Happy New Year!

Let's put 2017 to bed already. My best to you and your families on this day. As for me, after an afternoon of bowling with my sons and cheering on the Seattle Seahawks as they attempt to sneak into the playoffs on this the last day of the football season, I will open a bottle of bubbly and renew my tradition of watching Big Country's legendary New Year's Eve show from Barrowland, circa 1983. Honestly, nothing brings me more joy. Until next year, then...

"In a Big Country"/"Auld Lang Syne"

Papa Nez Turns 75!

Happy birthday to Michael Nesmith. The cool Monkee was probably my first musical hero. When cable came to my hometown in 1979, the old television series aired on WFLD channel 32 out of Chicago. I watched it every morning that summer. During the school year, the program moved to lunchtime. I would tune in for many years. I lived across the street from my high school, and in my first couple of years there I would come home and have a quick sandwich while watching the band's zany antics on the tube.

Lucky for me I had much of the Monkees' music at my disposal from the get go because my mom had been into them when she was a girl. It would be many more years before I discovered Nesmith's solo albums, and I think that's the way it needed to work out. I imagine I wouldn't have appreciated the twang of his early and mid-'70s output in my youth. I, of course, love it all now. Through the years, I have played quite a bit of Nesmith's work on these pages, but here is one from his solo years that may not have been spun.

"Tanya" was recorded in either 1980 or '81 with the idea it would be included in Nesmith's musical movie 'Video Ranch.' As he says on the liner notes for the 1989 album 'The Newer Stuff', that project never got past the script stage. He did go on to give his official Web site that name. "Tanya" is a pretty song that sounds, well, of its time, but I love it anyway. Kind of has the same feel as some of the songs on Brian Wilson's 1988 solo album, if you know what I mean.

"Tanya"

I would be remiss if I didn't also call to your attention that Davy Jones would have turned 72 today. Take it easy, ladies.

This clip brought back great memories of the WFLD morning lineup when I was a kid.

A Place Where Your Vote Really Counts

One of the albums on my best reissues list this year was a live recording of Marshall Crenshaw from 1982. The label that released it is one that I have been meaning to tout for some time. Run Out Groove is a democracy in the truest sense. This lot actually listens to the people. In most cases, they dig around for some of the finest but most neglected releases from the last five decades. Sometimes, like in the case of that Crenshaw album, Run Out Groove finds a recording that has never been properly released. Once a few candidates are properly vetted, the label brings a ballot to the people for a vote. The album that receives the most votes becomes the label's next release. The number of albums pressed depends solely on pre-orders, and the album only gets one pressing. That's how, for example, you end up with 1,155 limited-edition copies of the Crenshaw album. You can tell the folks behind the scene have the same passion for records as we do. The vinyl is heavy and crisp, and the packaging is impeccable. Here is a quick look at what Run Out Groove has given us so far.

That brings us to why I'm writing about Run Out Groove today. They have an exciting ballot for their next album release out there right now, and time is running out to make your vote count. Earlier this year I was going on about Lorraine Ellison's "Stay With Me" being about the best song I have ever heard. That tune can be found on her 'Heart & Soul' album, but it's a pretty tough find these days. Maybe not for long, however, because that's one of the candidates for Run Out Groove's next release. The competition is stiff, however, and I must admit I voted for Solomon Burke's 'The Best of Atlantic Soul 1962-1965', an album that got to No. 22 back in '65. Little Richard deserves a mention too as his 1970 live album 'The Rill Thing' is also a worthy candidate made more exciting by the fact that this one would be blown out to a double LP.

Burke gets my vote because he has been on the ballot before, and each song on this compilation is gold. I'm such a fan of Burke's voice, but it's also his place in the history of Atlantic that makes him an artist worth remembering. It has been said many times it was Jerry Wexler and Ahmet Ertegun's signing of "King Solomon" that kept Atlantic afloat in the early '60s when Ray Charles and Bobby Darin jumped ship. In a move bound to be as controversial as a candidate's flunkies showing up at a polling place on election day to try and sway your vote, here is a little Burke (two words rarely seen together) to whet your appetite.

Solomon will be remembered as a soul man through and through, but he went down the country road a time or two too. Burke's second of 32 singles for Atlantic was his first hit for the label. "Just Out of Reach (Of My Two Open Arms)", reached No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at No. 7 on the R&B charts. Time for a good ol' fashioned boot scoot. Then place your vote. Let's face it though. We are going to win no matter what.

"Just Out of Reach (Of My Two Empty Arms)"

You Must Have Made the Nice List

I usually buy one new Christmas album each December, but that didn't happen this year. Fortunately, Mrs. LTL got me one for my birthday last month, and it's a seasonal long player I had been seeking for many a year. 'Lost Winter's Dream' features legends of L.A.'s power-pop scene, but this one was recorded long before their names were known.

Lisa Mychols would go on to make a name for herself with the Masticators, but about eight years before that, when she was just a kid, really, Mychols would go through her first breakup. To cope, she began writing melancholy songs with a winter theme. She showed them to Darian Sahanaja and Nick Walusko, soon to be known as the key players in Wondermints, and the wheels were in motion for 'Lost Winter's Dream'. Sahanaja and Walusko would co-write songs with Mychols to fill out the album, and bassist Steve Kobashigawa would write the real gem of the collection, album opener "Listen to the Bells Ring". The album would be released in 1990 as a limited edition cassette and later on as a CD-R, gaining a cult-like popularity among the indie-pop community, but the first official release wouldn't come until Rev-Ola rescued it in 2002. These days, it's a pretty tough find again, at least in its physical form. There are a couple of copies on Discogs right now, and the cheapest is going for $34.

One of the lasting legacies of 'Lost Winters's Dream' is that it gave Sahanaja and Walusko an opportunity to educate themselves on the recording and producing process. In the liner notes of the Rev-Ola version, Sahanaja wrote, "For Nick and I, it became the blueprint for a sound that we would eventually explore as a band only a few years later." Indeed, you'll hear the influence of Phil Spector, the Beach Boys and Wondermints all over 'Lost Winter's Dream'. All these years later, the album is considered a power-pop masterpiece. In John M. Borack's power-pop encyclopedia 'Shake Some Action', the writer ranks 'Lost Winter's Dream' No. 177 all time, calling it "an album of unparalleled passion, beauty and innocence." Here's a little something for your stocking. Merry Christmas to all.

