The Triffids - Born Sandy Devotional

As Shoulda Been Huge stumbles towards the end of it's first (and possibly last) orbit around the sun,  it's time to play an ace that I've kept up my sleeve - an album featuring probably my favorite Australian song ever....

So you'd think this would be an easy post for me to write - and you'd be wrong. I've written this post three times - and each version sucked! I'd call it writers block if I actually had any talent for writing....maybe I should just let the music do the talking? Or in the words of the prophet Jam Bun Hovis (err, I mean Jon Bon Jovi), don't bore us, get to the chorus!

Born Sandy Devotional was the album where it all came together for The Triffids. Vocalist/guitarist David McComb was at his songwriting peak. The playing and production is superb.

Wide Open Road is god-like. It somehow manages to be simultaneously sombre and infectious, introspective and expansive, evocative and funky. The moment where guitarist Robert McComb repeats his brothers guitar motif (at around 3:35 in the above video) is one of my five favorite moments in music. Spine tingling!

And the rest of the album is no less effective. The Seabirds and Estuary Bed have an almost calypso feel.  Lonely Stretch features intense goth like vocals and lyrics rich in biblical imagery. Stolen Property is slow and evocative. Chicken Killer is infectious and child like. And the two tracks sung by Jill Birt deserve special mention. Tarrilup Bridge is almost nursery rhyme-like, while Tender Is the Night is evocative and beautiful, with Birt's quaint and cute vocals bringing Mo Tucker  to mind.

The 2006 re-release also features bonus tracks, featuring a number of tracks as good as those featured on the album LP. In fact, Convent Walls and Wish to See No More were listed on the original album but were bumped due to the time limitations inherent with poly-vinyl chloride (aka records - remember those, kids?). 






The Triffids - 1986 Born Sandy Devotional


1. The Seabirds

2. Estuary Bed
3. Chicken Killer
4. Tarrilup Bridge
5. Lonely Stretch
6. Wide Open Road
7. Life of Crime
8. Personal Things
9. Stolen Property
10. Tender Is the Night (The Long Fidelity)

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Bonus tracks:


1.  The 107
2. When A Man Turns Bad
3. Of the Plaza
4. White Shawl
5. Convent Walls
6. Time of Weakness
7. Born Sandy Devotional
8. Wish to See No More
9. Tender Is the Night (The Long Fidelity) Alt. version

FLAC
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Iggy Pop - The Idiot

From the ridiculous of my previous post to the sublime......

I'm not sure how many Bowie biographies have been written, but I've made it a goal to read as many of them as possible. I've also recently read Tony Visconti's excellent autobiography, which provides a fascinating insight into the recording of Young Americans, the "Berlin trilogy", and some of Bowie's more recent albums.

I'm currently reading the most recent Bowie biography, Starman, by Paul Trynka. While this book provides insights that had previously alluded me (e.g. the similarity between "Life on Mars" and "My Way", and "Starman" and "Somewhere over the rainbow"), it sometimes barely acknowledges some of the key events in Bowie's life and career (e.g. the exorcism!). Having written a book myself*, I understand the complexities in deciding what material to use. Having said that, I love the everything and the kitchen sink approach used by Jimmy McDonough in his Neil Young opus, Shakey. But in Starman, it feels like the author has sacrificed some commonly known material that may have provided a more fully rounded discussion for the sake of including new and revelatory material that is interesting but sometimes not entirely relevant. In summary, a good book for the Bowie completist, but arguably not as good for the casual reader.

But the author makes one excellent proposition of which I am in full agreement - the lack of acclaim given to Bowie's contribution to Iggy Pop's The Idiot when assessing Bowie's songwriting accomplishments.

Iggy accompanied Bowie throughout the latters European Station to Station tour, and afterwards the two decamped to Château d'Hérouville in France to record Iggy's first solo album. The album was made with the understanding that Bowie would have the first right to use any material developed for his own purposes. Perhaps unexpectedly, Bowie claimed ownership of the more avant garde material, leaving Iggy with the more "commercial" material - although the album could hardly be considered commercial! Bowie was emerging from the cocaine induced psychosis of his Los Angeles years, while Iggy was at a low ebb following a debilitating heroin addiction that ultimately led to the demise of The Stooges. This scenario manifested itself into twisted, gnarly off the wall music, desperate lyrics, and vocals reflective of someone at the end of their tether. Is it any wonder that The Idiot was a major influence on Joy Division, and was reputedly the last album played by Ian Curtis before he left us all for a better place?

The best known song on The Idiot is China Girl, a monster hit for Bowie some six years later when re-recorded for his Let's Dance album. I know it is de rigueur among music snobs to heap praise on the original version and diss Bowie's version, but in my book they are both superb. Iggy's version is more musically expansive, but Bowie's version is as close to pop perfection as it is possible to get.

Opening track Sister Midnight was also re-recorded by Bowie as Red Money, the final track from the final album of the Berlin trilogy, Lodger. But in this instance I have to give the gong to Iggy's version for having better lyrics, and for being spookier and  more atmospheric. In contrast, Nightclubbing is almost jaunty, but no less excellent.

Funtime is probably best known for being recorded by R.E.M. as the b-side for Get Up in 1989. But the  R.E.M. is extremely lame in comparison to the malevolent, prowling electronic beast featured here.

