Two From an Album All About Threes

Yesterday's post included a cover from Brian Wilson that had me thinking about a handful of fascinating songs he did, seemingly out of nowhere, in mid 90s for tribute albums and other compilations. My favorite of these appeared on 'Trios,' an out-of-print 1994 album from bassist Rob Wasserman where on each track he is accompanied by two other well-known artists.

The album opens with "Fantasy Is Reality/Bells of Madness," a song Wasserman performed with Wilson and Wilson's daughter Carnie. It was written by Sam Phillips, Wasserman and Brian and produced by Don Was. You may remember Was directed the documentary on Wilson's life that would come out a year later,
'I Just Wasn't Made For These Times.' The first time I heard Wilson's background vocal come in I got goosebumps. There is no doubting that's Wilson's on the piano either. It's very Beach Boys. The biggest surprise, however, is Carnie's lead vocal. Beautiful. I should also mention my favorite Wilson songs are the ones with lyrics that prove, without a doubt, he is crazy. This album came out while I was working at a record store, and I played it over and over in the shop. It was pure torture to most of my younger co-workers, but I did convert one or two of them.

Wasserman's second song on 'Trios' is with Elvis Costello and Marc Ribot. "Put Your Big Toe in the Milk of Human Kindness" was written by Costello in 1986 "as an imaginary theme song for an imaginary movie," and his vocal is in a crooning style we would hear quite a bit more of in future years. I would love to tell you the rest of the album is of the same quality as these first two songs, but I don't think I have even made it through even as far as the third track in the past 15 years.

Rob Wasserman With Carnie Wilson and Brian Wilson - Fantasy Is Reality/Bells of Madness (mp3)

Rob Wasserman With Elvis Costello and Marc Ribot - Put Your Big Toe in the Milk of Human Kindness (mp3)

Faves From 'For the Love of Harry'

If, like me, you're a fan of the late great Harry Nilsson, you may have picked up this 1995 tribute album, 'For the Love of Harry: Everybody Sings Nilsson.' There are some real keepers here. Probably the best-known cover is "One," with lead vocals by Aimee Mann, and all instruments, as well as production, by Jon Brion. The all-star lineup is topped off with backing vocals by Chris Difford of Squeeze and Neil Innes of the Rutles. About four years later, the song appeared on the mostly Mann (and Academy Award-nominated) 'Magnolia' soundtrack. That record is still available. So, I'll skip this song and give you a listen to the three artists that got me to pick up 'For the Love of Harry' in the first place. They were and still are among my all-time favorite performers.

In the summer of 1994, Brian Wilson took lead-vocal and piano duties on "This Could Be the Night." His good pal Andy Paley played just about everything else and helped Wilson produce it. This was still back when Wilson wasn't releasing much. So, this one-song sighting was a pretty big deal to me.

Marshall Crenshaw "acted alone" when he recorded "Don't Forget Me" at a little studio in Woodstock, N.Y., around May 1994. Unlike the quintessential Wilson sound on "This Could Be the Night," Crenshaw's take on "Don't Forget Me" sounds an awful lot like Nilsson himself.

"Good Old Desk" is, perhaps, my favorite Nilsson song, and I like knowing Ron Sexsmith must have a soft spot for it as well. Sexsmith was backed by legends (at least in my mind) Mitchell Froom and Jerry Scheff at, oddly enough, a different studio in Woodstock.

All proceeds from this album went to the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, in Nilsson's memory. I'm sure they would still take your donation.

Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
100 Maryland Ave., N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20002-5625
(202) 544-7190

Brian Wilson - This Could Be the Night (mp3)
Marshall Crenshaw - Don't Forget Me (mp3)
Ron Sexsmith - Good Old Desk (mp3)