"Listen to the Bells Ring"

It's Practically Here

Where did the time go? By this point I'm usually several days into the holiday tunes on these pages. Looks like I'll have to settle for today and Christmas Eve this year. As some of you regulars may have guessed, I have a soft spot for melancholy holiday themes masquerading as upbeat pop. Julian Henry and his pals Raymond Watt and Matt Moffatt, better known as the Hit Parade, provide just that with "Christmas Tears". Here's the gist:

He's still hoping for a Christmas card from someone who once broke his heart and though it's all in the past, he can't wipe away those Christmas tears that keep on rolling year after year.

Both versions are from the 1991 album 'More Pop Songs'. The second take (which appears on the CD but not the vinyl) features the beautiful vocals of indie darling Amelia Fletcher and will seem more of the season to your tender ears. I don't know about you, but it never ceases to amaze me how many times she pops up in my record collection.

"Christmas Tears"
"Christmas Tears (Starring Amelia)"

Up Next: A Spector-inspired holiday song featuring, quite possibly, my favorite power-pop band.

Favorite Albums of 2017

If you saw my list of top songs and EPs earlier this week, there won't be too many surprises here. In fact, only the Clientele and Los Straightjackets are making their first appearances today. However, a look back at lists from previous years reveals more than half of the artists below have never popped up on any of my annual countdowns before 2017. Not only is this an indication of a hearty and healthy indie scene, but it makes me feel I did my due diligence. I'm certain that's what keeps this middle-aged man feeling spry. For that I'm thankful to all of the following artists for giving me so many hours of pleasurable listening this year.

25. Pugwash - Silverlake
24. BMX Bandits - Forever
23. Real Estate - In Mind
22. Destroyer - ken
21. Saint Etienne - Home Counties
20. The Clientele - Music For The Age Of Miracles
19. Star Tropics - Lost World
18. Los Straightjackets - What's So Funny About Peace, Love And Los Straitjackets
17. Jane Weaver - Modern Kosmology
16. Secret Shine - There Is Only Now
15. Jens Lekman - Life Will See You Now
14. Robyn Hitchcock - Robyn Hitchcock
13. Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band - Adiós Señor Pussycat
12. The Feelies - In Between
11. Alvvays - Antisocialites
10. Nick Heyward - Woodland Echoes
9. The Occasional Flickers - Sleep And The Time In Between
8. Zebra Hunt - In Phrases
7. Molly Burch - Please Be Mine
6. Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - The Punishment of Luxury
5. Ray Davies - Americana
4. The Granite Shore - Suspended Second
3. The Popguns - Sugar Kisses
2. Last Leaves - Other Towns Than Ours
1. The Luxembourg Signal - Blue Field

A Festive 50: Favorite Songs/EPs of 2017

It has been a stellar year, my friends, at least for music. Here are a couple of guidelines to think about when reading this list. There are a couple of songs you may have heard in late 2016, but they qualified because they showed up on albums that popped up in 2017. Likewise, there are some brand-spankin' new tunes that will show up on albums in early 2018. Also, if there was a spectacular 7" with a B-side at least as good as the A-side, I may have listed both songs in one slot because I thought they deserved a listen. When it comes to EPs, sometimes an entire one is named while occasionally only a song gets mentioned. Some of you may get bugged by David Bowie showing up since the song was available as a bonus track on the 'Lazurus' soundtrack in 2016 before the "No Plan EP" in 2017. Tough. This is probably the last time my hero will show up here, and this one is a keeper. If you can spare a moment, I would love to know your favorites too.

50. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - When I Dance With You
49. Marble Gods - Songs EP
48. The Proper Ornaments - Memories
47. Desperate Journalist - Be Kind
46. Slowdive - Star Roving
45. Ride - Charm Assault
44. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - French Press
43. Frankie Rose - Dyson Sphere
42. Saint Etienne - Dive
41. TeenCanteen - Millions
40. Jens Lekman - Evening Prayer
39. Secret Shine - Dirty Game
38. The Regrettes - Seashore
37. Girl Ray - Stupid Things
36. Real Estate - Darling
35. Robyn Hitchcock - I Want To Tell You About What I Want
34. Star Tropics - Another Sunny Day
33. A Certain Smile - Aberdeen
32. Jane Weaver - Slow Motion
31. The Just Joans - No Longer Young Enough
30. Math and Physics Club - All the Mains Are Down
29. Pale Lights - Jean, Bring the Flowers EP
28. Michael Head and the Red Elastic Band - Rumer
27. Pete Astor - Water Tower
26. Elva - Tailwind
25. Zebra Hunt - Fill Me With Ease
24. Grandaddy - Way We Won't
23. The Feelies - Gone, Gone, Gone
22. The Occasional Flickers - A Sparrow
21. Primitives - New Thrills EP
20. Nick Heyward- Perfect Sunday Sun
19. Molly Burch - Downhearted
18. Cattle - Twisterella
17. Destroyer - Tinseltown Swimming in Blood
16. Pugwash - What Are You Like
15. Alvvays - Dreams Tonite
14. Rat Fancy - Suck a Lemon EP
13. The Granite Shore - Where Does the Sadness Come From
12. The Fireworks - Dream About You
11. BMX Bandits - How Not to Care
10. Last Leaves - The Hinterland
9. Even As We Speak - The Black Forest EP
8. The Darling Buds - Evergreen EP
7. Jetstream Pony - Like You Less b/w Had Enough
6. Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - The Punishment of Luxury
5. Ray Davies - Americana
4. The Perfect English Weather - English Winter EP
3. David Bowie - No Plan
2. The Popguns - So Long
1. The Luxembourg Signal - Laura Palmer b/w Let's Make Some Plans

Favorite Reissues of 2017

Every year I pledge to concentrate my time and money on new releases, and every year I fail miserably. I just have to face it. I'm an old guy stuck in bygone eras. This was a particularly rewarding period for looking back, and I didn't even come close to grabbing all of the compilations, live albums, box sets, lost albums and deluxe editions that I wanted. For example, those Cherry Red box sets on Liverpool, Manchester and post-punk have my name written all over them, but I just didn't have the funds. I had to pass on box sets by Luke Haines, Lloyd Cole and Kitchens of Distinction too, but that hurt a little less because I had quite a bit of that content already. I touted that retrospective on the Orchids, but there was only one song on the set I didn't already own. So, I passed.

