Rolling Past Expiry Hard Rock 2010

Re the census link, another push for it because the recollection shows the dysfunction at a very low level. The linked videos, which are not mine, are worth going out to. It's a free country and while it's not necessary to watch them to the bitter end to get the flavor, it's remarkable how many people tried to incide trouble or who got their kicks from picking on census workers -- who, as a matter of fact, were often their neighbors. You were employed to canvas in the area where you lived. In a gentler society, there's an obvious benefit to that logic. And I didn't even link to all of the those were people are making up weird conspiracy stories or calling the cops. Alex Jones, for instance, on some use of GPS to pinpoint where people lived ofr nefarious purpose. Another guy insisting the census was in league with the local police in a drive to tourst the homeless out of a riverbank where they had their tents and boxes.

Holy shit!

German metal queen DORO PESCH
will be available for a limited number of phone interviews on:

Couldn't find the old Voice review that had me falling out of my chair. Encapsulated her appeal precisely, if hilariously so.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXks3Xjydh0

You'll understand in an instant why this was shrugged off in '74. As sub Ziggy & the Spiders, it's undone by the pink suit and headgear. And not being as good a tune as 1984. Or even John, I'm Only Dancing.

I had Mick Ronson's anthology, Main Man, out the other night. It collects his two solo albums, Slaughter on 10th Avenue and Play Don't Worry. And Bowie guests on it in spotsl the Spiders are the band. If you wanted sub Bowie glam, this was a good next stop. Probably better than Cockney Rebel and a couple Sparks records.

Ronson sounds a lot like Bowie, vocally, and everything spans the gamut from Kurt Weill-Euro cabaret style to here comes the Les Paul cocked wah into a Marshall sound. Covers some Lou Reed and, surprisingly, a hard rocked Pure Prairie League cover, Angel #9, which is great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5jwlGdNuDk&feature=related

Wrestling masks there, but difficult to discern.

A "Six Degrees of Heart's Little Queen" column I wrote for emusic (in which I also write about theoretically somehow related albums by Fotheringay, Led Zeppelin, Genya Ravan, Shakin' Street, and Carrie Underwood):

http://www.emusic.com/features/hub/six_degrees_heart/index.html

Other stuff:

-- Pulled out Burning Hot by theoretcially black metal band Xavion last week (Asylum 1984 -- #492 in Stairway To Hell, just made the cut!), and confirmed without a shadow of a doubt that, despite the leather clothes and steely fonts, they were just an electro-funk band masquerading as metal, not a lot heavier than Shalamar doing "Dead Giveaway" or Kool and the Gang doing "Misled" or Phils Collins and Bailey doing "Easy Lover." Definitely more musically similar to the Time than to, say, Twisted Sister or Quiet Riot in other words (not that I really mind -- of those three bands, I like the Time most anyway). Like, maybe as heavy as Surivivor or Aldo Nova in certain songs. Two keyboard players credited, one of whom doubles as a "band spokeseman." Favorite cuts: "Burning Hot," "Self-Built Hell," "You're My Type," the latter featuring fake British accents worthy of Rockwell's "Somebody's Watching Me."

-- Saw a copy of Widowmaker's second album Too Late To Cry from 1977 for $1 in Round Rock over the weekend, but didn't buy it because their debut has still never quite killed me. Popoff, though, seems to like the second one slightly more. Ever hear it, George?

-- Also passed up the Jigsaw LP with "Sky High" on it for $1, then noticed a couple days later that Scott had mentioned that song as a Badfinger-level powerpop classic on another thread. Which it probably is, but was their other stuff any good, or even at all rocking?

-- Been liking this lo-fi one-guy (plus maybe a pal?) South Carolina stoner-loner bedroom-doom album Animals by Dwarr (private-pressed in the mid '80s, just reissued by Drag City) that Scott raves about and sort of compares to George Brigman and Pentagram in the new Decibel. Not sure I hear similarites to those, really, beyond the fact that they were probably all Sabbath fans, and I wish the vocals were more assertive, but yeah, the notes are right: "For best results, crank it up."

