BftRB Presents: Grind Shop Vol. 2 (Strangeland Mix)

Turning Myself Nto Energy - Axis (France)

Witch's Wand - Luv Machine (Barbados)

Sul Tuo Letto Di Morte - I Giganti (Italy)

Snuki - Omega (Hungary)

You've Got Freedom - Joel Dayde (France)

Vambo Marble Eye - The Sensational Alex Harvey Band (Scotland)

Liar - Kin Ping Meh (Germany)

Se Non E' Amore Cos'e' - Formula 3 (Italy)

Fluid - Twink (England)

*Note: Just like the Olympics but w/o drug testing!!!

Special thanks to M. (Vinyl Dog) Poletti for the hook-up.

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BftRB Presents: Grind Shop Vol. 2 (Strangeland Mix)


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Currently Watching...

White Lighning (1973)

"After Gator McKlusky is arrested for selling moonshine, the police agree to set him free if he will help them catch the main players in the local whiskey-running business. Gator agrees in order to get out of jail, and for revenge, because the ring leader of his competition is the man who killed his younger brother."

-TCM

Treasure

BftRB presents: Grind Shop Vol. 1 (Authority Mix)

Camel Back - A.B Skhy
Get It On - Chase
Snap Out - Interpertations
Let's Do It Again - Billy Sha Rae
One More Time Ya'll - New Sound Express Ltd.
No Count Entertainin' Man - Larry Nettles
Amen, Brother - Winstons
I Dig Girls - J.J. Jackson
You - Groovin' Strings & Things


























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Blues for the RedBoy presents: Grind Shop Vol. 1 (The Authority Mix)

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Blues for the RedBoy Presents: The Integrated-Ass Crowd Mix!

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. I’m late. But if I wasn’t late, I wouldn’t be me, then where would I be!? Don’t answer that. Instead, know that I’ve been hip deep in lawyers and real-estate agents as of late and just as the deal was about to crystallize on a 250 year old mansion in Spanktown, it fell through – as in’ Through the back corner of the foundation and into the basement where it put a ten foot crack in the cast-iron septic line. Oh well, nothin’ cures a case of the doldrums like some sexually suggestive funk & soul, so please excuse me while I whip this out…

You will find scant words in this mix, which is fine by me as I have my own problems to worry about without having to listen to people bitch about the trials of life decades removed. Take Concerto in F by the Willie and the Might Magnificent for example. No bullshit here, just a “Funky Beat” that’s “In My Soul” backed by a track so thick that one might break their face walking into it unknowingly. It’s also somewhat of a mystery track as this comp will eventually divulge, as it appears on various labels, by various bands, and w/ various names. Can’t say for sure who’s hand is in it, sufficed to say that it’s in elbow deep.



If I were hard pressed to pick a follow-up to ‘Willie’, I could do a lot worse than the Dapps, ‘Bringin’ Up the Guitar’ on King records. Perhaps best known for their King collaboration with Hank ‘The Twist’ Ballard, the Dapps prove that they can headline their own discs in spades and that sometimes it pays to feed a guitarists ego (Dangerous as that might be). Seriously though, all those minor melodies get major props from me.

I’ve got a soft spot for this third track. First, the Nike label calls to mind the Nike missile defense system, who’s abandon silos scattered about NJ I have had the distinct pleasure of being drunk in at one time or another. I might have even spray painted a pentagram or two (Who can say?). Second, ‘Boogaloo Tramp’ and it’s flip are evenly matched in that they are practically the same goddamned song w/ different lyrics (Not that Boogaloo Tramp really has lyrics). It’s like my grandma always says, “When in doubt, go w/ the Boogaloo.”



Since I already broke the dam w/ a King records release, I might as well buttress a James Brown reference w/ a cool cover of the Godfather’s ‘Hold It’ on the N-Joy label. I’ve been meanin to post this track by its lonesome for some time, but not unlike a plate of eggs o'er hash browns, the beauty is in mashin’ it up and thrown a handful o pepper on it.

Speakin of mash up, it just occurred to me that this next cut, ‘Sock It To Me pt 2’ is also a James Brown ovure. I’ve always liked the flip better than the requisite pt 1. My only gripe is the band’s name. I mean, the Deacons!? What a stupid name (wink).



