Hostias Como Panes 04 - "On The Rock Again! (Demo Session)"

Desde que llegué a esta ciudad, hace ya tres años, los gemelos Alcázar me parecen más representativos de Madrid que la mismísima Puerta del Sol. Te los puedes encontrar en Gran Vía cada tarde, apostados enfrente de lo que antaño fue "Madrid Rock" y ahora es otro maldito Bershka, sentados en la barandilla, privando litronas y "chanando" con el personal. Llevan Chamberí en las venas y van cubiertos de tatuajes; el pantalón pitillo y las greñas clareadas redondean la castiza estampa.

En una entrevista para "El País" comentaban que la gente que se queda con ellos es porque capta "la vibra”, porque sabe que tienen “la clave". Afirman convencidos que "se ha perdido parte del espíritu, pero en el inconsciente colectivo late la libertad y el amor al rock and roll". No seré yo quien les quite la razón, asi que para ellos va este pequeño homenje: el corazón de The Devil's Rejects, Nazareth, Thin Lizzy, ZZ Top, Steppenwolf y Led Zeppelin late oculto bajo las remezclas de Prins Thomas, Wade Nichols, Skinny Joe y los demás.

¡Salud y feliz semana entrante a todos!

]]> http://trivialbyfire.wordpress.com/?p=49 Fri, 05 Sep 2008 07:51:39 +0000 Chris (TbF) http://trivialbyfire.wordpress.com/?p=49 The tour kicked off in CIncinatti today, pardon me if the syntax and grammar are a little off on account of the post-show party and theatrics and whatnot.

I have to admit, I had a bit of a vision when the band started. I mean, my thought was always to stay true to the music. Thin Lizzy had a vision and there was no reason we couldn't have one either. I was always about having big riffs, singable chorus lines, and themes that any teenager could relate to. I guess the problem these days is I don't think our intended audience is getting a hold of our music, much less getting the meaning behind what I, I mean WE, do.

There is something primal and resonant about Thin Lizzy. I mean, the way they sing about teenage rebellion and getting into trouble and how the "boys are back in town." I mean, that's something any sixteen year old from any given suburb of Detroit can relate to. I just... I don't think the original message of the band is being conveyed in what we are doing right now.

I'll grant you that focusing the musical efforts of the group on 8-Bit NSF programming was my idea. It was my original thought to turn all the guitar parts into multi-layered, precisely-crafted triangle waves that would harmonize like a dream on ice. That was all me. It was Jeff's idea to add the original lyrics on top of that. I didn't think it was necessary. I mean, Lizzy had such a powerful message that you could understand what they meant beyond the power of words. They were, a-lingual, if you will. The point is: somewhere on the line what was meant to be a faithful tribute to a great and accessible band using free plugins for ACID turned into a (and I shudder to use the word)  hipster-bait nostalgia-thon for drunk teenagers. I mean, is it even possible to feel nostalgia in a 23-year old audience when the music in question hasn't been popular since 1981? It seems unfair, and frankly, against the band's original vision (which was of course to raise awareness for the plight of inner city white boys who were in need of become "lady killers" rather than "killed by ladies").

Look, no one in the band reads this journal, and I think it's pretty safe to say that we've jumped the shark before we've even jumped the garbage pails. I've only done both of the harmonizing guitar parts on "Jailbreak" twice now and it already feels like I've betrayed the artistic concience which originally inspired this great music. If you dig around youtube for Thin MIDDy I'm sure you'll see the performance and understand what I mean. It's not fair. It's not fair to Thin Lizzy, and it's not fair to Leonard Braunheart.

I'm going to have a heart to heart with the band tomorrow night. This madness and debauchery has got to stop.

-LB

Birth

1944. Sterling Morrison (Velvet Underground) born in Long Island, New York.

On Stage

1958. George Harrison joins John Lennon and Paul McCartney in The Quarrymen as they play at the opening night of The Casbah Club in Liverpool.

In Service

1991. UB40 front-man, Ali Campbell, is served with a paternity suit at his home in Birmingham. The action has been raised by 22 year old Tiffany Crow who claims that she got pregnant after two nights of sex with the star during UB40's last US tour. Campbell has previously denied he is the father. A court will probably demand blood tests to settle the matter.

