This is actually from a CD and not a record. Chia Pet was a band from Chicago in the late 80's early 90's. I saw these guys quite a few times as a kid because the drummer was a good skate buddy of mine. For those who have perhaps read everything I've written over the years you may have picked up on the fact that as a kid I was all about skateboarding. My friends and I had a skateboard team and we called ourselves Team SAP. If you ever wondered where the name for the blog came from, well now you have your answer. So below is a picture of Kurt Stevens who drummed in Chia Pet as well as another great Chicago band No Empathy.
I hadn't listened to this disc for quite a few years and I threw it on last week. It holds up great. The opening track is just fantastic. A song about Valerie Bertinelli, Eddie Van Halen and even a reference to Wolfgang Van Halen who was a child at the time, but is now part of Van Halen.
"Talk About It" is also a really big stand out. This song will get up and dancing for sure. And "Meat Beer And Chocolate" not only has a great title, but the song rages as well.
I've also included a scan of a Chia Pet matchbook that I've somehow managed to keep all these years. Came across it recently and decided it needed to be scanned. To tell you the truth, the matchbook is what kicked off my listening to the CD and deciding I should share the music.
Am I on a roll or what? Another post in the same week. This is my companion piece to the More record from the post last week. I picked this up for the cover, especially the hair. The actual music on the record is pretty weak. The first track is okay, and by that I mean it isn't un-listenable. The rest of the record is all rather dreadful and not even in a cheeseball fun way. It's just bad. The badness reminds me of Dirk Diggler's band in Boogie Nights.
Enjoy! (if you can)
Side 1 01 Too Late 02 Lies On The Run 03 Let Them Talk 04 Babe
Side 2 05 Eye Of The Storm 06 Doin' What I Feel 07 Let The Time Take Care 08 I Should Have Told You 09 Stay
Taking a break from the record posts today. Thought I'd share a track that I'm in love with these days. Came across this a week or so ago one morning in the car and was blown away. The song starts off slow and quiet and then a drum beat kicks in. It picks up like it is going to be a good little dance track. But then about 4 minutes in you get a big punch right to the gut. I'm not joking there. This bass kicks in that rocks you to the core. The mirrors on my car were vibrating and I felt like I had gone to some sort of bass heaven. The song lyric says it perfectly. "Rippin' my heart was so easy, so easy, launch your assault now." That is what it feels like the bass is doing. I wish I was younger and still going to dance clubs, because I would love experience this in a club. It is the kind of song I could get lost in on the dance floor. Close my eyes and just dance. So put on some headphones and feel this song. Then go find the song for your mobile device of choice because you will want this song with you.
I can't even remember when I picked up this record. I can tell by the symbol in pen on the back that it was a while back because I have a bunch of records with that symbol. Someone marked all their records with that symbol instead of their name and then the whole collection ended up at the thrift store. I purchased a bunch of records from that collection back in the day. So why post this record now. Why even digitize this record now. Well the story goes like this. This last year I bought my first house. Yes, I know. It is exciting. So the house has this long hallway and I decided that for Christmas this year I would hang all Christmas album down the whole hallway. Stay with me, this will work its way back to More. So those Christmas records stayed up until the end of January. They were the last Christmas decorations to come down. Part of the reason it took so long was I couldn't decide what the new theme should be with the records. One afternoon I looked through all the records, specifically for album covers to get some inspiration for a theme. I was toying with the idea of all Sinatra records, metal records and hard core punk records from the 80's. I ended up going with the hard core punk theme. Also during this search I pulled records that I had forgotten about or perhaps never even listened to that might be good candidates for the blog. Well, this record was one of those records. So now two months later it is finally making it to these pages.
I didn't know anything about this band before buying it and even before listening to it. In fact I thought the band name was Warhead up until I began doing research for this blog. I had to rename all my files and re-upload them once I discovered that mistake. Most of my reading came from this very informative article about More and review of this very record. I'm glad I stumbled across it because I was about to post that it was hard to find anything on this band, but as it turns out it was because I had the wrong name.
I gave the record a good solid listen this morning on my morning walk. As I walked I thought about what I might write. They sounded to me like they were part of the whole New Wave of British Heavy Metal, which I then confirmed through that blog review.
