SHUFFLE, ROUND 5: ROAD TRIP EDITION

I’m off! I’m hopping in the car and hitting the road with my faithful companion for the long weekend at Lake Tahoe. The trip promises to be full of both action and relaxation. In preparation for the 9+ hour drive, I’ve loaded the CD booklet with mixtapes past and present and some choice discs to while away the hours and keep me stimulated as the landscapes drift by…

The Cribs, “Mirror Kissers”
This literal band of brothers work their British fingers to the bone and shred their vocal chords in this ode to…well, mirror kissers I guess. I’m not quite sure if it’s about narcissism or snorting that booger sugar but I do know that the ragged guitars, bassless breakdown and the spot-on chorus shouting is enough to keep my ears happy as I kiss Oregon goodbye. Note: I saw these guys live a couple months ago and they were horrible--stick to the records if you’re interested.

The Remains, “Don’t Look Back”
This song makes me wanna drive fast until 1:05 when it deviates from its original course and changes up to a call and response preacher-man rant. Not to worry, the band returns to form at about 1:55, kicking into high gear and bashing away on the simple riff and title line.

The Tammys, “Egyptian Shumba”
This old girl-group tune is really strange but, it’s totally awesome pandemonium. These chicks wanna dance Egyptian style (whatever that means) and though I can’t see their dance, I imagine it as sort of an uninhibited shaking with no real sense of form or style--a glorious, liberated mess oblivious to any and all consequence. Shrieking in joy, like sexed-up monkeys over a calliope-style keyboard phrase, they go bananas and take this willing listener along for the ride. It’s their party and they’ll scream if they want to. I might do the same.

The Rolling Stones, “Monkey Man”
Some say that Let it Bleed was the high point of the Stones’ career, the creative and cultural culmination of their sound. With the passing of Brian Jones a couple months before the album’s release, that argument is valid. Exactly what this song is about is anyone’s guess, but what’s undeniable is the shift at 2:32 in which the band unites around an infectious groove and lays back as Keith Richards works the slide on his guitar and sets up Nicky Hopkins for a beautiful piano solo. This is one of those moments that defies explanation; it is what it is.

Charlatans, “Codine”
A dragging sense of lo-fi fatigue is communicated by the fuzzy, echoing guitar and the wearily sung words on this old tune. I’m picking up what this dude’s putting down and when he sings “I feel like I’m dying, and I wish I was dead,” I believe him.

The Groupies, “Primitive”
Like a creeping cad peering through squinted eyes, the singer on this song skulks across the track and claims to ‘love and live’ in a primitive manner. The way he says it, in a leering whine, is cool enough. But if it weren’t for the discreetly magnificent guitar work, unobtrusive harmonica, shaking percussion and inconspicuous bass (with a treble-laden laxity), the song would be decidedly unremarkable.

two sides of the same coin

This is rock and roll. The New York Dolls played simply; they played fast and loud. Their rock was a spectacle, rife with fanfare and showmanship. LISTEN TO VIETNAMESE BABY This too is rock and roll. Neil Young and his Harvest-era band played in a barn. They played loud, heavy music that pinned listeners with its visceral weight. LISTEN TO ALABAMA

DNC day two

Hillary Clinton, in what was said to be the most important address of the Democratic National Convention, seemed genuinely sincere as she spoke about the grave stakes in the upcoming presidential election. Within seconds of the start of her speech, she made her intentions clear by advocating Barack Obama and encouraging her delegates to back him. "If you want a taste of freedom, keep going!" said Clinton, reiterating Harriet Tubman's statement while traveling the underground railroad. Appealing to a key group of her supporters who were on the fence about whom to vote for once the nomination escaped Hillary, she diverted the attention away from herself and outlined the issues that rallied followers around her campaign in the first place. She spoke about universal healthcare, equal rights, foreign policy, domestic policy and a green economy and turned them into democratic issues in an effort to unite the party into one right-railing unit. Wisely, she spoke directly to the die-hard faction of women who have said they’d rather vote for McCain than Obama now that Clinton is out of the running, a group whose votes McCain is aggressively pursuing and a group that’s shaping up to be a deciding factor in crucial battleground states like Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania. She talked about the suffragette movement and the obstacles that women have had to surmount before exhorting these backers to remember who was most important in this campaign. ``I want you to ask yourselves: Were you in this campaign just for me?'' she said. The democrats have also learned a lesson from the 2004 election. No longer pulling punches in regards to the opposition, they’ve come out swinging. Clinton honored McCain’s service to the nation but was quick to attack his congressional voting record and campaign tenets, likening him to the maligned George W. Bush. She closed her speech the way she opened it--by espousing the importance of this election and championing Obama and the democratic cause:

…We have to get going by electing Barack Obama president. We don't have a moment to lose or a vote to spare. Nothing less than the fate of our nation and the future of our children hang in the balance. I want you to think about your children and grandchildren come election day. And think about the choices your parents and grandparents made that had such a big impact on your life and on the life of our nation. We've got to ensure that the choice we make in this election honors the sacrifices of all who came before us, and will fill the lives of our children with possibility and hope. That is our duty, to build that bright future, and to teach our children that in America there is no chasm too deep, no barrier too great -- and no ceiling too high -- for all who work hard, never back down, always keep going, have faith in God, in our country, and in each other.

I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN CLEAN UP THE MESS THAT BUSH MADE AND RESTORE OUR INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION WHILE IMPROVING THE LIVES OF AMERICANS BY VOTING OBAMA/BIDEN.

PRIDE

I'm an American--a happy American, but not necessarily a proud American. The neglect of many of my civil rights, the secrecy of my shady governing body and the blatant disregard it has shown to our countrymen and other people of the world have certainly dampened my pride. That's not to say I don't like it here though; no other place feels like home. Every four years, however, I feel such a swelling of pride that nearly all is forgotten. Is it strange that competetive athletics make me more proud of my homeland than the other accomplishments that my nation has made in my time? Seeing American athletes dominate, excel and persevere to overcome odds while competing on the world stage in such a variety of disciplines makes me more proud to call myself an American than any other instance in recent memory. Maybe my memory just isn't good enough, but every time they award the medal, raise the flag and play the anthem, I'm proud to be an American.

I also LISTEN TO JOHN MELLENCAMP sing songs about the heartland.

the dark side of the pizza

Michael Sieben (on whom I like to fan out) has a new skateboard company called Roger. If this ad is any indication of the creative output to come, I might have to buy some boards to hang up.Did you know I have a tattoo of one of his paintings? It's true. Check these older posts, http://gimdang.blogspot.com/search?q=sieben, for some more stuff. This one is about one of his peers: http://gimdang.blogspot.com/2008/02/travis-millard.html. Just throw his name into google images and separate the wheat from the chaff!

LISTEN TO BIG STAR's ALBUM #1 RECORD

On the Beach by Neil Young

This is an interesting album that happens to be one of my favorites. Neil Young was in a weird state in 1974 and this collection of songs finds him paranoid, pissed off and worn out. Railing against Nixon, cliquey scenesters and the consumer culture that was beginning to take shape, he sounds like a lost man who is finally starting to find his way in a world gone mad. Side one is mellow and almost optimistic, if only for a moment, while side two paints a haunting picture of a dismayed man on the verge of giving up. The last three songs are so lonely and submissively angry that they’re depressing to hear; he sounds powerless. Though the album didn’t sell well and wasn’t even released on CD until recently, I like to think that it gave a voice to other disaffected 20-somethings that were fed up with the way things were going, even if they weren’t about to do anything about it.

LISTEN TO AMBULANCE BLUES AND SEE THE SKY ABOUT TO RAIN

Blow Up

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSJGEn4FDys

This video’s a trip, eh? It’s from a 1966 movie called Blow Up that was filmed in London and ended up getting nominated for some Academy Awards. Isn’t it weird that everybody, save for a mod chick and some dude, is standing around at a rock show? And why are the lights on?
I read that the director initially wanted the WHO to be in this scene but something kept them from doing it. Instead, the Yardbirds got the gig and played “the train kept a-rollin.’” It looks like Jeff Beck was told to do what Pete Townshend was known for at the time and destroy his guitar, which appears to be a cheap breakaway prop. It's weird that the listless crowd finally comes alive only when he throws the broken neck into the crowd, causing a near riot and calling to mind a pack of wild animals getting thrown a piece of meat.

avedon

I was reminded today of Richard Avedon's amazing work as a portrait photographer. Example:

LISTEN TO LOU REED

Debunking

Sgt. Pepper's came out in 1967. Supposedly, John Lennon had all the animal noises in “Good Morning Good Morning” put in the order of a food chain. That is, each following animal was capable of consuming the one that preceded it. Thinking this strange, I listened more closely before concluding that the whole thing was a crock—BOGUS! From what I could tell, it goes crowing rooster, singing songbird, meowing cat, yipping little dog, barking big dog, neighing horse, bleating sheep, roaring lion and trumpeting elephant. Some of it makes sense but when has a sheep ever eaten a horse? Or an elephant eaten a lion?

