Tim’s Covers/Tributes

Top Cover Versions

1. Say You Don’t Mind (Colin Blunstone – orig. Denny Laine) – beautiful cover, very much in the style of Nick Drake, who may or may not have been influenced by Blunstone’s singing style in the first place.
2. Carry Me Home (Primal Scream – orig Dennis Wilson) – sometimes credited as a Beach Boys effort – this is one of Dennis’ darker songs, swung down to a new low on this Primal Scream B-Sider.
3. Sunshine Of Your Love (Ella Fitzgerald – orig, Cream) – she kicks its ass.
4. Hey Joe (Sparklehorse – orig, Daniel Johnston) – If Daniel doesn’t break your heart, Mark Linkous will.
5. Son of a Gun (Nirvana – orig. The Vaselines)  – this track was the affirmation that the punk world needed to let them know they were right to like Nirvana.
6. Life’s A Gas (Teenage Fanclub – orig. T-Rex) – I think Marc would’ve dug it.
7. Let’s Spend The Night Together (David Bowie – orig. The Rolling Stones) – just amazing.
8. Beginnings (Astrud Gilberto – orig. Chicago) – not a huge departure from the original, but very funky and weird for Astrud!
9. Journey To The Center Of The Mind (Ramones – orig. The Amboy Dukes) – the Acid Eaters album is all cover versions, and all of them are great. Never realised how much Joey is influenced by Jagger until I heard their cover of ‘Out Of Time‘. This one’s sung by latterday bassist C.J. Ramone.
10. Southern Man (Merry Clayton – orig. Neil Young) – I’ve ranted about her before – if you haven’t heard her – don’t miss this!

Tribute Songs 

I don’t really like tribute albums, but the occasional track is awesome:

1. Getting Better (The Wedding Present with Amelia Fletcher – orig. The Beatles) –  this proto-grunge version appeared on tribute album ‘Sgt. Pepper Knew My Father’ (1988). After hearing this, the original became among my most hated Beatles songs.
2. Follow Me (The Innocence Mission – orig. John Denver) – ‘Take Me Home: A Tribute to John Denver’ is a brilliant album, far better than the one that came out in 2013. This track is my favourite, but check out Will Oldham’s amazing cover of The Eagle and The Hawk,
3. Going Underground (Buffalo Tom – orig. The Jam) –  punk anthem into emotive masterpiece. From a fairly obscure Jam tribute album.
4. Velouria (Weezer – orig, Pixies) – Again, not a stretch for Weezer, but they do the seemingly impossible and give this amazing song even more emotion and power. From the ‘Where Is My Mind’ Pixies tribute album.

Tim’s 1989 Lists

Albums:

1. Postcard C.V. (Senseless Things) – They were way ahead of their time and extremely young and naive, but I was a devoted fan. This is the perfect debut album – ten concise pop-punk treatments on teen angst.

2. Overdosed On (Chemical People) – Still the tightest, fastest band ever. Catchy tunes – perverted lyrics – singing drummer/3piece – what more do you want?

3. Earthquake Weather (Joe Strummer) – For years I considered this album a guilty pleasure; compared to The Clash, I was unsure that it was any good at all. It’s an eccentric mix of funk, dub and world music and some of it doesn’t work at all, but in my old age I’m determined that it’s Strummer’s best work. Get to know ‘Earthquake Weather’ and it’ll serve you well.

4. Doolittle (Pixies) – What can you say about the best album by the best band? Other than it should be #1 on my list.

5. Love Is A Battlefield of Wounded Hearts (Hard-Ons) – First studio album from the Australian singing-drummer/3piece (see a trend here?) Pop-punk perfection.

6. The Stone Roses (The Stone Roses) – Psychedelic Marvin Gaye and jangly anthemic pop from a bunch of Manchester hooligans seemed impossibly brilliant when this was released. Though ‘I Am The Resurrection’ is probably the weakest song on the album, the improvised jam at the end (3:37 onwards) is truly remarkable.

7. Automatic (The Jesus And Mary Chain) – A concentrated pop album from the Scottish doomlords – the only thing with a drum machine that I could tolerate at the time!

