The Blasting Concept, Volume 1: An SST Compilation

Once upon a time, compilations mattered. Probably because they didn't get released at the rate of five per week like they seemingly did in the mid-90s. Some held lasting influence, cracked the ground open, spawned dozens of derivative and unique rock groups, made us hate our parents more, huff spray paint, stick safety pins through our parts and give voice to a reservoir of black and brown exurb anger which was previously expressed via habitual masturbation, self-loathing or slasher films (this author excepted).

This did that, and more. It and its next gen pal comps (See: The Wailing Ultimate) stuck a blockbuster up our asses, thank God. I saved my dishwasher gig money and bought each of these records.

SST changed our lives.
Allmusic: SST was one of the most important indie labels to emerge out of the punk rubble. Based in L.A., the company would soon list such seminal '80s bands as the Minutemen, Black Flag, the Meat Puppets, Hüsker Dü, and Sonic Youth as part of its roster. This early roundup from 1983 spotlights tracks from all of these bands, save for Sonic Youth. San Pedro's finest, the Minutemen, get the lion's share with four songs from their debut release. Black Flag follows suit with three fine sides from its Jealous Again album (plus some singles), while the Meat Puppets contribute two from their own maiden release and Hüsker Dü is tapped for "Real World" from the Metal Circus EP. And rounding things out are solo shots from Saccharine Trust, Stains, Overkill, and Wurm. A must for the historically minded punk fan.

HEAR

Bonnie Prince Billy - Blue Lotus Feet EP

This Oldham guy has churned out many remarkable EPs, many remarkable (and some not-so-remarkable) LPs and many an envy-inspiring moment with keen, heart-tugging couplet n such. So, simply, he's a fan favorite of thou here in the Roxx Shire and the glaring absence of him in these nether regions has its one reason. This EP circumvents said (not said) reason, and thankfully allows for worldly distribution and the sharing or foisting of what are miraculous songs in an nonmiraculous time, made by largely nonmiraculous people.

The One With The Birds/South Side Of The World 7" lyrically, sentimentally, gut-wise stands up to the best... I can't draw the proper comparison. Something from Drake, Cohen, Dylan... not sure. It's flawless. Birds especially is a close favorite, at once dry and witty and sincere and sweet. That's like the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup of music, dig? I list it in my top 20 of my stupid life.
Southside of the World is a gospel number with no end. Lumbering and sanctimonious but a compelling tale, nonetheless. Makes you feel good about all the shit and ugliness in your life. Builds character, no? A hymn for diversity and experience... Huzzah for our differences.

give me donkey ears !

give me honkey tears !

give me black blood !

and that of queers !

to mix with my own

The flipside has Oldham churning out some really lovely versions of some Krishna Klassics. Little hummable mantras to keep with you breakfast to your nightly pre-bed silver haze schvitz. The titles track is especially endearing.

All of this B-side is raw, simple, unprocessed and like it's cousin A-side awash in that warm stuff that drew us to this real music stuff anyways.

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Wikipedia: Blue Lotus Feet is the name of a Bonnie 'Prince' Billy EP released on UK record label Domino Records in 1998. It consists of the "One with the Birds" / "Southside of the World" single (previously released on Palace Records in the U.S. the same year), as well as five Hare Krishna songs, first performed live by Oldham during a session for VPRO's "De Avonden" broadcast on Dutch radio on 15 October 1998. The English translation of the krishnas is taken from "Cosmic Chants" by Paramahansa Yogananda, as originally sung and recorded by the Monks Of The Self-Realization Order.

HEAR

Moondog - Moondog (1969)

The Chicago post got me thinking about Jim Guercio. He was quite a wunderkind with Columbia Records, writing songs and producing hits for Chad & Jeremy and the Buckinghams. When Chicago took off, as well as the hit-packed album he produced for Blood, Sweat and Tears, he had clout with the label - a lot of clout. He used that new muscle to get label deals for artists he was fond of. The avant-garde composer/street artist Moondog (aka, Louis Thomas Hardin) was one of them.

This was the first (and best) of two albums Guercio produced for him in 1969 and 70. Guercio gave the compositions the depth and respect they deserved. 41 years after its release and 11 years after Moondog's death they still sound fresh and beautiful.

You will certainly recognize Lament 1, Bird's Lament, but everything else is as rich if not as familiar.

amg:
Moondog's second self-titled album (the first one came out in 1956 on the independent jazz label Prestige) was the idiosyncratic composer's first release in 12 years, and it shows how much Moondog's already rich music had matured since 1957's The Story of Moondog. Where Moondog's '50s records were jazz-based, Moondog showcases the composer's orchestral side; producer James William Guercio assembled an orchestra of over 40 musicians from the classical and jazz worlds (including flutist Hubert Laws and bassist Ron Carter), and although the pieces are quite compact — ranging from the expansive three-part ballet suite "Witch of Endor" to the eight-second spoken poem "Cuplet" — Moondog uses the expanded range of tonal colors and dynamics impressively. For someone who spent most of his career performing solo on a street corner in Manhattan, Moondog's arrangements on pieces like the jazz-canon's "Stamping Ground" are not only admirably complex, but also richly melodic. Although Moondog is often thought of as a mere exotica novelty, thanks to the composer's eccentricities, it is, in fact, one of the finest third stream jazz albums of its era.

