Paying Back Some Debts (or at least the interest on them)
Ah, I don’t mean the economic debts in this case. The creditors may have the law on their side, but they stir no passion to them back, only neurosis and anxiety. I mean the debt I owe to what has inspired me, a debt that can be partially paid by writing or rock (or even cultural) criticism, but in order for it to be paid in full, I have to continue to create poetry, music, ya know, ‘make my life a work of art’ to inspire others as I had been inspired as a kid and protracted adolescence—-more like what Bob Dylan sings about in “Nothing Was Delivered” or what Elvis Costello means in “Pay It Back.” Here’s the second verse of Costello’s song: ‘And then they told me I could be somebody/If I didn’t let too much get in my way/ And I try so hard just to be myself/ But I keep fadin’ away.” That was always as profound as William Blake to me, as adoloscent consumerism which for a time could liberate me (and Costello and others) eventually gets in the way and can make even the most resolute self-possessed punk become just another butterfly collector (like that great song by The Jam). So, I hope my top ten list doesn’t just pour more cultural crap onto your junk heap and make you fade away, but I want to acknowledge some things I’ve loved, coz, hell, even producers sometimes have to consume (or diet and live off the fat of memories!)
I’m so sick of the argument that Stax/Volt is the ‘authentic’ soul music and Motown/Tamla was somehow watered down. Sure, there’s some truth to it,but too many folks I know make it into dogma. I’m going to say I like both equally—-especially as I heard this song today. Remember the whited-out version by Love And Rockets? It’s sad that there are hipsters and scenesters today who know that version, but not the Temptations version. I also wonder how many young rappers know about this song? Forceful, funky, and amazingly audible thought provoking words—-a #3 hit 36 years ago today! The songwriting/production team of Norman Whitfieldl and Barrett Strong don’t seem to get as much attention as, say, Smokey Robinson or Holland Dozier and Hollandeven though many songs they wrote, from “Money (That’s What I Want)” to “Car Wash” are now standards, so give it up for them and maybe you can still get your “eve of destruction tax deduction” even if the ball of confusion has gone flat these days.
I have to give equal time to a Stax/Volt record, recently heard on KPOO (89.5 FM). This more ‘obscure’ (in white circles) side from 1965, features the great white session catsSteve Cropper et al, and also Isaac Hayes sitting in for Booker T.on piano.
An open question: do white guys talk about race like this anymore in music? I’m hard pressed for examples right now, but this song from the classic Something Anything (one of those albums that’s better than any Rundgren greatest hits package), is pretty damn cool, and it’s not even the best on the album. Anyway, what’s the deal with Rundgren touring with The Cars? I mean it seems even more absurd than The Queen reunion tours with the dude from Bad Companyand Free replacing Freddie Mercury? Sure, their guitarist is dead, and Rundgren’s a great note-for-note imitator, but I’m very curious of what conversation Todd might have had with main songwriter Rick Ocasek when he decided to take this gig. Are they still friends? Maybe Todd can sneak, “We Got To Get You A Woman” in in between “Magic” and “Just What I Needed.”
So, I’ve been spending a lot of time at the YMCA these days doing pool-walking therapy, and am often at the mercy of the physical therapists’ mixes. It’s partially a matter of taste, but also mixed up with some institutional notion of what they think is best to work out to, given the abilities and needs of the clients. More often than not, they’re not very good DJS. Today, I told one of the other people in my class, “if there’s a hell, I bet they play ‘Mr. Roboto’ by Styx there” (it took me awhile to recognize it; at first I thought it was Rush; who I never liked much either, but it does seem that’s who Styx is trying to imitate here). Anyway, far less offensive was “in The Summertime,” the only big US hit Mungo Jerry had, and sure enough it is summertime, but instead of digressing further here on my favorite summer songs I’ll just mention that when I went home I was listening to another DJ (who is better than the one at the YMCA) and found a way to download for free one of those Bob Dylan satellite radio shows, and the theme was summertime, and he played the Mungo Jerry song, and offered sly late night DJ commentary about how they were an ‘optimistic’ band. I know I need to hear more of them; the other song that has at least partially made the playlist of the iPOD of my memory is “Wild Love,” one of their many UK hits that didn’t make it in the states. It has a little more of a bar band meets glam rock feel; but yeah it’s still pretty optimistic, not that that’s a bad thing, and yes Townes Van Zandt, sometimes I kind of like or need “zip-a-dee-dah” too, so say a prayer for lefty too.
Sure, I liked Pink Floyd some on the classic rock stations, but when I first heard “See Emily Play” or maybe it was “Bike,” I really flipped. Such was my introduction to Syd at age 18 (years after he had stopped making records), and it was crucial. I remember how it lead me to both Robyn Hitchcock and even Jonathan Richman because some rock critic discovered Syd as ‘Jonathan Richman on acid,” but I hadn’t heard of Richman yet, so I curious what this Syd would be off acid. Perhaps I should write a long 33 1/3 Continuum book on Syd if it hasn’t already been done.
Malkmus did this cover of the Addrisi Brothers -penned tune (made famous by The Association) on his _Pig Lib_tour here in SF. I love when he does covers like this.
Ah, Deadheads! They’re maddening sometimes. If I were to do a BOTTOM TEN list, I’d probably have to include “Sugar Magnolia” (well, after I got James Taylor out of the way)—even though it gets stuck in my head, and I can appreciate the fact that that the song could be either about marijuana or a girl. I’m just not much of a fan of Bob Weir’s voice, which is extremely unconvincing when he tries to invoke ‘cajun’ tones, and it’s not just because he’s a California Man (CCR could pull it off way better, and yes “Playin’ In The Band” isn’t a bad CCR imitation, if not quite as good as The Hollies!). But Jerry Garcia is another story—not just as a guitar hero, but as a singer, and co-songwriter (with Robert Hunter), and “Ship Of Fools” is a classic. I’m not a big fan of Elvis Costello’s too reverential cover of this song, but love the fact that he covered it, and crusaded on this song’s behalf. Garcia does the definitive version, and helps drive home the beautifully alienated pathos of such lines as “It was later than I thought when I first believed you/ now I can not share your laughter, Ship Of Fools.” (don’t shoot me, dead heads! I’ve already been dosed).
