Local Jazz, Gong and C.A. Quintet takes you to HELL!!!

The Northern BC Free Jazz Ensemble: Over the Edge (2005)
This captures a local performance here in PG BC at a place I've been to many times, but ignorantly missed this show!!
Idiotique!!

The first 2 minutes captures the tension before the first chord. At first I was wondering if there was something wrong with the cd, but there is nothing wrong with the cd!
It's part of the fucking performance!
The name of the band captures what the music is about. I love the feeling out process of the musicians. Tentative, then confident, then withdrawn until ready to enter the "conversation" once again. Free jazz is a lot like a conversation...and the best is when there is an empathy and listening between the players...this is definitely present in this recording!

Give your locals a listen!

The lineup:
Peter Stevenson: Composition and Keyboards
Justin Arding: Drums
Jeremy Stewart: Guitar
Chris Batting: Guitar
Erin Arding: Vocals
Justin Frey: saxophone
Chantelle Gouliquer: Saxophone
Ken Goudswaard: Bass

Recorded live in Prince George, British Columbia at Art Space on June 1st, 2005
Thanks Jeremy! Jeremy's web site.
***

Gong: Chateau Neuf [aside: I think] (1974) My friend Steve supplied a large amount of Gong which I regularly devour. This is definitely live around the 74 era...it's a strong show. The playing is always superlative and Daevid Allen adds enough quirkiness and originality to make Gong into something wild and special.

Here's Gong's wild web site.
***

C.A. Quintet: Trip Thru Hell (1968)
At times, these guys sound so far ahead of their time...amazing! Then other times...they give themselves away. I love it. I had never heard of these guys until Randy's last batch of musical goodness. Thanks Randy!! Another
amazing
fantastic
fascinating
obscurity I finally got around too

as the demons dance upon the ashes /
piles of bone drink from the
skeleton mug /
engrossed and entangled
in the hellish liquid /
let it consume
your bones
until it becomes
one with your
consciousness.

C.A. Quintet's Home Page.
***

Tom Waits' "Orphans" (2006) arrived on my doorstep yesterday, and I've only had a chance to listen to the first cd...and it's amazing. 3 cds of Tom obscurities! Nice package, even though I wish they would include the dates for each recording...if possible. Still, it's always a treat to get a multi-disc set!

And Tom covers The Ramones!!
***

Creativity

creativity

survival

...contemplated

the edge honed...

