Galaxie 500 -- This Is Our Music

  Named after the bitchin' 60's Ford car the Galaxie 500.  These guys have a lush, cool 60's drone mixed with futurist lulls of Joy Division and Surfy Psychedelia.  What a timeless sound they had discovered, this music could have been release between now and their initial inception, and it would never seem dated.  Unfortunately this was to be their last effort ...

The Brian Jonestown Massacre -- Take It From The Man!

  Yes Yes 60's infused Galaxie 500/ Spacemen 3 mixed with jammy 1970's Americana arrogance.  These guys remind me of the interviews with The Band in the Last Waltz, totally useless human beings, but brilliant musicians, all their excesses damage while it inspires.  The inlay explains their mission statement about pure Rock 'n' Roll music, no millions of takes, no guff, just the beauty of music the way it intended itself to come out!

Cosmic Psychos -- 15 Years, a Million Beers

  Sonic explosion, Psychedelic Punk outfit the Cosmic Psychos!  These hard-ass Aussies blend the Punk side of Mortorhead with a Yardbirds Rave up.  This double LP, 15 Years, a Million Beers, works like a Best of, Rarities, B-sides all wrapped up in one package.  Their Sludgy sound eventually found its way into America influencing the whole 90's Seattle scene, although these guys aren't delicate babies out to make some art ... no ...no ... they are tough musicians out to make some noise and show the babies how it's really done!

Andy Warhol's Velvet Underground Featuring Nico

  The original heroin chic band.  This is a double album collection featuring all the best songs from their first three albums.  Warhol and the Velvets changed the meaning of Pop culture forever and there are no take backs.

Anthology of American Folk Music

  Folk, as in for the people and by the people, and not from the 50's or 60's.  This anthology all stems from the late 20's and early 30's.  There are three volumes and six records, all released in 1952.  As far as the music goes there is a large cross-stream of styles, genres and sub-genres, which I am not going to get into, better just leave it as Folk.

  The grapevine says, and you can hear, were all the famous folkies, you know which ones, have drawn inspiration from this Anthology.  Every single Old Timey tune is taken from eccentric weirdo Harry Smith's personal 78 collection, making it the highest profile bootleg put out, there was no way to get the rights for all this stuff ... just imagine going all over the country side, not only to find the records, but to find the people or someone related to buy the rights to a song that was randomly recorded ... plus it came with a very interesting zine style notes booklet, which was purchased separately for a dollar in 1952, and downloaded for free in 2012, giving you all kinds of information on each and every song. 

  The set is cut into three volumes: Ballads, Social Music and Songs.  Volumes one and three sound very much alike, but have two very different lyrical themes.  The Ballads are either versions of old European Folk songs, meaning Demons, Devils, Folklore, or are about some kinda historical narrative, meaning there could be a song about why the shoe factory closed, or a song about a drought.  Social Music, Volume two, my least favorite, is the music you'd hear at any kind of gathering, from the music at a drunken barn dance to what you'd hear in a gospel church.  I doubt Smith chose these songs whether they were good or not, but chose the music that would best serve as example to what the real experience would have sounded like.  The third volume, Songs, are about everyday personal life from marriage to prisons.

  Rock music would have been totally different if Smith didn't go on his historical crusade, imagine what music might be like without Bob Dylan?  I think there might have been a sound progression similar to what we have had now ... maybe ... but lyrically I think we'd be stuck with dumbass glamourized funtime bullsh*t, which isn't the real world.  These volumes are a look into music in it's purest form, there was no hope of fame, the idea of a hit single hadn't even been invented yet, these people were making music because they had to, like an artist just has to paint.  Some of this music is hard to listen to, but imagine how hard it was to live it ....

Six Finger Satellite -- Paranormalized

  Loud, crazy and totally awesome, Paranormalized is a mix of Joy Division colliding forces with The Mummies, a sorta apocalyptic Electro Garage Wave?  Maybe?  80's style Keyboard Classic, Coke And Mirrors, could and should have been some kinda major hit, I'm sure it'll pop up in some hipster movie soundtrack, or eventually find it's fame in a Volkswagen commercial, dammit maybe I just gave those suits the idea, just remember I said it first!

