Do You Remember Rock And Roll Radio?

Its been awhile....

2006-05-13T07:12:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the lack of new material, folks, I've been busy as all hell and almost totally forgot about this thing. For those interested in my day to day exploits you can explore www.myspace.com/mikeuberalles or www.myspace.com/wallriderecords . And I promise, more articles to come as I tackle my favorite records of the first half of 2006, among others.

Just Shut Up And Play That Guitar- Lucero's Ben Nichols

2005-06-19T05:14:00.000-04:00

Singer/songwriter Ben Nichols of Memphis, Tennessee's Lucero was kind enough to talk with me a bit after an instore appearance in Baltimore in support of Lucero's fifth full length, "Nobody's Darlings".

Me: So I take it these things (instore appearances) can be pretty rough on you?

Ben: They can be. Actually on this tour for the new record they've been pretty good. People actually...you know, a nice little crowd shows up, and um....nah, so none of'em have been too painful. We got a parking ticket in Philadelphia 'cause there was no place to park, but other than that they've actually been alright this time around. Usually they suck really hard though.

Me: How's the general reaction been to the new record?

Ben: Its been really good, we've sold...the cd's been selling real well and, uhb we've had....with the new record deal that we did there's a little more cash for publicity, so there's more reviews, good and bad, but mainly good. People are sticking with us, which is really nice. This time around we felt like making a pretty straight ahead rock and roll record, not a lot of extra stuff on there, its just two guitars, bass, drums.

Me: So did you record the record live?

Ben: Yeah, pretty much. We did like four or five takes of each song, and then picked the best one. And really... we were working with this guy Jim Dickinson who produced "Pleased To Meet Me" from the Replacements...

Me: Yeah, that's my favorite Replacements record.

Ben: God, that's a good one. His job, basically...we went in with the idea of making a rock and roll record, real stripped down, bare bones kinda rock and roll record. And so his job once we got in there was to record the songs and make sure we didn't go back and fuck'em up with a whole lotta editing , you know, a lotta whatever. And we didn't, we just kinda played it real straight.

Me: Sabot did the vinyl version?

Ben: Yeah, Sabot put out the vinyl. So yeah, they're in charge of that. That means its getting done right.

Me: So what made you decide to go for the more stripped down sound as opposed to what you did for the last record?

Ben: Ah...I think these songs just kinda lent themselves to that. When I wrote'em I was in the mood to write more rock and roll type songs and... so yeah, the songs kinda dictated the method, I guess, and ah..so yeah thats how they came out.

Me: I like that you don't do the same record twice.

Ben: Nah, we haven't, and luckily people have stuck with us through four records. And yeah, the next one could be completely acoustic and all slow songs, I have no idea what the next record will be like. Or it could be more southern rock than this one even, I don't know. But yeah, I was talking to somebody about this the other day where they're like "Are you learning how to make a record better each time you make one?" and really, each experience has been so different that its kinda like, I'm learning new stuff each time, but we're doing each record so differently that I can't really compile it all into one big experience. Each one's got a different feel to it, and I learn something different from each one, but its not really cumulative. Its not adding up to one super record. I don't know, maybe one day I'll figure out how to do that.

Me: I doubt most people ever learn, honestly.

Ben: I don't know. I haven't.. I'm still making... each time in the studio I'm still learning stuff.

Me: When you write do you write song by song, or do you think "This one is definately gonna be the first song on the record...."

Ben: Nah, its pretty much just song by song. And yeah, I just start off with a couple of guitar parts that go nice and then I find a vocal melody, and I think thats where most of the punch really comes in is just.....two chords, and they go this way, and then a vocal melody that goes that way and it fits together, and that's kinda what grabs ya. And then you've gotta come up with lyrics that just don't fuck it up. And they don't have to be really good or really deep, um, it helps if they are I guess sometimes, but as long as they're not real bad, it can still be a real powerful song I guess.

Me: Yeah, its more about the feeling than what's actually said.

Ben: Yeah, the way the vocals lay over the chords, its all right there.

Me: It sounds like you're getting a better idea of how to lay vocals over the songs.

Ben: Maybe so. I don't know, that might just be these types of songs, with the more southern rock/classic rock influence on'em. I've been listening to a bunch of, you know, Bruce Springsteen and, I dunno, Tom Petty, that stuff...

Me: I hear that on the record, I also hear a little bit of an early 70's Rolling Stones influence.

Ben: Yeah, there's a little bit of that. Yeah, its just...we've been making more indie rock or more country type records in the past and this one is just rock and roll.

Me: It sounds like they've kinda gotten more rock as they've gone.

Ben: Yeah, each one's gotten a little louder. Yeah, like, I guess the first one was done a lot like this one, it was recorded live, but then we went back and had Luther and Cody Dickinson, and even Jim Dickinson, 'cause we recorded it in the same place as this last one, and they went back and played really cool piano parts or really cool guitar parts, or slide, ah...and then Tennessee was... we kinda gave that one to Cody Dickinson and just let him go crazy with it, and we kinda just, yeah, we were kinda more hands off with that one, and thats why it came out more produced sounding I think. And then with Further West we just did it all ourselves, and ah..so it was kinda in between the two. It was recorded track by track 'cause we were doing it ourselves. And so this last one we just went in there and knocked'em out and that was that.

