Tiger Lillies play with animals, first time listens and poetry inspired by Buckley...Tim that is!!

OFFENSIVE BAND
OFFENSIVE SECTION
OFFENSIVE MATERIAL
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

The Tiger Lillies: Farmyard Filth (1997)
I first heard The Tiger Lillies on The Gorey End, a collaboration with The Kronos Quartet. It was a blast...
completely different
from anything else. The Guru is a big fan as well. However, The Gorey End CANNOT prepare you for this musical platter.
Nothing could!

As they describe it on their web site: "the most extensive collection of songs dealing with zoophilia in recorded history. Flies, Sheep, Hamsters, German Shepherds, Giraffes, Pigs and Calves, a veritable Noah's ark of beasts are paraded before the listener. Other subjects include amputees, pensioners and transsexuals. You have been warned."

This is completely accurate...I should mention that the instrumentation consists of an accordion, musical saws, Eminance removable neck bass, recycled drums and toys. It's like you stumbled into some offensive,
hilarious
dark underground cabaret.
I have no knowledge of cabaret music, but it's very listenable and catchy, occasionally beautiful
with words enticing and
shocking
...and the way they say: "c-ock" cracks me up.

So, dudes and dudettes...if you're not....I repeat...NOT easily offended, check them out for a very surreal
bizarre
twisted time. These guys are fucked! A site with lots of photos of the band playing live and a site with some info.
***

FIRST TIME IMPRESSIONS

Sun Ra: Strange Celestial Road (1980) Awesome!! Do yourself a favor and listen to SUN RA!

Thee Hypnotics: Soul, Glitter and Sin (1991) Ok...didn't really hit me.

Iggy Pop w/ David Bowie: The Mantra Sessions (1977) [Confession Time: When I was 20 or so, I really identified with Iggy. I mean...I fucking understood what Iggy was about!! I knew why he cut himself...I knew why he attacked the audience...I knew why every show HAD to be extreme...had to be on the edge...nothing less than TOTAL commitment would suffice. If you didn't go to the edge then...a safe, boring, predictable life awaited you...and that had to be avoided at all costs.
I guess it had something to do with low self-esteem, never feeling good enough, fear...as for Iggy...musta had something to do with that whole trailer park upbringing.]
As for this pretty famous bootleg? It's fantastic. This is primo Iggy and it is Iggy's show. Bowie sticks to the background. Good for him.

Pink Floyd: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967) I'm not sure why it took so long to finally get this album, but I'm glad the time finally came. It's pretty o u t t h e r e. I need to listen closer to the words (I was at work programming away). Maybe I'm starting to understand the reason for the cult of Syd.

Art Ensemble of Chicago: Bap-Tizm (1972) These guys are awesome, and so is this great live album. Intro by John Sinclair.

Kevin Coyne: Wild Tiger Love (1991) I've never been disappointed by any of his albums, and this album continues that streak. Kevin Coyne official web site.

Strata Institute: Cipher Syntax (1988) This is a free download at Steve Coleman's M-Base web site. This is a great album. Jazz. Pretty rocking jazz, actually. There must be 15 cds worth of downloads at his site. He wants people to download his music, and he writes about his philosophy on this. Very interesting...
***

Poem written while listening to
Tim Buckley's "Starsailor"

float to the beat
of the whispered raven

let the flight
teach
the wisdom of
elusive truth

babies starve in the street
children die in the street
we turn our heads
we turn our heads
and still search for

truth...

it's swimming in the river
it's walking on mountains
it's riding through
the desert

it's living in the
pulse of every
movement
every moment

sweep aside
passive
indifference

it's alright to be scared
it's alright to be scared
***

Prog Archives, Random thoughts, Ponty meets King Zappa and Ambrose Slade slide in at the end

I want to start off by providing a link to a great site. The Prog Archives. This is a great site to find info on obscure krautrock, space rock, or any kind of music that encroaches upon that dreaded term: p r o g r e s s i v e.

An excellent reference site that includes many bands not included in the All-Music Guide, which is also a fantastic reference. Isn't the internet wonderful?
***

Random Thoughts

When I was little Harvey Puppy, I bought John Cale: Music for a New Society (1982) **1/2 when it came out. I didn't understand or get into the mother at all. I tried...
it was dark
depressing...all the things I usually like! No dice. Couldn't get into it.
Well, years later and the lp is long gone, so I got a copy on cd and put it on thinking I missed something in my younger years.
Nope. I still can't get into it. I love Cale, and I've read some pretty great reviews for this album...well, it's just one of those things.

Ash Ra Tempel: Ash Ra Tempel (1971) ***** I love this album.

I've been starting to collect old Captain Beefheart shows. I'll never get a chance to see the Captain live, and the closest I can get is listening to these mediocre tapes and feeding off the energy contained within. I have one from Portland 1971, and one from Vancouver 1973. Thank God for crappy audience tapes!

OK. After talking about the Flaming Lips in my last post, I got a hold of a copy of the new one. At War with the Mystics (2006). How many times do you hear "rock" stars in interviews always say that the new album is "harder" than the last one, and "we're back to rockin' man". I can understand they're viewpoint and the attitude. BUT. If you have to talk about "rockin'" you ain't "rockin'".
[aside: I'm referring to interviews in MOJO and Uncut where the Lips talk about how they're rocking again...blah blah blah]
Anyway...what about this album? I think it sounds great! I don't see that they rock like the early albums (that attitude is gone, man...sorry), but it's catchy, upbeat and a fun listen. The electric guitar is more prominent than on "Yoshimi", and it sounds a little more open. Good stuff.

The Sunburned Hand of the Man: No Magic Man (2004) is pretty fucked up. I really like it! Interview with the head Hand of Man, John Moloney.

