MOG - Jones, Jason's Posts

a wizard, a true star

Jones, Jason — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 21:06:00 GMT

Todd Rundgren. Sir, you have overtaken my brain as of late. Your early to mid 70's output is not to be taken lightly. It is but the essence of genius. That's a word that I happen to throw around none too often. In your case, it is deserved.

The song attached to this post is just one of the many examples of his aforementioned genius.

we all together

Jones, Jason — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 22:55:32 GMT

this song makes me want to climb on top of a building and scream out unintelligible phrases. my favorite song of the moment. it is delightful.

it's off of we all together's second and final album "2" from 1974.

read about the album here: http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:difqxq9kldhe

enjoy.

oceanic rock

Jones, Jason — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 15:41:29 GMT

it's been awhile since i've entered into MOG territory, but alas i have returned so here's an update as to my recent listening excursions.

i've been caught up in listening to quite a bit of underwater sounds as of late. music that i can only describe as "shimmering". music that has it's main aural components in drift, immersion, and flow. music that could be classified as an almost "submerged pop". music not about the ocean, but seemingly of the ocean.

the albums in question are as follows:

arthur russell- "world of echo" can- "future days" robert wyatt- "rock bottom" talk talk- "spirit of eden"

i've become obsessed. perhaps it's the onslaught of summer that is making me long for the watery sounds of the afforementioned albums. i'll lay in bed at night and become hypnotised by the gentle waves of limpid, watery synths drifting out of the speakers. snare drums sounding as though they are being hit two inches underwater. i've found that in listening to such gentle and soothing music, it inadvertantly makes me want to play music that is ever so fierce.....as if i'm making up for my lack of unhinged music listening by banging and slamming down upon my drums.....almost an even-ing out of my musical spectrum, with my listening being so gentle and gliding and my performing being so frantic and throttling.

"i love a man in uniform"

Jones, Jason — Wed, 30 May 2007 01:50:04 GMT

i have had this song stuck in my head ever since i woke up this morning. it was gang of four’s only real commercial radio/top 40 hit in america, which is weird if you consider the honest to goodness disco/funk pop abrasion of their earlier two albums. however, they had streamlined their disco/funk pop abrasion into an ironically consumable formula, setting their usually inflammatory left-wing rhetoric to the dying strains of the disco sound. the song’s smooth R&B feel hides a subtext with tongue planted firmly in cheek that surely sailed right over the multitude of heads and bodies on the dancefloor of any disco circa 1982. soldiers? sexy! rifles? erotic! amputations? well, the picture is clear. to the untrained ear, i’m sure it sounded as harmless as “it’s raining men” by the weather girls. however, with lyrics such as “The good life was so elusive/Handouts, they got me down/I had to regain my confidence/So I got into camouflage”, it seems as if the 45rpm single was dipped in sarcasm before it was shipped off to records stores in anytown, USA.

“The girls, they love to see you shoot.”

My Favorite Songs Featuring the Mellotron

Jones, Jason — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 04:17:31 GMT

The Mellotron was first built in Birmingham, England in the early 60’s as the first commercial available tape sampler, primarily for the function of recreating the sound of orchestras and choirs when they weren’t available for live performances. The Mellotron didn’t look particularly fantastic – it looked like a church organ – but instead of producing sounds intended for salvation it tended to invoke something more sinister. Sounds emanated from their wooded shells that were scary and haunting but yet were still strangely beautiful. Launched into the mainstream due to its inclusion in the intro of “Strawberry Fields Forever”, the Mellotron eventually became responsible for producing some of the most characteristic sounds associated with the psychedelic music of the 60’s and 70’s.

I have lots of favorite songs that utilize this beautiful machine and I’d like to talk about them all but, for the sake of brevity, I’ll just share a few in no particular order. Though new music is continually recorded with the Mellotron, I’m sticking to the classics for these picks....

The Bee Gees - "Red Chair Fade Away" Almost never has psychedelic music been more beautifully orchestrated and arranged than on the songs from the Bee Gees First. They’re all incredible on their own, but add a healthy dose of Mellotron and you have gold. Though it’s often hard to discern, I think they used one of the string orchestra settings on “Red Chair” and the vintage violin sound on “Every Christian Man”. The most poignant M-tron moment comes at the very end of the latter from a beautiful downward pitch bend.

The Zombies - "Care Of Cell 44" This tune off the album “Odyssey and Oracle” is up there for one of my favorite songs of all time. Never mind the entertaining subject matter of this song (some poor bastard waiting for his woman to get out of jail), this song is pop perfection. It makes my knees weak when Colin Blunstone hits the high note in the chorus. The undulating Mellotron violin sound so common throughout the song is balanced perfectly against the layered vocals. “Feels so good, she’s coming home soon!”

The Kinks - "Starstruck" Though Ray Davies featured the Mellotron prominently on the idyllic Village Green Preservation Society, it never really stands out. Sometimes it even sounds a little forced. “Starstruck” is the exception; it comes across beautifully. Listen for the M-tron strings starting on verse two then coming in and out until the end.

The Beatles - "Tomorrow Never Knows" Though “Strawberry Fields” is arguably the most famous song featuring the instrument, “Tomorrow Never Knows” is my favorite. This song blew the top of my head off the first time I heard it. Adapted by John closely from Tim Leary’s book “The Psychedelic Experience”, it was the Beatles first true venture into psychedelia and it features abundant use of the Mellotron alongside backwards tape loops and Ringo’s persistent drop/stop beats.

Rolling Stones - "2000 Light Years From Home" I don’t care how bad the Stones were ripping off Sgt. Pepper, this album rules and 2000 Light Years is the highlight for me. This song is a swirling and swaying audible trance – primarily due to Brian Jones’ use of the Mellotron. The instrument fit Brian Jones’ personality to a T: refined appearance with a sinister core. No one has or ever will use the instrument more succinctly than on this track.

John Lennon and Paul McCartney: The Tonight Show: May 14, 1968

Jones, Jason — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 16:37:36 GMT

Guest Host: Joe Garagiola

ABOUT THE FOLLOWING INTERVIEW:

The first few seasons of Johnny Carson's 'Tonight Show' no longer exist in the NBC vaults. Many videotapes were 'reused' by NBC in those days, including Carson's earliest seasons. Therefore the 1968 Lennon/McCartney appearance is truely a lost interview. What does still exist is due only to TV-viewing Beatle fans trying to capture the moment... back before the days of home VCRs.

Luckily, the audio was recorded by another Beatles fan who decided to capture the TV interview by placing their amatuer audio recorder next to their TV set. The fidelity of this audio tape is very poor, and at times difficult to understand, but most of the dialog can be discerned. Copies of this audio tape are known to circulate among collectors.

It was an important time. The Beatles were currently announcing their new company 'Apple Corps,' they had just returned from meditation in India, and they would soon begin the recording sessions for 'The White Album' upon returning to England. Below is the transcribed text of this lost 1968 American network television appearance-- John Lennon and Paul McCartney speaking with guest host Joe Garagiola (JG), and actress Tellulah Bankhead (TB), on NBC's Tonight Show.

