RIP Jerry Lee Lewis

There’s a lot of discussion these days about the difference between art and the performer. There’s probably not a much bigger example of that double edged sword than Jerry Lee Lewis. Already enough of a personality for a biopic in my youth, Dennis Quaid’s portrayal probably only made me like him more. In the early 90s, Rhino re-released “Live at the Star Club, Hamburg 1964” finally as a CD with the ensuing publicity surrounding it as the greatest live album of all time. It’s a full decade (and several universes) from Iggy’s Metallic KO but it is no doubt deserving of its reputation. Counter to my previous image of 50s rock n roll singers, Lewis is for 40 minutes, the Sonic combination of Johnny Rotten, the Ramones, Jimi Hendrix and Little Richard. All of the stories are true. For the first part of my life, I frequented a small town Record Store that was a local institution for many years. It was a usual stop for me and my friends as vinyl gave way to CDs up until Best Buy finally got the niche for cost and selection in the late 90s. Even then, we often figured a couple of dollars were worth it to support the proprietor- someone who seemingly was tied to rock n roll from birth- the same age, the accompanying haircut and a store full of expensive glam rock imports. One needn’t ask, but of course, his favorite artist was Jerry Lee Lewis. Per Google search, the store was in operation from 1978 until 2017. Ironically, around the time that vinyl was becoming a hot commodity again (though of course, as the appropriate retirement age was also near) it closed. Still, I know those of a certain age and location will always hold it in their memory.

Doc Watch- Dark Side of the 90s

I’m a big wrestling fan, so I have really enjoyed the Dark Side of the Ring series on the Vice channel. It was a big hit for the channel which quickly rolled out similar series for comedians and athletes, and in invading VH1 territory, the 1990s Plenty of stuff to cover in the 90s- Jerry Springer, Beverly Hills, 90210, Hip Hop, David Koresh, Ultimate Fighting, Amy Fisher, Rush Limbaugh, Baywatch, the internet and more. So of course, grunge gets an episode. Despite the sensationalism of the series, the Dark Side of “Grunge and the Seattle Sound” is actually as a good of a documentary one can do on Sub Pop in an hour minus commercials. Two men were largely responsible for Sub Pop and this features one (Bruce Pavitt - who came up with the name and first release) and is missing another (Jonathan Poneman- the business partner and current label head). Producer Jack Endino and photographer Charles Petersen also feature. There’s so much ground to cover, but a lot of the early touch points get namechecked (Sub Pop 100, Green River, Tad, Mudhoney, Soundgarden) and then transitions to the Nirvana story. There’s a bit of sensationalism here, but it still ties into the Sub Pop story. There’s an aside to the New York Times “Lexicon of Grunge” article, too. As an indie rock fan, I enjoyed it. I was really surprised that it focused almost slowly on Sub Pop, even providing that satisfying denouement of the label surviving rocky times being resurrected by a new wave of successful artists like the Postal Service. (The one part that the doc gets wrong is saying grunge was usurped by boy bands like N’Sync and the Backstreet Boys. Yes, everything has an expiration date, but I don’t think that was the same audience. Now, Nu metal and even late 90s gangsta rap, maybe). There’s little to no mention of the bigger name non-SubPop bands like Pearl Jam, Mother Love Bone, and Alice In Chains and so on. But those interested in Indie record labels or Sub Pop, I doubt you would be disappointed.

RIP Coolio

Since I write about music, I’m often tempted to write about musicians who passed, but not sure always when. It can be a full time job if one would do just that (so thank you @Rest_In_Peace) In September, rapper Coolio passed away at aged 59. Coolio’s braids, generally party-style lyrics and B-movie career seemed to make him a 90s novelty. His legacy oddly overshadowed by a beef with Weird Al when he said he had refused to grant permission of “Gangsta’s Paradise” for parody. (Coolio had long since made peace with this feud, pointing out that if Michael Jackson thought it was fine with it (and MJ was the biggest singer in the world) then why should Coolio complain). I saw Coolio live in concert at the Lollapalooza 1995 Second Stage. In retrospect, I won’t hold that performance against him. If I went to a Courtney Love concert and started rapping in the parking lot, I doubt I’d have a very high ceiling of success, no matter how talented I was. This post isn’t the proverbial burial of Coolio though, I really did come here to praise him. Gangsta’s Paradise (like the movie it was associated with, Dangerous Minds) is so serious, it is ripe for parody, but it’s also perfectly constructed. It is one of those songs that sounded so fresh that it literlaly turns the Radio on its edge Coolio’s career yielded the three Top 5 songs everyone might remember, but also three other songs in the Top 30. That’s not a bad tally. Also per Wiki, his 2006 album Return of the Gangsta, propelled by a duet with Snoop Dogg, charted in Europe. Until I looked it up, I didn’t remember 95s “Too Hot” which was a remake/tribute to the Kool and the Gang song with lyrics about safe sex. I do better to remember 96’s basketball themed “All the Way Live” which I recall getting quite a bit of video play at the time. Ditto the reflective after-world post-Crossroads slow jam “C U When U Get There”. No surprise though, the best songs are the ones that everyone knows. Breakthrough “Fantastic Voyage” marries personal narrative to Parliament funk. But, even better in my view is sequel “1..2..3..4 (Sumpin’ New)”. In fact, you might think I am taking the piss, it’s really one of my favorite songs ever. It takes a sample from Jazz trumpeter Tom Browne, and then, of all things, adds a vocal from an early 80s novelty rap song parodying BBC broadcaster Alan Whicker- and, of cours,e the ubiquitous “Good Times” riff by Chic for all the ingredients- to which Coolio was the perfect rapper to bring it home . A song that simultaneously can fit in on 90s nostalgia radio between Green Day and Mariah Carey or throwback Hip Hop stations in between Nas and Tupac.

