If Lindsay had a "relatively" quiet week, it's been a "relative" madhouse over here. I've been way too busy fighting off worms, bugs 'n (trojan) horses. Close call, but so far it seems I've won without any major damage and kept the darn critters at bay, phew!.
"So what else is up?" you axe. Well, time permitting I've been groovin' to a batch of new 45s from Ace Records, top notch Rockabilly classics by the likes of Charlie Feathers, Pat Cupp and Junior Thompson. Familiar stuff, but they all swing mighty fine in this format. Equally grand are the first two 45s in Norton's new Rolling Stones tribute series, with the
Reigning Sound and the Wildebeests bein' my faves so far. Angel Corpus Christi's latest CD 'Divine Healer' took some time to sink in, but as of late it has began to take up more 'n more spins on HQ's hi-fi. Not all tunes are top shelve material, but the good ones (including a great take on Motley Crue's 'Home Sweet Home') are A-OK. In a similar vein comes Holly Go-Lightly's latest disc 'Truly She Is None Other' that'll hopefuly see her goin', well deserved, places. All round winner of the last couple o' weeks tho' has been the Funk Soul Sisters comp on BGP. Title really sez it all, amazing stuff from start to finish.
That's about it listenin' wise. As usual these days I missed out on various live shows (For whatever reason, I can hardly be bothered anymore), and several people tell me I should've gone and see the Marked Men, but alas, it was not to be. But hey, I've got tickets for the London Radio Birdman show and I am lookin' forward to that !.
So there you have it, more soon (if the bugs leave me alone that is!).

It's been a relatively quiet week with our stint as R&R B&B and avant Scottish Tourist Board on something of a hiatus.
Some time to draw breath amidst dealing with the harsh realities of the dayjob and my rabble rousing. During this time I sorted wir tickets for the London Radio Birdman show so an excursion is in the offing for that. Kinda quiet on the music front except for discovering Chantal Goya. Neil Cleary is in the UK next week to launch his "Numbers Add Up" album on Spit & Polish, (Diesel Only in the USA). It contains the fantastic "When All Of Us Get Famous".
Other than that... just got a new Dallas Wayne with those Skeleblokes backing him so more about that when I get a chance to hear the whole thing. Ditto for the Shebang album.

"Be sure to check out the latest updates to 60sgaragebands.com, including:
Interviews with Chuck Kirkpatrick of The Gas Company and Proctor Amusement
Co; Bob Agnew of The Satyrs ("Yesterdays Heroes"); and Mike Frederick of The
Rising Tydes. And - if you haven't heard yet - be sure to check out NEWS &
NUGGETS for Sundazed's October release schedule. WOW".

It's Comin'!

September is looming like a bloody great brick wall and this good weather phenomenon is back. While it'd be nice to be in NY (or Hoboken rather) for the A-Bones blowout, 'tis not to be so we head out to STEREO in Glasgow where V-TWIN were celebrating the finish of their next (and Loog-Oldham produced) album. Unfortunately this wasn't to be because there was no sign of 'em and had to hightail it for a train out to the boonies. It's funny. Kelvinhaugh Street in Glasgow was like CB's, with lotsa people hanging out front. This city almost never has the weather pattern to allow such an event. Openers, RUDE PRAVO give some sort of indication of what Alex Harvey might sound like jamming with Martin Rev and however good that might look on paper, it was bloody irritating in practice. There's probably a Ze-inspired label here waiting in the wings to take them to the rafters but I'm sorry, laptops onstage are up there with those guitars with no heads as a large no-no. I'm gonna try to design one with a neck and machine heads and everything, maybe that's where my fortune will come from? Although I ain't holding my breath here...

