Re: Jim Lauderdale Tape Offer
Bill, just to refresh my memory, you were recommending Planet of Love as the best Lauderdale album, right? --jr.
Re: Albini Rant
Jeff, the last I saw the Albini text was when Purcell posted it way back, at least 18 months ago?... Maybe Dave still has the reference. --jr.
Re: 7 of 9 Meets Jimmie Davis
Barry has witnessed the future, and it is now: an early indication of interest in country music by cyborgs and projected image, unles you count..no, nevermind... Oh, go ahead and say it: Brooks and Dunn, right? They're obviously androids, doesn't everyone know that? -jr.
(Fwd) Earl Palmer in yesterday's NYTimes
Interesting article and quotes from this drummer who played on the early Little Richard sides... Sounds like a book worth checking out. --junior --- Forwarded Message Follows --- Art Schuna Quote from the new Earl Palmer book appeared in today's NY Times. Quoted without permission below: April 25, 1999 Ding-Ding-Ding-Ding! That's the Way Rock Began Earl Palmer was one of rock-and-roll's first great musicians, a drummer who laid rock's rhythmic foundations. In "Backbeat," a new oral biography by Tony Scherman, Mr. Palmer narrates his eventful life, which wound through some of the most vital, and still underexamined, corners of America's recent past. In this excerpt, he recalls meeting Little Richard in a New Orleans recording studio in 1955, an encounter that helped forge the sound of rock. The first time I felt like a page was being turned was Little Richard. I hadn't heard anything like this before. He went into that ding-ding-ding-ding at the piano, and I thought, "This is wild." Richard wasn't a star when he met us, but I thought he was. He walked into JM like he was coming offstage: that thick, thick powder makeup and the eye liner and the lipstick and the hair everywhere in big, big waves. Walked in there like something you'd never seen. And meeting him all them times since, I still get the same feeling. I don't remember exactly what I said; something like, "What the hell is this? Not who, what. "Gus," I said to Red Tyler, "what the hell is this?" But Richard was so infectious and so unhiding with his flamboyancy, he sucked us right in. We got laughing with him instead of at him. I never thought Richard was crazy, never thought he didn't know exactly what he was doing. I just thought, "What the hell is this?" Richard liked to record right after a show, when he was wired. Came in the studio with a briefcase full of cash and set it up on the piano. I remember Lee Allen dipping his fingers in it and pulling bills out and laughing. Richard looked at Lee and say, "Lee, will you get out of that bag!" What I remember about those sessions is how physical they were. You got to realize how Richard played. I'll tell you, the only reason I started playing what they come to call a rock-and-roll beat came from trying to match Richard's right hand. Ding-ding-ding- ding! Most everything I had done before was a shuffle or slow triplets. Fats Domino's early things were shuffles. Smiley Lewis's things were shuffles. But Little Richard moved from a shuffle to that straight eighth-note feeling. I don't know who played that way first, Richard or Chuck Berry. Even if Chuck Berry played straight eights on guitar, his band still played a shuffle behind him. But with Richard pounding the piano with all 10 fingers, you couldn't so very well go against that. I did at first. On "Tutti Frutti," you can hear me playing a shuffle. Listening to it now, its easy to hear I should have been playing that rock beat. Richard's music was exciting as hell. I'm not talking about the quality of it. It wasn't quality music. It wasn't no chords; it was just blues. "Slippin' and Slidin' " sounded like "Good Golly Miss Molly" and they both sounded like "Lucille." It was exciting because he was exciting. Richard is one of the few people I've ever recorded with who was just as exciting to watch in the studio as he was in performance. On edge all the time, and full of energy. And I never remember him angry with anyone. He was a sweet-tempered guy. Still is. Whenever I'm around that way, I stop at the Continental Hotel where he lives, go up and see him, sit down and talk a while. Always come away with a pocketful of little Bible booklets. ) Copyright 1999 by the Smithsonian Institution, Smithsonian Institution Press.
info on Billy Jack Wills?
I've been hearing some enthusiastic comments about a Western Swing CD re-release: Billy Jack Wills / "Crazy, Man, Crazy" / on Joaquin Records?? Although it's possible I've heard this guy on a compilation, the name of *this* Wills isn't ringing a bell for me. Anyone know about this? A California act, and apparently this recording is a radio transcription from the early 50s. --junior
Re: info on Billy Jack Wills?
Sounds like something I want to give a listen to! Thanks Tom --junior
(Fwd) Stiff Little Fingers on tour soon....
Speak of the devils! g Apparently SLF is going to tour, with ex-Jam man Bruce Foxton on bass See dates below. --junior --- Forwarded Message Follows --- Here are the current SLF dates: 05/15/99 Boston MA Axis 05/16/99 New York NY Tramps 05/17/99 Toronto, CANLee's Palace 05/19/99 Chicago IL Metro 05/20/99 Santa Ana CA Galaxy Theatre 05/21/99 West Hollywood CA Key Club 05/22/99 San Francisco CA Slim's
Re: Bad Company quote, URL
Paul Rodgers on his own influence: "The original Bad Company was the soundtrack to a lot of people's lives," says Rodgers. "I mean, if you listen to some of the music, a lot of the music, actually, it could be said that Bad Company is responsible for the population explosion during the Seventies, because so many kids were conceived to 'Feel Like Making Love.'" This is pretty funny. The guy has a great voice and as a kid I certainly dug Free, but unfortunately Bad Co was the downfall of both Rodgers and, even more unfortunately in my book, Mott the Hoople founder Mick Ralphs He certainly seems to have a bizarre sense of his own importance in US demographic speculations! *What* population surge, morever??? Ah well they'll say anything in an interview. --junior
Re: Bad Company quote, URL
Yeah, Neal and Jerry, I figured I would take a little heat for describing Bad Co as the downfall of Rodgers and Ralphs. I almost added the clause, "even though I know Jerry loved this band" g... That first album, ok. I'll admit, the first one was incredibly listenable and loads of people loved it, etc. I dug it. And it made some deserving guys wealthy. But after that, did any of them ever get any better? To me, at least (who admittedly has a soft spot for Mott and Free), it just seems like neither one of them did work after that that was as interesting or influential as the work they did in their earlier bands. Although I haven't owned any Free for years, I do own some Mott albums and actually listen to them periodically. Whereas, I can't see myself listening to any Bad Co, etc Those two are just associated with the earlier bands in my mind, I guess. --jr.