-- Speaking of Decibel, is that 1980 debut by Angel Witch the oldest album they've put in their Hall of Fame? (Maybe there's a Priest or Maiden one older?) I haven't been keeping track. Makes me interested in those guys, either way. Never heard them, I don't think; still get them confused with Anvil Bitch (whoever they were). But Angel Witch sound like they might've been my kind of NWOBHM.

-- And oh yeah, Adrien Begrand also has a boxed roundup of four Metal-Blade-reissued albums by San Francisco's Hammers Of Misfortune in the new Decibel. I've had an advance Cruz Del Sur copy of 2006's The Locust Years (one of the reissued albums) around here for four years now; seemed okay to me at the time, and I'm playing it again now, and it still seems...okay. Not great. Had no idea these guys were ever considered a big deal; matter fo fact, from their picture on the back cover, I think I took them to be some kind of joke band. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Anyway, Begrand claims they bridge NWOBHM, pagan metal, old-school prog, and Ren Faire folke, and I guess I hear some of those on here. Just not sure how memorably they do it. Begrand also suggest that Mike Scalzi might be the best "heavy metal singer working today." Hmmm. Guess I'm liking his more straightforward songs better than the frillier ones that Jamie Myers sings this time out, for whatever that's worth. (Two ladies in the band, which counts for something.)

Whoops, a few typos there. Anyway, Begrand also says The Locust Years is more ornate than the Hammers' earlier albums, and places "stronger emphasis on the band's feminine side." Which might mean I'd like their earlier ones more, if I ever heard them.

Saw a copy of Widowmaker's second album Too Late To Cry from 1977 for $1 in Round Rock over the weekend, but didn't buy it because their debut has still never quite killed me. Popoff, though, seems to like the second one slightly more. Ever hear it, George?

Yeah, I have it. Like the first one better. They changed singers, not for the better. Abandoned the hard obstinacy and rootsy influence for more by-the-numbers hard rock. Nothing on it worth mentioning, except maybe Here Comes the Queen (which may, in fact, not be on it, could be my mind playing tricks) which was an old thing off Ariel Bender/Luther Grosvenor's solo album.

Angelwitch, one of the semi-famous 'witch' bands. In order of like -- Witchfinder General, Witchfynde, Angelwitch. Led by brother of Girlschool's drummer. If you liked Witchfynde, you'd like them. Nothing, however, like Witchfinder General.

No tunes. No one person in the band who stood out. Most points for being there first and not being bad. Lower working class, denim, sincerity, all the genre pieties which weren't such then but which became the foundations.

Time for a Vardis revival.

Two cool r&b videos and a rant on the $180 harmonica:

http://dickdestiny.com/blog1/2010/10/01/swiss-watch-harmonica/

Pretty good article on Keith Richards and his book at the NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/arts/music/24richards.html?src=me&ref=general

playing today:

the rockets - back talk

peter green - in the skies

gary moore - back on the streets

rory gallagher - irish tour '74

MSN blog post about '70s Australian hard rock - Coloured Balls, Rose Tattoo, Buffalo, Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs.

I've fallen way way way behind on chronicling my old-hard-rock listening on this thread, and probably won't have time to do much ketch-up in the near future, but suffice it to say I've been listening to a lot. Biggest recent revelation, maybe (though no doubt already obvious to some folks) is how much Alex Harvey (at least in non-Music Hall kitsch mode, though maybe sometimes then too) had in common with Bon Scott. And in songs like "Midnight Moses," SAHB don't sound all that far off from early AC/DC as a whole, either.

