Thee Headcoatees - My Boyfriend's Learning Karate 7" - 75th music post

Instant classic. That is what I have to say about this record. From the great cover artwork to the song itself, this is one of my favorite singles of all time. Yes, all time. This was the record that introduced me to the greatness that was Thee Headcoatees. I first heard Holly Golightly on that White Stripes record a few years back and I wanted to know more about her. I did some research, read about Thee Headcoatees and Billy Childish and was ready to listen to whatever I could find. This was the first record I found and so I bought it. I have quite a few other releases by them, but by far this is my favorite. Okay, maybe not by far, because I also love "My Dear Watson" another crazy, goofy song of theirs.

I love the vintage sound of the song. I love the cheesy chopsocki sound effects. I love the lyrics. I love the politically incorrect faux accents. I love everything about it. I can't say it enough so I'll give up now and stop. You'll love it too, so you better get to listening.

Enjoy!

01 My Boyfriend's Learning Karate.mp3
02 Mess Of Pottage.mp3

Al Caiola - Percussion Espanol

I've had this one waiting in the wings for quite a few weeks now. I digitized the record a while ago, but I hadn't taken photos of the jacket, so I couldn't post the record. Yes, I am that concerned with making sure the posts are top quality. So when I had my recent free weekend I finally photographed the jacket and put this in the cue of things to post.

I'm not exactly where this record fits into the time line of "percussion" records that seemed to be so popular back in the day. Anyone who looks through the thrift store record bins knows that there are a boat load of records with names like Persuassive Percussion or Percussion Festival or some other variation on that idea. It seems like every label and band had to release some record on this theme. So I don't know that this record is special in any sort of ground breaking way, but it is quite good.

If you are a fan of the big band Latin music from the 50's and 60's you'll like this record. It also features some great stereo effects. The album takes full advantage of the new technology and makes sure you know that you have a right and left speaker. No center mixing here. This is something that has kind of been forgotten in recording today. Maybe it is for the better, maybe not, but I certainly enjoy it here. I enjoy the fun the engineers seem to be having playing and experimenting.

The music has one foot in the Latin tradition and one foot in the big polished lush I dare say "Hollywood" production style. The music is big and bold. It's not background music for a Spanish restaurant. It's more like music in a film set in Spain or sound of the border starring Elvis. I don't know if that makes sense, but maybe after listening to it it will.

Start to finish the album is strong. It is a great one to throw on in the evening when you're cooking or settling down for the evening. You don't have to really hit skip on any track. That isn't to say some tracks are better than others, but on a whole the album holds together as one piece.

If you listen to any track I recommend the first one "Macarenas". It's got a great guitar and what I think is dancing intro. It then kicks in with this really boisterous and bold music, that I think reminds me of something Tarantino would use if he had the chance. The song has that sort of Leone/Morricone epic quality to it that I love. This really shouldn't come as a surprise. One of Al Caiola's first hits was his recording of the theme to "The Magnificent Seven" which fits in perfectly with the sort of macho men movies Tarantino Leone and Morricone are identified with. So if you are down with any of those three entertainers I think you'll be down with "Macarenas" as well.

Enjoy!

01 Macarenas.m4a
02 Noche De Ronda.m4a
03 Malaguena.m4a
04 Grenada.m4a
05 Cielito Lindo.m4a
06 Tico Tico.m4a
07 Espana Cani.m4a
08 La Spagnola.m4a
09 El Relicario.m4a
10 La Paloma.m4a
11 Andalucia.m4a
12 Lady Of Spain.m4a

The whole thing here.

Randy Alvey & The Green Fuz - Green Fuz 7"

This one's a true underground classic made famous by The Cramps cover. This is Garage Rock in it's purest sense. Production quality next to nothing. Musicianship, just competent enough to make it through the song. I don't even think the guitars are in tune. A DYI ethic that didn't stop these guys from writing their own theme song and recording it. Hats off.

"Green Fuz" as it turns out is a revved up little rocker. The singer gives his all, with no irony. He really believes in the song and that being the Green Fuz means something.

