Rest In Peace George

George Carlin

One thing I don't see a lot of in the ol' blogosphere is comedy. Sure, there are plenty of blogs that post album after album of great music but you really gotta dig to find some stand-up comedy albums. With the passing of George Carlin in the news today, I felt like posting something as a little tribute, not only to George but to all those great comics who make us laugh. I've chosen a few albums to share here. The first is from Carlin and it's, I think, his last one called "You're All Diseased". As he grew older George became more of a social commentary curmudgeon than a standard comedian. His body got older but his wit got sharper. His love for language and the contradictions and irony of our culture made him a legend in his own time. He worked up to the weekend before his death and published books as well as records and television specials in his long career. He will certainly be missed. This file is the entire album but in one track.

Download "You're All Diseased"

Lost Goat - Equator

Great record from a great metal band out of the Bay Area. In truth I like Lost Goat's singles the best but "Equator"is a rockin' fuckin' album and includes some seriously good tunes. "Doin' Time", "White Dog/Purple Pussy", and their cover of the MC5's "Poison" are some choice tracks. Like I said, a great metal band with a tough as nails female vocalist and some good guitar work. They kind of sound like a sludge metal version of the Super Heroines, really. I'm not going to post anything for a while so enjoy the albums that are here and hopefully I'll be able to bring this blog back to life soon.

Download "Equator"

Guest Bloggin' At Digital Meltd0wn

Just a note to let everyone know that currently I am guest blogging over at Digital Meltd0wn and will be for the next five days. I'm posting a new album every day for a week. I'm now in day two of my stint there and so far I've posted The Dickies "Stukas Over Disneyland" and Tater Totz "Mono Stereo". For those of you who haven't visited Digital Meltd0wn, go there NOW! It's a really awesome music blog and it's hosted by a good friend of mine. He's put a lot of work into it and there is a ton of music there. Everything from garage punk from the 60's to world music and classical, but mostly an emphasis on psychedelic obscurities. My theme for the week is related to the changing of the seasons and I'm posting records make ya feel like tappin' yer toes and drivin' fast! So, come on over and enjoy the sounds.

Anton LaVey - Strange Music e.p.

Found this 10" e.p. back in 1994 in a record store in San Francisco. I believe it had just come out and I can't a resist the novelty of a 10 inch record (not to mention one featuring someone like this) so I grabbed it. Years later I found myself in need of a record needle and unable to play my vinyl. I had a friend of mine rip some singles and this e.p. to a disc for me so I could listen to them. That was probably seven years ago and yesterday I found the disc so I decided to upload this. Looking around on the net, I could hardly even find a reference to this record so I figure it's still very obscure even in the days when you can find just about anything on blogs and forums. So here you go! As the title of the e.p. suggests, this is indeed some "Strange Music". Anton LaVey, founder of the "Church of Satan" recored these versions of early 20th century standards and rarities using vintage organs and keyboard instruments. As I understand it from the liner notes he plays all the instruments in the recordings and all were done without overdubs. It's kind of amazing really. Most of the tracks are instrumentals with only two of them featuring vocals by his then wife, Blanche Barton. There is definitely an eerie quality to the music, especially the version of "Gloomy Sunday" (the famous song that caused a suicide craze/scare when it was originally released in the1930's. The Wikipedia article on it is an interesting read. Anyway, since I've not been able to revamp this blog as of yet I thought I would post a couple of things in the meantime that kind of fit with the theme and this one certainly does. Maybe some of the earliest examples of "death rock" by one of the most infamous people of the last century.

Tracks:
Thanks For The Memory
Strange Music
Temptation
Start The Day Right (vocal by Blanche Barton)
One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)
The Year Of Jubilo
Gloomy Sunday (vocal by Blanche Barton)

Download "Strange Music"

Urgh! A Music War OST (2-disc version)

Obviously I haven't gotten around to my Spring cleaning on this blog and doing something new with it. I've been busy with moving and school and such but in the meantime I thought I would post this.
"Urgh! A Music War" was a film from 1981 that was a sort of cross between "Decline of Western Civilization" and "Live Aid". A collection of live performances in several cities around the world, it included a list of bands that reads like a who's who of underground music in the post-punk/new wave era. I first saw the film when it was shown on USA network's "Night Flight" probably around 1986 when I was just a youngster getting into punk rock. Needless to say, I was blown away by the performances of The Cramps, X, Dead Kennedys, and others.
A soundtrack was released in the 80's and I used to have it on cassette but it was lacking many of the performances from the film. Recently a friend of mine ran across a bootleg double-disc version of it, though, and passed it on to me. The "bonus disc" contains all the stuff that the original release was missing! As far as I know, this hasn't been officially released on cd or dvd due to legal red tape and both the film and soundtrack are really hard to find. So, if you've been looking for this one then your search is over (at least until an official release ever finds its way to the shelves).