Sampled from the Buy-That-For-$1 thread, some records I've been hearing lately (a bunch of which only cost me 25 cents actually):

The Babys - s/t (Chrysalis 1977) GREAT-- George rightly compared to Bad Company, I think
The Jags - Evening Standards (Island 1980 - with all-time early-Costello Xerox almost-hit "Back Of My Hand") not bad, keeping it
John Parr - s/t (Atlantic 1984 - w/ Billy Squier Xerox hit "Naughty Naughty") -- better than I would've guessed; has some Bryan Adams and Robert Palmer in his chromosomes too, and at least one cool quasi Judas Priest type fake metal song
Rosetta Stone - s/t (Private Stock 1978 - (Bay City Rollers types maybe?? w/ Kinks and Cream covers) -- actually a Bay City spinoffk apparently, and a good one
Rachel Sweet - Blame It On Love (Columbia 1982) A sellout, kinda, but catchier than most quasi-Benatar LPs of the day
Pat Travers - Putting It Straight (Polydor 1977)GREAT, especially the punk-dissing "Life In London" as George said
babys - union jack (chrysalis 1980) ALSO GREAT; had forgotten how good the title track and "Turn Around in Tokyo" are, and also like "Jesus Are You There" a lot, and those aren't even the two hits!
climax blues band - sense of direction (sire 1974) SNOOZE, AS GEORGE PREDICTED
climax blues band - fm/live (sire 1973 - double LP) A KEEPER, MARGINALLY, BUT GEORGE HAS A HIGHER TOLERANCE FOR STODGE-BLOOZE DOUBLE LIVES THAN I DO APPARENTLY -- BIT OF A CHORE TO GET THROUGH
fm - city of fear (passport 1980 -- produced by larry fast; synth-rock trio??)Catchy/weird enough pomp-rock power trio sans guitar
grand funk railroad - on time (capitol 1969) liked this less than I'd remembered
grand funk railroad - shinin' on (capitol 1974) liked this more than I'd rememered
grin - grin (spindizzy 1971) -- really good
jigsaw - jigsaw (chelsea 1974 - w/ 'sky high') - Boooooooooring beyond the hit
eddie money - eddie money (columbia 1977) -- passable; rocks commercially toward side-ends, but the two hits are the best it gets
pat travers band - heat in the street (polydor 1978) like this so far
johnny winter - still alive and well (columbia 1973) like this, but george likes it more
wishbone ash - locked in (atlantic 1976) - another snooze, as george predicted
The Dingoes - Five Times The Sun (A&M 1977 -- Aussies, I guess; could suck but plenty of '70s Aussies didn't) mediocre; not a keeper, though "sucks" would be too strong. Popoff called it "avocado rock," ha ha.
Doug & The Slugs - Wrap It! (RCA 1981 -- Never even considered buying anything by them before but I liked the LP cover and funny liner notes) - fun so far
Family - Bandstand (United Artists 1972 -- supposed to be of their better ones, I think; also, complicated die-cut cover and sleeve!) -- "interesting" so far, in maybe a boring way; george would probably say I'm trying to hard to like it, like I did with the streetwalkers before, and the streetwalkers are more compelling and harder-rocking anyway
Glass Harp - Synergy (MCA 1971 -- Scott could tell me if this is one of their good ones; passed on the 1980 Resurrection Band LP I saw though.) -- Pleasant so far, with flashes of brilliance
Robert Gordon w/ Link Wray - Fresh Fish Special (Private Stock 1978 - bought this for Link not Robert, but have nothing against him really) -- a bore
Grave Digger - Heavy Metal Breakdown (Megaforce 1984 -- Martin Popoff gave it a 9 out of 10; I still might hate it though) -- historically impressive in a super noisy thrash-before-thrash existed way; ocassionally shaping itself into hooks, sort of; occasionally screeching like Die Kreuzen before the fact; occasionally okay gothic druid metal ballad music.
Happy The Man - Crafty Hands (Arista 1978 -- made Jon Pareles's Pazz & Jop ballot that year, and he was Super Art-Rock Guy in those days) -- "interesting." I think. Maybe weird. But not hard rock. Also, they could use a singer
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band - Vambo Rools: Big Hits And Close Shaves (Vertigo c. 1975??) -- kind of love this, despite the schmaltz ballad parts; bought a live LP and a SAHB LP without Alex too, but haven't gotten to them yet
(Various) - Maiden Australia (A&M 1983 - w/ Skyhooks, Split Enz, Mental As Anything, Hunters & Collectors, Jo Jo Zep, plus seven bands I never heard of) -- Skyhooks song about women in uniforms is great; enough of the rest are likeable that I'll keep this
Alcatraz - No Parole From Rock 'N' Roll (Roshire 1983. Promising song titles: "General Hospital," "Bigfoot," "Hiroshima Mon Amour," "Kree Aakoorie," "Jet to Jet," "To Young To Die, Too Drunk To Live." Popoff 10 out of 10) -- so far, as tedious as proto-Queensryche pomp concept metal with Yngwie Malmsteen on guitar could be expected to be, but I'll give it at least one more try

