Some version of Mott the Hoople is scheduled to play in Philadelphia in April. Check it out. Ian Hunter is about 80 years old at this point. Yeah, I might have to go to that show. I’m not sure you can really call it Mott the Hoople, but it’s Hunter performing the great old songs. It’s the same justification I used when I decided to see the so-called New York Dolls a few years ago. It’s not really the Dolls, but it’s David Johansen doing the songs. And that’s worth seeing.
And speaking of Hunter doing the old songs, the Now Playing link below is one of my favorite live albums. I don’t generally like live albums, but there are exceptions and that’s one of them. Great album! With the late, great Mick Ronson on guitar. That record has been a part of my life since 1980, and that’s a long time.
Also, it’s worth noting that Ian Hunter released a (great) solo record in 1979 called You’re Never Alone With A Schizophrenic, which is pretty hilarious. Wonder if that title would fly today? I doubt it, but maybe. It reminds me of another great album title: Love Songs For The Hearing Impaired. That one’s by the former lead singer of the Georgia Satellites and I used to blast that thing (on cassette) when I lived in Atlanta. It’s a rocking and fun album that sounds especially great in a car for some reason.
Am I at a point where I only go see old relics from another era in concert? It’s starting to look that way, huh? Oh well. I make no apologies. I still listen to new music at home, I’m just not going to travel to Philly or whatever and visit a punk club at 1 am. I’m pretty much done with all that, thank you very much. Funk dat.
For today’s Questions, I’d like to know your all-time favorite album titles. They don’t have to necessarily be albums you love, just titles you love. Know what I mean? Tell us about it, won’t you? Also, if you want to weigh in on live albums, go ahead. I have a handful that I like, but overall… not a huge fan. Also, are you in the “only the relics” phase as well? Or have you transitioned to “not even the relics?” What kind of bands do you see at this point?
And I need to go to work now. I got very little sleep last night. It’s gonna be great!
I uploaded a new podcast episode for patrons, right here. It’s a disjointed mess, but maybe not a complete disaster. This is the summary:
This one was recorded early in the morning before the coffee had fully taken hold and with the threat of a plumber showing up at any moment. So, it’s even more raggedy than usual. I tell you about some unusual trouble I had while driving on Interstate 81, the installation of our new dishwasher (finally!), the deceptive nature of certain bad haircuts, a super-obscure band I’m going to see in March, and the crazy book I’m reading. Thank you guys for listening, and thanks for the support!
You guys have yourselves a fantastic weekend!
I’ll be back on Monday.
Now playing in the bunker
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It’s Ian, Ariel Bender, Morgan Fisher, and whoever else they hired.
The only album title that jumped right out at me, not a favorite album but a title I’ve never forgotten; Spooky Tooth’s “You Broke My Heart So I Busted Your Jaw”.
As far as who I’m willing to see live these days, the last two were J J Cale a year or so before he died, and John Mayall a couple years back. Both excellent shows, by the way.
“A Nod Is As Good As A Wink…To A Blind Horse.” It kinda perplexed a 10 year old me. Not that I didn’t get it, but I couldn’t see why a rock band would concern themselves with such things. It does still amuse, though. I don’t listen to much music anymore but will when the likes of this album cross my mind.
I don’t think I’d pay the prices the relics want to go to their shows.
Last live concert we saw (I think) was Caravan Palace at the 9:30 Club and…let’s just say ‘never again.’ I’m all about the cushy seats at this point in my life, and that place has NONE.
I saw a show there the other year. A relatively new band, Clutch. The thing is, they had five (!) opening acts. By the time Clutch came on, I’d been standing on that concrete floor for nigh unto two hours. It was a school night, and this geezer couldn’t make it through their set(s). My feet hurt and I was falling asleep.
The Jam were a great band. The year The Jam broke up is closer to the end of World War 2 than it is to today. Feeling old?
I thought “665” by Soundgarden was a clever name.
Growing up, I always scoffed at those gray-haired old hippies raving on and on, stuck in their time warp of the Who, the Beach Boys, and the Grateful Dead. “Why don’t they keep up?” I wondered aloud. I swore I would never let that happen to me, and that I would always listen to the latest cool music as it came along.
Turns out that, at some point in everyone’s life, the latest music sucks. And it is then replaced by even suckier music. So, not only do you stall out in your own generational comfort zone, and let them all go to hell without you, but you start rifling through yet older music, and find that Creedence Clearwater Revival, James Brown, and Jimi Hendrix were actually pretty awesome.