RE: Bad Company quote, URL
Matt: I've been told or have read that they were one of the absolute worst live bands of their era. Makes sense to me. Remember that horrible album with Rock n Roll Fantasy? Yugh. Actually, I did see them on that very first tour and they were fine, for that genre. But--if I may belabor the Free and Mott comparison once more--I saw both those bands too and the Bad Co show was very "packaged" and "prefabricated"-feeling by comparison. My feeling about Bad Co was that they were a good Arena Act(if that's not an oxymoron g), whereas the two earlier bands were far more ambitious and wide-ranging in what they would come up with for a live show. I saw Mott many times and, truly, for me they were a formative experience. Mott shows were crazy-ass affairs filled with what, in retrospect, was a sort of proto-punk energy and audience attitude. You never knew what they'd do and they could go anywhere from overintellectualized ballads to absolutely chaotic, earshattering, MC5-esque versions of Little Richard or Chuck Berry chestnuts. They had humor, depth, attitude, the guts to take a lot of risks, and VOLUME!! g. As someone once said, they were the missing link between Dylan and the Pistols... Mott made me feel good and love rock n' roll the same way X made me feel good and love rock n' roll years later. Free, too, had a great live show, imo, that was also far more unpredictable and ambitious than what I saw Bad Co do. It wasn't on the level of a Mott experience, but to my mind easily better than a Bad Co show in any case. Anyhow, that's my nostalgic two cents g, --junior
Re: Bad Company quote, URL
Neal: To think I'd be discussing Bad Co. today. Yow. No shit, I was just thinking the same. Wadda list!!! --juniro
Re: Bad Company quote, URL
A great "Feel Like Makin' Love" moment: I went to a white trash wedding once where this was played as the bride walked down the aisle. No kidding. Gotta admit, Slim, that's pretty impressive. I hesitate to imagine what other songs were played during the processional and concluding moments g. Georgia Satellites would have fit the bill. --junior
Re: Wedding Marches. (was: Re: Bad Companye)
At the first of my first cousin's many weddings, this one held at the beautiful Paramus, New Jersey Steak Pit, the ceremony finished, the groom seemed to rush down the aisle, leaving her standing there. The fast thinking accordion player let loose with "What Now My Love, Now That You've Left Me". Actually, that would take 2 and a half years. That's beautiful, Barry. I think I detect a whiff of Guralnick in the prose? Sounds like Dixie realizing she's lost Elvis forever, even as he phones her from the Louisiana Hayride to tell her he loves her g. All this makes me think of weirdass wedding-music experiences. I've played a couple of weddings in the last year and I'm always kind of amazed that they don't mind that all we do is basically cheatin', drinkin' and car songs, etc And these were "nice" weddings, big budget jobs, etc. Just goes to show that very few people are really listening to the lyrics. The bride at one of these weddings asked us to do Johnny Burnette's "I Just Found Out" for the first dance, the "just the bride and groom alone on the floor" dance. Man o Man, I'd like to know the story behind that one!! --jr.
RE: Oliver Lake - Fred Hopkins-- Julius?? Hello!!
Greg says: A fullblown WSQ thread. Damn, I love this list! Yeah, I've been enjoying this thread too. I'm chiming in late, but hasn't anyone mentioned Julius Hemphill? He was my fave of the bunch. Saw him a lot over the years and followed him from his B.A.G. days in St Louis to his New York phase and untimely death three years or so. It's not crucial, but I always thought Julius was the initial organizer of the WSQ. Many years ago a friend was doing an album cover for Julius (right after his "Coon Bidness" album) and we met up with him at some sort of loft show in the East Village. That night he had Olu Dara on cornet (first time I ever heard of him was that night) and Philip Wilson on drums, from the old Butterfield Blues band, etc. After a couple of sets Wilson was blasted and Barry Altschul started playing drums instead!! Good stuff. Dara was very Miles Davis-y at that time, epitome of "cool" sound, etc. --junior
Fender amp page!
For those on the list who follow the periodic equipment threads, I've happened onto a pretty thorough and useful site for Fender amp identification and info. Very good links and a thorough (although still not complete, as far as I can tell) catalog and guide to all the different models and years, etc. Well worth checking out, if you haven't already seen it, at: http://www.zen.org/~ware/ffg/ffg.html --jr.
Re: BR5-49
That was a former student, Don. I'm surprised she didn't say "Professor Barnard," which is even more irritating g. --jr.
Re: Crappy alt-country at SXSW (was Re: Updates
Yeah, Don I can agree with most of this critique in general terms, until we get to the sincerity bit. As I've said so many times, the "sincerity" argument never gets it for me. But I'm certainly all for more musicianship and less scenester 'tude --junior
Re: Back in San Fran
Red Meat do Atlanta: And that Atlanta show...fun fun fun! We played with the Ex-Husbands, who I never had heard before. And they absolutely rocked -- a fantastic band! If you live in the Southeast and haven't seen 'em, by all means go! Now! Now if we could just get them to come out west... Oh come on Owen, you're just saying this cause Amy H. bribed you, right? Seriously, though, it's too bad we couldn't catch you guys in the KC area (where we'll get two (count 'em 2) visits by the ExHubs in May). Come on through this area next time you go out... --junior
Re: Updates
Heh, apologies for the messge meant for Mark Rubin g.
Re: Updates
Always ready to please, Don g. Laura will get to laugh at me, this time... --jr.
Re: Ray's tenor harmony man....
The one I have a visual memory of could have been Bush, yes. It's a pretty vague memory, however. I'll probably never know g. But if Van was slim, the person I saw in a video dub of old TV footage was definitely not him. --jr.
RE: Ray's tenor harmony man....
