On this blistering hot day in Chicago, why not a little Fiery Furnaces chat? I’m looking forward to their live album called “Remember” that comes out in August. They’re notorious for rearranging their songs in a live setting, and supposedly they sequenced it as a bit of a collage. That is one restless brother/sister combo, those Friedbergers. Doing what they want. Eleanor and Matt, not leaving well enough alone.

And for those of you who know the joyless slog of life in a cubicle, here are some words of wisdom from 2003’s Gallowsbird’s Bark. The song is “I’m Gonna Run”.

I slit my wrists with my Swingline
Copied myself 500 times
I pierced my ears with a 3-hole punch
Ate 12 dozen donuts for lunch
But next week I’m a walk, next week I’m a walk;
And the week after that I’m gonna run.

The wind was really picking up so I had to go outside. Hanging out over the Chicago River, I saw fair weather cumulus clouds to the south. To the north, a metallic gray. But no lightning or thunder. Directly overheard, the sky was roiling, the literal embodiment of Dylan’s “ocean wild” from “Lay Down Your Weary Tune”. This is the song I cannot stop from playing over and over in my head.

The ocean wild like an organ played,
The seaweed’s wove its strands.
The crashin’ waves like cymbals clashed
Against the rocks and sands.
Lay down your weary tune, lay down,
Lay down the song you strum,
And rest yourself ‘neath the strength of strings
No voice can hope to hum.

Copyright © 1964; renewed 1992 Special Rider Music

As the rain finally began to fall, I allowed myself to breathe.

I’ve listened to “Whole Lotta Love” so many times over the years, I don’t really “hear” it anymore. But thanks to Steve Marriott’s inspiration for Robert Plant’s searing vocal on that leadoff track from Led Zeppelin II, I got to hear it again with fresh ears tonight.

I’d only listened to “You Need Loving”, a track from The Small Faces‘ self-titled debut album from 1966, a couple of times, but on my most recent listen yesterday I finally heard the missing link between Muddy Waters and Plant. Penned by Chess Records A&R man, producer and bass player Willie Dixon, Waters released “You Need Love” (as it was originally known) in 1962 [Chess single #1839].

The Small Faces dug American R&B just like the British kids in The Yardbirds, The Animals and The Stones, so it’s no surprise they’d dig up this blues nugget to pad out their first record. But the Steve Marriott vocal ups the ante on the original. He’s not self assured like Muddy. In fact, you get the impression that he’s trying to convince himself, as much as his woman, that she does in fact need his lovin’. Goaded on by Ian McLagan’s swirling organ, we hear that brashness, that same sweat-soaked bravado, that we would hear again just 3 years later. Mind you, I don’t consider this grand larceny or even petty theft (songwriting credits are a story for another post). It is a grand tradition in music to “borrow” styles, arrangements and vocal mannerisms. The true originals build on that artistic tradition and come up with something that is wholly their own.

I’m currently reading Behind The Shades Revisited, a Bob Dylan bio by Clinton Heylin, and it’s pretty good so far. I’m up to 1962-1963, when Bob was just finding his way as a songwriter, relying mostly on old blues and folk songs (with plenty of Woody Guthrie thrown in) and sometimes leaning on more seasoned Village folkies for some of his arrangements.

What I hadn’t heard before was that his girlfriend at the time, Suze Rotolo (that’s her with Bob on the cover of the Freewheelin’ album), had an older sister Carla that actually worked with folklorist Alan Lomax. Lomax and his father John are the biggest reasons why we know of so many songs by artists from the rural south and Appalachia. Their trusty tape recorders captured what was truly music of the people, by folks who would never make it to an urban recording studio.

In her capacity as part of the Lomax organization, she had the ear of people like Robert Shelton, the New York Times music critic who famously gave Bobby his first glowing review. Even Columbia Records A&R man and producer John Hammond was bugged by Carla Rotolo to listen to the nasally kid from the Minnesota North Country. So a little credit for someone who has remained for the most part an unsung hero in the story of Robert Zimmerman…

This blog is intended to do nothing more than discuss the music that I feel passionately about. Music is one of the keys to a long and fruitful existence along with red wine and somebody to love. Contributions are welcomed.

This post details the latest in a series of discs I put together for my listening pleasure. They contain songs meant to make you move, or move you… or both if you’re lucky. This one spans the years 1976-1983. I’ll start with the tracklisting before moving on to some commentary on each song.

01. “Beat Surrender” – The Jam [1982]
02. “Heart Of The City” – Nick Lowe [1976]
03. “So Good To See You” – Cheap Trick [1977]
04. “Identity” – X-Ray Spex [1978]
05. “Homosapien” – Pete Shelley [1981]
06. “Away From Home” – Klark Kent [1980]
07. “Reel By Reel” – XTC [1979]
08. “The Walls Came Down” – The Call [1983]
09. “So Young” – Elvis Costello & The Attractions [rec. 1979, rel. 1987]
10. “Candy-O” – The Cars [1979]
11. “Walking Out On Love” – The Beat [1979]
12. “Ain’t That Nothin’” (45 version) – Television [1978]
13. “Everywhere That I’m Not” – Translator [1982]
14. “In My Own Time” – The Three O’Clock [1983]
15. “Hold On To Something” – Great Buildings [1981]
16. “Tomorrow Night” – Shoes [1979]
17. “Girls Talk” – Dave Edmunds [1979]
18. “Tell That Girl To Shut Up” – Holly & The Italians [1980]
19. “Girl U Want” – Devo [1980]
20. “I Love A Man In A Uniform” – Gang Of Four [1982]
21. “New Feeling” – Talking Heads [1977]
22. “I Could Be Happy” – Altered Images [1981]
23. “Not So Much The Time” – The Records [1982]
24. “What Do All The People Know” – The Monroes [1982]
25. “On Your Radio” – Joe Jackson [1979]
——————————————————-
01. “Beat Surrender” – The Jam [1982]

Before Paul Weller left the band for Style Council and a still-running solo career, he gave us this last Jam single in late ‘82.