I know this next track as ‘Turbo Rock’ by the Turbos on Turbo Records (Clever, huh?), so you can imagine my surprise when I heard it under the name ‘Backlash’, listed as being by one George Kerr and pressed on ‘All Platinum’, a label which is responsible for the dome-piece of this-here head case mix, Soulin’ w/ the Whatnauts!

If this track sounds a lot like the dub b-side of ‘Concerto in F’ by Willie & the Mighty Magnificents, that because it is! Released on the ‘Stang’ label ‘Soulin’, like ‘Turbo Rock’ seems to have followed several soul labels around as a canned b-side. Be it by the Mighty Magnificents or the Whatnauts, it’s perfect for sealin’ the deal on this here mix.

Until next time, remember: the honey is for the eater, the aloe is for the peter and the chicken-fat make it finger lickin’ good!

BftRB Presents: The Integrated-Ass Crowd Mix! (Brought to by Kentucky Colonel’s Douche Powder)

Blues for the Safety Boy, or...We Used to Be Ashamed (Imagine That)

Ain’t nobody rocks like a puppet. Perhaps it is the added incentive of a strangers hand up your ass which feeds the seemingly untapped amount of nervous energy which a puppet exudes. Add to that the stigma of being a ‘black’ puppet on a predominantly Caucasian street (i.e. Sesame) and you begin to see the allure that is Baby Ray Franklin.

Now, unlike Dr. Teeth & the Mayhem and the River bottom Nightmare Band, Baby Ray - little bro of Sesame Street regular Roosevelt Franklin - takes his beef to the street w/ a decidedly more bluesy improve, touching on such important urban mainstays as traffic safety; a cause close to my heart as I recall my complete bitch of an elementary school music teacher hammering away on a spinet (and my psyche) to the strains of the following tune. Feel free to sing along if you like…

"Play ball, play ball. Everyone loves to play ball.
sometimes you catch it and sometimes you miss
But when you miss, remember this:

Let the ball roll, let the ball roll
No matter where it may go
Let the ball roll, let the ball roll
It has to stop sometime you know
Often a truck will flatten a ball
And make it look like an egg
Although you can get many a ball
You never can get a new leg"

Hopefully you, the reader, have both your legs, cause you’d need to walk a mile in Baby’s shoes before you could even begin to dig the cultural implications of ‘Safety Blues’ flip , the ‘Skin I’m In’. Not since the ‘Rainbow Connection’ and ‘It’s not Easy being green' has a song so beautifully encapsulated the racial tensions extant in the Muppet world. From the saprophyte leanings of Big Bird to the urban blight of Oscar’s dwelling, only now, thirty some odd years after the fact, can the truth finally be told. Fight the power!

Safety Boy Blues - Roosevelt Franklin

Skin I'm In - Baby Ray Franklin

...And I Don't Work For Nobody But You.

Even though Halloween is Kaputsville (And Thanksgiving is apparently only a week off!?), that’s no reason that ole’ RB can’t drop a monster squarely on your head…

Is it Funk? Is it Psych? Is it soup yet? Who knows? A better question would be can you spin this 71’ offering from Trinidad’s fortunate sons and not bump & grind yer tail feathers into pillow stuffin? Seriously, this record is enormous!



From what I gather the proper British press on Polydor goes for pounds of, uh… pounds on the other side of the pond (Don’t even ask about the LP), hence why I went with a French picture sleeve, but don’t let it’s nationality fool you, this shit shows no sign of surrendering. You might as well just repurpose that white flag into a diaper, cause you are gonna shit yourself. Seriously, suck on this witches wand and you’ll dig my meanin’.

P.S. Thanks to Tommy Brimstone for turnin’ me on to this junk.

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Witches Wand – Luv Machine

Happy Children – Luv Machine

Curently Reading...

The House with a Clock in it's Walls:

"Lewis always dreamed of living in an old house full of secret passageways, hidden rooms, and big marble fireplaces. And suddenly, after the death of his parents, he finds himself in just such a mansion--his Uncle Jonathan's. When he discovers that his big friendly uncle is also a wizard, Lewis has a hard time keeping himself from jumping up and down in his seat. Unfortunately, what Lewis doesn't bank on is the fact that the previous owner of the mansion was also a wizard--but an evil one who has placed a tick-tocking clock somewhere in the bowels of the house, marking off the minutes until the end of the world. And when Lewis accidentally awakens the dead on Halloween night, the clock only ticks louder and faster. Doomsday draws near--unless Lewis can stop the clock!"

