Posts

Showing posts from 2011

Lost Gem: "Hell No I Ain't Happy" - Drive-by Truckers (2003)

Image
"She's an overnight sensation after twenty-five years." ~ Drive-By Truckers ~ Drive-By Truckers deliver up refreshing "new century" southern rock. Well-written songs...terrifically gritty with a heart-strong urgency to bring it. Their album... "Decoration Day" (2003) is a favorite...and ended up on several... "best of" lists . DBT are good...and don't they love proving it! Lost Gem:--> "Hell No I Ain't Happy" ...is an on-the-road bluesy thunder-bucket of rock-n-roll .  And the expressive title catch-phrase makes for a dandy crank-it-up & pop-another-beer sing-a-long . Have you heard this gem? There’s a lot of bad wood underneath the veneer She’s an overnight sensation after twenty five years Sharp fast curves, power steering unroll that twenty, buy me some beer Ain’t too bad, too bad at all, pick up the phone if I ever call Hell No, I ain’t Happy. There’s a purdy little girl outside

Lost Gem: "Time Out" - Joe Walsh (1974)

Image
"The maids are in the hallway  bangin' on the door askin' what the funny smell was. " --> Joe Walsh <-- Wichita breeze... Joe Walsh ...was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998...as a member of The Eagles. But most Classic Rock aficionados agree, Joe's earlier work as leader of the legendary James Gang ...and... Barnstorm , along with several accomplished solo albums should easily provide more than enough cred for induction on his own merits. Once you factor in his achievements as a producer , along with the ticker-tape list of session work he's done over the years.... and I guess ol' Joe can make as many goofy guitar faces as he wants while laughing all the way to the RnR Hall of Mugs...I mean Fame. Forever adored by his Wichita, Kansas family... Joe Walsh is the real mccoy. Accept no substitute. Lost Gem:--> "Time Out" ...from Walsh's first solo album... "So What" (1974) ...has that

Lost Gem: "Nothing's Free" - Alice Cooper (1994)

Image
"Sign upon the bloody line.  A drop of yours, a drop of mine." --> Alice Cooper <-- Sometimes people forget. Maybe it's all his hobnob golfing. Maybe it's his friendly classic rock radio program. Or maybe it's because he once allowed himself to be tenderized by the dangerous...Muppets! I get it. Alice Cooper is a nice guy. But DO remember this. On stage... Alice Cooper is an original Rock and Roll bad ass! Long before there was a Marilyn Manson...Kiss...or...Rob Zombie, there was Alice. For over 40 years, he has been delightfully creeping us out. Trapping his fans in an unsettling Rock and Roll web. Both musically and theatrically...Alice is (and always will be) the "Showman of Nightmares" . Embarrassingly overlooked by the  RnR HoF , Alice Cooper was finally inducted in 2011. LOST GEM:--> "Nothing's Free" ..is from a must own and highly underrated... "The Last Temptation" (1994).   The band   s

Lost Book Gem: "The Time Machine" - H.G. Wells

Image
"I danced myself right out the womb. Is it strange to dance so soon?" --> T. Rex <-- "The Time Machine" -   H.G. Wells   (1895) ...is a classic sci-fi tale about a gentleman discussing his latest invention with a small and unbelieving group of dinner guests. Of course this intricate contraption is called...a time machine. (btw...the 'time machine' term we have all become familiar with was first coined by Wells .) The inventor tells of his strange traveling experiments that carried him off into the future where he finds himself way the 'H' in the 81st century. H.G. Wells H.G. Wells' thought provoking ideas on evolution are worthy of discussion...and appreciating the fact this novel was written nearly 120 years ago makes it all-the-more amazing. Long before our man Gene-O was writing about explorers " boldly going where no man had gone before " ...legendary sci-fi author, H.G. Wells was dreaming of doing a litt

Lost Gem: "New York's Not My Home" - Jim Croce (1972)

Image
"And I had begun to doubt  all the things that were me." --> Jim Croce <-- Jim Croce's breakout album was "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" (1972) ...with the uptempo title track being his radio debut single. Three tracks from this album would become radio staples. The next year, Croce's follow-up record... "Life and Times" (1973) quickly went gold with another three singles taking over the airwaves. He had just finished recording the album... "I Got A Name" ...that same year with plans of a holiday release. Barely a week out of the studio, after doing a show in Louisiana, Jim and longtime partner Maury Muehleisen would tragically be involved in a fatal plane crash. Jim Croce and Maury Muehleisen Made no difference whether you were a bruising truck driver or a scared young boy with a broken heart.   Redneck or longhair...it didn't matter. He was one of us and he was singing our life. LOST GEM:-->

