UPDATED AFTER THE JUMP!
I’ve got a real simple little game/opportunity to bond that I’d like to see if we can play. I’m swamped today, so I may not have time to drop a typically insightful, educational piece on you any time soon. I sense you’ve got a lot you want to share but are lacking enough topics around which to express yourself. So with the summer wrapping up, here’s your chance to wax enthusiastic over any one thing musical you’ve experienced this summer (eg, new album, old album, live show, killer earbuds, satellite radio show). Your enthusiasm should be contagious, as you raise a virtual hand in the air, in full expectation of a high five of acknowledgment and shared enthusiasm for your topic.
NOW HERE’S THE TRICKY PART OF THE GAME: Before any Townsperson can respond to that first post with his or her own song of praise, he or she must first complete the high five, must serve as a witness to the previous praiseworthy experience.
To illustrate, Townsperson A may raise the roof for the new Dr. Dog album. A second Townsperson will be required to second that praise, no matter how mildly (eg, “Yeah, it’s got a couple of good tracks”), before moving forward with his or her own musical experience from the summer of 2008. If you’ve got a burning desire to share yet can’t stand the new Dr. Dog album, you’ll have to wait your turn, wait to follow up on another Townsperson’s experience.
The final rule (I think): Pile-on high fives are only allowed if the piling-on Townsperson somehow extends the praise, such as following the first Townsperson to agree that the new Dr. Dog album, “like, totally rocks,” with something on the order of, “If you like that album, you should have seen them on tour this summer!” Beware of this tactic, though: the person who follows the first pile-on will need to then high five over both the pile-on topic as well as any new topic the first pile-on person adds to the mix. After completing that tricky maneuver, the person following the first pile-on will be able to reset the praise and allow the next person to focus only on the most recently praised musical experience.
Take your time with this. Let me know if you have any questions. I’ll leave the stage open to your first song of praise. At least one actual praiseworthy song, submitted by Townsman Al, follows the jump!
Kenny O’Dell, “Beautiful People”
About this track, Al writes:
As I’ve said before, I’ve been trying to create a playlist on my iPod that includes every top 40 song I can remember from my youthful days listening tp WFIL and WIBG. I’m up to around 1900 songs but I doubt I’ll ever be finished. This one popped up in a odd place about 6 months ago and it’s still tickling my fancy. I don’t think I’d heard it in 35 years but when I heard it again I remembered every word and note. Just a great pop song, a great blend of soul and country. I’m not sure how popular it was nationally but it sure was big in Philly. There was another version of this released at virtually the same time by Bobby Vee that reached a similar chart position. It’s a note-for-note copy and it’s really good as well but it’s missing that certain something that makes this a classic.
OK, I may best understand the rules, so let me kick this off after all.
I’ve been digging the music of Little Richard this summer. I have a number of old singles, handed down from my uncle, and recently I downloaded a Greatest Hits album as well as some songs from an album from the mid-60s. Until earlier this summer, I probably hadn’t listened to the music of Little Richard on purpose since high school. Once I get through thinking about his schtick, I am finding that I love the rhythm of his records and the force of his voice.
Beatles literature always talks about his influence on Paul. Yeah, he learned to do the “whoo” and all that, but I wonder if John was also more indebted to the force and insistence of his rhythms and vocal delivery than the literature reports.
I’ve got my left hand raised and ready for completion of the high five. Anyone with me on the Power and Glory of Little Richard?
High Five! Little Richard sings like the top of his head is coming off! I think Paul must have claimed that territory, I can only remember John doing Oh! My Soul. John was a little more magnanimous about sharing his idols with Geroge and Paul, like Chuck Berry and Elvis. But, man, what I really would like is a Larry Williams comp of some sort. Dizzy Miss Lizzy, Slow Down, Bad Boy. Smokin’.
