Washing The Sonic F*&kin' Youths

When I was getting tickets for Neil Young and Crazy Horse in 1990 I was told by my friends there will be two bands opening for him. One band was Social Distortion and the other was Sonic Youth. I knew a bit about Social Distortion, and more about Sonic Youth. After all I had a copy of Sonic Youth's Daydream Nation. This tape was recommended by a friend I worked with and I picked it up and liked it. When My father heard I was getting tickets for this show he told me he wanted to go. I was surprised that he wanted to go with me, because I have not been to a concert with him since the year before when we saw the Grateful Dead. He only went with me because it was in New Haven and he did not trust the streets of New Haven, plus he knew a great place to eat when he used to work down there. He surprisingly trusted me to go to Bob Dylan at Toad's Place to witness a five hour Dylan show but I think he was itching to go to a rock show.

When I mentioned the openers for our Neil Young show he looked perplexed. He had no idea who these bands were or should he even go to the show. He told me he was only there for Neil Young and that's it. We went to the show and met up with some friends of mine who were very happy that my father could attend. My dad saw Neil Young in the mid 70's and really enjoyed the show and told me that my uncle was smart enough to take him. At that show he did not recall a opening act so this show with openers was a little hard for him to digest.



Social Distortion came on and I looked at my father. It seemed like he was having a good time. He was when I asked him between bands. He then asked me if I would like Sonic Youth. I told him that they are a tough band with a lot of feedback and sound like Neil in his early years in some spots and in others they are just different. I am sure that was not what he wanted to hear. Sonic Youth took the stage and started with a few minutes of something unappealing to him. He talked in my ear and told me he was going to get a beer and come back when Neil was ready to take the stage. This was my first Sonic Youth show and I thought it was good, not great or not to write about. I was writing for the school paper and I promised to be kind to the openers and not write negatively about both bands.

The lights dimmed and I realized that my dad did not like the opening acts. You can see it in his face. At least we had Neil Young to enjoy. About two hours later the lights went on and he made a comment to me. Neil, is not the same Neil I remember, but it was a great show. I went to school the next day wearing my Neil Young shirt. My teacher who I was writing the paper for the school paper pulled me aside. He told me that he too was at the show and expected a great detailed report on all three acts. I wrote about Social Distortion and Neil Young. I added about Sonic Youth, but I did not get into detail. The teacher asked me why. I told him that I had problems forming ideas about them. They have so much potential and I know for a fact that being second fiddle to Neil was not what they wanted to do. He finally read my story. He liked it and published it for the next week of the school paper.



A few years passed and I saw Sonic Youth again. This time they were the headliner for a show in Northampton Mass. Kim and Thurston live in Northampton so it was like a concert in their back yard. It was a show where Televisions Tom Verlaine opened up and another act called the Glenn Branca Guitar Orchestra played. Both openers were amazing. It was the show that I realized that Television is one of the best bands in the world. It also was the first show I ever heard Glenn Branca and became a fan ever since. Sonic Youth put on a really great show. Better then the show when they opened up for Neil Young. It was an awesome time. It convinced me that I might have been too young for Sonic Youth at the time, and now a little wiser I finally get it. At 22 I think I get their meaning. Plus at the end of the show I met the band. I am sure it had something to do with that. I was like a little kid in a candy store.

About a year past and I got wrapped in a Bowling League near my town with some people I met through work. One of them was a beer nut like myself. We got on the conversation about music and my friend's wife explained that she went to High School with Thurston Moore. I remembered that and the next time I went to see Thurston I would see if he remembered me for one and mention our connection. Sure enough I was at a small church watching Thurston and Nels Cline play in and again I introduced myself. Nels was really cool and Thurston was in awe that I knew her friend from High School. From that point on when I went to shows in Northampton, Thurston and I would run into each other and talk music or shows he is playing or ideas he has.



At 22 I found my Sonic Youth album that to this day I still think is one of their best. I think Washing Machine has great moments. I listen to this day and still think how great the album was for it's time. It came out in the middle of the grunge scene and still it sounds like it came out today. Everything about the album is great. The long track that closes the CD is awesome and does not sound like it should end at the eight minute mark or so. It is an album for people who need to be Sonic Youth fans who are not or who are just on the edge and want to hear their first Sonic Youth album. Enjoy!