Lost Gem: "Zero the Hero" - Black Sabbath (1983)

Image
"Impossibility. Impissibolity." --> Black Sabbath <-- "Born Again" (1983) is a pretty good Black Sabbath album...but receives even higher marks as a post-Ozzy album. Ronnie James Dio had a good run as the first Ozzy replacement. (four albums...the first one being diamonds.). But near the end of his tenure... Dio (may he RIP) was sounding a wee-bit tired and uninspired. Hence he cut bait. This allowed legendary screamer Ian Gillan of Deep Purple to be brought into the fold...(this move caused a nasty backlash from Sabbath fans...Dio wizards...and Deep Purple purists!) After one album... Gillan left. However, Gillan's banshee vocals wailing atop classic Sabbath thunder riffs sometimes worked. The album deserved better. LOST GEM:--> "Zero The Hero" ...is dark, heavy and catchy. Tony Iommi fires off blistering riffs and solos ...while Ian Gillan 's vocals give the song a fresh twist of metal magic. Nicely done. H

Lost Gem: "Wellsville" - Embarrassment (1981)

Image
"Offered us his hospitality but of course... we were too busy." --> The Embarrassment <-- The Embarrassment (Embos to their fans) were four young guys who seemed to have dropped through a weird..." CBGB Time Crack" ...that borned them smack dab in the middle of ... Wichita, KS ? Freshly original, Embarrassment were off-center but always on target, making music that connected with the stressed-out and the left-out. They were penguins on the prairie. They were kool. Casey Chambers...In the daytime...In the sunshine. LOST GEM:--> "Wellsville" ...a great roadtrip song with snapping drumbeats and bass runs. Snaggly guitar trim from Bill Goffrier almost disguises vocalist John Nichols' regret of rushing through life. Have you heard this gem? Driving fast down the road on the highway I guess so We stopped just past the Flint hills there's a sign it was Wellsville. Met a country man willing to lend a hand fix the

Lost Gem: "The Lottery Song" - Harry Nilsson (1972)

Image
" If life is just a gamble... gamble if you want to win." --> Harry Nilsson <-- He was handed the ultimate stamp of approval any artist would cream their jeans to receive...complimentary long-distance phone calls from each one of The Beatles. Harry Nilsson . The eclectic musical magi with a head full of moonage daydreams. John Lennon's... "favorite group". Nilsson was like nobody else. He had spirograph vocals and lite-brite visions. But his fear of performing in front of crowds all but voided any chance for growing that much larger fan base he justly deserved. Nilsson was Nilsson ...and it's exactly these strange attributes that drew me in. And it is especially rewarding for me when I discover any Nilsson song being utilized in a film...( "Coconut" in "Reservoir Dogs" & "Jump Into The Fire" in "Goodfellas") quickly come to mind. LOST GEM:--> "The Lottery Song" ... a gentle Mc

Lost Gem: "Clean Clean" - The Buggles (1980)

Image
"Johnny tell the chaplain go and polish his tombs." --> The Buggles <-- The Buggles , and their now-famous and delightful opening video for MTV , will always be an answer on some game show somewhere. And that ain't such a bad thing. But The Buggles were more than a one-hit-wonder. They were blending synth sounds and tones creating a unique electronic pop experience that masked a darker future of a more antiseptic society. The band consisted of just two guys experimenting in the studio...making moods. But with one rare difference. They were outstanding musicians. Trevor Horn & Geoffrey Downes Geoffrey Downes spun his magic over the keyboards and percussion ...while Trevor Horn pottered the bass, guitar and vocals. When the  legendary prog band... Yes ...heard The Buggles debut... "The Age Of Plastic" (1980) ...they quickly asked them to produce and also join the band. Now that's some pretty strong cred. LOST GEM:--> "C

Lost Gem: "We'll All Ride High (Money Bags)" - White Witch (1974)