In Custody

1977. Three men are arrested and charged with trying to steal Elvis Presley's body from Forest Hill cemetery in Memphis. It's thought they were planning to hold the corpse for ransom. As a result Elvis soon moves to Graceland.

On Television

rockminer

1981. Rockpalast (WDR, West Germany) Thin Lizzy; Nine Below Zero; Outlaws; .38 Special (Loreley St. Goarshausen). Here are Thin Lizzy with "Are You Ready". 3m 44s.

Death

1998. Country singer Johnny Rodriguez is charged with murder after shooting a friend at his home in Texas this morning. He has been troubled with burglars over the past months and when he heard a noise at the door and saw a figure he fired. Unfortunately it was Israel Borrego, an unemployed labourer he met several months ago. The singer is being held until a bail bond of $ 250,000 can be raised.

Go to Rockmine's main site here.

© Copyright 1995 - 2008 Rockmine Archives. Use of this content is prohibited unless licensed by Rockmine Archives.

I know some people have Guitar Hero. In my household, we have not one, but TWO guitars. And of course, Jeremy being the techy geek he is, just had to get the wireless one.

There are a lot of songs that I would have never heard if I hadn't been rocking out to Guitar Hero, and thought to myself, "Self? That's not a bad song."

So I give you Thin Lizzy.

This guy looks like the generic version of Lenny Kravitz and the fashion sense of Hendrix if Hendrix had been worried about glitter and nipples.

Kansas! The time way back in the day before I was even thought of was filled with bands named after geographical places like Kansas, Chicago, Boston. And for some reason, to me, they all sound the same.

AND NOW! For the video completely in left field that has nothing to do with anything that will remotely come up in your extended weekend.....

BOLLYWOOD!

Now. I stumbled upon this video this morning and I laughed my butt off. Everyone complains about the campy-ness of High School Musical and all those Disney-produced movies, but this is what Bollywood is all about. The song is called 'Ishq Kameena' from the movie "Shakti"

Apparently, in Bollywood, each movie must have a song and dance number, and usually each movie has more than one. The concept is all the same. Guy wants girl. Girl wants guy, but plays hard to get so she doesn't seem like a tramp.

What gets me is that all the facial expressions and the movement is exaggerated. Some people will think it's exaggerated to the point where it's ridiculous, but this is how their government wants Bollywood movies.

And I'll admit, Aishwarya Rai is hot.

Nesta última semana, o destino quis que voltasse a ouvir três grandes albuns ao vivo de três grandes bandas. Estes albuns marcaram as respectivas bandas e as suas carreiras, sendo marcos daquilo que deve ser um album ao vivo.

Embora tenha gostado de os voltar a ouvir a todos, nao posso deixar de dizer que o meu preferido (gostos não se discutem...) foi o "Live...in the heart of the city" dos Whitesnake. Só o prazer de ouvir o grande Jon Lord nas teclas... Soberbo!

Mas todos estes albums já têm mais de 20 anos e todos eles marcaram a história do Rock e do Heavy Metal. Porque será que na actualidade os albuns ao vivo deixaram de ter a importância que tinham? Será que não existe futuro para os bons albuns ao vivo? Ou será que como agora a oferta musical é tanta que estes passam despercebidos? Mesmo nas bandas mais recentes, e apesar das melhorias técnicas, não consigo vislumbrar albuns ao vivo que me tenham marcado e que tenham tido tanto impacto junto do público.

His mother, Philomena, figured large in his life, and he wrote a song for her. It's said that his last words to her were "oh ma, what have I done to ya?" - and it's quite clear that there were two Philip Lynotts - the caring father and son, and the wild man, the romeo, forever ligging at someone's party, glass in hand.

Bon Jovi are vocal in their appreciation, saying Phil and Lizzy were a massive influence on them. Songs about Cowboys from the Irish - Inspiring the Americans to do the same - it's like selling sand to the arabs!! No mean feat. John Norum and Swedish band Europe were also massive lizzyphiles - Norum covering "Opium trail" on one of his solo outings. Huey Lewis also cut his teeth playing blues harp with them.