A month ago I got an ipod for my birthday, it’s not a megahuge thing, just 8 gb. So far, 1346 songs, but it’s been a lot of fun deciding which songs to put on there. I’ve been kind of haphazard, but I’ve much more vinyl recording to do! Many crackly and wellworn tunes available at the push of a button whereever I am! Bah, to downloads, I say! Why pay again?
That would be an easy high five for someone, since these lil’ buggers rock! But if you want to make it harder, who’s with me that the Ten Foot Faces’ cover of Rocket Reducer No. 62 is better than the MC5’s version. Exuberent! They boldy inject TEN FOOT FACES in place of MC5 in the lyrics.
It looks like Mockcarr has stumped the panel. This is the price of loving something obscure with all one’s heart. I’m sure you know the feeling. If a song of praise is not witnessed, does it make a sound? The man’s arm must be killing him as he awaits the completion of his high five. I wish I knew this Ten Foot Faces version of “Rocket Reducer No. 62.” I’m sure I’d love it too and return the high five. But I barely recall the band let alone know a note of their music. Can any Townsperson come through with a high five – even one for the mighty iPod (it would be insincere of me to complete that high five)? This, Rock Town Hall, is a rare opportunity to express unbridled joy!
The problem is, as you’re even implying, that you’re asking people on Rock Town–Rock Town, I’m telling you–to agree on something they like. This is not the way around here, at least not usually.
I’ll give you a Little Richard high five anyway though.
I can’t high five the Ten Foot Faces as tehy have escaped my radar until now, but I will happily high five the non-megahuge iPod. I’ve been giving a few out as gifts with music and playlist already loaded on that I have customized for the recipient.
This summer, I have been listening and enjoying with much pleasure the “Love, Peace & Poetry” music compilation series of obscuro psychedelic rock music from specific regions around the world (Turkey, Asia, Africa, Mexico). There is some great wild stuff on these comps.
petescrustz, i’m gonna high five your kind heart. to give pre-loaded ipods as gifts is about the best think i’ve heard this week.
My musical joy was seeing Judas Priest and Heaven and Hell in concert a few weeks ago. It seems that age does not affect metal in the same way it affects mere mortals. metal mutates and gets witchier with age.
Rob Halford now looks like the mutant from the original Hills have Eyes. (his name is Michael Berryman)
You know, the guy with the pointed head from Cucoo’s Nest and Weird Science. And Ronnie James Dio…looks exactly the same as he did in 1975.
Dittos, Mr. Mod, on Little Richard. I was just reading the latest issue of Ugly Things which featured an interview w/a 60s musician from Riverside, CA who talked about how he became friends w/Little Richard after the latter gave him a ride in his GTO when his car broke down. It’s pretty wild to think about Little Richard cruisin’ (erm…..) in a vintage GTO.
One pleasant musical surprise for me this summer was the Love Is The Song We Sing box set, which I got for a good price. The great part of this set is that you get stuff from the Beau Brummels, the Flamin’ Groovies, the We Five, the People (their hit cover of “I Love You”) & other non-usual suspects, as well as the usual suspects. The package is pretty swell, too.
The only thing I can really high five from this thread is the iPod, although I’m slowly getting to the point where I want the 80G one.
My Summer of ’08 discovery was Isley Brothers albums, particularly Givin’ It Back, Brother, Brother, Brother and 3+3. Now I know at least one Townsperson who can return my high five.
High five for the Flamin Groovies.
They’ve been in fairly heavy rotation for me lately prompted by the fact that my band, the Donuts, is opening for Cyril Jordan’s new band Magic Christian on September 5 in Philly(shameless plug!).
The Magic Christian album is deece, too. Clem Burke from Blondie and Eddie Munoz from the Plimsouls are also in the band. The sound is still very Groovies and more “You Tore Me Down” than “Teenage Head”. There is a cover of “Any Time at All” and an ass kicking version of the Who’s “Out in The Streets”.
I’ve been listening to a lot of cowboy music with my kids lately. Back in the Saddle by Gene Autry, Leaving Cheyenne by Ian Tyson, and Cool Water by the Sons of the Pioneers and a few of the ones in heavy rotation. I was happy to hear of Big Steve’s recent epiphany regarding western swing in general and Patsy Montana in specific. I love that stuff.