I'm listening to Soul Jazz's "Universal Sounds of America", which is great as are most Soul Jazz compilations, and it includes the full length "Space is the Place" by Sun Ra. This was my second listen to this incredible 20+ minutes within the past 3 days. It really is amazing...the 20 minutes just fly by.

Big Star: #1 Record - I've heard and read tons of positive things about Big Star, and listening to this I can see that it's certainly catchy. These guys and The Raspberries do give "pop" music more depth than the usual 70s AM "pop" fare.
***

Jean-Luc Ponty: King Kong (1969) Finally I have this interesting slab of Zappa instrumental compositions done by Ponty under Frank's dictatorship. Zappa has at times in my life been my MOST favorite artist. This is also a really good album to listen to if you're programming. I love the sound of the violin in a rock context. Good shit!
[aside: One of my favs is Sugar Cane Harris' amazing violin and vocals on Little Richard's "Directly from My Heart to You" on Zappa's: Weasels Ripped My Flesh.]
***

Let's stay positive! Ambrose Slade: Ballzy (1969) Ambrose Slade were the precursors to Slade and this early album from 1969 is extremely charming and enjoyable. "Roach Daddy" is a buzz, covering Zappa's "I Ain't Got No Heart" is fun and well-done,...nothing revelatory or totally mind blowing,...just a cool little obscure artifact from a cool period in music.
***

Flaming Punks on Acid, Red Krayola Rule, Embryos and Sun Ras are cool!

The Flaming Lips: Finally the Punk Rockers are Taking Acid 1983-1988 (2002) ****1/2
I got a great fucking deal on this 3 cd set. $30 at a used cd store place in Mississauga, Ontario. This was my first "real" introduction (I had heard "She Don't Use Jelly" when it was a college hit) to the band, and remains to this day, my fav Lips album.

The early music has more raw energy, compared to the great, but VERY precise later albums. I really really really like Yoshimi and maybe the new one ("At War with the Mystics") will make me a believer ...BUT....

I cannot lie. I like the early
punky fun
crazy
d r u g
induced lyrics
one million billion
brain cells
swirling in a
vat of acid
spewed out like only you can when you're young, dumb, and full of acid fried goodness.

I love shit like "Jesus Shooting Heroin", "One Million Billionth of a Millisecond on a Sunday Morning" and the Alice Cooper "Levity Ball" influenced "The Ceiling is Bending". You just can't hear those riffs often enough!

I really should get the "Fearless Freaks" documentary on the Lips. They are definitely worthy of more investigation. Flaming Lips official web site.
***

I am thoroughly enjoying Red Krayola's "Introduction", and the deconstruction of "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" called (appropriately) "Breakout" is fantastic. Ya gotta love the older guys who are still interested in "creativity". There is so much to enjoy in this album, that different bits leap out on every listen. Highly recommended.
***

EmbryoNNCK: No-Neck Blues Band and Embryo (2006) Don't expect the blues, but expect an album of primitive beauty with music floating in and out of the ear
voices come
voices go
peace approaches
and this is an excellent new album by early krautrock pioneers Embryo and The No-Neck Blues Band (the NNCK part of the name) who sound incredible. I will be looking into NNCK in the future.
***

Sun Ra: Space is the Place (1972) ***** This album is one hell of a motherfucker. This was the first Sun Ra that I completely fell in love with.

Space
is the
Place
Space is the Place
and we all need to find our space
and we all need to find our place
and we all need to listen
to the master of the sun...
the RA man!!!!

Cool Sun Ra web site.
***

Roger Chapman finally arrives, Neil Young deals with WAR and some depression crap

Finally...after 6 months!!...the Roger Chapman: Family and Friends (2003) 5 cd box set finally arrived. Having listened to the first 3 cds so far, I have come to the conclusion...it was worth the wait!

I've always been a huge Family fan and have all their albums, and have touched upon The Streetwalkers phase and his solo career marginally....so, there's lots of great stuff I've never heard on this, and some great unreleased live Family cuts as well. From what I've heard, it's worth getting live Chapman in any of his phases.

I went online and googled the box set, and so little came up it was ridiculous! I'm not a big fan of comparisons, but if you like Kevin Coyne and/or Ian Hunter I would recommend you check Roger out. Start with classic Family and then go from there. There are 2 good sites out there...thankfully! One for Family and one for Chappo.

[aside: "I Keep Forgettin'" is playing right now...and...oh my...music can be soooo powerful]

[2nd aside: I'm listening to this as I'm working on another part of the blog, and cd 2 is blowing me away. Awesome!]
***

Random Thoughts

I've never heard or seen the P-Funk All Stars: Urban Dance Floor Guerillas (1983), but it sounds like it could be a hidden gem. The search will continue!

Check out Cosmic Slop's blog for a link to an awesome live "Maggot Brain" by Banyan. Incredible.
***

Neil Young: "Living with War" (2006) for the politics ***** for the music ****

I've always been a big Neil fan, and am always interested in how people react to him. The Guru herself has said that she finds Neil somewhat irritating. Yet...she likes "Harvest Moon". Even if you generally don't like Neil, you can usually find one album you don't mind.

I like them all...even the ones I don't like. Do you know what I mean?

Example - I don't really listen to his 80s albums. Landing on Water, Life, Old Ways etc...Let's be harsh. They are pretty far from being saddled with the "classic" tag. Yet I like the fact that they exist. The experimentation, the balls, the sheer ridiculousness of some of them...and just the fact that his record company sued him for making non-commercial albums. Gee...that opened my eyes...I thought record companies were in it for the music. Hahahahahahaha.