Me: Now, you write all the songs, right?

Ben: Yeah.

Me: How much of a role does the rest of the band take in how the final song comes out?

Ben: It actually....some of'em...that's song by song too. Usually I'll at least have the song put together and I'll have a vocal melody, and then I'll take it to the band, sometimes I got words already, sometimes I don't, but um...yeah, then you take it to the band I'll have an idea maybe of a drum part that I want, and sometimes that's the drum part that ends up on it, sometimes its something completely different....so yeah, its a song before I take it to the band, then once the band gets ahold of it, it becomes a Lucero song.

Me: The drumming is one of the things thats really most original about the band I think.

Ben: Yeah, Roy's a really original (laughs) person.

Me: It sounds like he takes a lot of influence from a lot of electronic type stuff.

Ben: Oh yeah, yeah, a lot of electronic stuff, a lot of rap stuff, hip hop stuff. Yeah, a lot of just wierd shit. Um, yeah, he's a really interesting guy, really wierd guy.

Me: Yeah, like I said, every record's different, but there's always Roy's unorthodox drumming and there's always that twin guitar thing you guys do thats real distinct.

Ben: Yeah, thats cool that you hear that, because I think both of those elements are really important to what we do and uh..yeah, I don't know, I never think of us as a real band or that great of a band really, but its nice to hear stuff like that every now and then and be like "ah, maybe we do do something kinda cool".

Me: Yeah, every body probably looks at it that way. You're your own harshest critic.

Ben: I hope so, hahaha.

Me: Its probably better that way, that way you weed out the stuff you really hate before anyone gets a chance to hear it.

Ben: Yeah, going back and editing is..especially the lyric writing, is very important. If you can kinda set a bar, and try to hit that, its good for you.

Me: Yeah, one of the things I thought was cool about That Much Further West was how the early copies came with that demos CD, it was cool to hear different lyrics, things like that.

Ben: Yeah, thats exactly....most of those songs were demos, and for the ones that didn't have demos, I went back and recorded them as if I was recording demos. Like "Comin' Home", on That Much Further West, it changed key, and it changed time signatures even, and became...its just a completely different take on that song. And "Across The River" became a rock song, with heavy metal guitar solos and stuff in it. It was cool to get a second shot at some of those, and I like both versions. I hope people think its interesting to hear, you know, different takes on the same songs.

Me: Where did the inspiration for "The War" come from? That's pretty different from anything else you've written.

Ben: Yeah, thats ah...my grandfather was in Europe during World War II, and um, so yeah, I got a bazillion songs about relationships and girls and drinking, and then he pops up kind of as a topic in...there's a song on The Attic Tapes, thats the first stuff we ever did, there's a song on there called "The Blue And The Gray" and thats kinda based on him, and this is kinda "The Blue And The Gray" part two. Actually, the chorus of it came..I was reading about the Civil War, and a preacher giving a sermon before they went in, and some guy's speakin' up and saying "why don't you eat with us" and all that. That is from a Civil War book, but then the rest of its based on my Grandad's story kinda.

Me: Yeah, you've mentioned him before on other records...

Ben: In "Joining The Army," yeah.

Me: Yeah, it seemed like that song...its a powerful song, but then you take "The War" and its more like...

Ben: Yeah, its more a full song, and more in depth. Yeah, it was actually one of the first songs I wrote out of the new record.

Me: I was glad to see it was on there, I wasn't sure if it was gonna be.

Ben: Yeah, I wasn't sure if it was gonna be neither, and I'm glad it ended up on there too.

Me: Is there anything else you wanted to say?

Ben: Nah, nah, thank you very much.

Me: Thank you, thanks for taking the time to sit down and talk for a bit.

Ben: No problem.

Nobody's Darlings is out now on Lucero's own Liberty And Lament label, and can be purchased at www.luceromusic.com , which also has tour dates for throughout the summer.

Its Just A Question Of Faith- An Interview With John Davis

2005-05-02T15:30:00.000-04:00

John Davis is a new man. After sweating and bleeding for ten years in the Tennessee based power pop band Superdrag, John has a new faith, a new son, a new solo record, and was kind enough to answer a few questions via email.

First, let me congratulate you on becoming a father. It may be a little early for this question, but how do you think fatherhood will affect your music, your career, your faith, and your view of the world?

Thanks. Man, I'll tell you what, I could probably turn this entire interview into a big essay about that first question, honestly. I probably couldn't enumerate all the ways in which becoming a father has changed me; needless to say its influence is all-encompassing. Lots of things that were monumental before seem meaningless now. It works kind of like the Gospel in that way. Even the Gospel looks a lot different. This notion of God's Son being tortured to death on my account, being handed over to His enemies willfully, being sacrificed, having a son of my own now makes it all the more vivid, and I'm more dumbfounded than ever as to how God could have that much love for humankind.