...not quite razor-sharp

trim the path

analyze the source

hone the knife

let the wire

cut

penetrate to

perceptions of truth

~~~~~

mantra-like

sitting on the floor

looking to the sky

looking to the stars

waiting for answers

but the answers ain't a knockin'

and a little voice

keeps shouting

YOU GOTTA FIND A FUCKING PURPOSE!!!!
***
Motherfucker

***

Random Thoughts from a Random Mind

Jethro Tull were quite the great "hard-rock" band up to Minstrel in the Gallery (1975) period. Hey, I know it's not cool to like em, but I got into them in high school and have stuck with them.

When you're all fucked up and crazy and young and insane, you become possessive of the music you love and derisive of the music that does not belong to that sphere.
When you're older and more sensible(??????????????) and more "liberal", musical tastes open up, and the passion remains, but the derision of other music dissipates. Too fucking "mature" to HATE anymore.

Why hate?

The cult of Syd Barrett is quite something. He actually had the BALLS or mental condition

(it really doesn't matter)

to simply....
walk away.
fuck becoming a star, fuck becoming a puppet for the masses
fuck this need for acceptance....
sometimes it's healthier...to simply...
walk away.

Please Jandek....NEVER allow yourself to appear on "reality" TV.

Something is happening here
and you don't know what it is....
do you.......Mr. ????

We all live in isolated little worlds
What's yours like?????
***

More YouTube sightings, Residents Reich 'n' Roll

YouTube Sightings

Can:
1) Mushroom Head (1972) Video. Is this made by the band? A friend? It seems to be from 72 and is incredible. Even the Guru was impressed, and she's no krautrock fan.
2) Paper House (197?) This is live from TV with Damo dancing maniacally and spurting out his broken words. Another winner.
3) Vertical Equinox (1975) Damo has gone, but the band sounds awesome and still experimental with Karoli sounding particularly awesome in this live tv performance.
4) Don't Say No (1977) Another live TV performance, and latter Can is much smoother, with a nice funky bottom supplied by some really cool looking cat on bass.
Summary: It has been an absolute joy watching Can performances from the 70s, especially the early stuff with Damo. Awesome band, awesome videos.

CSN & Y: Down By the River on the David Steinberg show circa 71. Great live performance with the band actually living up to their potential. Neil and Stills particularly shine. Who's a thunk???

William Shatner: Rocket Man - I canNOT get enough of William Shatner. I was laughing through the whole video...I mean, I was in deep contemplative mode with William's interpretation bringing new and insightful meanings to the original lyric.

Bob Dylan: Love Sick - This was a strange one! A small studio crowd dressed in black grooving to this song, with Bob acting particularly cool.
[aside: Time Out of Mind is a classic to me *****, with Love and Theft a disappointment (I don't see why so many critics consider this a classic, it's a *** at most). The new one, Modern Times (2006) sounds fantastic. Blows away Love and Theft.]
***

The Residents: The Third Reich 'n' Roll (1976) I remember seeing the video from this album many decades ago and it blew away my virginal eyes. I saw it again a couple of weeks ago, and it still blows me away. Of course, I had to get the album, and it is currently melting my mind
into
frothy ice cream
layers
of possibilities
and creativity.

Eyeballs need love too!!!!!
***

YouTube gets a hold of me: Parliaments, Dylan, GG yelling, Derek and the Dominos, Acid Mothers, Moby Grape and Professor Shatner speaks.

YouTube Musings

I've been getting trapped up in the YouTube phenomenon. It really is pretty fucking great!!!

Here's some awesome shit I've seen.

Bob Dylan doing "Old Man" from 2002. Fucking fantastic! Great version...great song for Bob. If you're a Dylan fan, or a fan of the song...go, go now and view it. Go on you...get.

Derek and the Dominos doing "It's Too Late" (unfortunately without Duane, but still...), sounding great on the Johnny Cash show, who then wanders out with his guitar and you know what's coming. No you don't, cause they also pull out Carl Perkins and The Dominos and Cash / Perkins rock out on "Matchbox".

I really don't know what to say about the next one.
It brought tears to my eyes
thoughts to my brain
a lump to the throat
contemplation...deepness...philosophy...
extremely fucking P S Y C H E D E L I C
William Shatner doing a brilliant version of "Taxi" and revealing layers that Harry Chapin could never have imagined.
This is classic.

Serge Gainsbourg & Brigette Bardot in the video for "Bonnie & Clyde". I'm not entirely sold on Gainsbourg, but this is a great song, and the video is very dramatic.
Bonnie & Cl-i-de.

A real find ---- The Parliaments doing "What Is Soul?" in all their freaky glory from 1969. I've looked for old Funkadelic, and it's not that easy to find, so this was awesome. Fuzzy Haskins sounds awesome and the whole band...well, it don't get no fucking cooler than this!!

Almost 10 minutes of Moby Grape doing 3 songs. It starts off with a couple of tv performances...strong and great.
Then...let the acid kick in and
feedback roars,
guitars blare and there's some kind of movie going on in the background of the performance. Wild.

GG Allin yelling at people.

Acid Motherfucking Temple - 2 3 minute live snippets. One was Pink Lady Lemonade. Absolutely gorgeous and transcendent. Takes me away every fucking time. The other was the opposite extreme. Loud, abrasive, chaos, guitars flying, hair flying...Awesome.
***

Random New Listening, Thoughts

I've been working on adding some class to the collection, so I've added Bill Withers "Just As I Am" (1971) and Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" (1972). Needless to say, they are both brilliant, and more more more is needed!!!

I didn't think The Pseudo-Velvets "Squeeze" (1973) album sounded as bad as the legend would have you believe.

I heard Dylan in his born-again phase from 1980 at Massey Hall in good old T.O, and found it very interesting.
What the hell was going on with Dylan at this time?
Is he serious? There's certainly an energy there that I find very intriguing.

Beck's "Mellow Gold" (1994) finally converted me over to Beck's side. I'm not sure what took me so long, but I thought this album was pretty awesome.

Help Yourself: Strange Affair (1972) is very enjoyable / interesting. Gotta find out more about these guys.

Finally...I picked up The Velvet Underground: 1969 Live Volume 2 (1974) and was enthralled listening to this masterpiece once again. There's lots of live Velvets out there now (aside: Quine's bootleg series is in-fucking-credible), but back in the day when I had this on vinyl it was the only decent live Velvets out there.

The Bevis Frond: New River Head (1971) was great. Another guy to look into.
***

ghost floats, bears come to visit and what's with those visualizations??

Ghost: Second Time Around (1992)
This is the second time around for me listening to this, so...
only appropriate to talk about it.

beautiful
transcendent
mystical
illuminating

