Less Talk More Music Pt. 3

Once again there's not a whole lot to report on in YankeeBoy land. Winter is definitely beginning to wear out its welcome but the good news is that Spring Training is right around the corner. One has to wonder though, with things being in the state that they're in, will there be anyone left who can actually afford to go to the new high priced stadiums here in New York. But that's another conversation for another time. For now I am sick of the economy, sick of job hunting, sick of thinking about job hunting and sick of talking about it.  So enough of this  - let's get to the music.

 

The Couriers - Feelings

This track comes off a comp called "Crude P.A." and crude it certainly is. Basically we're talking about yet another variation on  "Louie Louie" with a slightly different melody and new lyrics. Not that there's anything wrong with that. No siree.  

Dan Kibler - So Wendy Says

Last Sunday I went to my friends annual Anti-Superbowl party. It's one of the few things that makes the post-holidays winter tolerable as I get to hang out with friends I that I don't see as often as I used to. At one point my friend Wendy said that, with the exception of the Beach Boys song, there just aren't any really good Wendy songs out there. So Wendy, if you're out there, this one's for you. 
Bobby Freeman - Little Girl Don't You Understand

"Little Girl..." is your basic Chuck Berry/Little Richard influenced late 50s rocker. While it may never have been very 'innovative' or 'new', it still shakes some serious ass. 

The Kinks - Low Budget

A friend mentioned to me recently how he heard this song for the first time in a few years and how it really was quite relevant to these times. He's certainly right on that account. Ray Davies' understated sense of humor gets the point across without sounding pedantic.  
Len Barry - I Struck It Rich

Here's a little blue-eyed Northern Soul from the former lead singer of the Dovells. It was even a minor hit for Len, making it to number 98 on Billboard's Top 100 in September of 1966. 

Bob Dylan - Boogie Woogie Country Girl
Lou Reed - This Magic Moment

These 2 songs are being lumped together because they both come from the long out-of-print Doc Pomus tribute album. I've always loved Dylan's take on Joe Turner's hit and Lou Reed takes this old pop standard to places it's never been before or since. The list of records and artists that Doc Pomus was involved with goes on forever. I was lucky enough to spend a little time with him near the end of his life and he was always a gentleman with great stories to tell.

The Original Sins - Not Gonna Be All Right

The Sins were definitely one of the bright lights of the East Coast garage scene in the 80s and 90s. There was a point when it seemed that JT was writing songs in his sleep, so plentiful was his output. "...Alright" is from their first album "Big Soul", which I see is now out-of-print and selling for $40 on Amazon. Ouch!   
Big Boy Pete - Sheer Lunacy

The story is that BBP recorded a whole slew of songs, at least 2 albums worth, back in the mid-late 60s, most of which never saw the light of day. I hadn't heard of him until his music started being reissued about 5 or so years ago. This is from my favorite period of British psych, that short time when bands were just beginning to experiment but had yet to start to take themselves too seriously and get 'progressive'. 
The O'Jays - Deeper - In Love With You

"Deeper..." was recorded in the late 60s, a few years before they had all of those records on Philadelphia International. This too was a Gamble/Huff production, although with a grittier sound than their later hits.     
The Vertebrats - Left In The Dark

A little bit of power pop from the early 80's, although this has a few more rough edges than much of the skinny tie music being produced at the time. Fans of "Tim" era Replacements will surely like this. 
William Walker&The Ray O-Vacs - Party Time

This was totally unknown, at least to me, until it was reissued a few years ago on the "Black Huthia Cuthia" comp. Loud and crude with all the subtlety of  a bullet in the head, this is meant to be cranked up LOUD.

John Coltrane - Greensleeves

"Greensleeves" is an old folk songs that many of us have been hearing since childhood. I never thought of it as a vehicle for an extended jazz piece but then again I don't possess the genius of John Coltrane. Coltrane and his band, especially pianist McCoy Tyner, take this simple melody and turn it inside out in more ways than anyone could have dreamed possible. 

They're a size 28 but I take 34