The Coasters -- Young Blood

  There are a couple of 1968 stinkers on this double LP anthology set, otherwise the rest is killer music and a true testament to Rock 'n' Roll.  The Coasters get bunched in the whole Doo Wop thing because they're a vocal group, but I think their sound is more drenched in Rhythm and Blues.  Almost every tune is penned and produced by the illustrious team of Leiber and Stroller, which at the time if those guys have got your back you've got some sure fire hits and major talent!  Who's that in the back playing that wicked Yakety Sax, but the man himself -- King Curtis!

Joy Division -- Unknown Pleasures

  One of the most dark, dismal and brilliant records ever made ... Eno meets Punk Rock!  Joy Division's short career produced some of the most game changing music.  There's a Kafkaesque bleak futuristic sound to their music, like a band from dystopia ... unfortunately Ian Curtis practiced what he preached, but fortunately their producer extraordinaire Martin Hannett, was able to capture the group at their best, whether they liked it or not!

U-Brown -- Weather Baloon

 Dub Reggae, early Rapper, known in Jamaica as a Toaster, Classic U-Brown.  The back cover tells me that U Brown replaced U Roy during a stint with illness, he became such a good DJ/ Toaster, he started his own thing.  As far as Dub Reggae goes this album doesn't even touch anything by the likes of King Tubby or Lee Perry, it has it moments but I can't say I was crazy about it ... just too damn long, with the same thing over and over, U Brown blabbering in nonsensical rants, which at some points I wasn't even sure if he was even saying words or just blabbering sounds that he might have thought were cool -- who knows?  Point is this record was OK,  but a 45 would have been enough ...

Circle Jerks -- Group Sex

  Classic 1980's Punk record, and probably the shortest, just over 15 minutes, but those minutes are jam packed with the best Hardcore there is ...  it's perfect!  The lyrics feel like social critique themed Punk haiku's.  I definitely prefer Morris's Circle Jerks material over his stint in Black Flag, which was very good, but he sounded more like Johnny Rotten ... here he really finds himself and unleashes the Hardcore masterpiece he was always meant to make!

Willie Nelson -- Red Headed Stranger

  Me neither, I can't believe I'm reviewing a Willie Nelson record, but I've heard about this album around the camp fire a so many times -- I couldn't resist it.  Willie is playing back to the basics American country Folk music, which at the time was unheard of for a commercial artist, who was just given complete freedom by the industry.  The record is a concept album, about a Red Headed Stranger, aka, the preacher who catches his wife in an infidelity, kills her and new lover out of blind rage, he flees and becomes an outlaw ... eventually our anti-hero is an old man with a new life, wife and grandchild, picnicking in the sun.

Iron & Wine -- Our Endless Numbered Days

  The songs on this album are great as individuals, but as a whole record, it's hard to digest so many bummer tunes without a Pop song evening things out, whatever, who cares, it's his album, he decides.  Iron and Wine's sound is obviously taken from all eras of Folk music, new and old, especially Elliott Smith's vocal sound, although Beam's are way more over-dubbed, to the point that I can't understand one word he is saying -- no matter, it's great!  Point is it may be tough to find a time and a place to play this record, but when you do, it's nice to sink into it's pretty music.

Belle and Sebastian -- The Boy With The Arab Strap

  Kinda Folksy Indie Pop group Belle And Sebastian's third release.  Their first three albums all stem in the same vein, Pop-y Drake, Bowie folk style with 60's kitch and Smithsy lyrics and packaging ... if you know what I mean.  I remember early on in their career there was this mystery about the band, this side of the Atlantic, no one really knew what they looked like, you never read an interview, or ever heard of a concert ... who were these people making such beautiful music with Charlie Brown cuteness ... I don't know if they did this on purpose as a great marketing strategy or if we were just a bunch of nerds cut out from the world, but it created such hype and mystique about the band, that they could have done anything and it would have been cool.  Their timeless sound will only grow as the years pass and I'm sure their music will become legendary!