'For the Love of Harry' Tracklist
1. Remember (Randy Newman)
2. Turn on Your Radio (Marc Cohn)
3. One (Aimee Mann)
4. Coconut (Fred Schneider)
5. Joy (Joe Ely)
6. Lay Down Your Arms (Ringo Starr and Stevie Nicks)
7. Without Her (Beckley/Lamm/Wilson)
8. Jump Into The Fire (LaVern Baker)
9. The Moonbeam Song (Steve Forbert)
10. You're Breakin' My Heart (Peter Wolf and The Houseparty 5)
11. Mournin' Glory Story (Jennifer Trynin)
12. Salmon Falls (Al Kooper)
13. The Puppy Song (Victoria Williams)
14. Don't Forget Me (Marshall Crenshaw)
15. This Could Be The Night (Brian Wilson)
16. Think About Your Troubles (Jellyfish)
17. The Lottery Song (Bill Lloyd)
18. Good Old Desk (Ron Sexsmith)
19. Me and My Arrow (Adrian Belew)
20. I Guess The Lord Must Be in New York City (Richard Barone)
21. Spaceman (The Roches with Mark Johnson)
22. Don't Leave Me (John Cowan)
23. Lifeline (Jimmy Webb)

It's the Nick Lowe Show

If you're a regular visitor, you know I don't miss too many opportunities to post about Nick Lowe. On March 16, Lowe stopped by the studio of NPR's "Sound Opinions" for a lengthy talk with hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot. Yes, he performed some songs from his latest, "The Old Magic," too. I'm a huge fan of this program and have been listening since the duo's early days at WXRT in Chicago. If you get a chance, lend an ear. Here are the stations where you can pick it up. Clicking on the following link will get you to the entire audio of the program with Lowe, and you will find some high-quality video of his "Sound Opinions" performances below. Is it just me, or is he getting better with age?

Nick Lowe performs 'Somebody Cares For Me' on 'Sound Opinions' from WBEZ on Vimeo.

Nick Lowe performs 'Stoplight Roses' on 'Sound Opinions' from WBEZ on Vimeo.

Record Store Day Releases Announced

"The new phone book's here! The new phone book's here!" Sorry, riffing on 'The Jerk.' Actually, Record Store Day has just released the list of this year's exclusives available on April 21 at your local mom-and-pop shop. I'll give my recommendations a little closer to the holiday (yes, I said "holiday") but thought you would want to start making your own list of must-buy vinyl right now. What a great way to begin the week.

The People Have Spoken...

...or should I say person? The other day I said Linear Tracking Lives! was a dictatorship. Turns out a better description would be a man without a country. Only one reader took me up on my invitation to request songs from 'CD86: 48 Tracks From the Birth of Indie Pop.' So, Dirk, this one is for you.... all one minute and 24 seconds of it. Straight outta Glasgow, here's side one, track one of 'CD86.'

Primal Scream - Velocity Girl (mp3)

Oh, and one more thing. I just discovered my new pal Dirk has a must-see blog. Cheers!

Song Recycle: Van Dyke Parks to New Label

Bella Union is quickly ascending the ranks of my favorite labels. I have had Veronica Falls on my turntable almost nonstop. Now there is news that three seminal albums from Van Dyke Parks will be reissued by the upstart label this June.

I really discovered Parks about 20 years ago when I got my first 'SMiLE' bootleg. I immediately followed that up with a Parks single-disc best-of package on Diablo Records called 'Idiosyncratic Path.' It's out of print now, but if you don't have any of his work, what a great place to start! The entire 19-song record is comprised of the three albums Bella Union will be reissuing... 'Song Cycle' (1968), 'Discover America' (1972) and 'Clang Of The Yankee Reaper' (1975). I already own two of these planned reissues, but 'Discover America' has somehow eluded me. So, this announcement has made my day.

To whet your appetite, here's one of my favorites from the Americana pioneer.

Van Dyke Parks - Clang of the Yankee Reaper (mp3)

What's Your Favorite From CD86 Compilation?

Twenty years after the groundbreaking C86 tape from NME, Sanctuary/Castle released 'CD86: 48 Tracks from the Birth of Indie Pop.' Bob Stanley of Saint Etienne fame compiled the massive two-disc set, and he was criticized by some for not including more of the original C86 songs. I'm not in this camp. It's true only three of the C86 songs made 'CD86,' but 15 of the 22 acts on C86 did make Stanley's list. Truth be told, most of his selections are as good (and some are better) than the bands' songs on its predecessor.