--(commercial break)--

JG: "Ladies and gentlemen, from the Beatles-- John Lennon and Paul McCartney!"

(excited screams and applause as they walk out)

JG: "Good evening, good evening. Can I ask you something? How did you get here? Not from England, but from the hotel with all the people out there?"

JOHN: "Uhh, car."

JG: "Car. Did you have any problems?"

JOHN: "No, no. All under control. (jokingly) Well how are you, Johnny?"

JG: "Well, I figure you've been interviewed all day-- if there's any questions you'd like to ask us..."

JOHN: "What are you doing?"

(laughter)

PAUL: "Mmm, where's Johnny?"

JG: "Where is he? Gatorsburg!"

ED McMAHON: "Gatorsburg!"

JG: "A wonderful town."

TB: "May I ask you, a big favorite all over the world, a question? Are the other two gentlemen... of the four of you... are they still in India?"

JOHN: "No, they're in England."

TB: "I want to ask you something, because I wish I'd learned to meditate, and I can't... I don't know how you do it. I would love to."

JOHN: "Well you gotta go and find out, haven't you."

TB: "Well I'm not going that far."

JOHN: "Oh well."

(laughter)

PAUL: "Forget it."

TB: "If it's taken me this long, and couldn't do it, I couldn't learn there."

JOHN: "Well, you can't learn to swim if you keep inland, can you? Unless you've got a pool around you."

TB: "Oh honey, I can float sitting up. Don't be silly."

(laughter)

JG: "I get the feeling there are two different conversations here!"

PAUL: "Yeah right, yeah. We had a bit of trouble today-- this fella-- We did an interview for the educational program. And he started asking us questions, and they were quite sort of serious questions, you know. So it was a choice between just laughing it up, or answering seriously."

JG: "So what did you do?"

PAUL: "We were a bit serious."

JG: (jokingly) "You? Serious?"

PAUL: "Yeah. We were just sort of-- (clears throat comically) --not too serious, you know, just sort of."

JG: "Listen, of all the..."

PAUL: "So tell us a joke!"

(laughter)

JG: "I don't really have that many jokes, you tell me a joke."

JOHN: "We don't know any."

TB: "I think they're very serious fellows."

PAUL: "That's it. We are, you know."

JOHN: "We can never remember 'em, you see."

JG: "Would you like to be a comedian?"

JOHN: "No."

JG: "In many ways you are."

JOHN: "Well..."

(laughter)

JG: "The four of you, socially, are you that close, or are you...?"

PAUL: "Yeah."

JOHN: "We're close friends, you know."

JG: "Sometimes when you work together-- I've been with groups that when the job's over, that's it. Do you have houses pretty much together?"

JOHN: "Within twenty miles all together."

JG: "If you couldn't have been in music-- if it hadn't happened for you-- what do you think you would like to do?"

JOHN: "Ahh, I don't know. Films for me."

(Paul relaxes back comfortably)

JG: (pause) "How about you, Paul... I'm not breaking your mood, am I?"

PAUL: "No. You're doing great, you know. But, umm..."

(laughter)

PAUL: "So, what would I like to have been?"

JOHN: "A policeman."

PAUL: (to John) "...no. Not a policeman."

(laughter)

PAUL: "Uhh, I don't know, you know. I was nearly gonna be a teacher but that fell through, luckily."

(music swells for a commercial break... Paul begins humming along... girls scream)

JG: (to John) "Why don't you read that (cue card) and see what the reaction is."

JOHN: "And now a word from your local stallion."

(laughter)

JG: "...a word from your local STATION!"

--(commercial break)--

JG: "Listen. Paul, you said something that's hard for me to believe. You were in Central Park, and no one recognized you, Sunday?"

PAUL: "Yes, that's true. Yes."

JOHN: "We were very pleased, you know."

JG: "You just kinda wandered around? You just walked around? The police weren't with you?"

JOHN: "No, we just walked out, you know. We often do it. If people don't know-- expect us, what are they gonna do but see a bit of long hair walking around like all the other long hair."

(laughter)

JG: "How long have you been in New York now? We just found out about it."

PAUL: "Three days."

JOHN: "Is it three, now?"

PAUL: "Three days."

JOHN: "And we still haven't got a tan."

PAUL: "And it's been enough, you know, actually." (laughs)

JG: "When you get into a city-- You were on tour, and you got to alot of cities. How much of it do you really see? It's ballpark to a hotel, I think."

JOHN: "You just pick up the vibrations. We never saw it, you know."

PAUL: "The room."

JOHN: "A castle full of rooms all over the place."

JG: "How about this new organization, 'Apple'?"

JOHN: "Oh yeah. Well you see, our accountant came up and said, 'We got this amount of money. Do you want to give it to the government or do something with it?' So we thought..."

JG: "Which government?"

JOHN: "Oh... Any old government."

(laughter)

JOHN: "So we decided to play businessmen for a bit, because, uhh, we've got to run our own affairs now. So, we've got this thing called 'Apple' which is going to be records, films, and electronics-- which all tie-up. And to make a sort of an umbrella so people who want to make films about... grass... don't have to go on their knees in an office, you know, begging for a break. We'll try and do it like that. That's the idea. I mean, we'll find out what happens, but that's what we're trying to do."

PAUL: "If you want to do something, normally you've got to go to big business and you've gotta go to 'them,' the big people, you know."

JOHN: "You don't even get there. Because you can't get through the door 'cuz of the color of your shoes."

PAUL: (laughs) "But you know, people are normally... Big companies are so big that if you're little and good it takes you like 60 years to make it. And so people miss out on these little good people."

JOHN: "It just takes 'em longer."

PAUL: "So we're trying to find a few."

JG: "Paul, is that because of your background? You came from a poor background."

JOHN: "No, it's no sort of... it's just a common thing."

PAUL: "There's a little bit of that."

JG: "If you didn't feel it as a youngster, you wouldn't feel it now."

JOHN: "Yeah."

PAUL: "Yeah that's right, you know. It's just 'cuz, we know what we had to fight to, sort of..."

JG: "Was it tough for you to get started?"

JOHN: "Well, no tougher than anybody else, you see, but George said, 'I'm sick of being told to keep out of the park.' That's what it's about, you know. We're trying to make a park for people to come in and do what they want."

PAUL: (comical voice) "Symbolically speaking."

(laughter)

JG: "Is he the spokesman, would you say, John?"

JOHN: "Well, if his spokes are working, he is. And if mine are..."

(laughter)

JG: "Do you have the privacy that you're leading me to believe you have, or is it a tough job?"

JOHN: "We have enough to keep us sane, you know. If we are sane-- we have enough."

(laughter)

JOHN: "But it's not like touring. Our life isn't like a tour, or like 'A Hard Day's Night' or any of those things. That's only what we're doing now. We create that, or that is created. But when we're just living, it's calm."

JG: "Is it calm, Paul?"

PAUL: "Yeah. Not at the moment, you know. It's hectic-- New York. Very hectic place. 'Cuz we came over from England and it's a very sort of quiet place, you know."

JG: "What's so different about New York?"

JOHN: "Louder."