Hear

Meat Puppets - Out My Way EP

Hot. High. Hairy. Head. the Pups emerge from their noodling psyche weirdo shock and engage in blistering power chord Topisms. Always reminds me of the humidity of Midwestern summers, cool waters, smokiness and rarely wearing a t-shirt.

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Allmusic.com: When originally released in 1986, the six-track Out My Way EP was supposed to be a stop-gap release -- guitarist/singer Curt Kirkwood had broken his finger, and needed time to recover. Musically, the EP showed that the Puppets were moving on from their early punk sound to a more traditional rock direction. But the band's originality was still offered in abundance; for example, the album-opening "She's Hot" sounds like a jam session between ZZ Top and the Talking Heads. Also included was the spacious sounds of the title track, the carefree "Not Swimming Ground," and an explosive reading of Little Richard's "Good Golly Miss Molly." The 1999 Rykodisc reissue more than doubled the original's track listing, containing such standout rarities as a Black Sabbath-esque reading of "I Just Want to Make Love to You" (from 1982), a fragile cover of the country classic "Burn the Honky Tonk Down" (originally popularized by George Jones), plus the experimental "Backwards Drums."



HEAR

Chicago Transit Authority - Chicago Transit Authority

The recent phase around these parts really isn't complete without this band. They cranked out the epitome of soft rock in the 1970s and only got worse in the 80s. But they really didn't start that way.

In 1969 these guys debuted with a double album, all but unheard of at the time, or even now. It was no soft rock serving (though it had a few sprinkled in.) Under the guidance of manager/svengali Jim Guercio it fused the latin, jazz, and psychedelic influences of the time (a case can be made from this record alone that Terry Kath's chops were matched only by Hendrix) and created something that, if not entirely original, was certainly not commonplace. It rocked hard, and was often fearless (see the 15 minutes of Liberation or Free Form Guitar if you doubt me.)

This record was more or less constantly played on my stepfather's reel to reel deck in 1970/71 and as a 9 old kid I remember how difficult it was for me to comprehend all this coming from just one band, let alone from the same album.

They would make better pop with their second album (though curiously as severely edited, and thus more radio-friendly, movements from very long suites - a major bone of contention between the band and Guercio that led to a parting of ways in 78) and hone their soft rock niche over the coming years, but this first record was the most diverse and interesting they would ever produce.

amg:
Few debut albums can boast as consistently solid an effort as the self-titled Chicago Transit Authority (1969). Even fewer can claim to have enough material to fill out a double-disc affair. Although this long- player was ultimately the septet's first national exposure, the group was far from the proverbial "overnight sensation." Under the guise of the Big Thing, the group soon to be known as CTA had been honing its eclectic blend of jazz, classical, and straight-ahead rock & roll in and around the Windy City for several years. Their initial non-musical meeting occurred during a mid-February 1967 confab between the original combo at Walter Parazaider's apartment on the north side of Chi Town. Over a year later, Columbia Records staff producer James Guercio became a key supporter of the group, which he rechristened Chicago Transit Authority. In fairly short order the band relocated to the West Coast and began woodshedding the material that would comprise this title. In April of 1969, the dozen sides of Chicago Transit Authority unleashed a formidable and ultimately American musical experience. This included an unheralded synthesis of electric guitar wailin' rock & roll to more deeply rooted jazz influences and arrangements. This approach economized the finest of what the band had to offer — actually two highly stylized units that coexisted with remarkable singularity. On the one hand, listeners were presented with an incendiary rock & roll quartet of Terry Kath (lead guitar/vocals), Robert Lamm (keyboards/vocals), Peter Cetera (bass/vocals), and Danny Seraphine (drums). They were augmented by the equally aggressive power brass trio that included Lee Loughnane (trumpet/vocals), James Pankow (trombone), and the aforementioned Parazaider (woodwind/vocals). This fusion of rock with jazz would also yield some memorable pop sides and enthusiasts' favorites as well. Most notably, a quarter of the material on the double album — "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?," "Beginnings," "Questions 67 and 68," and the only cover on the project, Steve Winwood's "I'm a Man" — also scored as respective entries on the singles chart. The tight, infectious, and decidedly pop arrangements contrast with the piledriving blues-based rock of "Introduction" and "South California Purples" as well as the 15-plus minute extemporaneous free for all "Liberation." Even farther left of center are the experimental avant-garde "Free Form Guitar" and the politically intoned and emotive "Prologue, August 29, 1968" and "Someday (August 29, 1968).

Hear

A documentary was produced in 1970 by NBC - a sort of cinema verite look at the music industry through the life of a band. As it happened that band was Chicago just prior to the release of their second album. The doc just showed up on youtube last month and it's fascinating, both for its look at Chicago before they had become huge stars, and for the cultural window it provides. Plus Guercio is soooo damned young, skinny and serious. In 3 parts.

