The Giant Panther

Synth Pop mostly gets a bad rap. I wasn't a mad fan of the genre, but there are some bands I just love that only made this kind of music. Depeche Mode, Erasure and Orchestral Manoeuvres in The Dark are three that come to mind right away. There were some awful examples of this style of music, but I don't like to speak ill of the dead. Usually they swoop in for one great track, usually danceable, and then head off into the sunset never to be heard from again. It's no picnic trying to separate yourself from the Synth Pop pack. Either you are very, very good or you are ignored. There doesn't seem to be much in between. I guess that era has come and gone no?

Today I'm reaching back to 1985 for a favorite chestnut of mine called "Duel" by a German act called Propaganda. They were formed in 1982 in Dusseldorf. The only thing I know about Dusseldorf, unfortunately for me, is that Bob Crane used to mention it on Hogan's Heroes from time to time. World traveler I am not. Maybe some day. Propaganda, a fitting name for a band from Germany, was basically Ralph Dorper of the German band Die Krupps (who allegedly didn't play an instrument), singer Suzanne Freytag and a DJ named Andreas Thein in the beginning. Later on Thein left and was replaced by Michael Mertens. They also added another singer named Claudia Brucken and were signed to Trevor Horn's fledgling ZTT label. ZTT seemed to be all set to release Propaganda's debut album, A Secret Wish, when one the most overrated and over hyped bands of all time, label mates Frankie Goes To Hollywood, hit the big time in 1984 with their single "Relax" from Welcome To The Pleasuredome. I could never figure out what the big deal was, but "Relax" and "Two Tribes" were pretty big hits back then. I should post my pristine radio station promo copy on eBay huh?

The reason I mention Frankie is that ZTT had to back up the promotion of Propaganda's A Secret Wish to put it's full force behind the Frankie phenomenon. Finally in 1985 Propaganda released its debut album to relatively little fanfare. I hate to throw the one hit wonder tag at these artists as you know, but I'd never heard of Propaganda prior to the late 80's and I haven't heard a note from them since, but I'm sure they exist. I just listened to A Secret Wish end to end and I have an idea whey they faded into obscurity, but I don't want to offend the eight reviewers on Amazon.com that refer to it as "A True Synth Pop Masterpiece!" and "Visionary! One of My Favorite Albums Ever!" I'm not going to go down that road, but "Deul" is a great single and I wanted to post it for those who may have forgotten it. I'll say it again though; one great single is better than none every time. Props to Prop...

Propaganda - Duel.mp3 YSI

I was thinking about the Jazz Rock genre the other day while listening, gulp, to David Clayton Thomas era Blood, Sweat & Tears and I got to thinking about the market in general. There used to be a band called Johnny Hates Jazz a while back and by rights I should know every note they ever recorded, but I don't. I loved the name though. I remember telling you folks I used to go around saying I hated Country music, but the truth is I really don't. I feel the same way about Jazz. I never liked it, but now I have a tolerance for it. I mean, I have a copy of Kinda Blue and Bitches Brew (Miles Davis for those of you that need it), but I really don't listen to them much. I've got some John Coltrane records and a handful of other Jazz artists, but I've always been curious about what I might be missing musically and these records just kept surfacing on all time critics lists so I bought them. I may circle back to them in the future, tastes do change, but I'm not counting on it. I'd rather go see Jazz in a club than listen to it in my home. I'm pretty sure that stems from me never having learned to play an instrument and that is something I regret. Maybe it's not too late.

When it comes to Jazz Rock I think of the 70's. The all time king of the genre, for me personally, is Steely Dan. I don't care if I ever hear another note of Aja or Gaucho either. I'm a mad Steely Dan fan. I reach for Pretzel Logic, Countdown To Ecstasy and The Royal Scam all the time. It seemed like the genre congregated in the early 70's though doesn't it? Artists like The Average White Band, Tower of Power, Chase, Weather Report, Chicago, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Santana, Manu Dibango, Jeff Beck, Sun Ra, Eddie Harris & Les McCann, Van Morrison, Soft Machine, Return To Forever....even Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell and Frank Zappa...all spearheaded the Jazz Rock scene way back when. But it all seemed to come and go at once didn't it? Maybe it's my imagination. I will say that an incredibly good band called Morphine excelled under the radar until Mark Sandman's death in 1999. If you have never taken the time to check out Morphine get on the stick. Those guys were flat brilliant.

Arguably the most successful Jazz Rock band of all time is Chicago. Santana and Chicago have something in common and I'll probably catch hell from somebody for saying as much, but they have too many records. Imagine boiling down Santana's catalogue to 15 records? The guy would be even more famous than he is already. Don't get me wrong. Santana has at least 30 phenomenal songs starting with No One To Depend On. I own maybe 12 Santana records, but he must have 30 on the market. I can remember all of my friends just loving his 80's record Zebop!, but Inner Secrets, Abraxas, Shango, Marathon, Santana III, Santana I and Moonflower were all fantastic records just to name a few. I just thought he was more prolific than his market could stand. Then again, who's the multi millionaire and who's the loser in this scenario? Sorry Carlos, I just couldn't buy them all dude.