in a forest...at peace
at ease

at one with nature
the music of the forest
the music of animals

Ghost is an appropriate name

I am insanely glad that I have delved into the world
of noise
of extremes
embracing beauty and ugliness

Second Time Around is beauty

I can see the leaves fluttering
and sheets of ghost
engulf the
inner mystical mind,
music touches
inside and heals
and I feel better than I did 48:21 ago....

I have also listened to Damon & Naomi with Ghost (2000) and thought it sounded great!

Here's a couple of Ghost links: Spirits in the Sky: The Almighty Japanese progrock of Ghost by Erik Davis and for those who speak Japanese Ghost's official web site, and AMG's Ghost page.
***
At Peace

The wind blows through the trees,
I zip up my coat to keep out the breeze,
kicking stones, looking at the ground,
ignoring the traffic bellowing in the streets,
I'm at peace, I don't hear a sound,
except for the wind, blowing through the trees.

Caressing the peace I recently found,
not bothering to cover up
the peace bulging in my pants,
I don't care what others think today,
today's my day, with the breeze blowing through the trees,
me, the wind, the trees, walking together through the streets.

By: John Harvey (oh gosh..1984?)
***

There was a bear in our backyard last week.

How cool is that??!!
Especially since we're all still alive
...no Timothy Treadwell story here...
we watched him from inside.

We also had Trouble and Poobah to protect us.

Unfortunately, the Guru's camera is STILL at Future Shop...Future Shop's customer service is incredibly incompetent!
***

It's sorta cool getting high and turning on Windows Media Player to fullscreen and stare at those awesome visualizations while you got great tunes blaring into your skull.

I suppose...* cough cough * ... what would I know about that????
***

A job is found!! Music Tidbits: Harrison, New York Dolls, Randy California and pink dots bounce and bounce and bounce!!!

A new job is taken on! Security lives!!

racing towards the unemployment line
when good timing
walked into the picture
(I mean...my contract was done last Monday)
I'm staying
where I like it

BUT

It's taken time away from my blog!! 2 people moved on, so in 3 days I was trained for 2 different jobs and left to my own devices...

I ain't complaining, it's tiring though...ahhhh

The boss is cool...always a bonus.
***

Music Tidbits

I've been downloading Zappa stuff from this site: Kill Ugly Radio: Gilles Friday Boot. There's a Zappa boot or gig available for download every Friday. Only for us Zappa fanatics...

I must be listening to a LOT of weird shit! I listened to Don Cherry & John Coltrane: The Avant-Garde (1960) and it's as amazing as you would expect, but it sounded surprisingly trad to me. I do need to listen to more Don Cherry! Coltrane could be my fav jazz guy...fuck that!! One of my fav musicians. Period..........

Been listening to some early George Harrison solo stuff. I don't bother listening to The Beatles anymore, but George has become my fav little beetle. Beware of Abcko (1970) is a fantastic bootleg, and I can relate to those that think Spector's production took away from the inner song. I'll keep my copy of All Things Must Pass though. Especially with the poster!!!!!

Randy California: Kapt. Kopter (1972)
WOW! This is amazing! Spirit were one of the best late 60s bands...
criminally under-rated...
this solo album is great!!
Randy did a shit load of great stuff in the 70s. Listen to Spirit: Live at Rockpalast (1978) for proof. Incredible live album! Next stop is the 80s stuff, but I'm already satisfied!

Agitation Free were fucking incredible!

I'm enjoying The Legendary Pink Dots: Maria Dimension (1991). I heard about these guys from Ricardo Wang's What's This Called?. Very cool.

Starting to watch more videos on You Tube. Saw some old rare New York Dolls clips. Especially from their last shows. Great stuff. I see that the new New York Dolls video for "Dance Like a Monkey" is splitting the fans. 1/2 love it, the other half think it's awful. Too soft. I think it's a great song. The video? It's fun, but what kind of video would you expect for this song? The new album's pretty strong. The new album got me to go back and listen to classic Dolls, David Johansen's stuff and Johnny Thunders with and without The Heartbreakers.
That makes it worth it for me.
[aside: I really like David Johansen & The Harry Smiths.
Q. David Johansen sings the blues???
A. Fucking right!

So Mole...how was Jandek??
I must say I am still contemplating this mysterious wonder by the name of Jandek.
***

the mind melds
into torrents
of fantastical reams of light
bleeding through ears of tin

music travels far and wide
back to the beginning of time
...the end of time

has it happened?

a constant state of puzzlement
at our species
...puzzlement
at our behavior

the past is
cut into the stone of our minds
and we run and run and run
and...

we can never escape the past.

the beauty of memories
the terror of the truth

I see people confused
confused like me
confused like you

the future approaches
unsure
hesitant
frightened at our destruction
baffled at our brutality

we wonder why???
why needless tragedies?
why needless deaths??

babies taken from mothers
lonely and scared
nothing to hold on to...
...except strands of sanity
that become more strained
every second....

Then I turn on the tv
and see the
glorification of violence
and I see the answer
I see the fucking answer

The answer is US

the eternal question?

why???
***

Busy times...it's all good, Peter Brotzmann and a blizzard of Popcorn!??!

Times have become BUSY BUSY BUSY...in a good way!

I'm on the shortlist for a job where I currently work (and the contract is up Sept. 18th AND I really like it here...great place) and I'll be filling in until the interview process. All sounds good, but until I hear: "We'd like to offer you the job", I won't celebrate...anything can happen.

BUT

The 2nd person [out of 2] is also leaving as of this Friday...thus...I'm learning to do 2 jobs in 3 1/2 days, and will be doing them both Monday! And...I still have the contract job, but that's almost done.

SO

It's a shit load of stuff to learn and work at, so it hasn't left a lot of time for the blog.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I can hardly wait until things return to normal!!! The you'll get a more in-depth review / study of Jandek's "Glasgow Sunday", as well as all the other shit I do on here...hopefully better!
***

Peter Brotzmann: Machine Gun (1968)
What the hell is this????????????????
Machine Gun is fucking right!!!

a blast of bullets
riddle the body
blood boiling
on burning asphalt

chaos on the streets
people screaming
people singing
people dancing
there is no
rhyme
there is no
reason

You can hear the Albert Ayler influences VERY clearly. Even I can tell the influence and I'm no technical expert. Amazing amazing stuff.

Just be ready for blast of bullets through your brain!
***

Popcorn Blizzard...really cool name!
Released their only album in 1968. Light psychedelic pop. It's ok.
Guess who the lead singer was................Meatloaf!

I like obscure weird facts and shit like this. I mean...who knew??