'CD86' is out of print, and the few available on the secondary market are very expensive. Linear Tracking Lives! is a dictatorship, but I don't like to bust heads. Arab Spring has me thinking a democratic gesture is in order. This Friday, I'm going to post five songs from this magnificent collection. I'll let you folks decide the songs. Let me know your favorite from the tracklist below. You can either use the comments section or my email address. I'll let the voice of the people decide what we listen to that day. If your song isn't chosen, please, no bloody uprise. Today, we'll listen to my pick.

The Hit Parade had six excellent singles between 1984 and 1987, and they were collected on their 1988 debut album, 'With Love From The Hit Parade.' This is their only album I'm familiar with, but the band is still around after all of these decades. If you think I should own any of the band's small post-'80s output, let me know what I'm missing.

The Hit Parade - You Didn't Love Me Then (mp3)

'CD 86' Tracklist:
Disc One
1. Primal Scream - Velocity Girl
2. The Servants - The Sun A Small Star
3. Hurrah! - Around And Around
4. The Loft - Why Does The Rain
5. East Village - Vibrato
6. The Sea Urchins - Pristine Christine
7. The Siddeleys - What Went Wrong This Time
8. Another Sunny Day - Anorak City
9. The Clouds - Get Out Of My Dream
10. The Boy Hairdressers - Golden Showers
11. The Chesterfields - Ask Johnny Dee
12. The Raw Herbs - He Blows In
13. Laugh - Paul Mccartney
14. The Hit Parade - You Didn't Love Me Then
15. The Weather Prophets - Like Frankie Lymon
16. The June Brides - Sunday To Saturday
17. The Dentists - Had An Excellent Dream
18. Mighty Mighty - Everybodys Knows The Monkey
19. BMX Bandits - E102
20. Talulah Gosh - Talulah Gosh
21. Jasmine Minks - Cut Me Deep
22. Razorcuts - I'll Still Be There
23. Bodines - Therese
24. TV Personalities - Paradise Estate

Disc Two
1. The Jesus And Mary Chain - Upside Down
2. Primitives - Really Stupid
3. The Groove Farm - It Always Rains On Sunday
4. Pop Will Eat Itself - Black Country Chainsaw Massacre
5. 14 Iced Bears - Come Get Me
6. Fizzbombs - Sign On The Line
7. The Wolfhounds - Anti Midas Touch
8. The Wedding Present - This Boy Can Wait
9. Age Of Chance - Bible Of The Beats
10. Shop Assistants - Safety Net
11. Close Lobsters - Just Too Bloody Stupid
12. Half Man Half Biscuit - Dukla Prague Away Kit
13. Meat Whiplash - Don't Slip Up
14. The Flatmates - Could Be In Heaven
15. The Darling Buds - If I Said
16. This Poison - Poised Over The Pause Button
17. The Bachelor Pad - Jack And Julian
18. The Pooh Sticks - On Tape
19. The Revolving Paint Dream - Flowers Are In The Sky
20. The Soup Dragons - Whole Wide World
21. Mccarthy - Frans Hals
22. The Mighty Lemon Drops - Like And Angel
23. Big Flame - Why Popstars Can't Dance
24. The Pastels - Baby Honey

Of Books and Basketball

Between college basketball (I even went to an NIT game last night) and my second reading of the best music autobiography of all time, I haven't had many free moments to write about my latest musical obsessions. Sit tight (and rethink your brackets). I'm going to go all C86 on you next week... I promise.

In the meantime, if you have never read Ray Davies'
'X-Ray: The Unauthorized Autobiography,' I urge you get yourself an education. As the title suggests, this is one of the more peculiar remembrances of a person's life. There are two tales here. It's an Orwellian world in the not-too-distant future where a dazed and confused file clerk from "the Corporation" is assigned to update the file on Davies. Davies is a bitter old curmudgeon that may or may not be telling the truth as he recounts his youth. It is, of course, an autobiography, thus, all Davies. If I have a beef, it's that Davies doesn't tell the entire story of his life. There is no Chrissie Hynde or "Come Dancing," but he covers the real meat and potatoes of the Kinks' years.