Jon, the TV footage I was thinking of was definitely either 50s, or very early 60s at latest. They did Crazy Arms. --jr.
Buck's Hot Dog?
Does the Buck Owen's vinyl lp called "Hot Dog" contain some of that pre-Buckaroos, late-50s stuff that Buck did as "Corky Jones"? If not, what are the names of the lps that had this stuff. Were these bootlegs of some sort, or were they on a label? Thankya, --junior
Re: My Bing-a-Ling
Yes Dave, Bing was the man. You might check out that "High Society" movie with Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Louis Armstrong all in the same plot (with Grace Kelly as Female lead). It's got two or three of our all-time greats on one stage, as it were. And it's aged better than most Presley films g. -junior
Re: My Bing-a-Ling
Solomon, for all those psalms. Or was that the last millenium The diversity of P2 threads will always amaze. David, a person with your name ought to know that David wrote the best psalms!!! Solomon only sold records because of all those dirty lyrics. I'll admit David's movie career was the pits, though, and his son Absalom never did any good work at all, imho. That "David II" tour was the worst. --junior
Man in Black show...
I thoiught Marty Stuart came off surprisingly well. Especially on Behshazarr, etc. It was also classy on his part of play Clarence White's tele for the show! g -junior
Re: Man in Black show...
whew, pardon the Monday morning attempts to type --jr.
Re: Clip-Mandy Barnett
Well thank god she's not a mint-julep girl g. Nice clip, Bill... --junior
Re: Ray's tenor harmony man....
Ah, thank you Brad! Yeah, Van Howard is the name... And I do believe he's the heavyset guy I've seen in old footage, etc. --junior
Ray's tenor harmony man....
Joe: I think it's Ray Price, doing the old (pre-multitrack) overdub technique whereby you sing as the original master rolls and record the mixed result onto a new master. While I'm the last person to be differing with Joe, I honestly think it's not just Ray overdubbing with himself but another fiddle player or someone. I've seen footage of the guy, in fact. A heavyset guy whose name I can't remember. Jon? or someone around here surely knows who this harmony singer was. Those two-part harmonies on Ray's hits (especially post 1956 Crazy Arms, etc.) are very distinctive and I could swear the high harmony is a different voice than Ray's --junior
Cash,etc...
And btw, it struck me as ironic that while the media was getting gonzo over Gretzscy's last perfomance, few stories seemed to mention that this was very possibly Johnny Cash's last show. If he goes downhill, that's it I think Emmylou was crying a little there at the end, during I Walk the Line. For that reason, I'd suppose. Even though the show had its kitschy aspects, I found it moving. Except for Dave Matthews and U2s clever camera angles g. --junior
Re: Cash, etc.
Don: As for Dylan's influence on pop music, I'd bet Bob would choose the Big E. over himself any day. Indeed. Not that we don't all love and respect Bobby, but there's just no comparison here --junior
Re: Era of Perfect Singles
Nice post, Joe! And yep, Barry, it requires a certain age bracket... Several of these "perfect singles" I recall hearing for the first time *on the radio* and sometimes on the car radio. Especialy Stones singles, for me. I distinctly recall hearing "Honky Tonk Women" for the first time on a radio in a dorm room and going nuts And immediately putting down everything and driving to a *wholesale* record distribution warehouse to find it because none of the record stores in town had it yet. That drum lead-in is still amazing. Got it with that cool picture cover g. --junior
Re: Era of Perfect Singles
CK archly suggests: hope you're not suggesting that the list of 50's and 60's era singles are somehow superior to the singles of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Since that would be wrong. g No, but as several pointed out, the era in which the single ruled was drawing to a close in the 70s and early 80s. As a medium, as an institution (running out to buy 45 rpm records by major artists, actually playing them, etc...), as a way to conceptualize the writing, arranging, production, etc., of a piece of music, they really mark an era. In that sense, it's fair to say there was indeed an "era" of the single which is long over I certainly wouldn't suggest the music of one period is superior to that of another, but that there was a period during which the 45 medium dominated the airwaves and determined a lot of things about both the production and reception of pop music, I think there is little doubt. Smart-ass youngun! g --junior
Re: I'm in Nashvegas
Deb Deb Deb, Don't you know, doll, we want to know your hair color!! Screw this "I sat behind Emmylou" nonsense... We want the behind the scenes, "where is Deb now and can she find her way back by reading the directions in reverse" scoop. BTW, KC P2ers Jack C and Bill S were way down with Robbie tonight. Great set, I think even a new song !!, they were making me dream of Twangfest... Late late late... --junior
Robbie song query...
