A girl playing the Highway Star guitar solo in her underwear on the dining room table.
Those crazy kids. . .
Classic Nuggets: Paul Revere & the Raiders, “Sometimes”
I am not sure why Sometimes of all songs from my past popped into my head the other day. I think someone asked me a question, and I answered “sometimes,” and poof, there you go.
But, I am glad because I remember loving the shit out of this song when I bought Paul Revere’s third album Here They Come, though it was never a hit or even released as a single. It was covered later by The Cramps and The Flamin’ Groovies, however.
The Raiders were certainly a hot band in 1963. I saw them twice in the early 60’s opening for the Beach Boys (whom I actually saw six times and was in attendance August 1, 1964 when Beach Boys Concert album was recorded) and with music and television growing, The Raiders became a house band on Dick Clark’s Where the Action Is, his follow-up to Bandstand aimed at the next generation of pop music kids.
But, talk about an advanced sounding song, recorded in 1965, Sometimes was produced by Terry Melcher. Melcher was a principal producer for Columbia Records at the time, and was the son of Doris Day. Melcher had a band–The Rip Chords–who had an early 60’s hit (Hey Little Cobra) and as part of Bruce and Terry (Here Comes Summer).
Bruce, was Bruce Johnson who eventually became a member of the Beach Boys, but Melcher also was tied to Charles Manson. Melcher rejected Manson’s audition tapes, clearly pissing Manson off. Melcher had owned the home where the Tate-LaBiancha murders took place, but (obviously) did not live there any longer when Manson’s minions did their dirty work.
Rumor has it that some of the recording of Here They Come was performed by The Wrecking Crew, but Drake Levin probably did play the guitar and his solo is pretty hot. Levin was a pioneer with guitar pyrotechnics, having been among the first to double-track a solo on Just Like Me.
To me, however, Sometimes sticks out as an actual substantive song as opposed to a lot of what turned into the car song pop dreck that highlighted pop music, along with surfing, before the Beatles and Brit Pop rescued us. Nothing represents this pre-genre better than Hey Little Cobra.
Compare that to Sometimes.
And, will try to write here more often. The re-launch of Creativesports, and work on my latest book have distracted me!
Christian James Hand Breaks Down AC/DC’s Let There Be Rock
I learned about this from a Facebook post by my friends Annastasia and Herrick. Hand went to school with Herrick.
Hand takes songs and breaks them down into their component parts. Haven’t heard anything like this before, and don’t know how the he gets to the individual tracks, but it’s pretty neat. Here’s the show:
https://audioboom.com/posts/6503846-studio-session-on-fhf-let-there-be-rock-by-ac-dc-11-20-2017
Here’s the whole song.
Song of the Week – These Days, Nico, Gregg Allman, Ian Matthews, Mates of State
IGNORED OBSCURED RESTORED
One of my favorite artists in the singer-songwriter genre is Jackson Browne. I know, in these times when women are fighting to save themselves from sexual assaulters, coming out to pay tribute to Browne might not be politically correct. (He was accused of domestic violence against his then-girlfriend Daryl Hannah, since retracted – but the damage has been done.) I’m focused on the quality of his songs, not his personal life. Besides, he has been a solid citizen throughout his life, fighting for the environment and many other political causes that are important to him (and me).
Early in his career, his songs were recognized as gems by many prominent artists that recorded them long before he did. The list includes Tom Rush, Joan Baez, The Byrds, Eagles and Linda Ronstadt.
Today’s SotW is another installment of the “evolution” series, “These Days,” that is such a wonderful composition that it has been captured in outstanding performances by many artists.
Browne wrote “These Days” when he was about 16 years old. The first recording was done by Nico of the Velvet Underground on her solo album, Chelsea Girl (1967). Browne, who was at the time linked romantically with her, played electric guitar on the track.
Another outstanding version was laid down by Gregg Allman on his first solo album, Laid Back (1973). Browne himself said of Allman’s arrangement “that he really unlocked a power in that song that I sort of then emulated in my version.”
Allman learned the song when the pre-Allman Brothers band The Hour Glass was plying their trade in LA. His bluesy voice wrings out every drop of emotion that the song’s lyrics of sadness and regret have to offer.
Another fine version was recorded about the same time by Ian Matthews on his 1973 release Valley Hi – an album that Rolling Stone called “a sensuous delight.”
Matthews’ take has a little more of a pop feel, but still retains the song’s disconsolate sentiment.
A more modern approach was recorded by Mates of State. I prefer the live-in-studio track they cut for Daytrotter in 2006, but it’s not available on YouTube. So here’s the officially released version that was on the soundtrack to the film Wicker Park.
Mates of State are a husband and wife duo from CT via CA via KS. The simplicity of their keyboard, percussion and harmony version is charming.
Browne finally recorded his own version on his second album, For Everyman (1973). What else can I say about “These Days” other than it ends with one of the most poignant lines EVAH!