A Modern Way to Die, A Brand New Way to Cry

I'm sending this one out to Devildick as he's laid up on account of having his Fallopian tubes tied or somethin' (or maybe it was a sex change…). Regardless of what some mad scientist is doing to his junk, I figure I can aid in his speedy recovery by proffering two of DD's favorite things, fuzz and funk (not to mention raindrops and moonbeams and whiskers on kittens).

Incidentally, it really is amazing the lengths this man will go to just to get out of doing a little work…

Anyway, brought into being in the wilds of Milwaukee (Actually pronounced Mee-Lee-Wa-Kee, which I hear-tell from Alice Cooper is Algonquin for “The Good Land”) it's no wonder that 1972's ‘Modern Crucifixion’ was initially released on Brewtown records (Get it?). And while my humble copy boast of a 'Jewel' records parentage, it does not diminish this tune's desperate air and urgent feel. ‘Crucifixion’ comes out of the gate snortin’ (replete with copious cowbell), settling into a nice even-keeled urban crawl before dropping the street knowledge on your ass in the form of a fuzzed out reprise. Like any Soul Sister worth her sizzle-pants, this little lady’s good side is her back side, a little bit of ‘Loose Boodie’ rounding out this offering. Don’t believe me? Grab yourself a handful and find out.

Remember DevilDick, you gotta crawl before you can walk, and you gotta strut before you can take off runnin’.

Modern Crucifixion – Vic Pitts Cheaters (Featuring Omar Dupree)

Loose Boodie – Vic Pitts Cheaters (Featuring Omar Dupree)

"Squirt gunfights in the dark, shrieks from the kitchen"

“Possessed people, reaching a once-distant goal, almost close enough now to touch. Squirt gunfights in the dark, shrieks from the kitchen, Brookey-poo down the hall. Nights in hotels, endless bars, a year and a half getting tight; now the precious moments on stage, when all is right and their music is real and we all become sound an electricity for a too-soon ended instant. The road home is dark and lonely. Few make it.”

– Robert Rouse (From the liner Notes of 'Country Funk')

Lets get this outta the way right off the bat. The record is neither country, nor funk. It ain't even Funktry, which is strange concidering I just made the word up (Surfabilly anyone?). Rural-Psych is another classification which I've heard bandied about, but that makes even less sense. What it is, consequently, is a heavy hybrid. Accustic and fuzz-ladden in the same breath. This 1970 release is both the debut and swansong these LA vagabonds . Overly sentimental, but w/ a little crack of doom, it certainly is a strange cross-polinization in the Moby-Grape kinda vein. Apparently Beck sampled this LP on the Odelay album. Confirm, or deny!?

"Oftentimes when a new group comes out, people pay attention to the wrong things. A group's music is frequently ignored and too much importance is placed on irrelevancies. The color of Country Funk's collective eyes or if they dig pizza and ice cream really don't matter. What matters is that they are into music and music has brought them together.

In the spring of '68 the group, consisting of Hal Paris, Adam Taylor, Joe Pfeifer and Jeff Lockwood, headed for the West Coast to cut an album and take it from there. This was a reunion for Hal and Adam, because they had been together in a group back in the eighth grade and at different times later in their careers. After some rehearsing they auditioned at Kaleidoscope. Amps blew, tempers flew, there was trouble with the p.a. and the audition flopped. Some weeks later they did a stint of five weeks at Gazzari's on the Strip in the summer of '68.

Autumn came and the group broke up; Hal and Adam stayed in Hollywood, trying to get a new thing going. A formidable song-writing team, the nucleus of COUNTRY FUNK, was formed. They found James Lanham through an ad in Wallach's Music City and began rehearsing with Joe Pfeifer. A week before their first gig Joe split and Verne Johnson, whom they met through the Union, took over the drums. They came to Vermont in the winter of '68 to play the ski clubs. When they left, Verne had split and Joe was back. Then it was off to Amherst to play the Woodrose Ballroom. This started the group giving concerts and led to Cambridge for the summer of '69, where they soon became part of the Boston scene. Ray Paret of Amphion Productions put them on the road back to L.A. and the Record Plant to produce their debut album on Polydor. While it was being cut, Joe split again and Verne, who was floating, came back to the Funk, bringing all the original members together once more.