Cold Weather Music

Everything is cyclical and at various points, I have decided to do topical playlists. Today reminded me of one I made with songs about cold and/or bad weather. The Choir- It's Cold Outside Joy Division- Ice Age Robert Cray Band- The Forecast (Calls for Pain) JJ72- Snow Bangles Hazy Shade of Winter (#betterthantheoriginal ?) Nick Cave and the BadSeeds- Fifteen Feet of Pure White Snow Tom Waits- Cold, Cold Ground Marc Almond- Heart on Snow Rod Stewart -Mandolin Wind What would you add?

Branson & the Dolly Stampede

We went to Branson which is a fairly close (5-6 hour) drive. I hadn’t been in 20 years. That cliche Branson of 2000 is slightly changed. You won’t see Ray Stevens Theater or Jim Stafford or Andy Williams or Yakov Smirnoff or the Oak Ridge Boys. The last time I went I saw Mel Tillis and Boxcar Willie. Both have passed of course, but name performers are a thing of the past. More Generic performers leaning strongly toward impersonators and Christian theater are the rule of the day (and don’t fear Shoji is still there, too). Trying to find some of the best experiences in the area, we landed on Dolly Parton’s Stampede. Dolly is probably the one artist that is universally loved by everyone now that Johnny Cash has passed (I suppose Willie Nelson is on the list too. The Stampede is dinner theater with a focus on horses and Americana and a history of America with Buffalos, comedy and home style cooking. Think of essentially Wild West and a country music version of Medieval Times. It is unsurprisingly patriotic. I didn’t expect Howard Zinn, of course, at the same time I thought it was a fairly well done Midwest red state take on what makes the country great. I was surprised the competing groups were still being divided by North and South- surely, better terms could be thought of, though of course, it was meant to be innocuous. In recent years, Dolly has changed the name which previously had been the Dixie Stampede. Without a doubt, this is a place that recognizes its audience (older Conservative and white) and I recognize that. But it was fun and it was well done and if it aimed for patriotism, it at least did so in a unifying non-partisan way. Branson style is as much about spectacular entertainment as it is about productions that tend to be heavy handed, gimmicky and preachy. One has to do a certain amount of homework, so it was nice that Dolly’s Stampede held up to her name. The food was good, service solid and the trick riding was fun to watch. I was entertained. If one finds themselves in Branson and looking for something to do, I’d put it in the short list.

Album Review: Swami John Reis- Ride the Wild Night

In 2022, Swami John Reis released his first solo album. Which doesn’t feel like much of an event, because Reis is so prolific under so many names. If you don’t recognize the name right away, you will likely recognize his work in Rocket from the Crypt, Hot Snakes or Drive Like Jehu. But he might be the busiest guy on music this side of Mike Patton, as a member of the Back Off Cupids, Custom Floor, the Sultans, the Night Marchers and a few more. In 2015, he collaborated with the Blind Shake for the album Modern Surf Classics. Indeed the new album Ride the Wild Night isn’t even Reis’s first album of the year. That would be the self titled Plosivs debut- the band formed with Pinback’s Rob Crow and RFTC/Against Me drummer Atom Williard. Like Jon Spencer, who also has a new album out, Reis is a rock lifer. And although Spencer atypically is being lauded for his new album, the two generally have been plugging away (as Uncut points out) without the kind of spotlight of say, a Jack White. Maybe Reis and Spencer don’t need critical appraisal for raw rock. I mean a song titled “Do You Still Wanna Make Out?” probably doesn’t need deep analysis (and oddly, isn’t in the Top 3 of weird song titles here). What it is though is raw rock that often reaches the high marks of the Rocket from the Crypt catalog. I haven’t give much thought for what a solo Reis record might sound like, but this is it. Reis has a real ear for pop and there’s at least three songs that could hang with a greatest hits. There’s also a few surprises - “I Hate My Neighbors…” adds synth, and it’s piano on “Days of Auld Lang Syne”. Ultimately though, this album is the definition of “it is what it is” - 60s garage rock, puerile lyrics and a good dose of shambolic swagger.

