This one always reminds me of our friends in California. The laugh the drummer and the lead guitarist share at the end of the solo is priceless. It’s as if they read your post in this All-Star Jam!
Sep 182013
Sep 182013
Sep 172013
Years ago, when I was a college radio dj, some of the dance-oriented djs used to pull a mixing trick at the end of a track: while the record was playing, they would dramatically slow down the rpm and use that to seque to another song with the same or similar bpm. Or, to really make a point, they would slow the song down and just stop the record playing all together. I thought it was a pretty cool trick.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago, when I’m stuck in traffic driving across the Golden Gate Bridge, and just as the traffic starts to clear, New Order‘s “5 8 6” comes on my cd player. I had always liked New Order, but knew their singles better than their entire albums. So there I was listening to Power, Corruption and Lies, enjoying the car’s acceleration but also noticing that the 1983 track reflected the same Slow Slow Music technique that I had always associated with djs in the 90’s. (If you’re not a New Order fan, fast forward to around 7:05.)
But wait! There’s the technique again, this time as part of Joy Division‘s 1979 “Transmission.” (The technique is pretty obvious on this live version, even if John Cooper Clark talks over some of it.)
Is there a name for this Slow Slower Slowest Music technique? Were Joy Division inspired by some Kraut Rock or Kraftwerk number that I’m not aware of? Can you find other, earlier documented uses of this Slow Music fade out?
I look forward to the elucidation.
Sep 172013
Jackie Lomax died on September 15, reportedly while attending the wedding of one of his children. That’s really sad. As a lifelong Beatles fanboy, I’ve known of Lomax and his excellent George Harrison-penned song “Sour Milk Sea” for years, yet I know almost nothing about him—or his take on releasing a debut album produced by Harrison and featuring all the Beatles but John and the band’s late-period buds. The songs that weren’t graced by Beatles and Co. feature the Wrecking Crew. Amazing.
Years ago I tracked down a copy of this debut album, Is This What You Want? It’s got its moments, most of which sound like mellow outtakes from Let It Be, if Ronnie Lane (or George) was fronting the band. It was not the Holy Grail album I’d hoped it would be. I’ve probably missed some landmark Mojo interview with Lomax, but I don’t think I ever came across an interview with the guy. I wanted to know more. Even in death, all I’ve read is the same couple of paragraphs and superstar associate names that I’ve been seeing for years. Isn’t the web supposed to provide details on the lives of anyone who’s done anything of public note at the touch of a few mouse clicks? What was cooking inside Jackie Lomax’s head all these years? Don’t we have a right to know?
(What do you know, I did happen across this piece!)
Well, of course not! However, I’m always curious to know how musicians make it through this life, whether they are wildly successful or not. In fact, it’s the “footnotes of rock” (no offense to anyone found at the bottom of the page) who usually interest me most. I welcome a link to or direct knowledge of more information. Maybe old Friends of the Hall Martin Newell (from the same town as Lomax, I believe) or Happiness Stan can fill us in. (Where oh where are you, Stan?) That said, I hope Lomax enjoyed his time on earth and felt he got the most out of making music, not in a stardom way but creatively. Here are a few of my favorite tracks from this album. Enjoy.
Sep 162013
…the first time I heard it…
Sep 162013
What’s under your lid?
Sep 142013
Sounds of the hall in roughly 33 1/3 minutes!
As I continue to burn my stuffed orange plastic box of 45s I experienced a troubling realization: the excitement I felt in anticipation of burning XTC’s “Toys,” the C-side from a double 7-inch centered around the exquisite Mummer track “Love On a Farmboy’s Wages,” quickly dissipated to feelings of queasiness and shame. I pride myself in sticking with and seeing through the people and things I love, but I could no longer stand behind “Toys.” Music not only has the power to shape my worldview, sometimes it even offers a place to reside, a basis for a new or extended persona. A song I wrote at that time, while in the throes of “Toys,” sprung to mind. Lyrically it was the equivalent of me playing Cowboys and Indians with this XTC song. The Me Today looked back at the Me Yesterday and thought, What a dipshit!
How do I prevent looking back 30 years from now and realizing that Me Today, the guy talking to you with so much self-awareness and confidence, was yet again a total dipshit? Will you stand by me as I determine whether I can stand by my old singles-spinning self?
RTH Saturday Night Shut-In, episode 114: Will You Stand By Me?
[Note: You can add Saturday Night Shut-In episodes to your iTunes by clicking here. The Rock Town Hall feed will enable you to easily download Saturday Night Shut-In episodes to your digital music player.]
RTH Saturday Night Shut-In, episode 114 by Mrmoderator on Mixcloud