[aside: Life actually has a classic 3 song punch on side 2 (I used to have it on record) of "Too Lonely", "Prisoners of Rock'n'Roll" and especially "Cryin' Eyes". ]

One other thing about Neil. His lyrics. The man can write classic songs with insightful concise lyrics...brilliant...perceptive. BUT. He also writes some of the most clunky cliched lyrics out there. For some reason, I find this charming. Only Neil can get away with this.

[another god-damn aside: I just read a comment (not by Eyeball) on The Eyeball Kid's blog that stated that Tom Waits has attacked Neil Young for his often mundane lyrics. That doesn't sound like Tom so take it with a grain of salt, but as the Guru said...he wouldn't be wrong.]

Oh yeh!! The album? It sounds like the best Neil in years, even though I'm the only person on earth who actually loved, let alone "like", "Greendale".

[interjection: I saw Greendale live with the Guru in Toronto and actually liked the Greendale part of the show better than the greatest hits set....it was a great show all around, and I'm glad I finally saw Neil.]

The message of the lyrics is certainly more important than the poetry on this album. It was a rush job, since he wanted to get it out before George W. and his cronies totally screw the US up. Even if you disagree with the message, this is the most passionate and straightforward and simply rockin' Neil since Ragged Glory.
***

Warning: Depression Crap

This is for those of you out there who struggle with depression and stuff...ha..maybe most of us. Remember, that even when everything seems hopeless

STOP!!!!!!!!!!!

THINK...

I mean REALLY think hard and try to be as rational as possible. It's never as bad we think. It's distorted thinking. I know. My thinking has been distorted for a long time (my whole fucking life!!!), and it's been really hard, but I know it's time to change that way of thinking for myself and my loved ones.

I'm taking it day by day and studying "The Feeling Good Handbook" by David Burns (as well as all the other fun shit that goes with it...counsellors, group work, meds) and it's really helping me a LOT!

Don't be put off by the cover. I know he looks like the most conservative boring guy ever, but man, it's making total sense to me. Even though I didn't show it last Monday night or Tuesday morning, and was sprinting to the funny farm, I started applying some of the shit and it's helped me bounce back fast...and hopefully better and wiser and more understanding. So, if anyone reads this and they're feeling like shit...hang in there and here's some positive vibes. PEACE
***

Depression and Life....

Just when you think it couldn't get any worse....
***

It does.
***

[aside: added at 4:45pm PT - But life MUST continue on]

Next blog...back to the music!
***

Acid Mothers on the tip of my tongue, HEAVY Funkadelic and I'm Lost in the Grooves!!

I already rated Acid Mothers Temple: "Mantra of Love" (2004) *****

It deserves it!!

Two long pieces that
ebb and flow
ebb and flow
and morph into
beautiful liquid electricity
as the mind
yearns to attain
that elusive
mantra of love.

My friend Randy (Hi Charlie!) is getting tons of Acid Mothers Temple, and my ears can hardly wait to devour them. The Acid Mothers, Can, Ash Ra Tempel, Albert Ayler and Gong are 5 musical artists who have moved way up my "fav scale". Red Krayola, Alex Harvey and Pharoah Sanders are on the rise too!

Acid Mothers Official Web Site.
***

Random Thoughts

Nothing gets as deep down funky as Funkadelic did.
Bar none.
Ponder this.
The first song on the first record is
"Mommy, What's a Funkadelic?".
It doesn't get any heavier than that!!!
The heaviness of early Funkadelic blows me away.
A bluesy, funky, grimy yet HEAVY sound that is quite
unlike anything I've ever heard in my life.
The drugs back then MUST have been fucking
dynamite...

The Funkadelic Album List.
###


Van Der Graaf Generator: Pawn Hearts (1971) **** This is the only VDGG I have, and I'm rather sick about it. It's like Roky Erickson on downers fronting early Genesis with King Crimson peeking in holding a vat of Soft Machine, while Pink Floyd are walking down the hall.

If one has to make a comparison.
###

I just picked up Lost in the Grooves: Scram's Capricious Guide to the Music You Missed edited by Kim Cooper and David Smay. The book lists those classic albums that slipped under the radar and have attained obscurity status.

Hey, the book comes with recommendations from Irwin Chusid (an expert on outsider music), Barney Hoskins (a well known critic guy), Marianne Faithfull!! and Blag Dahlia from The Dwarves!!!! With those people recommending this book, it should be good.

Glancing through it I saw Beefheart, John Cale, Exuma!!, James Gang, Judee Sill, Flo & Eddie!! and David Cassidy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What!!! And The Partridge Family!!!!!!!!!!!

OK.

This book looks like it's going to be F U N! You know, I'll be making notes and then eventually rant and rave here in the carnival.

I started looking through their web site (click on the link above!) and it looks pretty awesome. Check it out.
***

Uncut's Playlist gets analyzed, Arctic Monkeys heat up humans, and an old lyric's cobwebs are blown away!!

I'm listening to the new Uncut Playlist May 2006, and while good as usual, it is lacking in truly revelatory material.

Hey! That was almost critic-like. Stop that Harvey Dog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm already very familiar with the following:
Lynyrd Skynyrd!? (didn't expect Skynyrd on an uncut cd!)
Fairport Convention (love em...saw Richard Thompson live a couple of years ago, and he was fantastic)
Ronnie Spector (covering The Ramones' "Here Today, Gone Tomorrow" and sounding incredibly natural...great!)
Japan (blah...never got into them...poor man's Roxy. Re-evaluation time?)
Tom Verlaine (always loved Television...this sounds ok)
Bob Marley (i wonder why I've never really got reggae...I mean I love the ganja, but it just doesn't hit me - the music, not the ganja...I always find my mind wandering. Sorta like what it's doing now...any suggestions? anyone I should explore? actually this "Soul Shakedown Party" sounds great. I think I need to check out early Wailers stuff and forget the later commercial stuff)

Faust (they have Faust on the playlist! Awesome! I already have the first 4 Faust albums, but anyone who doesn't needs to do some exploring!! Fucking Faust...great stuff)

Familiar to a lesser extent with:
Lambchop (interesting)
Calexico (haven't hit me)
Editors (this caught my ear...)
Graham Coxon (not bad, rabbit, not bad)
The Charlatans (sounds ok...not that familiar)
Candi Staton (why haven't I checked her out yet? this is great!)