When it comes to Chicago though I have a bigger complaint; what's with the roman numeral naming scheme? It was later changed to Arabic numerals, but as a record buyer it was hard to buy, say, Chicago V without owning the previous four you know? I know, I'm anal, we've established that already, but I know I'm not the only one. For the longest time I just had the first record and Chicago's Greatest Hits, which is probably still in the top 50 selling records of all time (but I'm definitely guessing). After the first couple I could see making a change couldn't you? No matter, Chicago records sold like hotcakes for decades. Over 120 million worldwide according to our friends at Wikipedia. They say they sold almost as many records as The Beach Boys in the 60's and 70's. They had five number one albums and 21 Top Ten singles. Yikes. Still, if you bought a Chicago record after 1977, or Chicago XI in their terms, it would be kind of surprising. Their leader and lead guitarist, Terry Kath, inadvertently shot himself in 1978 and an argument could be made that they were never the same after that. When bassist and vocalist Peter Cetera left the band in 1985 it definitely changed their sound. Nevertheless I have long loved Chicago.

Formed in 1967 in, amazingly enough, Chicago, IL, the Chicago Transit Authority were first know as The Big Thing. Luckily they changed their name (eventually shortening it to Chicago after their first record) and put out a great self titled double album in 1969 that made everyone sit up and take notice. Many of their compositions were lengthy and had to be edited to get radio airplay. The first record produced "Beginnings, Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?, Questions 67 & 68 and I'm a Man." Nice start out of the chute no? I'm sorry that half of whatever audience I've established here will turn up their nose at this next sentence, but that is what my Guilty Pleasures posts are designed to elicit I guess...I still love the song "Saturday in The Park." There, I said it. Yes I love Nine Inch Nails and listen to Marilyn Manson on occasion, but god I wish I wrote that song. When I hear it at a baseball game on a Saturday afternoon it really moves me. But I've got a massive handful of Chicago tracks I still love. "Feelin' Stronger Everyday" is still a personal favorite as well. Chicago still exists in one form or another and fans still flock to their shows, but they are soft rock fodder these days. That's OK, they've earned the right to do whatever they want as far as I'm concerned. I've never seen them and I may never see them, but that won't ever remove them from my Guilty Pleasures list.

I'm leaving you with one of my favorite Chicago tracks from Chicago VII called "Skinny Boy." It's a short track, but I could never figure out why it wasn't up there with all their best hits. If I can turn just one of you onto it my day will be made. They were terrific in my book.

In 1987 The Sisters of Mercy released Floodland and I was instantly smitten. I had no clue about so called Goth(ic) Rock, but who knew a deep voice and a well oiled drum machine could get me going? Some day I'm going to divide my collection by English/European Rock bands and United States Rock bands and see what the percentage is. The British Invasion still has a huge effect on my taste in rock music. The Beatles (anyone else listen to those new re-masters end to end? Finally!), The Rolling Stones and The Kinks basically changed the world of rock music forever beginning in the early 60's. Not that I ever gave much thought to where the music originated, but I find it interesting that I love so many English/Scottish/Irish bands. A band like The Sisters of Mercy are but a blip on the radar, but I was very excited about them back in the 80's. A couple of days ago "Lucretia My Reflection" popped onto my Sony iPod like device at the gym and I instinctively stepped up the pace of my workout. I still love it 20 plus years later and that says something no? Hey! Be nice...

I was reading the reviews at Amazon.com and one of the headlines screamed "Best Goth Record Ever!" I have to be honest, I do like Goth Rock, but I am not the foremost authority on the stuff. I know I have written about it in the past, but I don't feel qualified to agree with this reviewer. I can tell you I saw them perform twice; once at Great Woods in Mansfield, MA in the late 80's and once in the early 90's when they warmed up The B-52's at Citi Club (or Avalon I can't remember...today it's a House of Blues). Local radio station WFNX-FM used to play "This Corrosion" regularly back then (just try listening for that one nowadays), but unless there is a satellite station (and I'm sure there is) catering to Goth Rock you won't be hearing any of these songs anytime soon. Still, Floodland reached #9 in UK and sold very well in the United States as well. I know all of my friends had it at the time.

On their web site The Sisters describe themselves as a Rock & Roll Band, a Pop Band and (this is key) an Industrial Groove Machine. Industrial Groove Machine. I like that. They definitely have the grooves. The songs on Floodland were on the long side and many of the best ones had extended mixes designed for the dance floor. I think I have mentioned that I'm not much of a dancer in the past, but bands like The Sisters of Mercy, Joy Division, New Order and the like can and have enticed my white boy shuffle out on the dance floor. It's embarrassing, sure, but at least the music is cool. I just can't get psyched for stuff like the late Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough." No offense to anyone who thinks that song is dance floor heaven. The funny thing about this record and its 1990 follow up CD Vision Thing is that there are terrific cuts on them. Vision Thing was jammed with great songs like "Detonation Boulevard, More and I Was Wrong." I'd buy it again today I swear. Their first release, First and Last and Always was also pretty good. Unfortunately, that's basically their entire catalogue. Three studio albums. Still, I have no problem telling folks I love these guys.

I find it hilarious that I love a voice and a drum machine (Doktor Avalanche is what the drum machine is affectionately known as...it even has its own column on their web site) and endlessly repetitive grooves and lyrics. I don't care. The Sisters rock. Either you settle into the groove right away or you whine about technology taking over the skill of a great musician. Us non-musician types really only care about the finished product. I don't care who votes Democrat or who's gay; all I want is something I can tap my foot to. This provides that in spades. The Sisters are still kicking around somewhere as their web site will tell you, but I'll always remember them fondly from the 1985-1990 period where they widened my musical palette. Thank you Sisters.