Heard a great show by Robbie Fulks here in Lawrence last night. I think the guy's just getting better and better. The difference between the more "indie"-esque material and the country material seems less and less of a problem to me now, perhaps I'm just getting used to it. Anyhow, I'm wondering if we heard him do a new song last night. Meant to ask if it was but then forgot. It's an uptempo, very "rockin'" honky-tonker that would sound right at home on a Dwight album. It really got a rise out of the crowd with very strong hooks, etc., and drew people out on the floor to dance for the first time all night The chorus tag line was something about a "plot": "What's the plot?" / "It's a plot" / "Tell me the plot", something like that... Anyone familiar with this song?? --junior
Re: criminally underappreciated albums of the '90s
As Carl said, underappreciated by whom is the question... Although it was talked about here a bit, I would also think of "Bakersfield Bound" by Hillman and Pedersen. I was blown away by this album and I've probably listened to it as much as any other album this decade Incredible performances, a beautiful, classy, enjoyable, memorable album for me. Whenever I'm having trouble deciding what to listen to, it's one of the first things I reach for. I may just be forgetting but I don't recall it being talked about hardly at all outside a very specialized context like P2 --junior
Re: criminally underappreciated albums of the '90s
Jo Carol Pierce: "Bad Girls Upset by the Truth" Oh yeah, I forgot about this one. This is indeed a real piece of work, must be heard (or seen) to be believed. I heard her do the whole thing at a theater during a SXSW three or four years ago and absolutely loved it. I kind of wish she'd do another one of these narrative song cycles, but it's hard to think how she'd top this one. --junior
Attn Derek!! Bay Area shows
Derek was asking the other day about SF shows... Lots of stuff below. --junior -- Forwarded message -- WEDNESDAY APRIL 14 Deke Dickerson the Ecco-Fonics @ Agenda Lounge, 399 S. 1st, SJ 10pm The Rounders @ Elbo Room, 647 Valencia, San Francisco 10pm $4 The Hepsters @ Moe's Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz THURSDAY APRIL 15 The Chop Tops @ Moe's Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz FRIDAY APRIL 16 Big Sandy his Fly-Rite Boys/Deke Dickerson the Ecco-Fonics @ Bimbo's 365 Club, 1025 Columbus, San Francisco 9pm $13 Sean Kennedy the King Kats @ Fog Bank, 211 Esplande, Capitola 8pm MONDAY APRIL 19 The Bachelors @ The Saloon, 1232 Grant, San Francisco 930pm TUESDAY APRIL 20 The Hillbilly Hellcats @ Fuel, 44 Almaden Ave., San José 9pm $3 WEDNESDAY APRIL 21 The Hillbilly Hellcats @ Elbo Room, 647 Valencia, San Francisco 10pm $4 The Wags/Jeff Bright the Sunshine Boys @ Cafe DuNord, 2170 Market, SF The Hepsters @ Moe's Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz FRIDAY APRIL 23 Hootenanny Tour: Lee Rocker/The Paladins/Russell Scott his Red Hots/The Rattled Roosters/Chop Tops @ Palookaville, 1133 Pacific, Santa Cruz Deke Dickerson Ecco-Phonics @ The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific, Santa Cruz SATURDAY APRIL 24 Jeff Bright the Sunshine Boys @ DeMarco's, 23 Visitacion, Brisbane 9pm Deke Dickerson the Ecco-Phonics/Johnny Dilks the Visitacion Valley Boys @ Starry Plough, 3101 Shattuck, Berkeley 945pm $6 Hootenanny Tour: Lee Rocker/The Paladins/Russell Scott his Red Hots/The Rattled Rooster @ Maritime Hall, 450 Harrison, San Francisco $15 SUNDAY APRIL 25 BR5-49/Whitey Gomez @ Slim's, 333 11th St./Folsom, San Francisco 9pm $13 Randy Rich the Poor Boys @ Club DeLuxe, 1509-11 Haight, SF 930pm MONDAY APRIL 26 The Bachelors @ The Saloon, 1232 Grant, San Francisco 930pm TUESDAY APRIL 27 Randy Rich the Poor Boys @ Fuel, 44 Almaden Ave., San José 9pm $3 WEDNESDAY APRIL 28 Jeff Bright the Sunshine Boys @ Agenda Lounge, 399 S. 1st, SJ 10pm Blue Bell Wranglers @ Elbo Room, 647 Valencia, San Francisco 10pm $4 Cadillac Angels @ Henfling's Tavern, 9450 Hwy 9, Ben Lomond The Chop Tops @ The Catalyst (in the atrium), 1011 Pacific, Santa Cruz MONDAY MAY 3 The Bachelors @ Lou's Pier 47, 300 Jefferson, San Francisco 4pm The Bachelors @ The Saloon, 1232 Grant, San Francisco 930pm TUESDAY MAY 4 Cadillac Angels @ Fuel, 44 Almaden Ave., San José 9pm SATURDAY MAY 8 The Bachelors @ 4 Dueces, 2319 Taraval, San Francisco 9pm MONDAY MAY 10 The Bachelors @ The Saloon, 1232 Grant, San Francisco 930pm WEDNESDAY MAY 12 Real Sippin' Whiskeys/Ruby Deluxe @ Elbo Room, 647 Valencia, SF 10pm $4 THURSDAY MAY 13 Link Wray @ Bimbo's 365 Club, 1025 Columbus, San Francisco 8pm $15 MONDAY MAY 17 The Bachelors @ The Saloon, 1232 Grant, San Francisco 930pm WEDNESDAY MAY 19 Buck Owens/Red Meat @ Bimbo's 365 Club, 1025 Columbus, SF 8pm $25 Rockin' Lloyd Tripp the Zipguns @ Elbo Room, 647 Valencia, SF 10pm $4 SATURDAY MAY 22 Deke Dickerson the Ecco-Phonics/Cadillac Angels/The Chop Tops @ The Catalyst, 1011 Pacific, Santa Cruz MONDAY MAY 24 The Bachelors @ The Saloon, 1232 Grant, San Francisco 930pm WEDNESDAY MAY 12 The Rounders @ Elbo Room, 647 Valencia, San Francisco 10pm $4 THURSDAY MAY 27 The Bachelors @ Lou's Pier 47, 300 Jefferson, San Francisco 9pm SATURDAY MAY 29 Asylum Street Spankers @ Great American Music Hall, 859 O'Farrell, SF MONDAY MAY 31 The Bachelors @ The Saloon, 1232 Grant, San Francisco 930pm
News Flash! Austin Crisis (was Lessons Learned)
Tomorrow's headline: Benz advocates Milosevic-style ethnic-cleansing of bad roots-rockers from Ohio! Photo / caption quote: Tell ya what tho: we can ship you busloads of starry-eyed roots rockers, pot smoking dunderheads and a couple 1000 slack-asses. Isn't Austin a haven of some sort, for the indigent musician? AP. Word on the street in Austin is that Texas immigration and naturalization officials have been overwhelmed and caught off guard by an unexpected influx of roots-rock refugees from the Cleveland, Euclid, and Akron regions of Northeastern Ohio. Dazed and possibly stoned drummers, guitarists, bassists, and other ragged-looking artistes stumbled out of decrepit vans onto South Congress Avenue, snarling traffic, overwhelming refugee facilities at the Texas Folklife Resources Agency, and telling tales of strafing and bad reviews emanating from Sovines headquarters in Columbus. Further complicating Texas-Ohio relations is the unresolved issue of a rare original copy of the Texas Declaration of Independence which has surfaced in the Archives of the Ohio Historical Society, possibly related to rumored but never proven Sovines intrusions on Texas soil. Historical Society spokesperson Matt Benz had "no comment" on the provenance of this much-disputed document and scoffed at accusations of theft orginiating in the Office of the Governor in Austin. Instead he levelled blame on "starry eyed roots rockers" and suggested that "if they like Texas so damn much, then let's see 'em get a record deal in Austin!" Texas roots-rock spokesperson Doug Sahm deplored the violence in Ohio and reiterated that roots-rockers are welcome in Austin. According to Sahm, who appears to be working independently of the Governor's office, refugees should "get their accordions and come on down to the Hole in Wall for a drink this afternoon." No word yet from Washington minister of roots rock Bill Kirchen on a possible Federal intervention in the current crisis.