But I still tease my wife for listening to a local station that features “Saturday at the Seventies,” and remind her that WOLX stands for ‘oldies’ …
I really fell off the music wagon for about 10 years, but since my now 16 year old started to listen, I’ve become more “with it” as the kids say.
Also, I’m surprised at all the songs from my era he sings along to.
Two of my favorite album titles, because they are hilarious:
Eric Burdon and War, “The Black Man’s Burdon”
And John Prine’s best of album, “Prime Prine”
“Don’t Get Weird On Me, Babe” by Lloyd Cole is one of my favorite albums and favorite album titles.
“Lost Dogs and Mixed Blessings” by John Prine is a great title.
Heartattack and Vine, Swordfishtrombones, and Mule Variations, all by Tom Waits, are nice album names. The music is not as perfect as the earlier stuff, but they are damn fine albums.
An album from 1968 which I still listen to is “It Crawled into My Hand, Honest” by the Fugs. It includes songs like Country favorite, “Ramses II Is Dead, My Love” and Rock classics like “Johnny Pissoff Meets the Red Angel”. Check it out. It carries the johnthebasket Karma-back guarantee. Or maybe you had to be there. I can never tell.
John
Ah, saw the Fugs at the Counter-Inaugural Ball.
My brother, you are fortunate indeed. I assume Tuli Kupferberg was there, doing whatever the hell he did (it wasn’t obvious, but he did it for over 50 years). Ed Sanders’ fairly recent book, “Fug You”, is a well-written remembrance of things past. I recommend it.
John
Weasels Ripped My Flesh, by Frank Zappa and the Mothers. Also another of their albums, We’re Only In It for the Money. Durutti Column’s debut album, The Return of the Durutti Column. Yr by Steve Tibbets. I’m sure there are others.
Not an album, but a band: Scraping Foetus Off The Wheel.
Jeff do not like Zappa!
Right, I had forgotten. They’re still good titles.
Agreed!
My most recent concert was Pharoah Sanders a few months ago. He’s a relic, but not a rock-n-roll one. The tickets were expensive-ish, but super cheap by Rolling Stones standards.
Three or four of the Virgin Islands are cheap by Rolling Stones standards. You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes . . .
God’s Balls by TAD. Grunge band in the 90’s and for some reason I always laughed at that title.
Last live show was Rob Zombie. Wanted to see Alice Cooper when he was in town but never got to it.
Wood Golbins
Jack Pepsi
I’m 45 and if a band released its first album before 1990 or so I’m not going to go see them live. I went to a few shows of ‘nostalgia acts’ and I found it pretty depressing. The fans are mostly old and low energy and the band themselves are also mostly old and low energy. That’s not what rock and roll is about.
I still go to shows of ‘newer’ acts, but (aside from a Black Keys arena show – arena shows suck) I haven’t been to a popular band’s show in years. So, I see semi-obscure travelling bands at small gigs and local bands at local bars these days. But, I probably see about 10% as many shows as I went to in my twenties.
The Sonics (four originals, one replacement) tore it up in a well-known Seattle tavern when they were in their late 60s. Performing songs from 1965 like The Witch, Psycho, Boss Hoss, and Strychnine, they had the crowd (of mostly older folks) dancing, shouting, and even doing a little lightweight moshing. Low energy was the last thing on earth the gig was. You’re always every age you’ve ever been, and that night that crowd was 20 and they were a-rockin’.
John
This is a 45 minute concert by the Sonics (with a few special guests) at a Seattle record store. Not great acoustics, not much room for a crowd. Check it out if you have the time. If not, try Psycho at 28:30. It’s just under three minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFolqS24Y6U
jtb
You Can Tune A Piano But You Can’t Tuna Fish still sticks with me 40 years later. I hated REO.
Beautiful Maladies by Tom Waits. Great best of.
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We are Devo!
Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash
Zen Arcade
Big Lizard in My Backyard
Trout Mask Replica
Too Tough to Die
Zombie Birdhouse
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Enema of the State
All Mod Cons
Blank Generation
Marquee Moon
Simple Minds Sparkle in the Rain.
Simple Minds Sparkle in the Rain.
Weasels Ripped My Flesh (Zappa).
There are no other contenders
Lou Reed Rock n Roll Animal bar none the best ever. If Sweet Jane don’t get you going you don’t have a pulse.
Don’t care for the band all that much, but Blink-182’s “Take off your pants and jacket”. Beauty album title.