Sound Off

Converting LPs to MP3s , Rube Goldberg style. Don't laugh- it works!



************************************************************

There was an angry post here.

A good friend was able to shift my mood so dramatically that I felt compelled to retract it...instead of complaining about what is wrong, we are gonna fix it.
We.
I'm not as alone as I thought I was. I have been alone for so long that I have forgotten how to be any other way ; I had resigned myself to the fact that there is no hope for change and that no one will ever care...or so I thought.

I'm wrong about stuff sometimes, y'know?
So. Cool.

I'll save my anger for politics. I'm smiling and don't have time for it now.

Later.

Sixty Of My Best Friends

Hooray for tonight's extra hour of downtime!
-----------------------------------------------

Tomorrow morning will be the first anniversary of my weekly radio program, The New Breakfast Snob, which began as a 'one-time' only affair and soon turned into a sadomusical morning tradition- every Sunday I am awake at 6 am and on-air at 7 am, performing a two-hour tribute to my record collection- for a year I have been doing this...nuts, is what.

Today was a glorious fall day, perfect leaf-kicking stroll-taking weather...I had planned to spend the day brooding and mulling, but circumstance intervened and I found myself down at the station, substituting for another DJ- his show is mostly new music, something I don't know much about...I was literally pulling stuff off the shelves and googling info on the fly between songs...it was a lot of fun, I was tired and not feeling well, but I got some calls and messages that cheered me up:

#1: My date from the previous week called. We had been friends before I asked her out- on our date, I learned somethings I didn't know- it's no one's fault, but it's unlikely that we'll ever date...but it's very likely that we will remain friends, and that's more important in the long run, I think...not much time to talk, I'm on the air, but I'm really glad she called.

#2: A long-time friend calls to tell me that she's listening to the show, which reminds me...we've been friends for twenty years- it might be my imagination, but I have felt a shift in the way she treats me now...if I'm wrong, it won't be a big deal...the funny thing is, caller #1 is convinced that I am sleeping/have slept with caller #2. I haven't.
I get a strong impression that #1 and #2 have met , do not like each other and that I have something to do with it.
I'm such a loser that I can get two women to fight over me without actually getting laid by either one. I'm not especially happy with this unusual ability, but it's always nice getting calls from my pal; reminds me that there is an audience, ya know?

She also reminds me that I had a training session later that day...I had totally forgotten, but my friend brought it up..."it's you and two women today, eh?", she said...damn, how could I forget that?
The two women I was 'training' pretty much had it together; today they did a two hour program showcasing local female musicians and singers from the past 50 years- I was duly impressed with the foresight and research that went into it; everyone is a bit nervous on the mic, but they warmed up real good, yup- I wuz proud o' them gals. Seriously.
I'm responsible for what goes on during that show, and it's great seeing people show up prepared and excited. The enthusiasm translates well to radio.
They called it the "Yes , Ma'am" Show, heh, good banter...I asked them if they'd consider filling in for me tomorrow, as I'd like to sleep in- "No Sir!", they replied. Oh well.

I'm still sore over the way my little station was called "nonsense" at my Big TV interview...having a good time felt like revenge for those petty insults. It didn't look like anyone at Big TV were having fun. We don't get paid, but we don't need 'thick skins' either. (Usually)

Anyway, here's most of what I played. I missed few songs when the blog ate my post:

They Might Be Giants- With the Dark
Always good. Back after 10-15 years off, I think.

Kola Koca Death Squad-Power Stroke
Reviewer remark on CD: "I love the cowbell on #7!" Hell, yeah! Me too!
A DJ call: "I love that cowbell!" Yeah, me too...

Gay Dad- Joy!
For Joy. I don't know if her dad is gay...I doubt it.

Marionette- Your World
Fave local pals.

Frank Smith- Throwin' Rocks
A band, not a person. Rootsy. Good.

Stars- The Night Starts Here
Fuck. Four minutes of my life I wish I could have back.

Triffids- Suntrapper
From 1986, this CD re-release was first recorded in a sheep shearing shed 600km SE of Nowhere, Australia. I like this band, gotta get more.

Nouvelle Vague- Bela Lugosi's Dead
I like this band, but this version of the old Bauhaus classic just sorta bored me...

MGMT- Weekend Wars
I can't remember anything about this . I was explaining my vinyl fetish to a young woman, wasn't paying attention to the music.

Lovedrug- Doomsday & the Echo
By 'vinyl fetish' , I meant LP record albums - it's funny how often that gets mixed up with something else. That confusion could get interesting. Sadly, this music will not.

The Capes-Supergirls
Yep. Good powerpop. On the floor is OK.

Devandra Banhart- Samba Vex
This is bizarre. Further investigation required. The music, I mean.

Tullycraft- The Punks Are Writing Lovesongs
Silly String on rubber sheets.It sounds just like that.

New Pornographers- My rights v. Yours
Damn...this is crafty material. Slick and tight production, Beach Boys influences...interesting.

New Young Pony Club-Hiding in the Staircase
Whatever.

Arctic Monkeys- Brainstorm
I got this from a blogpal (Hi!) in the States. Love ya!

Empire Dogs- Whole Lotta Love
Back to Sweden, with love. More blogpallery!

The Blakes- Village Green
John Lennon.

Black Before Red- Underneath Gold
From Austin, TX. Catchy pop. Liked it.

The Lonely H- Meal
Hanson, but with more H. Avoid.

Alina Simone- Saw Edged Grass
Great voice, Michigan origin, I think. Add to "dig deeper" list.

Minus the Bear-Knights
It was OK.

Dragons of Zynth-Breaker
This sounds like something you'd have to be stoned to enjoy properly. Often, I find that I wind up really digging music that I initially don't 'get'...this might be that sort of thing. On the other hand it might just suck. Dig deeper.

Spoon- #5?
Finally, Spoon that I don't much like. It's still Spoon, but it's different somehow...the charm is weak on this one. Still, bad Spoon is better than most bands.

Tomorrow: More of Not the Same.

----------------------------------------------------
Special thanks to all the kindness and support I have been offered lately , but I think I'll be OK for now... I am deeply moved by the camaraderie I enjoy in the real and virtual world-it's the other 99.9% of the world that pisses me off.

Who Knows?

Oh no.
My worst nightmare realized.
I forgot to reset my alarm after last night's brief power outage- it's exactly 7 AM. I have to be on-air in zero seconds. I call the studio and ask DJ KB to give me 15 minutes, on the way, etc...
(Thanks K)
Then I realized I hadn't put my show together- I was gonna do it in the early morning hours- so I just grab the first box o' crap I see and bolt.

At 7:10 I'm signing on. It's a good thing I live near the studio.

Lou Reed- What's Good?
This album, Magic and Loss, was gift to me from my mom as she was dying of cancer. For years I couldn't listen to it without falling apart but now I fall back on it when I need strength.
This morning I fell back on it when I needed an opening song.

