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Bo Diddley – 20th Century Masters: The Millenium Collection – The Best of Bo Diddley (Chess/Universal)
In honor of ELIAS MCDANIEL, who passed away this past Monday June 2nd, I played this short but absolutely incredible collection concentrating on his most essential recordings for Chess Records, all made between 1955 and 1962. Even at 12 songs, this is an embarassment of riches with material like “Who Do You Love?”, “Say Man”, “Crackin’ Up”, “I’m a Man” and many others. This is far from the best or most comprehensive Diddley collection (for a more comprehensive single disc overview of the 1955-1962 period, you can try His Best or if you can find it, the now out-of-print 2 CD Chess Box), but a pretty great place to start nonetheless.
Bo Diddley – The Black Gladiator (Checker)
While not the most well-known Bo Diddley record nor the place where the uninitiated should start, this 1970 album shows that Bo adapted fairly well to the blues-based rock (much of which he and other contemporaries of his initially inspired, ironically), soul and funk happening around him during that time. With titles like “Black Soul” and “Funky Fly”, it’s very much a product of its time, but anyone who enjoys the styles mentioned earlier should like this. Plus, Diddley’s sense of humor is on display here on tracks like “Shut Up, Woman”, which admittedly would be considered un-PC in this day and age.
A search on Amazon reveals that a Japanese import was issued last year, but it’s currently unavailable, so scour the internet and specifically those mp3 blogs!
Misfits – Collection II (Caroline)
One of these days, I need to pick up that coffin-shaped box set, but for now this 1995 collection will do well to re-acquaint me with the lesser-heard gems by this fantastic and legendary Lodi, NJ based band. The material here ranges from an alternate version of their 1st single “Cough/Cool” (best described as arty post-punk) to the hardcore fury of Earth A.D. (their last album) cuts like “Hellhound” and “Demonomania”.
Radio Knives – Hello Hell (Sinister Pop)
Not to be confused with UK post-punkers YOUNG KNIVES (or for that matter, the Sacramento, CA punk band FM KNIVES), this Cambridge, MA-based garage-rock band not only evokes late ‘60s/early ‘70s Detroit (in particular MC5) and ‘80s and ‘90s Australian garage rock (as the descriptions I’ve read have noted), but mix this with a healthy dose of ‘70s hard rock (in particular, the louder side of THIN LIZZY and makeup-era KISS). This is not a bad thing at all. The hard rock influence is particularly strong on “You Got Me”, a duet with a female singer named ELLIE VEE of THE CHARMS, who oddly sounds a bit like LITA FORD. Fortunately, though, the music on this track and on the other 9 catchy tracks here is more RUNAWAYS than “Kiss Me Deadly” if you know what I mean. Furthermore, the playing and songwriting is stronger than most garage bands. This is a standout in an overcrowded genre.
The Beach Boys – Pet Sounds (Capitol)
This is one of the most acclaimed and studied albums in popular music of the last 50 years, so I won’t go into detail here since I assume everyone’s heard it and has an opinion of it. I’m a huge Beach Boys fan and as such, I listen to the ‘67-’73 period more, but sometimes I just need to hear this timeless masterpiece. This is the perfect tonic for a long and exhausting week at work.
The Pointed Sticks – Waiting for the Real Thing (Sudden Death)
Although I seem to be in the minority because I prefer their sole full-length (1980’s power-pop. new wave classic Perfect Youth, now also reissued on JOEY SHITHEAD’s great Sudden Death label) over the material found here, this has much to recommend it as well. Containing the 4 singles they released before the the appearance of Perfect Youth and some other tracks (demos and live tracks), the versions of songs like “Marching Song” and “Real Thing” (which gives the album its title) are far rawer than the versions on the album.
Can – Monster Movie (Mute)
Although the albums that immediately followed it (not counting 1970’s patchy Soundtracks, but rather 1971’s incomparable Tago Mago and 1972’s Ege Basami) always seem to get more attention, this album is just as enjoyable. Featuring 1st vocalist MALCOLM MOONEY, the music on this 1969 debut (not counting Delay 1968, which was originally intended to be their debut album but which wasn’t released until 1981) has more in common with psychedelia-inspired jamming than the surreal, meditative work that followed with the arrival of new vocalist DAMO SUZUKI. Still, “Mary, Mary So Contrary” is one of the most mesmerizing songs in the Can catalog, but it and the two other songs on side 1 (including the garage-like “Outside My Door”) do little to prepare one for side 2’s side-length “Yoo Doo Right”, twenty minutes that predicts not only Can’s future but that of Krautrock, indie, post-punk and even techno. Not to state the obvious, but listening to this music even today is astonishing because of how far ahead of their time they were.
The Roots with Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Deerhoof, Diplo and Cool Kids – Festival Pier (Philadelphia, PA) – June 7, 2008
On what turned out to be not only the hottest day of the year so far, but one of the hottest days on record for this time of year, The Roots threw a “picnic”, as this diverse lineup was billed. Deerhoof were clearly the odd band out here, though drummer GREG SANIER is amazing, anchoring the band’s no-wave inspired skronking madness. I just wish I could see them in a smaller venue, though! Cool Kids are an enjoyable enough Chicago duo who rap late ‘80s style, Sharon Jones once again showed why she’s the female JAMES BROWN (and her band is super-tight as well) and Diplo’s DJ set (complete with a dancing fan in an Elmo costume) in the adjoining (and thankfully air-conditioned) tent was terrific as well, but The Roots stole the show. Playing for an hour and a half due to time restrictions, their less jammy but more rhythmic (anchored by powerful drummer AHMIR ”?uestlove” THOMPSON), hard-hitting impluses ruled on this day with MC BLACK THOUGHT spitting out impossibly fast rhymes. We left before headliner GNARLS BARKLEY (even though I wanted to see them) because it was late and we were super tired and exhausted!
my new 160 GB iPod classic
Before I got this, I had a 20 GB 4th generation iPod for about 3 and a half years before the battery weakened. I always had to replace stuff to make way for more stuff, but now I can fit everything I’ve uploaded into iTunes and downloaded (about 90 GB worth as of today) and carry it around with me. It’s amazing! I’d heard complaints about the click wheel response and the artwork (it’s awesome to be able to see album covers on here, too), but so far so good (knock on wood)!
Crumb
A superb 1994 documentary about the life and times of world-renowed cartoonist ROBERT CRUMB, this features interviews with wife ALINE KAMINSKY CRUMB, his siblings (the footage of his brother CHARLES CRUMB, in particular, is as harrowing as that of a drunken CHRIS HOLMES of W.A.S.P. in a swimming pool in the 1988 documentary The Decline of Western Civilization: The Metal Years), ex-girlfriends and of course, Crumb himself. All of this paints a picture of a complex, talented, driven, individualistic but deeply odd and some would say disturbed man’s vision.