Re: Clip-Columbia MO Saturday
That's good news. With some of the pedal-steel talk lately, I was wondering what Dennis Scoville has been up to... --junior
Re: (Fwd) new Tom Petty?
Dave, several people were raving about this new album here yesterday, and about a Letterman ? appearance It would be great to see something really good from him. --junior
RE: Warning: Bass Guitar question!
Jon on the relevance or not of equipment threads.. Yeah, right, it's not of general interest, like vintage cereals g. True. We've had Tele threads and amp threads that went on for days. Or, you could just take it to the "fluff" list. On the fluff list, Joe, we could talk basses and Texas history for days with complete impunity g And as you probably know, SGs won't stay in tune worth a damn either. Must be a cursed body shape or something g. Those Danelectro-style basses always sound nice to me, although they obviously don't have the all-purpose overall quality of a P-bass. --junior
Re: Warning: Bass Guitar question!
I played one of those today and I liked it pretty good, but it still doesn't have that long, unctuous sustain that I need for KRhodes new stuff. Yeah, sustain is not what the Danelectro / Jerry Jones style ones are about, for sure. Seems like the P-bass is pretty irrefutable in these matters... --junior
Re: seeking like-minded new yorkers
Now, besides the New York activities at Mercury Lounge, the Alphabet Opry, etc. , any New Yorker suffering from The Problem should be aware that the quickest treatment is to click onto www.twangfest.com and get yourself an airplane ticket for this year's 3-day Twangfest in St Louis, June 10-12. Several of the NY P2ers will be there and we can wash your beleaguered soul clean of the slings and arrows of twanglessness (or something...). Consult with some of your NY Twangers, such as Barry Mazor, and give it a whirl. --junior
Derailers minitour dates
These dates just in on the first road action since the album. These are apparently a kind of warm-up for a long-haul period of touring starting in late June to coincide with album release July 13, etc Although a previously-mentioned KC date doesn't appear on this list, there's still hope as things are not yet finalized.. --junior --- Forwarded Message Follows --- 4/24 Houston/Intl Fest 4/28 Nashville/Robert's 4/30 W. Hampton Beach/W. Hampton Beach PAC 5/2 Boston/TT The Bears 5/4 Columbus/Little Brothers 5/5 Cleveland/Wilbert's 5/6 Lexington/Lynagh's 5/7 Chicago/Schuba's 5/8 Neenah, WI/Automatic Slims 5/9 Lincoln/TBA 5/15 Austin/Broken Spoke 5/21 Dallas-Fort Worth/Billy Bob's 5/29 Houston/TBA Thanks Jack Scully A HREF="http://home.att.net/~jscully/thederailers"http://home.att.net/~jscully/ thederailers /A
Albert Lee (was SOTD)
While we're on side players, I'll add that I've been listening to a lot of Albert Lee for the last week or so. Not sure what got me started, but I hadn't heard much from him or about him for awhile and once I got started I went back through a bunch of stuff he's on, just to enjoy it, etc... He can get a bit samey after a while, but I really do enjoy his stuff. Wish more of his solo and early group stuff (Head, Hands, and Feet, etc.) was available on CD. Is some of it available on CD in England, perhaps?? --junior
Re: SOTD
I'd think the criteria would be only that we're *not* talking a "front" person. So either studio or touring musicians who contribute to the sound and result but aren't the featured performers. So Vince Gill wouldn't qualify, even though he's a top-rate player, whereas Pete Anderson or Gurf Morlix would g. --junior
Re: Pigs + country music
The conflict is not over the stench, but over the farmers' right to play country music loud enough so that the porkers can hear it. What, country is big with golfers now?? That's great! Rimshot, --junior
RE: Crazy Cajun Series
Many thanks Jon... -jr.
Re: Sir Doug Sahm: Alt.country Crazy Cajun
Yep, Doug Sahm is one of those people who are much greater than most of the "stars" that get touted in the industry Also a pretty generous guy who will talk your ear off if you ever run into him at Hole in Wall or some comparable watering hole on an odd afternoon, etc. g. BTW, Barry, I discovered the disc you were talking about in a catalog where it was listed along with a bunch of other Crazy Cajun releases. The whole slew of releases was extrememly impressive, although the Sir Douglas is definitely what caught my eye. I'll look around here and see if I can't find that catalog to recall what the other releases were. --junior
Re: 2 Weddings, A Funeral, and a Twangfest
Oh yeah, the planned pool at the Oak Grove. Lord, I'd forgotten about that... --jr.
Re: This will get my ass to a large venue: Do they do it in COlu
Matt: Just found out the original J. Geils Band is coming to Columbus to play Lord yes, the original band (the first two albums) was incredible. "First I Look at the Purse," "Milk and Alcohol," etc Before they degenerated into goofiness, they were briefly one of the very best bands around. Yes, Viriginia, there was a time when Peter Wolf had hipster cred g --junior
RE: The Man in Black
Or maybe the mistake got in there because the real John-June son (the mediocre one) was at the show. I saw his presence mentioned in several accounts... --junior
Re: This will get my ass to a large venue:
Interesting how lots of people chime in with Peter Wolf memories That Cobo Arena show sounds great g. I've always heard stories about what a marvelous and influential DJ Wolf was in his early Boston period, but I was in NY and Philly then and never caught any of this. My own teenage memories of being blown away by the band in that early seventies period begin when I saw them once just before the first album came out, then as often as humanly possible for the next couple of years! Wolf was really the shit in that particular moment. I recall a show when he was all in black with silver boots, just kind of a silver flash zipping back and forth across the stage and whipping the audience into a frenzy. Whew!! The music was truly amazing and they were both overwhelming and funny without being a parody --junior
Re: woodstock 99?