The Sisters of Mercy - Lucretia My Reflection.mp3

The Sisters of Mercy - Lucretia My Reflection.mp3 YSI

www.the-sisters-of-mercy.com

I've been meaning to write about these guys for months now and my opening just now presented itself. Secret Machines refer to their music as Space Rock, but The School of Rock sound chasers are having a field day with these guys trying to trace their lineage. You hear Pink Floyd mentioned, but I don't hear that at all. Last night I saw them perform, at the venerable Paradise here in Boston, for the very first time. I own three of their CDs, but I have to admit to not absorbing the last two releases as much as I intend to in the future. I'll have to get back to you on those.

I remember reading the year's critical and popular reviews in 2004 and stumbled upon their major label debut called Now Here is Nowhere. I didn't know they had an earlier 2002 EP called September 000 at the time, but it wouldn't have mattered. I liked what the critics had to say about them and I liked the artwork on the cover of the CD. I had more disposable income in those days so I threw a copy in my Amazon.com bucket. In those days my 20 mile commute from Back Bay in Boston to Framingham, MA for work was where I got the majority of my listening done during the work week. It's wasn't much time, believe me, and it was a straight shot, reverse commute no less, down the Massachusetts Turnpike to get there. Some days I heard five songs tops each way (not that I'm a lead foot or anything). I guess my point is I actually grew to like this record despite sleep deprived cranky rides into work and the frazzled stressed out rides home at night. I don't have ADD or anything, but that's a neat trick. You always want to hear something you know when you have a short ride and I didn't know anything about Secret Machines at the time. They still won me over.

Secret Machines is a three man act that evolved out of a myriad of Dallas, TX based bands even as they consider the great City of New York their home these days. In doing some light research I found out that original band members Brandon and Ben Curtis were brothers (I know that's stating the obvious, but monitoring the personnel in bands was never my strong suit). Brandon does most of the vocals and handles the bass. Ben played lead guitar on Now Here is Nowhere and 2006's Ten Silver Drops before leaving the band in March of 2007 to focus on his own band called School of Seven Bells. I don't have enough information to call it creative differences, but School's music has been described as Dream Pop, which I guess is in the ballpark of The Postal Service. If that is true, I really loved that Postal Service record, it makes sense, but I'm sure there's more to the story.

A highly competent guitarist named Phil Karnats was hired as Ben's replacement and he put on a show last night. I think I heard a bit of Adrian Belew during some of his improvisations and I enjoyed his contributions immensely. The drummer's name is Josh Garza and I loved his thunderous playing. He was very precise, heavy handed and clean sounding. It really made the sound in my opinion. I saw him watching headliners ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead after he was done playing (they had two drummers) and it made me think he was a student of his craft. Secret Machines haven't really made it just yet though. Naturally nobody is playing their music on the terrestrial dial and they were their own roadies last night. I stopped both Brandon and Phil to tell them how much I enjoyed the show as they were wheeling their equipment out, but they would never remember even though the crowd was obscenely small. I'm guessing maybe 250 people were there last night. That's just sad, but then again that's life on the road for fledgling bands I guess.

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead apparently weren't enough of a draw to fill The Paradise on a September Monday night, but in fairness a little known act called U2 was performing in the area last night as well. I went to see U2 Sunday night complete with monster staging and glitter, but everyone knows stadium shows are purely for the social aspect of the group attending of concerts. It's like a football game in many respects, after all most of these stadiums are football stadiums in the U.S., but you don't just whistle up the gate just before the band takes the stage. You get there three hours early to beat traffic, drink and eat like there is no tomorrow, walk a mile plus to get into the stadium only to watch 1000 foot monitors instead of the tiny creatures known as the band. It's kind of comical really. I think I paid $252 face value to watch them play from roughly 75 yards as the crow flies. Throw in the $10 beers and $50 parking and you wonder why you bother.

Shows like last night's Secret Machines show even up the score as we were maybe twenty feet from the band at any one time with open access to the bar and facilities. You can't ask for anything more. Secret Machines are better in concert than on CD, but that's a complement because the CDs are really very good. Now Here is Nowhere is one my sleepers of the present decade. I hope you like it. I'm posting "Nowhere Again" because it is around four minutes and representative of their sound, but there are four to five other tracks on this record I'd have no problem posting. Some of them are close to ten minutes so I didn't want to lose you, but I love them just as much. I hope they find eventual success in a very tough market. I'm a fan. Hopefully we'll make a few more out there.

I have been thinking about blogging about L7 for months now. Today is the day. I don't claim to be an expert on all female rock bands, but I have always liked L7. I think my first exposure to an all female band was The Runaways back in the early 70's. I remember hearing my friend Jeff play "Cherry Bomb" and thinking that it was kind of interesting. The most successful all girl band would have to be The Go-Go's I suppose, but if I was posting about The Go-Go's I would have listed this post under Guilty Pleasures. It's hard for a out and out rock fan like me to admit he likes The Go-Go's, but I have to say I didn't mind them. They were completely overexposed thanks to MTV and Belinda Carlisle's attractive mug, but, love 'em or hate 'em, The Go-Go's had some great songs. I used to like "This Town" from Beauty and The Beat. I also enjoyed "Vacation" from Vacation and "Turn To You" from Talk Show. If that makes me uncool...well, let's just say it wouldn't be the first time. I have always loved a female voice on top of my rock. So be it.

