2009 Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame Nominees Announced: Let the Haughty Whining Begin!

 Posted by
Sep 232008
 

The Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame has announced its nominees for possible induction in 2009. A lucky 5 of the following will be elected by more than 500 voters:

  • Jeff Beck
  • Chic
  • Wanda Jackson
  • Little Anthony and the Imperials
  • Metallica
  • Run-D.M.C.
  • The Stooges
  • War
  • Bobby Womack

I know you’re excited!

Those of you who’ve bitched about the exclusion of The Stooges, will you be happy if they’re finally inducted?

Those of you who have felt that disco and other forms of dance music have been overlooked, is the induction of Chic your key hope for the Class of 2009?

Fans of Jeff Beck, who’s already in the HoF as part of The Yardbirds, do you even scratch your head and say Huh?

Will Metallica’s therapist be recognized as part of the band’s inevitable induction ceremony?

I can tell you that Mr. Mod’s main concern and rooting interest is whether War, if elected for induction, will also recognize its Eric Burdon and War roots.

Previously: Rock Town Hall Interviews the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame’s Curator.

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INSTA-REVIEW: TV On the Radio, Dear Science

 Posted by
Sep 232008
 

It’s good to hear a band make something worthwhile out of the scrapheap of Yamaha DX-7 synths and Linn drum machines that was the ’80s. Whether sounding like Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark on human growth hormone on “Halfway Home” or INXS with the shades pulled back and a window opened on “Crying”, human hands firmly guide the mouse. Unlike Gnarls Barkley, another practitioner of Silicon Soul, there’s a muscular sexuality at the core of TV’s productions. Like mid-period Roxy Music, you can take this band to a fancy restaurant but you suspect all sense of decorum is out the door once back at your place. Guitarist/producer David Sitek deserves a lot of credit for the success of this album. An affectless, wheezy, 4-note bass synth pattern underpins the Prince-worthy party of “Golden Age”. It’s a subtle triumph of minimalism that ties back to Brian Eno and David Byrne’s subversive commercial highwater marks. The album closes with “Lover’s Day”, with a martial snare beat and an orchestral coda worthy of the Portsmouth Sinfonia.

TV On the Radio, “Golden Age”

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Altered States

 Posted by
Sep 222008
 

The following video is not exactly safe for work.

Close watchers of the occasional function of the RTH Poll had to know this one was coming. The poll question I’m referring to will change soon enough, but here’s your chance to specify the album or artist you did or did not hear in a new and improved way depending on how you answered the following statement:

I have been convinced that an album I previously did not like was actually great only after hearing it again in an altered state.

If you’ve had an altered state conversion, do tell the album or artist. You are not obligated to share details of the altering substance(s), but there are those in the Halls of Rock who desire living vicariously through your tales, so there’s no need to hold back.

If your exquisite powers of taste withstood the influence of an otherwise altered state, you are similarly encouraged to share details.

My apologies in advance for those of you who do not have a stomach for the fictional splattering of fictional multi-eyed ram’s blood.

The following video is safe for work but contains potentially disturbing images of mimed jump roping.

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Is There a Drummer in the House: Earl Palmer Has Left the Building

 Posted by
Sep 222008
 

Little Richard, “Keep a Knockin'”

From The Times-Picayune:

Earl Palmer, the New Orleans drummer who largely defined the beat of rock ‘n’ roll on thousands of recordings from the late 1940s on, died Friday in Los Angeles after a long illness. He was 83.

Dapper and outspoken, Mr. Palmer may well have been the most recorded drummer in the history of popular music. He stamped his sound on everything from early Fats Domino and Little Richard hits to classic movie soundtracks to music for “The Flintstones” cartoon.

“He was my right hand,” said Dave Bartholomew, the producer and co-writer of Domino’s catalog. “He was a professor of music. (With Mr. Palmer’s passing,) it’s like I died myself.”

Here’s a cool multi-part piece on the drumming of Earl Palmer: Part 1, Part 2.

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Albums That Have Sold Almost Solely Based on the Backing Musicians

 Posted by
Sep 202008
 

Townsman cdm‘s Last Man Standing thread on bands named after band members who are not the front man got me thinking about an album by a solo artist that I bought solely on the strength of the backing musicians. I was going to suggest Jackie Lomax was a solo artist who was not the front man of his own band, but I’d already had enough creative suggestions shot down. I’m not bitter. Instead, in this offshoot thread, I’d like your thoughts on albums that have sold almost solely based on the backing musicians. There’s no way to quantify this, but I would suspect that 99% of the people who bought that first Jackie Lomax album did so because of the backing musicians, including his “sponsor,” George Harrison, other Beatles, Eric Clapton, and a host of other late-period Beatles associates. I’m too lazy to pull out the record right now and list all the credits, but trust me. Similarly, I’d bet about 85% of those who bought the Delaney and Bonnie album that includes Harrison and Clapton bought it almost solely based on their being on the record.

There’s no shame in any of this. It must be great for an unknown artists to see a few more than 500 albums thanks to the input of well-known backing musicians. I’d like to know a couple of things:

  • Which albums do you suspect sell to any degree based almost solely on the allure of the backing musicians? (Since you have no way of calculating this, your personal experience with said albums should be a prime factor in your answer!)
  • Who’s your favorite previously unknown artist that you were turned onto thanks to some better-known supporting musicians?
  • Which artist, for you, failed to capitalize on this opportunity?

I look forward to your thoughts.

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Mystery Date Revealed!

 Posted by
Sep 192008
 

Whaddayouknow?!?! It’s Lowell George‘s first band, The Factory. After a Townsperson posted a link to an the appearance on F Troop by a garage band including a young George, I was curious to hear if he’d ever recorded anything in that vein. Turns out that band on F Troop was The Factory.

A single produced by Frank Zappa, “Lightning-Rod Man”, fit the bill, and years later an entire album’s worth of groovy ’60s music with The Factory was released. The band also included future Little Feat drummer Richie Hayward and a guy named Martin Kibbee, who would later cowrite some of Little Feat’s more characteristic songs with George. (I’ve never been a big Feat fan, so maybe he’s a household name in your little shoe of a house.)

First, a couple more tracks in the psych-pop vein of our Mystery Date.

Lowell George & The Factory, “Candy Cane Madness”

Lowell George & The Factory, “No Place I’d Rather Be”

Next, a couple of tracks more like what you’d expect from a proto-founding menber of Little Feat. In fact, each of these songs would be re-recorded by Little Fear over their first two albums.

Lowell George & The Factory, “Teenage Nervous Breakdown”

Lowell George & The Factory, “Crack in Your Door”

I found this album on eMusic. Don’t forget our free introductory offer to sample eMusic, as linked on the right margin of The Main Stage! There’s more good stuff where these tracks were downloaded.

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