The first time I read 'X-Ray' was about 10 years ago, and I seem to remember Davies' story within a story literary device a bit grating. I don't know if it's maturity or the fact that I'm much more into the Kinks or what, but now I find Davies' writings that of a mad genius. I'm happy I found it at my local used book store the other day. If you're a fan, it's a must read. Here's one from 1965:

The Kinks - I Go to Sleep (Demo) (mp3)

New Cats on Fire Around the Corner

Mark your calendars, ask your phone to remind you or whatever the kids do today... we are only about two weeks from a new album from Finnish outfit Cats on Fire. 'All Blackshirts to Me' is out in most places on or about March 27, and you can get a listen/download of a couple of new songs from the widgets below. Just in case you don't have a phone you give a name to and pretend is your friend, here is a link to preorder options to take care of this good news right now. If you loved 'Our Temperance Movement' as much as I did, your day has been made.

"A Few Empty Waves"


"My Sense of Pride"


'All Blackshirts to Me' Tracklist
1. Our Old Centre Back
2. My Sense Of Pride
3. A Different Light
4. There Goes The Alarm
5. After The Fact
6. The Sea Within You
7. 1914 and Beyond
8. Well Well What Do You Know
9. Smash It To Pieces
10. It's Clear Your Former Lover
11. A Few Empty Waves
12. Finnish Lace

Label Pays Homage to 'Repo Man'

There are two soundtracks from my youth that greatly influenced the music I would listen to for the rest of my life. The first,
'That Summer,' I wrote about in the early days of this blog. Although not every band on the soundtrack was from across the pond, with acts like Elvis Costello & the Attractions, Nick Lowe, Undertones, Ian Dury & the Blockheads and Wreckless Eric, to name a few, this album was my personal British Invasion. Nearly three decades after I bought it, it's still probably my favorite record in the collection.

I bought the second, 'Repo Man,' about a year after I found
'That Summer.' This soundtrack was my introduction to the SoCal punk scene of the early '80s. Like many teens, I fancied myself an "outsider," and anthems from bands like Black Flag and Suicidal Tendencies were so different from what was on the radio and MTV that I knew this was the music for me and my kind. I could wax poetic about the film, too. For now, I'll just say some of the best lines of all time come from that fine piece of art.

Bud: Credit is a sacred trust, it's what our free society is founded on. Do you think they give a damn about their bills in Russia? I said, do you think they give a damn about their bills in Russia?
Otto: They don't pay bills in Russia, it's all free.
Bud: All free? Free my ass. What are you, a fuckin' commie? Huh?
Otto: No, I ain't no commie.
Bud: Well, you better not be. I don't want no commies in my car. No Christians either.

I'm not alone in my love for 'Repo Man' and its soundtrack. American Laundromat Records has quite a track record of releasing fine tribute albums by various artists, such as odes to Pixies, the Cure and the Smiths. This fall, the label may top them all with 'A Tribute To Repo Man.' The entire original soundtrack will be covered by the likes of Mike Watt, Matthew Sweet and Black Francis. While we're waiting, as Bud would say, let's head back to 1984 "at a hundred and ten per."

Black Flag - TV Party (mp3)
Suicidal Tendencies - Institutionalized (mp3)
The Circle Jerks - Coup D'Etat (mp3)



'A Tribute To Repo Man' Tracklist
(Original soundtrack artists in parentheses)
1. Repo Man - Those Darlins (Iggy Pop)
2. TV Party - Polar Bear Club (Black Flag)
3. Institutionalized - Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra (Suicidal Tendencies)
4. Coup D'Etat - New York Rivals (The Circle Jerks)
5. El Clavo Y La Cruz - Black Francis (The Plugz)
6. Pablo Picasso - The Tellers (Burning Sensations)
7. Let's Have A War - Mike Watt (Fear)
8. When The Shit Hits The Fan - TBA (The Circle Jerks)
9. Hombre Secreto - Matthew Sweet (The Plugz)
10. Bad Man - TBA (Juicy Bananas)
11. Reel Ten - Weekend (The Plugz)

Wishing It Was 'Always Saturday'

I don't know what it's like out today where you live. Perhaps you're lucky enough to live in St. Louis (Did I just write that?) where it's sunny and 80 degrees. Here it's dark, windy, raining sideways and 39 degrees... another Monday in Seattle. As jangle-pop heroes Guadalcanal Diary sang on their final album, 'Flip-Flop,' back in 1989, "I wanna live where it's always Saturday." For the benefit of you kids out there, '89 was way back when flip-flops were only worn in showers.