More power to Willie, but it's sometimes sad to see him featured as the token twang artist at a travesties like this Hope he gets paid a LOT!!! g --jr
Re: Wilco's new horizon
LOL, Jeff. Very nice response with a true P2 flair --junior
Japanese hipsterism....
"The aural equavalent of a wasanabe sp? nasal inhalant"? Sounds like a band Greil Marcus would find terribly significant. At least they aren't working-class southerners!!! g --junior
Re: Japanese hipsterism....
Oh yeah, not to mention Cibo Matto and other fundamental acts of the 90s Grumpy cause there's probably a tornado starting up outside my building. We seem to be starting up early this year!! --junior
Re: Bringing music to town
Also to consider for Diane and whoever else is thinking about these issues is of course the difference between promoting shows and owning the bar/venue itself. These are two very different balls of wax. Dave describes someone who's had a good effect locally by *promoting,* but starting up a venue, surviving, and becoming an established joint is much more demanding and long-term proposition As I was saying to Diane offlist, good bar management is the key to every successful venue I know of. If the bar doesn't make money, there's no venue to bring the good music to --junior
Re: Clip: MP3 in Nashville
Go, Roger!! g. Well, the man has always been into technology, that much is certain He was also a fairly early emailer on one of those Byrds websites, as I recall. When I first got hooked up the the web and started emailing and all, I remember being amazed by the fact that he'd replay to emails in a way that was rare 3 or 4 years ago but has become much more common now --junior
Re: Stephen Bruton's new one
Good lines all "when your gal ain't just a dish, she's a whole set of china,that's love" -- That's Love/nothing but the truth Joe Ely once sang "Your love ain't just the hot sauce, it's the whole enchilada". And Huelynn Duvall once sang: "Well baby is you is? / Or is you ain't?? / Gonna gimme some / of that pucker paint???" Poetry, pure poetry... --junior
Re: Japanese hipsterism....
Heh, it's good to agree with Dave on *some* things. I've listened to Shonen Knife and seen a couple of these bands live (Cibo Matto and Pizzicatto 5 or whatever their name was) and I'll tell you, truly, I came away with my butt completely intact Cibo Matto was "cute," I guess (the chicken suit was funny, etc.), and Sean Lennon gives them cachet, but a good band? I dunno, I just can't see it. You been smokin' that devil weed in Nashville, CK??? g And it seems to be that Shonen Knife has probably had more success in the US than any other Japanese band. They had a bunch of albums out here and some hipster cred for awhile, no? --junior
Non-U.S hipsterism generally....
All of this talk about non-US bands reminds me that last night on CNN I saw live footage of a Serb band playing one of those anti-NATO rallies in downtown Belgrade. It made me think of Jon Weisberger because the band's idea of postmodern (or at least postmetal) irony and political commentary was to do a note-for-note cover of Deep Purple, "Smoke On the Water". It was that kind of P2 moment that would be difficult to explain to outsiders g. --junior
RE: Japanese hipsterism....
Marie's right, Guitar Wolf was actually really good. I forgot about them... --junior
Re: Japanese hipsterism....
Seiji (sp? I think...) Ozawa is, I believe, a Japanese native. He gets as much work in Europe and worldwide as he does in the US, in fact, and qualifies as one of the most successful conductors of the last 20 years or so Not necessarily for classical (see? I'm fine with the term g) aficianados with highly particularlized tastes, but in terms of overall visibility and record contracts, record sales, and so on. --junior
Re: Japanese hipsterism....
Morgan: Yeah, it would be safe to say they were the most successful Japanese act stateside, or at least one of the most successful... They were definitely in with the orthopedic shoe set for some time... g I remember they had these really cool buttons... Very "Powerpuff Girls"... Actually the look was fine, I kinda dug it. Always wished the Muffs dressed more like that! The music, alas, was the issue with me g. --junior
Re: Japanese hipsterism....
Buford said: I work with a couple of Japanese gals who are just as cute and botch the English language just as badly. I think I'll round them up, pull a Malcolm McLaren, and get them to sing my new hit songs "My Dog Like Vanilla Ice Cream" and "Red Car Go Fast Ha! Ha! Ha!" No, you're getting this all confused. That band was *Elastica* and they were really great!!. CK, I never saw Shonen Knife, so you may have a point about there live show. As I say, I've been limited to Cibo Matto and Piz.5 in my knowledge of these pop outfits. But I did like Guitar Wolf and, although I haven't heard them, have always heard there's a good rockabilly subculture going, etc... That's all from me on this subject g, --junior
Re: Japanese hipsterism....
I wasn't kidding about Elastica, Bill. As derivative as they were, I thought they were terrific. Truly I had a great music week in 96, or whenever it was they toured, when I saw them on a Thursday night in the Union ballroom here at the University of Kansas, then two nights later in Pittsburgh while I was at a conference there. In Kansas they ended up with the whole crowd up on stage dancing with them for the last number (that big hit of theirs, what was it called...); then in Pittsburgh they absolutely tore it up in a weird futuristic looking club that looked like something out of a Terminator movie That Justine whats-her-name, yow!! Now there's a rock n' roll woman g Too bad they disappeared. --junior
Re: Best So Far - 99
Yeah, Deb, it is indeed a "half-life" Jerry is referring to. A "semi-life" is the truck-driving life, as everyone on P2 knows --jr.
Re: Today is the 99th day of the 99th year:Tornadoes
"Gimme Shelter"? That was too cliched, but I couldn't resist... --junior
Re: MC5 / roir
Lance, I believe the ROIR MC5 collection is called "Babes In Arms." It's pretty great and now available on CD. --junior
Re: Elastica (was Re: Japanese hipsterism....)
