Some of you may think the likes of E. Pluribus Gergely and I are joking when we warn you of the hazards of taking something like those late-60s Beach Boys albums too seriously. If you need to pick up $1 copies of those albums to complete your collection, out of healthy curiosity, or to mine what good ideas the Brian-less Boys might have had up their sleeve, more power to you! But beware: the take-away musical lesson may be an insular take on “Afternoon Delight” in Bearded Beach Boys drag. Witness (WARNING: The following video clip may be hazardous to your health): Continue reading »
Today we present JAMuary’s elephant in the room, from what’s commonly accepted as the cleanest side of vinyl on an otherwise enthusiastically spun album, the “Apple Jam” side of George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass. There’s a good chance that, even if you’ve owned this album since its original release, not a note from this jam would ring a bell. That’s how long it’s been since you’ve heard it, right? Well, there’s no better time than JAMuary to revisit this legendary solo Beatles member jam!
Because this album was reissued in digitally remastered format in 2001 – and this track was likely skipped just as frequently in this medium – I’m providing both the original vinyl version and the digitally remastered version for comparision. I think you’ll agree that the difference in the two versions truly is remarkable.
First, here’s the key Apple Jam burned from my orginal vinyl version of All Things Must Pass, a very clean side of vinyl I might add!
Next, the digitally remastered edition from the album’s 2001 CD reissue. Had this version appeared on the original vinyl release I’m guessing it would have gotten more than an initial spin from George Harrison fans before being filed away forever. Continue reading »
Greetings, seekers of the rare, the unusual, and the remarkably cheap! Join me as I shirk my household chores to bring you another edition of Thrifty Music — the ongoing series where I share musical pieces of flotsam and jetsam, salvaged from thrift stores, junk shops, and flea markets across the Washington, DC metroplex.
This week, I have five fine tracks to share with you, acquired on average for about a quarter. To begin with, a fine, fine, groovy blues track by Jimmy McCracklin called “Steppin’ Up In Class”. I don’t know much about Mr. McCracklin, but I do know that this kind of mid-60s urban blues — backed by a loping, Memphis-style groove and wrapped around a sleazy guitar riff — hits me where it hurts. How can you not bob your head with this tune groovin’ in the background?
Next up, a prime example of excellence in Extremely White Music: “Let’s Call It a Day Girl” by the very inaccurately named Razor’s Edge. You may scoff, but I really, really dig this song. It’s got all the Kentonite structural flips and twists I crave, some nifty backup vocals, a melody you won’t be able to shake once you’ve heard it, and check out those inappropriately thunderous drum fills at the end!
Now, a song that really caught me by surprise: “The Day I Found Myself”, by Honey Cone. You may remember Honey Cone from their smash early ’70s hit “Want Ads.” That tune set a sort of template for these chicks: uptempo, funky, tuneful, hot-pants, afro, etc. So when I slapped this single down on the porta-play, I was taken aback. Super old-school, like something recorded in 1964! But, boy, what a great little tune — the lyric is memorable, the arrangement is sweet, and the chorus goes on for miles and miles. Good stuff!
To finish off: a two-fer from The Persuaders. In fact, I’m giving you the A-side and the B-side of their “Thin Line (Between Love and Hate)” single. Why am I feeling so generous? Well, it occurred to me that you Pretenders fans might have never heard the original of this tune. But, perhaps more important, I was really struck by the thematic consistency between sides A and B of this platter. Side A is, of course, the remarkable “Thin Line (Between Love and Hate)” — as sung by the Persuaders in the first person, which is interesting. But even more remarkable is the flip side, “Thigh Spy” — which is also sung in the first person. Here’s the deal, though: it’s clear to me that the guy singing on side A about how much his wife puts up with from him (until she lands him in the hospital) is the same guy singing “I’m a thigh spy, I peep to see, girls wearing mini-skirts, showin’ those legs to me!” And that’s not all he says about himself and his voyeuristic tendencies. It’s as frank a confession as the one he delivers on the plug side of this single, albeit a more carnal one. Anyhow, the song rocks, and in my mind, this is definitely sung by the same character who gets put in the hospital by a wife who’s finally had enough.