There is also a great drum solo thrown right in the middle of the song. No one told these guys about writing pop/rock songs and if they did, they just didn't care. The drum solo kind of just comes from out of nowhere, but the guy on those drums just really lays out some mean beats. I mean he just beats the crap out of those drums when it is his moment to shine. I love it.

The B-Side is a slower song. I can see these guys performing at high school dances and such needing some sort of slow number for the couples to dance to. This was that song for them. It's not really a romantic love song, but it is the closest they were going to get.

So take a trip into Texas history with the Green Fuz with these record.

Enjoy!

01 Green Fuz.mp3
02 There Is A Land.mp3

Zoot Fenster - The Man on Page 602/Vinegar In My Wine 7"

This record is what novelty is all about. From what I've gathered, this song was apparently inspired by a Sears catalog photo in 1975 where one of the male underwear models was showing a little more of his manhood than he should have. Read more here. So Zoot decided to capitalize on the news story of the day and write a song about it. The result was this little ditty "The Man On Page 602". I don't think I can really add much more to this that the lyrics can say for themselves. I think if you read them, you'll know everything you need to know to want to listen to this song.

Hey, have you heard the latest story that's bringing on the smiles?

It has caused some blushing laughter and some anger for a while.

For those who shop by mail for all their family clothes,

In the fall-and-winter catalog, more than fashion is exposed.

In the fall-and-winter catalog on page six-hundred-two,

I see this advertisement that makes me come unglued.

The picture's got me out of sorts 'cause I don't understand:

Are they advertising boxer shorts, or are they trying to sell the man?

(I don't know.)

I'd send them all my money if I could make a wish come true.

I just wish I was that man on page six-oh-two

(Look and see. You'll agree. He's got personality.)

You know, when these wish books are delivered, anxious people start to look,

And when they price them there boxer shorts, they suddenly get shook.

Some say it's all in error. Some say all in fun.

He could be tarred and feathered, or maybe even "hung."

In the fall and winter catalog, or the wish book, so it's called,

In my mind, there's no question of what I'd like most of all.

I'd send them all my money if it would make a wish come true.

I just wish I was that man on page six-oh-two.

Yeah, I just wish I was that man on page six-oh-two.

So now that you've read the lyrics treat yourself to some country comedy.

Enjoy!

01 The Man On Page 602.mp3
02 Vinegar In My Wine.mp3

Rick Springfield - Beginnings - 1972

Before seeing this record I really didn't know anything about pre-Jessie's Girl/Pre General Hospital Rick Springfield. I knew he had some sort of a singing career before 1980, but that was the extent of it.

This record is Rick's solo debut from 1972. I listened to this record before I did any research about the record or Rick's past. I'm glad I did because I like the record. I think there are some strong pop songs on the record. However most of the reviews of the record aren't very complimentary. It seems there is more focus on what was happening with Rick's career than on the music itself. I'm glad I didn't read any of that to taint my experience.

I did however learn some interesting things in researching the record. It seems that at the time the record company was pushing Rick as a teen heartthrob. He was doing Tiger beat photo shoots and such. He did have a hit with "Speak To The Sky", which I'm assuming is a bit of a forgotten hit, because I had never heard of it before. It reached something like 14 on the billboard charts I believe is what I read. While this was a hit, there was controversy surrounding the record. Radio DJ's boycotted the record because of the rumor that the record company was buying up the record to inflate sales. It turned out that the accusation was unfounded, but it caused enough problems that the label dropped Rick. Wikipedia has all the details here.

Another interesting tidbit of pop culture history I learned was that Rick starred in a cartoon based on him called "Mission Magic" that aired on ABC Saturday mornings. It ran for two years. I've got to see that some day. Read more here.