Yes, Bill: the Metropole. That was the name of the club in Pittsburgh where I saw Justine and her pals g. They were something, no doubt about it. If they ever get back out on tour, I'll certainly be there --junior
2 Weddings, A Funeral, and a Twangfest (was: Twangfest's Own Comedy , Queen!
Deb: Hey, I can also tell jokes that don't include Jerry Curry. And actually, I was thinking with two wedding parties a lot of us could get lucky g Ever since this situation came to light, I've been wondering about the poor folks who've booked rooms at the Oak Grove for weddings! Can you imagine? It sounds like a Peter Sellers comedy, showing up for a wedding to find the motel filled with the likes of us Or an Altman movie, or something. We should make sure the Ex-Husbands are booked into the room next door to the Bridal suite, for example. The possibilities are endless. I'm sure they'll all have special memories... Some of the wedding groups may also relish the, um, opportunities that Twangfest offers. After all, where else can you walk outside your motel room at 3 or 4 am and have someone hand you a Shiner or bottle of bourbon and cop a couple of tokes off the security guard? I mean besides Vegas, of course... --junior
Re: Television Live (and twangless)
Nah, Amy, I don't hate 'em or anything. I've just never quite been on the wavelength. I enjoyed those shows way back when and I even see the sense in which their were certain innovations there (like the phrasing thing Barry mentioned). They just never rang my own little bell, etc I did that the live recording, however, when it came out on ROIR some time back and thought at the time that it was the best recording of them I'd ever heard. And that Patti Smith quote was hilarious, thanks for that one! g. So maybe Verlaine needs to do a tour with the Ex-Husbands now... --junior
RE: Greetings from WAY down south
Probably anyone would have been easier to deal with than Crosby? Except maybe Saint Gram Anyhow, have any of you listened to the "hidden track" studio stuff on those Byrds re-releases. I was just thinking of Crosby the other night after listening (and laughing a lot) at the studio fight that's a hidden track at the end of "Notorious Byrd Brothers." Mainly Crosby dogging Michael Clarke about a drum part, but it just goes on and on and on The producer, Usher, tries to intervene and get them back on track, but nooo, etc. Anyone who's ever been through a rough rehearsal will sympathize g. --junior
Byrds' hidden tracks (was Greetings from WAY down south)
Matt: I haven't got that one yet (tho I've heard about that studio fight: I believe it is included on those "celebrity losing it" tapes that make the rounds), but the one at the end of "5D" is painful: McGuinn and the Walrus talking about the *new* album. Yn. I don't know how long it is, something like 11 minutes. I don't know who would listen to it, even among diehard fans... Actually I haven't heard the 5D one, so we're even. Sounds like a conversation, rather than a studio thing? The one on "Notorious" is amusing as a "band nagging each other during a practice" sort of thing. Not that it would make great repeated listening at any moment, but they are interesting and fun when you're in the mood. Since the one on Notorious clearly gives you Crosby as the nagging asshole, it's in keeping with the aesthetic of the album as a whole, since Crosby quit at that time, the "horse's ass" photo on the front, etc... I'd still like to hear some more about that South African concert from our new South African P2 correspondent, however That's a legendary moment in Byrds' lore and I have never ever heard a peep from anyone who saw it. --junior
Re: Masochism, Part II
You know, Cheryl, I resisted the anti-Christgau wave for a while, but he really does have his head up his arse these days. Might as well admit it and be done with it. The Voice at its best, moreover g. Maybe a motto for next year's P2 Tshirt would be "Screw You, Christgau," or some witty equivalent. --junior
Re: television / roir
I too think Roir is still in business. In fact I seem to see more of their CDs today than ever. Their MC5 compilation, for ex., is terrific and highly recommended --junior
Rosie (was Best So Far - 99)
Since John brings up his best so far, I thought I'd mention I recently got the new Rosie "Dance Hall Dreams" and am a bit disappointed. I really love Rosie and keep hoping she'll release a killer album but it doesn't seem to happen. Damn The material, for the most part, never really takes off, and although the players are great (as always on Rosie's albums) there's not a hell a lot of energy in the performances either. I really want to like it, but... Hmmm. Ah well, guess I'll just have to wait for the Kirchen and Derailers and such... Or maybe I should get that Mandy Barnett g. --junior
Re: Rosie (was Best So Far - 99)
Don: I don't know about the Derailers' new one, but unfortunately I didn't find Kirchen's new one to be much better than Rosie's. Double damn, then I really hate it when people I love come out with albums I can't get enthused about, etc. I hope we get another good one soon. This makes me want to go home and hunker down with a drink and my recently-acquired Huelynn Duvall compilation, which I *am* enthused about. --junior
Re: Best So Far - 99
If Don's list is any indication, perhaps Sire's efforts in the Americana vein are finally starting to pay off. There's also the Tim Carroll due out on Sire later this spring or early summer, no?? --junior
Re: Best So Far - 99
Don: Well, it's one thing to put out good records. It's quite another to figure out how to sell 'em. Heh, this is about exactly what one Derailer was saying to me at SXSW. But putting out that good record is a lot farther along than most people get to begin with...g --junior
Re: Best So Far - 99
Jerry, that new-Exhubs is a dandy, imho. I'm hoping it comes out soon, somewhere and assuming it'll be on some year-end top 10s. If I *were* to make a list for this year already (which I'm not doing g), it would be number 1 for me. --junior
Re: Damnations TX tour dates
Eugene, the album's getting a good reception here on P2 (just today several people have listed it as one of their top releases so far this year, etc.) and yes, they are indeed getting tour support from Sire (how much I'm not certain...). And they'll be headlining Friday night June 11 at this year's Twangfest in St Louis MO, yessiree. --junior
Fever query (was: covers)
With all this talk about covers, Fever, etc. I relistened to Elvis and Little Willie John's versions last night and was wondering when and by whom the song was first recorded. Little Willie's is from 1956. Are there recordings before that? Curious, --junior
Re: Hong Kong Music