Album Review- Gogol Bordello- SOLIDARITINE

I’ve been a big Gogol Bordello fan since the beginning. Like ordering the first two records from Rubric back in 02. Like the Pogues, the energy (and sheer surprise) of the first two records were harnessed enough for more mainstream accessible records that are high watermarks- 2005s Gypsy Punks and 2007s Super Taranta. I would suggest (unlike maybe some of their contemporaries) the band really hasn’t made a bad record. Of course, with time, like any band, I am not sure any of the last three records are essential. Of those three, the last one, 2017s Seekers and Finders- a self produced record after two records with big name producers- Rick Rubin and Andrew Scheps (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Adele, Metallica, Audioslave)- is perhaps, given the bands strength as a live act, no surprise the best. It would not be a shock that current events would inspire a punk band from Ukraine to make a great record. Solidaritine is that record. Perhaps Gogol Bordello is best when treated as a punk act. Steve Albini had seemingly got it right on Gypsy Punks and Solidartine pairs the band with producer Walter Schriefels known for his stints in Youth of Today, Gorilla Biscuits and Quicksand. That connection is deepened by a cover of Fugazi’s “Blueprint” and “The End of the End of Eras” adds Bad Brains vocalist HR with nods to “Sailin On” Yet even on these songs, it sounds like Gogol Bordello, not some kind of musical makeover forcing them into a sound they don’t fit. Of note, other guest stars are Ukrainian poet Serihy Zhadan and Ukrainian pop band KAZKA. Interestingly, these moments may be the best of the album, when the punk moments meet more anthemic sounds. Solidartine is a nice surprise. A high point for a punk band 20 plus years into making music (surely tough for any punk band even when it’s the Ramones, Bad Religion or DOA or whoever).

Album Review- Andrew Bird- Inside Problems

Where to start with Andrew Bird? I go back a ways to early albums which played off musical eccentricity. I read his bio as being an ancillary member of Squirrel Nut Zippers and attributed those characteristics to his music. At the time, I heard a musician staking out his lineage to Beefheart and Waits. A friend of mine was one of the very earliest supporters (even before my 2005 dalliances) and his music fandom (I think) tends towards jam bands (Bird indeed has music on Internet Archive which tends to be a jam band heavy platform). Coming at another angle- he is alt folk and modern indie (Decemberists, Dr Dog, Father John Misty) leaning into the more eccentric side of singer songwriters like Sufjan Stevens, Beirut, Magnetic Fields, Ben Folds and Eels. It’s then not much of a stretch to think Bird could be a distant cousin to actual comic music like Jonathan Coulton and Weird Al Yankovic. In 2019, Bird released My Finest Work Yet which doesn’t account for people’s tastes, but was one of his most accessible records and I thought fitting of the title. It really showcases his witty lyrics and his ears for melody. Inside Problems feels like a counter to that. If Finest Work was his What’s Going On, well , he’s too quirky to record a Let’s Get It On, but let’s say this focuses on ummm inside problems. If Bird is going to do whatever he wants, he is using this time to throw some evidence of great American songwriting in his CV. There’s no “Sisyphus” here (there’s not many songs that great anywhere) but there’s some great melodys and grooves. A lot has been made of the song “The Night Before Your Birthday” which is Bird is at his most Lou Reed like - on an album that also features a song called “Lone Didion”, a song called “Stop N Shop” which might not exactly sound like the Modern Lovers, and “Never Fall Apart” another song with auditory nods to Reed But it’s not quite the “spot the influence” game that makes the album a winner, because the album is at its best when these sounds go into the proverbial mixer to bring Bird at his most accessible. Bird is still likely to remain a “love him or hate him” proposition but if you gave up on him during the decade since Noble Beast, this is a good time to jump back in.