All of this weather talk should really increase my numbers with the 65+ demographic. Here's hoping you have a great week.

Guadalcanal Diary - Always Saturday (mp3)

Lost Gem From 28-Year-Old Rhino Comp

I have a magnificent obsession. I recently picked up an '80s girl-group compilation from Rhino called 'The Girls Can't Help It.' The 1984 release has a couple of bands I'm familiar with, such as the Pandoras and Tiger Lily, but most of these gals are a mystery to me. Side one of the album closes with one of the catchiest pieces of pop I have heard in a long time. "Even Try" by On the Air sounds a lot like the work of the Bangles on their first EP, but it's a little more lo-fi and has some "mop-top" era Beatles thrown in. I have listened to it about 25 times this week, and it's more than worthy of two minutes of your time.

Info about On the Air is pretty scarce. Apparently, in the '80s, they released a six-song vinyl-only record on the Pulse label that was sold through Tower Records and Music Plus. These stores quickly went through the initial pressing of 2,000 units. Sounds good, right? It would have been if, in the meantime, Pulse had not flown the coop. It's an old story. There seems to be a music video for the song "Carol," off of that album, but I haven't been able to track it down. Shockingly, I have just discovered you can download the album, called 'This Can't Be Real,' from CD Baby and iTunes. There are six bonus tracks to boot. I would like to get my hands on one of those original pieces of vinyl. In the meantime, the digital download will have to do. If you know anything else about this intriguing group, please let me know.

I'm off to try and break the spell this song has over me. Bring on the college basketball!

On the Air - Even Try (mp3)

Double Dose of Seeing Red

The post I did the other day on the Clean has me on a New Zealand kick. Today, I could go with the Chills, the Bats or Sneaky Feelings, but I have decided on an early one from Split Enz. 'I See Red' is a spastic ball of energy penned by the great Tim Finn. The song appeared on the 1978 album 'Frenzy.' It was a minor hit in their home country (No. 43), but it did quite well in Australia, peaking at No. 15. They would not chart again until 1980 with the world-wide smash, "I Got You." There is no doubt the chorus of "I Got You" is a timeless great worthy of accolades, but my love for "I See Red" comes from the crazy keyboards of Eddie Rayner. Rayner and XTC keyboardist Barry Andrews must have attended the same music classes.

You can find an interesting version of the song on Neil Finn's all-star project '7 Worlds Collide.' It was recorded live at Aukland's St. James Theatre in the spring of 2001. Among those in the band for this take are Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder, Tim Finn and Neil Finn's son Liam on guitar. Since then, Liam has become quite an artist in his own right, but that's a story for another day. Vedder has great taste in bands and baseball teams (Chicago Cubs)... my kind of guy. So, why don't I like his stuff more?

Split Enz - I See Red (mp3)
Neil Finn & Friends - I See Red (Live) (mp3)

VJ For a Day

Here are some new(ish) songs I'm digging right now. Albums by Paul Weller, the Shins and M. Ward will be out in the spring, but you can buy the rest of this lot right now. I particularly like the video for Nick Lowe's "Sensitive Man." It just came out the other day. See if you can spot all of the cameo appearances.

This is Nick Lowe's "Sensitive Man."














This is Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's "Hysterical."

Release Date for dB's Album

I'm beginning to think this is really going to happen. After seven long years of work, Bar/None has set a release date for 'Falling Off the Sky,' the first album from the dB's original lineup since 'Repercussion' in 1982. Mark your calendars for June 12. Hats off to Bar/None for resurrecting the careers of two of my all-time favorites, these guys and the Feelies. For a tiny bit more on the new record, as well as a widget with a new song not slated for 'Falling Off the Sky,' check out this previous post. One more tiny piece of tracklist news: The songs "Picture Sleeve" and "Write Back," from the band's Record Store Day 7" out last spring, will be two of the 12 songs on 'Falling Off the Sky.' If you're a regular here, you know I have been raving about that single ad nauseum for almost a year.