As far as my list of oldies but goodies goes, I capped it at 20, but it could have been much longer, especially if I had included all of the albums I bought from Firestation Records. I decided to button up the representation of my favorite indie-archive label at three releases, but know that Keen, the English McCoy, the Pressure Group and a couple of more could have easily made the countdown. As for other honorable mentions, 'Action Painting' by the Creation and the phenomenal multi-disc blowout of Prince's 'Purple Rain' are the first two out on this list. Enough. Let's get on with it.

20. Lost Tapes - 'We Thought It Was Okay At The Time (2013-2015)'
Shelflife collects the early singles of Spain's finest dream-pop duo.


19. Secret Shine - 'Singles 1992-1994'
One of Sarah's stable was awfully close to shoegaze.

18. China Crisis - 'Working with Fire and Steel - Possible Pop Songs Volume Two' (Deluxe Edition)
First three LPs get blown out. This has always been my favorite.

17. Strawberry Switchblade - '1982 4-Piece Demo'
Fascinating 7" chronicles a time before the hits.


16. The Apple Moths - 'Fred Astaire EP'
Firestation's 12" resurrects the 1990 7" and adds three bonus tracks.


15. 14 Iced Bears - '14 Iced Bears'
Debut album becomes a double LP chock full of extras.

14. The Siddeleys - 'Songs From The Sidings - Demo Recordings 1985-1987'
Everything else is out of print. Get it while you can!


13. Michael Nesmith - 'At The BBC Paris Theatre'
Twangy set from '75 captures the former Monkee at his peak.

12. The Replacements - 'For Sale: Live At Maxwell's 1986'
First official live album was "recorded in front of more than 30 people."


11. Smart Remarks - 'Foreign Fields: 1982-1984
Discover a power-pop outfit that once opened for the Replacements.


10. The Beach Boys - '1967 - Sunshine Tomorrow'
'Wild Honey' with a slew of extra curiosities.


9. The Modulators - 'Tomorrow's Coming'
More underground Jersey power pop. Bonus tracks on '84 album too.


8. 14 Iced Bears, Aberdeen, The June Brides ‎– 'Three Wishes: Part Time Punks Sessions'
Legendary radio show captures indie-pop pioneers.


7. The Jazz Butcher - 'The Wasted Years'
Beautiful four-disc box gathers early albums in their entirety.


6. Love Parade - 'Out to Sea'
Firestation unearths long lost jangle from '91.


5. Various Artists - 'C88'
Who knew it was a very good year? Cherry Red did.

4. The Wedding Present - 'George Best 30'
In 2008, Steve Albini helps Gedge rethink a classic.


3. Marshall Crenshaw - 'Thank You, Rock Fans!!'
Let's take a time machine to a show from '82.


2. Look Blue Go Purple - 'Still Bewitched'
Missed these gals the first time around. Thank you, Flying Nun!


1. Various Artists - 'The Test of Time: A Turntable Friend Records Compilation'
German label collects 40 of its indie-pop classics on three heavy pieces of vinyl housed in a dazzling tri-fold sleeve that includes an album-sized scrapbook of the company's history. The packaging is nothing short of perfection.

11th-Hour Release Worthy of Year-End Accolades

As 2017 comes to a close, I have been busy compiling my year-end lists while at the same time keeping an ear to the bevy of new releases that have made this a dizzying December like no other in all my years of blogging. Last Friday alone my shopping list grew with the new long player by the Just Joans, the debut single from Elizabeth Morris' new band Elva and a special EP worth much more than a passing mention.

It's clear by now Wendy and Simon Pickles of the Popguns are big favorites around here, and the duo in life and in song have resurrected side project the Perfect English Weather with a gorgeous EP that will leave longtime fans surprised and longing for more. When the Perfect English Weather debuted with 'Isobar Blues' around this time last year, I described my No. 2 album of 2016 as Wendy and Simon "turn[ing] it down just a little bit" and "rivaling their best work." Put another way, there were moments that didn't seem so far away from the band from which they are known. The songs on the just released "English Winter EP", however, are not the Pickles Family with a new branch growing from the Popguns tree. This feels more like that Popguns tree dropped a seed and a whole new sapling is sprouting nearby. And like a sapling, these four new songs are fragile.

From the first notes of EP opener "Still", you know Wendy and Simon are going for something different. This is electronica that may remind you of St. Etienne, Lightning in a Twilight Hour or the softer side of the Luxembourg Signal. The atmosphere is thick, and the sounds are very contemporary. Shaun Charman, formerly of the Wedding Present and the Popguns, collaborated on this song, as did Wendy and Simon's daughter Anna. No knock on Simon, but I think we know where Anna's beautiful pipes come from. No hyperbole. "Still" will be vying for song of the year on these pages.

I'm a real sucker for melancholy holiday songs, and "Christmas in Suburbia" stirred up so many emotions. On the surface, holidays are all about making spirits bright and all of that, but we know that's not always the way, is it? While absorbing the song, one moment I was smiling, and the next I was longing. I know my hometown back in Illinois is nothing like it was when I was growing up, and it has become more and more difficult to return there... especially for the holidays. Everything has changed, including me. What more can you wring out of a three-minute pop song?

In keeping with the theme of an English winter, third song "Cold Out" keeps the electronica going and will have you ready for a warm blanket and a good snuggle. The EP concludes with a stripped-down version of "Dusty in Here" featuring Wendy and Anna. This has to be one of your favorites from the 'Before Hollywood' era of the Go-Betweens, and it may very well bring a tear as you listen to this beautiful cover and think of how many songs we could have had in the years since losing Grant McLennan.

The always dependable Matinée Recordings is ready to ship the "English Winter EP" to you right now. Give yourself an early Christmas present.

ABCs of My Vinyl Collection (Letter F, Part 13)

Some will argue bands with numeric names such as 10,000 Maniacs or 20/20 belong in their own section at the end of the shelf. This lot may scroll to the bottom of the artist list on their iPods as evidence. Please. These folks are dead wrong and need time on the couch of a well-paid analyst. In short, numeric names are always filed as though spelled out. Do we need to take this outside? Fine. Do what works and gets you to the album you're looking for the quickest. Just know you're doing it all wrong. With hard work and discipline, you can break the cycle of alphabetizing your albums incorrectly.