But what about the music? That's why you're reading right? Right? Is anyone actually reading? Well, if someone is, this is for you. The music is good. Not mindblowingly great, but definitely good. For a first record you can already see that he's got a knack for song craft. One review pointed out in a negative way that the record feels like an artist being forced into and trying to fit into the singer songwriter mold, which was so popular at the time. This may be true, but I don't think that is necessarily a bad thing. Sure, Rick's strength is writing pop tunes and 8 years later he help lay the blueprint for 80's power pop. So what does that mean for this record? It means that Rick is riffing off of a lot of influence of the time. You can hear The Beatles in some songs. McCartney especially is prevalent as an influence. I mean "What Would The Children Think" is just the Rick Springfield version of "A Day In The Life".

You can also hear T-Rex and Sweet in "Hooky Jo" which is just a straight up pop rock song.

One of the big highlights for me, though, on this record is Rick trying to fit into that serious singer songwriter mold. The song "The Unhappy Ending (Lean On Me)" is a song about a guy shooting himself in the head. This song sounds like a funeral march. it also goes into moment by moment detail of the suicide. It is so incredibly dark, that it makes me giddy. That alone made the song great to me, but then after reading about Rick's career and the history on the record, the song is really funny. It is funny because what was the record company thinking putting this song on a record that is being aimed at young teenage girls. It just seems like a bit of a disconnect as a formula for teen pop success. I wish I knew the rational here.

Another good song is "Come On Everybody" which points toward Rick's power pop strengths. Overall the album is upbeat and well written. The only real downer it the suicide song, but it is a good dramatic downer so I love it. So if you only know Rick from the 80's hits, I recommend listening to this record to hear a completely different side of Rick. I think you'll like what you hear.

Enjoy!

01 Mother Can You Carry Me.m4a
02 Speak To The Sky.m4a
03 What Would The Children Think.m4a
04 1000 Years.m4a
05 The Unhappy Ending (Lead Me On).m4a
06 Hooky Jo.m4a
07 I Didn't Mean To Love You.m4a
08 Come On Everybody.m4a
09 Why_.m4a
10 The Ballad Of Annie Goodbody.m4a

Get the whole thing here Rick Springfield.zip

Francisco Gabilondo Soler - Cri Cri MKE 4 7"

This is part 2 to a post from February 19th. I posted the "Cowboy Mouse" record by ole Franciso. I bought this record at the same time as the other record and I enjoy it almost as much as the other. To be honest it is really hard to beat that "El Raton Vaquero" song. On this record I really like "Negrito Bailarin". On this one I really don't know what it means. I assume Negrito has something to do with black, but Bailarin is a mystery to me. I'm sure there are people out there shaking their heads in utter disgust that I don't know what it means and that I haven't taken the time to look it up. To be honest I kind of like staying in the dark on this one.

Why do I like this song? Well the chorus is sweet and catchy. Also it has this bit near the end, where is sounds like tap dancing. I don't know if that is the intention, but that is what I hear.

"Jorobita" is pretty good, but my next favorite song on this record is "Marcha De Las Letras". I can make out just enough to get that the intro is setting up what the song is going to be about and then what proceeds is your basic kids song about letters marching by. At least that is what I think it is about. I could be wrong. The song has a great little marching thing going on, but not in the big military sense of the word. This is more like Christopher Robin and the wonderful characters of the 1000 acres woods having a parade. It is sweet and innocent.

Enjoy!

01 El Chorrito.m4a

02 Negrito Bailarin.m4a

03 Jorobita.m4a

04 Marcha De Las Letras.m4a

Boots Randolph - Boots With Brass - 1970

I've been excited as hell for the past few days in anticipation for today's post and for some one's I have coming up. This last weekend I actually had a day off. Work has been really crazy the last few months and so having a Saturday to myself was a welcome treat. So how did I spend my free time. I photo graphed about 52 LP jackets and ripped about 10 LP's. A couple of them I hadn't listened to for a long time and upon listening to them again I got giddy with excitement to share them with everyone. This record is the first of those records, which I'll spread out over the next few weeks.

