From: owner-bomp-digest@ (bomp-digest) To: bomp-digest@Bolis.com Subject: bomp-digest V1 #20 Reply-To: bomp Sender: owner-bomp-digest@ Errors-To: owner-bomp-digest@ Precedence: bulk bomp-digest Monday, January 27 1997 Volume 01 : Number 020 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 14:14:44 +0200 (EET) From: Arimatti Jutila Subject: Hanky Panky Somebody mentioned Hanky Panky by The The. Yeah, definitely the best tribute album I have heard (or Turban Renewal). It was only yesterday when I listened to Hanky Panky the last time. My favorites are "Six More Miles" and "There's A Tear In My Beer". I have been a BIG fan of Hank Sr. for years (goddammit, is it possible not to be ?) , but I have never heard the originals of these two. And I've been even playing the latter with The Lousy Lovers. "If you don't like Hank Williams, honey, Yopu can kiss my ass!" Jude / Teenage Kicks ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 23:32:25 +1100 (EST) From: Eddie Fung Subject: Re: Russ Myer >In my opinion Russ Meyer is the only living Auteur in American Cinema, >followed closely behind by Woody Allen. He single-handedly creates a >vision unlike any other director working in the last-20 years. He also (pardon the following in lacking political correctness) loves filming women with enormous knockers. This quality is probably the most immediate 'feature' of his style that (sorry about this) 'sticks out'. > I don't want to listen to the Bobby >Darins or the Jay and the Americans any more than I want to watch >films by James Cameron or Bob Zemeckis. They're successful by >pandering to the mainstream and ignoring avant-garde artistic >vision... I gave up on that years ago. Disagree with Cameron being lumped in here. Sure the guy 'panders' to the mainstream but he does have his own vision. The guy has so much of a vision that he sometimes designs equipment to get the shots that he wants (he's got an engineering background). I think that we can look at the genres that people work in. Within his genre (action movies) he's to be considered near the top although I must admit he does sometimes get carried away with his hardware, Cheers, Eddie ******************************************************** * Address Mail to me with 'EDDIE - READ THIS in the Subject Header * ******************************************************** ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 09:03:22 -0500 From: Erica Wissolik Subject: Re: Austin Chronicle on the Estrus fire -Reply The website for the paper is at http://www.auschron.com/current/ and this is from that page: "Feedback to The Austin Chronicle Send comments about the stories appearing in The Austin Chronicle to mail@auschron.com. (NOTE: This is the "Postmarks" mailbox; letters should be less than 300 words, and include daytime phone number, full US mail address or email address to be considered for publication.) " - --Erica >>> The Teen Scene 01/24/97 05:36pm >>> Has anyone got an e-mail address for this paper? I'd like to write a letter to the editor. Blair Erica... have you posted this to banana-truffle? I know lots of Austin-ites hang out there. >Somebody needs to go by the Austin Chronicle's offices and put those folks in >their place. I found this comment in the current issue more than *slightly* >irritating. >--Erica >>>>>>>>>... >The Smell of Burning Vinyl > >Fans of local acts like the Inhalants, 1-4-5's, and Lord High Fixers, all >of whom >had records out on the Estrus label, had better snap up what copies remain in >local record stores as the Estrus warehouse in Washington has burned down, >destroying the label's stock, artwork, and any masters that the bands >themselves hadn't retrieved. (Of course, since the label dealt largely in lo-fi >music, the loss of master tapes might not make that much difference.) All their >mail-order information was lost as well, meaning if you ordered anything from >them, they now have no record of it. Then again, they couldn't send you >anything now even if they knew you ordered it! **************************************************** * Please make note of my new e-dress... * * blairb1@mail.idt.net * * * * The old address will remain in service a few * * weeks longer, forwarding my mail to the new one * **************************************************** ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 10:40:44 -0500 (EST) From: dcoyle@mail.bright.net (David J. Coyle) Subject: Is garage rock the "real alternative"? Does modern garage and psych music have the same kind of following that so-called "alternative" rock (or "grunge," natch) had before it became mainstream? Is there ever going to be some kind of breakthrough that will have the young masses digging the Lyres and the Headcoats, or seeking out the roots with the Standells and the Chocolate Watchband, or playing fuzz guitar and Vox organs in order to emulate their new garage heroes? On the other hand, does anyone really want that? For a while now, I have had an affinity for 60s beat music, garage, psych, pop and the modern garage sounds. Whenever confronted about my rather eclectic musical tastes, I've always taken to saying "What's wrong with it? This stuff is better than most of the 'alternative' crap around today. This is the 'real' alternative music..." One unlikely place where artists are challenging the idea of what "alternative" really means is country music. 