I don't know if there is such a thing as the Big Bang Theory, but if one exists for Progressive Rock, I'm of the opinion that it begins with King Crimson's 1969 debut LP In The Court of The Crimson King. I could be wrong of course, but I feel this record just created an Autobahn for groups like Yes, Genesis, Gentle Giant, Rush, Pink Floyd, Focus, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Rush, Golden Earring, Porcupine Tree, The Mars Volta, Dream Theatre, Be Bop Deluxe, Bigelf, Kansas, Tangerine Dream, Marillion, Pendragon, Camel, The Flower Kings, Spock's Beard, Hawkwind, Renaissance, The Strawbs, Electric Light Orchestra, The Alan Parsons Project and countless other bands to speed right on into the public consciousness. Obviously some of these bands pre-date King Crimson, but after In The Court of The Crimson King the game had changed. There was no longer any doubt that a market for this stuff existed. I know there will be Pink Floyd backers out there claiming they led the way, but this album was something else entirely. More importantly it actually sold records.

Many rock fans have a love-hate relationship with Prog Rock. I'm not one of them. I really enjoy the stuff. I know a lot of folks like to include Jethro Tull in the Prog Rock discussion, but I look at them as more of a Blues band. I love them too, but most people don't. Prog Rock is very polarizing for some reason. Sometimes I think it's about having the patience to sit down and take in a long composition, a skill most rock fans don't seem to have. I love the three minute single too, but sometimes I want to immerse myself in classic records like Genesis' Selling England By The Pound, Pink Floyd's Animals, or Rush's 2112. Jethro Tull's Thick As A Brick or side three of the great double album Living in The Past are mostly why Jethro Tull has that Prog tag, but Prog Rock to me, is Yes and the 10 tracks that make up Close To The Edge (1972), Tales of Topographic Oceans (1974), and Relayer (1974). Today's Prog Rock leader is probably Porcupine Tree, but there are several great Prog Rock acts trying to make a name for themselves right now. You just don't ever hear them on any terrestrial radio station. If I didn't own a monster collection myself, I'd probably subscribe to a satellite radio station just to find a station that zeroed in on specific genres like Prog Rock.

Robert Fripp, Peter Sinfield, Ian McDonald, Greg Lake and Micheal Giles were the incarnation of King Crimson that started this band and are credited with these five masterful songs. King Crimson has gone through a ton of personnel changes over the years, but the brand still exists and their catalogue is very impressive. I've got them all, which is probably over 30 when you consider all the live records they have, but I haven't followed all of their changes. In The Court of The Crimson King has five songs; "21st Century Schizoid Man, I Talk To The Wind, Epitaph, Moonchild" and the title track. Without intending to aggravate anyone, 21st Century Schizoid Man could very well have been the blueprint for Black Sabbath's "Iron Man." They both have a mechanical and robotic feel to them. I'm probably not doing a very good job of conveying that sentiment, but for some reason the two songs feel linked to me for some reason. Hopefully somebody out there will be able to read my mind.

In The Court was released in October of 1969 and shot all the way up to #3 on the British Charts and went Gold in the United States. That is nice and everything, but this record is insanely influential. I think I mentioned in the past that a New York area DJ, the late Alison "The Nightbird" Steele, used to begin her late night radio show on WNEW-FM with King Crimson on an almost nightly basis for many years. In fact, Steele, who passed away in September 1995 at age 58 is not only a member of The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, but is also widely revered for championing Progressive Rock music in the 70's. She had a sultry voice and was playing the music I was most curious about as a teenager. Not only was she female (no small feat in the good ol' boy male dominated world of radio in those days), but she was pioneering music you never heard during the day. Alison Steele was a consumate entertainer and a trailblazer. I'll always remember her fondly. She helped make my childhood.

It is said that King Crimson is actually a synonym for Beelzebub, the Prince of Demons, but this album wasn't really about that. The pageantry of this record is hard to describe. It is essentially three compositions with two soft bridges between them. "I Talk To The Wind" and "Moonchild" are lovely tracks, but the meat and potatoes of this record is "21st Century Schizoid Man, Epitaph and The Court of The Crimson King." A painter named Barry Godber did the infamous cover although he died shortly after it's release in 1970. It is one of the very best covers in rock music history from this writer's point of view. Robert Fripp has been quoted as saying that the cover is the Schizoid Man and the inside jacket is The Crimson King. I just located the actual album I own on Atlantic Records and it's worth noting that the band made sure to print the lyrics on the inside jacket. That was very rare in those days and I've long felt it was crucial for fans like me to actually understand the lyrics. This record isn't as hard to decipher as say, Mick Jagger's vocals in "Brown Sugar," but when you can sit down with your favorite party favor and follow along as the record plays it creates a real bond between band and fan. At least it did for me. I can't carry a tune, but I love my lyrics...

I don't have enough superlatives to describe my affinity for this record and what it helped to influence so I'm going to stop blabbering now. I've heard this record thousands of times, but I feel like it is in the rare company of personal favorites that I need to go back and listen to in full a couple of times each year. It's bombastic, it's religious sounding, it's ethereal and it's just plain great. My Wonder Years were so long ago it's not true, but I literally looked up to this record. Probably because my best friend's older brothers and sisters loved it, but I swear the thing had mystical powers. It's like going to church listening to it and I never much cared for church. I realize many of you folks might not appreciate this record the way I do, but I just felt like the ground breaking story of In The Court of The Crimson King needed to be told (again). Thank you very much for reading...

