167: ’67

1967 was the greatest year for music ever. I know this because I’ve been told so in numerous articles, books, documentaries, blogs and even a couple of conversations, back when they were still around. Why you ask ? Well, it was the summer of love now, wasn’t it ? It was also the year that saw the release of ‘Sgt. Pepper’s’, Piper at the  Gates of Dawn’, ‘Disraeli Gears’, ‘The Who Sell Out’, ‘Surrealistic Pillow’, ‘Satanic Majesties Request’ and ‘Are you Experienced ?’. So it has to be the best year ever, right ? Well maybe, maybe not, but I have a problem with the assumption. My problem is not with the music of 1967, nor indeed with the above mentioned records. What I must take issue with is the present day perception of past years, propagated by dull, ‘heritage rock’ publications, lazy journeyman journalists, and the vile, banal, corporatised airwaves polluting our radios (I’m not naming any names, but it rhymes with ‘beer flannel’). 1967 WAS a great year for music, and the aforementioned albums were of course very much a part of the exciting and adventurous landscape of the time. But they were not the only things happening, which is what ‘Classic Rock’ dullards would have us believe. Speaking of Classic Rock, if I had to pick my favourite two albums of 1967, and this could of course change next week, they’d be the Velvet’s first and ‘Forever Changes’, neither of which I hear much of on said stringently formatted shows. So do yourself a favour – listen to selections from the albums I’ve mentioned interspersed with the following tracks. Trust me, you have nothing to lose but your chains.

167: ’67

1. Ivor Cutler Trio – I’m Happy
2. Toots and The Maytals – 54-66 That’s my Number
3. Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band – Electricity
4. Laura Nyro – Wedding Bell Blues
5. Arthur Conley – Sweet Soul Music
6. Nico – Chelsea Girls
7. Nancy Sinatra – Sugar Town
8. Bee Gees – Every Christian Lion-Hearted Man Will Show You
9. Aretha Franklin – Do Right Woman, Do Right Man
10. Phil Harris and Bruce Reitherman – The Bare Necessities
11. Neil Diamond – Girl, You’ll be a Woman Soon
12. Otis Redding and Carla Thomas – Tramp
13. Tim Buckley – Morning Glory
14. Scott Walker – My Death
15. Bob Andy – I’ve Got to go Back Home
16. The Stone Poney’s – Different Drum
17. Leonard Cohen – Sisters of Mercy
18. The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band – The Intro and the Outro

60:43

92: What Are You?

No really, what are you? I was just wondering…

1. I’m The One — Descendents
2. I’m The Man — Joe Jackson
3. I’m Ready — Fats Domino
4. I Am A Poseur — X-Ray Spex
5. I Am Decided — The Amps
6. I’m A Believer — Neil Diamond
7. I Am The Fly — Wire
8. I Am A Machine — Meat Puppets
9. I’m Bad, I’m Nationwide — ZZ Top
10. I’m An Animal — Sly & The Family Stone
11. I’m An Animal — Neko Case
12. I’m On Fire — Bruce Springsteen
13. I’m A Lady — Santogold
14. I’m Glad You’re Mine — Al Green
15. (I’m A) Road Runner — Jr. Walker & The All Stars
16. I’m The Lover Man — Little Jerry Williams
17. I’m A Lonesome Fugitive — Merle Haggard
18. I’m A Long Gone Daddy — Hank Williams
19. I’m Goofballs For Bozzo Jazz — Don Caballero

59:09

69: SUNDAY MORNING

This is a variation on something I was messing around with a couple of years ago. It all began – wait for it – on a Sunday morning. The TV was on with the sound down, I was my normal groggy morning self, and the missus was engrossed in school work with a deadline fast approaching. “Put some music on,” I was instructed. But what to play ? I wasn’t really in a jazzy frame of mind, and clearly Anal Cunt were out of the question. And then it hit me. Quicker than you can say ‘anal moronic idiot’, a self imposed challenge was issued. My mission would be to provide an ‘easy listening soundtrack’. Easy listening – that most odious and vile of genres. Sounds stripped of any cultural connection, with all jagged edges smoothed down. A musical land where Manilow is king, the here and now is neither here nor there, and any potential zeitgeist is buried beneath a mountain of denial and refusal. A bit like Richmond really, only with a big nose. “Challenge accepted,” I pompously muttered to myself, and set about my task as though the very future of music itself depended upon my success.

69: SUNDAY MORNING

1. The Velvet Underground and Nico – Sunday Morning
2. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds – Deanna/Happy Day
3. Dennis Brown – Money In My Pocket
4. Nina Simone – My Baby Just Cares for Me
5. Gil Scott-Heron – Save the Children
6. The Specials – Do Nothing
7. Billie Holiday – Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me
8. Nick Drake – Hazey Jane 1
9. Neil Diamond – Do It
10. Buffalo Springfield – Flying on the Ground is Wrong
11. Mary Wells – You Beat Me to the Punch
12. Dionne Warwick – Do You Know the Way to San Jose
13. TLC – No Scrubs
14. Nouvelle Vague – Teenage Kicks
15. David Bowie – Kooks
16. Scritti Politti – The Word Girl
17. John Holt – It’s a Jam in the Streets
18. Lee Dorsey and Betty Harris – Love Lots of Lovin

60:43

64: 1000 #s

Your last duo was one I was working on, though executed much better than I would have (I was only going to have a list of songs that mention other artists, inspired by “Losing My Edge”). Hats off and drat! So today’s is just another work of esoteric puzzletry.

1. The “In” Crowd — The Mama’s And The Papa’s
2. 1000 Pounds — Superchunk
3. Fat Bottom Girls — Queen
4. Fat — Weird Al Yankovic
5. Liar — Rollins Band
6. The Weight — The Band
7. He Ain’t Heavy…He’s My Brother — Neil Diamond
8. Little Fat Baby — Sparklehorse
9. Carry That Weight — Dobby Dodson
10. Weigh — Phish
11. Fat Albert Rotunda — Herbie Hancock
12. Ain’t Gonna Bump No More (With No Big Fat Woman) — Joe Tex
13. The Fat Man — Fats Domino
14. The Overweight Lover’s In The House — Heavy D. & The Boyz
15. Human Beat Box — The Fat Boys

59:07

47: REVISITATION

In my last two posts I have found reason to discuss The Clash, and more specifically their penchant for self mythologising. At no point however did I suggest I considered it a bad thing. In fact, I’ve decided to try it for myself. Just as ‘Complete Control’ is a Clash song about ‘Remote Control’, a previous Clash song, so this is a playlist about my previous playlists. Think of them as bonus tracks.

47: REVISITATION

1. INTRO – Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip – Beat that My Heart Skipped
2. GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS (18 WOMEN) – Neil Young – Pocahontas
3. THE REVOLUTION WILL BE PLAYLISTED – Isaac Hayes – Soulsville
4. LOSING HIS EDGE – Public Image Ltd. – Poptones
5. DRUGS – Weezer – Hash Pipe
6. ANOTHER FIX (DRUGS PART TWO) – Wilco – Handshake Drugs
7. CHILLESQUE – Cocteau Twins – Pandora (For Cindy)
8. BOYS WILL BE BOYS (15 MEN) – The Room – Jackpot Jack
9. LONG – Neu! – Hallo Gallo 10:03
10. SHORT – Art Brut – My Little Brother 2:23
11. SONGS OF LOSS AND PAIN – Neil Diamond – Evermore

59:48