50s style rockabilly has been in vogue in the underground since the heyday of the Stray Cats, and the retro sound has evolved into the category of "insurgent country" which includes such artists as BR549, Junior Brown. At some point in the last couple of years, the mainstream country world started to realize that young people were starting to dig it, as well as the more established country fans and artists who started to remember when music sounded that way. I don't think 2, 5, or 10 years ago that anyone imagined that an old Moon Mullican song would hit the top 40 country charts, sung by a group of 20-somethings in string ties and cowboy hats with a stand-up bass and steel guitar. Yet, how many days go by that "Cherokee Boogie" doesn't get played on mainstream stations? Does this mean that young people are starting to seek out Ernest Tubb, Hank Sr., early George Jones and Faron Young records? I don't know. It's the same kind of stuff, and it's actually pretty good. Is a similar trend in the cards for retro garage, psych and beat groups? Groups with a distinctly familiar sound are slowly starting to infiltrate the charts, led by British groups like Oasis, Blur, Supergrass, and most recently, Kula Shaker. Not exactly garage or psych, but close enough that the doors are now open. Or will garage music still remain a regional phenomenon, relegated to low-fi recordings on indie label 45s and gigs in smoky nightclubs? Is this the way we would rather have it? Would mainstream acceptance necessarily mean the death knell of the genre? Or will it just never go away, like the rockabilly that is still made and played, even 15 or so years after the Stray Cats dropped from the pop charts? || David J. Coyle // E-Mail: dcoyle@bright.net || || Chillicothe, OH // Another minimum-wage college graduate || ====================================================================== ------------------------------ Date: 27 Jan 97 11:18:23 -0500 From: "Andrea Lauritzen" Subject: Garage = next big thing? In reply to David Coyle's post (in the true, stream-of-semi-consciencenous- Andrea-style): One of the issues I would have with garage becoming big is the "flavor of the month" attitude that seems to come with anything becoming popular. Here is a music (and, to some of us, a set of ideals -- 60's garage was very DIY) that is very close to our hearts. To see it picked up momentarily and then cast aside when it's "passe" would be a big disappointment to the bands and the fans. On the other hand, I for one would like to see many modern garage bands get the recognition these hard-working talented folks deserve! I was never into grunge, but I'm sure it had the same sort of small, enthusiastic following that all of us bompsters are familiar with. I wonder how the early grunge fans feel about the state of music now? >Is there ever going to be some kind of breakthrough that will >have the young masses digging the Lyres and the Headcoats, or seeking out >the roots with the Standells and the Chocolate Watchband, or playing fuzz >guitar and Vox organs in order to emulate their new garage heroes? Well, seeing that the Lyres still don't get much respect in their hometown (and I'm here to witness it), it's always refreshing to see them out of town to see how well liked they are. >On the other hand, does anyone really want that? I'll be totally selfish here: It's already hard enough to find Vox organs, so if the young masses (with their parents' $$$) start looking for them I'll be in real trouble!!! >Or will garage music still remain a regional phenomenon, relegated to >low-fi recordings on indie label 45s and gigs in smoky nightclubs? Is this >the way we would rather have it? Would mainstream acceptance necessarily >mean the death knell of the genre? Or will it just never go away, like the >rockabilly that is still made and played, even 15 or so years after the >Stray Cats dropped from the pop charts? Well, surf seems to have survived. I think that the mainstream's brief love of it has gone away. Would mainstream acceptance mean the death knell? I'm not sure. Garage has become a big middle-finger-extended to the mainstream (or so it seems to me). I think that the original bands, the ones who did practice in their parents' garages, WANTED to be famous, and WANTED to clobber the world over the head with their sound. Modern garage bands perhaps would LIKE to be famous, but on their own terms. So maybe I just contradicted myself...sue me. It wouldn't be mainstream acceptance that would kill the genre, it would be watered-down imitators that would distort the genre. The true- blue, die-hard, middle-finger-extended, we'll do it on our terms, bands and fans will survive. Thanks Andrea ------------------------------ Date: 27 Jan 1997 10:37:40 U From: "J. Emery" Subject: more estrus