Although I just wrote CK an offlist post, I'll repeat the gist here, in case anyone cares g. Two years ago, right before handover, there were a number of "indie", "alternative," and "rootsy" bands. When I was there in Spring 96, I even played 4 or 5 shows with a local Chinese-British blues kid named William Tang (very post-Mayall, post-British "blooze" style). But not much to speak of in a city that big, and nothing to get very excited about. Most kids there listen to very sugary, very poppy (in the less positive sense) "sinopop." There are a couple of video channels of this kind of music etc. Even with the best attentions, I couldn't get into it: way too saccharine and un"cool" from a Western perspective. I don't know about it these days, but I suspect that the dominance of this "Sinopop" has even increased and that the "western" oriented bands have thinned out even more. --junior
Re: Television Live (and twangless)
Bill ponders the mysteries of Televison and that epochal artiste, Tom Verlaine... Seminal and magical or pretty much overrated, you decide. Ah well, these are taste matters I know. I tend toward the latter however I'd give their entire recorded output for a single track by the Ramones. --junior
Re: Television Live (and twangless)
Actually, I saw 'em in 76 at CBGB's too old old old!!! and several other times, but they didn't do any more for me then than they do now, in retrospect. Ah well, --junior
Re: FW: Swedish Top 10's 1998 (fwd)
The Swedish top 10 is even better than the British! What are these folks drinking??? g. Must be smuggling Aquavit across the border or something. Many P2-beloved bands would be making better livings if these kinds of preferences were exhibited over here, sheesh --junior
Fever (was: good covers)
First Amy: Well, referencing Peggy Lee's "Fever" isn't going to win any points with me, as I don't love either the song or her toneless version of it. If this loses me major kitsch-cred points, that's fine with me. Then Ross: Well thanks, I guess, for pointing out to me that I'm just respondingly ironically to the faked sensations of artistic rubbish. How ever could I have thought I sincerely liked the song on its own merits? g Hey, I like the song too. Little Willie John's version is *terrific*, imho, etc. --junior
RE: Trio, Louvins Country Harmony: Maynard in NYT
Barry's suggestion is an excellent one. The Times should really get an idea of the level of knowledge they're referencing with some of these people. Not that they will care, probably, but it's good to make them aware of how poorly informed some of their folks really are. Back in the 80s, I remember they had a Paris correspondent who had a correspondingly low knowledge of France and would make blunders like this constantly. So it's not just with regard to twang that "the paper of record" has foggy ideas --junior
RE: Good covers (was: Kelly Willis calling the shots)
Any, then, Jon says the following, on covers: Exactly, and what's spooky, at least to me, is that while sometimes the emotional resonance is responsible for the "note-for-note" rendition, sometimes it's the other way around - that is, by concentrating fiercely on doing just what the original did, you achieve the emotional identification; by playing it, you become, for a moment, the original performer. I read a comment very much along these lines not too long ago from some performer or other, and now I can't find it; when I do, I'm going to post it, just to show that even if I'm crazy in looking at it this way, I'm not the only nut. You're not alone in this view at all, Jon. Don't have time for a detailed discussion, but I've never notice any pattern or rule to distinguishing "good" from "bad" covers. I don't consider a cover "secondary" to the "original," in fact. One could cite numerous covers that outdo the "originial" in various ways, or that work *even though* they're note-for-note copies, or work as completely reinterpretations. As best I can tell, there's just no rule. It's like for any kind of performance: some work, some don't I've never yet found a general rule to distinguish the succesful from the unsuccessful ones. If I had, I'd do all good covers g. -junior
Re: Clip: RIAA's 1998 Consumer Profile
Probably because a lot of women have crappy taste in music... They're the ones buying the Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, etc. albums and the Titanic Soundtrack...which are all usually #1. I'd say chicks also buy most of Britney Spears and N'SYNC material. And usually they'll buy them at a discount store like Target or some place like Blockbuster Music... At the music stores I go to, which are all INDIE stores of course, I'm surrounded my a lot of "cool" alternaguys and punk guys. Hardly any chicks... H. Don't really young kids, i.e. what used to be called "teenyboppers," buy most of the Britney Spears and N'SYNC (and now groups like B*witched, Five, etc.)? I have a 10-year old daughter and this is her kind of music, etc... Mariah and Celine are different, perhaps, but with some of these bands I get the impression it's not a gender but an age thing I still haven't had time to look at the demographic breakdown on the RIAA website Jon pointed out, but I'm hoping it has age demos too.. --junior PS. " 'cool' alternaguys ". Whew.
Trisha and the Snuffleupagus sp?
Hey, Trisha was pretty cool on Sesame Street this morning! I think she was flirting with that new puppet, whatever it's name is Does Bobby know about this? sheesh --junior
RE: BMI vs. ASCAP?
Sorry if I missed it if it was posted, but could someone post the web address for Bug? I've always wondered about them and this thread has made me want to find our more about it... Thanks, --junior
Re: Clip: RIAA's 1998 Consumer Profile
Like Cheryl, I'd love to see a more comprehensive breakdown of gender demographics in the contemporary music market... Anyone know where such figures could be had? Also, Cheryl suspects: I suspect that more men are obsessive collectors, Hmmm. I thought it was an established fact that men are obsessive and women hysterical. Or was that just old Freudian dogma, I'm getting confused g... --junior
RE: Clip: RIAA's 1998 Consumer Profile
Thanks for those sources, Jon. I'm going to check them out. --junior
Re: Drake (Re: Kelly Willis calling the shots)
Speaking of, has anyone read that biography of Drake that's around these days. Being cheap, I haven't bothered to skim one of those expensive-looking hardcovers I see everywhere. But I will probably consider it when remainder / paperback time rolls around... --junior
Roger Miller Box Set (was: Drake...)
Bill: n.p. Roger Miller box, disc1 Oooh! Now we're talking... How is that set? Are there relatively straight tonkers, etc. on there, before the full-blown sixties style sets in? I've seen that thing in stores but have never taken the time to check it out.
