Bob Lefsetz in an email that just arrived, "It's funny when a guy like Carlin dies. Because he still lives. Not only all those HBO specials and records, but the routines in our minds. He's changed our lives. You see, Carlin's comedy never got dated. Because being human never really changes.
But now Carlin is gone. Kinda weird, because he was an inspiration, a beacon for all us wannabe truth tellers. If Carlin could do it, maybe we could too. Now, the path is only illuminated by his legacy, there will be no more new words, no more new routines. No more appearances on late night TV where he questions the conventional wisdom, where he states he doesn't vote because it doesn't make a difference. I'm a big believer in casting my ballot, but I can see that George is right. The fat cats win no matter what. The little guy is squeezed out. George was not a star who wanted to live above the fray, he never forgot his roots, he was interested in the little guy, and the little guy loved him for it.
Everybody I know who interacted with Carlin said they had a conversation. His stardom did not eviscerate his humanity. But his poor heart stopped him cold.
Seventy one is too young to die. Seems old, but when you get there, or see that a man running for President is that age, you realize that as a septuagenarian, you've still got a lot of living to do. Hopefully.
George's candle has been snuffed out, but his memory will live on. If I think of my pantheon of inspirations, I put him right up there with Tom Wolfe and Frank Zappa. Wolfe the observer and Zappa the questioner. That's what George Carlin was. An observer who was not afraid to question the status quo. I will be continued to be inspired by him. Hopefully, you will too."
George Carlin - Seven Words You Can't Say On TV (Mp3)George Carlin - Ten Commandments (Mp3)
I guess it shouldn't surprise me that after a random list of songs like last Friday's, there's always a shout-out in the comments section for one or two in particular. Either they evoke the hallowed "back-in-the-day", or just fond memories, or recollections of a particular show, or even sometimes someone's hearing something for the first time and chimes in with the "wow - cool!"
And I appreciate all of that, but lately have been struck by the fact that availability and access have been the undercurrent of not just my taste in tunes but my record and CD collection as a whole. Sure, I might have liked some particular song when played on the radio and may have even made a point of seeking it out, but very often that 12" Import didn't make it into said Import Bin at my local record stores. So I did without, only to either track them down later on ebay or download the material amidst the family of music blogs that I read each day. And if the comment section reveals anything, it's that I'm not alone in this -- availability and access.
But then there were the LPs that did indeed make their way to New Jersey and later DC--many of which I had the luxury of setting aside for myself as a record store employee upon their delivery to the store. (It's a fact folks, the record store employees get first dibs.) So, this week I offer some dubious 'set-asides' or some lucky finds from the era when yes, you could have heard a song on the radio (or catch the video on something new called the "MTV") and find yourself a number of hours later tearing off the shrinkwrap.
All of this week's LPs are sitting on my shelves as I type this, but as an added nuance, the vinyl rips have been downloaded from the aforementioned family of bloggers who, I was surprised to take note of last week, over time have recreated a collection of LPs I sought out, put into semi-constant rotation, then just as easily cast aside. But they do evoke the hallowed "back-in-the-day", or just fond memories, or recollections of a particular show. For better or worse. You guys decide which...
Screaming from the radio back in, oh--was it '84?--came Ireland's Les Enfants. Sort of U2-y, Alarm-y--and chock full of hooks and bluster. The always awesome New Wave Outpost is to be thanked for this Blast o' The Past and the greatly missed Yesterday and Today Records in Rockville, Maryland is responsible for the vinyl version of this in my library.Les Enfants - Shed A Tear (There You Go) (Mp3)Les Enfants - Dreaming Of You (Mp3)Les Enfants - Funny (Mp3)Les Enfants - Nothing Has Changed (Mp3)Les Enfants - Slipaway (Mp3)
I've been referring to Wikipedia a lot this week to confirm my suspicions that this week's selections are the proverbial "return to form" that I think they are. I'm digging for more of a generalized consensus rather than just my own gut instincts. And with this McCartney LP, I think my instincts remain intact. I mean, it was the first time I was truly interested in a McCartney release for quite a while--Press to Play, anyone?