***

Sorry bout the delay! Initial "Glasgow Sunday" impressions!!! Yoko is my Goddess, poetry practice [aka/ I'm losing my mind!]

Sorry bout the delay

reality interrupts....

gets in the WAY
of LIFE.

Yes, I've had to focus my attention...and t i m e
on resumes, cover letters, studying job pdq's (not a lotta fun...but helpful).

Until I'm back in a regular routine and the job search is over
(amidst great relief on my part!!!)
blog publishing may become a little...irregular.

So here's what I haphazardly have noted. I'll try to keep within a week next time.
***

Jandek: "Glasgow Sunday" (2004)
Initial impression...I was startled at the dynamics of the music!
I had only heard New Town (1998) which was quiet, dark and acoustic.
This is louder, dark and electric.
Am I the only person who sees a connection between Jandek and Krautrock???

The way the music ebbs and flows...improvised, but in tune with each other.
Jandek's young rhythm section drive hard and keeps the pulse of the music flowing.

The mysterious Mr. Jandek is very thin and quite youthful for his age (sorry J). Like a young William S. Burroughs on electric guitar...

I love the way the video starts without any big introductions...
3 guys on a small stage
nod at each other
start the journey
and we are invited
along to savor the sounds
and observe the action.

The lyrics and singing are something else!
Jandek certainly understands how it feels to be
lonely, isolated, depressed
one would think he has an intimate knowledge of these feelings.

The vocals threw off The Guru somewhat who kept mumbling about drugs...I don't know what she meant! I wasn't that high!!

I remember placing my first order for a Jandek (ordered "New Town" from Amazon for like $12!! Great deal!), and the darkness of that album may have been a bit impenetrable on first listen. I feel that this dvd opens up his music and makes exploration of this muse long overdue!!

I should have time over the long weekend to view this amazing documentary again, and give my opinion (or whatever the hell it is I do!) in more detail. It's worth it! Thanks Mole!!! When I get a chance I'll throw you some more great krautrock I got recently. Jandek web site.
***

Charalambides: Market Square (1995)
What a brilliant wrapped way to start an album.

"please, pick up the phone...
pick up the phone!!
If you don't pick up the phone
...I'm calling the police!!"

...the desperation,
pleas falling on empty ears...

The strumming of the electric guitar, the whispered vocals...
enticing you into Market Square.
think about...before it's too late...I mean, just "think about".

This is spooky, enchanting, thought-provoking... Excellent!!

Randy heard of these guys through a top 100 list on Terrascope.

This is another great way to discover new/old bands. Check out lists. Rate Your Music has tons. Top 50 krautrock albums you never heard...Top 100 Dylan bootlegs...I mean the possibilities are endless out there!
***

It's no fucking joke...Yoko Ono WAS the BOMB!!!

Fly (1971) is EVEN better (!!??) than Plastic Ono Band (1970)...Absolutely stunning and brilliant. She had so much fucking GALL...I love it!!!

Another reason to love her: She broke up The Beatles!!!
***

OK

Life is getting..weird

The past week:
1) Steve and I were talking about this cd Psychedelic States in the 60s: Alabama and were laughing at imagining hippies in Alabama in the 60s.
So, I leave, get in the car, turn on the radio. What do you think was playing? Of course, it was "Sweet Home Alabama" by Skynyrd.

2) Yesterday I started thinking about my old workmate (for 13 years!!) from Hamilton, Marg Turnbull. [aside: Hi Marg!!] Out of the blue. We haven't communicated since xmas. I get home, go to my email and sure enough...there's an email from Marg notifying her contacts of an address change!

3) I have been recollecting parts of my childhood in excruciating detail that I haven't thought about for...decades!! Let's leave this one alone!!
***

Bob Bannister: Dives and Lazarus (2002)
Oh My fucking God!!!!
Who the hell is this guy? This is absolutely stunning.

"Maria Marten" starts the cd off with fantastic violin and Bob singing about killing his fiancee instead of marrying her. A little drastic maybe, but...isn't this what folk music is about?
"I Am A Pilgrim" rocks along with the desperation of hope.
"A Minature Rainbow" experimental beauty
"Got To Hurry" I love his singing! Bob's in a hurry to get to the promised land...and the song convinces me that Bob's well on his way!
"Dark Hollow" has some amazing electric guitar.
"In Christ (Slight Return)" ends the cd beautifully.

If you like intelligent, string based (and not afraid of electricity) folk this is HIGHLY recommended. The musicianship and vocals are top notch. Brilliant!!
This is firmly in the folk tradition BUT not tied to it. It is free, experimental, traditional.

There's not much online about Bob, but here's a link to his label.
***

The Mind of Self Pity

fragility...
broken glass cells twist into unending fury

dreams become your reality...
your dreams are a fucking nightmare

sweat drips into unseeing eyeballs
the terror of the future
has you clutching for something
...you never had, you've never seen
- only sensed -

friends come
... go
lovers come
...go

...you're still...
with yourself

addictions supply
warmth and comfort
BUT
isolated and withdrawn

the walls enclose
you like a prison
but the prison
is your mind
...in your mind...

Link to Walsh gallery - Lucy Kim page (artist of painting)
***

Jandek arrives, Randy's Stash continued: Agitation Free, Acid Mothers, Dylan and now - Steve's Stash of lps!!

A package arrived all the way from Hamilton, Ontario from my friend, ex-manager and all around man about town, Bruce "The Mole" Mowat.

As hands grasped the package, one could tell it was a cd. Ha! Wrong! It was a DVD!! It's hard to tell the difference these days....

Jandek's "Glasgow Sunday"!! Footage of the mysterious Mr. Jandek playing live in October 2004. I am anxiously awaiting viewing this piece of historical footage and relating my thoughts here at the Carnival.

Thanks Bruce!!! Jandek web site.
***

I am working my way through Randy's stash and discovering so many morsels of musical goodness that it is keeping me in a constant state of excitement! Here's more of:

Randy's Stash (part 2)

Agitation Free: Malesch (1972)
Another band I was ignorant of. Here's a snapshot of info I found:
They disbanded in 1974 after two albums. Malesch was the first. 2nd (1973) was the second. Last (1974) was..the last and live. Other albums appeared after they broke up.
2 main guys regrouped as Lagoona.
That broke up.
In 1998 they reformed.
First impressions: Very impressed! Awesome for you krautrock fans out there. I definitely need to check out their 2nd as well, and later various offshoots. Check out the official Agitation Free web site.
The band also look very cool as well...(or freaks)...same thing to me!

Acid Mothers Temple: The Penultimate Galactic Bordello (2004)
4 - FOUR fucking cds!!!
I know I mention these guys a lot, but what can I say? I'm a huge fan!