Jefferson Airplane- Other Side of This Life
It always looks better here from over there.
I'm a big fan of the Airplane family and this live LP is one of my faves- those guys could really tear it up on stage- none of that polished Marty Balin Starship crap that came later...

Larry Graham-Hair
I cut the hell out of myself while shaving my head yesterday- had blood running down my face like Sissy Spacek in Carrie-well, it wasn't quite that bad. It was more like a few drops, but it's more dramatic to describe it as 'torrents'.

Tom Verlaine- Down on the Farm
As heard in Television- from his solo LP, Mr. Blur. I found this in a box of closet junk- cool find!

King Crimson- Heartbeat
I need to land sometime...right next to you.
This LP, Beat , and the following one, Three of a Perfect Pair, contain some unusually sweet and accessible love songs by Crimson standards. After they broke up, singer/guitarist Adrian Belew released a couple of solo albums celebrating the wonders of fatherhood and domestic bliss, so I guess the Crimson tracks were a form of foreshadowing.

Tangerine Dream- Little Blond in the House of Attractions
Right now I need a song that's seven minutes long. Maybe longer. The radio in the bathroom is broken...much time is left? Aaaaaaa!
This should be titled : Little Bald in the Outhouse of Spasms

Pentangle- Hunting Song
This group is better than a dozen Xanax. Their recordings have a timeless, hypnotic clarity to them. I haven't had any coffee and I start drifting off...pretty guitars...sweet voice

Stranglers- Golden Brown
Bad choice- I love this ballad, but the faux harpsichord and airy harmonies are puttin' me to sleep. La lala la...

Loreena McKinnet - Mummer's Dance
If I'm gonna lapse into dreamland on-air, I might as well play McKinnett and hope that I fall into a shamanistic trance state. Those are educational.

Clannad- Love and Affection
Why is this so hard to find? The song asks, but doesn't answer.

Fiona Joyce- The Juggler
One of the few new Celtic CD's received recently. I like Joyce a lot, hard to find in the stores though.

Bob Dylan- Mighty Quinn/ Little Sadie
When in doubt, a double Dylan will do. From Self-Portrait.

Damien Dempsey- Celtic Tiger
Swift would like this song. A lot. If you can find Dempsey stateside, buy it.

Marianne Faithfull - Broken English
I love this LP. My favorite song contains some of the most beautiful profanity ever recorded. Too bad I can't play it.

Hot Tuna- North Wind Rise
Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen from the Airplane Family.

Lucinda Williams- I Lost It
Hahahaha...I love this song! Finally starting to wake up. LW is my new coffee!

Patti Smith - Free Money
Wanna know how to make free money? Hmmm? No one? Aw.

Robert Fripp- Chicago
I love the muted howling of the guitar in the background...it reminds me of sitting on my brother's shady Chicago back porch. It's calm and peaceful, but in the distance something loud is always happening.

Alan Parsons Project- Don't Let It Show
Sometimes I feel like this song. Not sure that's a good thing.

Soft Boys- Positive Vibration
Keep it positive! Manic happy!

Flaming Groovies- Comin' After Me
Ten headhunters with a buzz-saw! Not that I'm paranoid or anything...

Clash- Brand New Cadillac
When I was kid, I listened to the Grateful Dead. When I got older I listened to the Clash.
I still listen to the Clash.

Quicksilver Messenger Service- Gold and Silver
This jazzy dueling guitar instrumental should be a nice intro to the next show, which is called Be-Bop and Beyond- it's hosted by a former New Orleans DJ, Mr. Jazz, and his theme song is by jazz great Horace Silver- done special for Mr. Jazz! Hep!

Damn...why am I so tired? Oh yeah. I know why I'm so tired.

Sweet dreams and have a pleasant valley Sunday!

Oui Hours

If you catch me in the right mood, I can be agreeable to almost anything. I was in that kind of mood when I said:" Yes. I will fill a two-hour slot with music early Sunday morning. But only once."
That was seven months ago.
I've been doing it every Sunday since then.

Similarly, I will occasionally partake in a meme. Like now. I am doing this at the bequest of my new blogpal Cowbell, who wants me to list eight things about myself and then force this chain of confession on eight of you.
I am refraining from doing that. My blog circle is small and incestuous and the resulting tags would likely have webbed toes and harelips.
Feel free to tag yourself.
I'll use my playlist to talk about myself. My list of eight starts with #2.


Peter Tosh- I'm The Toughest
This song is about me.
2) I can do drugs that would kill a lesser mortal.
Witness:
This morning I stopped at 7-11 for coffee and they were selling a scorched brown liquid called "Energy Coffee", which is really just bad coffee with extra caffeine and guarana added. (Guarana is to caffeine what corn syrup is to sugar - the same, only more so.) They also had a box of single-serving non-dairy screamers -a sign advertised :" Espresso Flavor Shots...40mg caffeine per serving."
They were free.
It took 48 of them to fill a 24 0z. coffee cup.
I filled a second cup with "Energy Coffee."
Fuck with me now, you bastards.

Chris Spedding- Breakout
Chris never did break out on his own, but he played with some greats- Eno, Cale, Nilsson. This song sounds like Joe Strummer.

Joe Strummer- All in in a Day
This song also sounds like Joe Strummer. It doesn't sound like Chris Spedding, though.

Red Hot Chili Peppers- Behind The Sun
Songs about dolphins are cool.
3) I once played in a band that opened up for the Chilis. They weren't famous then, but you could tell they would be. We were not a hard act to follow.

Steve Hillage - Motivation
The title of the album is Motivation Radio.

Loreena McKinnett- Mummer's Dance
This song is six minutes long. That should be enough time for a coffee achievement.

Altan- The Trip To Cullenstown
4) I would like to visit Ireland one day.

Damien Dempsey- Marching Season/Seize the Day
5) If you asked me, right now, who my favorite band was, I'd tell you "Dempsey."

Fiona Joyce- Trees
5a) "Joyce."

West of Eden- High Ground
5c) Not West of Eden. They're OK, but I miscued this disc. The espresso shots are taking over.

Steeleye Span- The Storyteller
6)Among other reasons, I love blogging because it helps keep the art of storytelling alive.

Be Bop Deluxe- Love is Swift Arrows
7) Cupid is a drunken knife-thrower and I am on his spinning target wheel.

Talking Heads- Don't Worry About The Government
8) I am distraught over the current state of American Government.

Steeleye Span- The Blacksmith
Back in the day, the village blacksmith was often considered to be quite a stud; Maddy Pryor sure sounds enthusiastic as she lustfully sings of doing her duty. Once you've had blacksmith...

Bob Dylan- Gotta Travel On
Been stuck around this old town too long.

Ten Years After- I'd Love To Change The World
It is possible.

The Kinks- Starstruck
Ye Olde Rocke Gossiper sez : the original lyric "...addicted to wine and cocaine... gonna drive you insane" was changed to to "wine and champagne" at the last minute by the record company, which really angered Kinks songwriter Ray Davies. Davies then went on to write concept albums about how much he hated the music biz.

