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Bad Attitude Club Requests Live Proof: Blur at Wembley!

Jun 132008

The Blur Best of CD referred to in our recent Old Dude’s Guide to Blur originally was issued with a bonus live CD. This is a good thing, and I’m glad I have it. As the older Townspeople who constitute the Bad Attitude Club have been intensely sampling and studying the studio tracks and videos posted, more than a few of them have come back to me with a variation on the following question:

Thanks for sharing these studio tracks, Mod, but to accurately pass judgment on this band I ignored 15 years ago, I need to get a sense whether they could play live. We all know how any kid with a Mac these days can make a killer record, but only a real band can do it on stage.

So, as a service to our hard-working, dedicated, and open-minded members of the Bad Attitude Club, I’m posting some Blur tracks performed – not just live – but live at Wembley Stadium. That’s bigtime, for those of you who haven’t been watching reruns of early ’80s concerts on VH1 Classic. Listen to the roar of the crowd! Sing-along with the English masses, already! Enjoy – or better yet, analyze!

“Girls and Boys”

“End of a Century”

“Beetlebum”

“No Distance Left to Run”

For Those Who Bitched Through the ’90s: An Old Dude’s Guide to Blur

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Jun 122008

Stop your sobbing!

For those of you who, like me, spent much of the ’90s bitching and licking wounds inflicted from musical battles fought throughout the ’80s – and who therefore missed most of the output of Blur when they appeared as part of that Britpop movement that I don’t think caught on much beyond stinking Oasis in the US – I’d like to kick off work toward an An Old Dude’s Guide to Blur. This is especially meant for the consideration of fellow crotchety, old Townspeople as well as further enlightenment from the younger generation, for whom the band that gave Fox Sports broadcasts the “whoo-hoo” soundbite may mean something more. If you’re so cool that you straddle this issue as an older dude who was tuned in enough during the ’90s to have appreciated Blur in their time, bear with us. You too may be of use in this discussion.

Jeff Beck Wants His Wig Back While Pat Travers Dishes on Mutt, Lillywhite, Topper, and AC/DC!

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Jun 122008

As we’ve noted before, it’s a wonder what a quick YouTube search inspired by a recent post can turn up.

Continue reading »

Who’s Your Favorite Journeyman British Rock Producer?

Posted by Oats

Jun 112008

An exceedingly nerdy question to ask, yes, but a worthwhile one, nonetheless, I think. Let’s consider some nominations, shall we?

CHRIS THOMAS
Beginnings: Famously served as George Martin’s understudy during the White Album sessions.
Some Highlights: John Cale’s Paris 1919; Roxy Music’s second, third, and fifth albums; Mixed Dark Side of the Moon; Never Mind the Bollocks; First three Pretenders albums; INXS’ commercial juggernaut Kick; Pulp’s Different Class and This Is Hardcore.
WHAAA? Many interchangeable Elton John albums of the ’80s and ’90s.

JOHN LECKIE
Beginnings: Helped engineer Plastic Ono Band and All Things Must Pass. John Lennon nicknamed him “Licky,” supposedly.
Some Highlights: Be-Bop Deluxe (That’s for you, Mr. Mod.) Early XTC and Dukes of Stratosphere; Three Fall albums, which is more than most members of The Fall can manage (I’m kidding, Berlyant!); First Stone Roses album; Radiohead’s The Bends.
WHAA? Los Lobos’ Good Morning Aztlan

STEVE LILLYWHITE
Beginnings: Engineer somewhere. Does not appear to have learned at the feet of anyone Beatle-related.
Some Highlights: Peter Gabriel’s third album; XTC’s Drums and Wires and Black Sea; many U2 albums; Kirsty MacColl; The Pogues; the last Talking Heads album.
WHAA? Blamed for the big drum sound of the ’80s, but what’s really strange is his alliance with latter-day hippie jam types, particularly Dave Matthews Band.

Thrifty Music, Vol. 11: Girlie Groups

Posted by hrrundivbakshi

Jun 102008

Greetings, fellow seekers of the weird, the wonderful and the purportedly worthless! As RTH slogs its way through the merits of various over-produced girl groups from the ’80s, ’90s, and beyond, I thought I’d take a moment to showcase a couple of singles I found while scouring the bins at a local flea market.