Ring In The Pig

You may not know it, but British Blues is some of my favorite music to go explore. People who know me well enough tease me for my Progressive Rock loves. They even tease me for my love of Tropicalia. What some of my friends do know is that I love the early Fleetwood Mac, John Mayall, Savoy Brown, Wishbone Ash, Chicken Shack, Ten Years After and others. I will seek out at the record store some of that wonderful Mike Vernon produced British Blues. I have a few records in my collection that chronicle this wonderful music. I have a lot of early Fleetwood Mac. I have a fair share of the others, but Fleetwood Mac is the one that sparks the most talk. I tell my friend that they were so much better in the 60's then the 70's. I even talked about Fleetwood Mac last October. I will slowly get to the others as soon as I find an album that is suitable for your ears.

The little geek in me has a soft spot for a lot of this music and every once in a while I go crazy by throwing all this music in my car and just turning up the volume. The other day I was just in those moods. I was going for a drive and I figure that I should put British Blues as my six discs in the car. Disc one was Savoy Brown's Raw Sienna, the second disc was Fleetwood Mac's Then Play On, third was Wishbone Ash's, Argus. The forth was John Mayall Blues From Laurel Canyon, fifth was Ten Years After's Undead and lastly the one very few people know about Blodwyn Pig's Ahead Rings Out.



I stumbled upon Blodwyn Pig when listening to early Jethro Tull albums. I am sure that someone told me about them. I also went through my music bible at the time and was suggested to listen to. They were very accurate in telling me how great they were. If the lead guitarist was the first guitar player from Jethro Tull then I had to listen. Not only because of what he wanted to do after leaving Jethro Tull, but to know how great he really was. I mean I still go gaga for Mick Abrahams wonderful playing on Jethro Tull's This Was album. Mick was focused on one thing. He wanted to make music with heavy Blues and Jazz influence. Ian Anderson wanted a less lax on those styles and play Rock and Roll. It's too bad too, I would love to hear how Tull progressed if they Mick kept his ground and won the argument. I am sure it would have sounded like Blodwyn Pig.

The first album is their masterpiece. They actually put out two albums, but the first is the only one you should go for. I picked up the album at a tag sale and the guy told me that it's like nothing I have ever listened to. It's is soaked in Blues and Jazz, but it sounds wonderful to the ear today. The songs that gets heavily played is "See My Way" and "Dear Jill." Each has wonderful playing by all four members and feathers why Mick was a great guitar player. If this is the neglected brother of the British Blues, it sure does make a fuss to get noticed. It's too bad they could not amount to anymore after the two albums because there was a lot of potential. There was so much going on in August 1969 that I know it got lost in the shuffle of music.



So try something new and exciting, Blodwyn Pig is amazing and it takes a few listens, but it is well worth the effort to check out. it's also a good album to talk about when your discussing British music. I am sure that you will get some interest when you put them and Jethro Tull in the same breath. Well in enjoy a rare relic from the 60's that a few people have forgotten. It maybe the most interesting album in your collection, but it will generate some great talk once it's played. Enjoy!

Looking For 88 Elmira St.

I know for a fact there are people who are reading this blog who have no idea who the person in the picture above is. I did not know much about the man above either till I was 25 years old, but I remember buying an album he put out in 1991. I thought it was so great that I wanted to hear more and the people who asked did not know much about him. At one point he was know for being the best unknown guitar player out there. Truth is Danny Gatton should have been more recognized. His mix of Jazz, Blues, Rockabilly, Rock, Country is something very few people can do and make it sound so great that they are known.

A friend of mine told me that he can play anything he wanted to and make it sound so great that you were scratching your head trying to figure out how the hell did he do it. When I first heard 88 Elmira Street I had no idea how great it was. I thought it was good, but I was stupidly and selfishly into things that somehow required more attention. I mean you listen to that album and if you too are not impressed than there is something wrong with your musical ear. I still own it and if I just want to hear talent and greatness. I had a chance to see him up in Massachusetts and I did not. Sure, I am kicking myself in the ass too. I always go on instinct and this time I did not. Danny was an amazing guitar player who should have been talked about in the same breath as Hendrix, Clapton, Page, Jeff Beck and countless others. Sad that the people who knew about him loved him and the people who discovered him late, wished that he was still around to play and witness his magic.