Pretty Things- Trust
Excuse me. Please.

Pentangle- In Time
Another five minute song. I'm glad there's a radio in the bathroom.

Jefferson Airplane- Pretty as You Feel
I hope that you are feeling beautiful, because you are.

Patti Smith -Privilege
Playing Patti on Sunday mornings gives me something to live for.

Fairport Convention- Tale in Hard Time
Dude, just play 4/4 like the rest of us. Kidding! I love this band- their first few albums sound especially good.

Neil Young - Vampire Blues
Neil singing about Big Oil back in 1974..."I'm a vampire, babe, sucking blood from the earth."

Flaming Groovies - Headin' for the Texas Border
Flee! Get out while you still can!

Funkadelic- I'll Stay
Don't go! I'll wait!

ELP- In the Beginning
Damn. This remind me that I was planning on playing some Genesis. Too late now.

Blonde Redhead- Cure
I wonder if the Cure have a song called 'Blonde Redhead?'
I used to know a blond redhead...sigh...where are you now? I could use some asylum.

Last-Ditch Effort

Here is some of my emergency gear.
My new Maglite, a mechanical timepiece, canned goods and vinyl records. I keep the records handy in case I have to rush to the station at the very last second and do a two-hour program of 1980's music.
Usually I narrate my playlists, but frankly I've got too much shit to do and I need a break.
I'll be back on the air tomorrow morning, 7am.

Good news coming tomorrow. Or maybe Monday or Tuesday.

Until then, here's what I scraped together:




Snakefinger- The Model

Magazine- The Honeymoon Killers
Steve Hillage - These Enchanted Lands
Oingo Boingo - No Spill Blood

Blue Oyster Cult- Burnin' For You
Yello - La Habanera
Siouxsie and the Banshees- Spellbound
Meat Puppets- Up on the Sun
Neil Young - On Broadway
Troublefunk- Woman of Principle
George Clinton- Airbound
Grace Jones- My Jamaican Guy
Danielle Dax- Funtime
Crack the Sky- Monkey Boy
The Damned- There'll Come a Day
Lou Reed- Martial Law
Robyn Hitchcock- Grooving on an Inner Plane
XTC- Shake Your Donkey Up
Adrian Belew- Adidas in Heat
Mother Gong- Upwardly Mobile Song
Mission of Burma- All World Cowboy Romance
Dukes of Stratosphere- 25 O'Clock
The Kinks- Low Budget
Stranglers- Praise of the European Female
Tupelo Chain Sex- The Revolution Will Be Televised
Poto Doudongo- Bolingo

Sunday, Monday...

Monday morning, 7:30 AM : I am awakened by a call from the pharmacy. The pharmacist explains that my insurance only covers a 60 day supply of certain drugs, and my refills are not covered. I will need to get my doctor to authorize them- which I thought he did when he wrote the scrips in the first place- I have 2 and 3 refills on my respective meds.

"Oh, you can still have the medicine, it just isn't covered", the pharmacist tells me. "You will need authorization and that usually takes a few weeks."

A few weeks? I am out of pills. I can't wait a few weeks.

"How much do my scrips cost without insurance?", I ask.

"$280."

"$ 280! How much for just one of them?"

"Oh, that is just one. Together it will be $410."

Then my alarm clock goes off- between my early awakening, the bad financial news and the clock's sudden screeching , I am so rattled that I drop the phone. I'm exhuasted, my nerves are shot and I haven't even showered yet.

Ironically, the medicines in question are intended to treat insomnia and anxiety.

I can already tell that this week is heading for the toilet. At least I had a good weekend. I'm going to need those memories to sustain me, because I sure as hell can't afford drugs- even with insurance and a prescription, I can't have my pills.

My doctor's office hates the insurance company, but they tell me they can't change the rules. Instead, my doc calls in two "substitute" scrips for medications that don't work nearly as well as the ones I've been taking. In a few weeks, after my authorization is processed, I can go back to taking the pills that work.

Until then, I'll have to survive on the fumes from Sunday's show.

THE NEW BREAKFAST SNOB, June 10,2007:


Snakefinger- Jesus Gave Me Water/Move
My copy of 'Night of Desirable Objects' is signed by Snakefinger.One of my few material treasures. Man, he sure could play.

Black Sabbath - Am I Going Insane?
Yes, Ozzy, you are. One day you will be more well-known for being on "reality TV" than for Black Sabbath. No wonder you flipped out.

Steeleye Span- Celtic Inferno
Burn, baby, burn!

Dire Straits- Lady Writer
You broke my heart. Twice.

Alan Parsons Project- The Tell-Tale Heart
When you were done, you buried the evidence under the floorboards, where it continues to haunt you to this day. You can try to run away, but you'll always hear the beating of my hideous heart.

Manzanera/Eno/801 Live- Tomorrow Never Knows
Relax. Maybe things will improve. Maybe they won't.

Frank Zappa- Dirty Love
The poodle bites.

Emmylou Harris- Here I am
Right here. Easy to find and the door is open. Don't knock it until you've tried it.

Steve Hillage- Wait One Moment
One moment. Not five years. One moment.

Briege Murphy- Cloghinne Winds
Add another name to my list of hopeless crushes...sigh. What a pretty song. I wish I knew how to pronounce her first name. Breege? Brayge?

Sweetwater- Why oh Why?
I ask myself this question all the fucking time...never an answer. Great 60's band, though.

Fiona Joyce- Cry Over You
I'm in the mood for this- new on St.Clair records. Beautiful song, great voice and wonderful production.

Loreena McKennitt- Gates of Istanbul
Ahhhhhhh...sonic excellence.

Anuna- The Last Rose
I'm in a Green Zone today and this Celtic choir helps keep me there.

Stranglers- Let Me Down Easy
This request is unlikely to be granted. Life doesn't work that way. A better title would be : "Destroy me in under sixty seconds"

Pentangle- Mirage
Is this real? No.

Fairport Convention- The Way I Feel
If I felt as great as this song sounds, I'd be euphoric. Instead, I am merely delusional.

Claanad- The Other Side
Always wins.

Danielle Dax- The Wheeled Wagon
Hah! Take that!
This song brings back happy memories! Michael Hawkesworth, are you out there? ( MH was the original Breakfast Snob and the title of my programme is a tribute to him. I'd love to talk to him again...it's been 20 years). He turned me on to Dax.

Blonde Redhead- Slogan
Cheering up now...I have no idea what the French lyrics are saying, but I like the melody.

Can- Half Past One
If I am playing Can, I am in a good mood.

Funkadelic- This Broken Heart
"I got more faults than Carter's got little pills."

Gentle Giant- Free Hand
I am very luck to have a free hand in selecting my songs.

Damien Dempsey- The Jar Song
Buy his records.

Jethro Tull- Acres Wild
I'm being very optimistic here.

Pretty Things - She's a Lover
Of someone else.