He led Thin Lizzy to produce some of the finest rock in the last forty years, employing a succession of guitarists that reads like a who's who - Eric Bell, Gary Moore, Brian Robertson, Scott Gorham, Snowy White and John Sykes. He even employed Ultravox's Midge Ure at one point!

But it was his driving bass, his power stance and delivery, and his completely unique voice, that really sold Lizzy. listen to the bass line on "the boys are back in town", or the earlier "I'm a gonna creep up on ya". He WAS rock bass, straight-ahead, no-nonsense. There are so many great Lizzy bass lines, delivered on the now iconic black Fender precision with the mirrored scratchplate - an idea he nicked from Slade's Noddy holder when he saw how the spotlights reflected off the mirrors on Noddy's trademark top hat!

I had the pleasure and privilege to briefly meet him in Derby, when he'd taken the new-look twin-guitar lizzy out on the road to promote "Nightlife". he was quite, unassuming, a gentleman. But onstage, the consummate rocker. Recently, that very show I attended at Derby college has been released on CD, where they previewed the as yet untitled Cowboy Song, calling it "Derby Blues!".

I've always felt a connection with Phil. He's one of my strongest and earliest influences, and I had the good fortune to portray him on the UK TV Show "Stars in their Eyes".

I met Eric Bell some time afterwards, and he told me he'd enjoyed it alot, and Phil would be looking down saying, in his inimitable Irish accent "jaysus, I tort oi was dead!" it was one of the proudest moments of my life.

Happy Birthday Phil.

Recommended listening..."I'm gonna creep up on ya" "The Hero and the Madman" "The boys are back in town" "Don't believe a word" "The Rocker".....the list goes on!

Kev Moore

Birth

1948. Robert Plant (do I really have to say Led Zeppelin?) born in West Bromwich, England.

On Tour

1996. Whitney Houston gets £ 1.3 million for a 90 minute performance at a banquet held by the Sultan Of Brunei.

In Court

1981. Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy) appears at Kingston Crown Court to face three charges - possessing cocaine, possessing cannabis and cultivating cannabis. He's found guilty of possessing cocaine and fined £ 200 but acquitted on both of the other charges. The court case follows a police raid on Lynott's house in Kew Road, Richmond in November 1979. It took the jury two and three-quarter hours to reach its verdicts. Speaking to reporters outside the court, Lynott said he was very concerned about the effect the guilty verdict might have on his ability to tour the United States. Lynott had told the court that he'd given up smoking cannabis after the birth of his daughter, Sara, almost three years ago. he also said that he was unaware of possessing any cocaine. The jacket, in which two packets of the drug had been found, had been loaned to a friend and only returned the day before the raid.

In Hospital

1994. Sound engineer Tim Warhurst falls from a lighting gallery during rehearsals for Take That's appearance at London's Docklands Arena. He is flown by air ambulance to the Royal London Hospital where he is found to be suffering from head and spinal injuries that may leave him paralysed for life.

On Television

1975. Musikladen (ZDF, Germany) 20. 10cc; Bay City Rollers; Johnny Cash; Rubettes; The Cats; Paper Lace; ABBA; Roger Glover; Creedence Clearwater Rivival (Oldie); The Seekers. Here's 10cc with "I'm Not In Love". 4m 06s.

Death

1971. George Jackson, one of the Soledad Brothers, is shot dead by warders when he tries to escape from San Quentin Prison in California. Jackson, 29, had served 11 years for the theft of $ 70 and was currently in jail awaiting trial for the alleged killing of a prison warder during his sentence which was served at Soledad Prison. His court hearing was scheduled for August 23rd but he decided not to wait and escape instead. During the escape attempt, two other prisoners were shot dead by guards. Two prisoners had their throats slit by those escaping and a warder was stabbed to death. The event is captured for posterity by Bob Dylan in the song, "George Jackson".

Music Paper From Today

New Musical Express from 20th August 1977. A copy taken from Rockmine’s almost complete run of U.K. music papers from the last 45 years.

