11:00 p.m. - December 02, 2007
Can We Preview A Mix Now? You Betcha!
Hey, winter is here in the Northland. Yah! You betcha! It snowed and I went out and shoveled. The girls played out in the snow both Saturday and Sunday.
This weekend was OK. Liz was sick, and I realized that in this job, I need to put 110% into it so my internetting may be quite limited. Ah, well. Gotta do what ya gotta do.
Anyway, there�s a mix (or about 5 or 6) brewing for some people. You either have asked, or been informed, or at least I think you have asked or been informed, so consider this a preview, perhaps, of sorts, when I get them done. These songs may be on yours, or someone�s you know, or some strangers� or perhaps I�ll just keep it with mine. Oh, wait, it�s mine anyway.
So anyways, here�s one score + 5 of tunes that I am digging enough to mix now. Tremble! Fear! Fear and tremble! And rock out!
1. Do Ya � The Move. Now, some of you kiddies of my age may remember this as a boffo cut by ELO, but scholars recognize it as one of the last gasps of the Move. Jeff Lynne joined the group near the end, and he, Roy Wood and Bev Bevan converted the Move to ELO. Then, zam, Wood left after the first record, and Lynne took over ELO. This version of �Do Ya� doesn�t have strings, and isn�t as polished, but has a rawer energy. I don�t prefer one to the other, because either way it�s a HELL of a song, you must admit.
2. Feelin� So Good � The Archies. You can�t help but sing along to this, but it�s a bit scandalous, because the girl in question is named�Scooby Doo. Actually, it�s �Skooby Doo�, so sayeth the Archies, or most importantly sayeth their copyright lawyers. Teeny boppers who are now in their 40s like me should know this, because, well, I�m sure it was on the Giant Jukebox now and again.
3. Oh Shelia � Ready For The World. This came on today when I was out shoveling and I sang along to it whilst clearing my sidewalk. Man, does this ever ape Prince even down to the drum machine noise straight out of �1999�. It concerns me that I remember it all the way through, but it was popular at dances I DJ�d back in the day.
4. Don�t Worry Kyoko � The Plastic Ono Band. I think I�ve said this before, but on this track I�ll give Yoko a pass. Some of you may have been brave enough to click on the video for �Why� that I posted about a week ago. That rocked, too, thanks to her hubby and the band. A good band can cover up a lot.
5. How Do You Spell Love � The Fabulous Thunderbirds. How do YOU spell love? M-O-N-E-Y. This video was played on MTV about three times (even though it was part of an ad), and then about four years later they hit it. But this is a much better tune.
6. Go Cut Creator Go � LL Cool J. In the 80�s, I was very stooopid. I ignored this, for whatever reason. I mean, this rocks peeps. And live, I bet it really cooked since you could use a band along with the turntable and drum machine.
7. Dynamite � Sly & The Family Stone. In his prime, Sly released no weak cuts, much less albums. Sure, it seemed a bit formulaic, since you establish a groove, and the band trades verses, but if the formula is always tasty, why change? This is an album cut from Life and is a must spin.
8. Rose Petals, Incense And A Kitten � The Association. Let�s check here. Kitten? Yep, Simon is a kitten. Rose Petals? Check. Though they�re fake rose petals from when Katie was a flower girl this summer, we still have them around. Incense? Um�I do know where I could get some for sure.
9. Sundown � Gordon Lightfoot. Wow, I guess I�m in my old AM radio daze stretch. He is so EARNESTLY mellow here, you know:
10. No No No � Deep Purple. OK, enough with the AM radio. Let�s ROCK! This was on FM radio back in the day. While watching Classic Albums when they featured Machine Head, I was surprised that the band had a mixed opinion of Fireball(the album that preceded Machine Head). Ian Gillan liked it, and Richie Blackmore thought it was backsliding. Listening to this cut, I don�t think there�s anything backsliding about it at all. It is a step forward, I think, from Deep Purple In Rock. Of course, I could go on about it. No, really, I could. Here, just look.