PAUL: "It's very... (imitates cars honking and police sirens) ...you know."

(laughter)

JG: (jokingly) "You've got a hit record on your hands already!"

PAUL: "You know, that happens alot here."

JG: "Don't you like that kind of life?"

JOHN: "It's alright. You get into it. I mean, three days isn't enough to get used to that."

JG: "Would you 'like' to get into it?"

JOHN: "Ahh, not today."

TB: (laughs) "Are you nervous on a show like this?"

PAUL: "Always nervous."

JOHN: "Yeah, sure. Sure."

JG: "Why would you be nervous?"

JOHN: "Because, uhh... It's not natural."

(laughter)

JG: "I don't know, I'm just kind of visiting with you... I would feel it's natural. I feel like I've read about you and I want to meet you."

JOHN: "I mean, this 'situation' isn't natural."

PAUL: "If we meet you and talk at your house, then that's alright you know, because we can actually talk naturally. It's a bit difficult when you know you're going out into a million homes."

JG: "So you're guarded, pretty well, in what you say then?"

JOHN: "No, not guarded."

PAUL: "No, but it's still difficult, you know. (gesturing to the camera crew) There it is!! Look!! It's going out!!!"

(laughter)

JOHN: "Well, aren't you nervous at all?"

JG: "I am nervous because of the... uhh..."

JOHN: (comically) "Well, because-- because-- because!!! But it's the same thing!"

(laughter)

JG: "Except that you are very successful in what you do."

JOHN: "It doesn't make any difference."

JG: "So what you're telling me is that you have fears and anxieties like everybody else?"

JOHN: "Sure! We're human, man!"

PAUL: "You know that old showbiz thing everybody says, 'Well, you know, you always get nervous before you go on the stage.' Uhh, I think we get 'em all the way. When you go on stage it's just one of those things."

JG: "But you get over that alright."

JOHN: "Oh sure. It's part of the game."

--(commercial break)--

JG: "Listen now, I have something in common with both of you. I met the guru, the Maharishi. And I noticed that he went out with an act-- the Beach Boys. And it folded."

JOHN: "Yeah. Right."

JG: "What do you think of the Yogi as an act?"

JOHN: "Yeah. Well, we found out that we made a mistake there."

PAUL: "We tried to persuade him against that, you know. I thought it was a terrible idea."

JOHN: "We believe in meditation, but not the Maharishi and his scene. But that's a personal mistake we made in public."

JG: "When did you find out it was a mistake?"

JOHN: "Well, uhh, I can't remember the date, you know, but it was in India. And meditation is good, and it does what they say. It's like exercise or cleaning your teeth, you know. It works, but uhh, we've finished with that bit."

ED McMAHON: "Has he changed? Is that what..."

JOHN: "Well, no. I think it's just that we're seeing him a bit more in perspective, you know, 'cuz we're as naive as the next person about alot of things."

PAUL: "We get carried away with things like that, though. I mean, we thought he was... uhh... magic, you know-- just floating around and everything. Flying."

JG: "Do you think the kids in America have turned him off?"

JOHN: "Well, it could be something to do with it. But I wouldn't say, 'Don't meditate' to them, because alot of them would get a great deal from it."

PAUL: "You know, the system is more important than all those things."

JOHN: "He's surrounded with, it seems like, the old establishment that we know so well."

JG: "Are you saying, 'Meditate, but not with the Yogi'?"

PAUL: (long pause) "Yeah. I mean, he's good. There's nothing wrong with him. But we think the system is more important than all the two-bit personality bit. You know, he gets sort of treated like a big star. He's on the road with the Beach Boys, and it's all that scene. And also... It folds, you know. That's the silly thing."

(laughter)

TB: "Does he giggle as much as..."

JOHN: "Yes. It's his natural asset."

(laughter)

JOHN: "Well, you see, it depends on what way you're looking at it at the time. If it's not getting on your nerves, it's 'Oh, what a happy fellow.' It depends how you feel when you look at him."

JG: "I had him on the show, and he just giggled and giggled the whole time. I figured there was something, maybe my tie was loose. Who was the first one that met the Yogi?"

JOHN: "We all met him at the same time."

JG: "Can you tell us the circumstances?"

JOHN: "Well, he was just doing a lecture in London at the Hilton. So we all went and we thought, 'What a nice man.' And we were looking for that. You know, everybody's looking for it, but we were looking for it 'that day' as well. And then we met him and he was good, you know. He's got a good thing in him. And we went along with it."

JG: "But now, you just got off the train, huh?"

JOHN: "Right. Nice trip thank you very much."

(laughter)

JG: "Do you think that your own careers have kind of switched? Not that you lose a group, but you seem to be changing your audience."

JOHN: "See, everything changes. So we change as well. And our audience changes, too, all the time. We don't sort of put our finger on 'What age group or why.' But we know-- everything changes, and us too."

PAUL: "When we first started we had leather jackets on, you know. Little caps and big cowboy boots. But then we changed to suits, you know."

JOHN: "We thought, 'That'll get 'em.'"

(laughter)

PAUL: "And we lost a whole lot of fans. They all said, 'You've gone ponched.' They didn't like it, you know, because we were all clean."

(laughter)

PAUL: "So we lost that crowd, but we gained all the ones that liked suits. It happens like that. That's what keeps happening. And we lost alot of people with 'Sgt Pepper,' but I think we gained more."

(crowd applauds in agreement)

JG: "Do you think you're going to be able to top 'Sgt. Pepper'?"

JOHN: "Well, you know, it's the next move, and I can't say 'yes or no,' but I think so. Why not? 'Cuz it's only another LP really... it's not that important."

JG: "Well, you have to be the most imitated group."

JOHN: "Well maybe. Yeah."

(laughter)

JG: "When you talk about Lennon/McCartney songs, do you work together, or one writes one, or..."

JOHN: "It's all those combinations you can think of. Every combination of two people writing a song... inasmuch as we can both write them completely separately, and together, and not together. But we obviously influence each other, like groups and people do."

JG: "I can think of my favorite-- 'Yesterday.'"

(crowd applauds)

JG: "What are the circumstances behind that, Paul? How does that happen?"

PAUL: "I don't know. I woke up one morning..."

JOHN: (singing as blues) "'I Woke Up One Morning...'"

(laughter)

PAUL: (pauses, then continues, rhythmically) "'Piano By My Bed...'"

JOHN: (sings blues lick) "'duh-dut duh dut-a-la-dut!'"

(laughter)

PAUL: "'Went To The Piano...'"

JOHN: "Yeah?"

PAUL: (rhythmically) "And This- Is What- I Said!'"

(laughter)

PAUL: "You know, I just started playing it and this tune came. 'Cuz that's what happens. They just, sort of-- they COME, you know. It just came and I couldn't think of any words to it, so originally it was just, 'Scrambled Egg.' It was called 'Scrambled Egg' for a couple of months..."

(laughter)

PAUL: "...until I thought of 'Yesterday.' And that's it."

JG: (pause) "Are you putting me on?"

PAUL: "No, that's true."

JG: "'Scrambled Eggs'? You write a song about scrambled eggs?"

