Ickmusic Live: Talking Heads 1979
I haven’t spent too much time with the music of Talking Heads in my life, but I’ve always liked what I’ve heard, and I enjoy David Byrne’s stuff too. My favorite tune? Probably “Road to Nowhere”.
Let’s travel back to a nice little show snippet from their peak of creativity: 1979.
I skipped posting the DJ intro. If you feel like you need it, let me know. TH fans, what is the essential TH album?
Talking Heads
Sydney State Theater
Sidney, Australia
1979The Book I Read
Paper
Mind
Found a Job
Memories Can’t Wait
Psycho Killer
Take Me To the RiverRockberry Jam
You’re just gonna have to indulge me a bit here, as I rifle through my hundreds of albums and cassettes, and get nostalgic about the music of yesteryear. I’m not sure if the words “Where the hell is my Georgio album?” have ever been uttered before, but they were last night! Don’t worry, I’ll track it down.
But another 80’s gem I uncovered last night was the L.A. Dream Team‘s 1986 album (okay, tape), Kings of the West Coast. Rudy Pardee and Chris Wilson were an L.A. area duo who were one of the first to marry up electronic music with rapping. Others around that era were the Egyptian Lover and World Class Wreckin’ Cru (Dr. Dre was a member).
One of my favorites from the album is this side two standout track featuring the smooth and sultry “Miss Rockberry”.
L.A. Dream Team –
Rockberry Jam(mp3)Buy Kings of the West Coast (OOP, but available used)
Go-Go Music: Redds & the Boys
The in-laws came through on my birthday a couple days ago: an Ion USB turntable! The vinyl resurrection can now continue. One of the first to get the treatment yesterday was “Movin’ and Groovin'” by Redds and the Boys.
Go-go music has its roots in the Washington D.C. area, going back to the 70’s, when Chuck Brown was credited with creating the genre. It’s basically rhythm-percussion heavy funk. In the 80’s, Chris Blackwell, the Island Records head, heard Chuck Brown, and brought him and a lot of other D.C. area go-go bands in through Island subsidiary 4th & Broadway and T.T.E.D. records. Blackwell signed Brown, E.U., Trouble Funk, and Redds & the Boys.
E.U. probably had the biggest U.S. hit of the bunch: “Da Butt”, which was written by Marcus Miller for Spike Lee’s movie School Daze.
But “Movin’ & Groovin'” did very well in the U.K., reaching #1 on the singles charts.
Redds & the Boys – Movin’ & Groovin’
Wikipedia entry on Go-Go.
Here’s a clip of Redds & the Boys performing the song in the 1986 movie Good to Go . The movie was envisioned by Blackwell to be a go-go version of The Harder They Come, but didn’t quite turn out that way. Co-director Don Letts was let go about half-way through. Letts directed the Clash documentary Westway to the World, and was a founding member of Big Audio Dynamite with Mick Jones.
Mmmemphis – Cry Cry Cry
I missed Cry Cry Cry, a folk supergroup of sorts, the first time around. The group was made up of Dar Williams, Lucy Kaplanski, and Richard Sindell. They released only one album, in 1999.
I sure am glad I heard this song a few weeks ago on Sirius Disorder. It’s really one of the most beautiful and bittersweet songs I’ve come across in a while.
“I saw my choices, and I chose Memphis, now all I can see is you.”
Cry Cry Cry – Memphis
Buy Cry Cry Cry.
Gong!
Gong: a psychedelic – progressive – space rock band formed in the late 60’s, the brainchild of Australian Daevid Allen.
And if you’re brand new to them (as I am), it’s just a bit difficult to wrap your head around their whole “scene.” They even have a glossary, which includes mind-bending confusion-isms like:
WIZARD OF THE KEYS – one of the eight immortals of the planet gong. he has the key to the gong cosmognie & correspondance [sic] charts, the key to your heart, and above all the key to the secret vaults wherein is stashed the highly hush hush or ha! ha!ha!sshhh! cakes from the moon which he distributes daily to each of the 1024 (1K) PHP’s which means that a day on the planet gong is 1024 (1K) pipes long, and is measured by lunggong pipeclocks all over the planet.
So I won’t go too far into their background now, because – well – I need about six months of exhaustive research to give you something substantial. But I will play you a song of theirs. A song that captured my attention on my afternoon drive home from work. It’s always fun to hear something new and interesting that happens to be over 35 years old (egads – so am I, in fact, tomorrow is the 3-7! Urk!).
GONG – Dynamite / I Am Your Animal
Buy Camembert Electrique.
Visit Planet Gong | Daevid Allen’s Web Site | University of Errors (David’s current San Francisco-based band) | Gong’s All Music Profile
And while on the subject of Gong, here’s Paul Reubens on the Gong Show, circa 1976.
Prince covers The Cars
Prince blew us all away earlier in the year with his take on Foo Fighters’ “The Best of You” at the Super Bowl. He’s always capable of delighting us with the seemingly random cover. So who would have guessed that on July 7th, at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Prince decided to channel… Ric Ocasek?
That’s right, Prince reached back to the Cars’ 1979 album Candy-O, and unleashed the hit single “Let’s Go” on his hometown crowd. The Chipmunks, who covered “Let’s Go” in 1980, could not be reached for comment. But it looks like the purple man knocked the ‘Munks down to # 2 in the Best Cars Cover category.
Now, if someone could convince Prince to cover all of Candy-O from start to finish, then we’d be in business.