Like some of my posts if you have not noticed their are artist that should be talked about among great music fans. They are not talked about often, but you might find a person who shares your views about the artist. The same friend who introduced me to him was the same person who I look up to for all things Danny Gatton. He is great friend with his family and has a shitload of stuff that has never been put out. When he handed me 88 Elmira St. he told me that it will never leave your CD player for at least a month. He did not exaggerate about that. It was a moment where I should look and study him more, moreover I wanted to pick my friend brain about Danny as a person that only a few knew about. To my friend Danny is the guitar god that we should know. While I get laughed at for thinking Terje Rypdal or Leo Kottke as geniuses Danny is a man I should put up on that ledge.

Danny's album 88 Elmira Street is the album that is so great that it would appeal to everyone. The fun part of the album are the three covers. One is lesser known to some people but still a good quality cover. The other two are well known in the music circles. The first is the cover of "In My Room" by the Beach Boys. It's my dad's favorite. The other is a scorching cover of the Simpson's theme song. It shows great skill for Danny on guitar and not only that his banjo playing is outstanding. I more then likely burned a hole in the CD playing this song in the car every chance I could get. I even had someone at a traffic light ask me if that really was the Simpson's theme. Even the originals written by Danny are amazing.



So, if you are looking for a hidden gem in the music that is so vast and different you should try to find this one. I believe the CD is out of print, but can be find for a steal on eBay for less the $10.00. It is a wonderful addition to your music collection. It won a Grammy and was a worth every penny when it was first released. Kudos to Elektra for having the corporate balls to put this out; short, chunky, and middle-aged, Danny Gatton was a bona fide guitar hero for the '90s, putting the lie to the hard canard that only speedburner metal mega-hair dudes can make the front covers of the guitar mags. (AM) Enjoy! I am sure you will tell me that it is a masterpiece once you listen.

Stevland's Vision!

It's always tough to talk about one album to represent an artist's work as a whole. I am a huge fan of Stevie Wonders career. I have always liked his music and to pick just one album does not do the justice of a talent Stevie Wonder is to us. I have had the pleasure of seeing him twice in my life and both times I was floored. My only regret is not seeing either early in his career or in the 1970's when his career was at it's height. Most of the albums he put out in the 1970's are instant classics. To chose one was tough. It took a week to narrow down the albums and listen to them. I have them all on CD and I let the six disc changer in the car just do random and I would give each a listen. I even asked a few friend to pick their favorite Stevie Wonder album to see if most of my friends would share the same album. That did not work because each liked a different Stevie Wonder album. It was tough to pick just one. I even asked my uncle what to pick for an album and he laughed at me and told me it was like picking one of your children to leave behind. It was tough, I sat down one day just to figure it out. This is why the delay of Stevie Wonder was held out till now.

So It took a long time to decide, but I decided on Innervisions. You may debate what is your favorite Stevie Wonder album, but to me Innervisions is more personal then all his others. There are only nine song on the album, but each album has a unique Stevie Wonder feel. Each is also so great to hear more then once to hear the artistry of Stevie. I have yet to hear anyone cover, or at least make a great cover from Innervisions. I know Red Hot Chili Peppers did "Higher Ground," but that version was okay at best. In the various bootlegs I have, he really makes that song so much more then it is. Like "Superstition," "Higher Ground" is his Pop masterpiece. When I saw him he played the hits, and in my heart I wanted to hear the hidden gems. I did not hear "Don't Worry Bout A Thing" or "Living For The City."



His Seventies stuff is so great with me picking Innervisions it was tough to pin point what makes it so good. Because it's everything on that album that is great. He is a lot more political on this album as well. There are two great attacks on Richard Nixon on this album. There is the the hope of the American Dream faded too. Stevie Wonder's battle with Drugs. It's enough on one album to make you have it's attention. If it came out today, it would take two albums to get to the point.



