Simply stated - It's Tuesday.

[Dusty Chalk]

LOTW: Tie between Carina Round, The Disconnection (love Love LOVE that sequence of Monument/Motel '74) and Tiefschwarz, Eat Books. They're so completely different (the former being "organic" and the latter being synthetic), that I can't really pick one over the other.

I really should get around to listening to some of that stuff I've downloaded. Damit.

[MindGoneHaywire]

Managed to patch some serious holes in my collection with a few things I've been looking for, for years. How I came to locate & purchase these albums is directly related to the Sony/BMG DRM issue. But they were indeed purchased legally, and it was nice to be able to do so after the frustration in never finding some of these because the power inherent in one's ability to protect their intellectual property has resulted in some of these being, well, impossible to find. I suppose I could've gone looking on Ebay, but I spend so much time there that actually shopping on the site is something I rarely have the interest to pursue once I've spent countless hours doing my thing. Anyway, here are some of them:

Dennis Wilson—Pacific Ocean Blue
Dr. John—Gris Gris
Neil Young—Zuma
Leonard Cohen—Various Positions
Ringo Starr—Sentimental Journey
Serge Gainsbourg—Couleur Café
Rolling Stones—Jamming With Edward
The Pursuit Of Happiness—She’s So Young (an amazing pop single I've long had a video on a tape somewhere, but never had or even saw a copy of their CD)
Television—Adventure
The Libertines—Up The Bracket

The Ringo is sort of a joke, but a nice one, with a good backing band tackling some tasty standards, and if he's really not the guy to be attempting a project like this, it beats the p*ss out of Barry Manilow singing Sinatra, for one. But it's mostly a novelty listen, even if it is better to my ears than, say, Michael Buble. But, as much as I'm not crazy about the guy, I'd reach for Harry Connick first for this sort of thing. Or perhaps Jamie Cullum.

The Gainsbourg is amazing, the only one I didn't have in the set of 3 comps put out by Phillips some years ago that seem to summarize his career quite efficiently, even if none of 'em touch on Melody Nelson. But that's a work unto itself that probably doesn't work on a comp anyway.

Jamming with Edward is as poor as what I expected given everything I've read about it; I had heard it once before, but figured it was worth at least a listen, considering the presence of Ry Cooder, the discounted price, and that I listen to certain things with different ears considering 20 years have passed since I heard it. Lazy, sloppy, uninspired, uninteresting, but something a Stones fanatic just has to hear, even if only once.

I haven't heard the Television album in more than 18 years, either. The idea of them trying to top Marquee Moon is more than daunting, but it's a good rec, that's for sure. I still don't understand the disconnect I hear between this, the first one, the ROIR stuff, and the Dire Straits-esque effort from 1992. Well, never mind that. This is good, yo.

The Dennis Wilson is something I've never even seen in the years since I rediscovered the Beach Boys, let alone heard. What I have are files that I need to turn up the volume on before rendering a firm opinion. What it sounds like, though, is a far more proficient bunch of songs than some of the stuff on albums like Holland & Carl & the Passions, certainly more interesting, but definitely a similar style. I need more hear.

The Neil Young & the Dr. John are both incredible. I'm not a big fan of his later 'Gumbo' stuff, which has a totally different feel & I'm not crazy about that production, either. This stuff is amazing. As is Zuma, and I haven't gotten to Comes A Time or Prairie Wind yet. I'll report back.

Also Loretta Lynn's Van Lear Rose. Interesting...I have to give it another spin. Sounds good, though.

My Morning Jacket—Z. So far I prefer It Still Moves, but that's subject to change. Not sure if I hear what everyone loves about this yet, and I sure loved that last rec, but I need to hear it more.

A Beatles comp I call “Remedial Beatles Appreciation," and a lot of Rolling Stones; the Lucinda Williams Live DVD from Austin City Limits...these DVDs must work better as CDs. They're just a bit of a challenge to sit through when there's so little movement or stage energy. Performance is good/very good, songs are solid. But I'm on record as being disappointed with the Live At The Fillmore album, too. Still.

Nirvana—Sliver. Can they find anything else to flog? This is becoming downright undignified. I'm a little dismayed about the idea of that new-ish Ramones box, the one with the cartoons, too. Was that really necessary? Cartoons, good. Redundant reissue, unnecessary, maybe a bit hypocritical considering the stance of the Ramones on that sort of aspect of the rock-star-band repackages, uh, thing. But then, the more exposure to the Ramones, the better. Oh, and I came across a very-well-recorded boot of a few songs from a 1985 show. That's when I first started going to see them, and Richie was the most energetic drummer they ever had. The live show that a lot of people caught a whiff, or more, of, following Marky's return that covered the last 10 years they were together, was born when Richie joined the fold & the velocity increased significantly. And they were much sloppier with Marky when he came back & the band had moved towards playing significantly faster on a regular basis. Marky was & is a superior drummer, and extremely versatile, the finest technical musician the band ever had, but Richie was their best drummer. That band could only respond well to very subtle changes...of the sort that Richie brought along. It's too bad it didn't work out with him. The live show with him pounding the skins was pretty incredible.