Disc 1

1. Driven to Tears by The Police
2. Back in Flesh by Wall of Voodoo
3. Enola Gay by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
4. Ain't This the Life by Oingo Boingo
5. Respectable Street by XTC
6. We Got the Beat by The Go-Go's
7. Total Eclipse by Klaus Nomi
8. Foolish I Know by Jools Holland
9. Ku Klux Klan by Steel Pulse
10. Uncontrollable Urge by Devo
11. The Puppet by Echo & the Bunnymen
12. Tear It Up by The Cramps
13. Bad Reputation by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
14. Birdies by Pere Ubu
15. Down in the Park by Gary Numan
16. Shadow Line by The Fleshtones
17. He'd Send in the Army by Gang of Four
18. Homicide by 999
19. Beyond and Back by X
20. Model Worker by Magazine
21. Sign of the Cross by Skafish

Bonus Disc

1. Toya Willcox - Dance
2. John Cooper Clarke - Health Fanatic
3. Chelsea - I'm On Fire
4. Athletico Spiz 80 - Where's Captain Kirk
5. Dead Kennedys - Bleed For Me
6. Surf Punks - Go Home
7. Members - Offshore Banking Business
8. Au Pairs - Tear It Up
9. Invisible Sex - Valium
10. Alley Cats - Nothing Means Nothing Anymore
11. John Otway - Cheryl's Going Home
12. Splodgeness Abounds - Two Little Boys
13. UB40 - Madame Medusa
14. The Police - Roxanne
15. The Police - So Lonely

Disc 1
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DU81QO6D

Bonus Disc
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=I5JXXWCE

Shifting Gears

Grab 'em while you can! I think it's about time to shift gears once again on this blog. I'll be deleting all these posts in the next few days and starting fresh. I'm thinking of a new musical theme to go with. Maybe power pop, hip hop, or experimental music. Anyway, I just thought I'd let everyone know so if you want any of these death rock oriented albums now would be the time to get them.

nitegaunt

GG Allin - Banned In Boston

I know GG isn't really considered death rock but a.) he was rock and b.) he is dead. So here goes nothin'. This post was inspired by a recent conversation you can find in the comments here. It got me thinking about GG and listening to some of his stuff again. I really love his earlier stuff with The Jabbers and even some of his middle period is listenable and even enjoyable at times. The later work I can't say so much for. He sort of spiraled downward and his music deteriorated in unison with his life. By the time of his death his voice sounded like blood and gravel with a dash of vodka. But that is not the case with "Banned In Boston".
This collection of GG Allin's early work is essential punk rock and I think if you've got this, "Doctrine Of Mayhem", and maybe either "Dirty Love Songs" or "Carnival Of Excess" (his country album), then you've got all the GG you'll ever need. In other words, "Banned In Boston" is not an album for completists - it's GG 101! All the great poppy, catchy, rockers are here. From "Don't Talk To Me" to "Cheri Love Affair" and "NYC Tonight", this shit is classic great East Coast punk rock but it sounds like it could have come out of the same neighborhood as The Simpletones or The Dickies. GG's later onstage antics often overshadow the fact that he was actually a damn good singer in the early days. One can see hints of where he was heading, though, with tracks like "Gimme Some Head" and "Assface" but even those songs are catchy and fun! The band is tight, the tunes are rockin', and the record as a whole really has all the elements of great punk rock. If you've never heard GG or only heard his later growling chaotic stuff then definitely get this one! I've seen a couple of different versions of this same record but they are pretty much the sames songs in different order.

Tracks:

1. Don't Talk To Me
2. A Fuckup
3. Assface
4. Automatic
5. Beat Beat Beat
6. Bored To Death
7. Cheri Love Affair
8. Dead Or Alive
9. Gimme Some Head
10. I Need Adventure
11. Interview
12. Interview 2
13. Interview 3
14. Live In Boston (five or six songs from an awesome show in one track)
15. Live Fast Die Fast
16. Livin' Like An Animal
17. Loudenbomber
18. I Need Adventure (1980 version)
19. No Rules
20. NYC Tonite
21. On Man Army
22. Unpredictable
23. You Hate Me And I Hate You

Download