I am very thankful that I got into him when I did. I knew about his talents as an early teenager. I used to play my dad's Motown albums and really have fun hearing the greatness in the talent of Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson and Diana Ross. I guess what my problem is trying to explain what makes him great to people who know how great he really is. Stevie Wonder is a person who when people ask me who are my top performers in music I always put Stevie up there. To people who don't his stuff then I suggest you start here. He had a great run of great albums. Enjoy a great musician and a man who we all know is one of the best. Sorry this could not be longer in telling you the excitement of him for me, but I just listen to him a lot. As I told you at the beginning hard to just pick one. Enjoy!

The Flyin' Shoes Belong to those Little Feat

I think the first time I heard Little Feat was when I was four years old. My Father and my uncle went to see them and I was crying because I wanted to go. I had no idea who or what they were, but I just wanted to be part of my cool uncle and my father going to a show. I remember hearing them and they even sounded cool. The artwork by Neon Park attracted me to them. I was always curious on how he thought of his artwork that he created for Little Feat. Little feat in some way is a band that has a cult following. Later in my years I mentioned Little Feat to some guy at a show and he was surprised that I actually knew who they were and who was their lead man.

Let me give you a short history of Little Feat. Little Feat formed in 1969. Lowell George was working with Frank Zappa. They titled there band in homage to the Beatles hence the spelling of Feat. For ten years they were very good at hitting all the popular hot spots. I have about a dozen bootlegs from their Golden era. They were so hip they played for Robert Palmer on his album Pressure Drop. Then the unexpected happend. Lowell George died in 1979 while on tour for his wonderful album Thanks I'll Eat It Here. From that point on Little Feat quit and got back together in 1987. That is when I started getting into them. They had three hits that were on the radio by the time I finished High School. The songs were great, but not like the stuff my father and uncle told me about. The distinct voice of Lowell George was not present on these songs, but in their popular days he sure made them sound so much better then they do now.



While listening to some of the newer stuff on the radio, the DJ would throw in the older stuff. I heard all kinds of great stuff. My love for them came on quickly. I really thought I should have been around when they were popular. I first bought their live album Waiting for Columbus and was loving it. Waiting for Columbus is still considered one of the best live albums from the 1970's. Then I picked up Dixie Chicken. I really liked that one too. Then one day my uncle came over with Sailin' Shoes. He told me this is that album he loved. It was full of deep fried southern boogie with a lot of funk. He said it was no Meters, but it sure had fun trying to copy them. He loved the slide guitar work and the signature sound of Lowell's vocals. This was a true gem.



Every song on Sailin' Shoes is a gem. The songwriting is wonderful and the music blends very well with what Lowell is trying to do. From the start of the album you know it's intent. The song "Easy to Slip" is a masterpiece. It's a wonderful opener for a song and is one of the best opening songs. All in all Little Feat accomplish more on this album then on others. The mix of Funk, Blues, Rock is great. The only drawback is these songs live were longer and full of so much power. The greatness of these songs is so many people could see the genius of Little Feat. These people include, Van Dyke Parks, Bonnie Raitt, John Hiatt, and Robert Palmer. I am not sure what made me like them after all these years, but the story I told you I think is the only answer. One day at my job I gave a friend some Little Feat, I really thought he would not like it, but he really enjoyed it.

Little Feat does take a bit to grow on, but it's worth every effort. The live bootlegs I have from this era of early 70's shows how much their fans loved them. They really show how much a band like this can be really loved. They created a whole genre of music too. It's called Boogie and that they did with so much fun and very little effort. Enjoy this gem and you too will be saying how much you love Little Feat. Enjoy!

SuperSound!!!!

With an album stretching at an hour and ten minutes. Soundgarden gave the middle finger to all the other Seattle bands. Their point was that they can make an album that is longer then 40 minutes and have it sound just about perfect. Just about every song on Superunknown is a keeper. I like music that keeps my attention long after the album has been played. I like it even better when I pick it up a year later and still enjoy every minute of it. Even though the album had five singles, these songs sound like if they came out today they would have been hits again.