Don’t leave me hanging, Big Steve…
I’ll High Five diskojoe just for mentioning The Flamin’ Groovies. Headin’ For the Texas Border has gotten a lot of play around here lately for some reason. I just can’t get enough of it.
It’s been a good summer music wise. The Sadies are coming to town for free pretty soon, and I may actually be able to see it. But I think the best thing this summer is me finally getting my hands on the EMI rerelease of David Bowie Live Santa Monica ’72. It’s definitely one of the all time great bootlegs, and my favorite little store couldn’t get it for some reason, but I found it on Cape Cod. 27 bucks is steep, but it’s in a really nice box, the front covers have an individually numbered “ticket” on them (though no one knows when the numbers will end) and there’s tons of neato stuff inside. It’s a single cd, so yeah, it’s way too expensive but after listening to Mick Ronson wail on The Width of a Circle and hearing such an early live version of John, I’m Only Dancing in such a major sonic upgrade has got me totally thrilled. These guys were great that night and it’s nice to see such a historic show get such a nice treatment. I think it will knock Whiskeytown’s Stranger’s Almanac out of my top reissue of the year spot.
I’ll dive into the Little Richard pile-on. He’s one of those cases where the persona and look has long eclipsed the actual music – which will, inevitably, happen with anybody who hits that level of fame and that level of eyeliner – but to actually go and listen to him is always exciting, especially in the context of what else was going on in music then. His stuff was just propulsive, barreling straight ahead and rocking. The guy had a great voice, a ton of energy and terrific delivery, and set the bar high right at the start for radio friendly music about non-radio friendly things.
I definitely see the influence on McCartney more than Lennon, who seemed to draw more from the Chuck Berry camp. Besides the “whoooo” itself, McCartney clearly worked a variation of the Little Richard Voice and rave-up style into his collection of singing disguises all the way up to the end of the Beatles and some of his solo stuff.
I’ll join in on the iPod love, too, though I really need a new pair of earbuds. I have the 80gb monster, and still have a ton of space on it, but I love it for both music and podcasts, and a few things that fall in between.
Unfortunately, I can’t think of anything off the top of my head to throw out a high-five for. I think my most important musical discovery of 2008 has been accepting that I’ve hit the age where I feel old going to live shows now. And while that seems a little depressing at first, I’ve taken this in stride as a mature adult, so there you go, aging gracefully as a music fan. I’m gonna have to self-high five this one, ain’t I?
Right back at you re: aging gracefully as a music fan, Alexmagic! You need not use your second hand to satisfy the one you’ve offered.
I may have mentioned that a coworker burned me the Zombies Heaven box set back in the spring. This summer I’ve finally been digging into it. Disk 2, with all that Oracle and Odyssey stuff that I’ve long owned as part of the classic Time of the Zombies double-album, is especially great.
The Zombies may be the greatest of 2nd-rate ’60s band that is otherwise hazardous to your health as a rock music fan. What I mean is, they do that sensitive chamber pop thing to perfection – with a subtle sense of driving rhythms underneath all those sensitive moves. Problem is, a young man’s love for The Zombies makes him susceptible to all sorts of 3rd-rate “sunshine pop” obscurities, beginning with The Left Banke, the band I believe, for better and for worse, that is the top-tier 3rd-rate ’60s band. After them we’re talking music that should only be enjoyed in private and in the company of the closest of friends.
I know it’s not the most original song of praise that’s been sung, but this is my song of the summer of 2008. Zombies Heaven anyone?
Mr. Mod, high fivin’ on the Zombies Heaven box set, which I have since it came out. I think it is the best box set that I have ever owned. I love their BBC version of “Sitting In The Park”. With the crappy sound quality, it sounds like it came from outer space.