Also curious what people here think about Triumph. I've always assumed they were total mediocrities not worth paying attention to (Popoff kind of hates them, and solo Rik Emmett even more so), but driving back from San Antonio to Austin a few days ago, "Fight The Good Fight" from '81's Allied Forces (a Popoff 6, his highest score for them) came on the S.A. classic rock station (KZEP -- surprisingly good station, they even played "Low Rider" so they must be paying attention to ethnic demographics, and then Stevie Ray Vaughan who always bores me so I'm clearly not a true Texan), and I thought it (the Triumph song) sounded really good though I had no idea what it was. (My best dumb guess in my head was real early, hard-rock-period Journey!) Am I nuts? Do they have anything else that anthemic? Was I just in a very good mood? Popoff calls that song and "Magic Power" "shamelessly overblown, but they do manage to serve the encouraging, bright purpose for which they were written (to help extra-stupid 12-year-olds)," ha ha. Apparently Allied Forces was their biggest hit album in the U.S., fwiw (#23), and "Magic Power" got to #51 on the pop chart.

Triumph had a couple of good songs, but basically they were a cross between Rush at their most boneheaded and least complex and, yeah, Journey and other AOR Trans Am rock of the period. A relative gave me their double live album for my birthday when it came out; I never made it through the whole thing, and I was in junior high then (1985) and would listen to anything.

Triumph -- huge with young boy punters in LV, too. I ignore them after the second album which was heading way into Journey land. Very poor man's Toto, too. Tended to always have at least one good rock song per album, all the way through. Just wasn't worth coming back to the albums to fish them out.

Pat Travers - Putting It Straight (Polydor 1977)GREAT, especially the punk-dissing "Life In London" as George said

After all these years I am vindicated.

Big ups again for the Babys title track on Union Jacks, their 'rock opera.' By then they'd left the Bad Company/Free licks way behind. Boy did they look gay on the album cover, though.

Contrast with Rose Tattoo's look -- awesomely lowdown -- on the videos Phil selected.

i love the cream cover on that rosetta stone album. techno bubblegum!

best song i have heard all week is on the self-titled 1979 debut album by CREED. album opener "keep on rockin'" is totally smoking southern rock mayhem. love it to death. sadly, the rest of the album never hits the same heights, but worth keeping for the first track.

xp Yeah, the Cream cover is definitly Rosetta Stone's Eurosyntdisco move. But the more rocking originals on that album (mostly the second side I think) reminded me more than a little of The Sweet. So you might not think to look at them that they'd belong on this thread, but they sort of do. (Apparently their guitarist, Ian Mitchell, used to be in the Rollers.)

http://www.bsnpubs.com/nyc/privatestock/ps7011.jpg

some stuff i have been digging lately. wish i had time to talk about each one, but i iz a buzy bee. got thousands of 45s to price. most are new to me. some are old faves. bloodrock, nitzinger, etc:

rock rose - s/t (columbia - 1979)

thundermug - ta-daa!! (mercury - 1975)

charley ainley - too much is not enough (nemperor - 1978)

charlie ainley - bang your door (nemperor - 1978)

airwaves - new day (a&m - 1977)

derringer - if i weren't so romantic, i'd shoot you (blue sky - 1978)

stillwater - i reserve the right! (capricorn - 1978)

jet - s/t (pacific arts - 1979)

lucifer's friend - mind exploding (janus - 1976)

john paul young - s/t (scotti brothers - 1978) (don't think i knew that vanda & young wrote "love is in the air". anyway, an essential album for vanda & young completists.)