For those who don't know Boots and as a refresher for those who do, Boots made his name with the hit song "Yakety Sax" which everyone today would recognize as the Benny Hill music. Boots cut his teeth playing with bands and as a studio musician before that breakout song. He was primarily a country musician recording out of Nashville.

The great thing, no no great, the wonderfully fantastic thing about this record is that it has no country on it at all. I'm not dissing Boots' country roots and will probably post some of his earlier work at some point. This record is a rock and funk record. Released in 1970 it feels of the time. The studio musicians backing Boots up deserve some real praise here. Now boots is great, but the bass player and the guitarist make this thing into one amazing listen.

The album kicks off with "C.C. Rider" and is simply a revelation of funk. I mean it is so strong, that you could turn off the record after that song and feel satisfied. In fact you may want to just put that song on repeat to fully digest everything that is going on in that song before moving on. There is a bit near the end of the song where Boots hits this sustained note and it sounds like the band on Saturday Night Live. I mean that as a compliment. It really reminds me of the old E.G. Smith days.

Another great number is "Hi Heel Sneakers". It has a bit of a go-go feel and it definitely has some roots in "Yakety Sax", but then beneath the Randolph riffs there is this driving funky band that pushes this thing into the stratosphere of insanity. Make sure you take a breath before listening to this one, because once it starts you are going to be dancing, toe tapping, shaking your head, doing what every you do when a song just gets you going and it doesn't let up for two and a half minutes. There is no rest. It feels like a sprint from the first note.

The other songs are all pretty good as well. Somewhat to my surprise the weakest songs are teh Carpenters covers. There are so slow and laid back, that they don't seem to fit in as well, and it doesn't feel like Boots is bringing that much new to the songs. I really thought I would like them more, because I love the Carpenters, but therein may lie the problem. I can't help compare his Sax to Karen's voice and I prefer Karen's melancholy tones to his instrument hands down.

So treat yourself to something new, by listening to this vintage music from 1970.

Enjoy!

01 C.C. Rider.m4a
02 The Letter.m4a
03 Fire And Rain.m4a
04 Via Tirado.m4a
05 We've Only Just Begun.m4a
06 Light My Fire.m4a
07 Spinning Wheel.m4a
08 Hi Heel Sneakers.m4a
09 I'll Be There.m4a
10 (They Long To Be) Close To You.m4a
11 25 or 6 to 4.m4a
12 Take A Letter Maria.m4a

Here's the whole thing. Boots Randolph.zip

Tennessee Ernie Ford - Farther Down The Road 7"

"You've Still Got Love All Over You". Are you kidding me? Of course I'm going to buy a record with a title racy. I mean seriously this could be the most x-rated song I ever buy. Of course the song isn't and in reality I knew of the impossibility of Tennessee Ernie Ford recording some dirty song, but still.

The A-Side is "Farther Down The River" is catchy little number. I love the first line "Woman don't start preaching me about the things I should and shouldn't do." It sets the tone for the whole song. That "preaching" reference tells you a lot about the character singing. Obviously there is some religion in this guy's life, but the use of the word also reveals a poorer or more backwoods education. Then of course comparing finding a woman with fishing isn't exactly a knew idea (there are more fish in the sea), but this conjures up the image of Andy Taylor and Opie wandering along some river deep in hillbilly territory. It is a minor distinction, but one reference is comparing the game of finding a mate to fishing in the sea, or for seafood if you will and the other is like fishing in a river. The first image for some reason seems a little more classy and upscale, while the second one seems to be a step below. Anyways, I think it provides some nice color and so I like it.

"You've Still Got Love All Over You" as I mentioned before isn't the racey song the title promises and in fact is a little boring. Have a listen and see if you agree.

Enjoy!

01 Farther Down The River.mp3
02 You've Still Got Love All Over You.mp3

Cyndi Lauper - The Goonies R Good Enough 7"

I wanted to post this one mostly because of the goofy cover. I actually had this record without the cover and then came across another copy with the sleeve and I bought it again just for the sleeve. In the back of my mind I knew that one day I'd get this whole blog thing going and that I would love to share this one with the world.