What I am Listening to : TOY

To badly paraphrase a certain former Secretary of Defense, you are born with the artists you have, not the ones you wish you had. For me, the 80s were a nadir for some great artists- The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and David Bowie. While also mining the treasure of his previous records, I do follow on all of his new material. I actually am an advocate for his 90s work. Flawed sure, but it’s not as bad as it seems Tin Machine has become a punchline, but the album is fine. I do think Black Tie White Noise is not good, but I love the ambition. Outside is ambitious and flawed, though certainly it would be a highlight in anyone else’s career. I know not everyone loves Earthling, and it’s got a 90s production vibe, but it’s a great beginning to end listen. Hours similarly misses some hopeful artistic heights, but has more good than bad. For some “off” decades, I’d still take Bowie over the decades of most any other artist. Admittedly, time brings perspective but there’s some great moments in there. Which brings us to “Toy” - an interesting idea of an album of older Bowie songs getting new life. Famously, it was shelved and eventually Heathen was the next release. Heathen is as good or better than anything 20 years before it. While it got some plaudits, I feel it was probably deserving of more. I’m not sure Toy would have moved the needle of the listening public. It seems the risk outweighs the reward. We will never know of course, but Heathen seems like the more acceptable product. Ironically perhaps, as much as I dutifully bought every Bowie product hitting the market, I didn’t chase down the bootlegs that seemed to get shared heavily on the internet. 20 or so years later, listening to Toy doesn’t particularly strike me like his other releases. I find it a very average album and I can only imagine that would have been my reaction back then. One unfavorable Big Media Outlet review says Toy's flaw is it that it has 60s melodys and 90s production. It is an interesting discussion of course. As a Bowie fan, I don’t prefer Toy over many of the albums I already mentioned, but I am glad we have it. I don’t know the right answer, but outside of releases that seem purely exploitative, I hope artists can understand the reverence that comes with this posthumous product. In death, it likely gets received the way Bowie intended it- a product for the fans, not to be reviewed by the critics. So hopefully you will see my jabs at Toy are not meant to insult. It is “extra” product. Bowie (or whoever made the decision) - much like Tin Machine- was torn by commercial pressures and sharing material with his fans. Lastly, there’s some great moments on Toy. Much as previous generations might dig through B-sides- there are unearthed treasure here. Additionally, from an artistic point of review, it makes me wonder if it helped Bowie transition to Heathen- with its well selected covers and the approaching return to creative peaks. On the extended box, one of my favorite early Bowie songs is “In the Heat of the Morning” which I hadn't heard until the Beeb sessions discs were released.

Loretta Lynn: An Appreciation

Let me start by saying traditional country music isn’t very hip and cool. Now, there’s a crowd that appreciates it (which I fall into). Johnny Cash broke through 20 years ago and there are a few songs you will hear in a non country bar like “Jolene” or “Mama Tried” but they are few and that has only happened recently. And yes, a big country single sampled Webb Pierce last year but that age has gone It, however was the sound of my childhood when I spent time with my Grandma, which was often So this isn’t the Loretta Lynn appreciation post you thought it would be. I don’t need to tell you what a badass Loretta was. “Coal Miner’s Daughter” is on the short list of best populist American song ever written, and you can imagine how much competition that category has. There is the saying that Lynn has had more songs banned from country music than all male artists combined. She herself has listed 8 including legitimate classics like The Pill and X Rated. Check out the Cocaine and Rhinestones podcast for a breakdown of why that claim is likely true. At age 72, when most artists are resting on their laurels, she made the ambitious and acclaimed Van Lear Rose with Jack White. But this is not a post about that. There are plenty of places you can read about her place in history. I often was left with my grandma’s cassettes which were a history of country music. Now, it didn’t extend to that present moment (a time I actually followed the country charts and they were exciting) but it had a lot of the Nashville Sound orchestral ballads of the likes of Jim Reeves and Eddy Arnold through the countypolitan 70s and the Urban Cowboy sound of the early 80s. Now, there are some great moments in country. I recognize that now and I recognized that somewhat then (for example, Freddy Fender wasn’t particularly exciting but he has some great moments), but I was looking for those kind of moments in what was not easily accessible music for me. I found it. Now, top of the list was Hank Williams, but I have written about him at length. The artist that stood out to me was Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn. Conway and Loretta are on the shortlist of country royalty. There’s George and Tammy (and George and Melba), Porter and Dolly (and Kenny and Dolly) and Johnny and June and in modern revisions, Emmylou and Gram, but there aren’t many others. Even if I wasn’t a big Twitty fan, there was something undeniable about the pairing. Oh come on, regardless of genre, is there a better back and forth duet than “You’re the reason our kids are ugly”. There was authenticity when the two sang which showed up in classic songs like “After the fire is gone”. These songs were 180 degrees from what I was otherwise listening to at the time, but it was the most compelling of a long list of possibilities. There’s a lot of Conway and Loretta references in Blake Shelton’s #1 “Honey Bee”. Country music has changed a lot but it will never forget Conway and Loretta.