With the release of their first album, COUNTRY FUNK stood the way it started: with Adam Taylor playing lead guitar, Hal Paris on piano and rhythm guitar, Jim Lanham playing bass and steel guitar, and Verne Johnson playing drums and jews harp. They are together and from here, let their music speak for them."

- original press release, 1970

When I'm Without You - Country Funk

Poor Boy - Country Funk

Apart of Me - Country Funk

Good to the Bone!

My no-good ex-patriot brother has been goin' on about this tune for some time now. I'm beginning to see what the fuss is about. Not only do you have a filthy-delphia motha-funker singing the praises of fried chicken (A vocation worth following if ever there was such a thing), but this fair fowl is so "kickin" that it sets our cake-walk prince here to moan - Truly the benchmark of any religious chicken-eating experience.

Besides a certain Philly pedagree, I know very little about this clucker, save for a name change (Radars) and a later repress on 'Yew' records (Mutton!? Ewww!). Comped a gazillion times I'm sure, rub this fucker in some flour and drop it in the pan! You won't be sorry, but you might be hungry (Nom, nom nom).

Finger Licking Chicken - Radors, or Radars, or whatever

Note: A little stone-soul birdie tells me that the great Mel Brown has gone up to that big coop in the sky. Click here to honor the man and his chicken-chompin' memory.

Just In Case You Forgot the True Meaning of Christmas...

Riverbottom Nightmare Band!!!

Consistency: The Hobgoblin of a Small Mind?

Well…it was inevitable. Punk had to die sometime. There is no way you can sustain that amount of nihilism without one day questioning your prospects (Dope or Law school?). Like any transition, it was always gonna get worse before it got better: what was once loosely focused anger turning into arty, non-linear existentialism before hatching New-Wave like a neon marshmallow peep. The hippies did it before, but where they so fully turned their back on their granola-eating tenants and embraced capitalism, your average retired punk still, despite the best efforts of upper-management, retains that irreverent shine that makes the movement so appealing after so many years - either that or they join/start a rockabilly band.

So if you, dear reader, like me, bemoan the compromising of principals which are now a luxury one can’t rightly afford, then dig this little road map of a post-punk landscape circa 79-87. You can still not shower if you like. Just make sure you show up to work on time.



The Mad - Sick!

Long before it became quaint to have an unintelligible Asian guy fronting your combo, NYC's Screamin' Mad George was out and about, rollin around on the floor in leathers and making incorrect use of the article "a", as in "I've got a syphilis". While not as good as 'I Hate Music', I don't own that one ($700 bucks my white ass!) so...


Wild Kingdom - The Way to Love

Great demo-tape track plucked from obscurity by the folks @ Boston's Throbbing Lobster Records for inclusion in their legendary series of comps. Why this track never became bigger than clam-chowder and baked beans, I'll never know, but it certainly is tastier, and less apt to give you botulism.



Rhino 39 - Marry It

This is the So-Cal band that got punk legends TSOL into the game, and if that don't get your attention...









The Pop Group - Thief of Fire

Circa 79' Dub-Punk (?!?!) straight outta Bristol. Best known for their collaboration w/ the Slits, this 'Group' is so arty they crap Picassos. That's OK though, cause unlike most cerebral acts, they are rather innovative and not in a "Look at me, I have a cello!" kinda way.





The Waitresses - The Comb

Since Christmas is now upon us like a pall of doom you might as well just become resigned to the fact that you are gonna hear that fuckin' Waitresses Christmas song transmitted in the fillings of you teeth from now till the end of advent. It might, however, help you to know that before they knew what boys liked , they were too busy shakin' their asses to give a shit.



The Birthday Party - Kiss Me Black

Everyone has been singing the praises of the new Nick Cave album for months, but I really don't dig it. It seems to me that he dumbed down all his lyrics over the course of the last several years to make them more accessible, but hey, I have a thesaurus and a King James bible. I can hang. Here we find Nick @ his least verbose, though I think it might be a dope thing, and less an ironic departure from preconceived tenants of genre. Still, it works.