The other thing I new I had to mention was the opening of "Fire". It starts off with the lyric "I am the god of hellfire" which of course reminded me of "Fire" by Prodigy. I did some quick research on where Prodigy got their sample. It wasn't from More, but was from Arthur Brown's 1968 track "Crazy World Of Arthur Brown". So how's that for going on a random thread of thought. All I know is I want to track down "Crazy World Of Arthur Brown" now. Needless to say, "Fire" is one of the better tracks. Overall I'd say side one had the better tracks. "Road Rocket" is solid and a decent album opening. The opening riffs remind me of "Blackout" which opening the Scorpions record of the same name, but was release the year following this record. However if I had to choose between the two songs, Scorps would win. "Soldier" pretty good. 'Reminds me of Judas Priest or maybe Rainbow comes to mind as well. Some tasty guitar licks in there. I really like "Depression". Lyrically it kind of reminds me of something a punk band may sing about, but musically it is square in the land of hard rock or heavy metal. The rest of the tracks are standard fair. Listenable, but nothing you want to go back to over and over.
As for the artwork, I dig on the simplicity which is why it was also a candidate for the wall. I also like the name Warhead. It's so 80's. We were all so afraid of nuclear war or nuclear meltdowns. The nuclear war fear has subsided and I think even the meltdown fear has lessened until recent events in Japan. Even still it was a great 80's theme in metal and even punk rock.
The other reason I suspected the album would be somewhat decent was the picture on the back. To me it clearly says that these guys mean business. These guys aren't getting by on their looks, so I had to assume they had some musical chops to get them a record deal. That isn't the case for the next record I will post. I'll leave you with that tease for the next posting, which shouldn't be too far away.
Enjoy!
01 Road Rocket
02 Fire
03 Soldier
04 Depression
05 Warhead
06 Way Of The World
07 We Are The Band
08 I Have No Answers
More - Warhead.zip
01 Road Rocket
02 Fire
03 Soldier
04 Depression
05 Warhead
06 Way Of The World
07 We Are The Band
08 I Have No Answers
Here's a bonus track from the German release. "Lord Of Twilight"
Picked this record up a few months back. Didn't really know the band, but it looked like some 80's club goodness so I bought it. The tracks are quintessential 80's dance club fair.
About a month ago while listening to one of my favorite podcasts "Stuck In The 80's" this band came up. They came up when talking about Boy George. There was mention that the singer of the band "Spear Of Destiny" sued Boy George because Boy George claimed to have a romantic fling with him. They didn't mention the singers name, but it was Kirk Brandon who was in Culture Club briefly in the very early days before they ever recorded anything. The hosts said they didn't really know the band either, but because I had just picked up the record I actually new the band. It's funny because just a few months earlier and I would have been just in the dark as they were. Wikipedia had this to say.
In his 1995 autobiography Take It Like A Man, Boy George wrote of a romantic relationship with Brandon, prompting Brandon to begin a High Court action against George.[3] George, taking the witness stand, faced a "malicious falsehood" charge brought against him by Brandon, who was then married with an 18 month daughter. The reason Brandon brought a "malicious falsehood" charge instead of one of "slander" was that Brandon, already declared a bankrupt, could receive legal aid for the former but not the latter. Brandon denied that the pair had once enjoyed a sexual relationship but subsequently lost the case, when witnesses for the defense, including a former girlfriend, confirmed he and George had often been seen together.
After the trial, Brandon's marriage broke down; his wife returned to her homeland of Denmark with his daughter whilst Brandon became addicted to antidepressants (see below). During the trial, George claimed that Brandon had been the love of his life and that he still loved him.[4][unreliable source?] In 2010, BBC Television produced Worried About The Boy, a 90 minute dramatisation of Boy George's rise to fame in the early 1980s which included his relationship with Brandon. George was portrayed by the actor Douglas Booth and Brandon was portrayed by Richard Madden.
In January 2008, Brandon sued GlaxoSmithKline UK over personal injuries as a result of taking the anti-depressant drug Seroxat.[5] Earlier last year, Brandon was awarded the full extent of his claims.
In August 2009, Brandon had a series of heart attacks which led him to have an eight hour operation at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, East Sussex where his aortic valve was replaced with a pig's valve.