Speaking of singles, let's give a listen to the dB's earliest one. It was actually credited to "Chris Stamey and the dB's." The A-side was recorded in 1977 with help from Television's Richard Lloyd. The B-side was recorded in 1978. Band members Will Rigby and Gene Holder were on board by then, but Peter Holsapple didn't join the fellas until later in the year. Although the dB's first album was still a few years away (released, not recorded), both of these songs would have fit in quite nicely on 'Stand for Decibels.' I got these from the fabulous 'Children of Nuggets' box set. Sadly, it's out of print, but you can still buy copies here.

Chris Stamey and the dB's - (I Thought) You Wanted to Know (mp3)
Chris Stamey and the dB's - If and When (mp3)

Get Sugarplastic's '7x7x7' Series on CD

I'm a big fan of Los Angeles' power-pop scene of the early to mid '90s. Wondermints and this band, the Sugarplastic, usually fight it out for the top spot in any imaginary countdown I have in my head. The Sugarplastic are often dismissed as a second-rate XTC, but this is an unfair accusation. There is no doubt, however, XTC was a huge influence on their first album, 'Radio Jejune.' Colin Moulding is even called out in the lyrics of one song. I will admit this one record, released in 1995, is a bit derivative, but I love it anyway.

As with many young bands, after their first effort the trio began to find their own sound. Unfortunately, the Sugarplastic have been far from prolific. There have only been three other proper studio albums since the one that pigeonholed them 17 years ago. I think the lack of productivity has led to the XTC label sticking. With all of that time between albums, not that many listeners stuck around to hear the later stuff. That's unfortunate.

The Sugarplastic's latest releases have been on TallBoy Records, but you have to go back to 2005 for the last one. One of the coolest things the band did with the label was the '7x7x7' subscription series that began in 2003. There were seven 7" singles in all, each individually numbered by subscriber (I was No. 63 of 300), and released every three months. So, like everything else Sugarplastic, you had to show some patience. By the conclusion in 2005, I had 14 sides of great music on beautifully colored vinyl. Seven songs were penned by Ben Eshbach. The other seven were by Kiara Gellar. The covers were works of art worth displaying, too.

My heart sank a bit when TallBoy ultimately decided to release them all on one CD, but the label did give subscribers a courtesy copy, along with a bonus disc of unreleased Sugarplastic songs. There were also stickers, buttons and other little gifts. I'm actually happy the disc is available now because that means you can get it... and at a cost of only $6 in America and $8 elsewhere. Get it here. These are my series favorites from each songwriter.

The Sugarplastic - Here Comes Mr. Right (mp3) Side 10 (Eshbach)
The Sugarplastic - Hey Mr. Lockjaw (mp3) Side 5 (Gellar)

'Tally Ho!' The Clean to Come to America

I don't usually base a post solely on news of a tour. It only benefits the few readers that a) like the band and b) are lucky enough to live in or near the cities where they perform. Occasionally, though, a legend hits the road that excites me to the point where even the faintest glimmer of readers seeing them propels me to pass the word. Surprisingly, before today, it has already happened twice this year with annonced shows from fIREHOSE and Close Lobsters. Now comes word New Zealand's the Clean will wash up on America's shores for a brief one-week stint. Just as there is little hope of seeing Close Lobsters in Glasgow this April, I most likely won't get to hear the jangle of the Clean come June. As long as there are dates, however, the dream lives.

Although the Clean's first single came out more than 30 years ago, the band only has a handful of proper albums, and they are difficult to acquire. If you don't own any Clean, I suggest the double-disc 'Anthology' that came out in 2003. Almost all of their stellar early work is there. If you like that, check out their latest, 'Mister Pop.' The song "In the Dreamlife You Need a Rubber Soul" was No. 9 on my top tracks of 2009 list. And if you do live in one of the cities below, see them for me, won't you?

The Clean - Tally Ho! (mp3) (1981)
The Clean - Two Fat Sisters (Live) (mp3) (1981)
The Clean - In the Dreamlife You Need a Rubber Soul (mp3) (2009)

The Clean's Tour Dates
May 30 Los Angeles, The Echo
June 2 Austin, Texas, Club De Ville Chaos in Tejas Festival
June 4 Allston, Mass., Brighton Music
June 5 New York, Le Poisson Rouge
June 6 Philadelphia, Johnny Brenda's
June 7 Washington, D.C., Rock & Roll Hotel
June 8 Chapel Hill, N.C. Local 506