Stokes

Colleen Stokes is a local artist. Her oil paintings are divine. Subtle colors and spare strokes make for expressive portraits that are at once arresting in their simplicity and awe-inspiring in their detail. Largely self-taught, she's making a name for herself and tonight, she'll be showing some pieces at Cha on 21st. Be there! Bring your checkbook!

SHUFFLE, ROUND 4

T. Rex, “Jeepster”
T.Rex-tasy was in full effect when this tune hit the airwaves in 1971. It’s not the coolest track on Electric Warrior but it’s the first song I’d play for someone who’d never heard them before. The corrosive guitar part is sonic simplicity, allowing Marc Bolan to really get into the glam act when singing and playing live. Have you ever seen footage of him playing? He apes around like a sexy rock and roll palomino with all the wound-up strength of a crouching tiger and the youthful looseness of a prancing foal. Plus, he makes funny rock faces.

Ricky Nelson, “Stood Up”
One of the first teen idols, Ricky Nelson used his television star privileges to pursue a rock and roll career. This is the 1950s though, before rock and roll really came into its own and left behind some of its country inclinations. As a result, the rockabilly feel on this tune is as thick as a side of beef smoking on a grill. Legendary guitarist James Burton is smoking as well, letting his Telecaster slather some sweet and spicy sauce all over the track.

Dr. Dog, “The Beach”
Striking a balance between new and old, this song finds the band channeling the spirits of the fifth and third Beatles, Billy Preston and George Harrison. It begins with an eerie soundscape--monotone, desolate and lonely--that is harshly interrupted by simultaneously struck guitar and snare notes. A sense of understated heaviness pervades the song when, in a blink, it morphs into a vicious tête-à-tête between a bleeding-finger guitar solo and a wrath-of-god church organ. The vocal part acts as a beacon of light in the eye of the storm throughout but still follows suit and assumes the coarse quality of the other instruments, making for a truly leaden rock song.

Townes Van Zandt, “Don’t Let The Sunshine Fool Ya”
Townes was a deeply troubled man with an engaging body of work that provided a revealing glimpse into the beleaguered mind of a tormented soul. Though much of his work could be characterized by dark lyrics and ruminations on death, he still found solace in writing beautiful love songs. This spare 1972 tune pads comfortably down a gently winding road of free-and-easy feelings. I can’t help but smile when he sings, “get yourself a piece of that rainbow pie/no reason in the world that you can’t get by.”

The Leaves, “Funny Little World”
Perfect for holding hands and sharing a milkshake to, this G-rated song about young love would be considered too cheesy for almost any taste but mine. In fact, I insisted that our band include the 1966 tune in our set for a tribute event. The dudes groaned about it for a good while (they had their reservations) before being consumed by its irresistible hooks and sing-along verses. Soon enough, we were all smiling widely and playing merrily, swaying to the rhythm and reveling in the goofiness of the whole thing.

in memoriam, 1942-2008

So you’ve probably heard by now that Isaac Hayes died Sunday. While the bulk of the obits fail to mention that he was a gifted multi-instrumentalist and instead focus on the fact that he voiced Chef on South Park and was responsible for the theme to “Shaft,” they also neglect to note that among his greatest contributions to music was “Walk on By.” The song is a heartbreaker, complete with a tear-jerking string arrangement and Hayes’ distinctive, deeper-than-the-sea baritone. The distorted guitar, spitting hot licks to emphasize the burning pain, and the solemnly urgent background vocals all join the gravely bellowing organ to underpin the gravitas of the song.The song was later sampled by the RZA for the Wu-Tang Clan, who featured Hayes on it and titled it “I Can’t Go To Sleep.” It finds him and Ghostface Killah in typical form, capably trading rhymes and spinning another ghetto yarn about the plight of the black man and the futility of violence. This time however, it’s different. Hayes’ arrangement, which already lends to a saddening sense of loss and hoplessness, adds a new dimension to the Wu’s sound and gives them the freedom to tap into a well of emotions once deemed too ‘soft’ for hip-hop music. Ghostface’s lyrics, spoken in a wavering voice that’s one step away from full-blown, broken-down sobbing, ride the stirring melody rather than the bass and drums, echoing the heartache of the weeping strings and setting up Hayes for a reprisal of the role he played in his original version. This time however, it sounds as if he’s matured since his last dejected outing in “Walk On By,” now playing a wizened sage instead of the burnt and hurt lover. He sings advice, as only he could, that everyone would do well to heed: “Let’s love each other…Use your head…The power is in your hands/stop all this cryin’ and be a man.”