Wikipedia has some other interesting things to say about Kirk Brandon. Read more here.
Allmusic also helped fill in the story of what happened to the band. Here's what they have to say.
Released on Virgin's 10 subsidiary, Outland spawned Spear of Destiny's biggest hits yet, "Stranger in Our Town," "Never Take Me Alive," "Was That You," and "The Traveller." The group also toured with U2, an outing which culminated at Wembley Stadium in June, 1987. But before the group could capitalize on their sudden success, tragedy struck. Literally on the eve of an appearance at the Reading Festival, Brandon was diagnosed with Reiter's Syndrome and ordered to bed. He spent a year flat on his back, barely able to move at a time when Spear of Destiny's commercial stock had never been higher. Outland was their biggest seller yet; their first tour of America was beckoning... and the brightest spot on the horizon was the possibility that Brandon might be able to learn to walk again.
They never really recovered after that. They've continued on with various lineups and have been releasing records until as recently as 2006.
As was mentioned above "Strangers In Our Town" was a single from the album "Outland" which was released in 1987. Haven't ever listened to the album, but based on these three tracks I think I'd like to give it a try. If I ever come across it I would pick it up.
I really like "Strangers In Our Town". It starts off pretty dark, which I'm digging on. The overall song actually isn't dark though. Reminds me of INXS from this same time. The other two tracks are okay as well. "Tonight" starts off good, but I think goes on just a little too long. "The Man That Never Was" is the weakest of the three but still not too bad.
Enjoy!
01 Strangers In Our Town (Extended Version).m4a
02 Tonight (Extended Version).m4a
03 The Man That Never Was.m4a
Spear Of Destiny - Strangers In Our Town.zip
This is "Strangers In Our Town" (Extended Version)
Here is "Strangers In Our Town" and "Was That You & Jackstraw) live circa 1987.
I guess it is about time I post this record. I have three albums by Pat. The first I posted way back in 2008. The second was in 2009. They have been very popular requests since I took down the links. Usually I share this record with folks as well even though I had not posted it yet.
So what can I say about this record. Pat is great... of course. The songs are classics. She's cute as a button on the cover as well. If Pat Suzuki is new to you, this is a good introduction, though my favorite record is still "Broadway '59". If you are interested in hearing that record, send me an e-mail.
The video below is an extra bonus I just discovered. It is Pat singing one of my favorite songs also found on "Broadway '59", "I Enjoy Being A Girl". Another cool thing for me is to actually see video of Peter Filichia. I don't really know this guy, but he spells his last name the same as mine and so I've seen his name pop up over the years on the internet. He's a reporter and so I've seen articles written by him. Anyways, it is by pure coincidence that I finally get to see what he looks like because he introduced Pat.
Here is another vintage clip of Pat.
And this is a nice montage put together with lots of great images.
I got the new Adele record recently and I simply loved it. Do check it out if you haven't already. I mention that because when doing some reading on Adele, one writer compared her to Dusty Springfield. Now I know that this isn't Dusty, but I often think of Petula Clark when I think of Dusty Springfield. I think it is because they are both female English pop singers from the same era. So I recently picked up this Petula Clark record and digitized it. While listening to it I thought sharing this record might be a good way to celebrate the new Adele record. I probably won't share it for long, because it is Warner Brothers and I'm sure this is readily available somewhere, though I can't find any version of the CD on amazon. Still, I bet the songs are on various compilations.
This record was the first American release for Petula. Before hitting with the single "Downtown" in the States, Petula was already a hit in her home country. She had been performing since she was a child on both radio and TV. She began recording pop records in her teens in the 50's. The single "Downtown" was recorded in 3 languages other than English and was a hit in a whole slew of other countries when Joe Smith from Warner heard it and acquired the rights for America. The song went to number one on the billboard charts. Following the success of that song, this album was released on Warner Brothers in the US.
The album is full of well produced pop tunes mostly on the topic of love, lost love, etc. "True Love Never Runs Smooth" is a great opener. Sounds like something right out of tin pan alley. Reminds me of something out of the Bacharach/David writing room. The same room that produced "Wishin' and Hopin'" by Dusty Springfield the same year.
