[bomp] What to listen to whilst putting the lights up

[Sknoof@xxxxxxx]

December again -- time to put up the decorations -- and therefore, time to 
pull out the "December '79" mix-CDs whilst I climb up in the trees tossing 
little colored lights over branches.  And also the front porch.

Why?  I dunno.  Just one of those traditions that belongs to no-one except 
me, I suppose.  In '79 I was working at Sam Goody (a DAMN GOOD record store at 
the time) and a whole bunch of amazing music came in right at the beginning of 
December.  Consequently while decorating (just a room, back then) I was 
listening to all that instead of The Usual December Fare.  And it somehow stuck as a 
tradition.

So here it is, in no particular order.  Discuss.

Fingerprintz -- 1st LP and early singles (with the original singer, including 
the sublime "Who's Your Friend" and "Dancing With Myself," which pre-dates 
the Billy Awful song of the same name by a few years) And at this late date they 
STILL get my vote for best-ever Beatles cover with their deconstruction of 
"Do You Want To Know A Secret."  Again with the original singer.  O'Neill was 
never as good as that guy, whose name I forget.  I SUPPOSE I COULD LOOK IT UP.

Flys -- "Own" (and "Waikiki Beach Refugees," which I had missed the first 
time around.)  I think these are two of the very best LPs of the late 70s...and 
they're available again, with bonus tracks, from Captain Oi.

London Calling, DUH.  I cannot enjoy hanging a string of C9 outdoor lights 
without bellowing for all the neighbors to hear "Ha! Getalong gitalong..."

The Skids, "Days in Europa" (original mix only) and "Scared To Dance" -- 
which, again, I had missed when it first came out.  I still think Adamson's guitar 
on the song "STD" is the missing link between British new wave and the first 
Blue Cheer LP. ;)

Cowboys International.  Great singer, Lockie.  Anyone who insists that the 
guy from Interpol sounds like Ian Curtis (and, um, I guess there are a FEW 
people who think so) hasn't heard this.  Without the song "Pointed Shoes" there's 
pretty much no 1980s and not much of a 1990s either.  It woulda been all 
hair-metal bands otherwise.

A couple of Police songs...yeah, sure, I know, but some of their early 
singles and B-sides are still great.  "Fall Out," "Nothing Achieving," "Dead End 
Job" and especially "Landlord."  Wow.  If they only would have kept making 
records like those.

Tom Petty "Damn The Torpedoes."  Ignore the radio songs, there's still a lot 
of great stuff on here.

The Doll.  I was suckered in by "Trash," which of course sounds nothing like 
anything else they did.  Last year when "The One Kiss" came on, Wendy & I were 
laughing about how much we still like this album despite how much it sounds 
like everything we hated about the 80s.  No explanation available, it just is 
what it is.

Garland Jeffreys.  I'll confess I had missed him completely throughout the 
70s.  But then I heard "Wild In The Streets" and devoured all three A&M LPs 
immediately.  "Lift Me Up" and "She Didn't Lie" are great songs to howl along with 
while you're atop a fiberglass ladder in the dark.

And it wasn't only December '79 that was unusual.  There was, oddly, a whole 
spate of amazing stuff that hit the racks right after Xmas, in January '80, 
and this is what I listen to when taking the decorations back DOWN:

Gang Of Four, "Entertainment."  Again, DUH.

Lizzy Mercier Descloux (R.I.P.) -- first LP, plus the Rosa Yemen EP.  I can't 
figure out why someone hasn't hooked "Jim On The Move" for some harebrained 
fashion commercial.  It's perfect.

Lydia Lunch "Queen Of Siam."  Yes.

Little Bo Bitch (called "The Lonely Boys" on the USA release) One song for 
the ages: "Take It Easy."  ("Loights out ova Londonnnnn, loights out ova 
Londonnnnn,")

Stevie Wonder "Secret Life of HA HA HA HA HA
No, seriously, there is exactly one great song on here, "Outside My Window."

Madness -- 1st LP.  Ahhhhhhhh.

Pretenders -- 1st LP.

Punishment Of Luxury, 1st LP.  Wow.  Why were these guys not huge?

===> To unsubscribe, send "unsubscribe bomp" to majordomo@xnet2.com <===