Just when you thought it couldn't happen...the fabulous Untamed Youth are back!!! The Youth will be rocking the Blue Note www.thebluenote.com in Columbia, MO on Saturday, September 13. The show marks the band's first appearance in Columbia in 5 years!!!. Opening will be Youth frontman, Deke Dickerson (www.dekedickerson.com) , and his Los Angeles based Ecco-fonics. If you can't make the Youth's big Rockaround www.rockaround.net festival appearance in Las Vegas September 26, then here's your chance to catch its only other show this year! You won't want to miss this rare appearance featuring Deke Dickerson (guitar/voc), Steve "King of Men" Mace (bass/voc), Steve "Sammy" Rager (keys/voc) and Chris Sprague (drums/voc). Mark your calendar and spread the word!!! - Info courtesy of Steve Rager.

Amsterdam p-rockers the Felchers have a pretty cool cartoon video up and running here (in Flash).
(w/ thanks to Tony Slug)

Hydromatics news update: As off Friday they're off 'n rollin' thru' Europe (see below). Bass player Theo Brouwer has gone AWOL and as a last minute replacement they've hired the talents of Laurent Ciron, formaly of seminal French punk outfit the Dogs, makin' the band even more of an all-star unit. Please be sure to check 'em out if they're headin' your way.
DATES: Fri. 8/22 - Lintfabriek - Kontich Belgium, Mon. 8/25 - Paris, France (venue tbc), Tue. 8/26 - Bistroy - Lyon, France, Wed. 8/27 - Festival - Cipieres (near Nice), France, Thu. 8/28 - Subsonic - Montpellier France, Fri. 8/29 - (helldrive), Sat. 8/30 - Z-series festival - Jerez, Spain w/ Radio Birdman + Hellacopters, Sun. 8/31 - BEACH, Mon 9/1 - BEACH, Tue 9/2 - Belle Epoque. - C?ceres, Spain, Wed 9/3 - La Boite - A Coru?a, Spain, Thu 9/4 - Nashville - Vigo, Spain, Fri 9/5 - Gruta 77 - Madrid, Spain w/ Stiff Little fingers, Sat 9/6 - Mondo Bizarro - Rennes, France, Sun 9/7 - Paris (venue tbc), Wed 9/10 - Forum - Bielefeld Germany w/ Radio Birdman, Thu 9/11 - Stairway to Peter - Chemnitz, Germany, Fri 9/12 - Mano Cornudo - Dresden, Germany, Tue 9/16 - TBC - Gothenburg, Sweden, Thu 9/18 - 013 - Tilburg, Holland w/ Electric Frankenstein / Spades, Fri 9/19 - De Diepte - Amsterdam, Holland, Sat 9/20 - Schüxenhüsli - Ins, Switzerland.

Top Of The Pops 2 aired two songs by The Blasters last night (Tuesday). Blistering versions of Marie Marie and One Bad Stud , recorded during their recent eurojaunt filled those living rooms that tuned in and indicated, for a couple of brief instants, that real rock and roll still exists. Even although most of the common five-eighth wouldn't know the symptoms if they parked out on their kissers. Chase it down via the BBC website. http:www.bbc.co.uk

Ever Get the Feeling You've Been Cheated? - Is the name of a four CD boxset to be released by Rhino on October 28. The aim being to follow-on from the Nuggets boxsets but with the focus turned to 1973 - 1980. Check out the full track listing at the Rolling Stones website and read a nifty online overview at Chartattack. Ironically, the boxset does not contain a single track by the Sex Pistols but there is an absolute truckload of great stuff including good ole Two Tub Man by the Dictators. No doubt this is gonna keep those pesky Punk Rock revisionists clucking for a while.

So there is hope for the younger generation. Check out the Diskords, p-rockin' teens from Portland, Oregon. GO!.
(w/ thanks to Jan Kooi)

The I-94 BAR's guide to Radio Birdman's Eurostrike tour. GO!.

Out next month is Wreckless Eric's autobio 'A Dysfunctional Success' written under his real name Eric Goulden. The author writes: "I didn't want to write a rock 'n' roll biography, the sort that documents the early struggle for fame, works through a successful middle period, and chronicles the downfall via a collection of lurid drug-related episodes and boring contractual details, before finally fizzling out in a collection of lame anecdotes designed to demonstrate what a great guy I am now that life's being good to me and I'm on the straight and narrow. WH Smith's is already full of crap like that". GO!.