I do not go back to 1986 and the start of 14 Iced Bears. I learned of the band in name only sometime in the late '80s, but I never saw any of their records at the shops I frequented. It's a moniker you never forget though, and I hoped to hear their music someday. With the pedigree of 14 Iced Bears, why wouldn't I? The band released their first couple of singles on Mark Flunder's Frank label, home to the McTells and other indie-pop legends. Yes, that's Mark Flunder from Television Personalities. John Peel loved 14 Iced Bears, and they would record a session for his show in both 1986 and 1987. The third single came out in 1988 on a new label trying to get its footing called Sarah. Perhaps you have heard of it. A couple of well-received albums would follow, but it's these first three singles in particular that are so highly coveted by indie-pop geeks like me.

In 2001, Slumberland Records, one of the greatest labels out there to this day, rescued these recordings and threw in the Peel Sessions and several other nuggets on a comp called 'In the Beginning'. It's a little less of a big deal now, what with all of the work Cherry Red and Optic Nerve have done in recent years to resurrect their discography, but this CD was a godsend 16 years ago.

To announce this compilation was in the pipeline, Slumberland put out a double-A-sided 7" earlier in the year with debut song "Inside" on one side and second single "Balloon Song" on the flip. That's what we will listen to today. I knew I was going to love "Balloon Song" because another Slumberland band I was enamored with covered it so well in 2000. I highly recommend you give the version by the Aislers Set a listen too. You'll find it on the band's sophomore album 'The Last Match'. "Inside" is loud, fuzzy and would have been a nice fit on NME's 'C86'. By Balloon Song", 14 Iced Bears were a little less about racket and more about melody. Simply beautiful.

"Inside"
"Balloon Song"

This has been a stellar year for fans of 14 Iced Bears, and I'll have more on that when I unveil my lists of favorite new albums and reissues in the coming days.

ABCs of My Vinyl Collection (Letter F, Part 12)

We already listened to Friends Again in this series, but you can't really have Friends Again without having Friends, right? Friends is the musical outlet of the talented William Jones, and he founded Summerhouse Records in 1986 to release his take on indie pop. Like so many bands from the period, I was attracted to the jangle and the trumpet. There were other great groups that came through the doors of Summerhouse, including 4,000,000 Telephones and Rumblefish, but it's Friends that have been there from the beginning and have continued to release new music now and again even into this decade.

Like the Hit Parade and many other indie bands of that ilk, Friends have always been much a bigger deal in Japan than in their native UK. My favorite song by Friends is third single "The First Day of Spring", and I recommend you seek that out, but I have it on the inferior format and this is a vinyl series. Today I go with "Foreign Money", a brass-heavy 7" from 1994 that also triumphantly opens the 'Sundrowned' album. Sadly, I believe this marks the last release by Friends that came out on vinyl. I'm not sure if this has remained true to this day because I have lost track of Friends in recent years, but through a slew of albums and singles Jones never had a song with the word "love" in it. Because of its overuse in pop music, this was a matter of policy. He always tried to find other ways to express the feeling.

"Foreign Money"

Worthy of a Monday Misstep?

The plan is to wrap up transferring the letter F of my vinyl collection this week before jumping into my favorite albums of 2017. Before all of that, I have dug up another record from that area on the shelves that might very well qualify for my cringe-worthy Monday Misstep series. I'm on the fence about this one, but I'll let you be the judge. I seem to still like this one despite knowing I shouldn't. I was always much more offended by this band trying to cover Buzzcocks than I was the King.

This 12" single from 1986 is the only piece of vinyl you'll find by Fine Young Cannibals in my collection, and I think it has survived the decades because there is someone else in this house that is even more fond of it than I am. You may know how that goes. There are four songs on the record, including a very decent nearly eight-minute dub version of "Suspicious Minds", but perhaps an even better B-side is a remix of early single "Johnny Come Home", a No. 8 UK smash from 1985. It even managed to break into the Billboard Hot 100 here in America (No. 76). Is this maxi-single trash, a treasure or something in the middle? Certainly better than the Fixx last time around, right? Seems I'm defending Fine Young Cannibals. OK, let me have it.

"Suspicious Minds" (Suspicious Mix)
Johnny Come Home" (That Other Mix)

ABCs of My Vinyl Collection (Letter F, Part 11)

I'm not sure there is too much more I can say about Terry Hall. He has featured on these pages many times as either a solo artist or with Vegas, the Colourfield, the Specials or Fun Boy Three. I did manage to dig up something from the shelf that hasn't had an airing here before. This, the third and final single from FB3's self-titled 1982 album, is probably my least liked of all the band's singles, but that's far from a rebuke. I particularly like the horns supplied by the Swinging Laurels. Remember them? Terry, Neville and Lynval are quite impressed by someone who gets lots of invites via the phone. Man, do I hate talking on the phone. I sigh every time it rings. This was quite a year for Hall and the rest of the splitters from the Specials. If you count the trio's work with Bananarama, there would be five top 20 hits. "The Telephone Always Rings" peaked at No. 17 on the UK chart. Here is a beefed-up take that gives you about two more minutes than the 7".

"The Telephone Always Rings" (Extended Version)

I had this song on my mind tonight. So, here is a bonus... also from 1982. I played "Give Us Back Our Cheap Fares" here a couple of years ago, but I have never featured the extended version. As a 12 or 13 year old growing up among the corn fields of Illinois, the fact that FB3 and Bananrama were protesting with this song went completely over my head. I just liked that it had the same eerie quality as "The Lunatics Have Taken Over the Asylum" and the Specials' smash hit "Ghost Town". You'll find this much longer take as the B-side to the 12" single of "Really Saying Something".

"Give Us Back Our Cheap Fares" (Extended Version)

Another Musical Trip Inspired By CC

Our pal CC just celebrated five years at the helm of Charity Chic Music, and that's quite a feat when you consider he's one of those disciplined bloggers that somehow finds a way to put something up every day. Man, that's a plethora of posts. A tip of the cap, sir. What I like about CC is he always seems to highlight a song that gets me thinking about something else I have on the shelf. That often starts a chain reaction that ends with me holding a stack of albums and wondering where the evening went. Here are a couple of records I listened to over the weekend after CC had back-to-back submissions on Elvis and Elvis.