"Baby It's Me" is an up beat number. Petula's voice and the song itself reminds me of something from She and Him, the Zoey Deschenel project. This video below should give you an idea of what I'm talking about. Good 60's pop.
Track 3 is "Now That You've Gone". My rip isn't very good. It is the most muffled of all the tracks. It's not too bad of a tragedy, because it's not my favorite track.
"Tell Me (That It's Love) has that good 60's almost surf guitar thing going. Reminds me a little of perhaps The Raveonettes. Okay, maybe that is a stretch. Just the opening guitar put me in a Raveonettes mindset.
"Crying Through A Sleepless Night" sounds like something from the previous decade. It sounds a little more hit parade. It even has a sort of faux exotic sound to it. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but it sounds like it is trying to make reference to a middle east vibe, while also having a cowboy Western vibe with a harmonica or something like that. It is interesting. It has a studio choir behind it which I think is what gives me the hit parade vibe. Sounds maybe a little more Doris Day, than something from the 60's.
"In Love" gets us back into the decade with this bluesy number. This is a great track, showing Pet's soulful side. This is a good candidate for a Valentine mix for sure.
"Music" - Not great, but not bad.
"Be Good To Me" - Okay. Would fit in a Lesley Gore set easily.
"This Is Goodbye" and "Let Me Tell You" also would be a good Lesley Gore track. Solid song.
"You Belong To Me" is a great song to begin with and Petula really does a bang up job with it. This song will get stuck in your head. Reminds me of "She's Got You" by Patsy Cline.
And then the record closes with the big hit "Downtown". Such a solid song. I love a song like this that start off with just some simple piano chords and they are just perfect. They set the mood and when you hear them, you instantly know the song. If you don't know it, you probably are thinking, "oh I know this. What is this?". Then after that first verse around 25 seconds in that wall of sound thing kicks in, at least I think it qualifies as wall of sound and the song lifts to a whole new level. By now you are just completely sucked in and helpless to the song. You have to listen to the end and like any really good pop tune, that won't be long. Before you know it 3 minutes is up and the bliss is over. Time to put a dime in the jukebox and cue it up again.
So that's the record. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Enjoy!
Get it here.
01 True Love Never Runs Smooth 02 Baby It's Me 03 Now That You've Gone 04 Tell Me (That It's Love) 05 Crying Through A Sleepless Night 06 In Love 07 Music 08 Be Good To Me 09 This Is Goodbye 10 Let Me Tell You 11 You Belong To Me 12 Downtown
Probably my first exposure to the track "Downtown" was through the B52's. Check it out below.
Today is the first record to be posted that has undergone some audio clean up. I purchased ClickRepair finally and used it to get rid of some of the pops and extra noise. I must say I am quite pleased with the results. There is still a little bit of vinyl sound on there, but I like that. It still feels like a record, but without sounds that stand out.
I picked this record up just a few months back in a thrift store. I have a couple Tito Puente records already in the collection so I was already pretty sure I wouldn't be disappointed. Other than a little dust, which I did my best to clean off, the record was in pretty good condition. I think it was the first record I threw on the turn table the afternoon I purchased it along with some other records. Right off the bat, from the first horn blasts I knew I had found a gem.
If you like some of those lounge compilation discs that were so popular in the late 90's, you'll love this record. This is bid band easy listening lounge music at its finest. Playing this in the house really sets a nice mood when you want to relax. I also was playing the record in the car this morning on the way to work and it made the morning, that much brighter. I'm so happy I've digitized it now and can have it with me on the go.
As a bonus I've found this clip on YouTube of Tito on The Simpsons.
Chances are that this was my first exposure to Tito. Certainly I had heard the name as a kid, but I think this was the first music I had ever heard from him. Thank you Simpsons. That is really my only personal story or experience with Tito Puente.
More info on Tito of course can be found on Wikipedia.
Enjoy!
Tito Puente - Dancing Under Latin Skies.zip
01 Brazil 02 Perfidia 03 Acapulco 04 Yours 05 Dancing Under Latin Skies 06 Tampico 07 Frenesi 08 Port-au-Pleasure 09 Chattanooga Choo Choo 10 Juanita 11 Sand In My Shoes 12 Cuban Pete
And the music keeps coming.