King Crimson - In The Court of The Crimson King.mp3

King Crimson - In The Court of The Crimson King.mp3 YSI

Did I mention how much I love covers? Even when the cover turns me onto the original? Actually, in this case, the cover reminded me of the cover that should have turned me onto the original. In 1973 somebody handed me a copy of David Bowie's Pinups. It was an album of covers, which sometimes takes the fun out of it, but I didn't know many of the songs back then. After all, I was 13 years old. Among the songs was a cover of The Kinks song "Where Have All The Good Times Gone." It was first released as a B side to the classic 1965 single "Till The End of The Day." Baby I feel good, from the moment I rise...god I love The Kinks. I think The Everly Brothers invited inter-band family brawls, but The Kinks were right there. Ray and Dave Davies might not haven't gotten along much of the time, but they were one volatile rock & roll force. Few bands have 40 GREAT singles to their credit, but this band does without question. The funny thing is I didn't consider "Where Have All The Good Times Gone" to be one of them until I heard David Lee Roth and company rework this baby. I hate to say it, but this cover might be better than the original. And no offense to the legendary David Bowie, but his cover was nothing to write home about. Of course nobody can say that about his career though. I can never get enough cow bell, er, David Bowie. Whoa...

You can find The Kinks version of this song on the 1965 LP The Kink Kontroversy, but I'm sure it's out of print by now. Van Halen sped up the tempo and Eddie Van Halen Blows Your Face Out as J. Geils used to say. Van Halen was on such a ride by 1982 they could have put out a cover of Seasons in The Sun and the world would have soaked it up. Van Halen was an interesting act. I thought the Sammy Hagar led 5150 was more than respectable, but there is no comparison to the David Lee Roth led Van Halen. I don't know exactly why, but I fought Van Halen for the longest time. My friend's Jefferson and Mark just loved this band and the more they loved them the more I scoffed. I was wrong, big time. I'm not ashamed to admit it either. I never did care much for their cover of "You Really Got Me," but their love of The Kinks is to be applauded. I just thought there was too much showmanship in Eddie's guitar work and Roth's yelping vocals in that song and "Ice Cream Man." However, the first track that blew my hair back like the Maxell guy in the chair was "Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love." OK I said.

Still, Van Halen's records didn't totally grab me until 1981's Fair Warning. Van Halen, Van Halen II and Women and Children First all had BRILLIANT singles on them; most notably Beautiful Girls, Dance The Night Away, Everybody Wants Some!!, And The Cradle Will Rock..., Jamie's Cryin', Runnin' With The Devil and Somebody Get Me a Doctor, but they seemed somehow incomplete and a bit disjointed to me. I even liked their cover of their cover of the Linda Ronstadt hit "You're No Good," but again, these records were not my all time favs. Fair Warning changed all that for me. My favorite Van Halen song is "Dirty Movies" and nobody even knows the track. It could have, and should have, been a monstrous hit. But "Unchained" was terrific. "Mean Street" and "Hear About It Later" I also loved. I reluctantly hopped aboard the Van Halen bandwagon express with my buddies. I only saw them once in their heyday. It was at the then Worcester Centrum on Saturday October 23, 1982 on the Diver Down Tour. I can't remember anything about that concert, after all, it was an hour ride from Boston to Worcester and I wasn't driving, but I'm sure it was a blast. My $11.50 ticket stub can't talk, but if it could I'm sure it would ask why I left it in my back pocket the whole show...

Van Halen was starting to splinter by 1982's Diver Down, but that didn't stop them for releasing another great record, even if they had to feature three covers in Roy Orbison's "Pretty Woman" and Martha & The Vandellas "Dancing in The Street" as well as WHATGTG to do it. "Little Guitars" and "Secrets" made sure there was some good original material on the record, but nothing could stop the masses from buying this record in droves. They peeled off one last big seller in 1984's 1984 before Roth took off to eventually become an EMT. I might have been the only one who enjoyed his radio show after the insufferable Howard Stern left the terrestrial dial, but I was clearly in the minority. The cynic in me thinks it must have been time to make the doughnuts with regard to the lastest Van Halen reunion with Roth a couple of years ago, but I did get to see them, sans the assless chaps and the ridiculously high leg splits, at The Naming Rights For Sale Garden in Boston's North Station recently and enjoyed the hell out of it. I hear tell they are planning a new record in the next year without original bassist Michael Anthony, but I'll get over that. Bass players get no respect huh?

I didn't mean to focus on Van Halen as much as I did here, but they are the artists with the post. I'll say it again though, The Kinks were among the greatest bands off all time. I can only imagine how many great songs they'd have recorded if they could have stood each other's company more often. In the grand scheme of things, there is no comparison between the legendary Kinks and Van Halen, but in no way do I mean to denigrate what Van Halen once brought to the table. They were a good, no make that great, time. So, I ask you, Where Have All The Good Times Gone?

This is all I know about Pete Droge; a friend of mine, Stacy, who is also a masseuse, told me about this artist while I was on the table about 15 years ago. Stacy and I had worked together in a restaurant called TGI Fridays in the early 80's. She was a very cool, make things happen chick who took a shine to yours truly about 30 years ago. Sounds sad to say now, but back in the day it was practically all I had to go on. We ran in a circle of friends that, at such a tender age, lent itself to a bit of a mutual stat culture. I don't mean to say this in any kind of a negative way, but from time to time one or more of my buddies may well have had sex with the same woman. Most of the time I was on the outside looking in, but generally speaking eminent domain was a phallacy. My relationship, such as it was, with Stacy was not exclusive. That is not to say Stacy slept around, because she most certainly did not, but I might know two or three guys that enjoyed the same experience in a manner of speaking. Not that there's anything wrong with that mind you. She was a blast.