Soul Love

The best rock and roll album of all time is not Exile on Main St., it’s not Revolver, not Highway 61 Revisited, and it’s not Zeppelin II, which are all fantastic and monumental works, revered, and rightly so, to say the least. The best rock and roll album of all time, in this dude’s humble opinion, is The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars.

With the release of his self-produced masterpiece in 1972, David Bowie made an irrefutable statement that music could be anything you made it to be, thereby reinforcing (in a roundabout way) the fact that art, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder.

The album is a thematically ambitious venture based around the vague story of Ziggy Stardust, a space alien who comes to earth to liberate humankind from banality. Taking the concept a step further despite the fact that he tells the story from different perspectives, Bowie became Ziggy, messianic martian styling and all, and toured in support of the album. The character is the definitive rock star, focused almost entirely on sex, drugs and the rock and roll music that serves as the medium to tell the story.

Perhaps mirroring Bowie’s own rise to stardom, the album finds Ziggy dreaming of becoming a rock and roll star and attaining superstar status before being swallowed by the trappings of fame and ego-mania. The music rides a cascading torrent of feelings and emotions: optimism, unease, wanton greed, vanity and resignation before climaxing with the acquiescent (and triumphant) “Rock ‘n’ Roll Suicide.”

Displaying his influences (styles ranging from pop, rock and British music hall to jazz and classical) like a badge of honor, Bowie and the album influenced countless others, availing the glam sound and placing him at the forefront of the scene. Though he continued to reinvent his sound and image over the years, Ziggy Stardust remains the impetus for his cycle of change.

The tunes vary; some rock wildly, others are insistent, demanding attention with a contradictory undertone of ambivalent coolness and a ‘take it or leave it’ indifference. It’s like glam showmanship and sneering callousness rolled into one multi-faceted mirror ball of glorious majesty. Through it all, Bowie stays in character, howling and purring androgynously while Mick Ronson turns it up to eleven to unleash some severely piercing solos and crushing rhythm riffs that bassist Trevor Bolder and drummer Mick Woodmansey hold down.

There exist better musicians and better bands, even better songs, but as a singular piece of work, Ziggy Stardust is unmatched.

get outside

LISTEN TO LEE HAZLEWOOD

The Hoople

Mott the Hopple were glam to the max; maybe not as flamboyantly or outrageously maxed as Bolan, but still pretty glam. After David Bowie resurrected their career by handing them "All the Young Dudes" and producing the album of the same name in 1972, the band enjoyed a newfound notoriety. This was short-lived however, as they soon returned to their old ways and again began the infighting and personnel changes that would ultimately lead to their dissolution. Through it all, singer and songwriter Ian Hunter maintained creative control and never ceased to amaze. The Hoople from 1974 is a fine example of their work.

Side one begins with a theatrical introduction that opens the gate to "The Golden Age of Rock and Roll." The whole affair, as you can imagine, is pretty campy. The rock though, kicks serious ass. Guitarist Ariel Bender slashes some savage, street-swaggering riffs and Hunter belts it like a true believer throughout. Piano and organ play a big role in "Alice" but the acutely piquant lick on the fade-out is sweet enough to draw a smile from even the most zorched of lude-loaded glitter kids. "Marionette" meanwhile, is overblown, complete with a blaring horn section, squealing guitar solos and dialogue interludes. "Crash Street Kidds" even has machine guns! All this mayhem is tempered with "Trudi's Song," a breezy love song with a standout solo that sounds like it came courtesy of Mick Ronson. "Through the Looking Glass" is awesomely grandiose, exploding in symphonic ecstasy that reeks of dramatic excess in the best possible way--it always reminds me of the emotional rollercoaster that is the E.T. score. "Roll Away the Stone" was the single, and rightly so; it's wholly accessible while revealing the secrets to Mott the Hoople's appeal: keen lyrics, hooky song structures and adept instrumentation. Dig it!