Review – Really a ‘Must Have’ Reissue – REALLY
Oct 29, 2009 Reviews
We have all read the publicity blurbs about this or that ‘must have ‘ reissue. Generally they are for second rate didn’t-make-it-first-time-may-make-it-this-time-anyway-it-was-gathering-dust-on-the-shelf albums. It is good, very good, to find one reissue of a real my-life-would-not-be-complete-without-it album.
The Feelies were great. They came from New jersey and were called the best underground band in New York by the Village Voice in 1976. The reissue is of their first album released on Stiff Records (always a good sign) in 1980 it is called ‘Crazy Rhythms’. With smart lyrics drawing comparisons with the Velvets and a real rock attitude and energy they were an amalgam of what went before but with their own stamp.
The influences are all there to see. The vocal delivery owes a lot to Lou and the Velvets,as does the uncomplicated drumming, there is something of Patti in there and Iggy. Comparisons to early REM – they were contemporaries after all. I am not saying that they were clones of The Velvet Underground (mind you I have included a great version of ‘What Goes on’ at the end of this review), The Stooges, or a poor man’s REM. They were 100% Feelies.
perhaps oddly REM have quoted The Feelies as a major influence. perhaps if the Feelies released more than one album every 6 years they would be better known…….
This album has been unavailable for over 10 years and so this is a real reissue, not a repackaged ‘remastered’ reissue. One of the essential albums for any collection.
1. Boy With Perpetual Nervousness, The
2. Fa Ce’-La
3. Loveless Love
4. Forces At Work
5. Original Love
6. Everybody’s Got Soemthing To Hide (Except Me And My Monkey)
7. Moscow Nights
8. Raised Eyebrows
9. Crazy Rhythms
Tags: classic rock music, lou reed, new wave, patti smith, rem, review, rock and blues, the feelies, velvet underground
Derek Acorah, Michael Jackson, Nothing New Under The Sun
Oct 28, 2009 Rants
Derek Acorah filming a seance and trying to contact Michael Jackson is not the first time programmes for TV have been made in which mediums have tried to reach the departed famous. (my original post here)
In 2006 a pay to view TV seance programme was made in which the object was to contact John Lennon. The show – which cost $9.95 (£5.60) to watch – was made without the consent of Lennon’s estate or his widow Yoko Ono. The result? John came through and had a message for us all. It was, “peace… the message is peace”
No surprise there then. Look, all of us could have predicted the result, does that make us all mediums, or psychics, or whatever?
I note with interest that the makers of the Lennon seance programme made one with Lady Dianna as the objective in 2003. The result of that on? She was having fun, again no surprise there either.
I am somewhat surprised to find that the subscription for Dianna’s seance was more than for Lennon’s. Actually, perhaps I am not. There does seem to be a constituency for stories about Dianna (who died in 1997) The Daily Mail (a national ‘newspaper’ in the UK) had yet another front page lead about here just last week…….
If you can not wait until December for the seance with Michael then there is some hope for you. It seems that there will be a seance on Twitter on 30th October. Called a “Tweance” it will be available on Twitter from 10 a.m (GMT). I am not sure of the format, if you can ask questions or whatever, so if you are interested give it a go just search for @tweance on Twitter.
The Psychic is Jane Wallce part of the ‘Psychic Sisters’ who provide consultations in Selfridges (London) and have appeared in the world renowned Psychic TV cannel….
If you have been trying to tweet Michael Jackson over the last few weeks without even a squeak of success, might I sing you a song of hope? A remarkably forward-thinking psychic has decided to hold a seance on Twitter. A “Tweance,” if you will. According tothe Sun newspaper , Jayne Wallace, who claims to have been a psychic since she was (at least) 7 years old, will be available to every member of the world’s tweeting population on October 30, between 10 a.m. and noon British Miserable Autumn Time (that’s 3 a.m.
Tags: derek acorah, jane wallace, john lennon, lady diana, lady diana seance, michael Jackson, rock and blues, tweance
On This Day – Let the Hype Begin!
Oct 27, 2009 Uncategorized
On this day in 1975 Bruce Springsteen is featured on the cover of both Time and Newsweek. There follows much hype and adulation.