The Acid Mothers and their various offshoots [aside: Acid Mothers Temple & The Cosmic Inferno, Acid Mothers Gong, Acid Mothers Afrirampo, and the most common (but done with...for now! or are they??) Acid Mothers Temple & the Melting Paraiso UFO] have released seemingly thousands of recordings, but...BUT!!!
This sounds to these ears like a classic!!! I've only heard the 1st cd and it's taken me on a
flight

through stars
and comets
and laser beams
shooting
through
synapses
of brain tissue
nailing me
to its dream
state
... a new path
opening and
I hear the heavens calling me calling me.....
Also...Cotton Casino is awesome. She could take you away with a touch of her finger on the right key...This is already one of my fav hits of the Acids.

Bob Dylan: Beneath the Border Sun (1978) bootleg
Here's a concert of Bob's from 1978 that blows away At Budokan (1978) ** for live performances. This was recorded a little over a year after that, and the energy, arrangements and Bob's voice are much more"involved". For some reason I get a kick when he keeps saying "Merci" to the crowd.
First impressions: Great bootleg! Good sound, great performance. Great Bob Dylan bootleg discography site. Bob has a few...
***

Steve's Stash (part 1)

As if going through gigabytes of Randy's stash wasn't enough...

Well...I picked up 61 lps (counting 2 & 3 lp sets as 1!) at Steve's garage sale on the weekend.
All kinds of stuff...

Derek & The Dominos (Layla & In Concert - both 2 record sets), Sidney Bechet, Humble Pie (w/ Peter Frampton still in the band), Manfred Mann, Roy Buchanan, George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" with poster!! Pink Floyd, XTC, Ry Cooder, CSNY Deja Vu, Goblin: Suspira (1977)!! Ian Hunter: Shades Of - 2 records!! Zappa in New York (another 2 record set!), Warren Zevon from 1969...
all kinds of shit...
some brilliant, some fun, some silly, some kitschy....it's lps man!!!! Gotta love it.

The Guru was going through them and she related how much she liked looking at album covers when she was 13-14. There is something about the allure of lps over cds/cd-r's. The artwork was part of the package. This is probably why lps refuse to die the way of 8 tracks or cassettes.
***

Life Crap

Harvey Dog's contract at his current job [aside: which I love...best job ever!] is ending in less than 5 weeks...so I'm starting to feel the pressure of having to go out...
do the
bullshit resume
bullshit cover letters
bullshit interviews and all the other bullshit involved.

As you can see, the ol' attitude needs to be readjusted so I can get through this.

I know I'm not alone when it comes to
looking for work,
dealing with shitty work,
even getting shitty work!
So here's some positive vibes to those currently in the same boat.

Positive Vibes!!
Positive Vibes!! peace out..
***

The good people of Wells! Randy's Stash! Yoko Ono Rules!! Edgar Broughton, Fela, Popol Vuh!! Poetry?! That's Enough!!

Back from my Holiday in the Sun...in the new Belsen!!!

Actually the funky little town of Wells, BC
for their 3rd Annual ArtsWells Festival of All Things Art.

It was a relaxing time for Harvey Dog, the Guru and the Bah.

The Town: I've never really been to a town quite like this. It's a town full of artists, freaks and a few others (total pop: 500). The area is gorgeous and is perfect to rejuvenate broken down, tired depressed people. Check it out: Wells BC

The Music: We didn't see as much music as we originally planned, but that's ok...The music we did see was all good...relaxation was the order of the trip!

Here's who we saw:
The Buttless Chaps: Enjoyed them live, and when they did their 80s schtick (cheesy..ie. Duran Duran) it worked fine, but listening to Love This Time (2003) when we got back home, I found that the 80s schtick broke the momentum of the album. I mean...if you're going to do 80s music you have to be coked out, and these guys don't seem coked out at all! Overall: fun band.

Kia Kadiri: very popular with the crowd and she had tons of energy and seemed to enjoy herself. Overall: Good.

OK Cobra: We only got one (of two) OK Cobra, but I liked him. He worked his ass off and seemed to mean every word. I thought it started ok, got really strong and enjoyable, then tapered off at the end. Overall: Very Good.

Ken Hamm: This man can play the guitar and he sounded great. I'd like to check him out with better sound than you get in a Community Hall! Overall: Worth investigating.
***

My friend Randy went incredibly insane and sent me a massive amount of music from his collection.

I am FREAKING OUT!!!

And Vaspers always recommends brilliant music and videos, as well as creating incredible music himself...
And Steve (another music fanatic) is always feeding my rock and prog desires...
And Mole is sending me a package from Hamilton that sounds...intriguing.

good friends...good music...good times
***

Impressions of Randy's Stash

Where to begin? So much music....How about what I'm listening to right now as I'm typing this?

Yoko Ono: Yoko Ono / Plastic Ono Band (1970)
This is absolutely brilliant. Stunning. I guess it was outrageous in it's day for conservative Beatle lovers, but today it sounds vital, experimental, engrossing...
"Paper Shoes" is freaking me out...should I be listening to this at work?
Should I be doing my blog at work?
Should I get back to my VS2005 copy function project? OK...but LISTEN to this one!
Wait...is Yoko screaming: "Alfred!!! Alfred!!!!" in "Open Your Box"? Who's Alfred? The butler? Her man-servant? Paul McCartney? Alfred E. Newman?
[aside: This album just finished up, and it appears to me that Yoko was the TRUE innovator of The Beatles! Forget Lennon/McCartney let's hear it for Yoko!!!]

Miles Davis: The Cellar Door Sessions 1970 (2005)
Randy and I were extremely stoked when we first heard about this 6 cd box. We're both huge Miles fans of his late 60s early 70s electric period. Incredible fucking music!

Soul Jazz collections
The Soul Jazz compilations are a great way to discover obscure, underrated artists from the past. Always interesting.

Fela Kuti: Expensive Shit (1975) / He Miss Road (1975)
I love this! The groove is happening and entices you in...immediately! Then Fela and company bitch about expensive shit that smells. Now who can't relate to expensive smelly shit!?
The politics are great as well. I mean, you can go on and on about why Bush and all these other world leaders (using the term "leader" very loosely) are demonic and seemingly bent on the destruction of our world and its people...
BUT, Fela sums it all up by saying: "He Miss Road". How fucking true!
Summary: Happy to be introduced to Fela's world.

Edgar Broughton Band: Out Demons Out - Best Of 1969-1972 (2001)
Gotta love the freaks...and STILL going strong. Loads of fun...
"There's No Vibrations But Wait" is insane.
Actually, there's tons of good old freaky insanity going on.

Popol Vuh: Affenstunde (1970)
OK...I had heard of these guys and desperately wanted to hear them.
Finally!
This is beautiful music that takes one into
different atmospheres
walking on planets
reminding me a bit of Eno's Apollo (1983) album which I always thought was brilliant.
***

scattered
and strewn
amongst my pile
of music