After pickin' up a 2nd hand re-issue copy of Bo Diddley's 'In The Spotlight' LP earlier today and diggin' the heck outta the thing tonight, I checked the web for some info on Bo and came across the boss Bo Diddley - The Originator site that holds truckloads of Bo-related info and even has separate pages on Lady Bo and Jerome Green (No Duchess tho'), and is well worth checkin' out if you dig the Diddley beat as much as I do.

Them there A-Bones will ALWAYS cut it. We need 'em now more than we ever did. Right troops?

A new movie that could turn out to be pretty cool; 'Afro Punk, The Rock n Roll Nigger Experience'. But where's Pure Hell?, or Ivan Julian?. GO!.
(w/ thanx to Bink)

Handy dandy stonerrock band name generator; GO!.
(w/ thanx to Tony Slug)

LOCK UP THE WOMEN, CHILDREN AND SILVERWARE!

"Yes, the A-Bones are back for one wild night at one of the band's favorite local hangouts, the famed Maxwell's of Hoboken! Chalk in Saturday, August 23rd for a tussle through the tunnel to romp and stomp with the perennial purveyors of loud sound abundance! Maxwell's is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary as a hotbed of musical mayhem and the A-Bones have decided to give the club's floorboards another trot in tribute!

The A-Bones broke up in 1994, ten years to the week after forming in NYC. Three reunion shows were induced in 1998 but since then, the bash and bang of the A-Bones has been but a recurring ring in the left ear and regular rotations on the record player.

The band-- Bruce Bennett (guitar), Lars Espensen (sax), Marcus the Carcass (bass), Miriam Linna (drums) and Billy Miller (vocals)-- made several longplayers-- TEMPO TANTRUM, FREE BEER FOR LIFE, THE LIFE OF RILEY, I WAS A TEENAGE MUMMY (the soundtrack to filmmaker legend Chris Frieri's magnum opus award winning thriller-chiller motion picture), MUSIC MINUS FIVE and CRASH THE PARTY. Seventeen 45 RPM singles were issued on various labels worldwide as well. (Look for a compilation of non-LP A-Bones singles on an upcoming Norton CD!)

The A-Bones toured the US and took on Europe a few times as well. They served as the backing band live and/or on recording sessions for Hasil Adkins, Johnny Powers, Ronnie Dawson, Jack Starr, Roy Loney, Andre Williams, Cordell Jackson, Rudy Grayzell, Johnny Legend and the Great Gaylord. One of these great stars is expected to make an appearance on Saturday night!

The A-Bones were named in the New York Press as "The Band With The Best Audience". Let's do it again-- durable foot gear and washable wearables recommended. Earplugs and a vast variety of beverages are ready available for concoction by Maxwell's able staff of libation experts. As always Heimlich Maneuver instructional posters will also be conveniently posted and clean restrooms will be operational.

The A-Bones will also be performing live on radio station WFMU in Jersey City on the world reknown Dave The Spazz Show featuring Dave The Spazz on Thursday, August 21, from 8 to 11PM EST. This live feed broadcast will be made available for your worldwide toe-tapping pleasure at www.wfmu.org".


LIVE IN ACTION:

WHO: A-BONES, DEXTER ROMWEBER DUO, RIBEYE BROTHERS, GHOST WRITER
WHEN: SATURDAY AUGUST 23. SHOW AT 9 PM SHARP. ADMISSION $7
WHERE: MAXWELLS, 1039 WASHINGTON, HOBOKEN NJ 07030

LIVE ON DA RADIO:

WHO: A-BONES
WHEN: THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 8-11 PM
WHERE: www.wfmu.org Dave The Spazz Show (live on the internet) or 91.1 fm for analog buffs!

Can they cut it? YOU BE THE JUDGE!

more info is gleanable at:
nortonrec@aol.com
and/or
Norton Records tel (718) 789 4438 noon til 6 PM
www.nortonrecords.com.

