Friday Grab Bag - Nasty

Happy #%$#* Friday. No redeeming p.c. values here today. No feel good moments. Just a bunch of nasty disagreeable music that is truly not safe for work and guaranteed to get your blood pumping.




or, as Lee Ving once uttered "eat my fuck/ we're from frisco"

Toonage:

Fear - I Don't Care About You (from The Decline)
Meatmen - Tooling For Anus (Blud Sausage ep)
Dead Kennedys - I Kill Children (demo)
TSOL - Code Blue
Dwarves - Sit On My Face
Feederz - Jesus Entering From The Rear
Mudhoney - Hate The Police
Stiff Little Fingers - White Noise
State Of Alert - Disease
GG Allin - You Hate Me And I Hate You

Wharf Rat

Wharf Rat

Old man down

way down down,

down by the docks of the city,

Blind and dirty

asked me for a dime a dime for a cup of coffee

I got no dime but I got time to hear his story:

My name is August West

and I love my Pearly Baker best

more than my wine...

more than my wine

more than my maker

though he's no friend of mine

Everyone said

I'd come to no good

I knew I would

Pearly believed them

Half of my life

I spent doin' time

for some other fucker's crime

Other half found me stumbling around drunk on burgundy wine

But I'll get back on my feet someday

The good Lord willing

if He says I may

'cause I know the life I'm livin's no good

I'll get a new start

live the life I should

I'll get up and fly away

I'll get up and fly away......

fly away

Pearly's been true, true to me, true to my dying day he said,

I said to him:

I'm sure she's been,

I said to him:

I'm sure she's been true to you

I got up and wandered

Wandered downtown, nowhere to go just to hang around

I got a girl, named Bonny Lee

I know that girl's been true to me

I know she's been

I'm sure she's been true to me

Wharf Rats group

Toonage:

Grateful Dead - Wharf Rat (Nassau 5-6-81)

Grateful Dead - Wharf Rat (Germany 4-24-72)

Grateful Dead - Lost Sailor/Saint of Circumstance/Wharf Rat/The Other One (Minneapolis 5/31/80)

Phil & Friends - Wharf Rat (Red Rocks 7-16-05)

Wilco

Gonna catch Wilco tonite in NYC. I am somewhat apprehensive. I've never seen them live and I am hoping they are in rock and roll mode. Their new album Sky Blue Sky is a little mellow for my tastes, the songs are nice enough, but "nice" doesn't exactly top my musical interests. Seems to be alot of music designed to smoke pot and fall asleep in the backyard to. Which, of course, isn't a bad thing.
Still, they have enough good songs in their arsenal that there is the potential for a good show since it IS NYC and we don't cotton to no laid back stuff. And alot of my peeps swear by em. And Jeff Tweedy & company do one of my favorite songs; "Passenger Side". Besides, any band that covers the Replacements, Ramones and Iggy is OK in my book.

And, I will be the guy yelling "Slayer"!

Here's some rare and live stuff you may not have...

Toonage:

Wilco live at Bonnaroo June 2007 (very big video file in asf format)

Wilco - Passenger Side (demo version)
Wilco - I Wanna Be Your Dog (Stooges cover)
Wilco - Color Me Impressed / I Wanna Be Sedated (Replacements/Ramones cover)
Wilco (w/ Black Crowes)- Willin' (Little Feat cover)
Wilco - I Must Be High (demo)

Buy Wilco music

A Slayer Summer

Summer's here and the time is right for... SLAYER!
I spoze there alot of kids (or maybe even adults!) that take these guys seriously with all the devil stuff. I just think they rock. And their lyrics are funny.
Back "in the day", as we geriatrics say, it was fun to yell "Freebird" or "Starship Troopers" at a band when they were playing. In fact, one time we yelled it and The Dream Syndicate played it! Now, it's fun to yell "SLAYER" at the band, especially if it's some crunchy jam band or some downtown moron hipster thang.
But I digress. Here are some tunes (including some covers of Minor Threat and other cool songs) that will make your lawn die.

