Mr. Moderator

Mr. Moderator

When not blogging Mr. Moderator enjoys baseball, cooking, and falconry.

If New Wave Mu$ic Could Talk

 Posted by
Nov 162012
 

Beside Linda Rondstadt and Billy Joel, did any established rock artists of the late-’70s attempt to cash in on New Wave and Punk music? I can’t think of any others beside The Rolling Stones‘ “response to Punk” album (a phrase they now embrace but a notion I believe they rejected at the time), Some Girls. I’m sure there are a few other examples beyond Townman alexmagic‘s long-imagined, never-delivered Bob Seger New Wave album.

Let’s face it, there wasn’t much cash to cash in on regarding New Wave music of the late-’70s and early-’80s. If this music had caught fire, however, like Disco did a few years earlier, can you imagine the New Wave single big bands of the ’70s might have released? Can you imagine KISS‘ cash-in New Wave single? Can you imagine the Eagles‘ cash-in New Wave single? Instead of “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy” Rod Stewart could have ripped off “Dancing With Myself.” And what about Seger’s long-imagined, as-yet-undelivered New Wave nugget?

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When Did Heavy Metal First Run Out of Gas?

 Posted by
Nov 142012
 

I would think most of you will have some thoughts on this matter, or at least give credence to the notion that heavy metal ran out of gas at some point. I stumbled across this entire Black Sabbath concert from 1970. I find it especially interesting in how simple and direct the band’s performance is. They’re just, like, dudes…with good equipment.

As interesting as this concert is, I propose that the gauge on heavy metal first neared “E” sometime during this gig.

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Rock Boners for Old White Folks

 Posted by
Nov 142012
 

In a recent discussion of the band Alabama Shakes, whose recent appearance on Austin City Limits surprisingly impressed Townsman Al and yours truly, Townsman Hrrundivbakshi asked a wholly appropriate question:

Seriously, why do us old white folks require “second coming of…” acts to really give us rock boners?

It’s a good question. These days, do I only pop a boner for the “second coming” of Farrah Fawcett and whatever other actresses turned me on when I was a teenage boy? Of course not! My dick, to keep this discussion regrettably crude, has adapted to the joys of new, good-looking actresses with their own contemporary style. What is the deal? Does new music lack tits and ass, or whatever turned us onto music in the first place?

I have no answers, at this point. Let’s discuss HVB’s question.

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Saved by the Covers: “I’ll Keep it With Mine”

 Posted by
Nov 122012
 

Give it away.

I didn’t know until today that Judy Collins first covered Bob Dylan‘s then-unreleased song “I’ll Keep it With Mine” in 1965. I’ve never heard her version, but whoever got the song on the road to the version that I first learned through Fairport Convention‘s chilling take had both ears and vision.

Fairport Convention, I’ll Keep It With Mine

Next, sometime in sophomore year in college, I heard the Nico version, clearly guided by the sensibilities of her producer John Cale. I believe this preceded Fairport’s version, so Mad props! to Nico.

Finally, a few years later, I heard Dylan’s demo. Like a few other Dylan demos that were turned into great covers (eg, “Quinn the Eskimo,” by Manfred Mann; “One Too Many Mornings,” by the Beau Brummels), I was stunned anyone could hear anything of great worth in the song. It’s OK, but his performance indicates little focus or drama. Can you imagine hearing this acetate and wanting to run with it the way Fairport Convention and Nico did? Check it out… Continue reading »

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The Soundtrack of the Month

 Posted by
Nov 122012
 

UPDATED!

ACTUAL S.W.A.T. ACTOR CHIMES IN WITH HIS MEMORIES OF THIS HISTORIC SHOOT! CLICK HERE FOR THE STORY BEHIND THE AMAZING OPENING SEQUENCE OF THIS LEGENDARY SHOW!

The television show S.W.A.T. debuted in 1975 and lasted just 2 years. Somewhere near the show’s brief run the school that Townsman andyr and I attended celebrated its 275th anniversary. To commemorate this occasion a reproduction of the school’s original one-room log cabin school was constructed. The windows were either smashed out immediately or the little log cabin never had glass windows installed. I remember the window frames being wide open—and not that high off the ground.

The windows were set low enough so that a group of 6th grade boys were capable of jumping through the windows and rolling into the building (a la Rod Perry at the 48-second mark of the show’s opening) while they hummed the theme from S.W.A.T. For a solid 3 weeks this recess activity took precedence over all other recess activities: football, soccer, kickball, “smear the queer”… Then the adults caught wind of our rough-and-tumble tuck-and-roll play. They thought it was dangerous—and disrespectful to this monument to our school’s humble Quaker roots.

For the next week teachers chased us from the log cabin on a regular basis, but we persisted. Then one night some local high school kids, maybe our own school’s kids, partied in the log cabin and set fire to it. There were empty cases of beer and ashes. There would be no more games of S.W.A.T. for recess. We resumed our slow-motion highlights reel reenactments to the theme of Monday Night Football.

View Director’s Cut…after the jump! Continue reading »

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