On Thursday, CC lamented Elvis Costello's last great album was 'Brutal Youth'. That was 23 years ago, folks. Wow. Like many of you in the comments, I pondered both that last great album statement and whether 'Brutal Youth' was, in fact, a great album. (Yes on both, by the way.) I think what made that time so exciting was the return of bassist Bruce Thomas. I pulled Thomas' book 'The Big Wheel' off the shelf a few days ago to refresh my memory on the dust up that got him dismissed from the Attractions in the first place (and, it turned out, in the second place). I planned on this being a quick read through the preface of the new edition to get his thoughts on the drama surrounding the band's induction into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in 2003, but now I'm fully immersed in Thomas' work of "fiction" for the first time in several years.

While on the Bruce bus, I decided to listen to 'Mad About the Wrong Boy', the 1980 album the Attractions did without their famous leader. Most of the songs were written by Steve Nieve or the mysterious team of Brain/Hart, whom we later learned was Nieve and then-girlfriend Fay Hart. There were a few fine moments on the album, most notably "Single Girl" and Sad About Girls", but most of it was a bit of a stinker. Here was Bruce's best effort...

The Attractions - "Little Miss Understanding"

CC's musings on Elvis Presley, and the song "Mystery Train" in particular, instantly made me think of others who have tried to emulate the King. I'm guessing when you think of "Mystery Train" you probably don't immediately turn to 'Everybody's Rockin'', Neil Young's ode to rock 'n' roll's infancy that he released in 1983, but I do. This album came out the same month my hometown got MTV, and the single "Wonderin'" was a mainstay on the video channel. I loved the retro sound of the song and ran out to get the album. Although I hadn't listened to 'Everybody's Rockin'' for many years, since CC's post on Presley, I can't seem to get it off the turntable. Thanks, CC. Here's to another five years.

Neil Young & the Shocking Pinks - "Mystery Train"

When Oh-OK Found the 'Sweet' Spot

That song written by Matthew Sweet for the Springfields featured here at the end of last week got me going to the shelves for another one of his rarities from the '80s. Sweet went to school briefly at the University of Georgia in Athens where he was pals with Michael Stipe. They had met earlier when R.E.M. made a tour stop in Sweet's hometown back in Nebraska. Through that friendship he met Michael's sister Lynda, a bassist and songwriter with the trio Oh-OK. At that point, the band had already released the 'Wow Mini Album' on the legendary label DB Recs, home to the B-52's. Pylon, the Swimming Pool Q's, Love Tractor and many other local bands. What I always found interesting about that 1982 EP is there was no guitar. Drums, bass, vocals. That's it.

In 1983, Oh-OK would shuffle the lineup a bit for the second (and last) release. Linda Hopper and Stipe remained. Drummer David Pierce was replaced by David McNair and Sweet joined on guitar. The lighthearted tone and humor remained from 'Wow Mini Album', and Oh-OK's sound became just a little bit more accessible on the six-song 'Forevermore What' EP. There is nothing here that screams Sweet, but I find the EP more than just a passing curiosity. It's off-kilter, fun and a good listen. And given Sweet's well-documented love of felines, I think the cover of 'Forevermore What' is a smile.

'Such n Such'
'Guru'

Sweet would remain busy on the Athens scene. There was the short-lived Community Trolls side project with Michael Stipe. Sweet would also join up with Oh-Ok's original drummer to form the Buzz of Delight, also on DB Recs. Of course, it wouldn't be long before Columbia came calling, and after a couple of generally praised but poorly sold solo albums, the rest, as they say, is history.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention you can get both of Oh-OK's EPs along with a 1984 live performance from the Peppermint Lounge in NYC on one beautiful piece of vinyl HHBTM Records put out in 2011 called 'The Complete Reissue', and it's still in print!

'Sweet' Treat From Ric Menck

Here's a bit of trivia for you. Did you know there's a tiny connection between Sarah Records and Matthew Sweet? Ric Menck, probably best known for his power-pop outfit Velvet Crush, or for a few of you as Sweet's drummer on some of his best work, was in a couple of great but slightly lesser-known indie-pop bands in the '80s that deserved more of the limelight. One of those, Choo Choo Train, was on Subway Records, a label that gets touted here with regularity, and the other was the Springfields, an American band from Champaign, Illinois, that caught the ears of Clare and Matt. Sarah 10 was "Sunflower", a three-track 7" from 1988 with "Clown", a Hollies' cover, and the Sweet-penned "Are We Gonna Be Alright?" Sweet has never released a recording of this beauty given to the Springfields.

I have a couple of singles from the Springfields, but I don't own "Sunflower". Instead, I have all three songs from the single on 'The Ballad of Ric Menck' compilation that first came out on Summershine in 1996. I can't recommend this one enough. You'll find some Choo Choo Train, Springfields and solo recordings on there. I like it so much I bought it on two formats! Action Musik reissued it in 2004 with extra songs and liner notes from Menck. If I come across that one, I guess I'll own three copies. Doing this post reminded me of another seldom heard Sweet recording that I'll get to next week.

"Are We Gonna Be Alright?"

Yes, that really is how the songs ends.

Two Good Songs That Sound Great Together

Back when we spent all of our free time making mix tapes, perhaps you did this too. Even if my ear knew they didn't necessarily work as a tandem all that well, I liked to place a song about a musician next to a song by said musician, such as an Alex Chilton tune followed by "Alex Chilton" by the Replacements or "Sister Ray" by the Velvet Underground and "Velvet Underground" by Jonathan Richman back to back. Like the artist that sings about an artist, in a small way, I always felt like I was thanking one of my heroes by this placement. It was especially fun to put two musicians together that seemingly had very different sounds, such as something by Duke Ellington next to "Sir Duke" by Stevie Wonder. That's the direction I'm going in today.

Over the weekend, I thought about "Breakfast in Bed" from Dusty Springfield's 1969 album 'Dusty in Memphis' because today is my birthday. I secretly hoped maybe I would get my breakfast served that way this morning. Alas, that's a pretty tall order on a school day and, as is the ritual, I was the one making breakfast for everyone else. I knew I had an album with a song called "Dusty Springfield" in my music room somewhere, but the band wasn't coming to me right away. Let's just say I have had a number of birthdays under my belt, and I'm not quite the savant I used to be when it comes to remembering such things. I was singing it to myself yesterday. So I knew it was jangly indie pop from the golden age of jangly indie pop and probably from the UK. Finally, it hit me like a bolt of lightning a little while ago. If you're curious about just how many birthdays I have had, I'm the same age as 'Dusty in Memphis.' Sigh.