In any case, folks, enjoy. As always, I eagerly await your thoughts and impressions surrounding these fine songs — none of which deserved to be discarded, and all of which I was all too happy to rescue and put to good use.
Last night, with the help of YouTube, I listened to each of Rolling Stone‘s top 100 singles of 2008.
I do this kind of thing every now and then because of my belief in the 90-10 rule 90%: of all music produced in any genre at any time, I do not want to hear. Or rather, I do not want to hear again. But discovering a new gem can be thrilling, and every few months I manage to find a new catalogue to plunge into for a while.
I pulled out about 10 songs I hadn’t heard yet and liked from the list. Some of the videos are here. You can take or leave Rolling Stone, but let’s not get sidetracked turning this into a post about its relative merits. Just consider it a jumping off point.
Anyway, some good stuff mixed in with some so-so stuff, as you would imagine from any list as large. My list will be short on dance music because A, this is ROCK Town Hall and B, I can’t dance very well. But I will say this about that: dance music is clearly in a producer-driven era, where stars don’t matter as much any more. And some of the production from these hired gun producers on the dance numbers is truly unreal. You may find Katy Perry‘s “I Kissed a Girl” to be not to your taste, but I find the production exciting. It’s more likely the producer, Dr. Luke, who has produced Missy Elliot, Britney Spears, Lady Sovereign, Kelis, and Avril Lavigne will be working long after Katy Perry leaves music for a film career or whatever (She is really hot).
I thought it was only fitting, following Townsman Geo‘s posting of the Mother of All Jams, The Grateful Dead‘s Live/Dead version of “Dark Star,” that we also run Henry Kaiser‘s loving cover of this classic jam. This one’s from his Those Who Know History Are Doomed to Repeat It album, courtesy of Geo. I remember this release causing quite a fuss when it came out. It seemed to be part of the avant-punk scene’s acknowledgment of the Dead’s forgotten cred. I didn’t get it then, but hearing it after all these years, compared with the extremely subtle, shall we say, classic Dead version, this even longer jam grabs a hold of my attention more readily. What do you think?
A funny coincidence: I was watching Werner Herzog‘s documentary about the South Pole tonight, and who should appear in it but Henry Kaiser! He’s seen jamming, man, on the roof of a trailer. Turns out he even produced the movie and did the soundtrack with David Lindley. What’s the deal with Henry Kaiser, anyhow?
Brighton, England quartet Electrelane (who unfortunately are on one of those cursed “indefinite hiatuses”) were one of my favorite bands of this decade. The instrumental “Today” (from their excellent Singles, B-Sides & Live compilation) features a seemingly agreed-upon structure, but veers off into unexpected, gloriously noisy territory. Dig those mind-melting guitars. I think of it as the meeting place of Neu! and Impulse-era John Coltrane, with a healthy dose of Sonic Youth as well.
Please consider the following in terms of rock music only, not jazz/classical/etc:
What is the longest song that you are willing to sit through?
What is the shortest recording that you are willing to admit constitutes an actual song?
What is the shortest song that contains an actual bona fide jam?
What is the longest song that does not contain a jam?
Please rank from most preferable to least:
a) ’60s psychedelic jams
b) ’70s southern rock jams
c) ’90s jam-band jams
What do you suppose led to the a dearth of jamming in the ’80s?
Does the MC5’s “Kick Out The Jams” really count as kicking out the jams or is the song structure and performance too tight for the jams to have been actually kicked out?
Name your favorite rock jam.
Name your least favorite rock jam (please be specific, ie, don’t just say Phish).
Do you think that the Hear Factor, Season 2 discs contained any jams? Do you think we’ll ever know for sure?