Go to Rockmine's main site here.

© Copyright 1995 - 2008 Rockmine Archives. Use of this content is prohibited unless licensed by Rockmine Archives.

Anyway, after the musical divulgence that my sister started me on I raided my parents cd collection for all the classic oldies, Led Zep, Thin lizzy, Genesis, Pink Floyd, stuff like that, which I see as providing my musical foundation... and from there I met a bloke in secondary school, and both me and him happened to leave that school at the same time, so we stuck together through the miracles of instant messenging.

Now I know this probably isn't all that interesting to much of you, but bugger it if this isn't my blog, so if you don't like it you know where the address bar is. Anyway, this guy first sent me on the path of a band now known as Lamb of God, but then known as Burn the Priest... it's pretty hardcore metal, but it's of the variety that doesn't overdo the screaming but does overdo on the pure awesome.

Fast forward a few years to when we're both in between school and University, and we happened to go on a trip to South Africa together where we helped look after Cheetahs near the Kruger National park... anyway, we were stuck quite often in our hut with nothing but his mp3 player and my overly loud headphones.... anyway, that was where I met a lesser known Indie rap band called Atmosphere, who actually talked about stuff that I was remotely interested in, so they get my vote mainly because of that, but also because they have some pretty heavy beats... which I always love.

The next few bands I'm just going to throw at you because they were found out within the space of a month or two, mostly through my mate who spent far too much time surfing music forums, but a few of my own choices... anyway, here is Xploding Plastix, a acid jazz band so underground it's not true.. Stars of the Lid, a 'drone' band that is probably THE best thing to utterly lose yourself in... I went to a gig of theirs in May and I swear it was like achieving Nirvana or something... Boards of Canda, an IDM band from Scotland which I think are quite possibly the best band to listen to at 4am in the morning, preferably by a lake... Neutral Milk Hotel, a folk band with a supposed love affair with Anne Frank, despite her being dead half a century... and finally, Bon Iver, some guy who locked himself in a shed for a few months and came back with pure beauty on a record.

So that's it, a cross section of my musical evolution... of course there's a whole plethora of bands that I've missed out, but I think that shows a good selection for you to be getting on with. I want reports people! Investigate and return!

P.S. This one isn't so unknown, but it's just as awesome. I give you Seasick Steve, you can thank me later.

Edit: So I've been asked to pimp my sister.... here she is: My Sister. Oh, and btw, if you're thinking something dirty right now, I'll murk you. For serious.

Listen to Please Bleed, Another Lonely Day and Burn One Down. Then come back and tell me what you think.

My cousin Sue had two extra tickets to the Eagles in 1975 so I snatched them up for myself and a date. We ended up sitting next to my cousin and her date, a young fellow who eventually became a Mayor, State Representative and State Senator here in Ohio. (Dan Fogelberg, who recently passed, was opening act).
 
KISS mania had taken hold at high schools all across Ohio and everyone had KISS Alive and Destroyer. We hardcore KISS fans had everything they had done of course. For the March 9, 1976 KISS/Artful Dodger appearance at the Richfield Coliseum Flash and I went to the Ticketmaster location at the Belden Village Mall and bought three complete rows of seats. One row was around six rows below the other two rows. So we went to Orrville and sold most of them (at cost) to our pals (so we could control who we sat with). I had people in school (my senior year) who never spoke to me coming up asking if I had any tickets left and pleading for one. The power! A few tickets we gave away to some very charming young ladies and we kept two each. (I’d tell you the ‘details’ of that night but I have five grandchildren who may read this someday.)
 
I remember the Foghat/Starz show on February 20, 1978 because my pal Rog caught a flying drumstick from Foghat drummer Roger Earl. The two bands always kicked ass live.
 
I remember the January 8, 1978 KISS concert at the Richfield Coliseum because it took 20-25 minutes to get there and after the show we went to the car to be greeted by a mountain of snow. We had two blizzards that year (the second one, even bigger, in March) and the night of KISS was the first one. It took nearly three hours to get home, dodging sliding cars going backwards down Route 21 past us as I kept the hammer down on the Cutlass trying to get up those big hills with what seemed like five feet of snow and more coming down. We made it back to Orrville and were snowed in for three days.
 