SLAYER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Toonage:

Slayer - Guilty Of Being White (Minor Threat cover)
Slayer - Filler/I Don't Want To Hear It (Minor Threat cover)
Slayer - Richard Hung Himself (DI cover)
Slayer - Violent Pacification - (D.R.I. cover)
Slayer - I'm Gonna Be Your God (sort of a Stooges cover)
Slayer - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (Iron Butterfly cover)
Slayer - South Of Heaven

The day the sun stood still

Today's the summer solstice you ritualistic mofo's. An extra helping of toonage today.

"Solstice" is derived from two Latin words: "sol" meaning sun, and "sistere," to cause to stand still. This is because, as the summer solstice approaches, the noonday sun rises higher and higher in the sky on each successive day. On the day of the solstice, it rises an imperceptible amount, compared to the day before. In this sense, it "stands still."

Toonage:

Husker Du - Celebrated Summer - (Live Trenton NJ 1985)

Bob Mould - Celebrated Summer - (Live Acoustic)

Rush - Summertime Blues (live Atlanta June 2007)

Soul Asylum - Summer Of Drugs

Led Zeppelin - White Summer (live Dortmund Germany)

Barracudas - Summer Fun

Pansy Divison - The Summer You Let Your Hair Grow Long

Pagans - What's This Shit Called Love

The Dead Boys

After a quick survey, it appears that I am turning into a pussy with this blog. Paul McCartney? Father's Day? What's next.. a tribute to estrogen?
Enough of that crap... here's the DEAD BOYS.

There's nothing nice or (shudder) p.c. about the Dead Boys. They formed in Cleveland in the mid-70's out of the ashes of Rocket From The Tombs (who's members went on to form Pere Ubu).

All lead singer/spectacle Stiv Bators ever wanted was to be the second coming of Iggy Pop. Legend has it that Stiv was the one who passed Iggy the Peanut Butter at the Cincinnati Pop Fest in 1970 that the Igster famously smeared on himself.

"Hey, we're the Dead Boys
Who wants to give me head"
... Stiv Bators

The Dead Boys were well known in the 70's Punk scene as being the most violent of the American Punk bands. Stiv would hang himself, slash his body with the mic stand and solicit sex from the stage while the twin guitars of Cheetah Chrome and Jimmy Zero would be blasting.


The Dead Boys couldn't even record a record with-out trouble. They showed up to the studio wearing German Army and Nazi regalia and were told to remove it by the album's producer. The Dead Boys were so far out of it that they didn't even realize that some people might have a problem with that sort of attire.

"Sonic Reducer", from their first album Young Loud & Snotty is one of the greatest Punk songs ever. Other fantastic songs that give a good idea of the Dead Boys mind-set are "Caught With The Meat In Your Mouth", "I Need Lunch" (featuring the touching lines, "I don't wanna dance/I just wanna get in your pants") and my favorite, "All This And More" (which opens with "Can you describe what's it's like to have sex with the lights on").
Subtle, they weren't.

Their next album, We Have Come For Your Children, was a bit slicker, but still nasty. Joey Ramone shows up for backing vocals on "(I don't wanna be no) Catholic Boy". Other cool tunes on the record are "Third Generation Nation", "Son Of Sam" and an old Rockets' tune "Ain't It Fun".



The Night Of The Living Dead Boys album, recorded at CBGB's in the late 70's; is a great example of how twisted and rockin' they were. There are rumors however, that Stiv overdubbed the vocals in a studio because he was too wasted to sing into the mic.


After that, the band ceased to exist due to drugs, craziness and no record label support. Stiv went on to front The Lords Of The New Church for a while and also released a really good solo album called Disconnected that was very garage rock oriented. He also appeared in John Waters' film Polyester.

Stiv died in 1990 after being hit by a truck in France.

Links:
Buy Dead Boys music here
The Dead Boys "shrine" at CBGB's



Toonage:


Sonic Reducer (original non lp "rough mix")
All This And More
Detention Home (live)
I Need Lunch
Caught With The Meat In Your Mouth

When he's (more than) 64 - Happy B-day to Beatle Paul

Today is Paul McCartney's 65th birthday. Happy b-day to Beatle Paul and hopefully half his presents won't have to be sent to his ex-wife! He's got a new album out called Memory Almost Full, but you knew that already.

Featured today are some alternate takes and demo's of some Beatles and Wings tunes.