Soft Machine- Why Are We Sleeping?
Why are we awake?

Vinyl Is For Giving

My selection of vinyl may have some pops and scratches , but it will never give away my name or email and it will never turn me over to the FBI for sharing it with the world.
Vinyl is permissive.
Vinyl is forgiving.

This weekend's first show, Songs From The Big Hair (the 80's ):

The Damned- Street of Dreams
Derek Sunshine sez: "The Damned are like a real-life Spinal Tap. They changed image with whatever they thought was cool- punk, goth, metal...whatever". Well, I'll be...

XTC- This World Over
Great post-apocalyptic ballad about a father and son visiting a crater.

Snakefinger- Kill the Great Raven (Live)
"You can call me Phil. Or Snake. Either one." Snakefinger said that to me after his only Richmond show. Then we got stoned for hours. A month later he was dead.

George Clinton- Airbound
Let's put this Clinton in the White House. The Mothership Connection is funkadelicious and peaceafied.

Scorpions- Every Minute, Every Day
Back in high school, if you had told me that one day I would be playing this album on the radio,
I would have said: "What? I can't hear you! I'm in the backseat and you have the fucking Scorpions blasting my ears out!"

Motorhead-I'm the Doctor
"You'll feel better if you take these little pills/I'll give you sixty bottles/I believe in overkill..."

Danielle Dax- White Knuckle Ride
"Crazy little Charlie took a trip on an airplane/With his hands full of triggers as he flew into the sun..."

King Crimson- Heartbeat
One of my old bands once opened up for Adrian Belew's 'Bears'. Belew wouldn't deign to speak to us, but their bass player did. We gave him a tape. After the show, we were loading our van and the window of his tour bus opened. Our tape came whizzing out and landed on the sidewalk. It was depressing.

Talking Heads- Born Under Punches
But hey, I can't hold a grudge that long. Belew is all over this album.

The Kinks- Catch Me Now, I'm Falling
I saw this tour. I was in 9th grade. Awesome.

Pere Ubu- Ice Cream Truck
Disgruntled Mid-West anti-pop.

Golden Palominos- Omaha
Is that what's-his-face from REM? Is that the drummer from David Letterman's old band? I dunno.

Magazine- The Great Man's Secrets
Psst...c'mere. I have something I wanna tell you.

Adrian Belew- The Momur
Dude. See how magnanimous I am? Bask in my benevolent forgiveness, you fuckin' twanger.

Coffin Break- Diane
These guys used to play in Richmond quite often. They were always too loud, but I liked them anyway. Scary song.

Robyn Hitchcock- Slipping in the Midnight Fish
Yeah, I know I recently played this on my other show, but I really get a subversive, perverse thrill from it. Indulge me, eh? This is one of several songs from today's list that features sardines. I'll send a bag of money to whomever finds them all.

Lou Reed - Turn Off The Light
Yeah, I know I play a lot of Lou Reed. I can't help it. It's an addiction.

Crack The Sky- Big Money
I am the dogs of war, I am the cocaine whores
Who eat the life from you, I am your wildest dream...
Big Money will set you free

Asia- Ten seconds of hell for which Messrs. Howe, Wetton and Palmer will never be forgiven

I saw this band in concert and watched in amazement as a group of hippies stood up in the front row, gave the band the finger and stormed out. The show was that bad. It really was.
A few years later, I was telling my new hippie roommate about that concert- he told me that it was he who had flipped the bird. He was also dating my high school GF at the time. Small world. Too fucking small.



Grace Jones- Everybody Hold Still
To me, this is a Sly and Robbie album that Grace Jones sings on.

Mother Gong- The Upwardly Mobile Song
Robots and Yuppies. Spot the difference.


Tom Verlaine- Postcards From Waterloo
Tom was in Television, not on television.



Opal- Revelation
What a cool album. Remember the Dream Syndicate?

Wire- Ahead
Geez, I like Wire. I suppose I can forgive them for helping spawn 'house' music. Maybe.

Replacements- Black Diamond
It's a Kiss cover.

Elvis Costello- Watch Your Step
Too late. My foot is in it.

The English Beat- Sugar and Stress
Were you a rocker or a mod or both? I walked both worlds and still do. It's a tight wire.

The Stranglers- It's a Small World
Yes, it is.

My Bloody Valentine- Lose My Breath
This pre-emo CD has really fuzzy album art. It sounds blurry too. I thought I'd enjoy hearing it again, but it really annoyed me. Ah, well.

Tom Waits- 16 Shells from a 30.06
"I'm gonna whittle you into kindlin'"



That's all for Saturday.

Sunday morning I got up at 6am and did another show.
I've been doing a dawn show every Sunday for eight months. I must be nuts.


The New Breakfast Snob:

Funkadelic- Freak of the Week
Shit! Goddamn! Get off your ass and jam!
Fuck. Can't play that song...I'll play this one instead.

Tranquility Bass- 5 Miles High
I don't know much about these guys . It sounds like they smoke lots of indoor weed.



Larry Graham- The Jam
"My name is Larry, Larry Graham, but you can call me...b'rooombapboommmp"
Jumpin' jaysus! It's like looking at Tom Jones with a 'Fro and a P-Bass, ya know what I mean?


The Who - Postcards
Postcards are a running theme this weekend. I am having a lovely time and I do wish you were here.

Steeleye Span- The Lowlands of Holland
Postcards from Europe are a running theme this weekend.

Damien Dempsey- The Jar Song
"That's the way they came..."

The Flaming Groovies- She's Falling Apart
The Groovies get trippy and sad. On the original Kama Sutra vinyl.
Mmmm...Kama Sutra vinyl. That should be good for a few google hits.

Hot Tuna- The Highway Song
This, to me, is a feel-good song. It's raining, but who cares?

Fairport Convention- Genesis Hall
Look, I've already 'fessed up about this stuff...

10 CC- You've Got a Cold
10 CC were a really clever band. Is that an Arp sneezing?

Talking Heads- Memories Can't Wait
Hear all that stuff? That sound? That's Brian Eno. Fear of Music is my favorite Heads album

Fiona Joyce-The Juggler
Usually you can judge a CD by the cover, but this song is the exception. Terrible cover art, but a beautiful song about a dude who can't keep his balls aloft.

Grin- You're the Weight
"Wanna sink my boat in your ocean..." What is that all about?

Alan Parsons Project- I Wouldn't Wanna Be Like You
This guy is the real brain behind Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side...Ampex+Parsons= Midas.

Curtis Mayfield- No Thing (The Cocaine Song)
"I'm so glad that I'm set free"
When I was a kid, I didn't know what this song was about. Now I do. I really do.

Lou Reed- Babyface
Oh my. That's not a happy song, is it?

Robert Fripp-Chicago
I would like a deep-dish pizza stuffed with Frippertronics. That would be my perfect meal.

The Stranglers- Tank
This should be used in Army recruiting ads..."drive your very own tank"
It never goes out of style.