02. “Heart Of The City” – Nick Lowe [1976]

One side of the first single (paired with “So It Goes”) on the venerable Stiff Records label.

03. “So Good To See You” – Cheap Trick [1977]

Their first 4 albums are full of power pop gems like this one from the second LP In Color.

04. “Identity” – X-Ray Spex [1978]

Dig that saxophone! One of a great run of singles from Poly Styrene and the gang; also on Germfree Adolescents.

05. “Homosapien” – Pete Shelley [1981]

The title track to Shelley’s first solo album after The Buzzcocks’ first breakup.

06. “Away From Home” – Klark Kent [1980]

Klark Kent was actually a pseudonym for Stewart Copeland, whose main gig at the time of this release was as the drummer for The Police. Try to imagine Sting committing something this frivolous and fun to wax. Never gonna happen.

07. “Reel By Reel” – XTC [1979]

From XTC’s third album Drums And Wires, the first that succeeds from beginning to end. Andy Partridge really came into his own at this point, finally coming up with the melodies to match his witty and often insightful lyrics.

08. “The Walls Came Down” – The Call [1983]

From Modern Romans. I don’t know what Michael Been is singing about here, but it sure sounds serious. Reagan’s Cold War is as good a guess as any. Back then, I just liked the insistent guitar line.

09. “So Young” – Elvis Costello & The Attractions [rec. 1979, rel. 1987]

It is a shame that EC can’t stand Bruce Thomas, because he will never have a bass player that good again. Even on a track like this that was recorded in ‘79 but not deemed worthy of release until 1987’s Out Of Our Idiot odds-n-ends compilation. The bass is the lead instrument in the verses. Not too many outside of Entwistle could be that muscular and melodic at the same time.

10. “Candy-O” – The Cars [1979]

The Cars’ second album, of which this is the title track, showcases the darker side of Ric Ocasek. The songs are of course still pure pop. The chorus on this particular tune is all paranoid longing with a Bo Diddley beat.

11. “Walking Out On Love” – The Beat [1979]

They get in and get out in under 2 minutes so you’ll need to hit the “back” button a few times.

12. “Ain’t That Nothin’” (45 version) – Television [1978]

Yes, Marquee Moon is way better than Adventure, the album that this song was drawn from. But this track, with its ringing guitars, could have held its own on the debut.

13. “Everywhere That I’m Not” – Translator [1982]

From Heartbeats And Triggers. You’re everywhere that I’m not…it can seem like this when dealing with unrequited love.

14. “In My Own Time” – The Three O’Clock [1983]

They were lumped in with the Paisley Underground in early ’80s Los Angeles, but there is nothing vaguely psychedelic about this one from The Three O’Clock. Rather than harkening back to Sgt. Pepper and his ilk, the band were more in tune with 1965-1966 pop sensibilities. This one from their first full length Sixteen Tambourines features lead singer Michael Quercio’s impossibly high voice (the first time I heard their song “Jet Fighter” I was convinced the lead singer was female) and a honking saxophone.

15. “Hold On To Something” – Great Buildings [1981]

Where can I find more Great Buildings? This is sublime.

16. “Tomorrow Night” – Shoes [1979]

Zion, Illinois’ very own Shoes!

17. “Girls Talk” – Dave Edmunds [1979]

On this track from his Repeat When Necessary LP, Edmunds polishes the rough edges from a song Costello ended up relegating to a B-side, but leaves the double meanings intact. “You may not be an old-fashioned girl but you’re gonna get dated”.

18. “Tell That Girl To Shut Up” – Holly & The Italians [1980]

Cat fight! It’s inclusion here, though, is due entirely to the harmonies on the chorus…

19. “Girl U Want” – Devo [1980]

Those of you beaten into submission by countless airings of “Whip It” (no disrepect) will appreciate the squirrely beat and catchy guitar figure on this one from Freedom Of Choice. Strangely, Soundgarden covered this one.

20. “I Love A Man In A Uniform” – Gang Of Four [1982]

From Songs Of The Free. A rousing tongue-in-cheek song about those that lust for battle. A slew of these songs were released in this period (XTC’s “Generals And Majors”, Men At Work’s “It’s A Mistake”, The Police’s “Bombs Away” to name three), probably enough for a compilation all their own. It would be essential listening for those that think the eighties were just about cocaine and Rubik’s Cubes. By the way, you should feel free to use Cocaine And Rubik’s Cubes as an album title.

21. “New Feeling” – Talking Heads [1977]

David Byrne and company’s first album, Talking Heads: 77, is so musically spacious. The room was needed to give Byrne’s claustrophic lyrics free reign. As interesting as the band’s later experiments with world rhythms would be, I think I come back to this album even more.

22. “I Could Be Happy” – Altered Images [1981]

I love Clare Grogan’s vocal on this bittersweet ballad.

23. “Not So Much The Time” – The Records [1982]

Meanings misinterpreted. Easy enough to do in any relationship, but when long distances are involved, it’s just that much harder. From Music On Both Sides.

24. “What Do All The People Know” – The Monroes [1982]

This is the only song I’ve heard from The Monroes, but it’s just as catchy now as it was in ‘82.

25. “On Your Radio” – Joe Jackson [1979]

This track leads off Jackson’s second album I’m The Man. An interesting riposte to everyone who’s ever pissed him off – “you can only hope to hear me on your radio”. We should all be so lucky.