Woah, some breathing space between bouts of activity. Since The Blasters were here on July 28th and since we closed the bar in the Central Hotel, it's been al bloody go, innit? But in a good way for a change...
Yeah, despite Dave (Alvin) wishing he'd never signed up for it, The B's took The Renfrew Ferry to seldom seen heights of gig-dom and it's almost certainly never gonna happen again. Not with the original line-up anyway. If you're from around these parts and you didn't haul your butt along then you most certainly deserve what's coming to you. Possibly The Kings of Leon...
Couple of days later then Amy Allison got here to limber up for her first proper UK jaunt to tie in with her No Frills Friend release on Spit & Polish.
In my capacity as executive tour manager there are lotsa things to take care of and at the time of writing all has gone spiffingly. This included a show at the best venue in Glasgow, The Grand Ole Opry with Laura Cantrell without whom none of this could ever have happened. It was Laura's inclusion of "The Whiskey Makes You Sweeter" that lit the blue touch paper to all of this. If you read about Amy's "nasal" vocal stylings anywhere lately then put any reservations aside. The songs'll suck you in and the voice will grow on you if you don't get it straight away... count on that. Readers in the US can catch up with her album via Diesel Only. http://www.dieselonly.com
Between bouts of Ms Allison, Avy and I had a visit from our Goofballs chums from NY, Karen McBurnie and Jon Hammer. These kids are genius writers who have been overlooked for way too long and it's time their ship came in. Part of the extended family which I enjoy for having set up this NBT charabang trip way back yonder...
So Amy is back tonight from her adventures and watch out for the sequel... I think we've all been vindicated.
Jeroen mentioned this already back there someplace but the new Girl Trouble album, The Illusion of Excitement has been released on the bands own WigOut imprint. No illusion about it, this is a shimmy too far and indicates that they wil never ever lose that beat. They could kick the arse of any of these "garage" ensembles that publicists get paid mucho dinero to hype. If you ever get a chance to see them you will grin your bloody heard off because they batter it out as only true, died in the wool maniacs can. They've shed a lot of their Crampsisms here too, broadening out into a much more rounded embodiment of the real stuff. Magic. http://www.luth.org/girltrouble
Not much of a one for Christmas but a great fan of Chrismas records, I got a copy of Seasonal Favourites VOl 1 on Double Crown Records. This features some groovy stuff but nothing groovier than GT's "Sigue Sigue Christmas". Kahuna and I share an appreciation (shall we say) of the Sputniks and this mashes primo rock thrills with It's a Wonderful Life samples. I can't do it justice in a bloody weblog... http://www.dblcrown.com
So that's about it, I'll try to get back on board this critter in a couple of days to update things further. We haven't even missed the Film Festival. Too much other monkey biz goin' on.... thankfully because this years programme in a tad whiffy. Maybe if "Please Kill Me" is ready for next year and they screen it, then things can start movin' again.

While I checked the Crypt site for the link in the post below, I noticed Tim Warren has put up a list of "the 100 essential recs that any human being MUST own AND we happen to carry". Some amazin' stuff in there and not a dud in sight. GO!.