From Wiki, " After the meagre sales that greeted Press to Play, McCartney realised he needed to work much harder on his follow-up. Thus, he not only teamed up with several different producers, but also spent the better part of eighteen months perfecting Flowers in the Dirt. A highlight of the sessions was McCartney's unlikely alliance with Elvis Costello, with whom he composed many new songs. McCartney greatly enjoyed the partnership, even finding that Costello mirrored John Lennon in certain aspects of his personality. Costello would also appear on the album, even co-singing "You Want Her Too" (an update of "The Girl Is Mine") with Paul. Another celebrity guest included was friend David Gilmour from Pink Floyd on his trademark electric guitar.
Finally, early in 1989, the project was ready. In May, the Beatlesque "My Brave Face" was released as a single and promptly gave McCartney a US hit, reaching #25, while reaching #18 in the UK. In June, Flowers in the Dirt was released to high anticipation and immediately entered the UK charts at #1, garnering very receptive reviews from all around. In the US, the reaction was better than Press to Play, with the album reaching #21, staying on the charts for a year and going gold, though it still sold beneath expectations. The second single, "This One" reached #18 in the UK, as did "My Brave Face". The follow-ups "Figure Of Eight"/"Ou Est Le Soleil?" and "Put It There" would all be minor UK hits.
Sure seems like a "return to form" to me. And while you're downloading and listening to these tracks today, go on over and wish Sir Paul a Happy Birthday. He turns 66 today.Paul McCartney - My Brave Face (Mp3)Paul McCartney - This One (Mp3)Paul McCartney - You Want Her Too (Mp3)Paul McCartney - We Got Married (Mp3)Paul McCartney - Distractions (Mp3)(A tip o' the pin to JC for these 'Flowers' Mp3's.)
Picking up with the "solid return to form" theme from yesterday is this selection from the Wikipedia entry for 'Dandy in the Underworld', Marc Bolan and T-Rex's last official LP release, "At the time of the album's release Marc Bolan and T.Rex were on a UK tour, supported by The Damned. The album and tour were notable for marking a return to form for the band. Dandy in the Underworld gathered the most consistently positive reviews for any T.Rex album in five years. Having fallen from critical and commercial favour the band had endured some fiercely hostile press but NME, who had been amongst the most negative, noted of the album: "very listenable, well arranged immaculately played." . . . The album was praised for the strength of the songwriting and Bolan's vocal performances. The title track was released as a single but failed to chart. "I Love to Boogie" and "The Soul of My Suit" did achieve chart placings in the UK. After three commercially weak albums, Dandy in the Underworld was regarded by many T.Rex fans as a comeback for the band.
Thanks for falling right in line there, Wikipedia. Pitchfork noted in tandem with a 2006 reissue, ". . . the album finds a reinvigorated Bolan crafting some of his best hooks and calibrating his catchiest grooves in years. The cosmic "Crimson Moon", the infectious "I'm a Fool for You Girl", and the album's centerpiece, "Jason B. Sad", alternate between carefree and cautious, conjuring a gravity that counterbalances the upbeat, stripped-down rhythms.
Sadly, this was to be an unrealized upswing in Bolan's career as he passed away on September 16, 1977 when the car being driven by his wife struck a sycamore tree -- two weeks before his 30th birthday.T-Rex - Dandy In The Underworld (Mp3)T-Rex - Crimson Moon (Mp3)T-Rex - I'm A Fool For You Girl (Mp3)T-Rex - Jason B. Sad (Mp3)T-Rex - Teen Riot Structure (Mp3)
"...a solid return to form." How many times have you read that in a review of some release from an artist with a long, established career which...let's just say, had more valleys than peaks for a while? Admittedly, amid a long career, each release can't always be a gem...and this week we'll take a look at a few mid-course corrections that seemed to right the ship for a period of time.
