October 24, 2008 Earworm

The Clique came from Austin, Texas, and were brought to the attention of the White Whale Records owners via a lawyer who happened to have an office in the same building. Under the production wing of sunshine-Meister Gary Zekley, they released a cover of Tommy James and The Shondells' "Sugar On Sunday", neither improving upon nor detracting from an already perfect album track. It must have done well in the Baltimore area because it was a 45 that I would see in the collection of every friend's parents, and my own. Already familiar with The Shondells' version, I took more of a shine to the flipside as most little boys encountering a song called "Superman" will.

Why this adenoidal treasure was relegated to b-side status at the height of the nasal propelled yummyyummyyummychewychewy era is a mystery but the song, if not the band, would be given its chance to fly with a cover by REM that neither improved upon nor detracted from the original. That it did not inspire me to tie a towel around my neck should not be held against it as I'd simply found other means of elevation by that time.

Have a super weekend.

October 23, 2008 Earworm

The Beach Boys' "All I Wanna Do" sounds like it was recorded in a cavern slowly filling with rain. It also sounds like a tear in the time/space continuum where sixties sunshine pop shook hands with eighties revivalism and then graciously introduced nineties britpop: I can't imagine what Mercury Rev would sound like without this record.

The lyric to "All I Wanna Do" was written by Mike "That's 'MR. DOUCHEBAG' to you, fella" Love which proves that transcendental meditation could be inspirational, if not completely successful in cleansing a vinegar and water spirit. To be honest, I would have thought it was written by Dennis but that may have been just for fantasy fodder.

"All I Wanna Do" was on 1970's "Sunflower", an album that proved to be a low point in their commercial appeal and the critics weren't too kind, either. Fortunately, time has shown "Sunflower" respect for it's uncluttered, soulful sound and was recently ranked at #380 in Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all times. More important, for an all too brief time, "All I Wanna Do" allows me to believe that heaven and earth and peace and love are simultaneously within reach and that Mike Love is more than an asshole. And that, folks, is a miraculous achievement.

from the sofa: Joe The Plumber

Can we get over this guy already?

Joe The Plumber may have been "overwhelmed" by all the attention he is receiving thanks to a shout out by John McCain, but it certainly hasn't stopped him from milking the elite liberal biased media. Reports claim that when McCain's camp invited him to appear with the candidate at a rally, he had to decline because he would be in New York for television appearances.

He compares himself to Britney Spears in light of his sudden media spotlight. Not quite, Joe; Britney is occasionally interesting. But you, too, are quite the media whore and she, too, is not a licensed plumber.

Here's to the hope that you are in the last flush of your fame...

October 21, 2008 Earworm

Dee Dee Warwick, sister of Dionne, niece of Cissy Houston, cousin to Whitney, had five entries on the Hot 100 but never managed to reach the Top 40 or the conscious of the general public, despite two Grammy nominations and first dibs on two songs now considered to be standards.

As a member of the Drinkard Sisters, her voice backed some of the most enduring pop tracks of the early sixties and, following Dionne's entry into the soft focus spotlight of Burt Bacharach, Leiber and Stoller put her up front for the only version of Clint Ballard's "You're No Good" where the singer sounds as though she means what she is saying. There is nothing soft about Dee Dee's record, it's minimal arrangement is all jab and punch with a piss-off vocal that is double-tracked for maximum damage. It's the sound of a woman scorned and it is clear that it's best not to argue.

To my ear, Dee Dee was best served by Leiber and Stoller - the follow-up, "Standing By", is another scorcher - because they understood the power of that voice and were savvy in shoring it up. Too often, her later records - the Blue Rock/Mercury releases - tended to wobble under the weight of her ferocious delivery, unable to back up what she was laying down and when they did - "I Want To Be With You", her biggest R&B hit - the result sounded a few years beyond it's sell date. Still, I never doubt her sincerity and that's what keeps me listening.

October 21, 2008 Earworm

In perfect synchronicity, Kmatt wrote,

"...Levi Stubbs himself can, of course, tell us this story better than anyone, but Billy Bragg’s “Levi Stubbs’ Tears” adds the layer that comes darn close to telling my journey with this music. Short of the accident, running away, and returning ghosts—I’ve often added this to my other list of perfect pop songs...",

as I, a couple hundred miles away, was listening to Mr. Braggs' "best of","Must I Paint You A Picture", because one can only type "Levi Stubbs" so many times before that guitar work comes strutting up to the frontal lobe. The story told in "Levi Stubbs' Tears" is a perfect composite of all the paranoiac elements of the H-D-H produced Four Tops records such as "Ask The Lonely", "Bernadette", "Standing In The Shadows of Love", and "7 Rooms of Gloom", yet it's presented as a folk-pop record sans any H-D-H gimmicks. It's a testament of not only the strength of the song and the record, but to Mr. Stubbs that anyone who has heard it knows exactly what the title, and it's association with the world within the song, implies.

It's also a desert topping and a floor wax. It's talking paranoia with the Tops man

Nosferatu @ Opal Gallery feat. score by Hubcap City

OCTOBER 25, 2008:

SCREENING BEGINS AT SUNDOWN
Necking to follow

Opal Gallery presents another installment of Theater on the Asphalt with a screening of Murnau's 1922 silent classic, "Nosferatu", with a new score by Bill Taft and Hubcap City.

Bring your own chairs, blankets, and warm beverages to bite back the chill running up your tingling spine

Opal Gallery
484 Moreland Ave. B-2
Atlanta, GA 30316
678-717-8890
http://www.theopalgallery.com

October 20, 2008 Earworm

With the horrible news of the passing of Levi Stubbs on Friday, I was again in the position to pick one record to define a man whose voice was not easily categorized. Listening to Four Tops albums while slogging over a work project certainly makes the work go faster but did little to help find "the" song.

Giving in to temptation, I threw the laptop aside to run down to the Little Five Points Halloween Parade to catch a glimpse of the festivities. There, I found my answer as a marching band from a local high school came storming down the street with a brassy rendition of "Reach Out I'll Be There". Of course.

Even a brass section can not equal the ferocity of Levi Stubbs' voice, yet the message was loud and clear: as long as there is something to play back music, that voice remains available to see you through. No need to look over your shoulder; just reach out and press play.

L5P: Halloween Parade draws a big crowd

Walk Tall