The only reason I even mention it is because Stacy had great taste in music. She turned me onto a couple of bands that I might not have ordinarily caught onto. For that I will always be Grateful, if not Dead. One night, exactly one year apart almost to the day, we were enjoying each other's company for a second time when my roommate, a temporary fix based on the departure of a long time friend, kicked down my bedroom door mid act thinking I was enjoying the company of his ex. Stacy and I enjoyed a good laugh about it, but it was always something we had in common even if our relationship was relatively temporary in its own right. I basically parted company with all parties involved on the spot, but that didn't stop me from hiring Stacy when I needed a massage. She was terrific even sans the happy endings. One night she laid the music of Pete Droge on me. Pete is an alternative folk singer-songwriter. I guess the song that I came to post today, "If You Don't Love Me (I'll Kill Myself)," appeared in the soundtrack to the slapstick comedy Dumb and Dumber later that year, but I had no idea. I just knew a friend of mine turned me onto a great song.

I'm a sucker for a simple guitar riff and a good melody. It's not that complicated. My friends laugh at me for saying I'd prefer a woman with similar taste in music, but it's so true. I have enough ammunition to not buy another record for my final thirty or forty years on the planet and it's completely portable. I can see myself as a Tiki Bar owner, hello John Hiatt, in my Golden Years (ooo wop wop wop...don't let them tell you your life's taking you nowhere...). If I had a woman half as curious and half as musically tolerant I'd have scored big time. I want to play Back in Black and Court and Spark back to back and have her adroitly adapt without batting an eye. Perhaps that's asking (A Touch) Too Much. I'm probably just waiting for that proverbial Car On A Hill, but it seems reasonable when you consider how many women I see at each and every show I attend. They seem to be having as much fun as I am. We just don't seem to know each other is all and it's a shame.

Anyway, "If You Don't Love Me (I'll Kill Myself)" is a great song. I haven't given the Final Solution much thought as it applies to women, but I get a kick out of this song's sentiment. Since I was crushed in the 80's, apparently never to recover, it feels like a bit of a theme song for me. Pete, of course, can just shove on to the next venue and put some salve on his wounds any time he feels like it, but I can't play a lick of guitar. That puts me at a distinct disadvantage. You'd think after 23 years I'd have moved on to the next disappointment, but the fact is I haven't. See what happens when you blog after midnight? It's like truth serum. And drunk dialing. Don't forget Sexting. Total heart on the sleeve crap. Stacy (they call me Stay-cee, they call me her) probably wishes I felt the same way about her, but I never did. Love Stinks for sure, but particularly when you are on the wrong end of the gun. Oh well. Here's a little Pete Droge for those of you who know what I'm talkin' about.

P.S. Congrats to The Giant Panther who recently got engaged to a great lady! Score!!!

One of my all time favorite singles from my youth was Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in The Sky." I had the 45 rpm (revolutions per minute for today's potentially uninitiated) record in 1970 on Reprise Records and I still have that very same banged up piece of vinyl to this day. I loved everything about this song, but then again I wasn't smart enough at 10 years of age to know it had religious overtones. I'm a Golden Rule kind of guy when it comes to religion. The only type of extremist I am is someone who politely removes himself from conversations that involve religion or politics. What a happy place the world would be without these hot topics huh? "Spirit in The Sky" is more of a faith song than it is any type of gospel endorsement. Norman Greenbaum is said to be of Jewish decent even though "Spirit" would seem to be more of a Christian rock song than anything else. Not that this 10 year old cared. It was a great song and still sounds great to this day even if a little dated.

Norman Greenbaum was a Malden, MA native as a young man and studied music at Boston University of all places. What? No Berklee College of Music? Don't most folks go to B.U. to become Doctor's (I knew there was a tie in here somewhere...sometimes you just get lucky!) or Lawyers? What do I know? I went to Emerson College and now I sell things and blog about nothing for free. Idiot. Should have just made a beeline for Babson College or some other business school and rewritten the history of my 22-38 age wasted youth. Hindsight is wicked isn't it? Do you folks cringe when you get your Social Security statements and see what you made annually in your twenties? No? Maybe it's just me then. I had a rockin' good time though, I can assure you of that. Anyway, Greenbaum's "Spirit in The Sky" sold over 2 million copies before 1970 had ended. Apparently Norman was not very enamored of the publicity surrounding his successful single even though he allegedly lip synched "Spirit in The Sky" on Dick Clark's American Bandstand that year. He moved to California in 1971 and hasn't been heard from since according to his Wikipedia page. That'll cement your one hit wonder status I guess.

A former London based DJ named Clive Jackson put together a band called Doctor & The Medics in the early 80's. Andy Partridge of XTC fame was lending a hand producing some of their records and in 1986 they released a cover of "Spirit in The Sky" on a record called Laughing at The Pieces. The single went to number one in 32 countries if you can believe Wikipedia. How does that happen? I know the song was good, but number one? In 32 countries? They say Norman Greenbaum lives off the royalties of his records, as in plural, which shocked me. Singles cost 79 cents in 1970 so I can't imagine what ten percent of 2 million is (math major he is not), but that money should have run out eons ago right? Enter the good Doctor and now it all makes dollars and cents I guess. Doctor & The Medics will not go down in history as one of rock's finest groups, but at least they had good taste in covers. There is not much to separate the two songs, and for a change I'm posting both versions, but I had no complaints at the time. I dutifully added the Doctor's version to my legendary (in my mind of course) mixed cassette tapes to bring an oldie into the 80's. Now this version is ancient. Pretty funny huh? If you are like me you'll like both versions. Talk soon.