Soundgarden is one of my favorite bands. When I heard that they were getting back together I was excited to hear this. I saw them only once, but was immediately hooked on what they do. It was a fresh and distinct sound that I loved. Chris Cornell was the ultimate front man with his long black hair. His voice was amazing and so much better then some of the other artists. Even better he can play guitar pretty good too. I had their breakout album Badmotorfinger and loved it. It had sounded like if Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin made an album of epic grandeur.



I quickly got Superunknown and put it in the tape deck of my car. I realized right away that this album was going to make my head spin. This album had slicker production then the previous album and what was even better was the great pounding of the drums by Matt Cameron. His drumming on Badmotorfinger was great, but with the new production on Superunknown you could hear him shine. The focused songwriting allows the band to stretch material out for grander effect, without sinking into the pointlessly drawn-out muck that cluttered their early records. The dissonance and odd time signatures are still in force, though not as jarring or immediately obvious, which means that the album reveals more subtleties with each listen.(AM)

The rest of the production is just as crisp, with the band achieving a huge, robust sound that makes even the heaviest songs sound deceptively bright. But the most important reason Superunknown is such a rich listen is twofold: the band's embrace of psychedelia, and their rapidly progressing mastery of songcraft. (AM) This is what makes Soundgarden so unique of the Seattle sound. This is the music that I saw change before my eyes.



Soundgarden has been away from music for a long time and when they reunite and play this year I expect them to play like it was yesterday. There was some people thinking that this would have never happen in the generation that listened to this wonderful music. Well, it has, and hopefully it will be just as I remember. The wonderful crushing guitars overlaying with other guitars and Matt Cameron's great drums. The wonderful crisp sound of Chris Cornell's vocals. We can only hope for something so fun that they stick around for a while and show us how the music that made them famous, made us feel great all over again. Dear Soundgarden show these new punks how to do it right. Thanks Matt. Enjoy everybody!

RUSH!!! The Early Years!

Along with AC/DC, Rush is another one of the groups you hear on the radio all the time. Also, this is what this guy had a lot of in the collection that I bought when I bought the AC/DC I was talking about in the post about them. Rush is one of my favorite bands of all time. Their early years put them on the map as far as a great trio that did not need the a few extra members to make a Progressive Rock album they could do it all by themselves with ease to make it sound like a orchestra. They had the best drummer in the world with Neil Peart who could be a whole percussive section in an orchestra and then they had Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson who between the both of them could play bass and keyboards and guitar very well.

When I grew up Rush was just getting popular again. The late 80's saw them leave their tenure with Mercury and head over to the ultimate Rock and Roll label Atlantic. It's always magic when someone is on Atlantic. I mean all the Progressive Rock giants of 70's were on Atlantic. You had Genesis, King Crimson, Roxy Music, Emerson, Lake and Palmer and Yes. You had the Hard Rock of Led Zeppelin and Bad Company. You had the Super group of CSN&Y. Just about Everybody was on Atlantic. So Yea! Rush had some good ideas when they signed to Atlantic in 1989 and put out Presto.



When they were around in the 70's Rush was what some of those bands wanted to be. Rush just was under the radar that the did these wonderful concept albums. Also like other Progressive Rock artists of the day they were good at making these long epics that sounded like it was an orchestra movement or two. I will have to say they do it better then anybody else and have more fun doing then anybody. I have seen Rush at least once since 1989 and I will tell you that they do rock out and do it better then any new act out there who are half their age. They even one upped most bands when they celebrated their 30th year by not putting out a regular album, but instead they did an album of songs they loved when they were growing up. There is music by Love, Buffalo Springfield, Yardbirds, Cream and The Who.



The other day I got word that Rush was going to tour this summer of 2010. They decided to do something different. In typical Rush fashion, they are going to do one their classic albums in it's entirety. Not only is this going to kick ass, but it will transport the fans to 1980 all over again when Moving Pictures was fresh on all of our minds. Being a Rush fan for many years, and seeing every since Presto, I have come to the conclusion that I will go. For the new Rush fan this tour will be an easy converter. I am ready for this all my life.

