If you enjoy failed-rock-festival porn, check this out. Apparently things got so dark that even the reigning Dark Lords of rawk and Satan’s representatives on earth, Black Sabbath, felt compelled to cancel.
You’ve Really Gone And Done It Now
“Silly Thing” has a somewhat complicated history. Of which, Wikipedia says …
The original version of the song, on which Paul Cook sings lead vocals and Steve Jones plays bass guitar, was recorded with engineer Steve Lipson at Regents Park Studios in London in April or May 1978. The recording of further guitar overdubs and the final mixing took place at Rockfield Studios in Wales with producer Dave Goodman in late May 1978.
This original version of “Silly Thing” appeared on the movie soundtrack album of The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle and was used for the single in New Zealand, France and Japan.
A different mix of this original version, with Cook singing the verses and Jones singing the chorus, was released in 1988 in Japan, along with an outtake from the same recording sessions, the original version of the Jones/Cook composition “Here We Go Again”.
In the second week of March 1979, Jones and Cook went into Wessex Studios in London with engineer Bill Price and recorded a new version of the song. On this version, bass guitar was played by Andy Allen of the Lightning Raiders, who later in the year formed The Professionals with Cook and Jones.
This version of “Silly Thing” was used for the single in the UK, Australia, West Germany and Portugal. It appeared on the 1992 Sex Pistols compilation Kiss This.
The B-side to the Steve Jones single is “Who Killed Bambi?” written by Edward Tudor-Pole, with lyrical assistance from Vivienne Westwood. It’s really … something …
Young Man Original
Having just re-watched The Kids Are Alright (thanks, Makerbot), I thought I’d post the original of this song in case any of you bastards are unfamiliar. I purchased Live At Leeds in the early 70’s and for years just assumed YMB was a Townsend song. I didn’t hear this original until the early 80’s.
The Who weren’t the first to do a heavy cover of Mose Allison. Acid-rockers Blue Cheer and blues-rocker Johnny Winter recorded “Parchman Farm,” a song about the infamous Mississippi Delta prison camp (Mose was from Mississippi). Below is the Blue Cheer version, which for some reason they changed to “parchment” (to skirt copyright?) Although I’m not a huge Blue Cheer fan, they’re interesting enough for a separate post, if for no other reason than they were considered the loudest band in existence. They also get credit for representing the dark, aggressive underbelly of the late 60’s San Francisco scene. Some believe them to be the first heavy metal band, and they’re probably right. Hell’s Angels in particular liked them. One Angel said that when Blue Cheer played, the air turned to cottage cheese. I think that was his way of saying they were really loud, although acid might have been involved.
Not-so-fun fact: Vernon Presley did time at Parchman.
You can hear a lot of Mose (and Chet Baker) in Alex Chilton, who put me on to both of them. My upbringing was jazz-deprived.
Shit
ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill has hopped the twig at 72.
And holy cow, I don’t think I’ve seen this video in 35 years.
For the Sophisticated Bastard
I had never seen a single episode of this show, and didn’t know much about it when some friends dragged me to the first movie.
It was glorious, I was crying within ten minutes, and felt like I got a workout from laughing so hard.
New (Old) Descendents!
According to an excellent Rolling Stone article from May …
Last year, in the middle of pandemic lockdown, Milo Aukerman got a unique opportunity: the chance to sing a handful of songs that he never even knew existed from the back catalog of the Descendents, the pioneering California punk outfit he’s fronted on and off for more than 40 years.
Dating from the first few years after the band’s 1977 formation, the songs — along with many that Aukerman did perform after he joined in 1980 — will finally see release this summer on 9th & Walnut, a newly completed album named after the Long Beach intersection where they practiced early on. A history lesson for Aukerman, the project will be even more so for fans, who have never before had the chance to chart how the Descendents progressed from the jangly, New Wave–influenced sound of their 1979 debut single (“Ride the Wild” b/w “It’s a Hectic World,” recorded by the trio of guitarist Frank Navetta, bassist Tony Lombardo, and drummer Bill Stevenson) to the caffeinated melodic hardcore of their first releases with Aukerman, 1981’s Fat EP and 1982’s Milo Goes to College.
Full article here. Full album, which just came out yesterday, is embedded above as a playlist. Happy Friday, bastards!
Here’s One Fat Elvis Has Never Seen
That’s sarcasm, boys. Still, damn good print on the YouTubes.
Speaking of Dillers…
“STAY THERE, PLEASE” -Jeff Bezos’ ex-wife, who is all of us
John Dillermand
Just watch.
Raising Arizona
Is available on YouTube for free. You just have to watch a commercial every now and then.