refreshing the mind
constantly revolving
like old lps
on a dusty turntable

solid...true...
reliable
like life
and death...

drowning in the
v a s t n e s s
of humanity
called music

music is life
music is death
music is everything
and

all is music
***

The Guru and I are hooking up a second computer at home...
will this lead to more posts?????

Just warning ya!
[aside: I didn't use any of the post I mentioned...last post! Once you get started...]
***

Vacation....

Vacation Time!!!!

Off to Wells, BC for the 3rd Annual ArtsWells Festival of All Things Art!!

4 DAYS
40 ACTS
Eric Tompkins!!! [from PG!!]

It should be
fantastic
relaxing
soothing
healing

Guru T-Lu, the Bah and myself will be departing tomorrow morning.

A new post will be published early next week.
The notes are done...just gotta put it together!

Happy BC Day!!!
***

Captain Beefheart is safe as milk, flowing saws in a can and bananas are melting in the SUN!!

Heat Wave!!!

set the controls for the heart of the sun
avoid being blistered by the sun
don't forget
sea, sex and sun!!!
***

Captain Beefheart: Safe as Milk (1967) ***1/2
For years, I've had a lousy re-issue bastard called Captain Beefheart at His Best (1989), which deservedly received a slam from The Captain Beefheart Radar Station.
Lousy sound!!
Lousy mix and they dropped..."Dropout Boogie"!!!
The bastards!!!!

Praise the good Captain, the situation has been rectified and I am now in possession of a proper release of Safe as Milk...with bonus tracks!!!

Listening to early Cap is different...
unique...
straight r & b
NOT straight r & b...
brilliance
still o d d
more...traditional?

a young Captain?????????
with overt influences????????????????

Fav songs:
Electricity - breaks away from tradition and creates it's own
Yellow Brick Road - always found this really catchy...I've always wanted to go to OZ.
Call On Me - moves me...
Plastic Factory - hard rockin' precursor to "Hard Workin' Man"

Is this the place for a neophyte Beefheartian to start?
I started with Unconditionally Guaranteed (1974) in high school...liked it...didn't think it was that weird...
next got Trout Mask Replica (1969) and umm...
You could say that I thought it was weird...
I knew it was fucked!
I knew, I knew...it was worth working through...
not all classics are EASY.

So my answer would be ---- start with Clear Spot (1972) --- a little bit of everything, then go fishing for trouts!!!
***

Can: Flow Motion (1976) **1/2 Saw Delight (1977) ***
What to make of latter Can?
No Damo...No Malcolm...
I haven't listened to these that much...but from what I have, it's --- enjoyable.
Doesn't hit the peaks of days past.
Lower expectations, and let it silently
...wash over you.

Conclusion - inconclusion = pleasant if you're a fan...but start with Damo or Malcolm!!
[aside: I should add Soon Over Babaluma (1974) and Landed (1975) are pretty great, and are the first ones without Damo.]
***

Melt Banana: Cell-Scape (2003)
crazy crazy crazy
I LOVE IT!
Closer to The Boredoms than Acid Mothers Temple
(And that can mean whatever you want it to mean!!!!).

This is my first Melt Banana and this is a group definitely to be explored.

after a ridiculous amount of sweat, they end the album with a 10 minute journey to the stratosphere.

chaos
then...peacestorm
***

Random Ramblings

What was the music you heard growing up? For me, my Dad was into jazz - mainly big band - lots of lps
[aside: including the classic Herb Alpert: "Whipped Cream" lp with that delicious cover!].
I love a LOT of jazz (Miles and Coltrane would be top 10 artists of all-time for me), but still can't get into big band shit...

With all the shit going on in the world today...where the fuck are today's punks???

Pere Ubu...
The first album I had of Ubu was Worlds in Collision (1991) which, you know...is good, catchy and a few songs are even great, BUT...it's not early Ubu.
Fortunately, Randy supplied a couple of early Pere Ubu albums, (as well as Rocket from the Tombs)
I have no idea why the fuck I never got into these guys in the late 70s...
Why does that happen?
You miss a band you really shouldn't have. [aside: I blame the booze!]
Hey, who cares? Just enjoy it today...I'm currently grooving to The Modern Dance (1978).

Betty Davis is funky as shit...check her out...

Do you know who wrote / performed the 3rd song referenced in my opening salvo?
I know the first 2 were easy...but didja get the last one?
Answers: Pink Floyd, Violent Femmes...Serge Gainsbourg.
***

John Cage meets Sun Ra!!

John Cage Meets Sun Ra (1987)
So...I'm done downloading from Live Music Archives for the weekend and decide to get all intellectual and go visit UBU Web.

A great site full of poets...readings....poets reading...and....
John Cage Meets Sun Ra!!!!

A complete album from 1987 and recorded June 8th, 1986 at the "Sideshows by the Seashore: Coney Island, NY".

What to expect with these 2
f
a
r
o u t
musicians?

let's see...sounds like a flute...bells...a synth?...chimes!?
some nice conversation between the 2...

hello sun...hello john
nice day...yes it is
wanna freak people out?...sure.

oh oh..john's in a trance!!!!
hey...where did everybody go?? hello? hello? um...hello?
all i hear is a crackle...
WAIT
this is john fucking cage...
this IS the song!!!

oh...he came back!!!
hi john! where's sun?
this sounds like a sad sound poem about aging...* sigh *
i hear ya john
...damn he's gone again.
what?!
there's a crowd??
the most polite crowd...EVER!!
now it's....beautiful.

and the first side ends
and the second begins

ominous
then...silence...
getting their shit together?

oh, hi john

as i listen...
i understand...

the value of silence...

they applaud the silence
...a great crowd!!

now they're rockin'!
intensity
interactions
entwined genius

what???
it's done!!!!
way too fast!!

This is a great listen, and can be downloaded from UBU Web...
great wild shit...

Verdict: worth the download
***

Boredoms bore through brains, Kevin Coyne sings for Syd Barrett, Walter Wegmuller reads tarot cards and Parliament IS Osmium!!

The Boredoms: Super AE (1998) *****
the mind...
expanded
manipulated
fucked
...ever since my friend Randy hooked me onto the incredible Japanese noise bands, Acid Mothers Temple & The Boredoms.

This album takes you on a wild trip...
a roller coaster ride through the cranium.

The best advice I have for a "noise-experimental-avant garde-krautrock" music newbie is to....
ACCEPT!
Forget your preconceived notions of music...music is whatever you want it to be! It can be found anywhere and everywhere. Appreciate the beauty (AND ugliness) of sound.

I actually found a translation of whatever the hell they're singing about on the net...click on the Boredoms link above. Now that's dada (or is it mama
mama
it's S U P E R !everything!

[aside: doing a bit of searching on Japanese Noise Bands, has brought up a couple more bands to explore: Melt Banana and Merzbow. Musical discoveries never stop...yeh!!!]
***

Random Thoughts

I put on The New Faggot Cunts right after The Boredoms, and it felt like a very linear progression. Very impressive stuff. Free download at Puzzling Music Archive. Nice name, huh?