I remember seeing Alice Cooper again later that year in ’78 because that was the first concert my older sister Cheryl had ever been to (we broke her in with that one!). That was May 5 and Jay Ferguson opened. A good time was had by all, as is the case anytime you see Alice Cooper.
 
I remember not expecting much out of Rod Stewart on November 4, 1977 because he didn’t have Faces with him (they were killer in ’75 at the Stadium). Wrong. Stewart kicked ass that night, had everyone out of their seats and had the audience n the palm of his hand.
 
New Year’s Eve 1977 was celebrated at the Richfield Coliseum seeing Todd Rundgren’s Utopia and Derringer. A friendly law enforcement officer stopped us on the way home and inquired about our health and sent us on our way after promises of getting to Orrville ASAP and staying there. Derringer owned the night.
 
I remember taking three or four people for their first Angel concert on March 8, 1978 and them being blown away by Angel’s stage show.
 
New Year’s Eve 1978 at the Richfield Coliseum: Bruce Springsteen. Nuff’ said.
 
Ian Hunter & Mick Ronson on September 22, 1979. One of my favorite concerts at the Coliseum. Too many reasons to list. But what a night!

[caption id="attachment_179" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Ian Hunter & the late, great Mick Ronson"][/caption]

Boston and Sammy Hagar on my birthday in 1978. Boston was good but Sammy laid the smackdown.
 
The Who on December 9, 1975. Nuff’ said.
 
In 1978 went to see Black Sabbath and Van Halen. Had heard maybe one or two Van Halen songs on the radio at that point and none of us that went gave them much thought. We were there for Sabbath. Result: Van Halen whipped Black Sabbath performance-wise and musically like a bastard redheaded stepchild.
 
Led Zeppelin on January 24, 1975 that saw a mini-riot erupt and thousands and thousands of dollars worth of broken window glass by a group outside who were unable to get tickets. That made the papers.
 
I think I saw Aerosmith there at least four times at the Coliseum and only once was the sound working right and you could actually hear the band. Guess they were just jinxed there.
 
After a Ted Nugent/J.Geils Band show Bug, Mott & myself shaking hands with Peter Wolfe. As we came out of the Coliseum we walked by a couple limos and in the back of the first one with the window down was Peter Wolfe sitting between two lovely ladies with a drink in hand. We stopped, told him, “You guys kicked ass!” His response? “I know!” He slapped us each a high five and off we went.
 
Led Zeppelin on April 27 and April 28, 1977. Tickets were available via mail order only with a minimum number of tickets per order. So Flash and I got our money orders prepared and each ordered the maximum number allowed for both nights. We went to the Richfield Post Office and at midnight of the date orders could be postmarked we dropped our order in the mail (along with probably 100 others lined up). We got lucky and each got four tickets for both nights. First night was with dates, second night with buddies. The April 27 performance is a huge bootleg bestseller on the black market. Full details on this night can be found here: http://doclehman.wordpress.com/2008/03/09/
 
There’s more, lots more, but you get the idea. I’d like to hear from others about their experiences at the Richfield Coliseum.
 
I know I saw well over 100 bands there during the 70’s and very early 80’s. A couple performances I missed that I always regretted were not seeing George Harrison (’74) and Paul McCartney (’76) on their respective tours because tickets were mail order and my orders didn’t get picked. I also went as far as making plans to buy tickets to see Elvis in 1977. One of my cousins saw him at the Coliseum in ’75 and convinced me I had to see him at least once. But right before the Cleveland tickets went on sale he died.
 
Lots of good memories there and lots of good bands came through many times. I think I saw KISS there four or five times, Aerosmith the same, Alice Cooper four times, Fleetwood Mac four times, the list goes on….
 