Undoubtedly a great performer and writer was the Boss’s hype really justified? Is any of the hype we are subjected to by the publicity departments ever justified?
One of the best bits of underground promotions was the ‘Clapton is God’ graffiti on the underground at Islington. I no longer know if I believe it was an official piece of promotion (often denied) or really was the out pouring of a fan (often claimed). Anyway, it worked.
The whole hype thing reminds me of a story about Mick Jagger. There was this queen of the groupies in L.A. She would sleep with all the big star’s and comment later “He was good, but he ain’t no Mick Jagger. One night she gets to go with Jagger. In the morning her comment? “He’s good, but he ain’t no Mick Jagger”.
On This Day – Zeppelin’s Debut, Probably.
Oct 25, 2009 On This Day, rock and blues
On this day in 1968 led Zeppelin played their first gig, probably. There is some confusion due to the short time that the band called themselves ‘The New Yardbirds’. Also, some internet sources quote the 15th October 1968 as being the first Zepp gig, but that appears to be an error. Jimmy himself presented a plaque to the University of Surrey to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the first gig – on 25th October.
Having completed a short Scandinavian tour as the New Yardbirds the band played a gig at The Marquee in London on 18th October and at Liverpool University on the 19th.
On the 25th the Jimmy’s band, now called Led Zeppelin made their live debut at Surrey University. The admission was an amazing 37.5p. Details of the set list are a bit shakey but given previous gigs it is likely that the set list included some Yardbird favourites such as Train Kept a Rollin’, Dazed and Confused, White Summer and likely For Your Love. New Led Zepp tunes were also played and would probably included Communication Breakdown, I Can’t Quit You Baby, You Shook Me, Babe I’m Gonna Leave You, and How Many More Times.
dazed and confused from 1969 before they became the world devouring mega band that ruled the world………..
By the way, this is a rare recording of the Yardbirds (with Jimmy) playing the ’same’ song. I know which has my vote….
And finally, Zepp just a few months after the first clip. What a band! That voice, Jimmy doing his stuff perfectly complimented by that bass and drums. Perfect!
The first magnificent album.
And the ‘difficult’ second album….
Tags: jimmy page, led zepp, led zepplin, love rock music, On This Day, rock and blues, surrey university, zepplin
On This Day – I’m Not Dead, Honest.
Oct 22, 2009 On This Day
On this day in 1969 Paul McCartney said officially that he was not dead, unless the statement was issued by William Campbell after the surgery.
There had been persistent rumours that Paul had died in a car accident and that he had been replaced with a look-a-like called William Campbell.
The story begins on 9th November 1966 while the Beatles were working on Sgt. Pepper’s but things were not going well. In frustration Paul left the Abbey Road studios and jumped in his car. While driving he picked up a woman hitch hiker (called Rita). She became hysterical when she realised who he was and in the fracas that ensued he crashed the car. She was able to get out of the now burning car but Paul, sadly, died.
What happened then was a massive cover up. Local papers bribed, as were the police and ambulance services. In desperation to keep the Beatles’ brand alive Brian Epstein found William Campbell who had won a Paul Look-a-like competition. He was flown from Canada where he was living, given elocution lessons, plastic surgery, and taught to be left handed rather than right. Simple!
There followed years of lies and deceit. However there were clues. The Sgt. Pepper cover is full of clues; crashed cars, Shiva the destroyer pointing towards Paul, the wreath spelling out ‘Paul’, the open palm sign. In the gatefold Paul is wearing a badge that says ‘OPD’ which stands for ‘Officially Pronounced Dead’. It is all so obvious.
Look at ‘Revolver’. Who is the only Beatle not looking straight out of the cover? You’ve guessed it, Paul. Could that mean that the others are looking towards the future and Paul isn’t (‘cos he’s dead)? The open palm death symbol is there again.
Look at ‘Magical Mystery Tour’. On the back cover, how many band members do you see? (By the woman with the red dress one third of the way down) Five. Is the fifth, who looks like Paul, really William Campbell?
There is more. Remember that Paul was left handed and often said that there was nothing he could do about it, he could not ‘cure’ himself of being a lefty, and he had tried.