The lyrics on the new record take place at different times- in some songs you are still "weakened by disease", and in others you are a new, healthier, wiser man looking to the world with hope and optimism. Did you write this as you struggled through your recovery, documenting it, or was this record written afterward, looking back and retelling the story?

11 out of the 12 were written in hindsight, so to speak. "Salvation" was written in 1999, oddly enough. It took me more than a year's time to be able to write anything at all. "I Hear Your Voice" was the first one I did; I just tried to remember exactly how I felt in that instant when I stood on the brink of laying my life down and taking up a new one.

There is a very strong gospel influence on this record. Have you always been a gospel fan? Who are some of your gospel influences?

I love the old-time Gospel music. I love to hear Hank Williams sing Gospel. The Louvin Brothers' "Satan Is Real" is probably my favorite Gospel album of all time. I love The Staples Singers. The Mighty Clouds Of Joy. Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions.

As your career has progressed, the music, lyrics and production on your records has become simpler. "Regretfully Yours" has a dense sound to it, often with vocals low in the mix almost along the lines of My Bloody Valentine. "Head Trip In Every Key" has clearer production, but has some complex arrangements on it and eclectic instruments. "In The Valley Of Dying Stars" and "Last Call For Vitriol" are both more straightforward musically and lyrically, with a simpler recording quality. The new record follows in that pattern. It has a very no-frills recording quality- very clean, everything is easy to hear and there are few effects, and while the songs are all in a variety of styles, they are for the most part pretty straightforward. The lyrics are especially simpler, getting straight to the point, telling the story in a very plain, effective manner. Was this intentional, or has your writing naturally progressed this way without putting much thought to it?

I don't know---as much so then as now, I think that we, and now I, just intended to make the production values best serve the collection of songs on hand. I mean, you don't need a bunch of mumbo-jumbo to record a song like "Jesus Gonna Build Me A Home". I was just trying to beat my 4-track demo! We were really into My Bloody Valentine on that first album. And Swervedriver. I still love My Bloody Valentine and Swervedriver! "Loveless" is still my favorite record of the 1990s, hands-down. I always wanted vocals buried in the beginning. On "Head Trip In Every Key" we wanted to make a big "studio" album and could've cared less about being able to reproduce the sitar or the theremin onstage. I love the production on that record. I think Jerry Finn is one of the absolute best in the world. Some of the songs were a little weird. Most Superdrag people will cite "In The Valley Of Dying Stars" as our finest album. It sure was a highly personal affair for me. I think that really got me heading in this direction; whatever you have to say, just come out with it. No need to try and be clever about it all the time. Arguably, "Unprepared" and "Ambulance Driver" were the first two Gospel songs I wrote, and I didn't even know it. I think "Last Call For Vitriol" had great songs too, especially the ones Sam (Powers) sang lead on, but it's hard for me to separate the sessions themselves from the shambles my life was in at the time.

Your vocal ability has always been one of your biggest talents, and if I may say so, this record is your strongest vocal performance yet. Did you ever have any kind of voice training, or did you just sort of learn as you went?

That's awful nice of you. Thanks! I quit smoking; that helped a lot. I have my wife to thank for that. I never had any lessons, I just sang along with records in the car, mostly, when I was by myself.

When you first began your recovery did you have it in your mind to do a solo record, or did the idea to use the songs for a solo project as opposed to Superdrag or a new band come about during the writing?

My first instinct was not to make any more records, honestly. I prayed about it a lot. Every single day. That period of sort of being in limbo was tough. I mean, after ten years of being in the same band, your whole personality is kind of grafted to it. These guys were like my family. Don (Coffey Jr) especially. To this day, the guy's like my older brother. Man, he taught me a lot. This wasn't the first time I had thought about making solo records, though, and when I started to write again the songs just didn't sound like Superdrag songs, for one thing. That helped to sort of illuminate that path towards what needed to come next.

What made you decide to play almost everything on this record by yourself? Would you say doing everything yourself was easier or harder than recording with a band?

I kind of challenged myself to do it, out of curiosity as to whether or not I could pull it of on a level that was "record-quality". I mean, I've always played drums, but not as well as Don Coffey, you know what I mean? The rest of the stuff I'm fairly proficient on. I think I loved playing bass the best. It's more time-consuming to do it this way, and definitely more taxing in a way. It's not like you can rest for a little bit while the bass player's working on something.

If the John Davis of ten years ago heard this record, what would he think?

I think he might like it. I think the conviction in it might win him over, albeit reluctantly. I definitely think he would've liked the songs musically and the way the instruments sound. Overall, it probably wouldn't be Stones enough for the '95 model, but all the other influences are there.

How has the audience reaction been so far to the new material?

Overwhelmingly positive-better than I had any right to expect.

Do you plan to do more solo releases in the future, or was this a one-off record. I know being a father takes a lot of time and energy, do you still plan on touring?