the strand - s/t (island - 1980)

pat travers - s/t (mercury - 1976)

blackfoot - flyin' high (cbs - 1976) (such a good album)

straight eight - shuffle 'n' cut (rca - 1980) (power poppers who could rock. yay!)

trooper - money talks (rca - 1982)

driver - no accident (a&m - 1977)

edgar winter - jasmine nightdreams (blue sky - 1975)

city boy - dinner at the ritz (mercury - 1977)

jukka tolonen - crossection (janus - 1975)

nantucket - long way to the top (epic - 1980)

mike berry - i'm a rocker (epic - 1979) (really enjoy this!)

automatic man - s/t (island - 1976)

alpha band - the statue makers of hollywood (arista - 1978)

rick springfield - comic book heroes (columbia - 1973)(one decent guitar track and that's basically what i've been playing. not anywhere near as good as the andy kim album i got last week. his second album called Rainbow Ride. love that thing. guitars aplenty.)

le roux - s/t (capitol - 1978)

boxer - absolutely (epic - 1977)

river city - anna divina (enterprise - 1972)

bloodrock - 3 (capitol - 1971)

nitzinger - s/t (capitol - 1972)

I liked that Automatic Man LP (and their other one) more than I expected; thought the Le Roux was spotty but passable enough. Neither all that hard rock, though, I don't think. Like that Nantucket LP a lot, and love the one Thundermug album I have -- Strikes from 1973. Have written about all of those on this board somewhere, in the past couple years. Wish I still had the first two Nitzinger LPs (both of which are in my metal book.) Picked up Bloodrock's second one (with "D.O.A.") for a buck back in March, and it was about as good as I remembered. Blurbed about Trooper's not-bad Thick As Thieves upthread I think. Thought Alpha Band's self-titled was a lot more keepable than T-Bone Burnett's 1972 B-52 Band and the Fabulous Skylarks record (but those aren't remotely hard rock either, of course.)

The Pat Travers debut is one of my favorites. Excellent version of "Hot Rod Lincoln" is deployed. Plus his stage set show-stopper, "Makes No Difference." And the original showing of "Boom Boom Out Go the Lights."

All of which I think I've said before.

Anyway, also but unrelated:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/11/04/us_census_data_reveals_joblessness/

yeah i know that le roux and some others don't really belong here, but i figured as far as the timeline goes i'd throw them in. i listen to tons of 70's soft and/or country rock.

also been playing this wacky privately pressed kub coda-produced album by michigan rockers The Blue Money Band. from 1981. i think. on blue vinyl, naturally. chuck would dig it. some novelty numbers. some 50's rock hijinx.

http://www.waykoolrecords.com/pics/Rare/BLUEMONEYSEALED3.jpg

did i already mention on here how much i dig the reddy teddy album? boston band. album is from '76. local label. mix of the dolls, aerosmith, and garage/punkiness. so entertaining. this guy came in my store and it turned out that he used to be the guitarist for DMZ! boston garage punks from the 70's. one album on sire. then he joined the lyres. anyway, he wasn't a reddy teddy fan. oh well. he was nice though.

http://fredpopdom.free.fr/images/Reddy-Teddy/Reddy-Teddy-Front.jpg

http://fredpopdom.free.fr/images/Reddy-Teddy/Reddy-Teddy-Real-Kids-Poster.jpg

http://crazykids70.free.fr/bloglam/reddy2.jpg

reddy teddy are connected somehow with boston band the atlantics. i know i have their one album, but i can't remember much about it. i should dig it out. and one member of reddy teddy later joined robin lane & the chartbusters. robin plays around here all the time. she lives right up the road.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_ZNPLfbw0gtg/RsnaUFEEucI/AAAAAAAAAl4/7_tlFZnjWBw/s320/Atlantics.jpg

Yes you did:

was excited to find the reddy teddy album from 1976 two days ago -its been on my want list- even though the copy wasn't that great. but for 2 bucks i couldn't complain. so today my friend bugsy came by to sell me stuff and he had a perfectly perfect copy. what great timing! love this album. boston's answer to the new york dolls. some hard rock, some punkiness, some glam stomping and it also sounds like they were listening to the kings in aerosmith a little too. plus, lots of humor. and willie alexander's help. "a child of the nuclear age" kills me! love "moron rock" too. which seems to be an anti-glam, anti-alice cooper, anti-punk song all in one. "but its all gonna stop, have to chuck it all up/it's just lollipops that you suck/the truth of the matter is your eardrums are shattered playing the moron rock!"