Also, move high fives for “Heading For The Texas Border” by the Flamin’ Groovies, my favorite San Fran band. Does anyone have the Norton CD Slow Death that has Cyril Jordan’s liner notes?
Jeez, I almost feel like Dustin Pedoria after he hit what could be the last grand slam in Yankee Stadium last night.
In that case, diskojoe, you would have to jump to reach Mr. Mod’s hand. You are aware all this BS is for the refurbished, vastly different Yankee Stadium, and not the House That Ruth Built. I saw the actual last game in Yankee Stadium and that team was even more mediocre than this aged bunch, but it sure beat going to Shea for two years. Notice how no one is really complaining about that one going or trying to have allstar games there? Where’s Berlyant?
I know I’m going to get a lot more done this October than in the last 13 years.
Yes mockcarr, I am aware that Yankee Stadium was rehabbed in ’76, just like the White House has been rehabbed a few times. There were plenty of historical moments in Yankee Stadium post ’76, like, let’s just say the 2004 ALCS.
I’m going to give a big high five in the direction of Mockcarr’s Roy White-era Yankee Stadium – especially Roy White’s Roy White-era Yankee Stadium batting stance – and allow us to move along in the sharing of good vibes from the Summer of ’08.
Here’s another Summer of 2008 musical experience I’d like to sing about from a mountaintop, or at least a mid-sized hill: Control, the 1971 album I downloaded by a guy named Jackie Leven. I posted a song or two from it may sometime in the spring, but the album’s been a consistently good spin through the summer. Maybes me want to grow a beard and wear a sweater vest, like Ian Gomm might have done in Brinsley Schwarz. Does anyone else know this album? It’s the perfect mating of Hippie Fern Bar and Pub Rock.
I’ll jump up and slap that high five for Norton’s Slow Death cd with Olympic gusto. The sound quality is a little sketchy, but I think the distortion actually adds to the fun.
Another great thing for the summer is the new Toadies album, No Deliverance. It came out last week, but I was out of town and grabbed it this week. I love those guys for some reason. The new one is all testosterone and loud and I think it’s great. I’m sure it will solidly earn the two stars AMG eventually gives it.
I’ll high five cdm on the western music. I don’t want to leave him hanging. Maybe the reason I’m getting into the western thing is that when I moved to Kansas City earlier this year I ended up living in the Westport neighborhood. This is supposedly where settlers provisioned before heading out to settle the west. KC used to be the farthest point you could get to by boat or train, and then it was wagons the rest of the way.
And I was expecting to give as my musical experience of summer 2008 the Bob Dylan concert I went to last night. He’s my favorite artist, but I had not seen him play since the Rolling Thunder tour in 1975. He was at the Uptown Theater, a restored 20s movie palace which is walking distance from my house. I was really looking forward to seeing him in a small (2000 or so) place and not have to stand up the whole show.
Well, first of all it turned out to be general admission, and we ended up sitting literally in the last row of the balcony where it was 100 degrees. If I ruled the world there would be no “I’m saving these seven seats for my friends.” There were lots of better seats, but they were all “saved.”
And then the sound mix was AWFUL. The bassist and the guy playing steel/banjo/mandolin/fiddle were totally inaudible, and the vocals were buried in the sound of the remaining instruments. At least you could hear the guitar players, but they’re kept on a short leash for some reason. The few times they were allowed to cut loose, they totally rocked the house, but that rarely happened. On the other hand, the drummer inexplicably has a huge kit with a dozen cymbals, and he’s allowed to overplay.
You could tell the band was tight, but you just couldn’t hear it. $75 for a ticket, and you can’t mix decent sound in a small theater? But my high-five is for the guys in his band. They work hard. They had played six straight nights before last night’s show. Tony Garnier, the inaudible bassist, has been with him for decades.
And, getting back to the western theme, I’m looking for an additional high five for Dylan’s Look. Last night we was wearing one of those flattened gauchoesque cowboy hats topping off an all-black ensemble with a stripe down the side of his pants. He plays exclusively organ these days, and he stood up the whole show, which is more than I was willing to do, and I’m not 67.