I have to tell you, I've got a list a mile long on songs and bands I'd like to post about. I can be just about to open up the Panther dashboard and peak behind the curtain to actually post and I will change my mind at the last second. Barring a concert...by the way I spared you my thoughts after seeing The Allman Brothers Band and Widespread Panic for the umpteenth time as well as a great performance by one time icon & legendary Humble Pie guitarist Peter Frampton last week...you can thank me later I suppose...I usually just grab what is on my mind at the very last second and start typing. I'm sure you can probably tell huh? It's part of my charm, admit it...

I want to say that I know very well many of you like this group of artists and not that group, but I Get Around more than The Beach Boys. I'm sure you are out there making fun of some of my choices, but so be it. I know the PR folks would rather I write about today's hot new bands, and maybe one day soon I'll be back on that charter, but for now that is The Giant Panther's domain. Send your cards and letters to....Oh whatever Nevermind. I came of listening age in the 70's and that will never change. For instance I was thinking about doing a greatest live album ever post, speaking of Peter Frampton, but I know I'd have a tough time convincing the lot of you that records like Little Feat's Waiting For Columbus, The Who's Live at Leeds, The Allman Brother's Live at Fillmore East, The Band's Rock of Ages, The Grateful Dead's Live Europe '72, Lou Reed's Rock 'N' Roll Animal, Thin Lizzy's Live and Dangerous, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's 4 Way Street, James Brown's Live at The Apollo, Nirvana's MTV Unplugged, David Bowie's Stage, The Talking Heads' The Name of The Band is... or Johnny Cash Live at Folsom Prison belong in the discussion. I'm old and chances are you're not. I get that. I never really even liked live albums. You had to be there it seems most of the time. Kind of surprising for someone with as many concerts under his belt as yours truly, but Whoomp! There It Is. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm just bursting with songs I want to share and ideas to discuss so stay tuned. You might not like everything, but there is almost no one I can't pass along something to eventually. It might take a while, but be patient. I'm not afraid to post about anything.

Today's choice of bands is Killing Joke. I was talking about Industrial Rock a while back in my Ministry post (hey, where you going?) and I have to tell you there are several bands that I was a late bloomer on. I have been enjoying some Skinny Puppy and some Red Lorry Yellow Lorry lately. I didn't even buy some of the Killing Joke CDs until about twenty years after they were released. I was reading somewhere about this band, I'm thinking it was an article about Dave Grohl's taste in music (but don't quote me), and he mentioned this Killing Joke record. I just love it when I score a GREAT song that I completely missed the boat on when it was a "hit." Thanks Dave. Better late than never I figure. No wonder I'm posting about records that are 20 plus years old huh? Anyway, Killing Joke are from Notting Hill in the UK there is little doubt these guys influenced Nirvana, Ministry, Primus, Tool, Jane's Addiction, Soundgarden, The Foo Fighters, Nine Inch Nails and or Faith No More to name just a few. The Joke were an in your face inflammatory act with several dust ups with the press among its credits. I wouldn't go so far as to lump them in with occultists, but they had a Jimmy Page like interest in Aleister Crowley. Black magic and Rock & Roll have always been a good mix no?...

I have never seen Killing Joke perform, but I'm told it can be riveting. They are still performing, mostly overseas, but I haven't followed them much. They have 13 studio records in their catalogue, but I'm not an expert on their contents. What I can tell you is the very first track off of their very first record in 1980 was brilliant. I don't know if they ever quite matched it to be honest, though some of you may remember the track "Eighties" or "Love Like Blood" or "Night Time" from their 1985 hit record Night Time. All I know is that "Requiem" is one great tune. Hopefully I can turn someone onto it for the very first time Right Here, Right Now. Wow, a Jesus Jones reference right on your computer screen...were they ever cool?...I bought their record of course...

Killing Joke - Requiem.mp3

Killing Joke - Requiem.mp3 YSI

www.killingjoke.com

"Teenage Kicks" is one of those songs you think you know and can never prove it when someone asks you who sings it. The Undertones were a band that formed initially in 1975 in Northern Ireland. They initially started out as The Hot Rods, but, shockingly enough, there was already another band using that moniker. It took them several years of performing covers and facing rejection when guitarist John O'Neill wrote a hard driving single called "Teenage Kicks" in 1977. It was finally recorded as a demo and sent to all of the labels without much luck in 1978. One of the people they sent the demo to was the legendary BBC Radio I DJ John Peel. He had them re-record it in June of 1978 in Belfast and it appeared as a four song EP called Teenage Kicks later that summer. Peel was so enamored of "Teenage Kicks" that he proclaimed it his favorite song up until he passed away in 2004. Pretty heady praise considering what he's had access to all of those years. It seems like every European musical act from that era had some "Peel Sessions" threatening to be released in their back catalogue at some point. I'm sure there are several more to follow as well.