[aside: goddam it!! I just had my flow interrupted by a phone solicitation...that sucks!]

New stuff for me:
Band of Horses (sounded blah, then great, then so-so, then pretty great...all in one song. Could be worth a little interrogation)
Jose Gonzalez (wow! loved it!)
Denim (sounds like cool NYC rawk'n'roll...the guy from Felt. gotta check em both out)

I love these Uncut cds. If Paul McCartney has nothing to do with them, then they're bound to be good. Uncut, MOJO and Record Collector blow away any North American music mags. Except for maybe Black To Comm or Mole's old fanzine! Black To Comm's Blog called, cleverly, Blog To Comm. Check it out!

[aside: Allan Jones where's my commission??]
***

Arctic Monkeys "Whatever You Say I Am, That's What I'm Not" (2006) I am rocking out to "I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor" and now it's changed to the funky rocker, "Tales of San Francisco". What a great 1-2 punch
to the fucking jaw
of modern rock'n'roll!!!

I keep turning the volume up while listening to this cd...now that's fucking ROCK'N'ROLL!!!
this ain't pristine
this is
grit
dirt
sex
anger
a release for the soul
saving my soul
fucking my soul....that's what we all need. A good soul fuck!

Arctic Monkeys Home Page
***

ANGER

I shiver with rage at the lack of sensitivity
when I walk around your smelly downtown,
There was this asshole
who pushed me aside, he thought he was tough,
I'm not taking it, I've had enough.

Don't push me round
don't put me down
Anger!!!

Sex in the city, isolation's free
if you want to live miserably,
why don't you talk to me
I'll remind you of your history,
we can't keep making the same mistakes
if we wanna die naturally

We gotta fight
we gotta fight
Anger!!!

This anger cannot be constrained
this anger cannot be restrained,
it's time to spit it out
and let everybody know
that it's too late to be sedate
we've got to let the anger flow

We gotta fight
don't push us round
Anger!!!!

By: John Harvey 1986? recorded and performed by The Hated Uncles back in the day.

***

Country Joe's integrity, 10 million cds and does that translate to happiness? Doesn't hurt baby, doesn't hurt!

Country Joe McDonald is certainly a man of integrity. Check out his site. I'm gonna check out his Paris Sessions (1973) - this month's MOJO's Buried Treasure. A feminist album done with an all-gender band that cost him $100,000 cause there was no support from anywhere. [source: MOJO March 2006, p. 122]

I don't know...I just kind of found this story uplifting for some reason. Human integrity and all that.
***

The parental units have departed...maybe for the last time....

to offset the unhappiness and depression and all that crap
I went INSANE
and downloaded
and bought WAY too many albums

this gave me an incredible surface happiness
which I hope will be translated
into a DEEPER
more TRUE happiness.

Hey man, that's all our goals. Right?

time to discuss some of this
incredible cache of music
and maybe, just maybe,
you'll discover some
musical interests that tickle your
E A R D R U M S
***

[aside: I am only listing the albums I've listened to...only a few tonight. I want to get a post out there. More ravings to follow!]

Red Krayola: Introduction (2006) Yes!!! Thanks to Cosmic Slop for writing about this release. On first listen...what can I say? It fucking BLEW me away!!

Kevin Coyne: Legless in Manila (1983) I love Kevin Coyne. He's dead. He left behind dozens of albums to enjoy and dissect, wrote poetry and stories, was an artist...man, he was a fucking genius and I highly recommend him. Kevin Coyne's official web site. This album sounds like he wrote it at a bar all bitter and that.

Eric Burdon: Soul of a Man (2006) This was a shocker. It sounded great. Eric's voice is in great form, the band is tight and the songs are high quality. [aside: Guru T-Lu was listening to this album and said that it sounds like Eric Burdon ate Van Morrison. I couldn't agree more!]

Acid Mothers Temple: Starless and Bible Black Sabbath (2006) Great title and strangely apt! Sabbath crossed with Crimson isn't a bad description. Absolutely awesome stuff.

John Cage: Bird Calls (1972) I listened to this at work and felt very strange afterwards.

Diamanda Galas: The Litanies of Satan (1982) Wow! Um...you could say she's a little intense.

Pharoah Sanders: Karma (1969) This is my first Pharoah solo album and it floored me. It's very uplifting, and upon first listen it had the same power as Coltrane's Love Supreme (1964). I LOVE THIS ALBUM!!!Pharoah Sanders web site.

Mum: Yesterday Was Dramatic, But Today is OK (2000) I heard about this one from Ricardo Wang's What's This Called? on KPSU radio Saturday at noon. Wild eclectic show worth checking out. This is beautiful experimental music.
***

Oh man, there's so many more
too many more...
no no no
blasphemy
there can never be too much
joy
happiness
elation
thought provoking
and endlessly
fascinating music
for our
listening pleasures.
***

Harvey Dog gets Gonged, Red Krayola teach parables and Poobah falls asleep

I got some Gong recently and did I ever get fucking high I was floating through angel eggs and motherhoods full of acid and...