PAUL: "True story."

JOHN: "'Scrambled Egg' was over here as an instrumental first."

PAUL: "That's true, you know."

JOHN: "Didn't do so well with that title, you know."

(laughter)

JG: "How long are you gonna stay here?"

JOHN: "Uhh, It could be any minute now."

(laughter)

JG: "I know we've probably kept you out here longer than we should have, but I'm going to take a..."

(members of audience groan, realizing the interview is almost over)

JG: "I have a reverse question I'm going to ask you, and feel free not to answer it. What is the one question that bugs you the most. About your hair?"

JOHN: "No. We're past being bugged by questions, unless they're very personal. I mean, you just get normal human reactions to a question. You know, but there used to be one about, 'What are you going to do when the bubble bursts?' and we thought we'd have hysterics because somebody always asked it."

JG: "Let's go down the list of the questions. What are you going to do when the bubble bursts?"

JOHN: "I haven't a clue, you know. I'm still looking for the bubble."

(laughter)

JG: (to Paul) "I've heard you on interviews, you have fun with reporters! You stay right with him."

PAUL: "No, no. I'm serious. Serious."

JG: "You are? I think you're the kind of a guy that would say, 'Here's a match-- I wonder how much gas is in the tank.' Would you be that kind of a guy?"

PAUL: "Yeah, sure."

(laughter)

JG: "Paul, John, I know that you've got a busy, busy schedule."

(groans from the audience)

JOHN: (comically, to the crowd) "That's the way it goes, folks!"

(laughter)

JG: "We have to say goodbye. Does that make you sad to have to leave me, John?"

JOHN: "All goodbyes are sad aren't they, Joe."

JG: "Why don't you write a song. Call it, 'Say Goodbye To Joe.'"

JOHN: "'Goodbye Joe. See You In The Morning.' ...oh, that's some other line."

(laughter)

JG: "Paul, you got any ideas?"

PAUL: "Uhh... no... Joe..."

(laughter)

PAUL: "Ok, umm... No, I can't think of a song."

JG: "When you get home and you start to write 'Scrambled Eggs Number Two' will you think about me?"

PAUL: "OK."

JOHN: "And I'll join you somehow."

JG: "Thank you very much."

(applause and screams)

...AND NOW FOR LENNON'S FEELINGS ON THE WHOLE DEBACLE:

“It was terrible. There was a baseball player hosting the show, and they didn’t tell us. He was asking, ‘And which one’s Ringo?’ and all that shit. You’d expect to go on the Johnny Carson show…and then you’d get there, and there’s this sort of football player, who doesn’t know anything about you, and Tallulah Bankhead saying how beautiful we were. It was the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever been on.” -- John Lennon, 1972 from "The Beatles Anthology," page 287

What irony. He seems sublimely subtle and in control--yet his reaction clearly shows the depth of his insecurities at the time.....

does this tea taste funny?

Jones, Jason — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 02:12:33 GMT

This week's obsession lies with the group known as The Dukes of Stratosphear. "Who?", you ask? In 1985, XTC recorded an EP of affectionate parodies of '60s psychedelia and guitar-pop called "25 O'Clock". Instead of releasing the EP under their own name, they released the record under the name the Dukes of Stratosphear. Working with producer John Leckie, all three members of the group adopted pseudonyms -- Andy Partridge was "Sir John Johns", Colin Moulding was "The Red Curtain" and David Gregory was "Lord Cornelius Plum". For this one project Gregory's brother Ian joined the band under the name "Ian E.I.E.I. Owen". The EP was released without mention of XTC's name anywhere on the record, and the group claimed they had nothing to do with the project.

Two years after the appearance of "25 O'Clock", the Dukes of Stratosphear released a full album, "Psonic Psunspot", which contains the track which is this week's obsession, "Brainiac's Daughter". This song is powerhouse. To give you a bit of backstory, Brainiac is the character in the Superman comics, the evil genius with the green skin and the sort of lightbulb screwed in his head. He was like a Martian Lex Luther and I suppose Andy Partridge thought he would be a wonderful psychedelic subject to write about, and his potential daughter. I don't think he had one but if he had she would have been, well, colourful, mauve and purple, just as this song suggests. "Brainiac's Daughter" appears to be a conscious attempt to write along the lines of the songs that McCartney had tried to come up with around the time of Sgt. Pepper or Yellow Submarine - 1967/68 - all the ingredients appear to be picked to sound like him, at least. Banana fingers piano, descending chord changes, falsetto vocals, nonsensical lyrics . . . it's got the lot! A McCartney psychedelic soup, if you will. "Yellow Submarine" solo bubbles and vocal answers on the chorus. Bouncy Carnaby Street chords. Listen to it now!!!! An absolute delight....

“When I was a kid I wanted to be in a group, and that group are The Dukes.” -- Andy Partridge, December 1987

CAUTION: ELECTRICITY

Jones, Jason — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 03:49:15 GMT

I was digging around the internet and I found this, the offical transcript of when Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band were refused entry to the UK:

"Mr VLIET was detained in the approved detention quarters in the Queen's Building from 1230 hours until 1700 hours. He had previously remained in the Arrivals Hall.

Mr VLIET is the leader of an american "pop group" known as Captain Beefheart's Magic Band, which specialises in so-called psychedelic music and is currently very popular with a certain section of the population of the West Coast of the United States. The group arrived together and presented a very strange appearance, being attired in clothes ranging from "jeans" to purple trousers, with shirts of various hues, and wearning headgear varying from conical witches' hats to a brilliant yellow safety helment of the type worn by construction engineers. Like some of his friends, Mr. VLIET sported a bushy beard. The other members of the group whose refusal of leave to land is reported separately are:

FRENCH, John Stephen born 29.9.48 American HANDLEY, Gerald Wayne born 9.2.46 American SNOUFFER, Alexis Clair born 14.9.41 American COTTON, Jeffrey Ralph born 31.5.40 American

Officers on the control were given ample opportunity to form an initial assessment of the group, as they took fully ten minutes to complete the relatively simple operation of filling in their landing cards. When they eventually approached the desks, it proved somewhat difficult to interview them, as they appeared to think on a completely different mental plane and found it difficult to grasp the rudiments of a passport control. However, it was eventually established that they had gone to Hanover from the United States to attend a musical convention and that they were now en route to a similar festival in Nice. All five members of the group possessed tickets from London to Nice and on to Los Angeles and they said that they merely wished to spend up to a week in this country on the way to France. None of them appeared very certain what the purpose of the visit to this country was, some saying it was purely for a rest, and others saying that they were to meet representatives of the Press. However, all of them denied emphatically that they had any intention of taking any form of employment during their stay.

Examination of the funds carried by the group showed that they had very little money, Mr. VLIET having two pounds 10 shillings and twenty marks (two pounds).