As an aside, I had no idea until today the album cover for 'Dusty in Memphis' was different for folks in the UK. The one above seems so iconic to this Yank.

Dusty Springfield - Breakfast in Bed
The Haywains - Dusty Springfield

ABCs of My Vinyl Collection (Letter F, Part 10)

Apologies, indie fans. A bit of a curve ball today but, perhaps, an interesting curiosity if you kneel at the altar of Brian Wilson. As many of you know, for much of the '90s, I became disenchanted with pop music. I increasingly turned to the loves of my childhood, absconded from my mother's record collection when I was 10, particularly the Kinks and Beach Boys. In the early years of that decade, it was a terrific time to be a fan of the Beach Boys. Reference books, biographies, box sets and other reissues were being released at a furious pace. After reading so much about Brian's influences, naturally, I began seeking out that music too. Again, the timing was perfect. Among my favorites, I really took to Phil Spector just as his 'Back to Mono' box set hit the shelves. I also picked up a decent comp of the Four Freshmen that received a few plays.

In the late '90s, while living in Washington, D.C., my fandom for Brian reached a fever pitch as he began releasing new music and flirting with the idea of touring. During that period, I went to a record convention in the Northern Virginia suburbs. I was shocked as I happened across a booth that had absolutely nothing but Four Freshmen memorabilia. I introduced myself to the fella at the booth and explained my interest due to the Wilson connection. His name was David, from nearby McLean, and I learned he was a Virginia representative of FFS, the Four Freshmen Society. Trust me, it's a big operation. It was a fascinating day of learning as David took me through some of the group's best recordings and explained their place in music as the group moved away from barbershop and introduced jazz elements that kids like Brian really dug as he listened in his bedroom back in Hawthorne, California. Did I just use the term barbershop on this blog?

The album changed everything for Brian was the 1955 release 'Four Freshmen and 5 Trombones'. Wilson once said of the album, "I was 14. They had a demonstration booth where you could listen to it in the store, and I found the Four Freshmen. My mother said, 'Do you really wanna hear this?' and I said, 'Sure!' So I went in this little booth, and I played it and fell in love with it. And I bought it. I loved the sound of the trombones. Wonderful songs -- 'I Remember You', 'Mam'selle'..." In another interview, he went further, saying of the song "You Stepped Out of a Dream", "This is where I learned to arrange harmonies, and also where I learned to sing falsetto. Their four-part harmony was totally original -- not five or three parts, but four parts. Wow!"

I have several albums by the Four Freshmen, but I think the two pictured above, 'Four Freshmen and 5 Trombones' and the comp 'Freshmen Favorites' are the only two I listen to with much regularity. My copy of 'Trombones' is very rough. In fact, while listening, you might run to the window thinking it has started raining. Sorry, that's surface noise. Here are the three songs Brian dropped in the quotes above. It will take you about 10 seconds to realize how much Brian was influenced by them.

"Mam'selle"
"I Remember You"
"You Stepped Out of a Dream"

ABCs of My Vinyl Collection (Letter F, Part 9)

Here's a quick explanation of where I have been. Three weeks ago, my computer died. The repair shop told me the hard drive was fried. After a couple of days of contemplation, I decided to get a new laptop. The old one had already experienced a major repair last year, and who was to say the fan or screen wouldn't break the day after replacing the drive? I chose a model rather quickly, but then I found out there was a good chance it would be going on sale in a week's time. I waited.

The day it went on sale, I returned to the shop with a pile of cash. The model I wanted was not in stock. I could get the sale price, but the laptop would have to be ordered. It would be mailed to my house in 3-5 business days. With a weekend thrown in for good measure, I lost another week. The package arrived yesterday. I quickly took it to the repair shop to have the files on the old hard drive moved to the new one. I just picked it up a few minutes ago. It will probably take me a couple of days to get all of the missing software reinstalled, but I should be all set by the end of the week. In the meantime, I did have the next band in my vinyl collection already ripped. Let's get back to it.

One last thing. It would seem the worst part of the ordeal would be living without that one piece of equipment all of us have come to depend on for just about everything. Nope. For me, it's knowing I won't be able to buy records for a good long while as we try to replenish the coffers. The shopping list is as long as it has ever been.

I realize a post on Friends Again is for about two readers out there (JC and FORW, presumably), but I would be kicking myself if I skipped one of my favorite Scottish bands from my youth. I came to them from a little different angle than JC. He liked them from the beginning, listening to those early singles before they recorded for a major label. When I was a kid, my first taste of Friends again was the band's one and only album, 'Trapped and Unwrapped'. For those who had followed them since the 'Honey at the Core' single in 1983, the 1984 album was a bit of a disappointment. In particular, some of the songs were inferior recordings of those earlier releases. It's an old story, isn't it? I, of course, had nothing to compare them too, and I thought "Lucky Star" and others from the album were terrific pieces of jangle.

Fast forward about a quarter of a century, and I find JC's original Vinyl Villain blog. He starts playing these original versions from Friends Again, and I'm just floored. 'Trapped and Unwrapped' begins collecting dust as I start seeking out the old singles. As you can see from the photo above, during the past five or six years, I have collected quite a few trophies on my hunt for Friends Again relics. Here are a few of my favorites from the band. This is as good a time as any to thank JC for the education.

"Lullaby No. 2" (from 'the Friends Again EP')
"Sunkissed" (Extended Version) (12" single)
"Lucky Star" (original B-side to the "Honey at the Core" 7")

Misstep Mondays: The Fixx

Time to dust off another less than stellar piece of vinyl from my collection. As I mentioned last Monday, this week's pick is another band from the UK that couldn't buy a hit in their homeland but struck gold (platinum, actually) with those of us in America who couldn't keep their eyes off of upstart MTV. That's a pretty apt description of me in '83 when the Fixx's 'Reach the Beach' climbed the Billboard ladder.

My hometown didn't get MTV until the fall of that year, but I was already hooked on the music-video genre through friends' cable systems in other towns and programs like TBS's new show "Night Tracks", USA Network's "Night Flight", HBO's "Video Jukebox" and NBC's "Friday Night Videos". If you timed your channel surfing just right, you could even catch a video on Nickelodeon between shows. I just got nostalgic to see the opening sequence of "Friday Night Videos". The first clip I found says the Fixx will be coming up. Figures.