Finally, I am starting to get into the world of Gong, and from what I've heard it's a world I think I'll enjoy very much. I bought Gong: The Very Best of Gong 1971-1977 (1997) and it merely whet my appetite. Now I have Angel's Egg (1973) and a wicked collaboration with the Acid Mothers on Acid Motherhood (2004).

Travel to Planet Gong the official home of all things Gong. Here's a great article on Acid Motherhood and a great description of a 2004 Gong show. Daevid Allen is soooo fucking nuts. He's awesome!!!
***

Red Krayola: Parable of Arable Land (1967) ***** In anticipation of eventually getting the N E W (yes...NEW!!!) Red Krayola album, it was time to put on their 1st album.

What can I say? This is amazing shit!! I think this album is still ahead of its time! It's chaotic, angry, beautiful, melodic, outrageous, poetic, dark, light, somber, noisy, quiet...

all these things
none of these things
as we are all one
yet we are no one
and all we know
is ignorance
and all we want
is bliss
bliss and ignorance
and this is not that
nor is it not...

it is merely...

everything.

Here's a Red Krayola web site that has a couple of live performances from 2004 - the extremely relevant "War Sucks" and "Wives in Orbit". Awesome! Thanks!
***

Random Thoughts

The Dream Syndicate were a pretty awesome band. Days of Wine and Roses (1982) **** still sounds fresh and exciting.

I mentioned in a blog a long long long time ago, that I found Little Feat a rather disappointing band. I'd heard how great they were blah blah, and the pedigree is amazing. Lowell George and Roy Estrada came from Zappa's Mothers of Invention, and "Willin" is a great song. BUT...I thought
ONE MORE TIME!!!
so I put on Sailin' Shoes (1972) *** and I found even my fav album of theirs wasn't doing it for me anymore. A 4 to a 3. Not awful or anything.

Whenever I think of Red Krayola, I also think of The Silver Apples. They're both worth checking out.

Poobah has fallen asleep...how the hell can she fall asleep when Red Krayola are on the stereo!?!? Oh right. She's a dog. I forget sometimes.

After Red Krayola, how can you do anything else but put on Ash Ra Tempel? Rave On Timothy Leary Rave On.

I may not get a blog done this weekend, because my parents are visiting from Ontario. Oh Lord....

The first Argent (1969) album surprised me. Sounded really good.
***

Thanks to Cosmic Slop for some encouraging words! Check out his flickr site for photos from some amazing concerts (including Red Krayola...motherfucker!!) he's attended, and check out Cosmic Slop's blog.

Here in Northern BC we get Motley Crue...NOT Red Krayola.
***

That's fun to say. Cosmic Slop's blog.
slop blog.
blog slop.
actually...say "Cosmic Slop's blog" 3 times fast. I break out into tongues!
***

Embryo, Dave Davies gets hit upon, random notes and poetry

Embryo: Opal (1970) Not Rated (1st listen!)

This is more jazz oriented than a lot of the krautrock I've heard, but so what? It still has that sound, and experimentation is there in abundance. It's the openness and spaciness that makes krautrock so alluring to me. I also dig the violin and sax playing. The 26 minute long "Laufte" (a bonus cut) is pretty insane. Almost Krautrane! hahaha.

"You Don't Know What's Happening"
"Soul is Dead, lure her into the hall," from "End of Soul"

Not many lyrics on this mainly instrumental album, but what's there (as you can tell) is deep! This is new stuff to me, but it's very exciting, and considering they're still making albums and touring, there appears a LOT to catch up on!

As a side note: Christian Burchard, Embryo's leader, was an early member of Amon Duul II. Embryo's official web site - obviously a lot of it is in German. Photo is taken from Klaus Unland's Music Pages. Includes lots of info on Embryo and other great bands (Can, Zappa)...mainly in German!! Ah well...
***

Random Notes


Did you know that Dave Davies of The Kinks was hit upon by John Wayne Gacy in 1965! Gacy actually promoted a Kinks show in 1965 at a high school in Springfield, Illinois and he took them back to his place afterwards and made the moves on Dave, who was getting under the influence, until the remaining Kinks felt something didn't "taste right", and got the hell out of there!! [source: MOJO March 2006, p. 74]

Bands to explore: Kaleidoscope (60s psychedelia), Vashti Bunyan, Television Personalities.

I'm really enjoying Spirit: The Mercury Years (1997) **** coming through my headphones and into my pineal gland right now. Great covers of "Like a Rolling Stone" and (especially) "Hey Joe". Disc 1 is Spirit of 76 (1975) and the 2nd disc includes selections from Son of Spirit (1975), Farther Along (1976) and Future Games (1977). We all need a little bit of Spirit in our lives. And Dr. Demento writes the liner notes!

I finally got my taxes done!!!

Recent Acquisitions: Embryo ("Opal" (1970)- reviewed above), Porcupine Tree's "Deadwing" (2005), Best of The Bonzos (1970) and Barclay James Harvest ("Everyone is Everybody Else" (1974)). I'm really excited about the Embryo. Gotta love the freaky Germans!
***

It's a hard road...a long road
trying to discover who you are

sort through memories
recall
actions and reactions

looking for the road
that leads to inner peace
but directions
are not my strength

and I feel lost
and alone
in an u g l y world

trying to make sense
of a shitload of nonsense!!
***

A question for anyone out there who suffers from depression. How does your musical taste change when you enter the "dark zone"?

I find myself feeling numb and immobile and too tired to put anything on. The "dark zone" can take away enjoyment of our most precious things, and the things we enjoy the most.

It's FUCKED...
***

Albert Ayler is a Holy Ghost, the most Holy-O of Ghosts, and Archie Shepp and Frank Zappa???!!!