I mean seriously, what they hell is going on there. Cyndi is screaming at a corpse. I know it is one of the dead pirates from "The Goonies", but still it makes for one great image.

The song is pretty good too. It wreaks of 80's synth pop. Actually if Cyndi's voice didn't kick in you might think this was just some generic 80's soundtrack music. But Cyndi does kick in giving the song some distinction. You may not remember the song of the top of your head, because it wasn't exactly a huge radio hit, but I think after a listen you'll be humming the chorus.

Mostly the song brings up good memories of the movie, which is just great. I've watched this movie a couple times in recent years as part of my kids education of 80's cinema. They loved the movie too, of course.

The B-Side "What A Thrill" is kind of a punky raver of a number. It kind of reminds me something by T-Rex. That initial guitar hook really reminds me of a specific song, but for the life of me I can't bring it to mind. I think it might be "Solid Gold Easy Action", but I'm not sure. Maybe someone out there can chime in with their thoughts. Anyways, I think you'll find the song a refreshing alternative side to ole Cyndi.

Enjoy!

01 The Goonies R Good Enough.mp3
02 What A Thrill.mp3

Billy Idol - Sweet Sixteen 7"

You either love him or you hate him. Me I love Billy Idol. I don't care if he was a complete poser punk rocker. I don't care that he adopted the style for MTV when in reality not a single song of his is punk rock. The fact of the matter is that he released some great songs. He had that great sneer, a great voice and one heck of a band behind him.

"Sweet Sixteen" is a song I had kind of forgotten about until I picked up this single. It's funny because now in my adult years I hear country overtones in this song, which I didn't notice as a kid. I was too distracted by the faux punk persona to notice I guess. Actually I think by 1986 when this song was release I had pretty much checked out of all mainstream music which is probably a better explanation of why I didn't notice.

The two songs here are taken from Billy's 3rd album Whiplash Smile. They both have plenty of 80's overproduction. I think "Beyond Belief" is weighed down in over production. "Sweet Sixteen" on the other hand I think succeeds because of it. I think it is because of the country influence which does lighten things up.

"Sweet Sixteen" is the kind of song that would work on a mix tape or a soundtrack about traveling across America. I can see an old Cadillac convertible easing it's way through Joshua national forest. It's a sound and theme that U2 capitalized on a year later with "Joshua Tree".

So next time your ready to head across country download this song and add it to your playlist to set the mood.

Enjoy!

01 Sweet Sixteen.mp3
02 Beyond Belief.mp3

Stevie Wonder - Boogie On Reggae Woman 7"

Stevie Wonder and Reggae together? Sign me up right? That's what you should be thinking when you see a title like "Boogie on Reggae Woman" on a Stevie Wonder 45. The reality is that it's more boogie than reggae, but that's okay. There is a reggae beat underneath the song, but it is not the feature of the song. In fact the reggaeness is so buried that Stevie barely pronounced the word reggae. If I didn't know the title of the song I would think he was singing "ray woman". The song however has plenty of funkiness and good vibes to make you smile. It also has a piano hook that sounds a lot like the Isley Brothers "It's Your Thing" from 1969. I guess if your going to steal, steal from the best right. Something hip hop perfected in the next decade.

The song also feature some nice harmonica by Stevie I'm assuming. There also a great fuzzy electric organ running through the song giving it some great texture. I'm guessing that is what the instrument is. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. You'll know what I mean when you hear it.

"Seems So Long" is a slow crawl of a number. It wonders around like it has no where to go. Seems appropriate with a title like "Seems So Long". The band paints a slow jazz canvass for which Stevie can lay his vocals to. You won't be humming this song or dancing to it, but it is interesting and worth a listen. Like I said the orchestration of the band is the most captivating part of the song.

Enjoy!

