I think my favorite is Lyle Lovett in Short Cuts, although Huey Lewis taking a piss in that movie was pretty special as well. Actually, Tom Waits in Down By Law is right up there.
Feb 252008
Feb 252008
We’re a little late on this new item, but I’d forgotten all about this story. In light of Scott Halpin‘s passing, why not take a few moments to reflect on just about any young rock musician’s dream? Here’s a link to an NPR interview with Halpin, who was recruited from the audience at a 1973 San Francisco show to sub in for a wasted Keith Moon. Following is a clip of the young man’s trial by fire!
Continue reading »
Feb 242008
OK, so even the Hall’s rabid Beatles fans were underwhelmed by the offshoot Beatles-tribute single I’d stumbled across while unexpectedly researching a relatively decent song I’d foggily remembered from my teenage years of flipping FM channels in hopes of hearing a new song that rocked. Remember, this was the time when the likes of Journey, Kansas, Toto, and the relatively rocking Boston ruled the airwaves. Recent “oldies,” which would form the foundation of the Classic Rock radio format, were always cool for me, but it was tough to find something new and exciting, like newcomers Elvis Costello & the Attractions, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and The Police.
J. Geils Band, pre-Freeze Frame, and Thin Lizzy, could deliver an occasional, plodding, half-decent new single, and then there were oddities that would make it to FM radio for a couple of weeks, like the song I’ve posted from our most recent Mystery Date.
Continue reading »
Feb 232008
General Slocum has generously supplied the answers… you supply the questions. Greatest number correct wins FIFTY THOUSAND DOE-LAHRS!
No, wait… make that a coveted RTH No-Prize.
Here are your answers:
1. Referring to headphones as “cans.”
2. Twice, but only because the first one wouldn’t play.
3. As if!
4. “Sweet Home Alabama”
5. N/A
6. It gives me a headache just looking at the cover, but the last song on side one makes up for the rest.
7. Envelope filter.
8. I have to admit, I would just pretend I had, and hope no one asked.
9. Wally Cox.
Feb 212008
I have bemoaned for years, and Mr. Mod can attest (say Amen, brother), the loss of Nick Lowe‘s masterpieces, Labor of Lust and Pure Pop for Now People (originally Jesus of Cool in the UK) to the great digital abyss.
Last time I checked these discs were released in the ’90s and then vanished, showing up in used shops for as much as $89! Puh-leeze.
But you can bemoan a lot less as Yep Rock Records has just released Jesus of Cool (with the original track line-up) and “10 extra non-LP singles, EP sides and compilation cuts that lead up to Jesus.”
AND IT’S ON EMUSIC!!! Sweet. Here’s a bonus cut, originally released as part of the excellent Bowi ep.
Nick Lowe, “Shake That Rat”
RELATED SIDE ISSUE: Pure Pop for Now People and Jesus of Cool are two of my favorite album titles and they’re for the same album! Has any other album come even close to having two drastically different release titles that are both this bitchin’ and spot-on?
Feb 212008
While searching for a download of a song by a band I never knew anything about or heard another lick of music by other than a track I used to hear occasionally on FM radio circa 1980, I stumbled across the following Beatles-themed offshoot 45 release by said featured Mysery Date artist:
Take some time to enjoy these tracks. One of you might know who this is right off the bat; most likely someone will track down the artist’s identity. At the appropriate time, I’ll post the track that led me to this discovery.
Feb 212008
Let’s get it on, shall we? As always, your gut answers to the following questions are what matter.
Is there a studio musician whose playing you so admire that you’d take a chance on buying an unknown album mainly based on his or her involvement?
What’s your favorite Paul McCartney album track (ie, not a single/Greatest Hits number) as a solo artist/Wings leader?
Which senior artist most needs to crank out one more great album for the benefit of rock and, more broadly, humankind?
Let’s say the government could provide a grant and both a team of therapists as well as a restraining order on Don Was to help coax said masterpiece out of this artist.
What instrument do you most wish you could hear more often in today’s rock ‘n roll music?
Who’s the Roger Corman-style, B-movie producer of rock ‘n roll?
What ’50s founding father (or mother) of rock ‘n roll do you feel has been most frequently forgotten or dismissed in recent years?
In these days of home recording and independently produced albums, who’s your favorite current studio musician?
Finally, Townsman Alexmagic suggested the following question for today’s Dugout Chatter:
On one of those blog music aggregator sites recently, I saw a bunch tracks by the ill-fated New Monkees and it reminded me that, at about the same time, there were also television shows for a “New Munsters” and “New Gidget” that were only slightly less disastrous than the New Monkees show/band. It got me thinking about which musical “brands” would be most/least successful if re-launched today as “The New [Insert Band Name
Here].”
I look forward to your responses!