But my favourite tracks are the slow and snarling Dum Dum Boys and Mass Production. Superb.

As superb as Raw Power and Funhouse are, this is Iggy's finest hour in my book - and one of Bowie's as well.

  

Iggy Pop - 1977 - The Idiot

1. Sister Midnight
2. Nightclubbing
3. Funtime
4. Baby
5. China Girl
6. Dum Dum Boys
7. Tiny Girls
8. Mass Production

FLAC Pt1, FLAC Pt2, FLAC Pt3
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* actually, I wrote a scientific thesis, which had a massive print run of.....TEN! But let's not let accuracy get in the way of a good story!

Boycott American Women!

I received the following as a comment to my last post. Since I felt it was worth a wider audience I've posted it here.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry when I read this - but I chose to laugh - to help alleviate the stresses of the last few weeks. And I thought I'd take the laugher a step further by taking the piss out of the moron who wrote it.

BOYCOTT AMERICAN WOMEN
Why American men should boycott American women


Boycott American Women


I am an American man, and I have decided to boycott American women. In a nutshell, American women are the most likely to cheat on you, to divorce you, to get fat, to steal half of your money in the divorce courts, don't know how to cook or clean, don't want to have children, etc. Therefore, what intelligent man would want to get involved with American women?


American women are generally immature, selfish, extremely arrogant and self-centered, mentally unstable, irresponsible, and highly unchaste. The behavior of most American women is utterly disgusting, to say the least.


This blog is my attempt to explain why I feel American women are inferior to foreign women (non-American women), and why American men should boycott American women, and date/marry only foreign (non-American) women.


Tens of millions of American men have had their lives completely destroyed by American women through the following crimes:


1. False rape accusations (it has been proven that up to 80 percent of rape accusations are FALSE)


2. False DV charges (same as above)


3. Financial RAPE of men in divorce courts


4. Emotional destruction of men by ex-wives who have stolen their children from them and forbidden contact


5. Divorced dads who commit suicide as a result


Not one single American woman has EVER condemned their fellow American women for committing these crimes against men. Silence means consent. Therefore, American women support and enjoy destroying men's lives and causing men to commit suicide. Therefore, is it any surprise that a huge percent of American men no longer want anything to do with American women, other than using them for easy sex and then throwing them away?


Over 50 percent of American women are single, without a boyfriend or husband; so the fact is most American men no longer want to marry American women. Let these worthless American women grow old living alone with their 10 cats.


BOYCOTT AMERICAN WOMEN!


BRAND NEW: Buy the Boycott American Women book. After reading this book, I promise you that you will never even think about dating an American woman ever again, or else I will give you your money back. That’s right, if you are not convinced by my book, I will give you a full refund!


Buy the Boycott American Women eBook now for just $4.99:
Boycott American Women eBook


Sincerely,
John Rambo
November 17, 2011 7:58 PM

My thoughts....

• American women are the most likely to cheat on you..... by having affairs with American men! But only the women are at fault, apparently.
• .....to get fat......apparently there are no fat American men!
• ......to steal half of your money in the divorce courts.....because every American woman yearns to be a divorcee - after all, that's why they marry morons like you in the first place.
• ......don't know how to cook or clean.....Oh please, if you wanted a maid why didn't you stay home with mommy?
• ......don't want to have children.....thus improving the gene pool by preventing morons like you from procreating!
•  .... American women are inferior to foreign women....because they are not doormats? Or is that you can keep foreign women in line by threatening to have them deported if they don't obey you?
• False rape accusations....because the few women who actually press rape charges do it just to have their characters assassinated and lives ruined by the US "justice" system.

Ah stuff it, I could go on, but it feels like shooting fish in a barrel. And surely there's more important things to do? But hell, what's the point of having a blog if you can't blow of steam occasionally.....and if the guy wants to use my blog to sell his dodgy political ideology he has it coming, hey?

As an aside, is there some irony in the fact that the Google blog editor doesn't recognise the word "blog"?

• 
  

Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks - Radio sessions

Sorry readers, been a bit busy lately. As John Lennon once said, life is what happens to you when you're busy making other plans!

So a quick post featuring some recent radio sessions from the criminally under-rated Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks! The BBC session is a solo acoustic session and interview - it's interesting to hear tracks from the excellent new Mirror Traffic album played in this manner - although the file format is a bit weird! The KCRW and KEXP sessions are full band sessions with interviews.

This also gives me the opportunity to rave about the fantastic music resources that are the KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic and KEXP web sites. The former also provide footage of most bands in-studio performances, as featured in this post.

If you haven't been to either site, follow the links above and correct this oversight. Mind you, you may spend the next 24 hours perusing their charms. Don't say I didn't warn you!



Stephen Malkmus (solo) - 2011-07-14 - BBC 6 Music session, UK

1. Long Hard Book 10:41
2. No One Is (As I Are Be)

MP2

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - 2011-08-24 -   Live On MBE,   KCRW, Santa Monica, CA, USA

1. Asking Price
2. Stick Figures
3. Share The Red
4. Forever
5. Senator
6. Georgie
7. Brain Gallop

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Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks - 2011-10-11 - Live In-Studio On KEXP - Seattle, WA, USA

1. No One Is (As I Are Be)
2. Fall Away
3. Independence Street
4. Long Hard Book

FLAC
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