Albert Ayler: Holy Ghost - Rare and Unissued Recordings 1962-1970 (2004) *****

Albert Ayler is going absolutely insane on my stereo...listening to disc 3 of the 9 (fucking 9!!!!) cd set from Revenant Records, the record label founded by John Fahey. This is the same label that released Captain Beefheart: Grow Fins 1965-1982 (1999) 5 cd box set.

This is awesome, jaw-dropping stuff from an incredible innovator.

No more needs to be said. Except maybe about how cool his fu-manchu was! Albert Ayler web site.
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actually...maybe more does need to be said!!!!!!!!
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A L B E R T
A Y L E R

CAPSULE BIO

1936: Born Cleveland, OH

1951: Joined his first group, Lloyd Pearson and his Counts of Rhythm.

1956: Due to lack of money, he left college and joined the army

1962-1963: After his discharge spent time in Sweden and Denmark. First recordings.
1963: Worked with Cecil Taylor in New York.

1964: He still relied on his parents and John Coltrane for financial support!?
1964-1967: Considered his peak. Really?? Maybe.

1964: "Spiritual Unity" is released. Considered his breakthrough album.

1965: "Spirits Rejoice" released. Harvey Dog has a strong desire to purchase this album.

1968: "New Grass" released. His sell-out album. I love it!

1970: Died New York, NY drowned in mysterious circumstances. Um...White America?

2004: "Holy Ghost: Rare and Unissued Recordings 1962-1970" 9 cd set released.
2006: Harvey Dog is now freaking out on disc 4 of "Holy Ghost".

SIMILAR ARTISTS

I would place Albert in the same musical category as John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Sun Ra, Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp. Fucking geniuses one and all.

[aside: ever heard Shepp play with Frank Zappa?
It happened.
It's awesome.
It's on Frank Zappa: You Can't Do That on Stage, Vol. 4. (1991) ****
The song: "Let's Move to Cleveland Solos (1984)"
The year was 1984 in the month of November.
Location: Fine Arts Center Concert Hall in Amherst, Massachusetts
Best songs on album: "Let's Move to Cleveland Solos (1984)" "The Torture Never Stops Original Version"]

[2nd aside: Albert Ayler is absolutely freaking me out. This music is incredible!!! "Untitled" disc 4 song 6 is
causing my mind to
do...

weird things.]

[3rd aside: Poobah doesn't seem to like it
when I use her bone
as a microphone.]

MORE LINKS

Albert Ayler: His Life and Music - by Jeff Schwartz This is a book. Seriously. I only started surfing for Albert Ayler sites, um...today, and I need to find the energy to read this. [aside: fucking depression]

Albert Ayler Discography Project: Exactly what it says it is. Nothing fancy, but loads of discographical info.

Albert Ayler: Holy Ghost: Page from Revenant describing the box.

There's actually a documentary on Albert Ayler! My Name is Albert Ayler. I have to get this on dvd!!!

FAMOUS QUOTE

"Trane was the Father...Pharoah was the son...I am the Holy Ghost."
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Soul Jazz rock my world, funny band names, Willard Grant Conspiracy, and depression takes a punch to the jaw!

I am listening to Soul Jazz's "New Thing!" 1970-1985 (2004) and I am completely digging it! The Soul Jazz collections I've heard have all been great. Here's the Soul Jazz web site. This is a great way to discover even M O R E amazing music!!

My fav SoulJazz collections so far: [no particular order]

1. New Orleans Funk 1960-1975
2. Saturday Night Fish Fry 1960-1975
3. New York Noise 1978-1982
4. Philadelphia Roots 1965-1973
5. The Sexual Life of Savages: Post-Punk from Sao Paulo, Brazil 1982-1988
6. Chicago Soul 1963-1969

I have to check out some Alice Coltrane!!!
***

Check out these band names: Haystacks Balboa...Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck...Juicy Lucy...Ozric Tentacles...Tucky Buzzard

Some of my recent acquisitions from my friend's music store.

Haystacks Balboa: Haystacks Balboa. This band name cracks me up. Obviously some combination of Haystacks Calhoun and Rocky Balboa...wrong!!! This came out in 1970 and features Leslie West's younger brother Larry West and was produced by Shadow Morton. So, who knows where the Balboa name came from. It's in my listening pile, but sounds like it won't be too far from his older brother's band Mountain. That's a fine thing.

Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck: Home Grown Stuff (1969) Canadian psychedelia!!! This features Don MacDougall who later joined The Guess Who (and wrote one of my fav Guess Who songs: "Samantha's Living Room" from Artificial Paradise (1973). This one has definitely dated, but who cares? It's a fun listen.

Juicy Lucy: Get a Whiff of This (1971) They cover Spirit's "Mr. Skin" and they rock along pretty good. Ridiculous cover.

Ozric Tentacles: Erpsongs (1984) I was quite surprised by this. I've only had a chance to listen to it once, and it sounded great! Definitely a space-rock influence. That's a great thing! Gotta look into these guys more. Ozric Tentacles web site.

Tucky Buzzard: Allright in the Night (1973) Produced by Bill Wyman when he was in the world's most over-rated rock band ever. Listened to some of it and it sounds like your basic early 70s hard rock. Nothing wrong with that.

M O R E weird fucked-up
band names
yet to be discovered...and when the name is actually a reflection of the music...
gotta love the motherfuckers!
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Willard Grant Conspiracy are definitely a band worth checking out. I love the sound of their new album, Let It Roll (2006) and their version of "Ballad of a Thin Man" is one of my fav Dylan covers ever. Great great great music!!!