The Undertones were a three chord Power Pop/Punk band back in the late 70's. At first they were influenced by The Beatles, but the advent of Punk Rock had them touring with The Clash and admiring Pete Shelley's Buzzcocks. With the support of John Peel the sky is the limit in the UK. "Teenage Kicks" made it all the way to #31 on the British charts. They were signed by Sire Records and it seemed like they were on their way. They recorded their debut album, The Undertones, and it was released in May of 1979. Unfortunately, by 1981, The Undertones were unhappy with their label, feeling they were poorly promoted outside of the UK. They were able to successfully negotiate their way to EMI Records later that year, but their sales never did set the world on fire. Tensions in the band eventually led to the departure of lead vocalist Feargal Sharkey by 1983. Sharkey went on to form The Assembly with ex Depeche Mode keyboardist Vince Clarke before hitting the solo circuit in the 80's. You may recognize Vince Clarke's name from Erasure as well. I'm a big fan of both of those bands. Former Undertones guitarists John and Damian O'Neill went on to form another great band, That Petrol Emotion, which had a lot of success between 1985-1994. So, while many consider The Undertones a one hit wonder, there were some very good rock & roll genes over the long haul in this band. I always find ensuing success in different bands to be a good measure of a band's stock. Clearly there was talent in The Undertones even if the charts disagree.

The band completely reformed in 1999 with a new singer, Paul McLoone, and still tours to this day it appears. A Q Magazine poll of the British Public to unearth the 100 British albums of all time found The Undertones debut record placing 90th. Not bad at all. "Teenage Kicks" will always be their high point, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with that as far as I'm concerned.

The Undertones - Teenage Kicks.mp3

The Undertones - Teenage Kicks.mp3 YSI

www.theundertones.com

I was listening to Giant Panther's posting of The Drums' Let's Go Surfing earlier and this song came to mind. "Goodbye Horses" was a song written and performed by the late William Garvey (unfortunately Garvey just passed on this past August 3rd) and appeared in the killer flick The Silence of The Lambs. If you are like me you had never heard of Q Lazzarus or William Garvey prior to this 1991 blockbuster film. I don't have any clue as to why it was left off the official soundtrack since it was basically the musical star of the show give or take the Tom Petty music as the girl was originally abducted, but it was. A band called Psyche did a cover of this song in 1996 on their CD Legacy, but the versions are nearly indistinguishable. Usually this means the cover is weak, but in this case it's pretty close in terms of which version is better. Maybe it comes down to who's drum machine is programmed better? Hey, The Drums, get it? What a coincidence...

I seriously doubt there can be any spoiler alerts 18 years hence, but in case you haven't seen the film...I'd suggest coming out of your cave once in a while. Serial Killer Buffalo Bill (impeccably played by actor Ted Levine) has a scene where his androgynous character dances with his unit tucked between his legs trying to mimic something akin to what today's youth refer to euphemistically as a "camel toe." Ted Levine's portrayal is constantly mimicked by the general public, most often comedians, which is a sign of greatness as far as I'm concerned. "Goodbye Horses" was the theme of this crucial scene. I can never hear this song and not think of Jody Foster, but it had just the right far off, oblivious to evil, sounding cadence to make it perfect for this movie. At the time I was thinking I had missed an Orchestral Maneouvers in The Dark (another great guilty pleasure for this writer) song, but I got that cleared up later. "Goodbye Horses" also turned up in the film "Married To The Mob" and in "Clerks II." It's a pretty cool track as far as I'm concerned. I don't need to hear it more than a couple times a year, but I'm definitely a fan. I find that the vocals in The Drums remind me of Q Lazzarus' "Goodbye Horses." I doubt a one hit wonder like Q Lazzarus could have influenced The Drums, but the similarities seem apparent to me. When they say "Oh Mama, I want to go surfing" I'm hearing Q Lazzarus. Maybe it's just me, but just for fun and games...

When I was a young man I remember my father, who played a lot of fastpitch softball as I once did, had a teammate named Tommy Armstrong. I used to play bat boy for free sodas so I got to know the team pretty well. Tommy was probably seven or eight years younger than my father and, as such, was in much better touch with the world of rock music I loved so much. My father liked Booker T & The MGs "Green Onions," but that's as far as it got. I'm pretty sure I mentioned in past blogs how much he hated my copy of Tommy James & The Shondells' "Crimson & Clover," but just to reinforce it again my father and I had nothing in common musically. My mother, however, is largely responsible for the passion you see before you on a weekly basis. She played Little Richard, The Shangri La's, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly and, of course, Elvis Presley. She loved Frank Sinatra, but this is the gist of my first ten years of exposure to Rock & Roll. Hat off to ya mom...I think...

Incredibly, Tommy Armstrong would actually lend me, a nine or ten year old kid (is he crazy!?) some of his very best records. I remember him lending me The Best of Bob Dylan, Volume I & The Rolling Stones Let It Bleed. I'm pretty sure it was Tommy who lent me a copy of Neil Diamond's Hot August Night too. Neil gets a bad rap what with "Sweet Caroline" being played every night in the 8th inning at Fenway Park and all, but he wrote some great tunes. UB40 can thank him for "Red, Red Wine" if I recall correctly as can The Monkees for "I'm a Believer." And those are just a couple of songs he wrote, but didn't have big hits with himself. I'm a "Kentucky Woman" fan myself, but Neil doesn't have to apologize to anyone and I haven't paid much attention to him since 1973. Back to Tommy's album collection; he also lent me a copy of Donovan's Barabajagal. I've been a fan of this record since I was 10 years old. I know as TV's Craig Ferguson might opine with humor...