Another boot I came across is some Stooges from 1972; varying quality, some Raw Power sessions, what sounds like a radio performance or two, and some pieces to the puzzle that was the Raw Power album, which have been available for years, but I never had this stuff. Not great, but essential for a Stooges freak like me.

Asylum Street Spankers—My Favorite Record: more goooood rootsy stuff. Brian Eno, Music For...an inability to listen. What do I have here? 4 CDs? Music For Movies, oh, sorry, films, More Music for films, Apollo, and Thursday Afternoon. The overall effect is that I want to reach for this here Kronos Quartet disc, or at least give the Ry Cooder ode to the destruction of the nabe, Chavez Ravine, where they built Dodger Stadium, which has disappointed me greatly so far. The Eno, I wouldn't use as an interrogation tool. Well, maybe I would.

Etta James—At Last!, some Earth, Wind & Fire, and some groovy electronica--Fantastic Plastic Machine, Balligomingo, Chris Joss.

And a dang fine singer-singwriter rec from a guy named Eugene Edwards. I might've mentioned his name already, I don't know. I've been out of it like a mofo, so if I repeat myself, forgive me. FA, that item we discussed is in the works, I should have it together within a few days, let me know if there's a time constraint.

Now to pop that Bette Midler sings Peggy Lee, produced by Barry Manilow, into my box here so I can cop some of that groovy XCP software. You should see the pile of worthless discs here I refuse to sell because of this friggin' garbage. This Sony thing reveals more incompetence, deceit, arrogance, & brazen hostility towards their paying customers with each passing day. Anyone see this?

I know this belongs in that other thread, but just think for a second about the implications of this...

http://www.videobusiness.com/article/CA6283697.html

[-Jar-]

The Pursuit Of Happiness—She’s So Young (an amazing pop single I've long had a video on a tape somewhere, but never had or even saw a copy of their CD)


did you pick up LOVE JUNK? Man, I love that album. The lyrics on some of the songs are killer, esp. "Man's Best Friend" and "Walking in the Woods" - really great, smart stuff. Everyone has heard "I'm An Adult Now" but yea, "She's So Young" was THE killer single as far as I was concerned. Whatever happened to Moe Berg?

-jar

[Davey]

Jamming with Edward is as poor as what I expected given everything I've read about it; I had heard it once before, but figured it was worth at least a listen, considering the presence of Ry Cooder, the discounted price, and that I listen to certain things with different ears considering 20 years have passed since I heard it. Lazy, sloppy, uninspired, uninteresting, but something a Stones fanatic just has to hear, even if only once.

Hahaha! I picked up a copy of that loser about ten years ago at the used record store. WTF, never heard of this one before? I love the Stones and I love Ry Cooder, this has gotta be great! Fortunately only cost me a couple bucks to find out what most fans already learned long ago. Drugs + too much studio time + no one smart enough to turn off the recorder = hippo balls.

I haven't heard the Television album in more than 18 years, either. The idea of them trying to top Marquee Moon is more than daunting, but it's a good rec, that's for sure. I still don't understand the disconnect I hear between this, the first one, the ROIR stuff, and the Dire Straits-esque effort from 1992. Well, never mind that. This is good, yo.

Love that Adventure, as I've often said around here. Great album, more pop than Marquee Moon, but sometimes I like it more. Probably have listened to it more than the debut over the years. You and your Dire Straits, hehehe, that self titled album is easily one of the best of the 90s. Bought it when it first came out since I was a huge Verlaine fan and had most of his solo stuff too, but it just totally knocked me out. Mesmerizing. Still listen to it regularly and even used a song on one of my latest comps. His all instrumental album at the same time was also brilliant. Couple Televison with some La's and Matthew Sweet's Girlfriend and PJ Harvey's Dry, and my early 90s coulda been spent on the proverbial desert island with few musical complaints

[Davey]

LOTW: Tie between Carina Round, The Disconnection (love Love LOVE that sequence of Monument/Motel '74)...

Yeah, too bad she got such little notice. Maybe she'll come over here now and hook up with Steve Albini and make magic. Girl, ya gotta get away from those idiots at Interscope unless you're gonna get some implants and hit the Maxim circuit with a crapper full of recycled hip hop beats and Playboy dancers. If ya wanna play rock and roll, grab your soul back and move over to Too Pure or one of the other good indies