Buy Planet Earth | Candy-O
Soul II Soul Sunday
I’ve been reading up on the latest happenings of Jazzie B. and Soul II Soul. It’s good to see that Jazzie is still going strong as a DJ around London. I really enjoyed the club / R&B groove of their first two U.S. releases, Keep on Movin’ and Vol. II: 1990 – A New Decade. Here’s the biggest hit from Vol. II…
Soul II Soul – Get a Life
Buy Vol. II: 1990 – A New Decade.
Check out the videos for: Keep on Movin’ | Back to Life | Get a Life
Catch up with Soul II Soul at their Official Site.
Ickmusic Giveaway: New Crowded House
Any Crowded House fans out there? It’s time for a giveaway, and this time it’s the new release from Australia’s Crowded House, who, after an 11-year hiatus, are back with the new album – Time on Earth – and a full tour. Once again, a great band I would go see skips Phoenix on their itinerary. Luckily I’ll catch them at the Austin City Limits Music Festival in September.
I can’t count myself as a huge fan of Crowded House, but I did buy Temple of Low Men on vinyl back in the day (1988), and I think “Better Be Home Soon” is one of the finer songs to pass through these ears. The original lineup was Neil Finn, Nick Seymour, and Paul Hester. Sadly, Hester took his own life in March 2005. You parents of young children would also recognize Hester as the chef on The Wiggles. You know, the one that sang along with them on “Fruit Salad'”? That was Paul.
The new album, Time on Earth, was released on July 2nd. I’ve had a few listens and am enjoying it thus far.
So as is the norm around these parts, leave a comment below to enter into the CD giveaway. Anyone gonna check them out on tour?
Crowded House’s Official Site
Check out video of their Live Earth performance over at Krup’s Place.
In Appreciation of: Tunnel of Love
The chatter is picking up regarding a new Bruce and the E Street album in the works. Some unconfirmed song names: “Dead Ringers” (possibly the title track), “Sabres, Steel, and Spades”, and “Radio Nowhere.” Possible release date is October, with a tour to follow. If anyone has any other info, feel free to post in the comments.
Tonight I want to talk about Tunnel of Love, which was Bruce’s follow up to his 1984 mega-smash Born in the U.S.A. It undoubtedly surprised the lion’s share of fans he had picked up with U.S.A. With 1987’s Tunnel of Love, Bruce focused in on all the fears, doubts, and challenges of relationships. At the time, he was married to model / actress Julianne Phillips, and it wasn’t hard to connect the dots that Bruce was singing about his own current struggles in his marriage. On the Tunnel of Love tour, the relationship deepened between Bruce and his backup singer, Patti Scialfa. In 1990, his divorce with Phillips was final, and he soon married Jersey girl Patti.
The songs on the album that hit me hardest are the last five, from “Two Faces” to “Valentine’s Day”. It’s a bleak finale to the album, but so perfect in its execution. Each song weaves into the next, with a common theme of – well – doubt….
Two Faces: At night I get down on my knees and pray / Our love will make that other man go away/ But he’ll never say goodbye /Two faces have I
Brilliant Disguise: Tonight our bed is cold / I’m lost in the darkness of our love / God have mercy on the man / Who doubts what he’s sure of – Zowie, that line gives me goose bumps every time.
One Step Up: There’s a girl across the bar / I get the message she’s sendin’/ Mmm she ain’t lookin’ to married / And me well honey I’m pretending
When You’re Alone: Now it ain’t hard feelings or nothin’ sugar / That ain’t what’s got me singing this song / It’s just nobody knows baby where love goes / But when it goes it’s gone gone
Valentine’s Day: Is it the cry of the river / With the moonlight shining through / That ain’t what scares me baby / What scares me is losing you
Music carries me through the good times and the bad. This album has been my companion through those tougher times in relationships over the years. I’m not one to wallow in my misery, but: 1 broken heart + Tunnel of Love = quality time spent. Therapy, really.
This is Bruce’s album of the heart. This is Bruce affirming to himself, and to the listener, that this life and love thing, it ain’t easy. It takes work. Lucky for me and Bruce, we both find ourselves in great places these days. God willing, I won’t have to place myself into these songs again! But I always come back to this album, and I always will.
Songs:
- Ain’t Got You
- Tougher Than the Rest (YouTube video)
- All That Heaven Will Allow
- Spare Parts
- Cautious Man
- Walk Like a Man
- Tunnel of Love
- Two Faces
- Brilliant Disguise (YouTube video)
- One Step Up (YouTube video)
- When You’re Alone
- Valentine’s Day
BUY Tunnel of Love.
Cinderella: One for Rock and Roll
Do not lump Cinderella in with the rest of the 80’s hair bands. Sure, they hit it big with a classic power ballad “Don’t Know What You Got (Till It’s Gone)” – still a great song, by the way. But beneath the hair and makeup was a great blues rock band. Their best effort, in my opinion, was 1990’s Heartbreak Station. It was their third studio release (following Night Songs and Long Cold Winter). They abandoned a lot of the over-produced hair rock sounds of their previous records for more of a bluesy, rootsy sound.
There are some great songs on this one. The most popular is “Shelter Me” – a Black Crowes/Stonesy number that rocks it with the gospel-like backing vocals. My favorite, though, is their ode to good old rock n’ roll. It’s an uplifting, spirited song. A great rhythm, great acoustic guitars & mandolin. And seventeen years later, the tune still sounds as fresh and vibrant as ever.
And as idealistic and corny at is seems, this song perfectly describes my lifelong obsession and affection towards music.
Cinderella – One for Rock and Roll
Buy Heartbreak Station.
Good friends and original members Tom Kiefer and are still active as Cinderella. Their Official Site is still referring to last year’s tour dates, but keep your eye out.
The Videos:
