John Prine - "Sam Stone" (forgotten song)

I'm far behind in my In Memoriam posts, so I'll close out 2020 by scratching one off the list and acknowledging the passing of John Prine, who we lost to Covid-19 near the beginning of the pandemic. 
 

I'll admit that while I knew of John Prine, I was mostly ignorant of his music.  But I did know the he was a songwriter's songwriter (cf. Roky Erickson, Daniel Johnston, and Leonard Cohen), and was revered by people I revere, such as Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan. 

I'm marking his passing with one his most celebrated songs: "Sam Stone", from his 1971 debut LP.   Today I learned that this song was referenced via melody in Pink Floyd's "The Post War Dream" and lyrically in Spiritualized's "Cop Shoot Cop", which are both on extraordinary LPs: "The Final Cut" and "Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space", respectively. 

 

John Prine - "Sam Stone" -- live 1997, Sessions at West 54th; live 1988, Austin City Limits; 1971 LP Version

Bonus link: Johnny Cash, "Sam Stone" -- live 1987, Austin City Limits

Eric Clapton - "It's In The Way That You Use It" (forgotten song)

 

So it turns out that Eric Clapton is collaborating with Van Morrison for another anti-lock down song.  This is apparently separate from the Van Morrison songs we learned of last month.  This is disappointing, dangerous, and completely tone deaf: how many people should be put at risk so this septuagenarian can do live shows again?

I'm not the biggest Eric Clapton fan, but owing to the time and place of my birth, I can't help but a fan to a certain degree.   He's objectively a guitar god, "Badge", "Layla", and "Wonderful Tonight" are all great song, and they have formed the soundtrack for various moments in my life.  So with sadness, I have to admit that the news about Clapton's does have a measure of personal disappointment.  

I will mark this occasion with a song that I like, even if not one of his greatest.  "It's in the Way That You Use It" was first featured on the soundtrack of "The Color of Money", a film that I really enjoyed when it came out.  It was later released on his LP "August", but it will always be a soundtrack song for me.  I'm not here to convince you that it's one of his classics, and it definitely has cheesy 80s production.  In preparing this post I learned that it was co-written by Robbie Robertson, which is pretty cool.  But I'm not going to deny that I like this song, even if the latest news does diminish my enjoyment just a bit.

"I've seen dark skies, never like this"

Eric Clapton - "It's in the Way That You Use It"

The Outfield - "Your Love" (forgotten song)

"Josie's on a vacation far away

Come around and talk it over

So many things that I want to say

You know I like my girls a little bit older"

Every child of the 80s will immediately recognize the opening lyrics of The Outfield's 1986 hit, "Your Love".  Lead singer and bassist Tony Lewis died this week, and this caused a discussion on the on-going text chat with my friends.  No one claimed this was their favorite song, but all praised it being a "genius pop song" and the lyrical content applicable to the moral dilemmas of teenagers / young adults (in other words, being "down with O.P.P.").  It was a radio and MTV staple back in the 80s, and an inescapable part of our HS soundtrack.

In our discussion, an interesting question arose: is the side chick younger or older than Josie?  younger or older than the male?  I, along with all the guys on the chat, had always assumed that the side chick was youngest of this love triangle.  That's a safe cultural (and gendered) assumption.  But re-reading it today I was less certain: "I like my girls a little bit older" -- wait, is she the oldest one?  Is she Stacy's mom?  All of the sudden I wasn't sure.  

I asked Danette and she said she always assumed the side chick was the oldest of the three.  Hillary said she assumed the side chick was older than Josie, but still younger than the male.  

 

I only have a few data points, but maybe there's something to the idea of a gendered interpretation of this silly but fun song.

The Outfield - "Your Love" (official video, with extended intro), (radio & LP version)

Van Halen - "Diver Down" (LP Review)

Eddie Van Halen died just over a week ago.  Without exaggeration, he's one of the greatest rock guitarists to ever live, if not the best.  I realize there were others before him, and it's hard to compare different generations, and anyone starting out in the 70s would have the benefit of Clapton, Hendrix, Iommi, Blackmore, and other seminal guitarists.  Having acknowledged all of that, my opinion is that Eddie was indeed the best rock guitarist to have ever lived.  

Of course, I have to admit my own bias: Van Halen was probably the first band that for which I made a conscious decision to call myself a "fan".  By that I mean not just liking some songs that you heard on the radio or saw on MTV, but recognizing and identifying with the unique sound and image of the band and their entire canon.  At that time I could not have told you why Eddie Van Halen was special; the best I could do is say that he made the guitar "laugh" and it sounded like no other guitarist I had heard.

So why would I mark Eddie's passing with "Diver Down", probably the least regarded LP of the "classic era"?  If my memory serves me correctly, this is the first LP of theirs that I bought, probably at the K-Mart in Denbigh (see also: "Flirtin' With Disaster").  In 1982, the price of an LP represented quite an investment for a middle schooler, and I remember playing this LP to death: in part because I was a budding fan, and in part because my personal collection consisted of only a few LPs.  I loved it at the time, but later in life came to recognize its shortcomings.  The others?

• Van Halen - this was the first and probably their best, sounding nothing like what other bands were putting out ca. 1978
• Van Halen II - is a solid sophomore effort, but probably the one that I played the least at the time, in part because I never warmed to the opening song, their cover of "You're No Good"
• Women and Children First - while I can't say this is better than their debut LP, I can say this is my favorite of theirs now; if I were going to play a VH right now, this is the one I would reach for
• Fair Warning - undoubtedly their darkest and heaviest LP, with no party songs, TIC blues covers, or general screwing around; this would probably be the second one that I reached for now
• 1984 - while their most commercially successful LP, it is without a doubt my least favorite LP of this era; while there are some decent songs on 1984, the unnecessary keyboards and a Michael McDonald co-writing credit are just too much for me to swallow 

I'm not going to try to convince you that Diver Down is a great LP, but I can better contextualize it.  Apparently the original plan was to release "(Oh) Pretty Woman" as a non-LP single, but based on its success their label wanted an LP.  The result was a short (31minutes), 12 song LP that featured five covers,  three instrumentals, and one song adapted from their 1977 demos.   Clearly this was a stop-gap LP, released mainly to satisfy Warner Brothers.  

Still, there are some really good songs on this LP.  "Where Have All The Good Times Gone?" is a great cover (I've written elsewhere that all bands should cover songs by The Kinks), "Hang 'Em High" has a great riff, "(Oh) Pretty Woman" is a perfect song for David Lee Roth, and "Little Guitars" is a fun song.  

So this isn't the best LP from their classic era, but in my book it's still 10X better than 1984.  Diver Down means less to me in 2020, but it was very important to me in 1982, and so for nostalgia reasons I'm marking Eddie's passing with "Diver Down".  

Standout songs: "Where Have All The Good Times Gone?", "Hang 'Em High", "Intruder / (Oh) Pretty Woman", "Little Guitars (intro) / Little Guitars", "Happy Trails"

Skip' em songs: "Dancing in the Street" (not because it's a bad cover, but I detest all versions of this song)

Final score: 7/10

Random liner notes fact: Jan Van Halen, father of Eddie and Alex and an accomplished musician in his own right, plays clarinet on "Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now)".  In the liner notes he's listed just as "Jan Van Halen", and knowing nothing about Dutch names in 1982 I just assumed "Jan" was Eddie and Alex's sister.  It was later in life that I learned the truth.

Van Morrison - "And It Stoned Me" (forgotten song)

Can we separate the art from the artist?  Sometimes?  Maybe?  Or perhaps just focus on the earlier part of their canon?  

Almost a month ago I saw that Van Morrison, who is nearly universally revered, had released three songs protesting the UK's Covid lock down.  Apparently they feature charming lyrics like scientists are "making up crooked facts" and "No more lockdown / No more government overreach". 

Why am I so disappointed to learn this?  Well, in addition to taking a dangerous and selfish position regarding his inability to tour, the lyrics seem a little too on the nose and not up to his standards.  I appreciate Van Morrison for his stories of fantasy, mysticism, spirituality, and nostalgia.  My all-time favorite of his is "And It Stoned Me", the opening track from his sublime 1970 LP "Moondance". 

Channeling the same coming-of-age nostalgia of "Stand By Me", "The Wonder Years", and "Dandelion Wine", it recalls the adventures of a single day where everything magically aligns.  Quoting from the Wikipedia page, which in turn quotes from Van Morrison's 1993 biography:

I suppose I was about 12 years old. We used to go to a place called Ballystockart to fish. We stopped in the village on the way up to this place and I went to this little stone house, and there was an old man there with dark weather-beaten skin, and we asked him if he had any water. He gave us some water which he said he'd got from the stream. We drank some and everything seemed to stop for me. Time stood still. For five minutes everything was really quiet and I was in this 'other dimension'. That's what the song is about.

Aside from being a great song, what's the personal connection for me?  It makes me recall a weekend during the summer of 1991.  I was 22, not 12, but like Van Morrison's imagery of the rain, the fishing hole, and "great big gallon jar", water was a recurring theme for that weekend.  The mists of time may have caused me to conflate the events of multiple trips, but all of these things happened and I'm pretty sure they all happened in one weekend.

Half a mile from the county fair

And the rain came pourin' down

Me and Billy standin' there

With a silver half a crown

Hands are full of a fishin' rod

And the tackle on our backs

We just stood there gettin' wet

With our backs against the fence

Oh, the water

Oh, the water

Oh, the water

Hope it don't rain all day

I had graduated and was about to start working at CSC as a contractor for NASA (my time as a civil servant did not begin until that Fall). Drew, Terry, and Fred were all a grade behind me and staying at UVa and JMU for the summer in between their junior and senior years.  I drove from Newport News to Charlottesville in my 1968 Mercury Cougar and picked up Drew, and the two of us drove to Harrisonburg to visit Terry and Fred for the weekend.  While driving the scenic, mountainous route (US 29-US 33) between Charlottesville and Harrisonburg, the Cougar's radiator hose burst and steam was pouring from under the hood.  On back roads and in the days before cell phones, this could have been a disaster, stranding us miles from help.  Instead, right as the steam was pouring out, an exit appeared and Drew and I were able to coast through the exit and straight to a service station, where we were patched up and soon back on our way.  

I had originally planned to stay at Terry's place, but we stopped by Fred's first and his place was so nice that I never made it to Terry's (Fred was one of the few people who at 21 had a place that looked like it belonged to a married 40 year old).  Later that night, thanks to Fred, was the first and only time that I've been thrown out of a bar.  

Then the rain let up and the sun came up

And we were gettin' dry

Almost let a pick-up truck nearly pass us by

So we jumped right in and the driver grinned

And he dropped us up the road

Yeah, we looked at the swim and we jumped right in

Not to mention fishing poles

Oh, the water

Oh, the water

Oh, the water

Let it run all over me

The next day a bunch of us drove out to Switzer Lake and the day began with us jumping into the lake via a rope swing hanging from a tree on the side of a ridge.  Later we were in canoes and paddled around the lake, including seeing the structures you see at 3:06 in this video.  After canoeing, we hiked around the lake some and eventually came across a large boulder, maybe 5' in diameter, partially embedded at the top of a ridge.  Fueled by our collective testosterone, we decided that the boulder needed to be dislodged, freed from centuries of imprisonment on the side of the hill.  It was quite an undertaking given its size and its deep embedding.  We immediately attacked it with our hands and sticks, slowly digging it out.  Since I was the only one of our crew that had taken engineering classes, I introduced them to the idea of levers and fulcrums and then we started making real progress.  After much effort, we had the sweet release of watching the tumbling boulder of death race down the hillside.  The sun was setting, and sore, hungry and thirsty, we began the trek back to the parking lot, satisfied with our pointless triumph over nature.  It had been a perfect day, and there was no way it could be improved upon.

On the way back home we sang a song

But our throats were getting dry

Then we saw the man from across the road

With the sunshine in his eyes

Well he lived all alone in his own little home

With a great big gallon jar

There were bottles too, one for me and you

And he said Hey! There you are

Oh, the water

Oh, the water

Oh, the water

Get it myself from the mountain stream

But it did get better: as we approached that picnic area next to the parking lot, Fred saw that members of his fraternity were there and having a cookout.  Greetings were exchanged and we simply strolled into an ongoing party, complete with music, food, and beer.  An already perfect day improved, via a level of serendipity that could exist only in a pre-cellphone era.  

So why does this song resonate with me?  On the surface, Van Morrison's images of the pastoral pleasures of a 12 year old would not seem to speak to me at 22 years old. Sure, there's the recurring motif of water (rain, fishing hole, drinking vs. radiators, Switzer Lake, and, well, drinking).  But reflecting on this further, I think there's more.  First, thanks to Daryl Schoolar's recommendation from a year or so earlier, "Moondance" was still a new LP to me in 1991.  Second, the summer of 91 was a turbulent one for me, including my transition from being a college student to having a career.  This was the weekend before I started full-time with CSC, and while Terry, Drew, and Fred still had a year (or more) of college, I knew I was in transition.  This was not the end of my adventures with Terry, Drew, and Fred -- indeed, the hijinks continue to this day -- but it will never be the summer of 91 again. 

So I will do my best to separate the artist (ca. 2020) from the art (ca. 1970 & 1991) and not let Van Morrison's current commercial crassness erase the magic of "Moondance", its bucolic opening song, and those transcendental moments in 1991.

And it stoned me to my soul

Stoned me just like Jelly Roll

And it stoned me

And it stoned me to my soul

Stoned me just like goin' home

And it stoned me

Van Morrison - "And It Stoned Me"

Public Image Ltd - "Rise" (forgotten song)

Et tu, Johnny?

Turns out Johnny Rotten is a Trump supporter (ht Drew for sharing the disappointing news).  I guess the guy who once sang "I am an anti-Christ / I am an anarchist" decided the most punk thing he could do would be to go MAGA. 

"I could be wrong I could be right".

 Johnny, you're wrong -- they must have put a hot wire to your head.

 PiL - "Rise"

Walk Off The Earth - "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall"

For this year's installation of Danette's birthday song, I'm choosing a recommendation that she shared with me: a cover of Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" by the Canadian alt-folk group Walk Off The Earth.  

I would not normally pick a Bob Dylan song for Danette's birthday, but there are three reasons to do so.  First, it is illustrative of Danette's policy of liking songs by Neil Young, Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, and especially Bob Dylan as long as they're covered by other people.  And as much as I venerate those artists, I concede her point.  

Second, it's also a recognition by Danette of my preference for male/female duets: few songs can not be improved by splitting the vocals between a man and a woman.  

Third, I believe Danette heard this song in an Outlander episode.  Apparently Walk Off The Earth's version was not released on any their LPs, and was just a one-off cover they did and posted on YouTube.  The Outlander producers wanted to use "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" but figured they could not get Dyaln's permission, and then they stumbled across this version.  Julianne is a big Outlander fan, and the TV series has been on high-rotation in the house as a result, pulling various members of the family into the story.  In the future, Outlander, Charmed, Supernatural, and similar shows will likely remind us of this point in our lives. 

Happy Birthday Danette!  Sorry it's "only" a Bob Dylan song, but at least it's a cover...

Walk Off The Earth - "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall"

Bob Dylan - "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall"

Previous birthday songs:

2019: Nicki Minaj - "Monster"
2018: Bear Hands - "Giants"
2017: Alvvays - "Archie, Marry Me"
2016: Molly Hatchet - "Flirtin' With Disaster"
2015: Avett Brothers - "Kick Drum Heart"
2014: Ani DiFranco - "32 Flavors"
2013: The Green Pajamas - "Kim the Waitress"
2012: The Cure - "High"
2011: Blink 182 - "Josie"
2010:  Dead Milkmen - "Punk Rock Girl"  

P.S. Danette hates Edie Brickell & New Bohemians, so I won't mention their cover.  Besides, there's no M/F duet ;-)

Little Richard - "Rip It Up" (the song remains the same)

Little Richard (Richard Wayne Penniman) died in May.  I've been meaning to cover his death, but couldn't find the song or a succinct way to describe his enormous influence on rock-n-roll.  I've decided to just link my way out of describing his impact on music since I'm unlikely to have anything novel to say on the subject.  But thanks to a tip from my friend Gregg, I've finally found the right song.

"Rip It Up" was a 1956 single from the LP "Here's Little Richard".  It's been covered by numerous musicians, but the 2020 collaboration between Richmond's Butcher Brown and Little Richard for the NFL's Monday Night Football theme is the latest.  Bottom line: continuing with a Bocephus MNF theme was no longer tenable, again.  Swapping to an updated Little Richard song?  Perfect.

"Let's ball tonight!"

Little Richard - "Rip It Up" (1956)

Little Richard and Butcher Brown - "Rip It Up" (2020)

Thou - Live 2019-05-06 (concert)

Scott just turned me onto Thou, a doom metal / sludge metal band from Louisiana.  I did not know about them before his note, despite their extensive discography.  The LP he sent me was their just-released "Primer for Holy Words", a LP of covers, including songs from Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and, of course, Black Sabbath. 

I liked that LP enough that I did some poking around to learn more about them, and in the course of my research I uncovered this NPR Tiny Desk Concert they did just over a year ago.  They did three songs from their 2018 acoustic EP "Inconsolable".  Apparently part of their discography is dedicated to exploring different sub-genres that connect to primary sound.  I certainly don't have a full command of their canon, but this particular concert (and the EP from which it draws) invites comparisons to slow-core bands like Codeine and Low. 



Bonus link: "Inconsolable" EP
Second bonus link: a live set from 2019-03-29, with some of the same songs as above but done in their usual (i.e., much heavier) idiom. 

Godspeed You! Black Emperor - "F♯ A♯ ∞" (LP Review)

Godspeed You! Black Emperor is a Canadian musical collective that I first learned of from Herbert, probably 20 years ago.  Their genre is broadly "post-rock", but "atmospheric" and "soundtrack" are equally descriptive as well.  I listened to their 1998 debut LP "F♯ A♯ ∞" (F-sharp, A-sharp, Infinity) again recently, and no matter how often I listen to it, I'm always moved by its power and scale.

I could try to describe it further, but instead I'm going to steal a line from Gordon Krieger, who described the LP as a "slow soundtrack of regret and desire, equal parts morose and expectant."

Stand out songs: All.  There are individual tracks, but listen to the entire LP for the full effect.

Skip 'em songs: none.

Final score: 10/10.  This is a genre-defining LP.

Fleetwood Mac - "Black Magic Woman" (the song remains the same)

Peter Green, a founding member of Fleetwood Mac, died last week.  I already covered Peter Green's contributions to Fleetwood Mac, including their existence long before prior to Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joining in 1975, so I won't retell that story here.  Instead, I will focus on yet another popular song that you might not have known that Peter Green wrote, and the parallels between Peter Green and Syd Barrett.

First, the similarities with Syd Barrett.  Like Syd, Peter Green left a band that he founded after only a few years.  Also like Syd, his career afterwards was limited, in part by substance abuse and mental illness. And like Syd, Peter apparently briefly reappeared during a 1970s recording session with the old band. And like Syd, many artists list him as an influence.

One measure of influence is the number of covers you inspire.  This will news to most, but although Santana popularized "Black Magic Woman" in 1970, it was written by Peter Green and originally released by Fleetwood Mac in 1968 as a non-LP single.  Although you've heard the Santana version 1000 times, give a listen to the original (admittedly, Carlos Santana is one of my least favorite -- yet undeniably talented -- guitar players, but that's a story for another time).  Peter Green's version is heavier than the smooth Santana version.

It's been a long time since Peter Green was in Fleetwood Mac, but his influence was significant.

Fleetwood Mac - "Black Magic Woman" (live 1970)
Santana - "Black Magic Woman"

Charlie Daniels - "Uneasy Rider" (forgotten song)

Charlie Daniels died earlier this week.  I've already covered that owing to the time and place of our birth, both Danette and I are big Southern rock fans, of which the Charlie Daniels Band was a central member.  Similar to how The Allman Brothers straddled Southern rock and the Grateful Dead-style jam band sound, CDB straddled Southern rock and country & outlaw country.

Of course, he'll forever be known for "The Devil Went Down to Georgia", several other of his songs were radio staples growing up: "The Legend of Wooley Swamp", "In America", "The South's Gonna Do It Again" (the original name check song?), and "Long Haired Country Boy".  The thing that most of these songs have in common is that they all tell great stories.

But I'm going to choose to remember him with his first single, 1973's "Uneasy Rider", from the LP "Honey in the Rock".   You still occasionally hear it on the radio, but it's infrequent.  Not only is it a fun story, it also captures the time when Charlie Daniels was still an outlaw and not the establishment.

"The Devil Went Down to Georgia" is a great song, but you should explore the rest of his canon as well.

Charlie Daniels - "Uneasy Rider"

Bob Mould - "Workbook" (LP Review)

We're nearing the end of Pride Month and the LP I'm choosing to mark this year's with Bob Mould's first solo LP, 1989's "Workbook".  I haven't listened to this LP in I'm not sure how many years, but I was  recently reminded of it when Bonnie was showing me something on her phone (some kind of photo collage function or something) and the built-in sound effect was the instrumental "Sunspots", the first song on this LP.

I was a huge Husker Du fan in college, but they broke up in 1988, not long after I learned of them.  I purchased his second LP, 1990's "Black Sheets of Rain", while I was still in Blacksburg, but it wasn't until the mid 90s that I bought his debut LP at Plan 9 Records in Richmond.  Conventional wisdom is that "Workbook" is almost folk, whereas "Black Sheets of Rain" was a return to the heavier sound of Husker Du.  As I listen to "Workbook" in 2020, I think the lighter, folk influence, while present, is over emphasized.  Yes, there's a cello and acoustic guitar, but this is still a heavy, angry LP.   It might not be as good as SST Husker Du, but it's arguably better than Warner Brothers Husker Du.

Even though I have it on CD, the first five songs (presumably, side 1 of the LP) are extraordinary, but the second half of the LP is less distinguished.  There are no bad songs on the LP, but it just doesn't close as strongly as it opens: "Sunspots" (a simple yet beautiful instrumental), "Wishing Well" (great riff, solo), "Heartbreak a Stranger" (perhaps my personal favorite on this LP?), "See a Little Light" (pure pop magic), and "Poison Years" (his diss track for Grant Hart).

So what's the connection to Pride Month?  It's now well-known that Bob Mould is gay, but I probably did not know this until the mid or even late 90s.  His homosexuality is not necessarrily part of his musical identity, but I bring this up as an example of how things have changed about how much we know about the artists we follow (as well as our changing attitudes regarding sexuality: I can understand why a gay man in a punk/metal band in the 80s did not want to be out).  In the 80s and into the 90s, if friends introduced me to the music and I liked it, I bought the LPs.  I never really spent much time with Rolling Stone, Spin, or other music magazines, so when Spin effectively outed him in 1994, I missed it.  Now, with Wikipedia, social media, etc., for better or worse, the distance is reduced between artists and their artistic output.  Today, I know more about the personal details of artists I don't like than I knew in the 80s about artists I loved.

I have only a fraction of his considerable post-Husker Du discography, but rediscovering "Workbook" has been a joyful experience for me.  If you're not familiar with it, you should check it out.

Standout tracks: "Sunspots", "Wishing Well", "Heartbreak a Stranger", "See a Little Light", "Poison Years", "Compositions for Young and Old", "Dreaming I Am", "Whichever Way the Wind Blows"

Skip 'em tracks: none

Final score: 8/10

Mazzy Star - "She Hangs Brightly" (LP review)

David Roback died just over three months ago.  Roback was a central figure in the Paisley Underground scene of the 80s,  but is best known for being the guitarist and founding member of Opal and then Mazzy Star.  Over 30 years, Mazzy Star built a limited but rich discography: four studio LPs and a handful of singles & EPs.  Of those, their first LP, 1990's "She Hangs Brightly", is probably still my favorite.  Even including LPs from his other bands, like "Emergency Third Rail Power Trip" and "Happy Nightmare Baby", "She Hangs Brightly" is probably the best of David Roback's canon.

David Roback was a private man, and I don't know much about him outside of his music.  But he managed to conjure a unique sound that combined some of the best elements of blues, The Doors, The Velvet Underground, and even occasionally Black Sabbath.

The first song, "Halah", is transcendental and in my opinion is even better than "Fade Into You", their most popular song.  "Blue Flower", although a cover, is an amazing song which they make their own (and was the song Danette and I chose for our wedding).  The Doors influence is especially noticeable on songs like "She Hangs Brightly" and "Free", "I'm Sailin" reminds of Pink Floyd's "Mademoiselle Nobs" from "Live at Pompeii", and "Ghost Highway" sounds most like "Opal" (channeling Black Sabbath), Roback's prior band (of note, this is the only song on this LP Roback wrote without Hope Sandoval).

During the intermission between Mazzy Star LPs, Hope Sandoval formed her own band, Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions, and while it lacked Roback's signature guitar sounds, it mined a lot of the same territory that Mazzy Star did.  Indeed, over time the membership of the bands converged, with Suki Ewers and Colm Ó Cíosóig sharing membership in both bands.  David Roback will be missed, but hopefully Hope Sandoval and friends will carry on.


Standout songs: "Halah", "Blue Flower", "She Hangs Brightly", "Give You My Lovin", "Be My Angel", "Ghost Highway", (see also: Playlist for the full LP)

Skip 'em songs: none.

Final score: 10/10. Your collection needs this LP.