Willard Grant Conspiracy's official web site.
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I'm listening to Andromeda: Andromeda (1969) and I'm really enjoying picking up these obscure psychedelic rock kind of albums. This one features John Du Cann who later joined Atomic Rooster...another band I've been exploring.

so much so many
bands and music
to listen hear absorb
probe fondle explore
research and most
importantly...

fucking ENJOY.
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Personally, as I mentioned in my last blog, I sunk back into my depression. It's hard to describe how shitty you feel. It's NOT a "yeh, I'm a little down today. We all get a little down," kind of depression, but it's a motherfucker that gets right into you physically so that you actually feel immobile. Everything seems numb and dumb and wrong...and it doesn't last for a day...it's been a fucking month. BUT. This is the 2nd day I'm feeling a bit better, so if I WORK at it, maybe I'll fight it back.

This has nothing to do with music...I just want to give a shout out to anyone suffering from this bastard disease, and to send positive thoughts your way. Here's a stupid link that may make you smile. Lawrence Welk meets The Velvet Underground.
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Depressed? Bummed out? Disgusted with the world? MORE MUSIC PLEASE!!!!

I was hoping it would never come back...but the bastard has.

The BIG D

fucking depression
feeling like shit
hating yourself
lethargic and immobile

I quiver with fear
at...nothing
I fear...everything

gotta get to work
gotta get to work
beat back the demon
beat back the demon
breathe in and out
in and out
beat the demon
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by acquiring LOTS of music. The collection has increased substantially since my last blog. Here's a quick sampling with comments.

The Kinks: Slum Kids, Live in London 1974. A boot. I LOVE The Kinks, and have purchased all their albums, so I'm just left to explore the decadent world of boots.

Ray Davies: Other People's Lives (2006) Sounded really solid on first listen. Nice to have him back!

Bob Dylan: Down in the Groove (1988) "The Prophet & the Clown: Snack Benefit 1975". The first is the last "legit" Dylan I needed. I thought it sounded pretty good, and don't understand the critical beatdowns it always seems to get. The boot is from a show with Neil Young, and since you can't hear Bob all that well, it's more like a Neil concert with a drunken Bob stumbling on once in awhile.

Eric Burdon Declares War (1970). I love over-the-top Eric and there's lots of that here! It's funky too!!!

John Cale: Black Acetate (2005) Sounds more "rocking" than Hobosapiens (2003). I really liked Hobosapiens and the new one seems great too!

Nurse With Wound: Chance Meeting on a Dissecting Table (1979) Nice cover aside, this is my 2nd Nurse with Wound, and I'm sure it'll be great. Or at least...FUCKED-UP!!

Acid Mothers Temple: Electric Heavyland (2002) I love the title, and I love the 1st 2 acid mothers I got from amazonian dot com...New Geocentric World (2001) and Mantra of Love (2004) so this should be a great one.

Captain Beefheart: London 1974 (1994) Hoboism (2000) Finally...I get London 1974!! I know it won't be "classic" but I don't hate that period...it's just not the Captain's best. Hoboism was awesome. As to be expected.
Willard Grant Conspiracy: Regard the End (2003) Let It Roll (2006) I've listened to both, and I love 'em. I think that they make truly beautiful music.

Hawkwind: Space Ritual (1973) HAWKWIND FUCKING RULES!!!!

Can: Soon Over Babaluma (1974) Landed (1975) My Can collection continues to grow and the Lord is praised and wheat is sown
and the children are grown
and my parents are coming
my parents are coming....stop
beat the demon
beat the demon
Think of the brilliant music out there...like Can. Yes. Like Can.

Ash Ra: Blackouts (1977) I am listening to this music as I'm typing this
it's been a beautiful trip
excellent music while writing...I love Ash Ra. I love Can. I love the Guru. I love the Bah. love is in the air and....

The Tiger Lillies: Two Penny Opera (2001) is heard and love would not be the first word I would think of when discussing The Tiger Lillies. Perverted. Sacrilege. Hilarity. Pathos. Fucked. NOT love. I guess I love these guys cause I'm perverted?

Filled out my Warren Zevon (Warren Zevon 1976) Lou Reed (Lou Reed 1972) Bryan Ferry (Bete Noire 1987) and Joe Walsh (Barnstorm 1972 So What 1975) collections.

Parliament: Live P-Funk Earth Tour (1977) Gloryhallastoopid (1979) Finally got the live Parliament. Of course...awesome.
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3 cheers for 2 musicians offering AMAZING free downloads on their web sites.

Steve Coleman's M-Base web site. I downloaded 12!!! cds worth of music from his site. This music is fantastic. Mad Phat (1993) really hit me. Loved it.

Greg Osby's official web site, offers 13!!! complete concerts from 1997 to 2004 for free download. I got this site from Steve Coleman's page. Check these guys out for sure...
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Insipid conversations and statements caused by The Beatles, Frank Zappa and Mott the Hoople get raves

Conversation between Guru T-Lu and Harvey Dog while listening to The Beatles "In My Life" (one of the sappiest songs I've ever heard...never a fan) from Ozzy Osbourne's crazy album of covers "Under Cover". He does "Sympathy for the Devil"!!

Guru T-Lu: "What song is this again?"
Harvey Dog: "The Beatles. 'In My Life'. Johnny Cash covered it as well."
Guru T-Lu: "They both do it so much better than The Beatles."

...a minute or so later

Harvey Dog: "I went through my Beatles phase in grade school. Still listened to them in high school, but as the years pass I don't listen to them much anymore."
Guru T-Lu: "Your tastes have matured."

As you can ascertain the Guru is NOT a Beatles fan.
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A ridiculous statement made by Harvey Dog approximately 1 week ago.

