Why?

Why is a song I haven’t heard in 40 years stuck in my head today?

“Boogie” Said with A Mancunian Accent is My New Drug

I’m addicted to Andrew Hickey’s A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs. I started at #1 after finishing Cocaine & Rhinestones, and have grown progressively more impressed with it. It’s impeccably researched,and so full of good stories and facts you never had any idea of. The episode on “Brand New Cadillac” is masterclass. Highly recommended. I will avoid spoilers.

Episode 77: “Brand New Cadillac” by Vince Taylor and the Playboys

I Respect His Fandom

Confession: I never had a Van Halen phase.

This is weird, because it seemed like every guy around me in middle school and junior high was a fan.
I definitely had a run where I thought KISS was the best thing ever, but am kind of drawing a blank from the late 70’s until I heard Murmur.
I probably listened to lots of Top 40, with a touch of Devo.
Anyway, Mr. Nicolai is one of Austin’s finest. Rock on, EVH.

And One More

This might be my favorite Pretenders song. Never seen that intro before, though. That’s great! Honeyman-Scott said that his solo is an homage to his three favorite guitarists, but I can’t remember which parts are who.

I do feel a tad guilty knowing now that Chrissie Hynde is addressing her sexual assault by a biker gang. One of her assailants apparently said, “Shut up or you’re going to make some plastic surgeon rich,” which of course made it into the song. (In her book, she says it was totally her fault and she sort of knew what she was getting into. But still.) The audio on this version is shit, so here’s the 2006 remaster …

The mid-twenty joys
Around a heart that’s black and blue
Tattooed love boys
I tore my knees up getting to you
‘Cause I needed
To find out what the thing was for
Been reading
Man, the time came to explore

I went apewire
‘Cause I thought
Like I’d like it
Little tease
But I didn’t mean it
But you mess with the goods, doll
Honey, you gotta pay
Yeah

A good time
Was guaranteed for one and all
The tattoos
Target practice in the hall
While waiting
For their number to get called out
I, I, I, I found out what the wait was about

I was a good time
Yeah, I got pretty good
At changing tires
Upstairs, bro
I shot my mouth off and you showed me what that hole was for

Now I see you
All impressed and half undressed
You got paint stick
All over the scars and lumps and bumps
Tattooed love boys
Have got you where I used to lay
Well, ha ha and too bad
But you know what they say

“Stop snivellin’
You’re gonna make some plastic surgeon a rich man”
Oh, but the prestige and the glory
Another human interest story
You are that

Little Wing, Take #2

Sound engineer Eddie Kramer describes Hendrix in studio. Chas Chandler tells Jimi to dial it back a notch and he’s all “ok man, cool.” Apologies for about 30 seconds of unnecessary leader tape. Also: Glockenspiel!

There are a million “How to Play Little Wing” videos. I love this guy because he’s unpretentious, has underlying dread of even attempting the song, and has a typical reaction to Hendrix about 2:00-3:00:
“is there a pattern in this strumming? What’s the pattern? What is happening?”

Good Girl Says Dirty Things

Surprise! Liz Phair has a new memoir coming out in October called Horror Stories. In the meantime, here’s a fan-fucking-tastic Vulture interview.

So when your indie record Guyville became a phenomenon, was that difficult?

Yes. If I’d only had success in the indie world, my music would have been contextualized more accurately. They would have understood a little more of the art project behind it. Rather than thinking that I was literally saying I wanted to be your blow-job queen, you know?

Once you’re in a wider world, and People magazine picks it up, the nuance is gone. And of course, Matador was like, “Keep going! We’re doing great!”

Full article here.