8. Paul’s Boutique (The Beastie Boys) – I was definitely not a fan of the Beastie Boys when this album came out, but I could not resist The Dust Brothers incredible beats. Between this album and Young MC’s debut they blew their load – but what a money shot! 

9. Bizarro (The Wedding Present) – Jokingly referred to as Smiths fans second favourite band, The Wedding Present are a strange bunch – if you can stand Gedge’s vocals and the frenetic barrage of shrill guitars you might understand why their songs are up there with Morrissey’s.

10. Energy (Operation Ivy) – One of those albums that just sounds like nothing else before it. A strange hybrid of The Specials, the Clash and Bad Brains – they had a weird funky style and solid message of interracial “UNITY!!!” The first time I’d heard of ‘Skatepunk’.

Notable misses:

Snuffsaidbutgorblimeyguvstonemeifhedidn’tthrowawobblerchachachachachachachachachachachayou’regoinghomeinacosmicambience (Snuff) 

Songs:

1. Fools Gold 9:53 (The Stone Roses) – To fans of their debut album, this 12” single seemed a mind-blowing left-turn. I love the restraint in the performances on this track. After this, every band had drum loops and wah-wah – welcome to Madchester!

2. Monkey Gone To Heaven (Pixies) – There’s not a bad song on this album – and ‘Silver’ is one of the most incredible tracks imaginable – but the riffs and lyrics on Monkey Gone To Heaven are irresistible.

3. Awkward Kid (Mega City Four) – This single is in the tradition of frail sensitive Buzzcocks songs or Mick Jones’ Clash B-Sides – fragile and emotive, heavy-on-the-heart.

4. Too Much Kissing (Senseless Things) – Last track on ‘Postcard C.V.’ and played at the end of every show – classic song.

5. Last Of The Famous International Playboys (Morrissey) – 1989 saw a bunch of good singles from Mozzer – this is the funniest one.

6. Pet Semetary (Ramones) – A surprise return to form for Ramones, thanks to Stephen King’s rubbish horror novel.

7. Dizzy’s Goatee (Joe Strummer) -The strung-out Strummer was only loosely involved in this album’s creation, but with lyrics this intense and vocals this bare we get him at his most authentic.

8. You Surround Me (Erasure) – It doesn’t get much gayer than this band and this song. Always had a huge admiration for Vince Clark’s production and Andy Bell’s vocal style.

9. Get Wet (Hard-Ons) – marrying sexual perversion with melancholy pop. There are 6 chords in this song, but they could’ve done it with two.

10. UV Ray (The Jesus And Mary Chain) – The dark track from a great pop album – Ministry and Nine Inch Nails were listening.

Notable misses:

Epic (Faith No More)

About A Girl (Nirvana)

Mike’s Favorites from 1989

Songs

They might be giants—Birdhouse In Your Soul (single U.S. release 1989!)

Neneh Cherry—Buffalo Stance

Neil Young—Crime in the City

Steve Lacy—Virgin Jungle

Pere Ubu—Waiting for Mary (great live version from the greatest program in television history)

Saint Vitus—I Bleed Black (oh, hell yes)

Lyle Lovett—Nobody Knows Me

Bob Mould—Wishing Well

Sun Ra—Sunrise (lousy transfer on youtube, buy the Blue Delight album, highly recommended)

Vulgar Boatmen—Drive Somewhere

Albums

Pixies—Doolittle (can’t go wrong with any song on this record, but since Brent already selected two favorites, “I’m in a state”. So, I’ll go with No. 13, and I Bleed)

Peter Gabriel—Passion (Music for The Last Temptation of Christ)

Davis, Newton, Wadud-3/2

Lou Reed—NY (Dirty Boulevard, Halloween Parade)

Joe Jackson—Blaze of Glory (Not much on youtube aside from this great cut. After his debut, or alongside it, his best album.)

Marty Stuart—Hillbilly Rock (best songs aren’t online, darn it)

Rickie Lee Jones—Flying Cowboys (Again in order to not duplicate selections from Brent’s list, here’s two more great ones off this underrated record: Just My Baby and Satellites.