What can I say about the Fixx? Bland comes to mind. New wave for the masses, maybe. Anyway, my 13-year-old self thought lead single "Saved By Zero" was great. Loved the spooky video too. By the time the song was being used to tout zero-percent financing on television adverts, let's just say the novelty had worn off. The song peaked at No. 20 over here. It didn't even bother to chart at all in the UK.

Follow-up single "One Thing Leads to Another" is, without a doubt, the band's signature tune, reaching the dizzying heights of No. 4 on Billboard's Hot 100. In the UK, an anemic No. 86 would have to suffice. The third and final single from the album, "The Sign of Fire", only got to No. 32, but that was still much better than not charting at all at home. When the dust settled, 'Reach the Beach' would sell two-million copies in the United States. Not sure what that says about us, but it can't be good. Other hits would follow, but 1983 would be the Fixx's finest hour.

The Fixx. Not the worst, but a misstep, nonetheless. Did I really just follow Aretha Franklin with the Fixx?

"Saved By Zero"

ABCs of My Vinyl Collection (Letter F, Part 8)

Skipping around the letter F quite a bit, but there is no way I'm going to waste an opportunity to pay homage to the Queen of Soul. It would be too predictable to go to Aretha Franklin's '67 or '68 output, and I probably should just so I can write all about how she had four (yes, four!) top 5 albums during that two-year run on Atlantic Records, but today I'm opting for her lesser known early years.

'The Electrifying Aretha Franklin' was her second album for Columbia, released in 1962 when she had just turned 20 years old. Franklin was being called the "New Queen of the Blues" then, and the music sounded a lot like what another favorite of mine, Ray Charles, was doing at the time. Still, you can already hear her range, and that patented yell of hers was already evident during some of the numbers, albeit accompanied by standards such as "Ac-cent-tchu-ate the Positive".

Many of her songs during these first albums were written and/or arranged by John Leslie McFarland. He's probably best known for co-writing "Stuck on You", Elvis Presley's first hit following his two-year stint in the Army. One of those songs may just very well make you blush. "Rough Lover" is about as politically incorrect as anything you'll find in my collection. Well, maybe I give that nod to the Bacharach/David composition "Wives and Lovers" as sung by Frank Sinatra, but when you consider Franklin was a teenager when she was in the studio belting this one out... you might squirm a bit. Let's just say Franklin sings this one like she means it.

"Rough Lover"

Now, listen here, girls
I'm gonna tell you
What I want right now

I want a rough lover
I want a man
I want a rough, tough lover
And I'll find him if I can

He's got to bite nails
Fight bears
And if I get sassy
Be a man who dares
To shut me up and kiss me
So I know he cares
I want a man

Don't want a mean daddy
I want a boss
I want a mean, sweet daddy
Who the devil wouldn't cross

He's got to spit fire
Chew iron
Get mad and start roaring
Like a mountain lion
Then whisper that he loves me
So I know he's mine
I want a man

I'm looking for a guy
Who's big and strong
But weak for me
I'm looking for a guy
Who'll ride around
But never, never set me free

I want a rough lover
I want a man
I want a rough, tough lover
With a sentimental plan

So he can kiss nice
Hug tight
He's gotta be sweet and gentle
Day and night
But mean enough to make me
Want to treat him right
I want a man, oh, yeah

I'm looking for a guy
Who's raving strong
But weak for me
I’m looking for a guy
Who'll ride around
But never, never set me free

I want a rough lover
I want a man
I want a rough, tough lover
With a sentimental plan

So he can kiss nice
Hug tight
He's gotta be sweet and gentle
Day and night
But mean enough to make me
Want to treat him right
I want a man

I want a man
I don’t want no creampuff, baby
Don’t want no butterfly
I want a man

Oh, yes, I do
Oh, yes, I do

To contrast the booming sounds of "Rough Lover", let's turn it down and listen to what I think is Franklin's best moment on the album. As for 'The Electrifying Aretha Franklin', this one wouldn't bother to chart, and it would be quite a few more years before the general public would succumb to Franklin's charms. Of course, you know all about that.

"Blue Holiday"

ABCs of My Vinyl Collection (Letter F, Part 7)

Although I never stopped trying, I just couldn't get into the Fiery Furnaces. I found the work of siblings Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger to be too much of a challenge to my pop sensibility. Yes, the duo tried my patience, but I always gave their latest work a listen out of loyalty to the fact they originally hailed from Oak Park, Illinois, which was very near where I was living during their heyday.

With the Fiery Furnaces on a hiatus that has stuck to this day, Eleanor released her first solo album in 2011, and the song "My Mistakes" got stuck in my head that summer and has seemingly never left. Unlike her previous band, she keeps it simple here, and I'm entranced by her laid-back sing-speak style that reminds me a little bit of Patti Smith. There is an intimacy to the entire album that makes you feel like she is sitting there with you, spinning yarns about friends and places you both have in common. Eleanor has had two albums since then, and I have enjoyed them both immensely, but it's 'Last Summer' I spin the most.

"My Mistakes"
"Roosevelt Island"

ABCs of My Vinyl Collection (Letter F, Part 6)

I don't know about you, but after the latest Monday Misstep, I'm feeling the need to cleanse the palate. This beautiful piece of sophisti-pop, in the same vein as Carmel, Everything But the Girl and the Style Council, should go down better than lemon sorbet. "Window Shopping" from the Friday Club would be in the conversation for my favorite single in the collection. It's one of the most coveted on the shelf, too, regularly selling for $100 or more on Discogs. Why? It's not so much because "Window Shopping" is the only release the somewhat obscure seven-piece outfit from Scarborough ever put out. Rather, it comes down to the label and the timing. You see, this is the last recording and the penultimate release in the legendary 2 Tone discography.