― scott seward, Monday, August

But you can always say it again!

Bump.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKlCZ1OdrdA

I'll be doing a pre-Xmas party on Dec. 11, the first live performance in well over a decade. Don't think any of the readers here are Pasadena/LA-based, but it's going to be free. And when the on-line poster is ready, it will have directions.

I'm LA-based! If I'm not doing anything that night, I may check it out.

I'll post the final details here. It's at a studio/home in the theatre district of Pas just off Colorado.

Someone sent me this. Dig the guy with the missing tooth. They have a -lot- of stuff from an Austin 2007 gig, including an amusing interview on how they're aiming for a record contract.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgeZVH1o31w

Complete were all the rage around here around 2007:

Complete: this band is amazing

I missed the train in '07, loving it today. They're like the mutant child of DNA and Black Oak Arkansas.

The current Top 10 songs for soldiers preparing or riding into combat. From Tom Ricks, who wrote Fiasco," an account of the Iraq war, writing as a columnist at Foreign Policy.

http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/11/12/the_best_defense_list_of_the_top_10_songs_for_heading_into_combat

Not a lot of surprises.

Oh, backhanded lists of heavy metal songs written by people who don't understand heavy metal.

Ricks made a genuine effort. He's older than me. But I know him, too, because he was an old subscriber to a newsletter I made.

The deadening presence of "Bodies Hit the Floor" is very real. It's inescapable on security video, if you are familiar with that -- on commercial TV and private stuff, of which I know a lot. And that's all leakage from noncom military positions.

That song is very effective at its intended purpose -- there's a reason it's still being used in action movie trailers a good decade later.

That's for sure. Royalties from reality shows on prison life and cop/swat engagements alone must be really eye-opening.

I actually think that's fairy interesting list. Had never given either Drowning Pool or Dope a second's notice in the past before; didn't even have a good idea who either of them were until I checked Wikipedia last night. Probably figured Drowning Pool for generic Staind-cum-gnu-metal types, which probably they were. I should actually listen to those two songs, though; not sure whether I've ever even heard them -- and if I did, I wasn't listening close enough for them to make any impression. But right, looks like "Bodies Hit The Floor" has been licensed like crazy since it came out in 1991 -- WWF placements, too. Wasn't much of a hit on 1991 release, though still the closest they ever came to hitting the pop chart. But apparently they've been a consistent presence on "modern rock" radio, which I never listen to, ever since. Dope aren't as big, and of course their "Die Motherfucker Die" wasn't any kind of hit at all. (They had some kind of Nine Inch Nails or Marilyn Manson connection, I think? Could be mistaken about that.)

Wondering, though, about the the sample of soldiers that Ricks surveyed. If I'm understanding him right, those are from responses of military people who actually read his blog column? The demographic of which, he says, would explain why there's no rap on the list --I have to believe that more soldiers would use hard crunk and coke-dealer rap (not to mention Toby Keith or Montgomery Gentry, or are the grunts all too young for country now?) to motivate themselves than Hold Steady. (Why that particular song, anyway? I don't really get it. I bet only two soldiers named "Stevie Nix", at most. I like Hold Steady a lot, their first four albums, as indie rock goes, but at least the old Zevon song Ricks mentions in passing was about a mercenary.) Also thought that comment he quoted from the guy who used the Twin Peaks theme after learning relaxation techiques at West Point was interesting. (Also, Metallica and AC/DC are eternal, obviously, though I never thought of AC/DC as sounding especially warlike. Do understand "Hells Bells" though. And RATM is no surprise -- when I was in the Army in the early '80s, seem to me like the favorite band for lower enlisted guys was the Clash.)

Meant 2001 for "Bodies," obviously, not 1991.