We're going to run the touring operation in a way that makes sense with the rest of our lives, family life in particular. If this job interferes with my ability to be the best father I can be, then I'll get a different job. There will definitely be more records in the future. I'm well on the way to getting the next one written now.

What records would you say have had the biggest effect on your life?

In no particular order:
1. The Beatles Revolver 2. The Louvin Brothers Satan Is Real 3. Dinosaur Jr You're Living All Over Me 4. Teenage Fanclub Bandwagonesque 5. Big Star Radio City 6. Descendents Milo Goes To College 7. The Beach Boys Pet Sounds 8. Husker Du Metal Circus 9. Guided By Voices Alien Lanes 10. The Rolling Stones Beggar's Banquet
Man, these lists are virtually impossible to do. I'd probably have an easier time making a "100 Most Important Records" list. You should probably run that in lieu of an interview anyway. (ha)

How did you go about finding the musicians for your road band? If you do future tours will it most likely be the same lineup?

These guys have all got about five different things going on musically at any given time; I sure hope we'll be able to keep it together for the duration. There will be times when we'll have to have other players fill-in, I'm sure. Matt (Slocum) and I play together in another band, Astronaut Pushers, with Lindsay Jamieson (Ben Folds) and Sam Ashworth. Sam has a time-stoppingly awesome solo record about to come out. I co-wrote one song and got to play some different instruments here and there. Nate (Blackstone, drums) came highly recommended by the management company. He's worked with tons of different artists. He kind of reminds me of Topper Headon from The Clash in the sense that he can tackle any kind of song and nothing really phases him. Josiah (Holland, bass) was in a band called Holland with his brother and some other dudes---they did some records for Tooth & Nail awhile back. Now they have a new band, The Lonely Hearts. They're great. They opened up some shows on our tour back in November. We just had a lot of mutual friends, we met, and just hit it off right away.

What are you hoping to accomplish with this record and its message?

Honestly, I hope it will afford me the opportunity to love people, through the music. One listener at a time. And if nothing else, to say, "if you think that God couldn't possibly love you, just as you are right now, then please reconsider."

Is there anything else you want to add?

I reckon that's about enough outta me. I'd just say, "thanks for taking the time to read" and may God bless and keep you.

Thanks, John!

John's new record is out and is well worth your time. Opening with the Pet Sounds-esque "I Hear Your Voice", through the hard rocking "Nothing Gets Me Down" and ending with the country swing of "Do You Know How Much You've Been Loved", its a treat for both Superdrag fans and newcomers alike, and is highly recommended. For more information regarding ordering, merchandise, and tour dates, head on over www.johndavismusic.com

Monday Will Never Be The Same- Husker Du Craft the Sgt. Pepper of Punk Rock with Zen Arcade

2005-01-24T05:51:00.000-05:00

"He lives in his imagination, with those friends of his very own, he doesn't get along with the outside world, he'd rather be alone"

By the end of the 1970's, the first wave of punk rock had been bought out by the music industry and was watered down and repackaged as new wave, inspiring legions of disillusioned suburban brats to strip the original formula down to its most basic elements and make it faster, louder, harder and uglier than it ever was before. This abrasive new innovation in punk rock came to be known as hardcore, and quickly spread throughout the nation (and eventually the world), inspiring a handful of amazing, ingenius bands (Black Flag, Bad Brains, Big Boys), and countless imitators. Minneapolis' Husker Du formed in 1979 and quickly mastered the genre with their first two LPs, the running times of which hardly add up to an hour. Though renowned for their speed and intensity, the band quickly grew tired of the limits imposed by hardcore and began to distance themselves from their speed obsessed peers with the "In A Free Land" single and 1983's Metal Circus EP before completely changing the scope of underground music a year later with their loosely conceptual double LP, Zen Arcade.