At this stage, a gentleman dressed in the American style, with long unkempt hair and with a cigarette dangling from his lower lip, approached the control and introduced himself as Mr. Peter Alexander Edwin MEADEN, born 11.11.41, British and described in his passport as an Artistes Manager. Mr. MEADEN said that he represented New Wave Records Ltd., 17-19 Stratford Place, LONDON, W.1., which firm was sponsoring the group's visit to the United Kingdom, in conjunction with the group's American recording company, Kama Sutra Buddha Records Ltd., New York. He offered to give any guarantees that might be required to facilitate the group's entry into the country but when asked to establish his authority to do so, he was unable to prove his connection with these companies beyond producing a press handout and some blank headed notepaper. Mr. MEADEN denied vehemently that the group would be taking any form of work during their stay here and said that he had only brought them over for press appearances.

At this stage, all five members of the group were escorted to the baggage hall, where their luggage was examined by H..M. Customs. However, despite the fact that one member of the group had a large number of patent medicines in his case, nothing of interest was found. A search of the group's instruments and their cases was also negative.

On return to the Arrivals Hall, I was informed by a member of the Special Branch that Mr. MEADEN was known to have convictions for illegal possession of a bren gun, taking and driving away a motor vehicle and selling intoxicating liquor without a licence. In view of this, it was felt that any assurances given by the gentleman would have to be treated with considerable reservations.

It was strongly suspected that the group were going to take engagements in this country and reference to the New Musical Express showed that they were billed to appear at two establishments the next weekend, namely the Middle Earth Club and the SpekeEasy Club, both in the West End of London. These clubs were telephoned and confirmed that the group would be playing on stage as a professional engagement. Reference to the Ministry of Labour showed that Mr MEADEN had applied for Ministry of Labour Permits for the Middle Earth Club engagement but that none had been issued, as he had claimed that the group were only to meet the Press at the club and would not be playing - denied by the club who were expecting a full show. Faced with this Mr. MEADEN at first protested his innocence but finally both he and the group admitted that the engagements had been arranged. Mr. MEADEN ten pleaded for clemency on the grounds of his own stupidity, a plea which was rejected.

The case was referred to the Chief Immigration Officer, Mr Armstrong, who directed that the group be refused leave to land on the grounds that they had come to this country to take unauthorised employment and with insufficient funds. They were informed that they were at liberty to contact whomsoever they wished and spent some time on the telephone before going to the Detention Suite, where they were given a meal.

As it now seemed that the group were to a considerable extent the innocents in what was by now a very tangled web woven largely by Mr. MEADEN, it was decided to make some effort on their behalf beyond the call of duty. To this end, the Chief Immigration Officer. Mr. R. A. MacDowall, spent some four hours on the telephone liaising with the Home Office, the Ministry of Labour, Pye Records and Equity. Pye came into the picture because the President of Kama Sutra Records, Mr. Artie RIPP, an American, was with the company negotiating some form of takeover bid by Pye for his company. Mr. MacDowall spoke with Mr. Ripp and with Mr. WISE of Pye and advised them that they should contact the Ministry of Labour and Equity and apply for permits. Should they be issued, then the position would be reconsidered in a favourable light.

Mr. Noreiko, Chief Immigration Officer, Headquarters, was informed of the case, lest there should be any representations. These soon materialised, from Mr. MEADEN's solicitors, who asked that the group be admitted for a visit. This proposal was rejected.

Later in the afternoon, H. M. Assistant Chief Inspector, Mr. T. W. E. Roche telephoned for details of the case, as the Press Officer had approached him for information.

Despite all their efforts, which were considerable, Mr. Ripp and Mr. Wise were unable to secure the issue of Ministry of Labour Permits and the group were therefore returned to Hanover as directed.

Mr. MEADEN, on whose shoulders the blame for the whole incident must rest, was told by Mr. Ripp that his association with Kama Sutra ceased forthwith and he was a dejected man as he finally departed, muttering under his breath. Landing Card attached. An extra copy of this report is attached for the Ministry of Labour.

24th January 1968"

Robert Fripp's Warning to Young Musicians

Jones, Jason — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 16:47:42 GMT

...from Fripp's Diary, courtesy of DGM - at bottom of page: http://www.dgmlive.com/diaries.htm?artist=&show=&member=3&entry=4835

Crafty Pal: My son is moving to LA next month to play music. I saw his band perform last evening. They are ready, at least he and I are in agreement on this. Is there anything you suggest to help these young men?

Robert Fripp: if they succeed, they’ll get fucked. if they fail, they’ll get fucked. that’s a given. the key is: this is a learning experience. i advise young men to have music as a hobby. music is a wonderful hobby. it is an awful way to earn a living, but possible for a young single man for a period of time, until he has children. then, his wife will say: your children need food, an education, a home. and then, he will lie for money & play music that is dishonest for him, or find a different job.

...Discuss?

tops

Jones, Jason — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 04:25:16 GMT

top 5 releases of 2006:

camera obscura- "let's get out of this country"
ideal free distribution- "ideal free distribution"
matthew friedberger- "winter women/holy ghost language school"
m coast- "say it in slang"
how i became the bomb- "let's go"

top 15 albums that i heard this year, but were not neccesarily released during the hallowed year of 2006:

the millennium- "begin"
tall dwarfs- "hello cruel world"
gorky's zygotic mynci- "spanish dance troupe"
mayo thompson- "corky's debt to his father"
the soft boys- "a can of bees"
the chills- "kaleidoscope world"
beau brummels- "bradley's barn"
henry flynt- "i don't wanna"
flower travelin' band- "satori"
electric prunes- "mass in f minor"
dennis wilson- "pacific ocean blue"
dr. feelgood- "down by the jetty"
teardrop explodes- "piano"
bruce haack- "electric lucifer"
flipper- "generic"

my favorite live music experience of this year: seeing andy gonzales (aka "marshmallow coast", current "m coast", former "of montreal", former "the music tapes", etc.) perform the rarely performed marshmallow coast classic "in the army kid" live acoustic at mike turner's (svengali of hhbtm records) birthday party. seeing as how this song is one of my favorite songs of all time, this made me so deliriously happy that words cannot even begin to describe the sensation....

Down Where the Valley's Are Low

Jones, Jason — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 22:33:01 GMT

Anybody who hasn't heard the wonder that was Judee Sill should really do themselves a favor and buy either 'Judee Sill' or the follow-up, which I think is slightly preferable, 'Heart Food". Both those albums are... well, it's been said many times before, but she is a female Brian Wilson or he is a male Judee Sill. They're just stunningly beautiful. It's J.S. Bach with a 12-string guitar and a ready tune on her lips. She's really stunning, really stunning. Leagues away from all the other kind of corny bootheels-in-the-dust, denim-California-West-Coast-Laural Canyon thing of the early '70s. She just makes them eat cactus, as far as I'm concerned. She's phenomenally good. Highly Recommended.

Pacific Ocean Blue

Jones, Jason — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 01:50:28 GMT

Recorded over the course of seven years, Dennis Wilson's one issued solo project "Pacific Ocean Blue" is a masterpiece. Yes. A blissed-out, coked-up masterpiece. The album's 12 songs reveal a songwriter who was looking to stretch out on his own and engage a vision of music that stood far outside what the Beach Boys were capable of handling or executing at the time. "Pacific Ocean Blue" is a moody view of both the SoCal landscape of the 70's as well as Wilson's own personal demons. The songs reflect the snapshot quality of Wilson's life in the studio: what he was capable of, what he learned, and how he stretched himself in the process. Highly recommended.

