Nov 052007
Nov 052007
The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated. So have the reports that I hate everything. Unless of course we’re talking about this steaming piece of crap, appropriately titled Cut The Crap. Cut the Crap indeed.
Like my brave sampling of Life Cereal I took it upon myself to bravely purchase, listen to and do everything possible to find the light in the tunnel of “The Clash’s” last official release.
I’m a Strummer man. Always have been. Always will be. The Clash without Jones couldn’t be that bad, could it? Couldn’t be worse than Bad Audio Dynamite, could it?
You have no idea how much I wanted to find some gems in here to wave in your holier-than-thou faces. “Conventional wisdom” has it this album bites. And the lot of you gulp this second hand wisdom shit down without boldly going yourself. Conventional wisdom IS The Man. Fuck conventional wisdom. Fuck The Man! Let me hear it, I’ll judge for myself.
Sadly I have been put in my place. Conventional wisdom (CW) has made me his bitch. Those of you who took CW at its word have saved yourself time, effort, money, and dignity. This album = the sound of your post-coffee BM trudging and struggling its way down your far-past-due-for-rooting plumbing.
Please accept my apology. I too should have swallowed this CW shit. I fought The Man, and The Man won. Allow my suffering to enlighten you on this travesty without soiling your own fine footwear.
Here’s the closest thing to gems I could find. That is to say that these are as good as it gets. I might be able to find some tracks on Combat Rock that I like less but, I just showered this Crap off me and don’t want to have to Bactine-swab my nipple-ring holes again:
Nov 052007
Hail and well met, fellow seekers of the weird, the unusual and the dirt-cheap. Today’s post is a quick one, as it restates a case we discussed in the form of “Walkin’ the Dog” many months ago. This time, we’re going to take a closer look at a song from the Stones’ 12×5 album — “It’s All Over Now”. I’ve got this song in my crosshairs as a result of finding a copy of the original, done by The Valentinos, at a flea market this weekend. One spin of the original caused me to take a small sip of brandy, stroke my chin thoughtfully, and wonder: Didn’t anybody back in 1965 or whenever the Stones released this turd point out that the original was a damn sight better than the Stones’ cover?!
Seriously, are there any Townspeople who wouldn’t prefer this:
“It’s All Over Now”, The Valentinos
to this?:
(Yes, yes, I know; that Stones “video” is a helluva way to present my case in an unbiased fashion. It was actually the only studio version of the song I could find online — and if anything, it serves to help illustrate the central point of my case!)
Nov 032007
What’s the worst song (ie, let’s be clear, your least favorite) by three bands you love? Not four.
1. I can’t stand XTC’s version of “All Along the Watchtower”.
2. Although I like the beat, I strongly object to The Beatles’ “She’s a Woman”.
3. The Who’s “Eminence Front” makes me hate living.
To my ears there is nothing redeeming about choices 1 and 3.
Remember, THE least-favorite song by each of three bands you LOVE. Those caught violating the ground rules will receive an electronic wedgie.
I look forward to your responses.
Nov 022007
Oh my, 2000 Man may have brought it like he’s never brought it before (and this guy has brought it with the best of them). The following video, which he posted as an example of the power of a well-lit video performance, may be The Greatest “Live” Promo Video in the history of rock. As fans of the “live” promo video for The Who’s “Join Together” can tell you, that’s a bold claim. Check it out!
The former champ concedes…
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Nov 022007
It took me a long time to embrace a big chunk of Guided By Voices. Ranking high among a myriad of beefs I had to get over was my beef with their Look. I couldn’t get a handle on their Look, it was as if they didn’t care, and they weren’t blessed with the physical gifts that should allow rock musicians not to care. Last night I came across this video. Watch it and see, through my eyes, a cool version of GBV – complete with a Look – performing live on television!
What a difference a well-lit television set makes for live performances! The more I thought about this the more it became clear that my underlying lack of interest in the old late-night concert show, Midnight Special, ran deeper than the typically bloated ’70s rockers and that one-trick pony Wolfman Jack. Take a look at what I’m getting at.
OK, that wasn’t fair. Try these clips; they perfectly illustrate what I’m getting at. First, a band I briefly thought was great as a teenager, seconds after first hearing this, their greatest contribution to rock ‘n roll. Check it out! Continue reading »
Oct 312007
Head shot
January 20, 2004, a day that will be forever burned in the minds of a handful of listeners of WFMU’s The Best Show on WFMU. It was here (first introduced about 1:12 into the episode and picked after a few choice Big Dipper songs at 1:49) that host Tom Scharpling first summoned the members of the long-disbanded Boston band to see if he could spark a dramatic reunion. If you’ll recall, reunion was in the air, following the stunning and emotional Berlin and A Flock of Seagulls reunions that had recently been shepherded through VH-1. Through his persistence, Scharpling would set off a montage of awkward hugs, slow-motion instrument polishing, drum-head changing, finger-building exercises, and stage clothes shopping excursions that. Nearly 4 years later comes the news that Big Dipper is indeed reuniting for a handful of shows in April 2008 and the release of a 3-CD set. The release will include a 12-page booklet with liner notes by Scharpling and, most importantly, songs from the band’s first 3 long-out-of-print albums along with the requisit rarities, unreleased tracks, and even the original video for “Faith Healer”. I’ve been waiting a long time for this day, and I’ve been waiting a long time to have more than this grainy, 12th-generation clip that’s been floating around YouTube for some time as a visual record of the band.
We will have more news on the CD and the shows as details are finalized. For now, we welcome Gary Waleik, Big Dipper guitarist and go-to guy on the low harmony parts, to the Halls of Rock. In my days of attending Big Dipper shows, Gary was always a great guy to chat with, and he’s no different today. Following this scratchy vinyl-burned track from the band’s Heavens lp, let’s get it on!
Big Dipper, “Mr. Woods”
RTH: So it’s true that Big Dipper going to reunite for some shows in April 2008! Do you know where you’ll be playing?
GW: Yes. We plan on playing two shows in Boston and two in the New York area starting 4/23/08. They will include shows at Maxwell’s in Hoboken and The Middle East in Cambridge.
RTH: Will it be just a few shows, or are you ditching your well-established adult lives for one more shot at conquering The Road?
GW: My guess is that those 4 shows will probably be all we do. If it goes well, I may pitch for a quick Midwest tour (Chicago, Lawrence, Wichita, Columbus, something like that), but we’re too busy as family men and gainfully employed individuals to risk it all on another full-blown rock and roll fling. Though the sirens do call from time to time…
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