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?
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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.
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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.]
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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.
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2 comments:
Big Star, that's that old band of... who?
Not Mitch Easter (Let's Active). Um. Hmm. Famous old rocker. Forget the name now.
Alex Chilton, and to a lesser extent Chris Bell (who co-wrote #1 Record with Chilton) until he got pushed aside. Chilton had a hit when he was 16 with the classic "The Letter" by The Box Tops.
Whew...
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