Trusty ol' Trouser Press supplies the background: "Costello bills himself as The Beloved Entertainer — stuffed and mounted — on the front cover of Spike, his first new album since Blood & Chocolate. Following King of America's blueprint, each of the fifteen tracks employs a different assortment of players, from the Dirty Dozen Brass Band (on "Deep Dark Truthful Mirror" and "Stalin Malone") to Paul McCartney (on the tender and touching "Veronica," one of two songs he and Costello co-wrote). Regardless of which sort of tasteful arrangement (Irish folk, acoustic pop, jazz, rock, jagged noise) or star collaborator (Chrissie Hynde, Christy Moore, Benmont Tench) he chooses for any individual song, however, the record is a testament to Costello's complete mastery. For most of the record, Costello is in rare form, conversing with the deity ("God's Comic"), ripping the lynch-mob mentality in a fact-based tale ("Let Him Dangle"), sending a withering blast at Margaret Thatcher ("Tramp the Dirt Down") and wallowing in romantic regrets ("Baby Plays Around," whose joint marital authorship lends a reassuring fictional sense to its troubled lyrics). For concerned Attractions fans, Pete Thomas puts in an appearance on one solitary song."
I can hear the EC fanatics now, "Huh - wha? Elvis NEVER had a creative career slump!" True, perhaps--but "Spike" was a straight up the center, radio and MTV-supported "...solid return to form." Right?
Elvis Costello - Deep Dark Truthful Mirror (Mp3)Elvis Costello - Let Him Dangle (Mp3)Elvis Costello - Pads, Paws And Claws (Mp3)Elvis Costello - Tramp The Dirt Down (Mp3)Elvis Costello - Veronica (Mp3)
Dryer sheets. You'd think that'd be an odd trigger to remind you of your pop, but dryer sheets do it to me every time. I guess dad had a way with the wash, he did.
Last January I found myself replacing the light bulb in the long, narrow walk-in closet that he shared with my mom in their home back in New Jersey. Her stuff is still on the right, and although dad passed away in September of '06, his clothes are still hanging there on the left, washed and pressed and hung with his loving meticulousness he showered upon everything. There was too, the smell of the dryer sheets. Bounce.
I was thinking then and there that I had no idea how long these clothes will remain here and brushed through them for some things I should keep for myself that mom wouldn't miss. I slid a belt out from a pair of jeans that dad always wore--almost a trademark in a way. There were ties too, the skinnier ones back in indie-vogue again and hanging on a first or second grade-era Father's Day gift--a stained piece of wood with prongs over which the ties hung and above the prongs in the wood I had chiseled 'TIES'. I ran my fingers over the coarse, chiseled letters--the adult designer in me wincing at the poor typography. But there it was and there it stayed since that long ago Sunday.
After big meals my dad would often talk about other famous big meals he'd eaten. "Oh, when your mother made that lasagna..." Soon would come the stories of when he as a teenager, and then later into his twenties, would go see the famous Big Bands of the day--Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Woody Herman--in the ballrooms in Clifton and Paterson, New Jersey where he grew up. His misty excitement for that time rivaled my own enthusiasm back then for KISS, or Queen, or the Beatles. The energy was the same even if the tools happened to be different. So, in memory of my dad, some of his favorites from that Big Band Era.
This Father's Day I'll be home doing wash.
(Update: ...AND remembering Tim Russert.)Glen Miller - The Chesterfield Show (Mp3)Count Basie and His Orchestra - April In Paris (Mp3)Benny Goodman - Jersey Bounce (Mp3)Woody Herman and His Orchestra - Everywhere (Mp3)Tommy Dorsey - None But the Lonely Heart (Mp3)Artie Shaw and His Orchestra - Melancholy Mood (Mp3)Glenn Miller - Moonlight Serenade (Mp3)Count Basie and His Orchestra - Softly With Feeling (Mp3)Benny Goodman - Body And Soul (Mp3)Woody Herman and His Orchestra - Summer Sequence (Part 2) (Mp3)Tommy Dorsey with Frank Sinatra - I'll Be Seeing You (Mp3)Artie Shaw and His Orchestra - Begin the Beguine (Mp3)
Close to seven years ago now I started my own business--a little three man/one woman advertising agency based in Bethesda, Maryland. And as luck would have it, the doors were first open a mere three weeks after the tragedy of the 9/11 attacks--also known as: the worst possible time to go out on one's own selling the very abstract notion of 'advertising' and 'marketing' to shell shocked industries reeling in their marketing budgets. I lasted two years while two of the partners have continued to press on.