hahahahaha....certainly stands out like a motherfucker!!

Silver Apples: Silver Apples (1968) / Contact (1969) *****
I'm listening to this right now, and it's freaking me out...once again!
These guys were so far ahead of their time...
mind blowing
intense, wild, experimental
playful, thought-provoking
highly enjoyable...highly recommended.
thoughts from a silver apple ("You and I")
we don't have time for little things
there is no room for little things
because life is full of important things.

My friend Mole has a blog where he puts up the playlists for his radio show on...
ta..da!!
CFMU
McMaster University
my hometown of Hamilton Ontario...."a long long long time ago!!!"
There are links to his radio show on it...check it out, lots of good old fantastic weirdness. Mole's blog.
***

Kevin Coyne with Achim Goettert: Opera for Syd (1999) **** bootleg
This was a stage presentation put on by Kevin and Achim, and the Syd in question is none other than...Syd Barrett.

"Ain't this weird?" category
I pick out around 10 cds to take to work each day [aside: I don't listen to them all...I just like choice!], so I picked out this cd.
While driving to work I heard on the radio that Syd Barrett had died at the age of 60! Of course, I put this on immediately.

This record is fucking great!
I'm not sure why, but I had low expectations for this album.
No idea why...a feeling.

I was W R O N G!
It's blowing me away.
depraved and disturbed
energy and intensity
Another thing about Kevin Coyne -
when it comes to writing
singing about the mentally ill /
no one does it better / more attuned / sensitive
true or honest
than Kevin Coyne
(Born: January 27, 1944 Derby, England
Died: December 2, 2004 Nurnberg, Germany)

[aside: "House on the Hill" is probably my fav song about the mentally ill. Find it on Marjory Razorblade (1974).
Case History (1972) is my fav album about mental illness.]

This should be released immediately!!!
***

Cool web site alert

NPR Music Mavericks.
Play Harry Partchs' instruments and more fun!
I thought I sounded good on the "Metal, glass and bells"!! almost

You can even listen to the whole series (13 parts) on RealPlayer if you want and various interviews with oddball composers.
I'm listening to some interviewer trying to get Lamonte Young a chair. It seems to be taking them a bit of time to get their shit together! Hilarious!!
***

Walter Wegmuller: Tarot (1973) ****
This 2 cd set involves favs of mine: Ash Ra Tempel / Cosmic Jokers!

Walter introduces the 36 or so (actually 8!) people that co-wrote each song on the album to kick it off.

rockin' elements
jazzy elements
folk elements
space elements...sometimes o v e r t h e t o p ....
throw together in a vat of acid
(or other mind-altering substances)
and...record baby record!

cd2 starts off on another
planetary dimension and I feel like I'm in a gypsy tent...
I can't find the door
the walls are invisible.

unknown corridors
more dark
more ominous
the end is nearing
the tarot
reveals
t r u t h...
whatever you want it to be!

Great stuff as is everything I've heard Ash Ra involved in. Walter on AMG.
***

Parliament: Osmium (1970) ****
Different from the more familiar and famous Parliament albums. More Funkadelic-like in tone and feel.
Lots of Eddie Hazel...lots of gospel singing...lots of acid...lots of EVERYTHING!!
Let the party begin!! The greatest funkers of all-time are here!!

I Call My Baby Pussycat - awesome start...a classic!
Put Love in Your Life - psychedelic gospel baby and we all need a little love in all our lives...great singing, great guitar.
Little Old Country Boy - this is awesome...what a hook! who put the acid in my cornflakes?
Moonshine Heather (Takin' Care of Business) - not bto...mercy...just funky bizness
Oh Lord, Why Lord / Prayer - back to church for healings after moonshine heather
My Automobile - very cool song...i wouldn't think that driving with Mr. Clinton would be the brightest of ideas...
"George, look out!! Flying spaceships!!!!"
"Shaadap and have more of this...fucking white boys!"
There is Nothing Before Me But Thang - fucking right!!! great rawkin' song.
Funky Woman - reminds me of the old days...
Livin' the Life - gospel psychedelic jesus acid guitar
[aside: hey...great name for a band: "Jesus Acid Guitar"...feel free to steal]
The Silent Boatman - Bagpipes. There are fucking bagpipes in this song!?!

This album moves between genres fast and quick, which some may cite as a weakness...
not necessarily me...
This is the most underrated, ignored CLASSIC album by the funkers. If you love the psychedelicized acid guitar work of the early years (as I do)...what are you waiting for?? Get this album NOW!!
***

A Big One! Impressions Part 2, Faust, old recollections and free music download sites! And More! Whew!!

Free Music Downloads.
And legal too!!!

#1 - Live Music Archive.

They have some live concerts available for free download. How many? Oh, only about 37,000.

It only includes artists who are trade-friendly. So...no worries about artistic infringement and all that legal stuff.

I've downloaded some great shows by Dream Syndicate (yes!!!), Cracker, Hammell On Trial, Josh Ritter (mainly for the Guru, but it sounds good), Acid Mothers Temple (double YES!!!), Soul Coughing (cool!) and there's tons more to check out and explore...awesome site!!!!

#2 - Puzzling Music Archives

Another great free, legal music download site. Nowhere near as big, but sure as hell more
w e i r d...
For those of you into the weird fucked-up shit (like me), check out Fat Worm of Error, New Faggot Cunts and especially Deerhoof!
***

Impressions (Part 2)

Can: The Peel Sessions 1973-1975 (1995)
Finally! Some live Can! It's great. The 1st track with Damo is the best...he's wild! The rest is without Damo, but I still love their later stuff.

Dream Syndicate: Medicine Show (1984)
I remember buying this when it came out in 84, and I was into them. Then I sold my lps [aside: * sigh cry sob *...I hate youth, alcohol and lack of money!] and the only cds I had of theirs was the first (great) and a scratched copy of their greatest hits.
forward 20 years later * BAM!!! *
I've got back into these guys once again! It's cool re-discovering great music. These guys also have a couple of shows on "Live Music Archive" that I've already downloaded.
I've listened to the 1987 set from Greece and thought to myself: "Self. These guys were awesome live! I've got to check out the 20 or so live shows that Steve Wynn has on Live Music Archive"...real raw guitar-based rock'n'roll..."John Coltrane Stereo Blues" absolutely blows me away every time!
Steve Wynn Official Web Site.

Captain Beefheart: Captain Hook 1974 (1993) bootleg
This is a boot from a concert with the so-called "Tragic Band".
Well...I think this concert is the tops!!!
The Captain's in great voice, the band's tight and rockin'.
I always liked Unconditionally Guaranteed (1974). First purchased on 8 track when I was around 15 0r 16.
I love how the Cap throws out poetry every so often to an unsuspecting crowd...great show!Here's a link to a note from Michael Smotherman (keyboardist for the Tragic Band) which I think sheds some light on this period of the Cap. Interesting.