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - "Ohio" (spotlight)

Where are the protest songs of today?  Why do I need to rehash a song from 1970?  It's a great song, but where are the current voices?  Taylor Swift has spoken out in a tweet, but where is her song?  Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young released "Ohio" in June 1970, about a month after Kent State.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_State_shootings

Tin soldiers and Nixon coming

We're finally on our own

This summer I hear the drumming

Four dead in Ohio

Gotta get down to it

Soldiers are cutting us down

Should have been done long ago

What if you knew her

And found her dead on the ground

How can you run when you know?

https://www.snopes.com/ap/2020/06/02/tear-gas-threats-for-protesters-before-trump-visits-church/

Find the cost of freedom

Buried in the ground

Mother Earth will swallow you

Lay your body down

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/military-show-of-force-at-lincoln-memorial-draws-outrage-online-2020-06-02

While the President and a sitting US Senator calls for the US military to be deployed against US citizens on US soil: 

The nation must restore order. The military stands ready. https://t.co/SW68y6wvds

— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) June 3, 2020

James "Mad Dog" Mattis finally speaks out:

Mattis' letter is dead on. He has closely observed the ignorance and incompetence of the current Commander in Chief.

Here he is a spokesman for military tradition in the US and Constitutional requirements. American civilians are NEVER the enemy. https://t.co/cgSqBnZRkA

— Stewart Brand (@stewartbrand) June 4, 2020

How can you run when you know?

CSNY: Ohio, Find the Cost of Freedom

Psychic TV - "Godstar"

Genesis Breyer P-Orridge died about a month ago.  You probably never heard of Genesis, and I'm not going to be able to summarize their career in any meaningful way (I must confess, I understand -- truly understand -- only a small portion of it myself).  But among the many things that Genesis did was be the focal point for both Throbbing Gristle, arguably the first industrial band, and later Psychic TV, arguably the first acid house band.   For more about Genesis and their impact on modern music, read the articles by BBC, NPR, Pitchfork, The New Yorker (!), and Rolling Stone.  You might not have heard of bands like Throbbing Gristle, but they were influential on bands that you have heard of, like NiN.  His influence also extended into mysticism projects like Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth, which included members of other bands in Genesis's orbit, such as Coil (one of Herbert's favorite bands).

I first heard of Psychic TV via Terry when we lived on Chesapeake Ave in the mid 90s.  He got a VHS tape, probably "8 Transmissions 8", and we watched it on his giant projector.  Clearly it made quite an impression on me, especially the video for "Godstar", an homage to Brian Jones.  "Godstar" is probably some of Genesis's most accessible music; I'm almost embarrassed to use this song to memorialize Genesis, but it's simply a great song.

I thought about marking Genesis's death during Women's History Month, or postponing it until Pride Month (June).  But I'm honestly not sure if either are completely appropriate.  On the surface, you could say Genesis was trans, but the "Pandrogeny Project", where he and his wife Lady Jaye underwent body modifications to become the same person, some how seems different.

In summary, although I know only the tiniest portion of their canon (Throbbing Gristle has 87 LPs and Psychic TV has 90), I know enough to know that Genesis might be the most influential modern musical artist you've never heard of.

Psychic TV - "Godstar"

Questlove - DJ Set Tribute for Bill Withers (2020-04-03)

Bill Withers passed recently, which I first noted via a comment on the "No Diggity" post (Blackstreet sampled "Grandma's Hands"). Via Scott Fur on Facebook I came across this four hour DJ set by Questlove (of The Roots) as a much better way to memorialize him.

If you just want uninterrupted Bill Withers, listen to "Live at Carnegie Hall" or "Still Bill".  Questlove gives a four hour lecture, with personal stories, exploring the many covers of Withers' work, the even more songs that sampled his work (including "No Diggity"), along with the contextualization of Bill Withers and his discography (see also NPR's "Bill Withers' Legacy Is So Much Deeper Than The Hits We All Know").

Yoko Ono - "Listen the Snow is Falling" (the song remains the same)

In my final installment for Women's History Month 2020*, I'll conclude with Yoko Ono's "Listen the Snow is Falling".  I have limited knowledge of Ono's discography, as well as Lennon's non-Beatles discography, and how they intersect and overlap, but it appears that "Listen the Snow is Falling" was first released as a B-side to the Plastic Ono Band's 1971 single "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)", and then later as bonus tracks on re-releases of 1969's "Wedding Album".