Cream - World of Pain
Have you ever dropped acid and stared at the cover of Disraeli Gears? Whew...it's an eyeful of mind-candy.

The Kinks- Last of the Steam-Powered Trains
I can relate to the defiant obsolescence expressed in this song. I played it from the original vinyl, which is in glorious Monophonic.

Quicksilver Messenger Service- Pride of Man
Pickin' up on yesterday's thread of nuclear holocaust.

Captain Beefheart- Rock and Roll's Evil Doll
Scorpio.

Can- Mother Upduff
Another European postcard- a travelogue really. Considerable time is spent in Italy.

Crack the Sky- Maybe I Can Fool Everybody Tonight
"The last place I want perspiration odor is under my arms."

Be Bop Deluxe- Ships in the Night
"Without love, I am a desert". Camels live in deserts.

Jethro Tull- Thick as a Brick
Your what is in the where? How did it get there? Yuck.

Clannad- Love and Affection
Is that too much to ask for? A timeless question.

Jefferson Airplane- Wooden Ships
The line about the purple berries always reminds me of the balloon girl from the original Willie Wonka movie. What exactly did the Oompa-Loompas do with her?

Well, that's what I did this weekend. It's pouring rain this morning so I'm staying inside and taking a nap. I talked to my grannie and she sounds pretty good, so I can rest a little easier.
It's been a good weekend.
I hope you all had a good one too.

What's Playing?

Things have been more than a little chaotic lately and it continues to be interesting...I've been temporarily cut off from the Intertubes at home so even Blooging is difficult. Bad news following bad news...it's a trying time, but I'm still here and am OK. To those of you who have been with me, listening and sending kindnesses, I thank you all. It does help. It really does.

Despite all the bad news, there are some good things that remain constant, and music is one of those. Here's my much belated playlist from Sunday AM:


Gong (w/ Alan Holdsworth)- Espresso
After Daevid Allen and Steve Hillage quit, Gong continued under drummer Pierre Moerlen's leadership. He recruited Alan Holdsworth and release a couple of percussive jazz fusion records.
I don't like jazz fusion very much, but I do like this album-(Gazeuse). The best thing I can say about Holdsworth's solo albums is that he isn't Al DiMeola. Faint praise.

Funkadelic- Into You
"I can't get into a drug addict principle...I can't get into the neutron bomb"
But I can get into you. If you want me to.

Focus- Sylvia
Let's go Dutch.

Gong- Heaven's Gate
From Gong's 25th anniversary LP...1996? I saw them in Baltimore and was ready to be disappointed by my tired old heroes...such was not the case. Those old fuckers tore the house down. One of the best shows I have ever seen, and I've seen a few. Original Gong drummer Pip Pyle died late last year, but he lived long enough for me to see him play. This show is for Pip!

Loreena McKinnett- Hearts in Space
I want to be a roadie in her band...no...I want to be a groupie. McKinnett just makes it work, ya know? Love at first listen.

New York Gong- Jungle Windo
Daevid Allen's 1979 all-star proto-punk album, one of the most influential records you have never heard. Features Fred Maher, Chris Cutler, Bill Laswell and, of course, saxamaphonist extraordinaire Gary Windo.

Pretty Things- Goodbye/Goin' Downhill
If there was ever an 'under-rated' rock band, it was the Pretty Things. They've been playing on and off for over thirty years- unlike their moss-gathering peers, these guys can still rock hard without a bevy of supporting musicians and an exploding SuperBowl backdrop.

Alan Parsons Project- Breakdown
"When I breakdown just a little and lose my thread, no one can understand the words that I said"
Emerson, Lake and Palmer- New Orleans
The best ELP tracks are the ones you never hear. This instrumental is one of them. It's under three minutes long... a real prog-rock oddity. Carl Palmer is so awesome on this that I forgive him for Asia. Really, Carl, it's alright. We all make mistakes.

Danielle Dax- Tomorrow Never Knows
I have had a burning crush on Danielle Dax since 1985. I still do. She plays with explosives and does really trippy Beatles covers. Dax plays many, many instruments and she has one of those love or hate voices. I love it. Her world turns me on.

Mott The Hoople- Death May Be Your Santa Claus
Another great underrated but influential band. I need to update my Hoople collection.

XTC- Life is Good in The Greenhouse
Despite it all, the song is correct.

Daevid Allen- Time of Your Life
From Banana Moon, this UK single highlights Pip Pyle's manic drumming. RIP.

Brian Eno - Mother Whale Eyeless
I love Eno. I'll buy anything I see his name on, but Taking Tiger Mountain... is a hard act to follow. You can hear his production evolve on this album- listen to this record and then listen to Talking Heads' Fear of Music. Hear that? Dude, that is some good sound.

Gong- Where Have All The Flowers Gone?
To Flower Heaven, where they decorate Pip's drumkit.

Lou Reed- What's Good?
My mother gave me a copy of Magic and Loss while she was dying of cancer. This album may very well be the most profound record that I own. I can't listen to it without risking tears.

Tom Waits- Walkin' Spanish
Tom needs a show of his own. Stay tuned!

Capt. Beefheart- Ashtray Heart
I feel like a glass shrimp...case of the punks, right from the start.

Soft Machine (w/ Daevid Allen)- Memories
From a 1967 demo tape recorded in France...Allen left to form Gong, after which the Soft Machine toured with Hendrix; later, Robert Wyatt drank, fell down and crippled himself. Wyatt's drumming is driven and intense but his voice is beautiful and haunting...the stuff of memories and dreams.

Gong- Tried So Hard
Don't give up. Never surrender.

Steve Hillage - Sea Nature
Steve is THE Gong guitarist. Not bad stringsmanship for a hippy, eh?

Grace Slick/Paul Kantner- Sketches of China
Speaking of hippies, that's the unmistakable sound of Jerry Garcia playing. I actually got a phone call on this song, a listener couldn't believe they were hearing it- "great song" they said. I love it.

Be Bop Deluxe- Japan
Equal time, ya know?
Oh , I'm so in love with my Japan...not. But I do love Bill Nelson.

Golden Palominos- Heaven
Everyone I see is missing something...

My Head Is My Only House Unless It Rains

A double-shot of programs this weekend.
First, Songs From The Big Hair, our weekly 1980's show. This week I was training JY, a new volunteer. She has previous DJ experience and picked up our system easily; it was nice having another person in the booth.
DJing is sort of a lonely job, y'know? Like being a lighthouse keeper or something.



SONGS FROM THE BIG HAIR

Replacements- Go
12" vinyl on 45rpm. Hi-Fidelity! Go! Go! Oh, wait...later for them.

Danielle Dax- Big Hollow Man
I call my program 'The New Breakfast Snob' in honor of Michael Hawkesworth, the original Breakfast Snob. Mike had an all-nighter show on Park City, Utah's NPR station. He let me hang out while he played weird art rock and experimental punk. Among other things, he turned me onto Danielle Dax . Mike and I once played live on his station, doing a Residents-style Casio, feedback and poetry jam...Mike, this one's for you.