After way to many years, there are finally two new volumes of the 'Born Bad' LP series (7 & 8).
Tracklisting runs as follows;
Vol.7: RIC CARTEY "Oo Wee Baby"/ JOHNNY FORTUNE "Dragster"("Wrong Way Ticket")/ THE BLUES ROCKERS "Calling All Cows"("Corn Fed Dames")/ ROY BROWN "Butcher Pete Part 1"/ LARRY PHILLIPSON "Bitter Feelings"("Upside Down & Inside Out")/ TERRY DUNAVAN "Earthquake Boogie" ("Haulass Hyena")/ THE SHELLS "Whiplash" ("Ultra Twist")/ THE FANATICS "I Will Not Be Lonely" ("New Kind Of Kick")/ THE WAILERS "Hang Up"/ JUNIOR THOMPSON "How Come You Do Me"/ THE RHYTHM ROCKERS "Madness" ("God Monster")/ KIT & THE OUTLAWS "Don't Tread On Me" ("Nest Of The Cuckoo Bird)/ CHARLIE FEATHERS "One Hand Loose" ("Creature From The Black Leather Lagoon")/ THE EMBERS "I Walked All Night"/ GENE SUMMERS "Taboo"/ LINK WRAY"Rumble"("Color Me Black").
Vol.8: SHERIFF & THE RAVELS "Shombolar"/ BO DIDDLEY "Dancing Girl" ("Call Of The Wighat")/ WALTER BROWN & HIS BAND "Jelly Roll Rock"/ KEITH COURVALE "Trapped Love"/ HAYDEN THOMPSON "Blues Blues Blues"/ LIGHTNIN SLIM "It's Mighty Crazy"/ ROY BROWN "Butcher Pete Part 2"/ DANNY DELL "Froggy ("She's Got Balls")/ THE FENDER FOUR "Margaya" ("Wilder Wilder Faster Faster")/ ELVIS PRESLEY "Do The Clam"/ SLIM HARPO "Strange Love"/ RANDYALVEY & THE GREEN FUZ "Green Fuz"/ CAPTAIN BEEFHEART"Hard Working Man"/ SONNY BURGESS "Red Headed Woman"/ DON & THE GALAXIES "Sundown" ("TV Set")/ THE REVELS "Intoxica!" ("Mojo Man From Mars").
Try Crypt if you have trouble findin' these in your local record shop...

'The right to be wrong'; Richard Hell on Lester Bangs. GO!.

The oft reliable Agony Shorthand blog has swerved from the path of rightiousnes today by declaring that "the Dictators are overrated", and not just that, but; "I’ll go that one further and recognize that any negative mojo thrown The Dictators’ way will really rub our compatriot, the estimable Jeroen at NEXT BIG THING, the wrong way – they’re pretty much his favorite band, which doesn’t reflect on the high quality of his (and Lindsay Hutton’s) excellent web site".
Nah, the only thing that rubs me is that Jay obviously never heard 'D.F.F.D.' or the Manitoba's Wild Kingdom LP (a 'tators disc in all but name) when he states "some very, very good gitah on those 3 Dictators albums. After that, what?".
'D.F.F.D.' has firmly established the Dics in the here and now and might even be their best yet. That, plus the ,to this day, always excellent live shows, is what...

Anyways, waving their flag has always been a rather solitary affair (just ask Lindsay), but I'd be nice if people actually listened to something before makin' claims.
Oh, and don't worry Jay, I'm way too old to hold any grudges over something as "trivial" as my favorite rock band. That is of course, until you start sayin' something similar about the Ramones ;-)

From 60sgaragebands.com:
According to an article of the American Statesmen by Michael Corcoran, it's a possibility that Jack Black could one day soon portray Roky Erickson on the silver screen. "Sumner Erickson asked his brother Roky what he wanted for his July 15 birthday and the answer was a simple 'movie deal.' The Rok must've blown out all 56 candles, because his wish has come true. As Roky's guardian, Sumner has optioned the rights to the life story of the one-time 13th Floor Elevators frontman to Los Angeles-based production company Flea Circus Films. And Mike King of Flea Circus says Black is very interested in not only portraying Mr. 'Two-Headed Dog,' but producing the film...'Jack called Roky on his birthday and said he wanted to play him,' King says. Roky approves. 'We were watching a rerun of Saturday Night Live with Jack Black as the host and I told Roky, `That's the guy who wants to play you,' says Sumner. 'And Roky just became glued to the set. Didn't say a word the whole show, but when it was over Roky said, `I want him, 100 percent.' Negotiations between Black, the Ericksons and Flea Circus have been under way for about a year." The same article also details information on a Roky documentary. "Los Angeles-based documentary filmmaker Keven McAlester, whose Rok-umentary, You're Gonna Miss Me, should be completed in time for the Oct. 3 Sundance submission deadline, says Hollywood's interest in the Erickson story can only help attract attention to his film. McAlester's camera followed Roky from July '99, when the psychedelic icon was in the depths of mental and financial despair, through June '02, when the singer made an astonishing rebound thanks to medication and the care of his brother. 'Any three years of Roky's life would make an interesting film,' says McAlester, 'but I feel that we were lucky to film him over the period that we did.' Indeed, McAlester got the ending that would be considered too corny, anywhere but Hollywood."