Rush is a great thing to see live and when they perform lengthy songs your brain explodes. This is the case with Hemispheres. With the album only having four songs, it pays homage to all the Progressive Rock bands out there. It tells them yes, we can do it too and we are only a three piece band. The whole album start to finish is amazing. It has greatness written all over it. Sadly, though a lot of music critics hated the album. Who listens to critics though? If you like Rush, start your collection here. They have so much material that this will cement their legacy right here.



Go out and buy an album by Rush before 1980. You will be glad you did. It is an enjoyable album with a lot of power and kick to it. The new mastering even sounds perfect. Enjoy a classic and have fun with a band that has somewhat of a cult following. They are great on stage as well, so hearing what you hear on the album is sooooo much fun live. Enjoy! This album was brought you like all their albums by the letter "E." Rush fans will know what I am talking about. Enjoy!

CCR's Factory

Even though I learned Classic Rock through the radio and my family, I learned about the unsung heroes of Classic Rock through my neighbor. It was my best friends mom who turned me on to Buffalo Springfield, Jefferson Airplane, Steppenwolf, and Creedence Clearwater Revival. I am sure there were so many others, but the way she would listen to music twelve hours a day plus, I cannot remember what she was bopping to one minute to the next. I would walk to school and the school was right behind our houses. I would leave in the morning walking to school hearing "Born To Be Wild" one day and the next day would be "Dream On" the next. Coming home she be outside working around the house to make it look pretty. She ask me to come over for lemonade and show me her progress. She would not educate me on the music, but tell me that the band we were hearing at the time kicked ass. Her favorite band was Creedence Clearwater Revival. Once a day she play the best of Creedence at full blast and we would sing to it.

Then one day the music stopped. I heard it in the morning while I was getting on the bus to the middle school. I heard some Steve Miller or something and when I got home I heard more music. By the time supper rolled around the music ended. No reason at all. It was a hot June day and the my best friend was not home from college, he was working on kinda summer program where he was going. It was close for me to go see him again for the weekend. I was all excited to see him. Usually after supper I go over my best friends house to help his mother with projects or just to chill out. Well this time I went over and I saw the door was closed and locked, so I knocked on the door and there was no answer. I did not see her leave. She would never lock the door unless she was going out. Since she hated driving and always walked to her destinations. I thought nothing of it to use my key to get in. If she was out, she would be right back. I called my best friends sister and asked if she was up there. They had not seen her and told me to let me know if I see her. I went in the house and called her name. I passed the living room and got to the bathroom. I called her name and looked towards the bathroom. The light was on and then I looked down. She was dead. She slit her wrists and there was blood everywhere. I ran back home and told my parents to call the police and call my best friends father and my best friend. It was the hardest thing I had to do. From that point on I did not listen to CCR for about 6 years.



I would any excuse why I would not listen to them. Even when I heard them on the radio I would change the station. Then I decided to change my view of CCR when I went to college. When I entered my first year back after a five year work, earn money, life experience time I went to the used record store in town. I saw all the CCR albums for sale. These were like six dollars. So one day I picked up all of them. I figured if I was going to eventually do an Classic Rock show I might as well find the gems I remember when I was a kid and play them on the air. I think after that day I felt a bit better remembering my best friends mom. If she was there with me I am sure she would have helped me picked all the songs I needed.

CCR is a great band, there is no doubt, but the songs you do hear on the radio do not reflect what they can do. I know you must hear them every day on the radio, but have you ever heard them play the full length version of "I Heard It Through The Grape Vine" or "Suzie Q?" Each album has a choice lengthy cut that leaves each album on a great note. With Cosmo's Factory you have their longest song. One of the greatest Motown songs ever. CCR kills the song and gives it their identity as well.



Well If I do suggest anything on this blog, this might be an important one. Listen to the Classic Rock, but find the hidden gems. I see people buy greatest hits packages. Do you know that most of the songs on the albums are so much better then the hits. CCR is proof of that and each album should be explored with the richness it deserves. I picked Cosmo's Factory for one reason. That was my very first CCR album. Enjoy! Remember how music was in the late 60's, but also remember that CCR was one of the best for a short time. Have fun! I am back too!