Anyway, in the past few days I've been listening to two new CDs of unearthed tapes of '70s wannabe rock bands seemingly inspired by Sabbath, boogie, glam, Stooges, etc. -- Triphammer, who eventually partially evolved into the Banastre Tarleton Band, one of the biggest bar bands in Central Missouri, and O. Rex, proto-punk fanzine types from Brooklyn who eventually partially evolved into Bloomington, Indiana's Gizmos. Triphammer CD is live in 1970 in the Ozarks, and so far I'm liking it more. Just good early '70s drone sludge with leftover garage tendencies, not quite evolved past Blue Cheer in other words, albeit small-club bootleg sound quality. O. Rex one has great liner notes which tell you which songs were trying to rip off Brownsville Station, Blue Oyster Cult, Black Oak Arkansas, Dolls, Alice, whoever -- one song called "Suzi" is even a tribute to Quatro, and the title track, "My Head's In '73," recorded in '76 (most songs were earlier), is glam nostalgia, already, though it obnoxiously uses the n-word when claiming that white kids didn't listen to soul back before disco happened. Halfway amusing homophobic "Pushin' Too Hard" cover too, and they also cover the Stones, Link Wray, Yardbirds, and Skyhooks ("She Only Likes Me Cause I'm Good in Bed," or whatever -- probably not geting the title quite right; don't have the CD in front of me, and I've never heard the original.) Anyway, I wish the music was as good as the notes, but so far it's mostly theoretical -- teenagers (one guy just 13) learning their instruments, playing in parents' living room. Just super lo-fi, and thin, with original songs not even halfway written. Totally muddy guitar sound, though.

a little surprised hey man nice shot isn't on that army list.

some of the records i bought last night that might fit here:

The commercials – compare and decide (eat records – 1980)

The radiators – ghostown (chiswick – 1978)

Michael kamen – new York rock (atco – 1973)

Human investment – invest your efforts into humanity’s struggle or be a human investment (rotten propaganda) (that’s what it says on the cover anyway. Crass fans in Pittsburgh with a crass-style logo. I couldn’t resist even though its from the 90’s.)

Virgin steele – wait for the night (mongol horde – 1983)

Nova mob – the last days of Pompeii (rough trade – 1991) (the only post-husker album I have ever owned. I love it. I’ve always had the tape. Vinyl was a dollar. Man, lots of this stuff was a dollar. I love you, western mass!)

Ramatam – in april came the dawning of the red suns (atlantic – 1973) (april Lawton I love you and want to marry you in a time machine! You rule!

East of eden – snafu (deram – 1969) (yeah!!!! Needed this!)

Kingdom come – journey (polydor – 1973) (clean u.k. original.)

Angst – mystery spot (sst – 1987) (don’t like this. Even for a dollar.)

Ruts dc – animal now (virgin – 1981)

Accept – metal heart (cbs – 1985)

Jimmy pursey – alien orphan (epic – 1981)

Sham 69 – the game (polydor – 1980) (yay! Needed this.)

Uriah heep – innocent victim (wb – 1977)

Hauser orkater – op avontuur (dutch artiness/weirdness from 1974)

Dfx2 – where are they now (world records – 1980)

The reds – s/t (a&m – 1979)

Lyn todd – s/t (vanguard – 1980) (just got bobby orlando’s THE NOW album and now I have this. He was a busy guy at the turn of the decade.)

u.k. subs – endangered species (nems – 1982) (yay! Needed this too.)

sore throat – sooner than you think (hurricane records – 1979)

actually didn't have a copy of the reds album even though i used to see it in philly for a buck everywhere. and i couldn't remember if i owned a copy of innocent victim or not. um, its possible that i now own two copies.

chuck, you would LOVE the lyn todd record. it was made for you.

Will keep a lookout! I used to own that debut DFX2 EP; was retarded to get rid of it. (Still have Emotion, at least.) Blurbed about that Commercials album (which wasn't as good as I remembered, when I played it) either upthread or on Rolling Hard Rock (despite it not being hard rock) last year. And my blubbering fanboy worship of the Reds is somewhat legendary. (Did I mention upthread that Rick Schaffer put out a decent blues-sludge solo CD called Necessary Illusion this year? Well, he did.)

