Thrifty Music, Vol. 20.5: Relationship Advice From the Soul Generation

 Posted by
Apr 082010
 

From left: Townsmen mockcarr, hrrundivbakshi, Rick Massimo, chickenfrank.

“Super Fine,” The Soul Generation

Greetings, seekers of the rare, the weird and the incredibly cheap! Here’s today’s installment of Thrifty Music for your thoughtful consideration — a dynamic chunk of funk from The Soul Generation entitled “Super Fine.” In it — over one of the slammin’est, most groove-a-licious tracks you’ll ever hear — this four-piece vocal combo (seen above in their flyest of superfly pimp finery) offers you some sound relationship advice, to wit:

If you love a girl
(If you love a girl)
And she’s super fine
(super fine, super fine)
BLOW HER MIND!
(Why don’t you blow it — hey, hey, hey… YEAAHHH! WOOOOO!)

The next line concerns the need to also be sure to “know her sign,” and so forth.

Look, like a lot of tunes from this era, the lyric is a bit silly, but the sheer enthusiasm of the vocal performance — and the way you can really feel the band sink their gold teeth into that mighty, mighty groove — well, it makes for a Great artefact of a bygone musical era, sez me. I just love this song.

But here’s my probing Thrifty Question: I think we’d all agree that if you love a girl, and she’s super fine, you really ought to blow her mind. But is there any other lyric that contains what you’d sincerely consider good relationship advice? I know we make a lot of fun of the loincloth-wearing misogyny of a lot of retardo-rock — but there must be some good bits of advice that rock has to offer, as well. Share your favorites.

I look forward to your responses.

HVB

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The Music of Lester Bangs

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Apr 082010
 


From what I’ve read music critic Lester Bangs was a frustrated musician. I believe this is not an uncommon phenomenon. For every Patti Smith, David Thomas, and Chrissie Hynde who’s graduated from writing record reviews to writing records that get reviewed there must be a thousand frustrated rock critics. I’ve been told this even extends to music bloggers.

It had been years since I checked out the music of Lester Bangs. In fact, I’d forgotten that recordings of his music existed until I read the Joey Ramone memoir, I Slept With Joey Ramone, written by Joey’s brother, Mickey Leigh, who is a bit of a frustrated musician himself and who played in Bangs’ band for a while. I believe Leigh is the guitarist on this track. [NOTE: I was wrong about this belief.]

I found this track surprisingly strong. I still haven’t gone back to check out his other recordings, but had this been better recorded it would sit nicely alongside some of the jazz-poetry workouts of Patti Smith and a side 2 track from Pere Ubu‘s Dub Housing.

What do you think? Yourself excluded, who’s your favorite critic/frustrated musician?

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All-Star Jam

 Posted by
Apr 082010
 


What do you take personally when you’re in Mill Valley?

Feel free to take this space personally and post the musically relevant thoughts inside your head that need to come out.

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Artists You Wish People Could See for What They Are, Not for What Most of Their Fans Wish They Could Be

 Posted by
Apr 062010
 


I’m excited to see the new documentary on The Doors, When You’re Strange, which is playing for free in Philadelphia this Friday night, April 9. My excitement is for a range of reasons, from the fact that it’s directed by Tom DiCillo, who’s first three movies (Living in Oblivion, Box of Moonlight, Johnny Suede) were indie joys for me in the ’90s, to the fact that I like my share of Doors music as well as get a great deal of laughs out of the band’s pretensions and their even more incredibly pretentious diehard fans. I’m sure this film’s narrator, Johnny Depp, for instance, is going to match Ray Manzarek for jive-ass references to “shamen” and other mystical “native” nonsense that no white man who’s not a professor of anthropology should be caught dead talking about.

I’m suspect this film will only perpetrate the mythology around The Doors and Jim Morrison, but I wish more people could see The Door for what they really were, not for what most of their fans wish they could be. For instance:

  • The Doors were a solid psych-pop group with tight production, not groundbreaking avant-garde visionaries!
  • The Doors were a tough, little blues-rock combo, not the house band for the Weimar Republic.
  • Jim Morrison’s lyrics were usually pretty funny and only worked in the context of his committed approach to desiring transcendence within the confines of his solid, little psych-pop/blues-rock combo. He was no American Poet!
  • Jim Morrison’s not alive; he’s dead.

I’m not trying to degrade the work of The Doors. There’s so much to like over the course of their brief career that reasonable rock ‘n roll fans can’t be bothered to hear for what it is for the risk of letting any of the wacko cult-worshipping leak into their lives. I’m trying to uncover the true and meaningful legacy of The Doors. For those Doors fans who use the band as a means for compensating for their empty spiritual lives, get a practicing shaman to guide you!

Is there an artist you wish people could see for what they are, not for what most of their fans wish they could be?

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Please Explain: What Do You People Hear in All Mod Cons That Makes It Your Most Beloved Jam Album?

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Apr 062010
 

Please explain.

I dig The Jam as much as most of you. Sure, I’ve got my beefs with drummer Rick Buckler, but I have given him props for his running skills. I can’t stand The Style Council, but that doesn’t color my views on The Jam or Paul Weller’s solo career. I’m not a fan of bassist Bruce Foxton’s bass tone, and that does factor into what I’m about to say.
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Thrifty Music, Vol. 20.4: I Am the Last Man Standing with Chuck Woolery!

 Posted by
Apr 052010
 

Chuck Woolery, “Soft Velvet Love”

Still on track to make 20 Thrifty Music posts in 40 days — and today’s post allows me to both fulfill my Thrifty Music Anniversary Pledge and be counted as the Last Man Standing on the topic of show biz personalities who got their start as rockers. Why? Because today’s thrifty score is a late-’60s single by Chuck Woolery — yes, that Chuck Woolery — who traveled from his home in Kentucky to the hills of Hollyweird to find fame and fortune as a rock star before he settled into his role as host of innumerable teevee game shows.

Chuck actually scored a top 40 hit in, I think, 1967, with his band, The Avant Garde, entitled “Naturally Stoned” — but this slab of cheese was released after The Avant Garde called it quits. I originally meant to post it as a 100% gag, but I’ve grown to appreciate the Lee Greenwood-esque over-the-top-ness of it, so I offer it to you as a mere 75% gag. In any case, enjoy! And please note:

I AM THE LAST MAN STANDING!

HVB

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