Image
" For your life to begin ol' Money Bags, your life will have to cease. " --> White Witch <-- White Witch were a gifted group of young Florida boys who oddly signed with a Southern Rock label (Capricorn) ...but who were not Southern Rock. On this 2nd and final album, " A Spiritual Greeting" (1974) ... White Witch were RnR chameleons...sounding Beatlesque one minute... Bowieglam the next. Sabbath another time and Uriah Heep yet another. But White Witch were not merely imitators. Their songs stand as Premium Original 70's rock jams . Played and performed at Premium Octane level . This range, however, would sadly prove to be their undoing. Capricorn obviously didn't know how to market them...so they didn't. LOST GEM:--> "We'll All Ride High (Money Bags)" ...The intro is a "hoist-your-beers" feel-good chant that quickly turns into a guitar-burn.   Wicked vocals preside over a cemetery burial. A sacr

Lost Gem: "The Randall Knife - Live" - Guy Clark (1989)

Image
"I'd cried for every lesser thing... Whiskey, pain and beauty." --> Guy Clark <-- Guy Clark is a kool hoss singer/songwriter...and he is absolutely one of the best. C rafting each song with a surgeon's steady hand and a rebel's defiant turn, it's no wonder other artists line up to cover his songs. And "Live From Austin, TX" is a great Guy Clark introduction. LOST GEM:--> "The Randall Knife - Live" ... a deeply personal telling of a father's passing. The song captures perfectly how hurt feelings left unspoken can turn into a powerful matzo ball. Have you heard this gem? My father had a Randall knife My mother gave it to him When he went off to WWII To save us all from ruin If you've ever held a Randall knife Then you know my father well If a better blade was ever made It was probably forged in hell My father was a good man A lawyer by his trade And only once did I ever see Him misuse t

Lost Gem: "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver" - Primus (1995)

Image
"But the beaver was quick And grabbed him by the kiwis."  --> Primus <-- Primus unfairly lost a few followers when they began stepping outside of the imaginary genre thrust on them. Like a sponge, they were drawing ideas from other styles of music. Not stealing...Pushing. Stamping the envelope and pounding it in the mail slot. This is fresh..wicked...smart stuff and well worth owning. LOST GEM:--> "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver" ...funky groove that trips with a devilish quirk that would've made Zappa smile. Bassist-extroidinare Les Claypool . ..turns loose like a Looney Tunes Tasmanian Devil. And guitarist Ler LaLonde shreds in and out like customers at a hooker's factory. Silly, sure...but silly ain't never sounded this good! Have you heard this gem? Wynona's got herself a big brown beaver and she shows it off to all her friends. One day, you know, that beaver tried to leave her, So she caged him up with cyclon

Lost Gem: "Dark Eyed Cajun Woman" - Doobie Brothers (1973)

Image
"You're like a woman I've never seen." --> Doobie Brothers <-- The definitive Doobie Brothers album... "The Captain and Me" (1973) ...is filled with their trademark twin guitar and twin drum assault. (This is pre-Michael McDonald stuff, babies...and that's a good thing!) While Tom Johnston (vocals and guitar) was fronting the California band...the Doobs sounded like The Eagles on a Red Bull chug-fest.   Plus, they had a touch of Southern spirit in their sound. With underrated Patrick Simmons adding to the fiery guitar churn ...it was no wonder the Doobie Brothers were quickly endorsed by the wildest of biker clicks and chicks. LOST GEM:--> "Dark Eyed Cajun Woman" ...creates a mysterious vibe...with vocals and melody perfectly matched for the ride. Timeless and lures me to the car for leaving... Anywhere!  Windows down. Thunderstorms, be damned. Have you heard this gem? I think back to the time When I first s

Lost Gem: "Highway 17" - Rodney Crowell (2001)

Image
" I'm the perfect sample of a bad example gone forever from their graces ." --> Rodney Crowell <-- Since 1972, Rodney Crowell has been writing and performing great songs, yet somehow has always been one of Americana music's best-kept secrets . (His rebellious nature at the direction mainstream country was taking probably had a lot to do with it.) After signing with an indie label... Rodney made jaws drop and eyes raise with his brilliant release... "The Houston Kid" (2001) . Quite simply, from beginning to end... RC ...hangs the laundry out in the wind for all to see. The songs feel real...and personal. Fact or fiction? I imagine a little bit of both. LOST GEM:--> "Highway 17" ...This raw acoustic story song is filled with raw memories of bad people, bad deeds...and bad luck .  His chilling delivery is  like a festering wound... and rides shotgun with the best. Have you heard this gem? I put away fifteen grand doing