Beginning with militaristic drums and a pulsating bassline, Bob Mould's trademark (and soon copied) distorted open chords soon ring out as he shouts the opening lines of "Something I Learned Today". The songs anthemic lyrics about living by one's own accord and newfound independence provide the introduction to the story which begins with the next track, "Broken Home, Broken Heart". The main character is introduced, a kid whose parents fight constantly and don't understand their confused and angry son. Though many young punk rockers throughout the world could relate to the main character's plight, the alienation and confusion in the album's lyrics also hints at the struggles both writers had growing up as homosexuals in the conservative midwest. The next track was something unheard of on a record by an American hardcore punk band in 1984- an acoustic song. Grant Harts debut song on the record further examines the contempt the story's hero (or antihero) holds toward his parents, and Bob Mould takes this a step further with his catchiest song to date, "Chartered Trips", where the character leaves home for good. Spot's production perfectly highlights the mood of the record. Though Mould is playing a beautiful progression of ringing, melodic chords, the guitar's tone is ragged and abrasive, giving the pop aspects of the album a corrosive edge which accentuates the agony in many of the songs' lyrics. "Chartered Trips" is followed by the instrumental "Dreams Reoccuring", which includes something else seldom heard on a hardcore record at the time- tape effects. The entire song is backwards, with the notes sounding as if they are rushing toward the listener, then speeding past, much like the sound of trees when driving past them. We are hearing the protagonist journey away from his home to the great unknown. From here Husker Du nod back to their aggressive roots, though with a creativity most of their peers lacked. Despite being loud and angry, the fast songs on Zen Arcade never revert to the standard 1-2 "oompah" beat of the average hardcore record. The rhythm has a sort of swing to it, propelling it along with elevated intensity. The vocals are also a step above usual hardcore fare. Though Mould is screaming his lungs out, most of the lyrics are intelligible enough to understand without the aid of a lyric sheet. Though he has escaped the misery of his home, our hero is now confronted with the confusion and uncertainty of life on his own. Through Mould's lyrics, the character second guesses his actions, seeing that "nothing in your life is ever going on course, you wonder if living could be much worse.....You're a big fucking kid, you don't know what you're about." Grant Hart's "Hare Krsna" follows, which in this writer's opinion is the one track this record could do without. It stretches on far too long, and is essentially a rewrite of Bo Diddley's "I Want Candy." Following "Hare Krsna" are four more blasts of searing hardcore, representing the chaos of the city seen throught the eyes of a kid who has spent his life in the safe arms of white suburbia. Things are not as he had planned when setting out on his journey, and our nameless hero is now all alone in the big bad city with no friends, no help, and no place to stay. By the end of this four song barrage he has realized that "your daydreams aren't forever, better get your shit together for a new game...you tried to be a hero, but you ended up nothing." Grant Hart ends the record's agressive chapter with the mildly psychedelic "What's Going On (Inside My Head)" and the faster "Masochism World," continuing the records themes of confusion and inescapable loneliness, though in the latter track it is hinted at that the protagonist has met a companion with the lines "does it hurt when I do this...I love it, I hate it, I love it, so how about you." His journey continues through Hart's "Somewhere," where, sick of "looking at the nightmare when I try to see the dream" the character realizes that the key to his turmoil and depression are inside his head, and cannot be escaped as easily as running away from home. Husker Du push the hardcore envelope further with the next track, "One Step At A Time," a piano based instrumental once again featuring backwards tape effects. As "One Step At A Time" ends, the ominous arpeggiated chords that lead in to "Pink Turns To Blue" begin, detailing the drug induced death of the main character's newfound female companion. She had provided stability in his new and confusing surroundings, "standing up for me and like a tree for what she believed," but now he is once again alone. Bob Mould returns with a clean, chorusy guitar giving us a bit of social commentary with "Newest Industry," straying from the record's central theme, and supplying the song with Beatle-esque piano line under his fuzzy open chords, then turns in the record's second piano instrumental, "Monday Will Never Be The Same." Following "Monday...", our hero confronts his angst in Mould's "Whatever", and makes peace with the parents that turned him away. The song also once again includes references to stress related to growing up homosexual- "His parents, they can't understand why their son, he turned out wrong...Mom and Dad I'm sorry, Mom and Dad don't worry, I'm not the son you wanted, but what could you expect?" The writers then let us in on the fact that the entire adventure our protagonist has undertaken all happened in his head during a dream with "The Tooth Fairy And The Princess", yet again referencing the Beatles with tape effects. After some more social commentary, this time from Hart in "Turn On The News", our character returns from his slumber, wiser and more understanding of the world around him, with the 14 minute instrumental, "Reocurring Dreams", which is a reworking of the earlier track "Dreams Reocurring".

After the release of Zen Arcade, underground rock music would never be the same, and its influence, along with that of the Replacements' Let It Be, the Meat Puppets' II, Black Flag's My War, and the Minutemen's Double Nickels On The Dime (all released the same year) would be heard in virtually every band to emerge from then on. Zen Arcade also proved to naysayers the world over that punk rock could indeed produce relevant art as well as youthful noise, and showed that there was indeed life after hardcore.

Come On And Take A Rush- Blue Cheer's Outsideinside

2004-11-27T06:41:00.000-05:00

"Lost in a maze of liquid smoke, I thought my brains were gonna choke"

Just seven months earlier, Blue Cheer had turned the music world upside down with the fuzzed out heaviness of their acid splashed debut, Vincebus Eruptum. Keep in mind that this was January of 1968, and the hardest things anyone had heard before this were the Jimi Hendrix Experience, who Blue Cheer owed much of their sound to, and Cream. This was still a year before the debuts of Led Zeppelin, the MC5, and the Stooges, and two years before that of Black Sabbath. No one had ever heard a band play blues based rock and roll with such ferocity, which partially explains why the mainstream was reluctant to embrace the LP. Scoring a minor hit with their cover of "Summertime Blues," Blue Cheer were able to release their more refined and much stronger second LP, Outsideinside.