With the opening of Gund Arena in Cleveland the Richfield Coliseum was doomed. It shut down in 1994 and in 1999 was demolished and the property returned to woodland and under stewardship of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  You can find more info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richfield_Coliseum

]

Con esto puedes tener buena o mala suerte, que la canción que te inunda el cerebro sea una de las muchas que te gustan o al menos no te desagradan, o que coincida que es una que te sabes sin quererlo, de lo tanto que la han repetido emisoras de radio, que tu no querías saberte, por que la detestas, pero tu cerebro ha decidido otra cosa.

Yo hoy he tenido suerte, llevo todo el día, desde mi primer pensamiento con "whiskey in the jar", como veis, conociendo mis gustos musicales un poco, pues no es una mala opción XD

He estado toda la mañana queriendo escucharla. En casa no podía por que había que salir rápido hacia el curro. Una vez en el curro, imposible ponerla en Internet, el jefe toda la mañana a la espalda.

Por fin llego la hora de comer, y me he desquitado.

Y una vez comenzado el proceso de quitar el mono por la canción, me he puesto a buscar diferentes interpretes de los que hubiera vídeo en youtube para poder hacer esta entrada. Así que aquí tenéis unos cuantos vídeos para completar mi ida de olla del día.

Empezaremos con el grupo con la que lo descubrí.

Thin Lizzy

Hoy en día, son más culpables de darla a conocer el siguiente grupo

Metallica

La canción realmente es una canción popular irlandesa, así que realmente son la mayoria de las versiones celtas

The Dubliners

Luke Kelly

Johnny Logan

Como no, no podia faltar el indecente DJ que decide hacer a los dioses de la sordera destrozando otra canción

Glamour DJs

Y para terminar, no podemos olvidarnos de un nuevo estilo que ha surgido con internet, bueno más bien con Youtube, que es el de grabarse tocando una canción que te gusta. en este caso he cogido el primer ejemplo que ha surgido en la busqueda.

Swanner

GOOD Evening on Monday night, 10:51pm!

It's really early, approximately 6:05am, up early to post this one really fast, then it's off to the flea market to score some vinyl!!!

I'm not going into anything with this one,  because I think these guys greatness goes without saying, plus I will be doing another post of them, but I just actually had a dream that my husband and I were AT a Thin Lizzy show, and our car had gotten broken into...blah blah blah. I have to get to getting!

Well I have to tell you guys... I really don't understand what divshare's deal is... but I am reconsidering a music sharing network, because outside of my dislike for iTunes, I can not express my momentary disgust with divshare, either it won't let me log in or it will let me log in... but it won't let me share my folders!!

Makes me mad. 

Sorry about that I had to get that one out! Spent about an hour & 45 minutes in the tub flipping threw my mental stresses and ailments. Dozed off a bit, really got nothing much out of it but 20 pruned up phalanges! Still don't feel relieved, cleansed of this anxiousness or free of my cranky pants!

Guess it's just a bad day... so based on my crossed out explanation up top.... this is how this blog originated, but never the less I love the Lizz... a powerhouse, genius and collectively one of my many favorites:

Thin Lizzy's fifth LP, "Fighting" released in 1975 on Mercury!

"Suicide"
"Silver Dollar"
"Fighting My Way Back"

It's 1977, or 78, could be either, they toured both years and I went to see them at the sweatbox that was/still is the Leeds Polytechnic Refectory, ok its called something else now, has a fancy name and all, but its always "The Refectory" for me.

There's a clip from one of Billy Connolly's "World Tour" series when he visits Dublin and speaking to camera he's walking through a graveyard on his way to visit what he describes as "an important grave". When he gets there he finds that its being attended to by an old lady who is arranging flowers and taking away some dead ones so he and the camera crew stand back for a short while and wait until she is finished.

They speak to the old lady and ask if she comes here often, "Every day" she answers, she is the mother of Phil Lynott and when Connolly asks her what she was saying to the grave when they interrupted her she tells him that she never misses an opportunity to remind her son of what a "very naughty boy" he was, its like a clip from Monty Python, but I agree, it was very naughty of Phil Lynott to drink and drug his way to a painfully early death, talent is wasted on the young.

Bored.

Uncreative.

Goddamn.