01 Boogie On Reggae Woman.mp3
02 Seems So Long.mp3

Jim Ed Brown - Morning

Jim Ed Brown began his singing career as a teen singing as part of the Browns. In the mid 60's he went solo and chalked up a couple hits. Toward the end of the decade he wasn't doing so hot. He got himself a syndicated TV show in 1969 which didn't last too long. Then in 1970 he had a bit of a comeback with the crossover hit "Morning". It reached #4 on the country charts and 47 on the pop charts. Not too bad.

All that I learned after buying the record. "Morning" to me isn't that memorable. It sounds like a crossover song in a bad way. It doesn't really sound like a country song except for the twangy slide guitar here and there and on the other time it doesn't sound like a straight ahead pop song because of the country touches. It kind of sounds like it doesn't know what it wants to be. So even though it was a hit I don't think there is much mystery who I think it is a bit of a forgotten song.

"How To Lose A Good Woman" was the title that interested me. I knew Jim was a country singer and so I could imagine that a country song with this title could probably be great. Country music like the blues churns out some great songs about lost love and being miserable. This song is no exception. It's plenty sad and doesn't try to straddle the two worlds of country and pop. It's a country song through and through the way it should be. It's the kind of song I imagine hearing in a cowboy bar when some down on his luck drunk guy throws a couple coins in the juke box to keep himself company. I can hear the lonely man quietly weeping over his beer recapping in his mind how he screwed up his marriage or lost a girlfriend. Give it a listen and maybe you can do.

Enjoy!

01 Morning.mp3
02 How To Lose A Good Woman.mp3

Mary Wells - You Beat Me To The Punch 7"

I'm far from well read on Motown. In fact I'm not even well listened on Motown. I know a lot of the hits. I know the sound and I know I like the whole thing that old Barry Gordy created. So when I see a record on Motown, if it is in any kind of listenable condition I'll probably buy it because I figure it will most likely be good. Of course when you see a record like this that is part of the "Motown Yesteryear Series" you know the songs are only going to be hits. So such is the case here.

Before writing this I really didn't know much about Mary wells so I did some reading up. Mary was one of the early breakthrough artists for Motown. She has a string of hits leading up to these two 1962 singles. These two songs were released back to back and were her first songs to reach #1 on the R&B charts.

This was just the beginning for her. In 1964 she scored her biggest hit with "My Guy" which won her in invitation to tour with The Beatles in the UK. Shortly after that she left Motown and recorded "Love Songs To The Beatles". That sounds like it could be a great record. I'm going to keep my eyes open for that one.

Mary continued to record and perform through the 70's and 80's. She died in 1992 at the young age of 49 from cancer.

For more details on her life and career check out the wikipedia entry from which I gleaned these highlights. If you're not interested in any more in depth reading then jump right down to the songs. They are quintessential smooth Motown R&B/Soul songs.

"You Beat Me To The Punch" was written by Smokey Robinson. You could probably tell that just by listening to it. I can hear Smokey kicking out these lyrics just as easily as hearing Mary Wells.

"Two Lovers" is an interesting song also by Smokey. The song opens up with the risqué possibility that Mary's unabashedly messing around with two men. She says, "I've got two lovers and I'm not ashamed". But as it turns out the two lovers are really the same guy. The two lovers are the two sides of her man. One side or lover is "sweet and kind" while the other side or lover treats her bad and makes her sad. So in the end the song is an interesting if not traditional look at love and relationships. Again the song is so smooth and relaxing the message might just wash over you. It did to me at least. So give it a listen and see what you think.

Enjoy!

01 You Beat Me To The Punch.mp3
02 Two Lovers.mp3

The Clash - T.V. 7" EP

Like yesterday's post, the quality of this recording isn't the greatest. However what I like about this record is that it captures the live energy of the Clash at the Zenith. The other thing I like about it is that you can really feel their punk roots on these songs. Let's face it after the first Clash record The Clash began to evolve and move away from the very form of music they became poster children for. They explored different genres and delved into straight up pop song territory with a song like "Train In Vain". Don't misunderstand me. Pop song isn't a dirty word to me. It takes great skill and craftsmanship to write a great pop song. What is so great here is that here you can here "Train In Vain" in a raw more punk version. Things aren't all clean and perfect here. The guitars are noisier. The vocals aren't perfect. I can hear Mick Jones out of breath and struggling through the lyrics as I'm imagining he's shaking and bouncing on stage in front of the microphone.