Beginning with ominous arpeggiated chords, the albums opener, "Feathers From Your Tree," quickly segues into a soulful blues influenced verse, before we get treated to that classic Blue Cheer sound of pounding drums and fuzz drenched power chords. Despite being released only seven months after Vincebus Eruptum, Outsideinside's production is far superior. The drums are louder, the bass is more prominent and distorted, and the guitars constantly shift from right speaker to left, emulating the Leslie rotating speaker effect Jimi Hendrix had made famous a year earlier. Guitar overdubs and pianos also pop up frequently, both of which were either nonexistent or scarce on Vincebus. Tempo and volume both drop for the next track, "Sun Cycle,", which again shows the mark Jimi Hendrix made on Blue Cheer. Wah wah guitars abound, and Dickie Peterson's spacey vocals remind us once again that Blue Cheer was indeed named after a type of acid. "Reflecting time in the blowing night and pulled the shade to a clear green game and from the visions riding heavy sea." Yeah, whatever you say, Dickie. Moving right along, Peter Whaley begins pounding out the beat to "Just A Little Bit," as the rest of the band slams in a few bars later laying down a raging power-blues number, completely killing any arguments as to whether or not Blue Cheer invented what would later be known to the world as heavy metal. From here we get a quick tease of a clean wah-wah guitar, before lurching into a groove sounding like something from Paranoid-era Black Sabbath. With loosely veiled drug references, Peterson howls while the band pounds away sounding like the Who on downers and playing through torn speakers. As "Gypsy Ball" strikes its last chords, the Cheer double-times its way into "Come And Get It," arguable the record's strongest track. Hearing "Come And Get It," its very clear how much of an influence the MC5 would take from Blue Cheer after opening for them that year. With its fast thundering drums, soulful vocals and bluesy guitar leads, this song would fit perfectly anywhere on the Five's debut Kick Out The Jams, which would be recorded and released early in the next year. Wasting no time, Blue Cheer tear the Rolling Stones a new asshole with their explosive cover of "Satisfaction." No disrespect to the Stones, but this version completely destroys the original. Just like with "Summertime Blues" and "Parchment Farm" before it, "Satisfaction" is given the total Blue Cheer treatment, filtering it through waves of LSD and overdriven amps. Unfortunately after this the record takes a downturn with a lackluster and unenergetic run through of "The Hunter." Its not terrible, but compared with the rest of the album it sounds weak and uninspired, and is followed by the short instrumental "Magnolia Caboose Babyfinger," which is definitely better, but still not a return to the flames raised earlier on the LP. Luckily for the last track of the record, the band returns to form on the bluesy "Babylon," reminding us that "The blues ain't nothin', but a good man feelin' bad and I just ain't the kind that goes around feelin sad," before doubletiming back to the song's verses, making me wonder why this song wasn't all over popular radio at the time. While not the hardest hitting song on the record, its certainly the catchiest and most accessible.

Unfortunately after this record, Blue Cheer would be plagued with line up changes resulting in inconsistent recording, and the band slipped further into obscurity until breaking up in 1972. But even with the bands unfortunate end, the damage had been done, and after the primal blasts of Vincebus Eruptum and Outsideinside, the world of rock and roll would never be the same, as their influence would surface in bands for the next thirty years in the sounds of the MC5, the Stooges, Black Sabbath, the Melvins, Nirvana, Sleep, Mudhoney, Fu Manchu, and countless others. Despite being largely ignored by the mainstream, Blue Cheer's first two LPs became the soundtracks to the lives of long haired fuck ups and stoners the world over, and the repercussions can still be heard on contemporary heavy metal and psychedelic rock records. Turn on, tune in, trip out.

Outta My Head- The Brats EP

2004-11-19T05:23:00.000-05:00

"I'm mad, real mad, I wanna be dead, turn off the light, turn on Black Flag"

In a scene currently filled to the brim with third rate Sick Of It All clones and rooster-headed fashion obsessed crybabies, this EP is a welcome change of pace. The cover features both Descendents and Teen Idles posters, and that about accurately sums up the sound, with some of the Germs' snottiness thrown in for good measure. The Brats put the punk rock back in hardcore, angrily throwing in our faces that "all your Cro-Mags rip off bands sound the same."

Germany's the Brats feature former Surf Nazis Must Die vocalist Florian, and the music and production of this record are similar to the flawless "Anti Everything" EP released by that band last year, though the Brats are a little slower. The drums sound huge, and the guitars are trebly with a light distortion, reminiscent of the early Dischord catalogue (Teen Idles, Government Issue). Florian's vocals are high pitched and snotty in the early 80's California style, and his lyrics are often tongue in cheek rampages about depression, girls, scenesters, girls, technology, and girls. There's also a surfy instrumental that brings to mind early Dead Kennedy's or Descendents, and while the majority of this record is fast, pounding, catchy hardcore sounding very much like the Teen Idles with DRI's Eric Brecht on drums, the final track, "Girl...You Hurt," has a late 70's California power pop sound to it, similar to the Descendents with a keyboard. I wish all current hardcore records were this good. This is the way great punk rock is supposed to sound- fast, sloppy, raw, angry, snotty and ugly. Keep it coming, guys.