So, page 4 of the Magical Mystery Tour booklet with which hand is ‘Paul’ holding his wand? The right. During MMT film, the beginning of the ‘Fool on the Hill’ bit is smoking, using his right hand. During the same film the cast are on the bus, drunk and singing. In which hand does ‘Paul’ hold his beer bottle? His right.
‘Nuff said.
Tags: beatles, classic rock music, is paul dead, officially pronounced dead, On This Day, paul mccartney, rock and blues
On This Day – The High Numbers Turned Down By EMI!
Oct 21, 2009 On This Day
On this day in 1964 The High Numbers auditioned for EMI the UK record company, and were turned down. One of the reasons they were turned down was that the record company wanted them to write more of their own material.
Like many of the beat groups of the time the various members had been in other bands before coming together. A couple had played in a trad jazz band with the eventual bass player of the High Numbers playing French Horn… They also went through a few names before becoming The High Numbers released their only single “I’m the face/Zoot Suit” which failed to chart. One of the names that the band had before being The High Numbers was The Who. The new name did not suit and so they changed it, after the failure of the single and being turned down by EMI, back to The Who and signed to Orbit Music.
1965 saw the band moving forward, a number singles that all made the top 20 including ‘I Can’t Explain’ and ‘Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere’. They also appeared in a number of TV and radio spots including what must have been the highest accolade a radio appearance on ‘The Joe Loss Pop Show’ (those of you not of a certain age or not from the UK will not recognise the incongruity of Joe Loss presenting a pop show).
It is only speculation, but if you can not speculate about music what can you, what would have happened to The High Numbers if EMI had accepted them in 1964? With no pressure to write their own stuff and evolve would they have remained that gigging pub band? How many guitars would have been saved from what became their ritualistic destruction on stage? Would ‘I Can See For Miles’ and ‘My Generation’ (notably, and wondefully covered by the great and glorious Patti Smith) have seen the light of day?
No doubt some executive in EMI was roasted by his bosses for turning them down but perhaps we all owe him a great debt of gratitude.
The Great and Glorious Patti, the best version of this song, ever!
Tags: my generation, On This Day, patti smith, rock and blues, the high numbers, the who
Michael Jackson, That ‘New’ song, A New ‘Duet’ With Janet, and His Kids…
Oct 20, 2009 rock and blues
The soap opera goes on.
Janet is to release an unheard duet with Michael on her forthcoming ‘Greatest Hits’ album. Little is known of the song other than it is called ‘Make me’ and was recorded in 2008. Call me cynical but how can an unreleased song be part of a greatest hits album? I suppose the answer is that if you haven’t sufficient real hits to complete an album and you can use the name of your late brother to boost your CD sales then……
Paul Anka is to get 50% royalties on MJ’s new record sales. He had co-written the song with Michael in 1983 when it was called “I Never Heard”. It was subsequently recorded by Sa-Fire in the 1990s. On that version MJ and Anka are credited as co-writers.
No one is suggesting that the Jackson machine were trying to get away with not paying Anka, just that they were a bit stupid. As Anka said “They did the right thing,” Anka said. “I don’t think that anybody tried to do the wrong thing. It was an honest mistake.”
From the Jackson machine side they said in a statement “The song was picked because the lyrics were appropriate because of the name Michael gave his tour,” the statement read. “We are thrilled to present this song in Michael’s voice for the first time, and that Michael’s fans have responded in unprecedented numbers.” – so sales are going well, then.
Apparently they forgot that Anka helped write the song and it was not until Anka heard it and was contacted by the media that he was aware of it. However, alls well that ends well. Anka will get the money he deserves, as well as the Jackson machine.
Finally, for now at least, will Prince, 12, Paris, 11, and Prince Michael II, 7 appear on reality TV? There seems to be some disagreement within the family. There are reports that they will appear in “The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty” which may be broadcast in December on cable network A&E. Katherine Jackson, Michael’s mother, seems set to try to maintain their privacy, as Michael did. However, others of the family apparently can see why they should appear.
We shall see.
Tags: katherin jackson, michael Jackson, paris jackson, prince jackson, prince michael II jackson, rock and blues
On This Day – What a Week For Elvis!