The Beautiful South-Welcome to… (Song for Whoever)

Bob Dylan—Oh Mercy (What Good Am I)

Tim Berne—Fractured  Fairy Tales (see Brent’s list below, nothing else online I guess)

Brent’s Favorites From 1989

Albums

1) Hal On Earth – Hal Russell NRG Ensemble (Raining Violets  – Hal The Weenie)

2) Rag, Bush, and All – Henry Threadgill Sextett (The Devil is on the Loose and Dancing Witha Monkey )

3) Paradise of Replica – After Dinner (Kitchen Life I – Motorcycle – Kitchen Life II)

4) Bleach – Nirvana (School – About a Girl)

5) Margin Walker – Fugazi (Lockdown – Margin Walker)

6) Flying Cowboys – Rickie Lee Jones (The Horses – Flying Cowboys)

7) Doolittle – Pixies (Hey – Debaser)

8) Tim Berne – Fractured Fairy Tales (Hong Kong Sad Song/More Coffee – Now Then)

9) Soul Discharge – Boredoms (TV Scorpion – Pow Wow Now)

10) Spy Vs. Spy – John Zorn

 

Songs

 

1) Do It Right – Maureen Tucker (w/Daniel Johnson & Jad Fair) (Life After Abdictation)

2) Wishing Well – Bob Mould (Workbook)

3) Have You Ever Been Away – The Beautiful South (Welcome to the Beautiful South)

4) German Sheperds – Wire (It’s Beginning To And Back Again)

5) Let God Be Your Gardener – Melvins (Ozma)

6) Ghost Ride – Couch Flambeau (Ghost Ride)

7) You Got It – Mudhoney (Mudhoney)

8) Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun – Beastie Boys (Paul’s Boutique)

9) Feurio!  – Einsturzende Neubauten (Haus Der Luge)

10) Rags & Bones – NoMeansNo (Wrong)

Tim’s Streaks

This month’s challenge made me realise that I really don’t like many albums, or artists’ releases. Maybe as part of the ‘mix-tape’ generation I was always searching out the interesting B-sides that represented the more personal or experimental side of the artist. Nevertheless, here are ALL of the bands that I like that haven’t messed up and released a turkey! Click the links to hear my picks including some live versions.

• The Clash 1977-1981: The Clash, Give ‘Em Enough Rope, London Calling, Black Market Clash, Sandinista!, Combat Rock
• Grandaddy 1997-2003: Under The Western Freeway, The Broken Down Comforter Collection, The Windfall Variety, The Sophtware Slump, Sumday, 
  
• Hard-Ons 1988-1993: Dickcheese, Love Is A Battlefield Of Wounded Hearts, Yummy!, Too Far Gone,
• The Jesus And Mary Chain 1985-1989: Psychocandy, Darklands, Automatic
• Pavement 1992-1999: Slanted & Enchanted, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, Wowee Zowee, Brighten The Corners, Terror Twilight
• Pixies 1988-1991: Surfer Rosa, Doolittle, Bossanova, Trompe le Monde
• Ramones: 1976-1981: Ramones, Leave Home, Rocket To Russia, End of the Century, Pleasant Dreams
• The Replacements 1981-1984: Sorry Ma, Forgot to Take Out the Trash, Stink, Hootenanny, Let It Be
• Sebadoh 1993-1996: Bubble and Scrape, Bakesale, Harmacy
• Stereolab 1994-2004: Mars Audiac Quintet, Emperor Tomato Ketchup, Dots and Loops, Cobra Phases Group Play Volatage in the Milky Night, Soud-Dust, Margerine Eclipse
• Stina Nordenstam 1991-1998: Memories of a Colour, And She Closed Her Eyes, Dynamite, People Are Strange
• Teenage Fanclub 1991-1995: Bandwagonesque, Thirteen, Grand Prix
• Wagon Christ 1998-2004: Tally Ho!, Musipal, Sorry I Make You Lush
• Webb Brothers 1999-2000: Beyond The Biosphere, Maroon
• Palace Music/Palace Brothers 1993-1996: There Is No One What Will Take Care Of You, Days In The Wake, Viva Last Blues, Arise Therefore

Oh and if you haven’t heard Swedish doom-pixie Stina Nordenstam, or Jimmy Webb’s kids The Webb Brothers – treat yourself!