So, see all those advertisers over there to the left? They're one of the main reasons this blog exists. What I wouldn't have given at the time when I had my business for some pixel-happy blogger to come along and champion my efforts or cheerlead for my success story--be it for my ad agency, or now for the vinyl medium I love, or for the success of the mom-and-pop, brick-and-mortar record stores I adore who advertise in that left-hand column over there. It's that simple--the TVD formula is: if you like the Mp3s posted or want the LP we've been discussing in some thread here, you know right where to turn and where these can be had.
Which is a roundabout way of welcoming a new advertiser and supporter of this blog; Renascent - a London-based record label who've reissued some of the best 80's music around--The Sound, The Comsat Angels, The House of Love...and the list goes on. Atypical to this blog's mission, their reissues are CD-based, but their taste is impeccable and we're thrilled to have their support and to be able to offer ours in return. So, below for your Random Friday is a sample of some of the better bands of the era--and now you know right where to go to hear and buy more.
See? The formula really is that simple. The Sound - Sense Of Purpose.mp3The Comsat Angels - Now I Know.mp3The Wild Swans - Revolutionary Spirit.mp3The House of Love - Shine On.mp3The Woodentops - You Make Me Feel.mp3
As I wrote way back when, don't just toss out those '10 CDs for a penny' offers that tend to flood the mailbox. (As I'm typing this I'm actually thinking...hmm, I haven't received one of those recently. What does that say about the state of the CD Nation?) Nevertheless, they USED to flood my mailbox, and from time to time I'd take Columbia House or BMG up on their offer, grab my 10 free CDs, buy the five or six more at regular club prices, then get the hell out and move onto the next town. I pulled this little scam about 5 or 6 times with varying degrees of success. There was tons o' crap I took a chance on that eventually got sold on ebay -- but then there were indeed a few gems, like this Thin Lizzy Best-of, 'Dedication'. It all started here folks--I was hooked. Soon would come the Phil Lynott afro, handlebar moustache, and a nasty, nasty smack problem. Lord, I miss these CD promotions.Thin Lizzy - Cowboy Song (Mp3)Thin Lizzy - Rosalie (Mp3)Thin Lizzy - She Knows (Mp3)Thin Lizzy - Showdown (Mp3)Thin Lizzy - Wild One (Mp3)
Got a hankering for air drums and vodka? As part of the Nordic Jazz Festival at the House of Sweden, Sweden's own Wildbirds and Peacedrums--who just might out-Bjork Bjork--will take the stage on the rooftop terrace this Thursday night (6/12) at 8PM. BYT has got all your details riiight here.
Ye olde 'Forke went on record: "It's easy to think that music made by relatively few people, with relatively familiar instruments, should fall under the canopy of "folk": uncluttered, transparent, linked to past traditions. Wildbirds and Peacedrums-- husband-and-wife Swedes Andreas Werliin and Mariam Wallentin-- compose most of their debut, Heartcore, with Werliin's compact drum work and Wallentin's orbital, precise vocals; there is an arc to their work that imbues it with the austerity and heartiness (no pun) of folk music. Despite its simple ingredients, Heartcore is neither native nor instinctual. "Primal" or "sparse" miss the point, too; Heartcore, instead, is cleverly orchestrated pop music preternaturally reliant on the skills of its performers: Both Werliin and Wallentin were music school dropouts, and their technically sound playing disguises the complexity and range of Heartcore's material." Read the rest here.Wildbirds and Peacedrums - Doubt/Hope (Mp3)Official WebsiteOfficial MySpace
I think you just get to a point where you realize you've lead 10 or 15 individual lives. Birthdays tend to underscore that--little anniversaries of one full trip around the sun, or one look around the room of folks who've come to raise a glass with you--often finds you in differing universes over the years. And it's seems seamless until the cards in the mail you've taken for granted all these years just stop arriving, their absence is a new letter in the mailbox. Like the card from my folks with the check and a note, "Go buy yourself some clothes, but no more black!"