Editor's note: Apparently Ed Roth, having designed the cover for 'Junkyard', was appalled at how the album's lyrics offended his Christian sensibilities. 'I stuck a six-inch gold blade in the head of a girl' indeed.


Guided Missles - I Used to be a Rock & Roller

A pseudo New-Wavy band from my neck o' the land (New Brunswick NJ), this track is kinda corny, but the sentiment seems extremely poignant when you consider the over-all death of the bar scene (R.I.P Melody Bar / Roxy), and the inevitable move towards more "grown-up" endeavors (again, dope or Law School?).

Editor's Note: Sorry. Didn't feel like taking a picture of the cover (I'm lazy). You didn't miss much.


The Shirts - Lonely Android

The Shirts are one of those CB's bands that just never made the cut. I guess they were too progressive for the Dead-boys crowd and had too many guitars where 'Television' was concerned.

Concerning CB's: Now that its gone, there is this weird mystique about it, but if you've ever hung your head-piece there, then you know that the booze is lousy, there is that one mutant step near the shitter which you always tripped over, and if there ever were a fire, you would surely be trampled by people trying to force there way though the chained-up fire exit before you even had a chance to burn to death.

Somehow I doubt that the re-dux they are planning in Vegas will embrace those quaint little touches.


The New Math - Borrowed Time (???)

I think that's the name of the song anyways. It's the last tune on Side: A of the 'Gardens' EP but there is no track listing, so I am gonna use the age old method of picking out the most oft used refrain and go with it. Perhaps best known for as the architects of 'Love under Will' offa the ROTLD soundtrack (Credited as the 'Jet Black Berries'), this band is a great example of the pop sensibilities that finally brought punk to its inevitable end.


Click Link Below for Download


Blues for the RedBoy Presents: The Class of 87 Mix

9.9 on the Richter Scale

A mystery even more perplexing then “Who Built the Pyramids?” would be “Who are Pyramid?”, cause I gotta be honest, I got nothin’ on this stone-soul mover. One thing is for sure, I’m willing to bet that these Pyramids are not of the ‘Penetration’ variety.

Always a sucker for a pt 1 / pt 2, the flip is admittedly the better of the offerings, what with its Latin drive-train and sharp fuzz solo. If the brash brass is any indication, figure on it being an early seventies cut.

Oh, and if you happen to hear a wobble at the beginning or this track, let me assure you that the disk isn’t warped, that’s just the earth movin’ under your feet.

“Feel it rumble! Feel it roar!”

Earthquake Shake pt 2 - Pyramid

Jimmy Lomax

Ok, I got nothin' on this 1971 soul two fer. The A-side is the money maker with its fine, uptempo self, where as the flip is a transistor-organ driven moody little cuss. Short of that...the trail done gone cold.

I'm Gonna Love You - Jimmy Lomax

Remember Me - Jimmy Lomax

Mashmakhan!!!

@ the tail end of a merciless weekend record bender comes this firebrand...

Like the succinctly named Boffalongo, the mouthful of Canadian mush known as Mashmakhan certainly doesn't paint itself into any corners. From buzzy psych to baroque poofery, influences abound in the 1970 debut of these enigmatic million-sellers.

Pierre Senecal, Brian Edwards, and Rayburn Blake formed their first band in 1960 as teens and played local Montreal dance halls and perform on the local scene under the band names like the Phantoms, Ray Blake's Combo, and the Dominoes. In 1965 they were still playing together but with the addition of another Montrealer, Gerry Mercer, who stepped in to replace Edwards (who left the band for a short while). When Edwards returned to the band, Mercer stayed on to make it a quartet, and by now they were calling themselves the Triangle and backing up Montreal R&B singer Trevor Payne. They continued in this vein until 1969, when producer Bob Hahn recognized their talent and took them to Toronto, then the music capitol of Canada, and helped them get signed with Columbia Records. The name of the band was changed to Mashmakhan, after a type of drug being peddled by a local dealer, to become more hip with the young people, and the journey began. Pierre Senecal's "As Years Go By" was released as a single in an edited form, and became the group's first hit. The single sold 100,000 copies in Canada, 500,000 copies in the U.S., and over 1,000,000 copies in Japan, which led to a Beatlemania-like tour for the band in the latter country; it received much publicity and made Mashmakhan an international success story. The band followed the hit with two singles, "Gladwyn" and "Days When We Are Free." In 1970 Mashmakhan released its debut self-titled album, containing the three singles in alternate form, to international critical acclaim. Mashmakhan was one of two contributors to the musical score of the 1971 NFB film Epilogue/Fieve and recorded the song "Couldn't Find the Sun" for the movie. Then, for some unknown reason, the bottom fell out. Mashmakhan's second album, The Family, was released in 1971, and bombed; fan support was lost, and despite a couple of good singles, they did not have the right formula to make it back to the top. Although the album did sell well in Japan, the band split up shortly thereafter. ~ Keith Pettipas