C60 C90 C120

Jones, Jason — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 05:40:21 GMT

i am behind the times. i still carry around a walkman in order to fill my ears with delightful melodies whilst hopping around athens, georgia. i received the most awful look from a gaggle of female college students today as they caught a glimpse of my ancient listening device whilst turning over side two. i should probably buy an ipod, but to me it's just not the same. a mixtape is just so pure to me. the fact that you actually have to sit there with the music for the allotted amount of the tape shows some sort of devotion to the craft, in my honest opinion. a mixtape is just so sacred to me. i'm not saying that ipods are horrible and evil and smelly or anything like that. i'm just saying that they are not for me. i'm going to stick to my humble walkman. i'm not going to let my little corner of the cassette world die so easily.

it's my entrance, my own creation, my grand finale, my goodbye!

Jones, Jason — Sun, 29 Oct 2006 20:47:34 GMT

Most people I know have that one song that gets them going every morning....the one song that gets them prepared for their day. For the past two weeks, "public image" by public image limited has been such a song for me...

This song is a searing and soaring statement of intent. The gorgeous, chiming minimalism of Jah Wobble's bassline. The pure joy of vibration contained within it. Keith Levene's guitar is so clean, so tingly, like a cold shower. I imagine it as really thin glass that penetrates you ever so slowly so that you don't notice it until you start bleeding internally. John Lydon sounds like he's on some sort of quest for purity as he throws away his "Rotten" alter ego with such lines as "I'm not the same as when I began/ I will not be treated as property".

Enjoy it.

Hobo Chang Ba

Jones, Jason — Sun, 15 Oct 2006 14:02:59 GMT

I'm so excited at this very moment. As a massive and gi-normous fan of Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band, I must share this with everyone. I just found out via beefheart.com that "Big Eyed Beans from Venus", the Athens GA based Captain Beefheart tribute band, are going to be playing Atlanta, GA on November 16th. If that wasn't exciting enough, I also learned that they will be joined by former Magic Band members ROCKETTE MORTON and DENNY WALLEY!!!!

Judging by the last performance that I witnessed by the "beans", this should be fucking monumental....

The show is at the Five Spot (i have to find directions), starts at 9:30 and costs 7 dollars.

Any other van vliet fanatics in the atlanta/athens area care to join me.....?

The Durutti Column

Jones, Jason — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 04:59:29 GMT

I love Vini Reilly....and you should as well.

Vini is the main force behind the post-punk monolith known as The Durutti Column. Their debut album for Factory Records, "The Return of the Durutti Column" (what a name!), is this week's obsession. Eschewing formal "rock" composition and delivery, the album was entirely instrumental, favoring delicacy and understated invention instead of the standard feedback squalls of the time. Inadvertantly, Reilly made his mark as the most unique and distinct guitarist from Britain since Bert Jantsch.....and that says quite a bit in an era of such amazing guitarists as John McGeoch and Keith Levene. Embracing electric guitar's possibilities rather than acoustic's, Reilly fused a variety of traditions effortlessly with only the aide of producer Martin Hannett's shifting synth backdrops as accompaniment.

Don't even get me started on the album's original vinyl packaging.....which consisted of sandpaper placed strategically so that it would damage everything next to it in one's collection. This bit of situationalist humor is due to the fact that Tony Wilson (Factory Records guru) believed that everything else was shit compared to Vini.

He may be right.....

Highly Suggested.

Think!

Jones, Jason — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 22:15:27 GMT

Whilst driving around today, I heard "The Ballad of John and Yoko" on the radio. As I screamed along, I had the most vivid realisation: "Could this be my absolute favorite Beatles song?". The answer is "(for the moment).....YES". I love this song because it is so fresh and simple. No post-psychedelic masterpiece or eight-minute anthem. It was recorded in one day and, most importantly, only John and Paul are on it. Essentially, It's the Beatles as a two-piece and sounding all the better because of it (no offense to George or Ringo). Paul's ramshackle drums are great and there is this giddy sense of fun in the song. It's nice to visualize the two of them deep in work, buzzing around the studio for the day. The song is a Lennon specialty, breathing new life into three chords. It runs out of production ideas after a minute, but that doesn't matter. It's the joy of it all that makes this song such a treat. It sounds wilder on the radio than just about anything they ever did mainly because they're not trying so hard (which is the great Beatles sin).

You and Me in Time

Jones, Jason — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 00:21:19 GMT

Broadcast are a band from the future of Britain’s past. They idealise pop music and yet set themselves deep into the avant-garde, like a William Burroughs essay on new British pop sensations "Girls Aloud" (i think i threw up a little just mentioning their name). Their new album, "The Future Crayon" (which is this week's obsession), is a collection of previously released singles for everyone not quite obsessive enough to track down all those endless seven inches and compilation appearances. "The Future Crayon" is seriously good. From the influences of french-ye-ye pop, library music, Morricone and The United States of America, Broadcast demonstrate how "god-like" and "hissy" pop music can be.

I would suggest starting with "Ha-Ha Sound" from 2003 and then move your way into "Tender Buttons" from 2005 (their best album (in my opinion), but not one to initially become formally acquainted with the spectromorphic ways of Broadcast).

Corky's Debt to His Father (This Week's Obsession)

Jones, Jason — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 01:53:18 GMT

I've been a rather large fan of the underground monolith known as "The Red Krayola" for about 3 years now. At the forefront of the completely mind-boggling Texas psychedelic scene of the 1960's, The Red Krayola have endured for nearly 30 years through the birth pangs of both the afforementioned Texas psychedelic scene as well as the British post-punk scene into current day. The only constant throughout the past 30 years has been Mayo Thompson (main songwriter/guitarist for the band). Thompson has seemed as concerned with deconstructing the language of "rock" music as with actually expressing himself within it. This has made the Red Krayola's catalog a challenging, often difficult, listening experience. However, the quirky charm of Thompson's songs and vocals as well as his whimsical humor and open-mindedness towards the idea of "rock" music have made him one of the few originals left in modern-day music....which leads us to the topic of this week's obsession. "Corky's Debt to His Father" is Thompson's little known solo album from 1970. It's as oddball as his Red Krayola stuff, but it's more accessible and, rather charming, with its off-kilter, folk-rock sensibility. You hear Thompson stringing together free-associative, non-sequitur lyrics against chord progressions and time signatures that refuse to adhere to the accepted boundaries of "rock" music. Some may dismiss this as pretentious artsy nonsense, but it really is a whimsical gem that is more palatable to pop ears than any of Thompson's numerous Red Krayola records. If one has been intrigued by the work of Thompson/The Red Krayola, this would be the perfect place to start. Highly Recommended.