God will provide the way You read about it every day -I'm tellin' ya All you gotta do is pray And furnish His house with silver

X- Poor Girl
So, like, if you call me with a serious problem and you ask me to help you, I will.
And I won't take it lightly. But don't talk to me when you are drunk, because being drunk is your problem.
You should know better.

Lou Reed- Don't Talk to me About Work
This is another sore subject.

George Clinton- Tweakin'
Chuck D joins George C for some serious slammin'.
Hookin' into the extra input...

Oingo Boingo- No Spill Blood
Who makes the rules? Someone else!
This is Danny Elfman's old band. Great arrangements and lyrics...now go watch The Forbidden Zone.

The Kinks - Add it Up
So I have done the math, see? And it doesn't add up.
It never does.
I can triple-check it, but it won't help. The error is caused by a constant variable and it all adds up to nothing.

The Stranglers- Ice Queen
I was never sure of the accurate score...and so it goes.

The Damned - Grimly Fiendish
Yep.

The Soft Boys- I Got the Hots for You

Well, yeah, whatever. *yawn* So what else is new?

Meat Puppets- Meat Puppets
It's amazing that the Meat Puppets were allowed to record a second album. Their first one is almost unlistenable.
Their second LP is a modern Lo-Fi classic.
This is from the first album.

Snakefinger- The Model
Former Residents guitarist Snakefinger does a great cover of a Kraftwerk orange.


Lizzy Mercier Descloux - Wawa
Antena - Easy Street
Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls
New Order - Thieves Like Us

I let JY fly solo for a couple cycles while I listened in another room, filling out her evaluation. Before she went on she asked :"Is 'West End Girls' too Top 40?"
I didn't want to admit that I had no idea what a 'Pet Shop Boy' sounds like, so I said, sure, play it.
Now I remember...aaargh...yeah, it is too Top 40.
Nevertheless, I gave her high marks in every category because she earned them- welcome to the station, JY!

Chameleons - Up the Down Escalator
The Go Go's - We Got The Beat
Psychedelic Furs -Sleep Comes Down
Cowboy Junkies - Sweet Jane

JY's second set- The Furs reminds me of...well, nevermind. It's a fond memory.
Whim enjoyed the Chameleons, which I second...thanks for tuning in!

Crack the Sky-All the Things We Do
Am I the only living Crack the Sky fan? These guys were great- they used to play around Baltimore when I was a teen. Terrific band, but I think there were problems-nevertheless , John Palumbo rocks! Meat guitar played with a scalpel, not a cleaver.

Pere Ubu- Bus Called Happiness
It passes without stopping, splashing mud on my trousers as it roars past.
I hear the laughter of aquatic mammals. They are laughing at me.

XTC- Poor Skeleton Steps Out
Joey D. Viver!

Nena- 99 Red Balloons
This song is about nuclear annihilation. Let's take it one step further- how about we divide the world's nukes into two equal piles and place one pile at the North Pole and one at the South Pole?
Bam! The polar icecaps become a gigantic cloud of cleansing radioactive steam! All of humanity's problems are solved in an instant.

Elvis Costello- Poisoned Rose
Dude.

Cocteau Twins- Violane
Years ago , one of my female friends asked me why I liked this CD, they told me that straight punk dudes weren't supposed to like the CT's.
But this CD sounds so good it's impossible for me to dislike. Production...how did you get that sound? I bought my first set of condenser microphones after hearing this record.
That's why I like it.

Talking Heads- Once in A Lifetime
Same as it ever was...


( For deep delving into the video vaults of the 1980's go directly here: the Eighties)
-------------------------------------------

The following morning found me back on-the-air, this time it's my weekly show:
THE NEW BREAKFAST SNOB

Steeleye Span- Blackleg Miner
Feeling like some Celtic beats this morning, this is a recent acquisition and it sets me up nicely.

Fairport Convention- The Way I Feel
This version of the Gordon Lightfoot song is wonderful. The way I feel is not.

Maire Brennan- Beating Heart
Does she mean 'beating heart' as in 'beating a baby seal to death with a baseball bat?'
I don't think so, but that's what I hear anyway.

Claanad- The Other Side
Maire Brennan is the lead singer for this group, which has several members with the surname Brennan. Like a family or something...more great production.

Pentangle - The Hunting Song
"Whoever said, 'the heart is a lonely hunter' should have their head stuffed and mounted above my mantelpiece."
-AB

Velvet Underground- Sunday Morning
Yes it is. This song, like the one before it, features bells. Bells trail off, bells lead in; it's an epic cross-fade.
A beautiful moment of transcendental DJ bliss. I wish someone else had heard it.

Damien Dempsey- The Jar Song
Damien Dempsey sings about getting drunk with the likes of Shane MacGowan...have one for me , boys!

The Kinks - Mr. Pleasant
Last week's listener request, filled too late- which sort of fits with the theme of the song...

Sweetwater- Crystal Spider
Look. I like trippy 60's bands with chick singers. I just do. OK? Sheesh...

The Pretty Things - October 26
If I wanted to/could I depend on you/...my friend?
And the guitar sadly shakes it's head and walks away.

Loreena McKennitt- Caravanserai
I want to be a Druid. Really, that's how good this is.

Tom Waits- Shake
If you bastards don't behave, Tom is gonna show up at your door with a gun totin' preacher, a pair of knife-wielding hookers and a wagon-full of hot tubes. Enough!

Eleanor McCovey- Whisper and Prayer
Haven't I heard this somewhere before? It all sounds familiar.

The Wipers- No One Wants an Alien
Yeah. I know that. I really do.

Jade Warrior- Three Horned Dragon King
This record has an op-art pinwheel on the label instead of a song list. When it spins, you get dizzy if you look at it. Groovy.

The Alan Parsons Project- The Raven
I feel a strong affinity with E. Allan Poe and I love Alan Parsons' production.
I should do an 'all-Allan' show one day...oh, nevermind. I did that last year.

The Stranglers- The Raven
I LOVE the Stranglers. A lot. Angry keypunk! And that bass has serious growls, like a hungry Tyrannosaurus, y'hear that?

King Crimson- Model Man
Look for the signs/ look for the symptoms...
Not a model man/not a saviour or a saint/imperfect in a word/make no mistake
but I/give you everything I have/ take me as I am ...

Dude.That and two bucks will get you a cup of coffee.

The Who - Faith in Something Bigger
Inside ourselves.

Motorhead- I Don't Believe a Word
Neither do I. I want to believe, but I don't. Sorry.

Robyn Hitchcock- Midnight Fish
This album is on opaque white vinyl. That makes it very difficult to see the groovy decay between the songs...it's a good thing that I'm an expert, otherwise playing this could be dangerous.

Television- Prove It
Or not. I already knew that.

Cop Shoot Cop - Two at a Time
Using up your lucky days two at a time...