Sorry to say, it was not a night for the ages, but I’m glad I got to see him one more time before he calls it quits.
BigSteve, count yourself lucky that Dylan’s vocals were buried in the mix. I’ve been a fan going back to the early days and I’ve defended Dylan’s singing voice countless times but I can no longer listen to him sing. I don’t think he’s lost it – he can sing when he wants to – but he either doesn’t care anymore or, more likely, is experimenting with something the point of which I can’t see.
I’d high five you on Dylan’s look – is there anyone who has had so many cool looks for so long? – but I’m not sure I’m allowed to because I can’t continue the chain. I have a song that I’ve been loving this year but I don’t know how to upload it here in a comment. Any help Mr. Mod?
Al, please send the song to my gmail account: headstache [at] gmail [dot] com. You fill in the bracketed information! I’ll see that it’s included in the body of this post. Others with hot and happening Sounds of the Summer of 2008 feel free to do likewise, but keep it to 1 song per person. Thanks!
I’ll give high fives all around.
Firstly for Dylan. I love the look and I love the band. I have not him since Modern Times unfortunately, but I’ve seen him alot sonce 2001. Maybe I have no basis for comparison (i.e. Rolling Thunder), but I’ve always enjoyed the Dylan shows I’ve been lucky enough to attend. It does suck about the mix.
I’ll high five The Zombies. Love them. That’s about it for that one.
High fives for Cyril and The Groovies. Love them, too.
Maybe I should disqualify my hand off, or give a better one, but I do want to mention it: I’ve been a Ben Lee fan since he was wee lad in Noise Addict. I saw him in Atlanta when he charmed the socks off the indie-rock crowd with his acoustic guitar. Since then, he’s made some very hit or miss records. One record actually made me wonder what the point of him was. But, I stuck with him. I’m a fan through and through. So, his latest record came out. It’s called Ripe. It’s a pop poppy pop album. Pop like Mandt Moore radio pop (I have the hots for Mandy AND she’s featured on this Ben Lee record). It’s slickishly pop as pop music can be. And I really like it. I enjoy the record. It’s weird because the whole time I’m smiling and digging this record, I’m thinking that I should be likeing it so much. I feel really guilty, like I’ve been caught masturbating in the basement. But, I honestly can’t help it. I really dig this record. Because of my overwhelming guilt, I cannot expect a return high five, but has anybody heard this record? Any Ben Lee fans out here?
I’ve also been digging on the “fake” Ben Folds album leak. I like the new Metallica/Rick Rubin tracks. I’m looking forward to the new Brian Wilson release.
Hope I haven’t offened any Townsfolk with my recent outpouring of bad musical taste!
TB
I saw Dylan play for free outdoors in KC about ten years ago, and he still had his voice then. I’ll never forget when he played Mr. Tambourine Man. I’d heard that song thousands of times, but hearing Dylan sing it from about 20 feet away was incredibly moving.
I’ll give it up for Ben Lee. I had lost track of him after “I Wish I Was Him” and “Away With The Pixies,” but the AM radio show that gave the extended shout-out to RTH, Too Beautiful To Live, uses his recent tune “Catch My Disease” as its opening theme, and it’s catchy as hell. Very good, unfussy pop stuff.
Let’s hear it for putting shit away! One benefit of being largely unemployed for the last month or so is that I’ve actually made strides in listening to the backlog of old CDs and getting them off my desk!
Thanks for the high five on Brother Ben. He was actually involved in a project called The Bens with Ben Folds and Ben Kweller. Almost too much pop to stand. Cute. The Bens.
Here’s a high five to cleaning up the back log. I could take the next year off and still probably not get caught back up. The problem I face is this: I sometimes want to hear music that I “know”. That old familiar record that I’m familiar with. I probably have a lifetime of stuff that I’ve not heard and another lifetime of stuff that I’ll probably hear just once. That poses a problem when you want to listen to ALL the music in the world.
TB