Elemental Child (This Week's Obsession)

Jones, Jason — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 23:18:49 GMT

I think Marc Bolan may have been reincarnated as a tick. A tick that searches across the earth in hopes of infecting curious listeners such as myself with some sort of "spotted fever" which inadvertantly leads to "T-Rextasy". I think I have a rather large bite because my infatuation with the early career of Marc Bolan has hit great heights in the past two weeks. I'm not talking about the "Bang A Gong/Jeepster" Glam-era T. Rex Bolan. I'm, of course, talking about the mystical folk wonder known as "Tyrannosuarus Rex". Disregard all of your previous knowledge about Marc Bolan when discussing "Tyrannosurus Rex". No glam tendencies here. This Bolan talks of elves and unicorns whilst implementing a vast array of pixiephones, glockenspiels as well as a Chinese gong. Power chords on an acoustic guitar? Do Tell! It all started when I happened upon a song known as "Debora". Please do yourself a favor and get your hands on a copy of this song. Soon therafter, you'll discover why my infatuation with Bolan has occurred. The only albums I have so far are "A Beard of Stars" (which I highly suggest) as well as "My People Were Fair..." (which is nice and enjoyable, but easily surpassed by "A Beard of Stars"). I have a feeling that this is only the tip of the Bolan iceberg....

Latest Obsession

Jones, Jason — Wed, 06 Sep 2006 21:56:34 GMT

These CDs cater to my essential thirst for the unheard and unknown. To me, what an artist doesn't release is probably a lot more interesting (if not as good) than what they do release.

Pete Townshend is a good example: I doubt I could sit through "Tommy" anymore but I have many times settled down with the two volume "Scoop" collections for a couple of hours. Andy Partridge is slowly creeping his way into my subconcious. He keeps beating me over the head with his lush arrangements and wicked sense of humor. These collections are like a godsend to me. I keep finding little hidden gems and surprises. I keep getting the same feelings as to when I first experienced the three part "Beatles Anthology" series (to which these collections are very similar- demos/outtakes/studio chatter/nonsense): a sense of wonderment and awe that makes me remember why I love music in the first place.....

Highly suggested.

Why I Like What I Like (A Detailed History in the Evolution of Jason Jones).

Jones, Jason — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 04:55:08 GMT

As a newcomer to this "MOG" community, I have decided to perhaps let you in on the evolution of my musical tastes and how I became such a massive music geek. As a child I was surrounded by music. My parents loved Motown and Birtish Invasion while my older sister found favor in the delicious sounds of Husker Du, James Brown, and Led Zeppelin. You put the two main influences together (Motown and Husker Du) while I was still a youngster (we're talking 7 or 8 years old) and we see a music geek in the making. Also the fact that I used to watch music oriented programs and movies while I was a kid (The Monkees TV Show along with "Help!" and "A Hard Day's Night") added to my deep rooted love of music. Another main influence was my access to my older sister's collection of Rolling Stone magazines from the early 80's where I could learn about punk and new wave. My world changed when I was 12 years old. I purchased a cassette copy of "Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols" and I've never been the same. The music that I heard was unlike anything I had ever heard. It just made me so full of excitement that I could hardly contain myself. I couldn't wait to come home from school everyday so I could continue devouring this cassette. Soon therafter I purchased "The Story of The Clash Volume One" on cassette and I was long gone on the road to music geekdom. Music became my main companion and it has remained my most loyal friend to this day.

Now Hear This! #1

Jones, Jason — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 21:36:20 GMT

I like to keep a detailed list of what I have been listening to from year to year, broken down into each month. Thus the monthly mix was born. I am a rather large fan of making mixtapes/mix CDs for my close friends of these monthly aural excusrsions. Here's my latest mix for my friend Leslie, sequenced as if it were the radio station in my brain (complete with jingles)....