Neil Young- Welfare Mothers
I really wanted to play this on Mother's Day- my mom had a wicked sense of humour and would have approved- she gave me this album!- but I decided to wait until today.
Neil shoulda got an award for bein' so gentle and extra-sensitive...dee- vorrrr-ceeee...

Be Bop Deluxe- Panic in the World
The more things change, the more they don't.

Capt. Beefheart- Crazy Little Thing
How'd ya get a name like Crazy Little Thing? Maybe it was the name that drove you crazy all along

Pere Ubu- Nobody Knows
Sure they do. They just don't care.

Jethro Tull- Teacher
Ah, there's slight problem with your term paper. You see, I Googled your subject- Franco's rebellion- and it appears that you just printed an entire article from Wikipedia.
Leaving the URL at the bottom of the printed page was a dead giveaway.
Still, I'm giving you a C-minus just so I don't have to look at your stupid face next year.

Saved By The Bell

The robots have taken control of the station. In the movies there's always a kid genius who hacks into the network and saves the day at the last minute. Where is that kid now? I ain't him.

Band De Soleil- Woman on the Floor
This song is twelve minutes long, which makes it a great one for playing when things are breaking down.
Michelle Malone makes her guitar weep in the language of wah and I wish I could play this song louder but I'm busy troubleshooting...I'm forced to call outside help and that is not something I am used to doing or enjoy much. A phone call is made and order is restored during D. Bigay's drum solo. Anyway, I'm listening to it now because I missed it on Sunday.

Replacements - Kick Your Door Down
Having to deal with misbehaving computers at 6:30 am pisses me off and makes me wanna play my punk rock records. "Your radio is playing way too loud and it don't sound like me!"
Goddammit, it should sound like me! Turn that shit UP.

The Kinks- This is Where I Belong
I need this song to help get me back in the here. It's not long enough. Close.

Pretty Things- Passion of Love
This isn't even the song I wanted to play. I wanted to play Not Givin' In...fuck, this new song sounds like the Pretties circa 1965- not 2000ish. I liked them best in 1968-1971.

Jefferson Airplane- Feel So Good
This is from an Airplane LP but it's really just Hot Tuna in disguise. Go, Jorma, go!

Television- Friction
Many years ago, the bar I worked at had enough musicians employed to form a cover band for the X-mas party. One of the other guitarists chose this song- I was just a beginner and the guy gave me a copy of the LP Marquee Moon. I was advised to listen. I did. I still have that LP. Just played it...
"I start to spin the tale/ you complain of my dick -shun/
You give me friction/F-R-I-C-T-I-O-N"
(thank you Billy- wherever you are)

Lou Reed - Nowhere at All
I'm still in a sour mood and need this sort of song to settle me down by pumping me up- I goddamn love Lou Reed..."somebody's got to help me".

Damien Dempsey- Marching Season
Am I the only American who knows who this guy is? He's fookin' great and if you have an 8am mad-on at the world, then this is the perfect song for you. Honk!

Jethro Tull- Acres Wild
Today I skipped work and got a copy of my birth certificate, which is required to obtain a passport, which I will need if I ever want to see what Ian Anderson is singing about. And I do.

Clannad- Struggle
Isn't it a struggle? Of course it is. So what? Play on.

Fairport Convention- Walk Awhile
Tomorrow my car goes into the garage for inspection and a (hopefully) minor repair.

The Stranglers- Who Wants the World?
Fuck, I don't know. I live inside my head.

Manzanera/Eno/801 Live- Miss Shapiro/ You Really Got Me
One of the best unknown live albums ever.Brian Eno singing the Kinks...this came out before that Van Halen silliness.

Gentle Giant- As Old As You're Young
Are you as old as you seem? You are? Excellent.

Genesis- Lilywhite Lilith
"The chamber was in confusion.." are the first words to this song- it's what I thought of when I walked into the studio this morning- took me a while to get it cued, but the fade segued perfectly into the chanting at the beginning of the next song, an accident of fortune, or something more?

Loreena McKinnett- The Mystic's Dream
Gorgeous. Calms me down, gotta make some announcements...let's pick up the pace.

Chris Spedding- Breakout
"When the music breakout..." Doin' the slow-pogo (slogo) around the booth, don't wanna make the record skip..."we've been psychedelicized/ we've had our booties re-fried"

Joe Strummer- Get Down Moses
This is on CD so I can jump up and down as much as I want to, which is a lot.

Hawkwind- D Rider
Whoa...I can still feel the acid I took back in 1984...this album was old then. Being able to play this on the air is a truly sublime thrill for me.

Can - Dizzy Dizzy
Yeah, back to my theme of spontaneous disorientation...man, I just can't quite click. My clever ad libs turn to gibberish- luckily, it all makes sense in the context of Can.

Steve Hillage- Unidentified Flying Being
Gong- I Never Glid Before
Steve's a saucer nut and Gong have an entire mythology of their own, complete with Pot-Head Pixies and Teapot Taxis so pretty much anything I say about them sounds crazy...in a very good way. Steve Hillage was THE Gong guitarist...Alan Holdsworth might've been the better player, but Hillage had the sound. I'll take the sound.

Klaatu- Calling Occupants...
What the hell made me play this? I remember someone telling me this band was the Beatles in disguise...turns out it was some studio hacks from Canada. I think that Captain and Tennille or maybe the Carpenters (or both?) covered this song. No matter who played it, it's annoying the shit out of me.

Blue Oyster Cult- Kick Out The Jams
Dammit, this is more like it! Sure wish I still had my MC5 vinyl.

Be-Bop Deluxe- No Train to Heaven
Bill Nelson is so, like, totally underrated...he's tried all sorts of styles- even wearing makeup like Bowie- but nothing hides the fact that he's a guitar nut at heart. Dude likes to solo- as well he should.

Bob Dylan- Long Distance Operator
PJ Harvey- Send His Love To me
You either get this or you don't. I'm hoping that you do.

Talking Heads- Paper
I think this song is about my friend X's new dog and his attempts at house-breaking it.
"don't think I can get it- on the paper/ don't think I can fit it - on the paper"
Dude. Some things they pass right through.

Anyway, my show was a mess and I left feeling all scrambled,it was only 9AM, but it set my tone, so to speak...I was in a jumbled funk all day. I played guitar, tried to blog, took a long walk...nothing helped. It was just one of those long, useless days.

This feeling carried over into this morning. I just couldn't function at all.

I could barely manage to call in sick.

When I hung up, I felt better. I really do think my (paying) job is very bad for my mental health...hanging in for now...anyway, I didn't want to waste today. Yesterday was bad enough.

One of the good/bad things about being a (unpaid) DJ/Programmer is having to review CD's. We get a LOT of CDs at the station and someone has to listen to them, evaluate the songs and make suggestions (if any) on what to play. Sometimes this is great fun and sometimes it is sheer torture, but it needs doing.