In 1985, the Friday Club found out where Jerry Dammers lived, which was a squat in Stockwell, and they dropped a tape and a gig flyer in his mailbox. Dammers actually came to the show. Afterwards, he laughingly told the band he had "never heard a band so out of tune". So they were shocked when he called the next day and told them he wanted to produce and release "Window Shopping" on 2 Tone. Simon Bates started playing it on Radio 1, and "Window Shopping" broke into the top 100. Unfortunately, he went on vacation, and that was that. The Friday Club spent the last couple of months of the year opening for Madness. I will surely make the "Mad Not Mad" tour one of my first stops when we all have time machines, but there isn't too much more to say about "Window Shopping." No, it's never going to be remembered like the songs of 2 Tone's salad days, but, as Dammers summed it up, it's a nice song about being skint."

There is a 12" extended version of "Window Shopping" that's even tougher to find than the 7", and it's the one piece of vinyl I most desire. So, keep your eyes peeled and remember your old pal Brian. Thanks.

"Window Shopping"
"Window Shopping" (Instrumental)

Misstep Mondays: A Flock of Seagulls

Yep. A Flock of Seagulls. In general, I only flew with the flock for about a second, but I never did completely grow out of this particular single, released in late 1982. There is a haunting quality to the song that has stuck with me, and I have always preferred the mammoth 12" version. If this band gives you the shivers, don't play this one. It clocks in at more than nine minutes, and you'll by in the corner curled up in the fetal position by the end.

A message to my fellow countrymen: We have always been told a Flock of Seagulls were solely an American phenomenon, created by MTV, and that the Brits were far too smart to fall for this schlock. I have subscribed to this theory for 35 years, but I just checked the charts... not really the case. We did take to early single "I Ran (So Far Away)" with much more zeal, but the UK stuck with the band longer. As for "Wishing," the song peaked at No. 10 in their home country and No. 26 here in America. That was more or less the end of the line for the folicly-confused band in these parts.

Back next week with another UK band from the letter F, and this one actually was a bigger deal in this part of the world.

"Wishing (If I Had a Photograph of You)" (Long Version)

ABCs of My Vinyl Collection (Letter F, Part 5)

I have written about my love for the Flatmates and the Subway Organization ad nauseam. Saying this is my favorite band from my favorite label will have to suffice today. Just like Fire Engines featured last week, a stellar CD compilation of the Flatmates has seemingly made taking the time to pull out the old singles seem like a chore, but then I played the vinyl last night and realized that's a completely foolish sentiment. Not only do they sound great, pops and all, but just looking at the details of the covers, inserts and sleeves is such a treat.

Here is the complete 12" single of "Shimmer," the audience pick for second-best Subway single earlier this year on these very pages. Coincidentally, "Shimmer" peaked at No. 2 on the indie chart in 1988. Where are you, Debbie Haynes?!?

"Shimmer"
"On My Mind"
"If Not For You"
"Bad"

ABCs of My Vinyl Collection (Letter F, Part 4)

For me, Minutemen were practically over before they began. I was 14 when 'Double Nickels on the Dime' came out, and it was one of those life-changing albums that, as the Robster would say, I will take to my grave. This one release opened up the entire world of SST Records to me. That same year, Minutemen would make a tour stop at Mabel's in Champaign, Illinois, a legendary club about 80 miles from where I grew up. I begged my parents to let me go, but there was just no way that was going to happen. It wouldn't be long before D. Boon would die in a van accident. I never got to see my beloved Minutemen.

By the time I went off to college in Chicago, Mike Watt and George Hurley had reunited, along with Ed Crawford, to form fIREHOSE. I love Ed's story. In a nutshell, Ed was a huge Minutemen fan attending Ohio State when he caught wind Mike and George might be ready to give it another go. He found Watt's phone number and called him in California to ask for a tryout. That didn't work, but he didn't give up. He left Columbus for San Pedro and asked him again. Next time you think about shirking a challenge, think of Ed. There weren't many band's working as hard as fIREHOSE. Between 1986 and 1993 they would release five studio albums, a couple of EPs and play nearly 1,000 shows. Chicago was a regular stop when touring, and I caught fIREHOSE every time they would swing by, which was often.

fIREHOSE was one of those early '90s alt bands that got swept up in the indie pilfering the major labels pulled after Nirvana took over the world. Although I hated to see them go to Columbia, in my opinion, fIREHOSE was one of the rare bands that didn't dip much in quality when they moved to the big leagues. Having said that, I'll take side one of their first album, 'Ragin, Full-On", over anything in their discography. There are still vestiges of Minutemen found here. Yep, this trio definitely knew how to jam econo. Here are three songs to prove it.

"Brave Captain"
"It Matters"
"Another Theory Shot to Shit"

Misstep Mondays: Fiction Factory

As many of you know, I have spent more than a year now (closer to two, actually) transferring my vinyl to a digital format. It's a huge undertaking, even with skipping many less-than-vital albums and singles, and it turns out I have a bevy of those. This is especially true of the synth-driven bands of my youth. Rather than flipping by these not-so-proud moments, I have decided to come clean with these missteps.

As I mentioned last week, from 1982 to about 1985, there didn't seem to be a new wave or new-wave inspired hit from across the pond that I didn't buy. Sure, I have shared a few of these, such as B-Movie, but most of the bands featured on Misstep Mondays will be a step or two down the musical ladder from a song like "Nowhere Girl". Then again, that will be for you the audience to decide.

That brings us to this inaugural pick. I'm busy transferring vinyl from the letter F, and that's where we will find our first couple of inclusions. Fiction Factory ticked a few boxes for me in 1984, but the most important was that they were from Scotland. You will certainly know the pretty ballad "(Feels Like) Heaven", a No. 6 smash in the UK that also went top 10 in Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and Ireland and did quite well in other places around the world. The song did nothing in my home country, but the video did get a few plays on shows I was watching at the time. Funny thing is, thanks to a certain nostalgia-fuelled satellite-radio station, I hear it more now than I even did when I was a kid. I have to admit when it comes on I don't touch the dial.

As for the album the song comes from, "Throw the Warped Wheel Out", it's one I'm not sure I have played since 1984... well, at least not until last night. Utterly forgettable. Perhaps I have played it before but just don't remember. The follow-up single to "(Feels Like) Heaven" was "Ghosts of Love". Wow, what a momentum killer. It peaked at No. 64 in the UK and only charted in one other country. There were better choices from the album but only marginally so. There would be no other hits for Fiction Factory, and the band would release their last album a year later. I'm not a big fan of the term one-hit wonder, but if the shoe fits. Back next Monday with another misstep from the letter F.

"(Feels Like) Heaven"
"Ghosts of Love"