11. (Wearing Down) Like A Wheel � Elliot Easton. Did you realize that most of The Cars released solo albums in the mid-80�s. Ric Ocasek had a hit or two, and Ben Orr had a hit with �The Lace�. This song, though, was probably the best tune ever done by a Cars member going solo. However, the album wasn�t that strong and Easton really is best served dishing out tasty guitar leads.
12. Goody Goody Gumdrops � The 1910 Fruitgum Company. Yeah, this is pretty much standard bubblegum fare. But it�s so sweet and tasty, you know!
13. Roller Coaster � The 13th Floor Elevators. This is the sound of a mind slowly being fried on LSD. It sounds like it was recorded in a shed (and you know, it may have been) but it�s got that psychedelic sound with Roky Erickson�s vocals odd and distant and the electric jug just being weird and all. Tune in, turn on, and drop out peeps!
14. Come In Number 51, Your Time Is Up � Pink Floyd. To make some money (I guess) they did soundtracks for three overly pretentious arty films back in the late 60�s and early 70�s. The best known film was Zabirske Point which makes no tangible sense on any level, as it�s full of symbolism and meaning and deep thoughts and rather much went without coherent story telling or competent acting. As for the song, it�s �Careful With That Axe Eugene� with another title and a bit more unhinged, performancewise.
Oh, look what I found:
15. Healing Tongue � Spirit Caravan. I�m a sucker for sludgy guitar riffs, no matter who or what. And this is pretty darn sludgy. I can feel the tar pit.
16. Blood Makes Noise � Suzanne Vega. She had that one quirky hit, and then the other thing with the dance remix, but you know, she�s a heck of a songwriter and artist, and I gotta get more stuff by her, because I�ve never been disappointed in her music. This is a bit electronic and dissonant, and that�s just dandy by me.
17. 300 MPH Torrential Outpour Blues � The White Stripes. OK, anyone that had MEG White as the reason they would cancel a tour because of exhaustion, raise your hand. Really? LIARS! I really did their last record, as it looks like Jack has taken his Raconteurs experience and took pieces of it into the White Stripes, too. And that�s cool.
18. Laughter In The Rain � Neil Sedaka. You know this song, and you like it. Admit it. You�re going to play this, and your co-workers will also sing along. Blame me.
19. Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song) � Otis Redding. Quite the antidote to Sedaka. It�s like eating spicy chili after a first course of saltines.
20. The Soft Parade � The Doors. Really, seriously, this is such a freakin� train wreck. It�s Morrison being just out of control with his pretension and the band can�t reign him in. But that�s why I like it. It�s just SO over the top. The rest of the band must have been on the same drugs Jimbo was because a sober one would have said, �Jim, you may want to dial this thing back a notch or two.�
21. The Blue Mask � Lou Reed. Listening to this in the context of Lou�s other work, this record really exorcised a whole bunch of demons. For the first time, it seems he�s not playing a character � he�s allowing us to see his true self and he�s unmasking himself in front of everyone. This title track has Robert Quine and Reed spewing guitar all over the place, bassist Fernando Saunders playing his heart out, and drummer Doane Perry providing solid work. You can�t listen to this track and not feel. Of course, it barely hit the chart, but that�s not surprising.
22. Impossible Germany � Wilco. Personally, I love the new Wilco record. I have read on some message boards that some people don�t like it. To me, it�s the �I prefer your earlier work� syndrome. In some cases, artists backslide or just crank out formula, but Wilco�s never been a formula band.
23. Down On The Street � The Stooges. You want some rock-and-roll? Can you HANDLE the rock-and-roll? Can you? Are you sure you want some of this? It�s not pretty, you know, because rock-and-roll is ugly.
24. Iron Butterfly Theme � Iron Butterfly. This is an excuse to go back to Hef�s playhouse. The theme is after the hit, and I just saw Barbi Benton dancing about:
25. Jack The Ripper � Link Wray. Without Link Wray, rock and roll doesn�t exist as we know it today. He inspired many a guitarist to make loud, distorted sounds and not be all nice and clean and pretty. We should bow down to him.
Well, that�s a darn good preview, eh, what? Enjoy!