I imagine it looked something like this.



There has been a lot more written about this song. A great article is by Johnny Black and can be found here.

As for the other songs, "Clampdown" is another one of my favorites and this captures all the noise and attitude well. This is the kind of song that doesn't suffer from being a poor recording. It doesn't matter. It's punk. The songs intro guitars just get all riled up and ready to dance.

A song like "London Calling" however to me does suffer. It's just my opinion of course, but to me that song's studio recording is so perfect and so iconic, that it is hard for me to hear any other version and be pleased. Such is the case here. It's okay live, but I love the original.

"Guns Of Brixton" is also just okay here.

So this one's a mixed bag, but it's a mixed bag of The Clash. Not bad if you ask me. So if you were too you to ever see The Clash live or just someone missed out put these songs on, close your eyes and imagine yourself in the way-back machine to a night in 1980 where The Clash rocked the house.

Enjoy!

01 London Calling.m4a

02 Train In Vain.m4a

03 Guns Of Brixton.m4a

04 Clampdown.m4a

The Cure - A Room At The Top 7" EP

Yesterday I went on about great B-sides and how much I look forward to B-sides by The Cure. It was that sort of excitement that lead me to purchasing this little record. I saw "Catepillar E Mix" and my imagination went wild. What sort of amazing remix or mix was I going to find? What new revelations were in store? Sadly I was disappointed. These three songs sound more like early demos of the songs.

So why post songs that even I don't really love? Because I'm a Cure nut and figure there are others out there who want to hear everything they've ever recorded. I figure I'll save them a few bucks. Then again maybe I'm wrong. The songs aren't horrible. I mean it's The Cure after all. The songs hold up no matter what form their in. So maybe these will impress you enough to seek out and purchase this record. I don't think it is too hard to find on e-bay.

Enjoy!

01 Caterpillar E Mix.m4a

02 Cats Like Cheese.m4a

03 Bananafish Bones.m4a

AC/DC - Money Talks 7"

In the early 80's I loved AC/DC. We're talking the 'For Those About To Rock" period. I love "Highway" and "Back in Black" and everything before that as well, but it wasn't until 1981 that I really got into rock music and discovered the greatness that is and was AC/DC. But by the time of "Flick Of The Switch" in 1983 I had moved on to other music. Off the top of my head I can't think exactly what that music was. I think I was getting into newer heavy metal bands and I was considering AC/DC to be past their prime. For the later part of the decade I was pretty much checked out of heavy metal and AC/DC all together.

In recent years I've gone back reliving my youth and catching up on all the AC/DC that I missed after 1981.

This 45 comes from 1990's "Razor's Edge". It is a really strong single. It has everything that makes AC/DC what they are. Great guitar riffs and power chords, a sing-a-long chorus, Brian's great gravelly vocals, and rock and roll testosterone attitude. This song could easily hold it's own amongst those early 80's releases.

The B-Side "Borrowed Time" at the time of this release was previously unreleased. I'm sure since then it has been collected onto some compilation some where. But the song isn't just a throw away. It's pretty strong as well. Not as good as "Money Talks" but still memorable.

I have a theory that a band is only as good as the b-sides of their singles. The mark of a great band to me is a band that can release a great single and a great B-Side as well. Some of my favorite bands like The Cure, or The White Stripes, are bands that I get excited about their B-sides. There have been many other bands like The Beatles or Depeche Mode or The Cult that also released great B-sides. These bands are so good and have so much good material that one album will never contain all the goodness and so they have great B-Sides. The B-sides aren't just leftover castoffs from some random recording session. I put this B-side not in the great category, but in the pretty strong category. I don't exactly have a lot of AC/DC singles with B-sides so I don't know how they hold up to my test. I'd be interested to hear what anyone else has to say on the matter.

