Last Post of 2008

I wish I had some incredibly brilliant bon mot to end the year with but unfortunately I'm all out. For a lot of us it's been a rough year, with so many folks losing their jobs and/or their savings in the stock market. As readers of this blog know I too did not get through it unscathed. But nothing is all bad or all good and I expect that 2009 will bring its share of joys and disappointments as well. So for now I guess all that's left is to wish everyone a Happy New Year and let's party like it's 2009.

DMZ - Busy Man

Before The Lyres there was DMZ who were possibly a little more influenced by 70s punk but had their roots firmly entrenched in 60s garage thanks to their leader Jeff Conolly
Amos Milburn - Down the Road Apiece

Many people have recorded this song over the years. I know I'll always associate it with The Stones who did a version on their "Now" album way back in 1964. But I sure love hearing it played by Amos Milburn who plays some incredible piano throughout.

Carl Perkins - Glad All Over

Carl was a big part of the Sun Records story and while he may not have been as wild as their other Rockabilly artists such as Jerry Lee Lewis and Billy Riley, his voice had an easygoing warmth to it that I've always liked.

Dr. Feelgood - Milk and Alcohol

In the mid and late 70s Dr. Feelgood were mainstays of the British Pub Rock scene in which punk luminaries like Nick Lowe and Joe Strummer got their start.
The Druids - Cool Calm & Collected

Hailing from sunny San Diego The Druids had a pleasant melodic folk-rock sound. I first heard this song on one of the "Fuzz, Flaykes & Shakes" compilations put out by Tony the Tyger, most of which are still available from Amazon.

The Headstones - 24 Hours (Everyday)

This song was originally released on the very collectable Pharoh Records label down in Texas in the mid-60s. Both sides of their 2 singles are all really excellent and are available on a number of different garage comps that have been released over the years.
Kevin Ayers - Flying Start

Here's another song by Kevin Ayers who I still don't know very much about. I'm aware that he's released a number of albums over the years and in fact he's just put out a 4 or 5-disc retrospective of his career but in these unemployed times I've had to tighten my belt and be satisfied with the occasional mp3 that floats my way. I really like his voice.

L.C. McKinley - Nit Wit

"Nit Wit" was originally recorded for the small Bea & Baby label. About 3 years ago Castle Records put out a 2-disc B&B label retrospective that I wholeheartedly recommend for anyone into upbeat Chicago style blues and R&R.

Big Dee Irwin & Little Eva - Swingin' On A Star

This remake of Bing Crosby's 1944 number 1 smash was a minor hit in its own right, reaching number 38 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1963. I'm thinking that it must have been an even bigger hit in the NYC area because I remember hearing this on the radio a lot.

Locksley - Let Me Know

Locksley released their debut album "Don't Make Me Wait" earlier this year and this is one of a handful of really great pop songs from that album. I sometimes hesitate to post new releases on here but I'm hoping that this might pique someone's interest enough to investigate these guys further. Like a lot of the albums I'm mentioning in this post, it's available from Amazon.
The Primitives - Crash

I'm not sure if this was a hit when it was released in the late 80s but if it wasn't, it definitely deserved to be. Although I haven't played it in years I also remember liking the album "Lovely" from which it came.
The Stones - Suzie Q

After my last post I realized that up to now I have not posted anything by The Stones and that just cannot be. From "12 X 5", here is their remake of the old Dale Hawkins song.
The Sweet - AC-DC

Ever since I heard it back in the mid-70s, "AC-DC" has always been a favorite of mine. I always thought it was pretty cool how unthreatened this guy seemed with his woman friend havingall these other lovers. Although in these post-AIDS days, I've got to admit that I might have some reservations if I were him.

The Birds - No Good Without You Baby

Featuring a young Ron Wood, the Birds were one of many bands playing their own brand of white boy R&B in the London club scene in the mid-60s.
Link Wray - Drag Race

I've always loved Link's dirty distorted guitar sound which, legend has it, he got by punching holes in his amp speakers. I saw him back in the mid-80s when he was (unfortunately) backed by this heavy metal sounding band. I really didn't care for it much but as I remember, he could REALLY play!

Warren Zevon - I Was In The House When The House Burned Down

I'm not exactly sure why but to me this song is about looking back and thinking about all of the things one might have done differently. He may have been an absolute bastard in real life (I still have his biography on my bookshelf and I'm half afraid to read it) but he really had a way of saying things in a way that nobody else could.
The Kinks - Better Things

With all the stuff you hear on the news about people losing their jobs and the lousy economy, I really wanted to end the year with a word of hope. On January 20 we will have a new leader, one who I believe has a real sense of what this country needs. And by 'this country' I mean all the people, not just the power brokers and lobbyists. Let's hope that 2009 brings us all something better. Happy New Year.

Would you rather be a mule?