The Gospel According To John- John Davis at Fletcher's

2004-11-14T05:23:00.000-05:00

Going to see a project by a former member of an amazing band is always a tricky situation. One is almost always setting themselves up for disappointment, since you can't help but compare the new material to the past, and it almost never recaptures the magic of what made you fall in love with it in the first place. This is especially true in a situation where much of the new material is unheard, and therefore there isn't a connection to the songs already established, which will often make the newer songs seem weaker in comparison, even if in reality they are just as good if not better. Fortunately enough, as was the case tonight with John Davis, occasionally there is the rare occurrence of an artist dissolving any reservations with amazing songwriting and sheer passion.

Opening with a couple bluesy rockers, Davis and his new band quickly proved that his new material could indeed carry its own weight with soulful vocals, fuzzy riffs, and harmonies sounding like something straight off of Big Star's "#1 Record." Davis' master of pop songwriting reared its head with "Me And My Girl," from his new EP, once again showing his Big Star and Beatles influences. John then took things up a notch sitting down at a keyboard and belting out a slow, sad ballad (I'm assuming this was "Hear Your Voice"? I didn't see a setlist) Just when he had the audience on the verge of tears, the drums slammed in and the song double-timed its way into a Paul McCartney-style pop masterpiece. Following this came a few more piano-based songs, among them the heart-wrenching "Lay Your Burden Down" and the incredible "Jesus Gonna Build Me A Home." At this point I knew the inevitable was coming- I would be going home with a copy of the new EP. Closing out the set John and the boys treated us with the Superdrag-esque "Nothing Gets Me Down," and the hard rocking "Too Far Out." Much of the material bore a very strong 70's rock influence, and that, dear readers, is never a bad thing. After leaving the stage, Davis soon returned for an incendiary cover of the Beatles' "I Me Mine," leaving all in attendance hungry for more. The album arrives in March, and with songs like these, it will definitely hold its own among the classic Superdrag LPs. Let's hope John doesn't stay away from Baltimore for too long.

Living Easy Where The Sun Doesn't Shine- Black Sabbath's "Past Lives"

2004-11-13T05:34:00.000-05:00

"Are you high? Are you HIGH? SO AM I!"

Okay, I'm going to say it- this is the absolute best recording ever released by the lumbering beast known as Black Sabbath. Captured live at their peak in the early-to-mid 1970's, this is the only official live recording of the original Sabbath line-up in their hey-day. Its raw, its distorted, its loud, its out of tune, there's mistakes, there's oodles of feedback, and its exactly the way heavy metal is supposed to sound- fucked up.

On the first disc we get a remixed, remastered, and slightly cleaned up version of the famed England-only live album, "Live At Last". Released in 1980, and only available in the US as an import, legend has it that "Live At Last" charted higher than "Heaven And Hell", Sabbath's newest studio release at the time, which influenced them to record and release 1982's "Live Evil". Kicking off with a slight burst of feedback, the Sabs launch into "Tomorrow's Dream," from the "Volume 4" LP, viciously tearing through it with infinately more speed and energy than on the LP. Despite Ozzy being the figurehead and most well known member of the band, the real stars of this CD become apparent right from the beginning. Bill Ward's intense pounding never ceases to amaze from start to finish, and Tony Iommi's fuzz-soaked guitar oozes out the most devastatingly heavy riffs any of us will ever hear. Unfortunately, much of Geezer Butler's bass lines are lost in the mix, though there are a few instances where a distorted fill cuts through showing us the genius behind Sabbath's backbone. Despite being upstaged by the rest of the band, Ozzy turns in a respectable performance throughout, showing us that he wasn't always the blabbering Saturday Morning Cartoon the world knows him as now. As the final distorted chords of "Tomorrow's Dream" fade, Ozzy announces "a number entitled Sweat Leaf," one of the real gems of this CD. The band lurches into the song, pounding it out at half the speed it was recorded at on "Master Of Reality." If I didn't know any better, I'd think this was Ozzy being backed up by 1984 era Black Flag. Goddamn, goddamn. Next up is an early version of "Killing Yourself To Live" from the then-unreleased "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" LP, with slightly different (and slightly cooler) lyrics, followed by "Cornucopia", and one of the high points of this recording, a mind-numbingly heavy version of "Snowblind." I swear, this makes it worth the cover price alone, and absolutely destroys the LP version. After this assault, Tony Iommi launches into his solo intro to "Children Of The Grave," once again played faster and heavier than on the "Master Of Realtiy" LP. From here we get a decent version of "War Pigs," which starts out sounding intense as all hell, but in the verses the guitar drops in the mix a little. Still a damn fine version of the song, which gets followed up with "Wicked World" from the US version of Sabbath's first LP. Its definately a killer version, but gets diluted with Tony Iommi's overindulgent guitar soloing. During his obnoxious guitar wanking, we get treated to an improvised blues jam, and a rousing jaunt through the first half of "Supernaut," which really makes me wish they'd just played that the whole way through and spared us the Guitar Center bullshit. Closing out disc one, we hear the crowd screaming for more, and Ozzy and boys granting their request with a searing run through the band's biggest single, "Paranoid," from the album fo the same name. While Ozzy sounds a little tired, the band rips through the song with a vengeance, sounding as if they've only just begun to break a sweat. They don't make'em like this any more.