Few other things (mostly off the top of my head):

Favorite songs on Pat Travers' Heat In The Street, I decided, are probably "Hammerhead" at end of side one(Nugent-style speed-rock instrumental that sounds like its title) and "Go All Night" at start of side two (really really funky.) The closer, "One For Me And One For You," reminded my wife of Styx.

I like the second side of Happy The Man's Crafty Hands, where they sing, way more than the first side, where they don't. Fusion prog, I guess? Warmer than I'd expect. Apparently from D.C... Scott said on a different thread that he's a fan.

Glass Harp's Synergy peaks at the very beginning with some hot guitar jam action, but the rest is passable or better, and at times Beatles-like (says my wife, anyway, who listens to the Beatles way more than I do).

Doug and the Slugs often convince me they were Canada's answer to the Tubes -- or at least Side One of the LP I bought, and its liner notes, do.

The Family album I bought always sounds interesting to me when it's on in the background, but not a single song has sunk in.

The Alcatraz album I bought wound up as boring and irritating as I thought it would, though one fast song (at the start of Side Two I think) was tolerable.

Eddie Money's second album (Side One especially) turns out to more hard-rocking and consistent than his first one (and presumably than any album he made later), and the disco move "Maybe I'm A Fool" on Side Two is really convincing, too (also familiar -- a #22 pop hit, though I'm pretty sure I haven't heard it on the radio since. Anyway, he's clearly a soul guy at heart, and he pulled it off.)

Scott convinced me to pull out my copy of Nantucket's 1980 Long Way To The Top, and it sounded great. AC/DC cover (in tribute to ex tourmate Bon Scott liner notes say), boogie-rock originals of comparably heavy density, '60s garage soul with saxophones, Wet Willie type Southern soul rock, catchy AOR pop material, at least one good song about the music industry (I think), what seems to be a good-natured sense of humor all around -- they had plenty of ideas, and I probably need to play it more before they all sink in.

Been keeping up with George's blog ("Act Naturally" video cracked me up), but I'm still too bummed out about election results and resulting impending middle-class carnage to talk much more about it here. (Wonder if Rand Paul played Rush at his victory rally.)

sound is bad but who cares APRIL IS ON FIRE!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOIUCe1-7p0&feature=related

Yeah, but were they better than Birtha??

Ha ha, speaking of unearthed tapes, just got a CD recorded 1978-1982 in the mail by Z'ev! Pretty sure George knows who this guy is, from back in his noise days. "L.A. percussion typhoon," not hard rock in any earthling sense, but as I recall he was doing the beating-on-pots-and-radiators thing before even Einsturzende Neubauten or Test Dept. thought of it. I used to own an LP by him back in the early '80s; not sure I ever played it all the way through though. Guess I'll try to play this one; good luck. "Technical info: Radical de-tuning of drums - LOW's producing HIGH's. Use of stainless steel, titanium, military aluminum -- HI TEMP/PRESSURE in their production creating a multiplicity of complex signals not available in LO TEMP/PRESSURE metals. Same holding true for plastics." Etc. Scott, you definitely have to include this one in your Decibel noise column.

i am! it's going in my next column.

also got some cool lo-fi punk noise stuff from mike williams, the singer for eyehategod. that's going in my column. the noisy stuff he is doing totally reminds me of bedroom 80's industrial noise stuff. i dig it. i've got TOO much to write about this month. the world of noise/weirdo/whatever music is very healthy. and prolific.

xp I should have guessed! And oh wait, duh, what was I thinking -- Scott, I have that Lyn Todd record already. Pretty sure it came in one of those great Metal Mike charity boxes, a few years ago. Super sleazy glam-rock/disco merger for gay bars, as I recall; she(assuming she's technically a she -- could be a drag queen for all I know) covers "Rebel Rebel" and "Pinball Wizard." But now it's moving back from the shelf upstairs again, to the to-be-played pile by the turntable downstairs.

that's the one! so much fun.