So until someone actually posts a comment or a response, everyone will have to just live with my lack of knowledge on the subject. I don't think that will hurt your enjoyment of the music, though.

Enjoy!

01 Moneytalks.mp3

02 Borrowed Time.mp3

R.E.M. - The One I Love 7"

Here is another entry from R.E.M. It's not exactly hard to find "The One I Love", but maybe this live version of "Maps & Legends" might be a little harder to find. It might be the same version that is on the "Live Singles Box", which I'm not sure if it is even still in print. It is also available on the "Fables of The Reconstruction" import with bonus tracks. But if you haven't had the chance to seek out those obscure releases then this is for you.

I love this period of R.E.M. They were still dark and broody. I also like their later work and to be honest I came to the R.E.M. thing later with the release of Green. But in college I went back to discover their earlier albums. "The One I Love" is off "Document" (1987). I think that was the second R.E.M. record I bought after "Life's Rich Pageant" (1986) also a great record from that same basic time period.

And lastly I just have to say that the opening guitar riff on "The One I Love" is simply classic. I love how it hits you hard in the gut right off the bat and then the song kind of mellows down to let you breath. Let's you take in the lyrics and then it hits you hard again for the chorus, just when you thought it was safe. This is what great rock and roll does.

Enjoy!

01 The One I Love.mp3

02 Maps & Legends (live).mp3

The Insomniacs - Switched On 7"

I love garage rock. I'm not ashamed. I love the energy. I love the rough around the edges feel. Most of all I love when a garage rock band has the song writing ability to write a great pop rock or a "power pop" song if you will that has the swagger aesthetic of garage rock. The insomniacs have that in spades. This is a perfect example of all those elements coming together. Both songs here are just solid pop songs. They are catchy and bouncy.

When I first bought this record it was another one of those rolls of the dice. It wasn't that big of a roll because I had bought something else on Slovenly that was great so I didn't think I was taking that big of a chance. After listening to it I couldn't wait to share it with everyone I knew. I played the disc over and over. I think you'll do the same when you here it.

Now for full disclosure. I kind of think that these rips aren't mine. I think that I may have decided to save myself some time and found these rips that someone else may have done. I think I did that because I was so anxious to share the music and I didn't have time to do all the proper ripping myself. At some point I'll rip a version from my record and fix this post, but until then the fruits of someone else's labor will have to do.

Enjoy!

01 - Switched On.mp3

02 - `Bout My Love.mp3

Patti Page - Tennessee Waltz/With My Eyes Wide Open I'm Dreaming 7"

If you are looking to hear good clear recordings of miss Page, you might was well stop reading right now because these rips are scratchy and could be painful to listen to if you are a sound fidelity purest. If then this could be a nice sample that might inspire you to seek these songs out on proper recordings.

Patti Page was a hugely successful sings of the 50's. She began her career in the late 40's. She had her first hit in 1950 with "With My Eyes Wide Open I'm Dreaming" which is one of the two songs on this record. In my ripping of the record I made that the B-side because I'm partial to "Tennessee Waltz". "Eyes Wide Open" is a nice song. It sounds like post war American pop. Soothing and pleasent. It sounds like a country trying to bring some sanity back to their lives. It sounds like dream house in the suburbs. Myself I'm not really a big fan of the suburbs. I grew up in one. But I appreciate the nostalgia and I appreciate why G.I.'s returning from the war longed to the peace and quiet of the suburbs.

To me "Tennessee Waltz" is a great song. I buy this song by different artists all the time. It is one of those songs that I never get tired of and I love hearing different interpretations. This release here was Patti's biggest hit of her career. It was released later in 1950. So big was the success of the record that it is considered on of the best selling singles of all time. Not too shabby.

So if you're wondering what all the hub bub was over Patti Page then listen to these songs. They are two fine examples of what made her the sensation that she was.

Enjoy!

01 Tennessee Waltz.mp3

02 With My Eyes Wide Open.mp3