buying each of Jackson’s works, I did see Joe and the band on the heels of their Blaze of Glory tour in 1989, and they were beyond great. Tight, tuneful, and funny, with the goofy Jackson playing all kinds of instruments while he stalked around the stage, like a mad musical scientist dressed in a trench-coat, as his band simply smoked.

As noted, since then, Jackson has moved from the punky guitar driven sound that garnered notice, towards classical music (he has also done a bunch of soundtracks, including Mike’s Murder and Tucker), but comparing the literate and erudite Jackson with the likes of Billy Joel is not just wrong, it is criminal (sorry Gene).

One of the things I have noticed as the cluster of us contributing to the site have made our musical loves known, is some of us have a genre we love the most, or that we feel best represents what the site, as in Remnants of Rock, as opposed to country, or pop, or classical or salsa means, is that we have clear lines drawn about what qualifies.

And, while I understand this–and hell, guitar driven tunes are the ones that get me most as you can see by simply watching the I’m the Man vid–I think artists growing and pushing their vision is what keeps art, both theirs and ours, vital.

Joe Jackson is such an artist. Like Prince, or Joni Mitchell, or the Stones or Beatles, Neil Young, or even Dylan, Jackson has never been satisfied simply doing the same mishmash of tunes over and over again.

Rather he pushes and reinvents himself, and his work to keep both the music and himself growing, learning, and producing.

The results speak for themselves, whether he is your cup of Joe or not.

Quick Circle Jerks Primer And Story

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Circle Jerks were a pioneering LA hardcore band fronted by former Black Flagger and now legendary Off! (who sound a lot like the Circle Jerks) singer Keith Morris.

A couple friends of mine and me went to see the Circle Jerks in Philly back in the day and we had gone to a bar down the street from the show to have a few pre-show drinks. We’re walking back to the show and a van pulls up and a guy says, “Do you know where Love Hall is?” We tried to describe it, but the driver eventually told us to hop in since we were both going to the same place.

There were a bunch of guys in the van and one of us said, “So, you’re going to the Circle Jerks show. . .” One of the guys answered, “We are the Circle Jerks.” I don’t remember saying much else to them being that the ride lasted probably a grand total of five minutes. But it’s a cool memory anyway.

Here’s my personal favorite Circle Jerks tune:

Night Music: Brenda Lee (with Jimmy Page), “Is It True?”

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With the holidays behind us, I wonder how many of you heard enough of Brenda Lee’s standard, Rocking Around the Christmas Tree?

It is a fun song and the diminutive Lee (she was around 4’9″) could really belt out a tune. She had hits like I’m Sorry and All Alone am I, and played with some pretty good sessions guys.

As in, did you know that Boots Randolf provided the sax solo in Rocking Around the Christmas Tree and that Hank Garland played the guitar on the same tune.

So, how many of you remember Lee’s 1964 hit Is it True?

Lee, who was more popular in England before she really broke through in the states, recorded Is it True in London, at Decca studios, when BritPop was just breaking through, so the song is full of the sound.

Is it True? features Bobby Graham on drums, and Jimmy Page playing some killer guitar (the piano is also deadly), and was produced by Mickie Most, who also did work with Herman’s Hermits and The Animals, among others.

Here it is: Brenda belts, Bobby slams, and Jimmy wails.

Happy New Year From Steve

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Let me start with a ‘Copters tune that I happened to listen to over the holidays (when I head for a CD to drive with it’s always difficult to past up The Hellacopters). It includes one of my favorite all-time rock lyrics:

“I got my radio on,
It’s playing that same old stupid song,
Over and over for much too long.
I gotta turn that damn thing down,
I gotta turn that damn thing down,
Etc., etc.”

A wonderful answer to Peter’s “We Must Respect Current Popular Music” crusade. Bullshit. Dog shit covered with chocolate is still dog shit.

Also a wonderful answer to all the great songs from the past that urged us to turn the radio up (before the radio became dog shit). Perhaps Mr. Costello started it with “Radio Radio” but, of course, The Hellas version is my favorite.

Speaking of Elvis, a couple of buddies and I finally had our Wake for our departed friend DC Hoffman, the last and best drummer for Follow Fashion Monkeys, who shockingly hung (hanged? – I think that’s correct but no one ever says it) himself a couple months ago on a Saturday morning. His wife was in shock and he never had a funeral or even an obituary.

We got together and started slow with some Lucinda Williams, Ruin, Husker Du, etc. We were drinking and talking all the way. The climax was the entire “This Year’s Model” album (knew I had to tie in the “speaking of Elvis” somewhere) which we discussed all the way through. We finished with wild monkey-dancing to “Supershitty To The Max” and then, the greatest full-length album of all-time, the sacred “Apocalypse Dudes.” It was a great send-off to our old friend, who we never knew was suicidal and who never cried out for help even a little bit. Sad. Here are a couple highlights from those last two. DC was at the reformed Hank-less Turbonegro show that I attended in NYC two years ago, by the way. Right up at the front of the stage with me.

Finally, I have a bunch of Amazon gift card money to spend and I’m making a list, mostly back-filling essential stuff I don’t have anymore since I sold my records. I’m buying CDs, of course, clinging to a format I can hold with my hands as it slowly dies. Maybe I’ll buy all of them. Rock ‘n’ roll everybody! Remnants of it still do exist although you wouldn’t know it from what’s mostly on this site anymore. In no particular order (except the first one):

Hellacopters – Strikes Like Lightening – Pretty much the only CD music left that I don’t have from The Only Band That Matters (well, there are a couple others). It’s expensive, but I’m sure it will be worth it.

Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats – Mind Control – The follow-up to Blood Lust isn’t supposed to be as good, but isn’t supposed to be bad either.

Circle Jerks – Group Sex – We played a couple songs at DC’s wake and I realized I need to re-get this punk essential.

Entombed – Wolverine Blues – The main guy from the Hellacopters first band. Yes, it’s death metal, but, according to reviews, this album is very groovy death metal. I truly think I’m missing something with quality death metal (like jazz, but more important), so I’m gonna make myself listen to this at least five times in its entirety and see if I can get used to the Cookie Monster vocals in order to absorb the rest.

Red-Headed Stranger – Willie Nelson – My favorite country album of all-time. I had this on CD, but loaned it to someone who must never have returned it along the way. Hopefully he paid it forward.

Fear – The Record – Another punk classic I never got on CD for some unknown reason.

The Damned – Damned Damned Damned – How I never got their classic debut on CD I’ll never know.

Joe Jackson – Look Sharp – This was about all for Joe Jackson, but I liked this one a lot at the time.

The Stranglers – Old Testament Box Set – I really wanted the first two albums, but may just buy this box set of all the early stuff instead. Surely I’ll find some hidden treasures.

Generation X – Debut – This is good, even though Billy Idol’s later stuff is awful.

The Germs – Complete Anthology – This is another CD I know I had at one point and I don’t have it anymore. Maybe I need new friends.

Bad Brains – Debut – We played a couple of these at DC’s wake as well and I got excited. Anyone who thinks Living Color was a pioneering black rock band knows nothing.

Song of the Week – The Seed (2.0), The Roots

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MOMETA-BLUES-THE-WORLD-ACCORDING-TO-QUEST-LOVEIGNORED OBSCURED RESTORED

I really hate to admit that I don’t like most hip hop music. I like to think of myself as extraordinarily open minded to virtually all types of music but I’ve just never been able to get on board with hip hop. That’s not to say that I don’t like any. But I could probably fit a playlist of all my favorite hip hop songs on a single CD or cassette.

Since the early 2000s I’ve been following the career of The Roots. I like the way they play real instruments and mix traditional R&B stylings into their contemporary sound. They’re smart too.

When I heard that their drummer and musical director, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, had written a book I decided to pick it up and give it a read. (I had also heard that he is an avid record collector and musicologist – my kind of guy!) The book, titled Mo’ Meta Blues – The World According To Questlove, is a good read. It gave me a greater appreciation for the history of hip hop music and specifically the career and influence of The Roots.

Today’s SotW is their best known song, “The Seed (2.0)” from the album Phrenology.

In the book Questlove tells the whole story of how the song came to be. He first heard the song’s writer on a demo CD that was played for him by his friend dream hampton who had received it from Ishmael Butler who made her promise not to identify the artist to anyone. But Questlove was able to sneak a peek at the CD case and identified the artist as Cody ChestnuTT. Through some clever sleuth work he was able to get a copy of ChestnuTT’s full album where he heard the song “The Seed.”

He contacted ChestnuTT and told him the Roots wanted to record a hip hop version with him for their new album. The session was arranged and the recording was cut in just two takes. That’s all that was needed to capture “the feel” that makes the song work.

Questlove writes:

“The Seed (2.0)” was a hit and a big part of our crossover success. It was also Don Was’s favorite record of the year. When he was making “A Bigger Bang” with the Rolling Stones, he played it for the band. “That’s the kind of sound we want,” he said. “This is what you need to be sounding like.”

I think they were on to something. The song came in at #43 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Best Songs of the 2000s.

Now, when you listen to the words, be forewarned that they should not be interpreted literally. The Roots were a band that insisted on taking hip hop into new directions – merging various styles, including rock. The lyrics are a metaphor for the merging of musical styles and their disdain for the direction hip hop was taking at the time (a rote reliance on samples, and lyrics that promoted materialism and created a distance between the artist and audience). Well, that’s how I see it.

Enjoy… until next week.

Night Music: The Bad Plus, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”

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The Bad Plus are playing at the Village Vanguard this weekend. That means they are a jazz band. But when I first saw them five or six years ago in the bandshell in Prospect Park, as part of Celebrate Brooklyn, the thing that impressed me was their aggressiveness. A rockish aggressiveness.

Ethan Iverson, I’ve learned over the years, is a great piano player, but what I gleaned that night was that he was great and always pushed forward. He was loud, he accelerated the tempos, he’s the king of the Bad Plus.

Curiously, the Bad Plus drummer’s last name is King. His name is Dave King. He is a loud, muscular banger on drums. Aggressive is a good word here, too. He pushes the tempo constantly, and on that night I saw them in Brooklyn he was a total force. This is a jazz trio that plays with a rockish intensity. Dave King brings the heat.

I don’t want to diss the bass player, but I have no memories of him when I’ve seen the Bad Plus live. But this clip is a down tempo version of a crinkly new wave song originally recorded by the band Tears for Fears in 1985. The Bad Plus bass player, Reid Anderson, kills on this tune. Maybe slow and thoughtful helps the four-string guy.

Ethan Iverson and Dave King will show their massive chops in other clips you can find everywhere, or when you go see these guys live (as you should), but covering Tears for Fears it is Reid Anderson who captures the groove.