Wanda Jackson will have a new album out in September entitled 'Heart Trouble' which features contributions from Dave Alvin, the Cramps and Rosie Flores ao, on CMH while Sympathy is set to issue the vinyl version. GO!. ***** Out already is a new album by Girl Trouble (anybody remember their ace 'She No Rattle My Cage' 45 from way back when?); 'The Illusion Of Excitement' on their own Wig Out label.

Just last night I was diggin' the heck outta Sympathy's re-issue of the Oblivians' 'Live In Atlanta' disc. I mean, jeez, I have owned an original for ages, and fully signed at that, even have a picture somewhere of me proudly holdin' up the disc standin' next to Eric O, I only picked up the re-ish to keep the collection in shape.
So you get the idea I guess; I'm a "fan"...
Imagine my surprise when just now I noted that these guys are gonna do a reunion show in Memphis on halloween (wtf?). Damn, w/ so many copycats around, it 'd sure be nice to see the original band in action once again. Even if I've seen 'em several times in their prime.
Hey, did I ever tell you about that one time they played in town here on my b-day and instead of throwin' a party I bought a bunch o' tickets for the show, 'n handed 'em out to friends 'n family?. It was one of the most amazing shows I ever saw, w/ Greg totally freakin' out at the end. Some guy video taped it but ran out of tape before things got really exciting... Alice 'n me even went up all the way up north to Grunnen the next day (hotel 'n all, hungover like hell) hopin' for an equally hot show, but sadly it was not to be.
Hey Eric, if this thing works out, why not come over to Europe again?, I'll bet Robert 'll be happy to drive you around, and by the time you hit Utrecht I'll make sure the entire Vedder clan 'll be in the front row....

"It's the I-94 Bar's latest issue and our cover story is a heartfelt tribute to the late Tim Hemensley by Sydney punk rock scum nosebleed Ashley Thomson. You can leave your feedback too.
Live, we feature reviews with a country flavour, as John McPharlin checks out the Lowdorados, the Chucky Monroes, Richie &the Creeps, The Meek and The Re-Mains. Clark Paull and the missus dump the kids and catch Roxy Music in Detroit.
There's a free Meek MP3 in the Sound Lounge.
In our Disc Reviews, we cock an ear to the Lowdorados, the Riverboat Gamblers, Sheek the Shayk, the fab Antipodean Screams Aussie compile, the Dee Rangers, The Moodists, Get Lost!, The Drones , Timid Joe, The Travoltas, Trigger, Supersuckers, Hugh Cornwell, Jason Walker, The Bamboos and Maurice Frawley & the Working Class Ringos".

Don't know about you, but I love compilations, esp w/ radio dead 'n gone they are a vital source of entertainment 'round here. There are labels like Ace, Norton and Soul Jazz who put out amazing, and expertly documented, comps, but you also get on/offs where some fanatic lines up a batch of his fave 45s and has 'em pressed into a limited run footlong. Both kinds offer their own particular brand of gratification, but tryin' to make sense out of 'em can be a bit of a task. I mean, have you ever played a comp and heard a great tune by some long lost band and wondered "did these guys put out more records, and if so, where can I find 'em?". And if you've got a decent amount of discs, chances are you might even have more songs by that particular band. Trouble is, how you gonna find it....
The wonder that is the www has thrown up at least three on-line databases that can help you in your quest.
compHELLation (70s punk), Rockin' Country Style (Rockabilly) and the Garage Compilation Database (60s garage) all hold stacks o' information, cross-referenced 'n all. The rockabilly site is esp stunning in it's sheer overwhelming amount of details. I love these sites and have long lost count on how oft I refered to 'em tryin' to find some info and actually found it !.
If any of you is aware of similar sites on soul, reggae or blues, please drop us a line !.