Don’t confront me with my failures / I had not forgotten them
The self reflective tone of the lyrics of “These Days” seems especially relevant as we near the year end.
Enjoy… until next week.
Those Darlins, Be My Bro
Nashville indie gals have a pretty sweet catalog. Lots of country, lots of sass and cleverness. Like this. If I walked into a bar and found them I would be overly enthusiastic and glad.
Song of the Week – Plimsoll Punks, Alvvays & Crash, The Primitives
IGNORED OBSCURED RESTORED
I always have a running list of song ideas for my weekly missive. “Crash” by The Primitives has been on it for a long time. I can’t really put my finger on the reason that I haven’t written about it sooner. But my inspiration to catch up comes from another band I’ve been listening to – Alvvays.
Alvvays (pronounced Always) is an outfit from Nova Scotia that’s now based out of Toronto. They released their second album, Antisocialites, last September. The SotW is “Plimsoll Punks.”
The first time I heard this burst of indie pop my mind began swirling with the antecedents that I was hearing in Alvvays sound. I heard Camera Obscura, a bit of Cocteau Twins and a super-sized serving of the Primitives.
There we go!!! I now have the connection I was looking for to include “Crash.”
The Primitives made a splash in 1988 with their album Lovely. Beside “Crash” the album had another song, “Way Behind Me,” that snatched a lot of airplay on indie and college radio stations.
Merry Christmas!
Enjoy… until next week.
Eno and Rick Holland, Bless This Space
Came upon this lead track from a 2011 album (Drums Between the Bells) these two guys (Holland is a poet) made. Arty as all get out, but man it sounds good. That is a fantastic guitar solo.
Smithereens Comment
For a long time, when I include a youtube link in my comments, it doesn’t flesh out, leaving a plain, unappealing link to click. Earlier today, the whole thing went kaput as when I typed all this in as a comment, it gave me some security error and nothing stuck at all.
So I’m doing this as a new post, lest I waste my time trying to comment again. Here we go:
I’ve always thought of Smithereens as a second-generation Hoodoo Gurus, a band I liked a lot way back when, but whose music doesn’t hold up for me anymore.
Early on in the Smither’s career, I read something that their goal was to combine The Beatles and AC/DC. A noble pursuit for sure, not that they ever achieved it. (If you want John Lennon and Black Sabbath – for real – it’s Uncle Acid.)
Got excited when I saw Tom’s title, anticipating a Smithereens cover of the original Behind The Wall Of Sleep. Oh well.
Song of the Week – Behind the Wall of Sleep, The Smithereens
IGNORED OBSCURED RESTORED
Last Tuesday, December 12th, Pat DiNizio of The Smithereens died at the age of 62. DiNizio was the main creative force behind the New Jersey based band; its lead singer, guitarist and main songwriter.
As a power pop fanatic, I always enjoyed the music of The Smithereens and was able to see them in concert back in the late ‘80s.
They had several “modern rock” hits played by progressive FM radio stations, including “Blood and Roses,” Only a Memory” and “A Girl Like You.”
Today’s SotW was another, “Behind the Wall of Sleep” from their 1986 debut, Especially for You.
The song opens with an obscure reference to Jean Shrimpton (does DiNinzio sing Jeannie Shipton?) who was a super model that, along with Twiggy, helped set of the mini skirt craze in the mid ‘60s.
She had hair like Jeannie Shrimpton back in 1965
She had legs that never ended, I was halfway paralyzed
She was tall and cool and pretty and she dressed as black as coal
If she asked me to I’d murder, I would gladly lose my soul
The woman the song was about was a girl named Kim Ernst, the bassist for an all-female, Boston based band called The Bristols.
The music is equally influenced by the British Invasion and garage rock sounds of the ‘60s. All very mod. In fact, The Smithereens recorded two albums of Beatles’ covers. Meet the Smithereens (2007) was a song for song replica of Meet the Beatles. B-Sides The Beatles (2008) was just as it says – covers of Beatles’ B-sides.
On the rarities compilation The Attack of the Smithereens (1995) the band exposed some of their other early influences with covers of The Beau Brummels’ “Just a Little,” and Frank and Nancy Sinatra’s “Something Stupid” – fun stuff worth hearing.
So long Pat, may you rest in peace.
Enjoy… until next week.
More Kevin Bacon
Good Old Boys made me think of Waylon Jennings and Waylon Jennings made me think of my favorite Waylon song, Honky Tonk Heroes written by Billy Joe Shaver.
If there’s a morality tale in this song I don’t know what it is and I don’t much care. I particularly like when it kicks in at about 1:30 and I like even better when it kicks out with the riff at 3:20.
It’s a testament to the musical world we live in that everybody has a Johnny Cash shirt, no one has a Waylon Jennings shirt and no one even knows who Billy Joe Shaver is. (No offense to Johnny Cash – it’s not his fault.)