Clyde Mcphatter -- Ta Ta!

  I was expecting more from one of the original Drifters, but sadly this record wasn't very good.  I thought the album was going to be a full blown Doo Wop extravaganza.  What I got were heavily orchestrated Disney sounding ballads.  Even though there were some attempts at Rock 'n' Roll numbers, it felt phony and forced, the recording was way to polished for this kinda material.  Mcphatter himself drowned away in resentment and alcoholism claiming, "I have no fans" ... nonetheless he had a great career in the 50's, maybe this 1960 release just marked the end.

Footnote: I got a Dee Clark album, as well, buy one get one free Value Village type deal.  The record came out the same year, sounded exactly like Ta Ta!, and had the same problem! Weird!

Elliott Smith -- S/T

  Elliott Smith is our modern day Nick Drake.  Smith suffered from numerous problems which came across in his music.  His tastemaker sound is taken from lush cool 60's/ 70's Folk, but I feel it's primarily in the vein of early Sebadoh mixed with Cat Stevens's Trouble, which he did end up covering.  People seem to have a hard time getting into Smith since he's so depressing, but if music's purpose is to evoke emotion, this album is a chalk full of that.  I do understand that this record might be a hard sell at a swinging party, but otherwise it's totally brilliant.  Hit track Needle In The Hay is in my mind one of the most traumatizing songs I've ever heard, which was sent into the stratosphere when it was featured in the suicide scene in The Royal Tendenbaums ... was it the pictures on the screen that made the scene so sad or the song??  the New Weird American Folk Pop groups owe a huge debt to Elliott Smith who paved their way.  Like many great artists, Smith's death is shrouded in mystique ... was it homicide, was it suicide, the details don't add up ... one thing it was for sure ... a total loss to music!

The Drifters -- Golden Hits

  One of the major greats of the Doo Wop generation.  There were countless incantations of the band, many not even included in this collection ... so I won't get into it.  I tried to follow all the line-up changes, but the constant jumble of names, deaths and dramas made it very confusing.  One thing that isn't confusing is that each and every tune on this album is great, beautifully arranged and wonderfully sung, you'll know em' all!  I hope!

The Amboy Dukes -- Journey To The Center Of The Mind

  Total Psyched-out madness sophmore release by The Amboy Dukes is a mix of flaky hippy bullsh*t and good Psychedelic Pop songs.  Side one was a total write off, filled with sh*tty Ted "Cat Scratch Fever" Nugent bonehead composed guitar show-boat nightmares.  With the only exception, opening track, Mississippi Murderer which at first just sounds like typical 60's Heavy Blues, but after a few listens I found it has a pre-Richard Hell quality to it.

  The conceptual flipside is lyrically hard to decipher exactly what it is suppose to be about.  Word is it's about drugs, or maybe death, some say it's about the levels of a conscious experience, but honestly to me, especially with song titles like Why Is A Carrot More Orange Than an Orange, I don't think it's really about much of anything ... other than being really really stoned!  The B side is written by the other guitarist and visionary in the band, Steve Farmer, who does more of a Pop oriented Psychedelic treatment to the music.

  All in all the title track and the opening number are the best of the bunch, written by both Nugent and Farmer, it would have made a killer 45, but as a whole album I'm not too enthusiastic, nonetheless it's an interesting effort.  What makes me laugh the most is Nugent's total denial of any drug use or knowledge of use during this period ... are you kidding me, the cover has hash pipes all over it, goddamn gun-toting Republican lying sh*thead, what's he trying to get us think, he really loves Tobacco??  Bull!!!

Gino Washington & The Ram Jam Band -- Hand Clappin' Foot Stompin' Funky-Butt ... Live!

  Gino was stationed in England when he met The Ram Jam Band in various nightclubs, eventually they needed a new front man ... and guess what ... once Gino was discharged ... he was it!  This is one far out mish-mashed Soul record.  All the songs are covers and are so intertwined together, like a medley, you can't tell them apart.  It reminded me of James Brown's Pure Dynamite live album, a wild constant Soul explosion.  Although I doubt Gino was as polished of an entertainer as James, but there is no way you could tell by hearing the crowd in the background, they were loving it, he was in total control of their madness, encouraging them to explore their primal urges and scream to the music!

The First Authentic 1950's Rock 'n' Roll Collection

  This bizzaro comp is all about the Doo Wop, there are a couple staple Rock 'n' Roll tunes, but otherwise it's the best Doo Wop comprehensive I've ever seen!  I bought this sucker on E-bay, for what I thought was a nice price ... then as we were listening to it, my girlfriend decides to do some research, because I failed to find anything and her google skills are way better than mine ... anyway we found out that my three record set is suppose to be a four record set, now I did try to rationalize, because each side has ten songs and the missing fourth record has only six songs each side, maybe it was a first press?  But noooooo, that wasn't the case at all, the tracks are all displayed right there on the cover, you can clearly see there are twelve songs missing.  Those limey bastards charged me full pop for an incomplete box set.  I have just e-mailed the seller informing them of what they sold me, with my proof that there is one entire record missing, and now as I write this blog I pathetically stare at my inbox tab waiting for a one to appear hoping they rectify this annoying situation ... otherwise this box set kills!  I love it!

UPDATE!!!!:  I take back the limey bastards comment, other than the fact that it sounds cool!  They gave me 15 bux off my next purchase, and I get to keep it!  Everybody wins!  Anyone got record 4??  I'll give you 15 dollars!!

Ray Charles -- Take 10 with ...

  A collection of Ray Charles numbers before his Rock 'n' Roll days.  These tunes are drenched in the swingy Jazz/ Blues sound of the late 40's, Nat King Cole style.  The last couple tracks are interesting Sax led instrumentals that has a sound of what is to come, otherwise nothing too too interesting here, but good tunes nonetheless!

Marvin Gaye -- Anthology

  The crowned Prince of Soul, Marvin Gaye.  This Anthology spans a decade of his music.  Gaye's Motown career started after the dissolution of the New Moonglows.  He started out as the janitor and session drummer for the label.  Eventually he worked up the ranks to become a recording artist.  As part of the Motown Hit machine Marvin recorded many big numbers that would go on to be covered by some of music's biggest acts.  By 1970 his singing partner, Tammi Terrell, died of a brain tumor, resulting in Marvin's spiralled descent into depression, he vowed to stay away from the music business, even going as far as trying out for the Detroit Lions.  Just when it looked like it was over, Motown label-mates, the Four Tops, approached Gaye with a new song they needed his help on, called What's Going On.  Inspired by letters from his brother, about being in the Vietnam war, the Four Tops project was starting to look more like a new Marvin Gaye album, about war, poverty and social change, which was to become his greatest artistic achievement.

  Now the Anthology itself, this is a back to back Motown masterpiece, there isn't a hint, or even a flutter of bad music on this three record set.  My only real complaint is the last side, side six, it features four What's Going On numbers and two Trouble Man tunes, which is a soundtrack for a blaxsploitation movie.  What makes the side so uneven is that the songs from What's Going On, which is a concept album using song cycles that weaves all the numbers together making it a whole instead of separate entities, they break the cycle apart and play songs that are taken out of their context.

  Marvin Gaye went on to record for another decade making some hits and some duds.  His personal strife against his father never left him, giving the artist anxiety and bouts of stage fright, no matter how much he tried to escape, his father was always there to break him down.  In Marvin's last moments he was shot, point blank, by his father and deemed dead on arrival once the ambulance reached the hospital.  It was later discovered that Gaye's father was suffering from a brain tumor, that was clouding his perception of reality and judgement.  Marvin was one of the greatest artists of all-time, he grew up hard, crawling his way to the top with brilliance, charisma and charm!