Another reason to consider moving to Spain; the Azkena Rock Festival. Just take a peek at the line-up; Cramps, Dictators, Ben Vaughn, Hellacopters, Hunches, Iggy & the Stooges, Ray Davies and more....
(w/ thanks to Martin Percial)

Next to Chiswick and Step Forward, Raw Records was one of my fave UK p-rock labels way back when. There's a, uh, raw DIY feel to most of their releases that keeps 'em soundin' fresh to this day. From the deadly guitar attack of the Users to the more sophisticated wail of the (early) Soft Boys, most of the labels releases were miles apart from the more glossy produced bands on labels like Virgin etc. And let's not forget that they were also thoughtful enough to put out re-issues by such pre-punk luminaries like the Creation and Hammersmith Gorillas and release new material by the Downliners Sect. And altho' I certainly wasn't aware of it at the time, these days I marvel at the ongoing links between the UK's six-o Beat/R&B boom, the Hawkwind/Deviants/Pink Faries-axis and 70s DIY labels like Chiswick, Stiff and, yep; Raw. To me this is the only real r'n'r heritage the UK ever came up with. Hey, I'm not suggestin' that all o' what's happenin' in the UK these days is worthless, but what w/ Lemmy livin' in LA, we could send out a rescue boat for Billy Childish, and then pull the plug on the entire island and let it drift off to Antarctica....
Anyways, what I'm trying to get at, is that UK label Damaged Goods has two comps out featurin' all of Raw's finest material and some of the last great music created in jolly ol' Britain, and these are well worth your time 'n hard earned pay.
Music made w/ passion, and w/ out the slightest hint of cynicism, how's about that for a change...

Psychotic Revelation - The Ultimate Count Five (Big Beat WIKCD230)

Chances are that if you are a regular reader of this blog you will have at least six copies of Psychotic Reaction . And that, I guess, is a conservative estimate even by Jeroen's standards. "So why should I shell out my hard-earned cash for yet another copy?" I hear you ask. Simple, what we have here is the most exhaustive and twisterific Count Five compilation to ever grace a record store.

Step this way for the unedited version of Psychotic Reaction complete with original ending that just kinda fizzles out and away. A finer example of a successful collaboration between some young punks and a record label on-the-make you could not find. Simply stated, while Count Five supplied the correct musical vibe those pesky producer types edited their damn catchy tune down to something altogether more potent and chart bound. The improvement made to original recording is more than impressive, it's mind altering.

Interestingly, quite a few of the tunes differ to the versions we already love and cherish, a fact that is not always indicated in the accompanying blurb. For example, My Generation is longer to the one on the original album and includes suitable pop-art noises (e.g. guitar string scrapping). While the take of Mailman contains vocal lines not to be heard on the version of the tune on the Dynamite Incidents mini-album from the early 80s. What a great song it is too! Dig its metamorphosis from the ho-hum People Hear What I Say (previously unreleased ) into a certified floor filler. Why did this 45rpm stiff?

So what other “rarities” do you get for your money? Well, listen out for a brainstorming demo recording of Contrast that hints at the live power of Count Five. Impressed? Then cock an ear to those wah-wah trippy guitar lines on Enchanted Flowers and prepare to move into the 5th Dimension. Like, move over Stephen Stills, unplug your guitar from John Byrne's amp (see liner-notes for details of Count Five's run-in with the Buffalo Springfield) and take a listen a tune that rivals some of your old band’s finest moments.

Now add to the deal a thick info-packed booklet that will take you about the same amount of time to read as it will to listen to the contents of the CD. Damn it, anything to banish the memory of the self-indulgent essay about Count Five by Lester Bangs in the early 70s and which even found itself quoted for the liner notes of a Count Five disc on Repertoire. Say, wasn't punk, proto or otherwise, supposed to be an antidote to such unfocused dog-doo? Phew, glad I finally got the chance get that one off the chest.