Toonage:

Beatles - I'm So Tired (Paul vocals)

Beatles - Back In The USSR (acoustic demo)

Beatles - Oh Darling (Paul a-capella)

Beatles - I'm Looking Through You (alternate version)

Wings - Venus & Mars (rough mix)

Friday Grab Bag - Happy Father's Day

Sunday is Father's Day. If you're lucky enough to still have your dad in your life, enjoy your time together. I'll be in hangin' in my backyard with the kids drinking beer (well, I'll be drinking beer, not them!) and catchin' rays.

Happy Father's Day!

Toonage:

New York Dolls - Daddy Rolling Stone (live)
Edwin Starr - Big Papa

The Vandals - Sorry Mom & Dad

The Cramps - Papa Satan Sang Louie

Johnny Cash - Daddy Sang Bass

Janis Joplin - Daddy Daddy Daddy

His aim is still (sorta) true

I have mixed feelings about Elvis Costello. On one hand, his first 3 albums (My Aim Is True, This Years Model, Armed Forces) are absolutely perfect albums. In fact, I love most of his rock output.

On the other hand, his adventures in classical music, country, Burt Bachrach and other excursions (and I absolutely hated Imperial Bedroom) have left me cold.

But I suppose you can't blame an artist for branching out, can you?

I haven't seen him play live for many years, but if this show I am posting up today is any indication of what he's putting out there these days, well then, imma gonna have to check him out! This is a show from May 18, 2007 and he's really going way back in the vaults ("Welcome To The Working Week" !, "The Beat" ! "Lovers Walk"!) I had to break it into two parts, since tt's a huge file (32 songs) so be patient whilst it downloads, it's worth the wait.

Toonage:

Elvis Costello - 5-18-07 9:30 Club Washington DC pt 1

Elvis Costello - 5-18-07 9:30 Club Washington DC pt 2

Nobody But Me!

No-no, no, no, no, no-no-no, no, no-no, no, no-no
Na-no, no, na-no, no-no, na-no, no-no, no, no-no, no
Nobody can do the Shing-a-ling like I do
Nobody can do the Skate like I do
Nobody can do the Boogaloo like I do
Nobody can do the Philly like I do

Well, don't you know
I'm gonna skate right through
Ain't nobody do it but me
Nobody but me nobody but me
Yeah, I'm gonna spin, I do
Ain't nobody do it but me, babe
Nobody but me
Well, let me tell you nobody
Nobody but me
Let me tell you, nobody
Nobody nobody
Nobody nobody
Nobody nobody
Nobody nobody
Nobody nobody
Nobody nobody
Nobody nobody
Nobody
Nobody, nobody
Nobody, nobody

Toonage:
Naz Nomad (The Damned) - Nobody But Me
The Human Beinz - Nobody But Me
The Isley Brothers - Nobody But Me
The Dickies - Nobody But Me
The Lyres - Nobody But Me

Fuhgettaboutit

Here's my obligatory Sopranos post. I liked the ending. It was punk rock.

The producers threw it in our faces and said "create your own ending". But, those last few minutes were pretty tense. Totally manipulative, waiting for an ending that never came. How many people thought they lost their TV connection when screen went black!

I wanted Tony to wake up next to Suzanne Pleshette and tell her about the crazy dream he had (like they did on the old Newhart show).

How do YOU think they shoulda ended it?

Toonage:

The Pixies - Tony's Theme

The Ramones - Punishment Fits The Crime

The Clash - Somebody Got Murdered

APB - Shoot You Down

The Mob - Common Criminal

The Breeders - Happiness Is A Warm Gun

Justice? Just them!

"The rich are different from you and me."
-- F. Scott Fitzgerald

What a surprise, the justice system in our country isn't fair and equal. And, gasp!... there's gambling in Casablanca! Round up the usual suspects!

California is a joke. I have no doubt that most people incarcerated can claim "mental anguish". Thousands of people are in jail for minor drug offenses and that skank walks free after 3 days. I imagine she'll be writing (I mean, someone will be ghost-writing) a book about her 100 hours or so behind bars. It'll be great when she gets that ankle bracelet tangled up with her earrings the next time her legs are behind her neck.

If THIS GUY skates free, than they should just close the courts for ever and let anarchy rule.