For space reason (Compounded by abject laziness) I have cherry-picked some of the heavier tracks off the LP, but with its thick key work and expressive guitar leads, the entire record richly deserves your patronage. Do yourself a favor and grab a copy before it suffers a similar fate as the Gospel According to Zeus - i.e. Gets gobbled up as prime break beat real-estate.

Warning: Don't let the fluffy quality of the tracks fool you. You're about to get punched in the kidneys.

Days When We Are Free - Mashmakhan

Afraid of Losing You - Mashmakhan

Any Friend of Lucifer's is a Friend, Etc, Etc...

Grabbed this off the wall at a local record saloon on the strength of their first LP (self titled 1970). While just as heavy as it's predecessor, 1975's 'Blues' has a decidedly more prog vibe going on, especially an overindulgence of piano (Think Vladimir Horowitz) and strings (a seduction plaguing many a sophomore offering). While certainly a turn-off for most (myself included), 'Friend' uses such production to good effect, especially when coupled w/ an arsenal of minor discordant changes and the occasional falsetto vocal (a good five years before fashion dictated it, I might add)

"German group Lucifer’s Friend has its roots in one German and one English band. Peter Hecht (keyboards), Dieter Horns (bass and backing vocals), Peter Hesslein (guitar and backing vocals) and Joachim Reitenbach (drums) played until early 1970 together in a band called "German Bonds". In November 1970, the four of them started recording, it was after the recording of the backing tracks that John Lawton came in. He played with his own group "Stonewall" in the Top Ten Club in Hamburg. He recorded the lead vocals and in January 1971 they released their first album. John had previously released an album in 1970 on the German Decca label called Asterix with the members of German Bonds. It is also a fact that the members of "Lucifer’s Friend" recorded two other albums under the name of "Pink Mice" on the German budget label Europa. The band played classical themes on these albums in the style of the Dutch band "Ekseption". John Lawton was on these albums but was limited to backing vocals. It is also common knowledge that Hesslein and Hecht also worked for years with "The James Last Orchestra" and that John Lawton sang with "The Les Humphries Singers" when he was not recording with Lucifer’s Friend."

Here are two distinct offerings (one decidedly more theatrical than its Heavy counterpoint) from the hatchery that would one day loose 'Uriah Heep' on the head-cans of unsuspecting burn-outs.

Disclaimer: Those of you expecting to hear Glen Danzig on the enclosed track 'Mother' will be thoroughly disappointed, if not pleasantly surprised, but if you still need your fix, by all means...

Mother - Lucifer's Friend

Hobo - Lucifer's Friend

Ain't Much More Soul to Get Round' To

Let me start by stating the obvious, this cover is terrible. Seriously. Short of that, this post might seem somewhat uncharacteristic of one who splatter dashes his works w/ the brains of base and tuneless troubadours - but there is a lot to be said for meticulous musicianship, that, and sentimentality. And so I am a RedBoy for all seasons (Shhh. Don't tell a soul).

Much like Pete Best, I can't imagine being famous for little more than the sum of missed opportunities (Fuck the Beatles anywhoo). Terry Reid, having famously turned down Led Zeppelin’s overture to pursue his own solo career, tends to fall in the same general category, though unlike Mr. Best, who assuaged his 'Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda' by signing autographs at boat shows for 20 beans a flourish, Terry Reid actually made records - pretty fuckin' good records (Take that Mr. Robert "I wrote 'When the Levy Breaks" Plant).