My introduction to this song is from Galaxie 500's 1990 final studio LP "This Is Our Music", and bassist and occasional lead vocalist Naomi Yang turns in an understated but powerful cover; one of the LP's highlights to be honest.  Galaxie 500 made incredible, genre-defining music but part of their appeal to me was their impeccable taste in choosing cover songs (see also: the posthumously released "Peel Sessions" LP).  Thanks to Galaxie 500 for choosing this obscure but delightful B-side, almost 20 years after its release, and thereby furthering my education.

Yoko Ono - "Listen the Snow is Falling"
Galaxie 500 - "Listen the Snow is Falling"

* This post was begun in March, but events delayed it until April.  

Liz Phair - Live 2003-08-09 (concert)

For another installment in Women's History Month, I turn to Liz Phair, one of my favorite artists.  I've been meaning to get to her landmark LPs "Exile in Guyville" and "Whip-smart", but that's going to have to wait as well.  Also, as a preview, her 2010 LP "Funstyle" was pretty good too. She's scheduled to be in Va Beach this summer, but we'll see if coronavirus has other ideas (update: they're being rescheduled).  We saw her in 2011 when she was at the Norva and it was a great show (I found this version of "Nashville" from that show -- not my video).

Last week I also finished reading her memoir "Horror Stories" (reviews: NPR, NYT, Pitchfork, CBS This Morning).  When I saw that she was releasing a book I added it to my Christmas wish list and was happy to receive a copy.  I had not read that much about it before I started it -- I knew it was about Liz Phair, and that was all I needed to know.   As a result, I was rather surprised to learn that the choice of title was not arbitrary -- her collections of stories are more about personal loss, conflict, and "horror" than the Liz Phair-meets-Spinal Tap rock & roll war stories I expected (the chapter "sotto voce" being a notable exception).  I read the first three chapters in one sitting and decided it wasn't the soothing "escape-from-coronavirus" experience I was looking for, but I recalibrated my expectations and enjoyed the rest of the book.

I eventually determined that the stories reminded me of Ray Bradbury's "Dandelion Wine", one of my favorite books.  Even in Bradbury's childhood nostalgia, there is a fantastical and dark spectre (e.g., the "Lonely One") that hangs over the stories, and I connected that to the "horror" which glues Phair's stories together.  I posted this observation on Twitter and got a reply back from Liz, which made my day as well as making me the envy of Danette and my "cool" friends.

High praise indeed! Thank you 🙏

— Liz Phair (@PhizLair) March 24, 2020

To celebrate the book as well as Women's History Month, I decided to post about this lovely video I found on YouTube.  There are many Liz Phair videos online, but the lo-fi intimacy of this set (13 songs, limited instrumentation) shot in a record store some 17 years ago seemed to capture the spirit of "Horror Stories" better than a professionally shot video.  The video doesn't provide a set list, but it's:

• 6'1"
• Polyester Bride
• Rock Me
• Divorce Song
• Extraordinary
• Fuck and Run
• Perfect World
• Johnny Feelgood
• (a small segment of Patrick Park's "Thunderbolt")
• Why Can't I?
• Uncle Alvarez
• Glory
• Little Digger
• Supernova

 

Apparently this is the only photo I took from the 2011-01-27 show at the Norva in Norfolk.  It was a great show.

I'm not a great photographer.

Yo La Tengo - Yellow Sarong (the song remains the same)

photo credit

Continuing with the previous theme of Yo La Tengo and Women's History Month, today I'll focus on one Yo La Tengo's great cover songs: "Yellow Sarong", originally by The Scene Is Now.  My first experience with the song was Yo La Tengo's 1990 LP of covers, "Facebook".  The original version was from The Scene Is Now's 1985 LP "Burn All Your Records".  I prefer the YLT version over TSIN version: that could be because I heard YLT's first, but I also just love YLT and how they remake all the covers in their own idiom.

When Johan and I were practicing for our DJ premiere (ca. 2003), I always tried to find a way to work this song into the set list.  It never worked with what we were shooting for (Thievery Corporation-style, downtempo, coffeehouse jazz), but I kept trying because the song is that much fun.

The live 2015 version on soundcloud (from acidjacknyc) features a good shot of Georgia Hubley, so I chose that as the main image for this post.  I don't know that much about The Scene Is Now, but they do have a female member as well (Sue Garner), so much like my work with Johan, I'm going to shoehorn "Yellow Sarong" into Women's History Month, whether it fits or not, because the song is that much fun...

The Scene Is Now - "Yellow Sarong"
Yo La Tengo - "Yellow Sarong" (studio version), live 2015-10-10, live 2016-09-09