Disc two opens with a well played but plodding version of "Hand Of Doom" recorded in Paris in 1970 which is not bad, but the real meat and potatoes comes with the next track, a blistering run through "Hole In The Sky" from Asbury Park, New Jersey five years later. This is by far the best, most intense, and heaviest track on the entire two disc collection, showing that while at the time Sabbath may have been slacking in the studio, they were still on fire as a live band. Following "Hole In The Sky", we get two more songs from the then-unreleased "Sabotage" LP- "Symptom Of The Universe" and "Megalomania." The former shows the huge debt owed to the Sabs by the legions of speed metal bands (especially Metallica) that would spring up in another few years, and the latter turning in one of Ozzy's greatest vocal performances. From here we return to Paris in 1970, and while the performances are absolutely scorching, there is a little left to be desired in sound quality. While the rest of the two discs are from soundboard recordings, this sounds like a low level bootleg recorded from the audience. Everything is still audible, but it could certainly be better. That said, "Iron Man" shows just how ahead of their time Black Sabbath was, in that is still by far heavier than anything coming out right now, and "Black Sabbath" comes off far gloomier and darker than it ever did in its studio version. the final three tracks, "N.I.B,""Behind The Wall of Sleep," and "Fairies Wear Boots" are all incendiary, but pale in comparison to the collection's higher moments. All in all, this is a loud, dirty, honest depiction of Black Sabbath and heavy metal at its finest. Included is a thick booklet of pictures and information on the band and the recordings, but there's nothing you can learn from reading about the band that you can't from listening, so what are you waiting for? Turn off your computer and buy this, now.

Too Cool For School, Too Dumb To Get A Job-Introductory Ramblings

2004-11-03T01:50:00.000-05:00

"Rock and Roll is here to stay, come inside where it's okay, and I'll shaaaaaaake you...."

Folks, its the greatest and most important invention the world has ever seen. I don't care about the wheel, sliced bread, the bomb, or the Styrofoam cooler, none of us would be where we are today if it weren't for rock and roll. Spawned from poverty, anger, cheap booze, and a desire for fine chicks, the US launched a preemptive strike with Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and Jerry Lee Lewis, and the British fired back with the Beatles, the Stones, the Kinks and the Who. Not to be outdone, America retaliated with a carefully calculated assault by the Beach Boys, the Sonics, the Ventures and the Byrds, while our rivals across the ocean reloaded and prepared to bombard us with Pink Floyd, the Small Faces, Cream, and a young man named Jimi Hendrix who had defected to the other side with promises of fame and fortune. The battle intensified with the recruitment of special force units Blue Cheer, the Stooges, the Velvet Underground, the MC5, and Creedence Clearwater Revival, while the cunning Brits were calling our bluff with the likes of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and a sloppier, sleazier, snottier Faces. We soon unleashed our secret weapons and began blitzing the world with the Ramones, the Dolls, Television, Richard Hell, and Blondie, while those smarty-pants lobsterbacks stole our blueprints and used our own weapons back on us with the Pistols, the Clash, the Damned and Generation X. Folks, its the greatest arms race in the history of civilization, and its impact has been miles larger than anything the Cold War could muster. And it still continues to this day.

But in 1979, it nearly came to a premature close.

In the 60's, labels widely knew one important fact- they didn't have a damn clue as to what was "cool" and what wasn't. Therefore they paid people, like Danny Fields-the man who gave us the Stooges, the MC5, the Ramones and much, much more-to be cool for them and find out what was good and what wasn't. Imagine that, being paid to be cool. Getting a weekly paycheck for sitting in an office and licking acid off your palms. If that's not rock and roll, then honey, I don't know what is. The results of this were there greatest period of innovation and exploration in popular music history. But, by the end of the 70's, major labels knew what would sell and what wouldn't. And as the Ramones told us so bluntly, "We need change and we need it fast, before rock's just part of the past, 'cause lately it all sounds the same to me". And sound the same it did. Sure, a lot of gems escaped out onto mainstream radio, but overall, everything was a watered down, prepackaged version of its former self. But luckily, just under the surface, plenty of kids were taking the Ramones' warning to heart. The advent of underground music in America and Europe in the early 80's produced a period of invention and originality not seen since the 1960's. Just as one new innovation would be bought out by mainstream society, another was simmering and ready to take its place. Within ten years, underground culture had given birth to hardcore, goth, industrial, indie, shoegazer, death metal, hip hop, grunge, noise, synth pop and a million other sub-genres. And so it continues to this very second, where the next huge revolution in rock and roll could be brewing in a basement on your block. It may look a little different, and it might be a little harder to find than it used to be, but as long as kids are angry, depressed, confused, and have a desire to fuck, rock and roll will never die.