First up: The Goodees, a girl group signed to Stax’s “Hip” sub-label as a result of winning a local talent contest in Memphis. Some of you might be familiar with their extremely modest hit “Condition Red” — but it was the B-side, “Didn’t Know Love Was So Good”, that really got me. That Isaac Hayes piano stab after the start of every verse — dang! Just goes to show you how one simple part can really make or break a tune.

Here’s my second thrifty find of the girlie variety: “Chu Sen Ling”, by oriental girl group The Bermudas. Or… wait. Not an oriental girl group. Turns out, the “Bermudas” — as well as The Majorettes, The Georgettes, Joanne & The Triangles, and Beverly & The Motorscooters — were all fake “bands” created by Los Angeles musical entrepreneur Rickie Page to showcase the talents of her immediate family. I’ll let Spectropop continue the story; it is a fascinating one:

This particular outfit comprised Rebecca (Becky) Page, her older sister Joanna, their mother Rickie and Susie Kuykendoll, Rickie’s sister. Rebecca shared lead vocals with Rickie, whose oldest daughter Sheilah sometimes took her place in photos of the group. In 1957 Rickie Page had begun a stream of recordings using her own name for every label under the California sun, not to mention some in Nashville. She also waxed as a member of the Jordanaires, the Spectors Three and Bobby ‘Boris’ Pickett’s Crypt-Kickers; factors which make her one of the unsung heroines of the early-1960s Los Angeles scene. Rickie is still active in the music business, composing songs from her base in Fresno, California.

Anyhow, for me, the point is: I love this song!

Folks, I’m busy these days, so it’s hard for me to wax philosophic on this kind of thing, but I do have one far-ranging, and hopefully revealing, question for all of you: in one sentence, what purpose do “girl groups” serve?

I look forward to your responses.

HVB

Albums That You Are Convinced You Are the Only Person to Ever Have Spent Money On

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Jun 092008

During a recent Last Man Standing thread Townsman cdm proposed a future topic, which we present today: Albums that you are convinced you are the only person to ever have spent money on. For those of you who were taking chances on albums in 1978, the above video may help jog your memory. Since the explosion of indie rock and DIY releases, the opportunities for spending money on an album that no one else has spent money on have expanded astronomically.

As is usually the case, we expect you to do more than simply list these albums. Tell us something about them. What attracted you to actually buying them? Should you worry that your secret will be out and other hipsters will seek out existing copies of this album?

The Evolution of a Rock Face: Robbie Robertson

Posted by Mr. Moderator

Jun 092008

Are ya watchin’ me, Bob?

A while back we analyzed the legendary duel in The Last Waltz between Eric Clapton and The Band’s Robbie Robertson. Using cutting-edge technology and the better part of three lunch breaks, we compared the efficacy of Clapton’s Guitar Solos to Robertson’s Rock Faces. This groundbreaking study has led to similar inquiries in development and not yet reported, such as a comparison of the efficacy of Aretha Franklin’s pipes to Mariah Carey’s tits and ass from this legendary VH1 Divas performance.

While this and similar studies are ongoing, I’ve been thinking about the concept of the evolution of Rock Faces. How much of what an artist hits the stage with is owing to God-given talent and how much of an artist’s facial means of communication is developed through hard work and study? I decided to kick off this inquiry with an examination of the evolution of the Rock Faces of The Band’s Robbie Robertson. The conclusions we draw from this analysis are only the tip of the iceberg. In coming weeks, as we discuss these findings and examine the evolution of Rock Faces by other artists, we’ll surely develop a more comprehensive picture.

As you know, many members of what would become The Band backed up Bob Dylan on some of his first electric tours. Here’s a young, studious, respectful Robbie accompanying Dylan on acoustic guitar in a hotel room. In a wholly subservient role, Robbie’s all about respect. The closest he gets to flashing anything remotely resembling a Rock Face, is around 56 seconds into the clip, when he engages in an empathetic head dip in rhythm with the descending chord progression.

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