It's friday and I feel as though I should write something. Anything. Maybe I should hold forth on the passing of yet another of my heroes... George Carlin. Nah, too depressing. He did live a long life, though, and stayed sharp as shattered glass to the very end. Fuck. We need more George Carlins in this world.

Ok, still depressing -- although if push came to shove, I could turn anything into a slice of shit pie, sunshine and rainbows be damned. But there's always music. The sole thing that keeps me sane... ish.

I'm usually an album sort of dude, but every once in a while morbid curiosity gets the better of me and I test my fate at the hands of the shuffle feature. Is all the music on my iPod actually good? Or is my taste just as bland as that of the average Nickelback fan? God, I hope not. I'm not a suicidal sort, for the most part, but if I was trapped within four walls with no doors and a giant speaker that only played commercial-radio-approved "modern rock", I'd probably do everything within my power to off myself. Honestly. I'd rather listen to static. Or the sound of a raccoon fighting an infant.

So here goes... commentary rendered in real time, warts and all.

1. Mike Watt - Against The 70's

I think this is the best song Eddie Vedder has ever lent his vocals to. I am not a Pearl Jam fan. In fact, one time an acquaintance of mine who definitely was not a drug dealer once informed me that he had just gone to see Pearl Jam the previous weekend. I said "Oh yeah, who opened for them?" not giving a solitary shit about Pearl Jam, but thinking that maybe, just maybe I could salvage the conversation with some lively discussion of the openers. "It was some band called The Buzzcocks. They sucked." And me with a Buzzcocks shirt on. Bastard!

2. Desmond Dekker - It Pays

I love Desmond Dekker. I could listen to him in any situation, in any mood at any time of day. Listening to Desmond Dekker makes pretty much everything else that falls under the umbrella of ska seem pointless.

3. Mclusky - No New Wave, No Fun

Not my favorite Mclusky song, but a pretty good one nonetheless. Falco's deranged yammering during the verses that apes the guitar line is the highlight, but the raging "tried to find a better way, there is no other better way" chorus is the icing on the piss-soaked cake.

4. The Ramones - You're Gonna Kill That Girl

This is the It's Alive version, and a lively one indeed. Sorry. That was lame. Ok song, good rendition. Dee Dee's "1234!"'s before each chorus are a hoot. The Ramones were pretty tight live and I regret never having seen them while they were still alive. Shit, that's a lot of mortality for one song.

5. King Khan and the Shrines - 69 Faces of Love

Like a naughtier Tommy James and the Shondelles tune. I like these guys. It doesn't hurt that they're from Montreal (for the most part) and don't sound like indie also-rans. They nail the late-sixties garage vibe, but pair it with ace songwriting -- the key factor in pushing them beyond mere novelty. One of The Black Lips' favorite bands and I can see why.

6. Maow - J'ai Faim

A track from my favorite comp of all time -- the inaugral Mint Records sampler. These girls were savaged by critics back in the day, crucified for seemingly jumping on the Cub bandwagon while adding nothing to the mix but silly animal costumes. In retrospect they weren't that bad, really. My sole grudge against Maow is the sheer insanity of having Neko Case in your band, but thinking 'nah, I'll handle the vocals.'

7. Desmond Dekker - Mother Pepper

Dekker again... I'll use this time to finish the above Maow entry...

8. Cloak/Dagger - She Cracked

Modern Lovers cover by one of the few contemporary hardcore bands that have renewed my interest in the genre. Pretty faithful rendition. Entirely listenable. B-side to their "Kamikazes" 7" that leaves me wanting to hear their originals instead.

9. Black Francis - Garbage Heap

From the SVN FNGRS album. Good track, very Pixies-ish for obvious reasons. Not my favorite from the album, but damn, what a chorus. Classic Frank Black. Nifty little guitar solo. Good stuff.

10. The Clash - Rebel Waltz

Interesting that this would be the first Clash song to appear... not one of my favorites, but certainly not as bad as a lot of Clash fans would have you believe. Sure, it's kind of silly with its glorification of some kind of generically mystical group of rebels and not exactly a prime example of Joe Strummer's lyrical prowess, but I've always loved that opening guitar line. Lovely.