Oct 19, 2009 On This Day
On this day in 1956 Elvis was involved in a fist fight. He had stopped at a petrol station in Memphis to get some petrol and was mobbed by teenagers. The petrol station manager wanted him to go away so that he could start selling petrol again. Tempers became frayed and the owner, Ed Hopper, hit Elvis on the head (You should not mess with a rock star’s hair!). Elvis, in turn, hit him in the eye. Hopper’s assistant, Aubrey Brown, went to help his boss and got much the same.
Ed Hopper brought charges but they were thrown out of court 4 days later as all the fans confirmed that Elvis did not start the fight. Hopper and his 6′4″ assistant were fined, and promptly sacked by the petrol station owner.
Three days after the petrol station episode Elvis went to the movies. Surprise, surprise, he was mobbed, again. This time the only damage was to Elvis’ car.
Perhaps Elvis should have realised that he could not just go out in public without attracting a crowd…. Only a month later Elvis was attacked again. This time by Louis Balint. His beef with Elvis was that his wife carried a photo of Elvis in her purse. Balint was fined for assault but as he was destitute he was sent to jail instead.
All in all, quite an eventful week for Elvis. Towards the end of the week Elvis got a his first letter from the draft board……………
Tags: classic rock music, elvis fighting, elvis presley, love rock music, On This Day, rock and blues
Derek Acorah’s Michael Jackson Seance
Oct 18, 2009 Rants
I honestly do not know what to say about this story.
Derek Acorah, a TV medium (he says that he contacts the spirits of the the departed) is to hold a seance and contact Michael Jackson’s spirit.
My position on spiritualism is quite simple. I believe that when you are gone you are gone. No heaven, no hell, reincarnation would be nice but I do not buy that either. So in the spirit (sorry about the pun) of objectivity I watched one of Ocarah’s programmes last night, well, part of one to be exact.
This is what happened. There was a small audience of people who had suffered losses. They had all brought objects connected to their departed and Acorah picked them up in turn to tune into the vibes from the dead. One woman had brought a set of darts. This is what Acorah deduced.
1. The departed was a man (few women play darts).
2. The departed liked to win (how many dart players play to lose)
3. The departed’s first name began with a ‘S’. (to be fair, it was the surname that began with an S. Unless I miss my guess ‘S’ is one of the most common letters with which names begin in the UK – Smith, Singh, Steven etc.)
The woman was interviewed later and was very impressed with Acorah. She wanted to hear from her son. She believes that her son could be contacted. She was obviously desperate for comfort.
So, was I convinced by this performance? Of course not.
Now, what is it with this seance? Is it an honest attempt to contact MJ? Well, it might be but bearing in mind that Acorah was attacked in the national press in 2005 over the editing and some would say dishonesty of his programme ‘Britain’s Most haunted’ I doubt it. Surely, it is only just about the money, just like the new record, the release of a film of his rehearsals, etc.
Derren Brown who is a mentalist that performs on UK TV said in his blog. “Can you honestly imagine anything – anything – more anus-invertingly unpalatable than this?” Derren wrote. “I hate myself for drawing attention to it.”
To say that TV in the UK has plumbed new depths would be wrong, there have been many, many depths. But this is up there (or down there) with the best (or worse) of them.
Tags: derek acorah, derren brown, michael Jackson, rock and blues
On This day – Great Balls Of Fire
Oct 8, 2009 On This Day
On this day in 1957 Jerry lee lewis recorded “Great Balls of Fire” his follow up to “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going’ On”.
As you might have guessed if you have read previous posts I am a great fan of Sam Phillips and Sun Records. Not so much for the individual tracks as such more the effect of Sun Records. Sun changed music. What was essentially black music played for and by black people became music for both black and white. Sun owner Sam Phillips ran no colour bar all he heard was the music (with more than a nod towards his profit of course).
Anyway, Jerry Lee Lewis, often billed as the wild man of rock ‘n’ roll was pioneer of the new popular music that we all love. Someone once said that we build on the shoulders of giants, one of those giants is Lewis.
It is hard to imagine today the hysteria that rock ‘n’ roll caused among responsible adults. They feared subversion, anarchy, revolution, promiscuity, and that the status quo could be challenged. Well, the world certainly changed. A great song and well worth celebrating.
Tags: classic rock music, jerry lee lewis, On This Day, rock and blues, sam phillips, sun records