Josh Rouse - 1972

The softer side of the "Me" decade is running rampant in the Forest. The aging, macrobiotic, yoga-stretching inhabitants are waving their freak flags of mellowness. Strum on!

Josh Rouse is a fine singer songwriter. A couple of years back he hit the same phase our contributers have and produced this completely irony-free homage to that time and its music. It's gorgeous and was on regular rotation for me for a long time after its release. I sent it to the Curry yesterday to feed his habit (he'd never heard it) and found myself luxuriating in its beauty once again.

Though the music is pitch perfect, finding its foundation in the stylings of that era, its content is sometimes darker and often more intelligent than the standard fare upon which it's based.

No other artist has mined the 70's soft rock material so well without hedging his bet with the all too common smirk or the annoyingly requisite wink.

This really is a great record.

amg:

Josh Rouse's 1972 gives away the game in the first line of the first song, the exquisite title track, when he name-checks Carole King. The record is going back in time and it is going to have fun doing it. Rouse's records have always been highly literate and highly musical, but they have never been fun like this, and make no mistake, 1972 is a fun record. Rouse sounds as loose as a goose and the songs reflect that. Not always lyrically, as some of the songs touch on such non-fun subjects as loneliness, repression, and bitterness, but definitely musically. To that end, Brad Jones' production is spot-on perfect — not an instrument is out of place and the whole record has a jaunty bounce and a lush dreaminess. 1972 is coated with sonic goodness: fluttering strings, piping horns, cotton-candy sweet flutes, funky percussion, handclaps, and great backing vocals. Rouse and Jones find inspiration in all the right places: in the laid-back groove of Al Green, the California haze of Fleetwood Mac, the dreamy melancholia of Nick Drake, the sexy groove of Marvin Gaye, and the wordy lilt of Jackson Browne or James Taylor. The songs are the strongest batch Rouse has written yet. "Love Vibration" is the hit single; it has everything a hit single needs: musical hooks, lyrical hooks, vocal hooks, a smoldering sax solo (optional), and a groovy video. Other songs that are sure to be in heavy rotation are "James," a funky ballad that shows off Rouse's wonderful falsetto (as does "Comeback [Light Therapy]") and takes time for that most elusive creature, a good flute solo; "Under Your Charms," a sultry, sensual ballad that takes a potentially squirm-inducing subject and actually does it right, Marvin-style; and "Rise," a beautifully orchestrated epic that ends the record on a perfect note. 1972 should vault Rouse to the forefront of intelligent pop alongside kindred spirits like Joe Pernice and Kurt Wagner (of Lambchop). If you say you've heard a better pop record this year, you are lying.


And to my fellow Forest posters, most of whom are younger than I by a decade or so and have perhaps fewer memories of the original ride, these lyrics from the title track might speak to your current obsession:

We're going through some changes
hopin' for replacement
until we find,
a way out of this hole

Hear

Here's a nice stripped-down acoustic performance of Love Vibration.

Spirit - Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus [1970]

Along with a few other Forest denizens I recently turned two score years old, which apparently makes you reflect the fuck on your life and your entry into the world and what was going down at that point—if only to stave off the answer to the question at the other end of the spectrum. Suddenly you adore all of the soft rock of your youth. You hope it's just a short-lived phase, but you just don't know. The questions begin: "Are my Wings clipped? Is my America disappearing? Is my Steely resolve to be Grateful that I'm not Dead done, Dan?"

I think I'm going to pull out of it, but it's going to take a lot of Slayer and Jesus Lizard on the other end of this tunnel.

I've absolutely been obsessed with Spirit lately; they have been carrying me through the darker parts of the tunnel. I've long loved 1970 musically and Twelve Dreams Of Dr. Sardonicus is quite a stunning window into the psych-country-prog-metal-jazz-soul that encompasses the spirit of Spirit. I'm sure you are familiar with "I've Got a Line On You" and "Nature's Way", but their entire catalog bears investigating if you like what you hear here and are not already deep with the Spirit. I find this album to be pretty flawless other than the Kenny Logginsesque parts of "Animal Zoo", which mar an otherwise excellent tune. Randy California was definitely fond of studio chicanery, so cue this up on some cans and enjoy the details. "Love Has Found A Way" is a fine mindfuck and seems to be pretty advanced production-wise for the time. David Briggs is twisting the knobs and your mind on this one, as he did for Neil Young, Nick Cave, Alice Cooper and Royal Trux.

Apologies for becoming pedestrian, predictable and sappy in old age. Just to prove that I'm intolerable and cranky I think I'm going to keep harping on 1970 for a bit with a flurry of posts. Wait until you see the next one...it's a doooooozy. Quite frightening actually, at least initially, but please, stay with me.


Come bask in the heavenly Spirit


[Note: Trax 13-16 are bonuses from the 1996 reissue where this stems from. "Soldier" is intended to be the twelfth and final dream in the original release.]