Harvey Dog: "If Courtney Love didn't kill Kurt Cobain, then I feel somewhat sorry for her. A little bit, not much, but a little bit. However...if Courtney Love did kill Kurt Cobain then I don't feel sorry for her at all."

Sometimes I worry about my mind.
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Sleazy Goodness: Queens of the Stone Ages "Auto Pilot" from Rated R (2000). I love this song...I love that sound...pure fucking rock'n'roll.
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Frank Zappa: Hot Rats (1969) *****

I've loved this album for a couple of decades now. It sounds tamer than it did to my ears when I was in high school. After all the weird shit I’ve been exposed to, this is incredibly tight and melodic.

• "Peaches En Regalia" is always catchy and enjoyable...in all of its incarnations.
• The beginning of "Willie the Pimp" is one of my all-time fav openings in rock music. Captain Beefheart sounds awesome singing Zappa’s lyrics with a real sleaziness and edge. Easily in my top 5 fav Zappa songs of all time. [aside: There’s a list to work on. Top 10 fav zappa songs] Sugar Cane Harris’ violin is also one of my ears favorite sounds!!
• "Son of Mr. Green Genes" rolls along with some great guitar playing by the Z man.
  Every song is enjoyable.
• I enjoy "Gumbo Variations" more as the years roll on.
• "It Must Be a Camel" and "Little Umbrellas" are both strong melodic (there's that fucking word again!) songs.
  

In some ways...you could make an argument that this is the last classic Zappa album. If you take out One Size Fits All (1975) and You Are What You Is (1981) and you could be right, rabbit, you could be right.

Official Zappa web site.
Cool St. Alphonzo's Pancake Homepage for Zappa fans.
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Mott the Hoople: “A Tale of Two Cities” 1971-1972 (2000) This is a fantastic collection!! Mott were fucking animals live.
they rocked hard
intense
focused
even the ballads
had an edge to them.

Bowie was pretty stoned and egotistical introducing them, and then Mott came on and just cranked it up. Hearing this cd just reminds me how much of a Mott the Hoople fan I am. I used to have "Mott", the "Rock and Roll Queen" compilation and "Ian Hunter" all on fucking 8 track! That's how long I've been a fan!!

It's always nice to get a reminder of an old fav!

Mott the Hoople and Ian Hunter web site.
The Mott Archive.
Official Ian Hunter web site.
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Ash Ra Tempel, Hawkwind, and Moondog inspire poetry, rambling, rambling poetry, release and...who said anything about drugs?!

Ash Ra Tempel: Schwingungen (1972) *****

"Look At Your Sun"
is beautiful...something that hit me just right today...beautiful guitar playing, beautiful vocals...
"we are all one...we are all one" is comforting.
To be part of a worthwhile whole
not an outside egg
with shell cracked and seeping
ready for birth...or death?
the sun shines
the music brings forth light
the egg is free
the egg is free!

"Flowers Must Die"
brings in the darkness
the ominous underbelly
of the light now appears,
beautiful still...but dark
yes yes yes
the flowers MUST die!!
there is no choice
face the inevitable...
the voice strangulated
in the face
of this inevitable death
"I want to be a stone"
the flowers scream
but there is no changing fate
fate is sealed
fate is done
fate is NOW!

"Suche and Liebe"
peace
peace
peace
is there peace after death?

Ash Ra Tempel - this is their second album. Ash Ra and Can have become 2 of my all-time favorite bands in the past few months.
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Arctic Monkeys

A person wrote into this blog a couple of months ago and provided a link to an Arctic Monkeys web site. There were no comments in the note about the Arctic Monkeys, just a nice comment about the blog. I checked out the site, listened to the music on the site and thought the Arctic Monkeys rocked really hard in the classic New York Dolls / Stooges vein. In other words...awesome stuff. This was the first I had heard about them. I assumed it was the webmaster of the site, or else a massive fan!

Today...a couple of months have passed and 2 of my fav mags "MOJO" and "Uncut" have started raving about them. I've heard about 4 songs now and saw a live clip of them, and feel that purchasing their cd is a must do! Check out an Arctic Monkeys web site, and my friend's(?) Arctic Monkeys web site.
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Poem Written while listening to
Hawkwind's "Doremi Fasol Latido"

"Hawkwind were pretty fucking great!" shouted a man at the bus stop
lighting a cigarette disguised
as a joint

the mainmen have all departed
to parts unknown as

junkies lay in gutters
waiting for savior's...

and the knock upon the door
is not the knock
you were waiting for

you can change your lock
lay on the floor

yet you're

still living in the dark
living in the dark

the winds of the hawk
blow outside your window
clutched to the bosom
of the mother
the mind of the child
is a fragile thing

...the child in me
is screaming
the voices I hear
are trembling
the turmoil
in my soul
is stirring...

following leaders to war
death is all around

...there are no leaders
all your questions
will go unanswered

there are no answers

time we left this world today
time we left this world today

or else it's time to blow it away!!!
blow this fucker away!!!!!
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"Time We Left This World Today" by Hawkwind is my favorite Hawkwind song of all time. Hawkwind: "Doremi Fasol Latido" (1972) ***** One fucking powerful album.

"Urban Guerilla" is like "Search & Destroy" before "Search & Destroy" (by The Stooges) was released. Starfarer's Hawkwind Page. Hawkwind's Official Web Site.
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I'm listening to Moondog: More Moondog / The Story of Moondog (1956, 1957) **** and it's pretty great. I'm not sure why, but I like shit like this. It conveys to me a feeling of searching, a feeling of exploration. There's sincerity in it. Official Moondog web site

Arthur Doyle is another explorer of music that I find interesting. This is an area of music I'm only beginning to tread. More music to explore...

motherfucker!
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