1. "Promotional Jingle #17"- Paul and Linda McCartney (taken from the "Brung to Ewe By" Promotional LP for the "Ram" Album. Variations on a lovely McCartney melody with the genius refrain of "Now Hear This Song of Mine! Now Hear This!") 2. "Dame Fortune"- Andy Partridge (taken from the "Fuzzy Warbles Vol. 1" collection of various XTC/Partridge demos/outtakes/noodlings from the past 20 years. You can get all 8 volumes in one massive boxset that just got releasedin the shape of a jigsaw puzzle box. It also comes with a bonus disc of even more demos/outtakes/noodlings that weren't on the initial collections.) 3. "Please Hear Mr. Flight Control"- The Music Tapes (taken from the 7" single of the same name. Since moving to Athens at the beginning of the summer, my Elephant 6 infatuation has become even more intense. Seeing as how I work for a record label that is essentially an offshoot of the movement itself, I can't help but get caught up in the fun of it all. My latest E6 infatuation comes in the form of The Music Tapes. Julian Koster (of Olivia Tremor Control, Neutal Milk Hotel, Marshmellow Coast, Major Organ and the Adding Machine, Chocolate USA) is The Music Tapes. His music is a true labor of love; thousands of hours of recording, tape splicing, editing and orchestration.) 4. "Coming Up"- Paul McCartney (taken from the "McCartney II" LP from 1980. I've been hanging out with Jason Nesmith (Casper and the Cookies) quite a bit as of late and we both found that we were massive fans of the "McCartney II" album. Don't wrinkle your nose just yet, eager reader. This is a truly fucked up album. A mishmash of new wave gurgles, floating ballads, bluesy fingerpicking, and atonal synth-ness. Give it a listen. Even the most poptastic song on the album ("Coming Up") is a majestic mess.) 5. "The Weeping Soul"- The Late B.P. Helium (taken from the "Kumquat Mae" EP. Bryan Poole always was my favorite part of Elf Power. His songs were bursts of energy compared to the lethargic mumblings of Andrew Rieger. This song comes bursting out of the gates on his first solo release. Poole takes the more McCartney-esque moments of the E6 movement and turns it completely upside down. It's as if Eno were singing "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey".) 6. "Trouble"- Lindsey Buckingham (taken from the "Law and Order" LP from 1981. I know it isn't very cool to like Fleetwood Mac or anything related to Fleetwood Mac. However, for those people who find Fleetwood Mac to be so dreadful, I pose the following question: Have you ever really listened to Fleetwood Mac? I mean, REALLY LISTEN? Lindsey Buckingham is one of the most underrated songwriters of the past 30 years. For example: the "Tusk" album from 1979. This is essentially the first Lindsey Buckingham solo album. I've read that Buckingham was fed up with "Rumours", spent most of his time listening to the first Clash album in a coke-fueled state of ecstasy, and, therefore, pushed the Mac to break from their normal modes of thinking for their next release. This song ("Trouble") was written during the sessions for "Tusk" but was left off because Buckingham said it was unfinished. It still sounds unfinished and half-assed on "Law and Order".....but I wish more songwriters could put out something as beautiful as this and think of it as "unfinished".) 7. " Promotional Jingle #18"- Paul and Linda McCartney (taken from the afformentioned "Brung to Ewe By" Promotional LP) 8. "The Rubber Room"- Porter Wagoner (taken from "The Trip- Curated by Jarvis Cocker and Steve Mackey" CD. This song makes mental illness sound beautiful. Obviously recorded during the late sixties (just listen to the echo and psych-era production tricks). This sounds like the "Nashville Sound" filtered through the 13th Floor Elevators. Listen to this NOW!!!!) 9. "Lady"- The Beach Boys (taken from the unreleased "Landlocked" LP from 1970. One of the perks of having Soulseek is the ability to search for things that you have searched for years to find and, almost immediately, find them. Such is the case with the "Landlocked" album. I do not understand why Captiol would reject this album. It's the best thing that they ever did (and that means alot coming from me, a devotee who worships at the altar of Brian Wilson). This song is terrifying. A simple early drum machine beat with orchestral flourishes and a hushed vocal that is both endearing and frightening all the same.) 10. "The Lady With The Braid"- Dory Previn (taken from "The Trip- Curated by Jarvis Cocker and Steve Mackey" CD. This song hurts so much. The female temptress in this song only wants the affection of her potential beau. However, it's not this specific man that she wants....she'll take any man who will come her way. This song is heartbreaking if you really listen to it. The "Would you like to unfasten my braid?" coda leaves me speechless.) 11. "You Don't Have to Walk in the Rain"- The Turtles (taken from the "Turtle Soup" LP from 1969. This song was this severely underrated group's last big hit and deservedly so. Produced by Ray Davies, It follows the same course set by the Beach Boys on their "Wild Honey" LP a year earlier: homegrown/rootsy sunshine pop.) 12. "L-O-V-E (ask for it by name)"- Lothar and the Hand People (taken from the "This Is It" LP from 1968. What a name. What a song. Your typical psych-era musings, but with a catch. The catch being some of the more inventive production flourishes of the era. Sadly, this group's lone hit.) 13. "Promotional Jingle #19"- Paul and Linda McCartney (taken from the afformentioned "Brung to Ewe By" Promotional LP) 14. "There's Nothing More to Say"- The Millennium (taken from the "Begin" LP from 1968. There are two main stories that circulate when people mention The Millennium. One is that this album was the most expensive album of all time up to that point (1968), and therefore, it was a massive flop. The other story is about how this album has become one of the greatest albums ever recorded. I am dead serious. Every song on the album sounds like the most beautiful song ever written. You begin to think to yourself "Oh they couldnt possibly top that song" and yet, each time one song ends, another classic begins. One of the greatest albums I have ever heard, This song encapsulates the entire album in 2:24. Not just a psych-era classic....a classic for all-time.) 15. "Cool Summer"- Bob Lind (taken from "The Trip- Curated by Jarvis Cocker and Steve Mackey" CD. This song takes the resignation and regret of a summer romance and ties it up with a beautifully finger-picked/baroque arrangment. One of my favorite songs of the year so far, this song begs to be listened to.) 16. "San Miguel"- The Beach Boys (taken from the unreleased "Landlocked" album from 1970. I know, I know, I know.....Another Beach Boys song, but when an album is this good, you can't help yourself. This song has some serious production flourishes. It sounds as if Roxy Music were playing a carribean beach party, right down to the Manzanera-esque guitar solo and Eno-esque synth flouishes. Far ahead of it's time, The Beach Boys win again. I still beg to ask why Capitol rejected this album... 17. "Stood on Gold"- Gorky's Zygotic Mynci (taken from the "How I long to Feel That Summer in My Heart" album from 2001. Gorky's were a great band at the wrong time. If they were around today, they would be huge on the underground circuit that is currently obsessed with all things psychedelicate. A rather short song that packs a mighty emotional punch.) 18. "Jackie Blue"- Ozark Mountain Daredevils (taken from the "It'll Shine When It Shines" LP from 1973. Yet again, dont crinkle your nose, eager reader.The Ozarks sound like Steely Dan with a country twang, and this song is their finest moment. It'll probably play on your local 70's hits radio station within the hour, and, when it does, just relax and take it all in. You won't be disappointed. I have my dear friend, Adam Cottle, to thank for pointing me in the direction of the Ozarks.) 19. "Promotional Jingle #20"- Paul and Linda McCartney (taken from the afformentioned "Brung to Ewe By" Promotional LP) 20. "Whistle Stop"- Roger Miller (taken from the "Robin Hood- Motion Picture Soundtrack" from 1972. Yes, the Disney animated version. Roger Miller is most famous for his humorous novelty songs, but I find this soundtrack album to contain some of his best achievements in the craft of songwriting. Take the selected track ("Whistle Stop") for instance. A breezy whistling melody over some deceptively simple guitar picking. Sometimes the best moments in song are when the songwriter just lets go and sings and plays what he/she feels.....utter nonsense. Amazing.) 21. "Many Rivers to Cross"- Harry Nilsson (taken from the "Pussy Cats" LP from 1975. We go from a lighthearted delight to a song filled with so much agony that it makes me cringe and scream with delight. If you haven't heard the story behind the recording of this album, then I shall indulge you. Harry and his prime drinking buddy at the time, John Lennon, decide to make an album together. However, early in the sessions, Harry gets a bad case of the flu. Rather than taking some time off to let himself properly heal, he continues to work on the album for fear of Lennon abandoning the project. Harry ruptures a vocal cord in the process and never sounded the same until the end of his life. This song is the perfect example of the pain that Harry was going through both emotionally and, no doubt, physically at the time. You must hear this song. For that matter, just go ahead, do youself a large favor, and buy this album. It's amazing.) 22. "24 Sycamore"- Gene Pitney (taken from "The Trip- Curated by Jarvis Cocker and Steve Mackey" CD. First of all, I must commend Jarvis and Steve for putting together such a stunning compilation. Each song is a keeper, and this song is one of the best moments of the entire compilation. One of the most interesting and difficult-to-categorize singers in the 1960s pop canon, Gene Pitney had a long run of hits distinguished by his one-of-a-kind melodramatic wail (which is displayed to full effect on this track "24 Sycamore"). Pitney is sometimes dismissed as a shallow teen idol-type who just sings operatic ballads. That's somewhat true, but he was also one of the more convincing purveyors of the art of the "heartbreak" song during his time. Pitney was also a closet hipster, covering songs by the Rolling Stones, Randy Newman, and Al Kooper long before they became famous. He also reportedly had a brief fling with a teenage Marianne Faithfull. Now there's a man who I can respect.) 23. "Purple Haze"- Dion (taken from the "Dion" LP from 1968. This song sounds as if Stan Getz were put through a psychedlic telescope. Dion sounds downright blissful on this track. It's not as embarassing as one would think. He actually pulls it off.) 24. "Cheese and Onions"- The Rutles (taken from "The Rutles" LP 1979. The greatest and most fully-realized beatles parody of all time also yielded some of the greatest psych-revival songs of all time. With Neil Innes (of The Bonzo Dog Band) at the helm, how could one deny the majesty of The Rutles. This song is their "A Day in the Life" parody and it is an all-around winner. From the faux "orgasm of sound" orchestral flourishes to the lone piano note at the end to Innes' dead-on Lennon-esque vocal, this song is a classic, and a perfect way to end the proper section of this mix.) 25. "Promotional Jingle #22"- Paul and Linda McCartney (from the afformentioned "Brung to Ewe By" Promotional LP. It's all about continuity, folks.)