Toonage:

The Replacements - Jailbreak (live)

Social Distortion - Orange County Jail (demo)

The Clash - Jail Guitar Doors (live 10-2-79)

AC/DC - Money Talks

Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions (aka Grateful Dead) - In The Jailhouse Now

Squirrel Bait - Tape From California

Callin' From The Funhouse

That spooky bass line. That wah wah pedal. That wailing sax. Iggy!

Funhouse - The Stooges

Come on stay
I feel alright
Yeah I feel alright
Hey Let me in!
Hey Let me in!
Hey bring It down

I'm calling from the fun house with my song
We have been separated baby far too long
Calling all you women do many things
Shining in your cradle calling be my race
Hold me tight I'm calling from the fun house
Hold me tight I'm calling from the fun house
Yes yeah I came to play and I need to play with you
Yeah I came to play

All right, let me in, take it down
I feel alright, take it down

Little baby girly little baby boy
Cover me with loving in a bundle of joy
Do I care to show you what I'm believing of
Do I care to whop you with my love
After I let my god know just what I mind
Living In this vision in a certain sane
Hold me tight! I'm calling from the fun house
Hold me tight! I'm calling from the fun house
Came to play, came to play

Stay, hey hey you
In one more time
Down take it down take it down
Been separated
Been separated
Too long
Alright alright alright alright alright
Alright alright alright alright alright
Alright alright alright alright
Alright alright alright alright
To play

Fun house boy will steal my way
Fun house boy will steal my way
Yeah came to play
Play came to play
Came to play baby
Play came to play

Toonage-

The Stooges - Funhouse
The Stooges - Funhouse (live Spain 8-06)
The Stooges - Funhouse (live Chicago 4-15-07)
Streetwalkin' Cheetahs - Funhouse (live KXLU radio)

American Beauty / American Reality

Listening to some Grateful Dead on the way into work today, I was reminded of how amazing American Beauty is.

Along with Workingman's Dead, American Beauty represented a peak for the post-lysergic Dead. Abandoning the sonic experiments that marked their previous albums, the Dead simplified the music, while concentrating on expanded vocal harmonizing. Their most successful album (at least until their mid 80's In The Dark mega-stardom); American Beauty was a synthesis of folk, country, bluegrass and rock. Classic tracks such as "Truckin" and "Sugar Magnolia" are still rock radio staples. The (mostly) Robert Hunter penned lyrics focus on death (There is a terrific dvd available called Anthem To Beauty , which digs deep into the making of the album.

I am posting up a different take on American Beauty. I compiled live versions of the songs (ranging from the acoustic tour of 1970 through the mid 80's) from the album, in the same order as the lp. Quality on the cuts varies from audience to soundboard, but it gives a pretty good overview of the album, and how it evolved over the years.

I hope you enjoy it.

Toonage:

Grateful Dead - American Beauty (Live versions)

How do you say WASTED in French?

Montreal was a blast. Great city, but man, it was humid. As an extremely European type city, Montreal is unlike an American city, with the exception that they have a huge homeless population. Also, dissimilar to American streetfolk, the Montreal bums are pretty "in your face" about soliciting hand-outs.

But aside from that (and the language barrier- Montreal denizens speak French first and English second; and I can barely even speak English after a few beers!); a good time was had by all.

The Montreal Beer Fest is swell, heavily recommended. And Pot is omnipresent. Everywhere you walk around you smell it. Thankfully, most venues no longer allow cigarette smoking inside, and that has really helped the air quality at the bars.

And the great thing when you're in another country ... the money doesn't mean anything! It's like Monopoly money! Especially when you're drunk.

They're a shitload of street punks up there too, good to see that segment represented. The only time we ran into any kind of trouble with the locals was when my buddy jay-walked and he was politely requested by a constable to wait for the green light.

Canada- Fuck Yeah!

So, as I am still a little foggy, I offer songs to commemorate a drunken, wasted time.

Toonage:

Ween - Booze Me Up & Get Me High

The Cramps - Dames, Booze, Chains & Boots

New Bomb Turks - Cryin' Into The Beer Of A Drunk Man

Dead Kennedys - Too Drunk To Fuck

BB King & John Lee Hooker - One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer

Husker Du - Punch Drunk