11. Wu-Tang Clan - Method Man

"Torture motherf*ckers" indeed. This was the skit that I always fastforwarded through if anyone else was listening to 36 Chambers with me. Of course, it segues into Method Man's statement of purpose, prefaced by the original shout-out to the entire Wu-Tang crew. Actually one of the weaker tracks on 36 Chambers, which is to say it's still a banger, but I don't think it was even popular with Method Man himself. "Freak a flow and flow fancy free" indeed, but he stills manages to "fade motherfuckers like bleach." Ends with Meth taking a serious toke and coughing his guts up.

12. The Beatles - For No One

Not much to say about this that hasn't already been said. One of the great Beatles songs. One of their coldest, most devastating lyrics, perfectly capturing the essence of a failed relationship without adornment or artifice.

13. The Clash - Koka Kola

Now this is more like it. One of the more rocking tunes from London Calling and one of the funniest Clash tunes in the cannon. "With your snake skin boots and your alligator suit, you don't need a launderette, you can take it to the vet." Probably would have fit better on Give Em Enough Rope, what with all the guitar firepower found therein, but what do I know?

14. Neil Young - Walk On

I must say, this is a good shuffle. From On The Beach, which is probably tied with Rust Never Sleeps as my favorite Neil album. Love the way the guitars sound.

15. Propaghandi - ...And We Thought Nation States Were A Bad Idea

Taken from my favorite Propaghandi album. Sure, they're easy to criticize, but there's a band that's sticking to its guns, despite Chris Hannah's change in vocal style over the years. I still like them, but I really don't listen to them all that much anymore.

16. Thin Lizzy - Waiting For An Alibi

Lizzy. Lizzy! Melodic as hell. Great chorus. This is the sort of song that should clog the arteries of classic rock radio, but shamefully does not. Phil Lynott. Love his lyrics and his phrasing thereof, not to mention his work on the four-string. One of his poppier moments, but still edgy and rocking enough to get over... sort of combines the two extremes of Lizzy. And to great effect.

17. Bum - Bent On Being Bent

From the criminally underrated early-90's Victoria pop-punkers, featuring Nick from the Smugglers on guitar and a horn section. Horns! Yeah. These guys were good. Great hooks and melodies. Like a less-cloying version of so many Lookout! bands that garnered so much more attention. Bastards!

18. The Replacements - Lovelines

Sure, some would call this filler, but Lovelines is easily one of my favorite Mats tunes. "Feeling pressured? Call Lovelines." As easy as that. Worth it for "Slightly overweight girls need sex also." Ten times funnier than "Group Sex" by the Circle Jerks as far as sex-personal-goofing punk tunes go.

And on that note, I need to go to bed.

In het geval van Bobby Gillespie protopunk en -hardrock. In eerste instantie betrof het MC5, waarmee Primal Scream vorige maand het podium deelde, en Hawkwind, waarvan de Schotse band het krachtige Urban Guerrilla als gratis nummer op internet aanbiedt. In de trein en later thuis werkte de associatiemachine in mijn hoofd op volle toeren. In extreem-versimpelde versie: van Hawkwind naar Motörhead, van Motörhead naar NWoBHM en, met hulp van de referenties op YouTube, naar de zeventiger jaren-rock van UFO, Scorpions en Thin Lizzy. En tja, Thin Lizzy is voor mijn Phil Lynott en John Sykes. Met die laatste is de cirkel weer rond, want terug bij NWoBHM. Lynott was een meester in het schrijven van krachtige liedjes met een vrolijke ondertoon. Toch is zijn mooiste de treurige ballad The Sun Goes Down, terug te vinden op Thunder & Lightning uit 1983. De zwanenzang van de Ierse band. Lynott overleed in 1986 aan de gevolgen van jarenlang drugsgebruik.

Nog steeds een prachtig nummer, dat The Sun Goes Down. Hieronder te zien in een live-uitvoering met Lynott en Sykes. Ik heb plots weer zin om het plan voor het schrijven van een boek over NWoBHM vanuit Nederlands perspectief weer op te pakken. Tja, wat een interview al niet op kan leveren. Moet ik dus toch weer vaker doen.