Anyway, bravo to Big Beat for a job well done and please could we have a similar styled release devoted to the Syndicate of Sound?

LINK: Cool interview with Tony Slug on IPunkRock.com. It is in Spanish, but run it thru' this handy dandy translation device and you'll get the general idea...

Norton is set to release the first 2 of 15 split Rolling Stones cover singles recorded by today's coolest hit makers and packaged in their own company sleeve.
Knaughty Knights/Wildebeests
"Memphis' Naughty Knights fronted by Jack Yarber (Oblivians/Cool Jerks) sonically rip through 'Connection' while the Wildebeests pound out the psycho Diddley 'Please Go Home'".
Reigning Sound/Hentchmen
"Another Memphis topside! Reigning Sound, featuring Greg Cartwright (Oblivians/Compulsive Gamblers), offer a stunning take on 'I'd Much Rather Be With The Boys' duking it out with the Hentchmen, who serve up 'Surprise, Surprise' (produced by Freddy Fortune) with a nod to their Motor City Idols The Underdogs".

"'It's Everything and Then It's Gone' a documentary featuring the brief era when a group of bands took over an old rubber workers' hangout and created a mix of punk rock and art rock that would be coined 'The Akron Sound' will be aired on PBS 45 & 49 at 8 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 5.
Produced by Phil Hoffman, UA adjunct professor of communications, the hour-long program chronicles the early 1970s, when rubber was still king in Akron, and how, just a few years later, Akron's most important export was music.
Writer/director Hoffman says the documentary takes you back to a time when the music really did mean everything. And, for these musicians "most of them children of rubber workers" music was a way out of the factory.
The program features music from Devo, the Rubber City Rebels, The Bizarros, Tin Huey and The Waitresses, and interviews with members of Devo, Akron writer David Giffels, legendary rock critic Jane Scott and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame chief curator Jim Henke. "
(Anybody out there able to land me a video copy of this?.)

"The August updates to 60sgaragebands.com are now online. Featured is Ted Liebler's excellent interview with Notre Dames' The Shaggs, who recorded the classic "Wink" LP!. Also included are interviews with R.T. Salazar of The Tears ("Weatherman") and Rick Levy of The Limits. And, as always, all the current NEWS & NUGGETS, and a handful of additions to our comprehensive garage band filmography".

Remember the Angry Samoans' 'They Saved Hitler's Cock' ?, well again truth is stranger than fiction. GO!.

Thundertrain reunion tour: "Hot off a rave review in Rolling Stone of their TEENAGE SUICIDE reissue on Gulcher, Thundertrain will reunite for the first time ever, playing six cities in six nights! The Boston-area dates kick off August 19 in Worcester, roll on through Attleboro, Somerville, and Jamaica Plain to a Saturday night climax in Cambridge with Cheetah Chrome and Unnatural Axe, and wrap up with a Sunday afternoon finale and weenie roast in lead singer Mach Bell's hometown of Holliston. For complete details, click here: Thundertrain Tour Hotline".

Dunno how many of you remember Gene Sculatti's 'Catalog Of Cool' book and it's follow up 'Too Cool', but it was great to note that most of those books contents are now available on-line. And yeah, some of this stuff is a bit too corny/cheezy for my particular taste, but you also get contributions by such fine folk like Tim Warren, Nick Toshes, Lux Interior, John Waters and Joey Ramone, all of 'em cool to the point of bein' frosty. GO!.

thedictators.com is updated with news and upcomin' tour dates (includin' a couple o' shows in Italy).

"Crypt Records is clearing out the Garage!. So much stuff got piled up we need to get rid of a LOT!. Records, t-shirts, posters, test pressings, silly stuff and all kinds of junk... So make sure you check out our other options too, now and later!". GO!.

This month's releases from Ace includes hipsters like the Sonics, Prisoners, B.B. King plus Laurie and Combo label anthologies. Out soon will be a couple of rockabilly 45s taken from the label's recent Meteor collection.

Looks like Norton is set to release vinyl re-issues of the 4 original Gene Vincent LPs in September...