Album Review- Spiritualized - Everything Was Beautiful

My first real exposure to Spiritualized was 1997s Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space. It was not just a bit of a mind blowing album, it was also a bit of a slow burner. Think of it in terms of something contemporary to it like OK Computer or Urban Hymns or Time Out of Mind. It was loved but maybe not as celebrated, and as trends change, it remains a great album but never gets praised as a Radiohead/White Stripes/My Bloody Valentine style greatest album. Of note, I was never a big Spaceman 3 fan and as a friend of some pretty huge Jason Pierce fans, I know that his current direction is something that I enjoy a lot more than maybe others do. Everything was Beautiful is quite literally a continuation of 2018’s Nothing Hurt. Without context, it might be in the ballpark of any other Fat Possum release- some kind of modern gospel blues album created by a kid whose idea of country is that 70s era Rolling Stones and Flying Burrito Brothers. The guest list on this album includes Nikki Lane, one of the more exciting voices in alt country on “Crazy”. The lyrics feel intimate doubling down on a certain outlaw vibe. I can’t help but think of Mercury Rev, a band that I could write the same review about changing the reference to 98’s Deserter’s Songs and more explicitly embraced traditional country similarities by recording an album of Bobby Gentry songs. Yet what to make of an album with a song that is written as an homage to the Fun House Stooges. To crib from Waylon, I’m not sure that Gram Parsons would have done it that way. Nor would I feel comfortable saying this sounds like a different band than the one who recorded Ladies and Gentleman. Best Thing You Never Had sounds like something off Exile On Main Street, yes, but turns up the noise for a modern sound. Closer track I’m Coming Home Again sounds like it could be described a thousand different ways. It fits perfectly in that psychedelic/ Velvet Underground kind of way that won’t scare anyone who heard the previous songs off My criticism of EWB is that it isn’t much different from the last few Spiritualized albums (since And Nothing Hurt came out of the same sessions, that can hardly be a harsh criticism). My counterpoint is that those albums now seen steps to the goal of a fully realized album that is his best in a decade and reaches some of the highs of L&GWaFiS. 2022 - Fat Possum

Cover Posts- Going Up by Coil

Any discussion of covers has to include “Tainted Love” about as popular a song as there ever has been. I’m a big Soft Cell fan and Marc Almond always says he regrets pairing it with another cover “Where did our love go?” and shutting himself out of song royalties. (In 2002, Soft Cell recorded “The Night” - a Four Seasons song that was the band’s second choice in 1981, and a great song, but not the greatest song) I have no idea how that works when Rihanna samples that record, but I get it. When ever anyone talks to me about covers, I almost always bring up the Coil version of that song. I mean the original is great. Soft Cell brought it to an 80s nonstop erotic cabaret and Coil turned it into a dirge. It is often mentioned as a lament to the AIDS pandemic. It’s a moving piece of music I’m going to pick another unusual Coil cover though. If you’re not already aware, Public Broadcasting in the US shows a bunch of 70s and 80s British programs. I can’t imagine I was ever the target audience for some of the older sitcoms, but I became a huge fan of Are You Being Served. 2005’s Going Up is the theme to that 70s television program, and is also unrecognizable as such. Once again, it’s built into something more. In this case, a tribute to band cofounder Jhonn Balance who passed in 04 and the elevator (that on the show) that went to Men’s clothing is a more metaphysical stairway to heaven. 2005 - Threshold

Cover Tunes- Viva la Vida by Pet Shop Boys

I am not really a Coldplay fan, but I like a few songs and Viva La Vida is undoubtedly a great song. On the other hand, I am a big Pet Shop Boys fan. Here’s a couple of things that seem ironic 1- As an electronic duo, it would seem contrary that their live albums would be good. I don’t know about this particular band, but I often hear stories from friends who have seen the band’s peers in concert and usually there are bad reviews Now, the Pet Shop Boys aren’t your usual band, and I think they really try to make it a party. Additionally, the mixture of songs in medley form seems to work well. I may never get a chance to write about 2010’s “Pandemonium” - a fantastic live album- or some of their other live records, so this will have to do. So my statement is that even if it’s been a decade, I still love it. 2- Point two is that I really love the band’s choice of covers. Again, Neil Tennant is an amazing lyricist- one of the best of his generation - but the band has some well placed covers- Always on my Mind and Go West Anyway, I love this. That’s the post 2009 - Parlophone