I guess it was the Macca/Mills mess that had me thinking about Sir Paul not too long ago. I mean, how many lives has this guy had? I bet we can count because if there's a more examined life out there, I'm not aware of it. So, to look back at all of my OWN incarnations, I'm a bit awed to think that Paul in one of HIS many guises rode shotgun with me all of these years. I truly can't recall a time when The Beatles or Paul weren't in regular rotation on my personal playlist. So Paul, thanks for remaining a constant all of these years. We've seen some shit, huh?Wings - Band On The Run (Mp3)Wings - Jet (Mp3)Wings - Junior's Farm (Mp3)Wings - Maybe I'm Amazed (Mp3)Wings - My Love (Mp3)
No, TVD readers, it's not an early weekend bender. Your eyes aren't deceiving you...yes, it's your Weekend Shots quite early in the morning. It's because, well...(come in, come in closer...see, um)...it's my first blog birthday on Saturday. Not THE birthday of the blog (although that looms) it's well, mine! And I'm calling in sick tomorrow...(*cough -- hack!*) Or taking a vacation day - whichever gives me more vacation days in the future. (Note to TVD HR.)
So, if you would, come take a swim in Lake Me. These ten tracks, for whatever reason all spent some time embedded in the cranium for some portion of the first half of '08 and have become my birthday mixtape. Please download all 10 together and play in order. Loud. Like I will this weekend.
(Fast note about the Nick Gilder track that kicks off this 10...I have played this tune NONSTOP all year. I don't know what it is. There's something that just kills here...it's dated, sure...but dammit, man...where's the band ripping this sound off? Straight up the center - no mathrock time changes - just eager and angst. It's simple really. But this is a lousy Mp3 conversion that I found on the net...I'll get to an official one next week...think of it as if coming through your AM radio. Together we'll work on the harmonies on the chorus part..."...love we're sharing...!")
See ya Monday!Nick Gilder - We'll Work It Out (Mp3)Todd Rundgren - Couldn't I Just Tell You? (Mp3)The Sound - Under You (Live) (Mp3)The Comsat Angels - Independence Day (Mp3)MGMT - Electric Feel (Mp3)Sniff 'n The Tears - Driver's Seat (Mp3)Guillemots - Get Over It (Mp3)Stereophonics - Dakota (Mp3)Rainbow - Since You've Been Gone (Mp3)Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes - I Don't Want to Go Home (Mp3)
The Sad Crocodile residency at Galaxy Hut has triumphantly wrapped up but DC's favorite mopesters still have a few shows coming up and then a little (recording) break planned. Both will continue the proud tradition of pairing themselves with some of the most exciting musicmakers out there.
Sunday June 15th at the Red and the Black bringing a big slice of the NYC Popfest right to you in DC with the always amazing Tullycraft, From Bubblegum to Sky, DC's beloved Sprites and going on early is Sad Crocodile, so don't be late!!!!! "Jason from Sprites wanted to set something up the day after the bands play New York and I know some of the Tullycraft gang so how could we resist. We will start things off with complicated adult issues and then the other folks will blast out about video games and vampires surrounding them with pop hooks up the wazoo," says Sad Crocodile's John Foster.
Thursday July 10th at DC9 will feature a special night with three of DC's most exciting songwriters performing their very different compositions in a unique sequence. (That is long as all get out - what I am saying is don't miss a second and it won't be the usual set sequence type of night.) Sam Simkoff (of Le Loup), Martin Royle and Sad Crocodile will rotate short sets throughout the night and the potential is there for a transcendent evening or a complete trainwreck. "Not to be forgotten either way!" laughs Foster. "I had planned both Sam and Marty for the residency but the dates ended up not working as they had tours that ripped them away (Sam to Europe and Marty to Kentucky haha.) I sat over a drink with Marty hoping to set up a make-up show and we talked about this rotating presentation idea he had tried once before. We both only had one person we wanted to do it with and Sam was game. I can't wait."
Bob Lefsetz in an email that just arrived, "It's funny when a guy like Carlin dies. Because he still lives. Not only all those HBO specials and records, but the routines in our minds. He's changed our lives. You see, Carlin's comedy never got dated. Because being human never really changes.