1977's 'Seed of Memory' is a much more subdued affair than previous outings (Bang, Bang You're Terry Reid (1968), Terry Reid (1969), River (1973) and there is a decidedly modern (for it's time) country feel to an already AM friendly assortment of acoustic-based material. And while the title track, 'Seed of Memory' has made the rounds pretty mightily, receiving a much deserved shot in the arm by way of it's inclusion in the 'Devil's Rejects' soundtrack (Apparently 'Free Bird' didn't conjure enough pathos), I think my favorite cut would have to be 'Brave Awakening'.

It brings to mind Merle Travis' 'Dark as A Dungeon' - fashioned from the bones of some lazy Sunday, a vein of regret running just underneath.

It may not be 'Cashmere', but I never did have any use for such fine things.

Brave Awakening - Terry Reid

Note: I hope you Laddies appreciate this post, as I have inadvertently scratched the holy living shit outta this LP while burning it. Oh well. What's a little sacrifice among friends?

"Evil Grows in Cracks and Holes"

It often pays to give more than a casual listen to what other people are spinning these days. Case in point, my drummer Tommy managed to turn me on to this tune by the Poppy Family (as well as British psych darling 'Jason Crest') while taking a breather during band practice. I was immediately struck by the tunes malevolence, a seemingly innocent nihilism carefully hidden behind an AM radio vibe. Recorded in Canada by Susan & Terry Jacks (the latter of 'Seasons in the Sun' fame) for inclusion on 1971's 'Poppy Seeds' album , 'Where Evil Grows' demonstrates the lighter approach favored by our northern cousins, namely, "Walk softly and carry a big Sitar".


Dig this live (Dubbed) clip from the Kenny Rogers variety show 'Rollin on the River'(Sorry. No Embed)

Where Evil Grows - Poppy Family

"Hey Kowalsi, you out there?"

In the words of 'Super Soul':

"And there goes the Challenger, being chased by the blue blue meanies on wheels. The vicious traffic squad cars are after our lone driver, the last American hero, the electric sitar, the demigod, the super driver of the golden west. Two nasty Nazi cars are close behind the beautiful lone driver. The police numbers are gettin ' closer, closer, closer to our soul hero in his soul mobile, yeah baby. They're about to strike, they're gonna get him, smash him, rape the last beautiful free soul on this planet. But, it is written, if the evil spirit arms the tiger with claws, Brahman provideth wings for the dove. Thus spake, the super guru."

Some might argue that existentialism has no place in a road movie, but any "Chase" celluloid worth it's salt, whether it be 'Two Lane Blacktop' or 'Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry', is really more about the concept of limitless possibilities and the freedom of the decade, then it is about torque ratio and power sliding. Take the sublime and criminally under appreciated 'Vanishing Point' for example. You got methamphetamine abuse, a desert journey of self discovery, a seemingly telepathic link with a blind, black soul DJ, a naked chick on a Honda 'sickle'. Hell, Barry Newman even manages to get high and bang the Grim Reaper before threading his 70' Challenger through the eye of the needle.



As one might imagine, a tale of such gravity requires a proper soundtrack, and though the burden is more than shouldered by the inclusion of such bands and pickers as 'Mountain' and the fabulous 'Big Momma Thornton', the highlight for me is the instro work of the ambiguously credited 'J.B. Pickers' Aka. hayseed legend Jimmy Bowen.

"{Jimmy}Bowen began as a teenage recording star in 1957 with "I'm Stickin' With You," originally the flip side of the hit record "Party Doll" by Buddy Knox, but ultimately a Top 20 recording on its own. Bowen was a less successful singer than Knox, his partner in the Rhythm Orchids, and ultimately he abandoned a singing career, but stayed in the music industry.In the early 1960s, in Los Angeles, California, he bucked the 1960s rock phenomenon when Frank Sinatra hired him as a record producer for Reprise Records, and Bowen showed a strong knack for production, getting chart hits for Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr., all regarded as too old-fashioned for the Sixties market."

Released on the 'Bell / Amos' label in 1971, here is a little taste of the 'Vanishing Point' soundtrack.

Freedom of Expression - J.B. Pickers