Deadtime from Bureaucracy
Phew! I’ve been silent for way too long and it’s all because I’ve been working for the Feds at the Census Bureau. As Crew Leader of my local district, it’s my job to supervise all the people going door to door in my neck of the woods on the North Fork of Long Island. Needless to say, it’s kept me ridiculously busy, but I’ve had time to listen to music while driving around tending to my employees.
The Stooges – official and unofficial discographies up to 1977 (numerous labels)
The Stooges are, hands down, my absolute number one favorite band, and recently, I finally got around to assembling an mp3 disc that contains the first three studio albums, a bunch of Raw Power era live recordings and the best parts of the post-??RP?? rehearsal recordings. (I’m really hoping that with James Williamson back in the band that they’ll finally get around to doing proper recordings of songs like “Open Up and Bleed,” “Head On” and “Til the End of the Night.”) Anyway, I basically realized that if I were stuck on a desert island, all I’d need to be aurally happy would be my Stooges collection. I can listen to this stuff forever and never get tired of it. Finally, my girlfriend asked me to put something else on because I’d been listening to them for three weeks straight.
The Stooges – You Don’t Want My Name You Want My Action 4xCD (Easy Action)
For a brief period in 1971, The Stooges had both Ron Asheton and James Williamson on guitar, with Jimmy Recca playing bass. This box set contains four mind-blowing recordings of four different shows from this era. The sound quality isn’t so great, as they’re all audience recordings, but what they lack in sonic excellence, they easily make up with amazing performances of songs that have previously been lost in the Stooge cannon. With the exception of “I Got a Right,” I’d never heard any of these songs before in any format. Thanks to Old Man Ron for pointing this out to me!
Black Flag – discography (SST)
My second favorite band contains my number one favorite guitarist, Greg Ginn. He may not have been the best (or most ethical) businessman in the world, but very few artists are. Of course, I love the early hardcore recordings, but it’s really the My War-and-beyond era that grabs me the most. Ginn was really exploring some fascinating musical dimensions by the time In My Head was released, and those songs are as solid today as they were 25 years ago. This was the mp3 disc I made after my girlfriend told me she was sick of The Stooges.
Gone – Let’s Get Real, Real Gone For a Change, Gone II: But Never Too Gone, Criminal Mind & All the Dirt That’s Fit to Print (SST)
I’m one of three people I know who actually really like Gone. I stuck their first four albums on the Black Flag mp3 disc I made and it’s been fun listening to Ginn’s cerebral instrumentals in between Black Flag’s in-your-face attack when I play the disc on shuffle. I should also mention Gone’s new album, Epic Trilogy, which excellently recaptures the energy of these four albums and is available as a free download from the Gone website. There’s a version with HR from Bad Brains doing vocals, but I prefer the instrumental version because that’s how I think Gone should sound (and HR’s vocals are as lame as Iggy’s on The Weirdness).
Burzum – Belus (Phantasm Imports)
I’m also the only person I know who really likes Burzum’s new album. Personally, I’m glad Varg‘s not repeating what he did in the early ’90s and I think the songs here have memorable riffs amd strong structures.
Wu-Tang Clan – Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (Loud) & Wu-Tang Forever (Loud/RCA/BMG)
I was an another hip-hop kick for a while, and I happily rediscovered RZA and company, the masters of irreverent rapping. I put these two albums on an mp3 disc with the solo albums that were recorded in between them. Of those solo albums, my favorites have to be Method Man‘s Tical and Ol’ Dirty Bastard‘s Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version.
MC Ren – Kizz My Black Azz, Shock of the Hour & The Villain in Black (Ruthless)
NWA‘s filthiest mouth recorded these excellent solo albums after the demise of the notorious group, but, for some reason, he never gained the status of his bandmates Ice Cube, Dr. Dre and Eazy-E. It’s really a shame because these three albums eazily rank up there with NWA’s best recordings.
Paris – The Devil Made Me Do It (Tommy Boy), Sleeping With the Enemy (Scarface) & Guerrilla Funk (Priority)
I remember when Paris got into a lot of trouble for his song “Bush Killa” during Bush I’s presidency. His first three albums were engaging, original statements of militant black power.
Westside Connection – Bow Down & Terrorist Threats (Priority)
Ice Cube is a favorite of mine, but for some reason, I never spent money on these albums, which was silly because they’re great. Sure, they’re total paeans to thug life, but they’re intelligent, witty and hilarious as well.
X-Clan – To the East, Blackwards & Xodus (Polygram)
X-Clan, along with Public Enemy, provided the militant black power voice of the east coast. I remember a friend of mine in high school played “Fire & Earth (100% Natural) for prayer in our senior religion class. I still remember the look on our teacher’s face.