I think I'm the only DJ we have that delves into Celtic music, so I wound up with a stack of "Celtic Journeys" CD's in my box. Hmmm...stock photography on the covers, looks like it's being marketed to New Age Soccer Moms, this doesn't look like it's going to make my goat float, if you know what I mean.

Surprisingly, I was able to find at least one decent song on each CD- except the one called "An Instrumental Journey" , which, were it a screenplay, would likely be written by Alan Smithee. In the UK, an elevator is referred to as a "lift". That CD is "lift" music. Ugh.

One CD featured a song called Cry Over You by Fiona Joyce, whom I had never heard of
before. It's the last track on the last CD I reviewed and it made the whole ordeal worthwhile.
Ms. Joyce is a beautiful singer and this song is a heart-breaker for sure, but what really turned me on- what made me save the song as a .wav file and not as an mp3- was the sound of the cymbals, the uncredited drummer's touch on the bell of the cymbal is captured perfectly, changing just so , following the words...a drum machine can't do that.

Beautiful.

It was worth listening to four hours of Druid Muzak to get to that bell. That bell was ringing for me.
I needed it and there it was.

Magic.

Played

Velvet Underground- Who Loves the Sun?
I didn't know it at the time, but when I was drinking, I was little more than a shambling zombie, an undead creature fettered by chains of my own devising. I've been walking among the living- in broad daylight- for twenty months and I haven't turned to ashes yet, so I guess the answer to this song's question would be : "Me. I do."

Savoy Brown- It'll Make You Happy
Kim Simmonds was correct. It will.

Can-Spoon
I could do an entire program on Can and not get bored. Hmm...this song reminds me of something...

Spoon- Everything Hits at Once
Oh, yeah! That's it...I promised to play some Spoon. I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it. For E.

Ray Manzarek- Wake Up Screaming
From Ray's 1974 solo LP, the former Doors keyboardist busts out with a very young Patti Smith reading Jim Morrison's poetry during the break and a guitar solo by Joe Walsh- an awesome rock moment. The photo on the back cover is worthy of it's own post. Stayed tuned for an update on this.
Well, whatta ya know? My Soul Kitchenmate the Gear Slut has done a killer post on this very photo. Imagine that.

X- The Unheard Music
I owe Ray Manzarek a huge favor for helping discover and later producing X, one of my favorite short-lived bands of all time ( X after Billy Zoom quit doesn't count). Ray plays organ on this track. It's as if you can hear the torch passing- or was that a spleef?

Patti Smith- Free Money
Hey, this here's the same Patti Smith who read Jim Morrison's poem a couple of songs ago. She has songs of her own, you know. Of course you did. Horses changed everything, dude.

Jethro Tull- Hunting Girl
Ian Anderson is one of rock's great storytellers and the band is tighter than Ann Coulter's shoulder muscles. A lot of kids wound up cribbing from Martin Barre riffs, but there's some sounds that can't be copied and Barre has one. I sure wish I'd been at this concert.

Captain Beefheart- This is the Day
The Captain was asked by Mercury Records: " Why don't you make something that we can sell?" He produced a a couple albums that he allegedly hated- which is funny, because the Captain's "fuck my label" albums are better rock n' roll than most band's 'real' records. This song'll break yer heart. The records didn't sell very well. Captain eventually wound up on some label called Virgin that no one had ever heard of. Then he quit music altogether so he could pursue his passion for crappy painting. Our loss.

Big Brother and the Holding Company- Heartache People
Big Brother soldiered on after Janis Joplin died and this album is surprisingly good.
That drunken 4:15 am phone call of distress? It's in this song.

Soft Boys- The Asking Tree
If you have to ask you won't understand so there's no point in sitting around waiting for answers. Nothing to be done.

The Wipers- So Young
For years my friends used to tell me that listening to the Wipers was probably not good for my somewhat erratic and depressive mental health. Today I can listen to Greg Sage's pain and not be consumed by it. He's one of those rare guitarists that has both a sound and style that are uniquely his- probably because he builds his own gear.
I love him for that alone. Like a hero, you know?
He looked at me funnily when I told him that in person, but he signed my copy of "Youth of America" anyway. This song is from 'Over the Edge', which hadn't come out yet, or I woulda got it signed too.

Talking Heads- Mind
Fear of Music was my first Talking Heads LP. I bought it because it had Brian Eno's name on it. I had never heard anything like it before and I was smitten at first listen. I liked the Heads so much, I spent my dope money on their albums when I was a kid.

The Clash - I'm Not Down
I hate it when people tell me I'm depressed and I'm not. I may be sad that Joe Strummer is dead, but I still jump up and down when I hear The Clash.

The Pretty Things- Grass
Oh, this sounds so good. Analog, sweet analog and that languid, loving beat would make Nick Mason pink with envy. This album, Parachute, was Rolling Stone's Album of the Year in 1970- back when it meant something.

King Crimson- Ladies of the Road
Naughty , nasty and very well-arranged. It's so steamy even Robert Fripp sounds passionate.

The Kinks- Yes Sir, No Sir
Is your child considering enlisting in the military? They should listen to this Ray Davies masterpiece first- from: Arthur ( Decline and Fall of the British Empire). I enjoy pointing out the perils of colonialism and wars of occupation almost as much as Davies does, but he's a lot better at it.

Atomic Rooster- A Little Bit of Inner Air
It's about getting high and the drums are processed with a flanger. Heavy.

Loreena McKennitt- Hearts in Space
I'd follow this voice anywhere. There's something in her music that touches me, makes me feel like I belong where I am.

Steve Hillage - Hurdy Gurdy Man
I am a Gong freak and have been a Hillage fan for just as long. Todd Rundgren produced this LP and it does sound good- for a production masterpiece, listen To Todd's work on XTC's Skylarking. That's one of the best-sounding albums I have ever heard.


Cat Stevens- Bitter Blue
Fuck, I don't care if he went wacko or went sane or whatever- I just like this old song. Brings back some memories, ya know?

Bob Marley- Johnny Was
Why? Shot down in the street and died. All because of the system.

Alan Parsons Project- Cask of Amontillado
I am named after Edgar Allan Poe , who, like myself, spent considerable time drunk in the gutters of both Baltimore and Richmond. Poe and I share roughly similar luck with women, although he's dead and I'm not, so who knows?
Anyway, I'm proud to have that extra 'L' in my name and I'm glad Alan (sic) Parsons did a whole LP based on Poe's works. Great album cover if you can find the original.

Supertramp- Even in the Quietest Moments
Dude called and requested Queen. I didn't have any Queen with me , but Supertramp are kinda gay, so that's what I went with. My fave part is the cricket solo.

Frank Black- I Burn Today
I love this guy. I've seen him live several times and he delivers- bigtime. Great songwriter, clever, clever.

Warren Zevon- Disorder in the House
One of the greats. Why are so many of my heroes dead?

Bob Dylan & Band - This Wheel's on Fire
The Basement Tapes. Ahhhh, that was cool.