P.S. I agree that Bluejeans and Moonbeams (1974) indicated that the Cap needed a break to rejuvenate...which he did!!

Alex Harvey: Rock Workshop (1970)
Early pre-Sensational Alex Harvey is relatively straightforward, but his charisma and personality still shines through (check out "Born in the City"..."You To Lose" is interesting even though it sounds like Alex isn't totally comfortable in this style). A number of instrumentals surprisingly. I find him intriguing...whom knows? Maybe I'm even related to him!
***

Faust: Faust (1971) **** / So Far (1972) *****

free your mind...
experience
different places...
crevices...
holes in the soul...
a murder mystery
for fortune seekers...
a junkie's paradise
where Miss Fortune
is the heroin
surging
through your veins

sunshine girl
sits crosslegged
knitting rainbows
reading Henry Miller
and sipping wine

it's a rainy day
sunshine girl
it's a rainy day.

"It's a Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl" & "No Harm" are my 2 favorite Faust songs! ...
why do they want Daddy to take the banana?
what does it matter that tomorrow is Sunday??

These are definitely questions worth pondering!!!
What twisted perversions are they talking about???
I mean...bananas and daddy? and on Sunday!!!!

Brilliant...great Faust web site
***

Recollection Time

Out of the blue...old thoughts...
The Violent Femmes playing their first Canadian show...
ever...
a minister's son
from Milwaukee Wisconsin
in my hometown of Hamilton, Ontario.

Now get this...
In the basement of my old
Roman Catholic Church...
Canadian Martyrs'...
2 blocks from where
Harvey Dog
was raised
as a young pup...

My buddy JK and I got shitfaced [aside: as usual] and the band played great and we stood at the side...pounding 'em back like thirsty motherfuckers...and I pissed next to the bass player, Brian Ritchie, and he verified it was their first time in Canada...he was friendly.
The band got high outside...
my old Church, my old Grade School...
how times had changed
how times had changed.

We got drunker...bought a cool red Violent Femmes t-shirt...had a few more drinks...
broken glass,
a hand in the broken glass...a little blood...more drinks
Mickey DeSadist of The Forgotten Rebels was there...he sang with the opening act...good, but the ol' noggin's a little dull on the details...

a good time was had by one and all...

then I went back to JK's
...and we had, if I recall

...a few more drinks.
***

Depression Status: Well, I've worked really hard on controlling this depression bastard and the hard work is paying off. One thing I've learned through this ordeal (which has been going on intensely for over 3 years now) is that controlling depression requires work...forever!
some of the hardest work I've ever had to do.

So if you're struggling...keep working hard
you can get over it.

positive vibes
positive vibes...
***

Vaspers has added more Camouflage Danse mp3s for free download! Here's the link for details and lyrics and all kinds of good stuff.
***

Guru T-Lu on the New York Dolls: One Day It Will Please Us To Remember Even This (2006)
"David Johansen sounds like Randy Newman fronting a rock band."
[aside: the album sounded good on first listen. Can't compare to the original 2. How could it?]
***

Great conversation between Thelonius Monk and some reporter.
"What kinds of music do you like?"
MONK: "I like all types of music."
"Do you like Country and Western?"
MONK: "I like all types of music."
***

Back from Jasper, Bunch of new music: Impressions (part 1)

Greetings blog readers of the universe!!!

After a great visit to Jasper, Alberta and soaking in the beauty of mother nature I am back to the blog.

In the past couple of weeks I have accumulated more music and will do the old sharing of first impressions

re-impressions

pre-impressions.

***

The Heads: Under the Streets of a Headlong Drive (2006)

I'm not sure if putting this on first thing in the morning at work was the most brilliant idea I've ever had (especially when trying to learn sql server 2005!), but hey...

I would call it heavy space rock with a bit of an edge. The singer sounds like some lost ghost of Ian Curtis or Virgin Prunes [aside: I haven't heard these guys for 24 years so have no idea what I'm talking about...I should get some Joy Division!]

First Impressions: Interesting...Heavy [aside: as it's playing I'm starting to wish I was on the right kind of drugs, but I'm at work! Damn!]

Last 2 songs definitely fit into the Boredoms, Acid Mothers camp...best stuff on the cd.

John Cale: Ocean Club 1976 (1976) bootleg

This is great! Cale is in awesome voice and the contrast of Cale and Patti Smith singing "Abilene" cracks me up. The Guru chuckled as well.

You could tell Patti was trying so hard to be significant in front of her heroes (Lou was there too). I don't blame her...fuck, who wouldn't be! Link to info on great Cale site.

(while listening to) Sun Ra: The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra Vol. 1 (1965)

From the very first notes of this album I knew I was going to absolutely love it...man...

it's mind blowing stuff for blown minds.

It's going crazy man.

"Other Worlds" is definitely an appropriates title! Awesome!

Why do I love the sound of bells in w a y o u t h e r e jazz? Coltrane does the same thing and I love it.

Flying Island: Flying Island (1975)

Never heard of this one until someone passed it along...cool jazz-rock fusion...lots of violin work so if you're a fusion fan...go for it! Pretty obscure shit.

Pink Floyd: A Saucerful of Secrets (1968)

I've always been a fan of Floyd yet never had this one.

Early Floyd is more where my head is at these days than later Floyd. Very spacey...

"Let There Be More Light"
starts off the album on a space journey

floating into stratospheres

melting the atmosphere...great beginning

"Remember a Day"

I have this one on Relics and always liked it.

dreaming

soaking up energy

in a field of poppies

sleepy and languid

i dream i dream

"Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun"

is absolutely awesome...

"Corporal Clegg"

had a wooden leg

drugs rhyme with bugs

rhymes rhyme with times

line by line

i drink wine

feeling fine...

yes, obvious rhymes here

that's neither here nor there

...um...ok...

"A Saucerful of Secrets"

i am scared that

the secret is here

the secret is nowhere

no it's now here

what the hell is in that saucer anyway?

"See-Saw"

ok...i guess it's a rest from the intensity of the rest of the album...so so

"Jugband Blues"

syd is not here

syd is not there...boy, syd sure has personality in his singing...great stuff.

Great album.

Gong: Time is the Key (1979)

This is really Pierre Morlen's Gong and it's certainly not as

o u t t h e r e

as Gong is with that crazy guy Daevid Allen.

It's nice, but I would go back to the wilder Gong or Acid Motherhood with the Acid Mothers first. Visit Planet Gong.

***

Jasper was beautiful by the way...the weather was great, the hiking was great.

felt at peace

at ease

saw elks (dozens)

bears - 2 (1 dead, 1 alive crossing the highway)

coyotes (also crossing the highway)

...and the vicious Poobah!!

In our car!!!!!

Jasper Photos.

***