fire fallout hey blair, i already emailed ken lieck, the guy who writes the column for the austin = chronicle and set him straight about the estrus fire. i'm not sure why that news took the tone it did (he now actually has = several contributing editors for that column), but rest assured ken is a = super nice guy and his given rave reviews to almost all estrus releases = for several years. as a matter of fact, he is the only writer for a = major publication here in austin that i know of who has ever given estrus = titles any press at all, both through his columns and reviews for the = austin chron. joe emery death valley ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Jan 97 11:49:55 -0500 From: Evan Davies Subject: RE: Austin Chronicle on the Estrus fire > That's pretty sad. Maybe they're guilty of regionalism, and > railing against those upstarts from the northwest. Still, those are local (to them) Austin bands whose wounds they're pouring salt onto. (I know, I know, "onto whose wounds they're pouring salt!") Not very nice any way you look at it. Evan - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Evan Davies "Look out honey, 'cause I'm using technology" - I. Pop evan@funk.mtvn.com http://www.interport.net/~efd MTV Networks may deny all knowledge of the existence of this message. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Jan 97 12:03:46 -0500 From: Evan Davies Subject: Re: brushes with greatness >how about some anecdotes from other Bompers: what "brushes with greatness" >can you share? Good experiences? Jerks? "Heroes" to talk to or steer clear Well, this is an opening I can't pass up! In 1980, I was a DJ at WNYU (using the nom d'air Evan "Funk" Davies) and playing drums in a band called The Cosmopolitans. Those of you who haven't had to learn much in the last 15 years or so may still have their 'hit' single, "How To Keep Your Husband Happy" (recorded before I joined) rattling around in your head. Anyway, there was a benefit at Hurrah for the New York Rocker, and The Cosmopolitans were one of the bands that performed. After we'd finished our set I was hanging out backstage chatting with some people when I noticed Adny Shernoff had just come into the room. I had been a huge Dictators fan since 1976 or so, and I figured this was my big chance to tell him how great the Dictators were. I gathered the courage necessary to approach a rock idol (not terribly difficult as I had been indulging in the free Rolling Rocks) and started making my way over to him. Just as I was about to introduce myself he saw me, stuck out his hand, and said, "Evan 'Funk' Davies! My favorite DJ! Nice to meet you." I was floored, to say the least, and I don't really remember any of the conversation that took place after that. But I have since re-told the story at every opportunity (including this one!). It made my decade. Evan - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Evan Davies "Look out honey, 'cause I'm using technology" - I. Pop evan@funk.mtvn.com http://www.interport.net/~efd MTV Networks may deny all knowledge of the existence of this message. ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 13:21:16 -0500 (EST) From: Squishy@aol.com Subject: Re: Is garage rock the "real alternative"? I hear garage influences in mainstream rock all the time. Heck, there's a song on the new Beck album (yeah, to me he's mainstream) that uses the riff from "I Can Only Give You Everything". There are very big punk bands like Gas Huffer that use garage structures in their songs. And countless other examples. However, one difference between rock and country is that C&W has always been a very conservative, tradition-worshipping music, whereas rock always seeks out something new and different. If Oasis didn't have modern production they would be no better than dozens of garage bands we love (and way worse than some, like Yo Lo Tengo) but it's the veneer of modernity that accounts for their success, in my view. Where is rock's equivalent of the Grand Ole Opry? The Hall of Fame? How much Standells will you find there? That's the whole problem, I think. We know in fact that for 15 years of more a lot of mainstream bands have had '60s obscurities in their record collections. Nirvana surely had a pile of Pebbles albums in their collections.... but unlike, say the Mono Men, they didn't try to cater to a tiny audience of cultists by doing a lot of cover songs and wearing the exactly perfect 1966 clothes. I'd say both band were about equally talented, but one found a wider audience and the other stayed with the cult. This same thing has been going on the with "60s revival" since, well, the 70s, and I don't see it changing. And I can't think of too many examples outside country (where you could also mention the resurgence of Western Swing) where a roots phenomenon has taken hold. Maybe big bands in Jazz, though I think that's a small aberration. The one thing that really surprises me is that the Japanese haven't seized on the '60s garage style they way they have with so much else, from doo wop to bluegrass. It has all the right elements: a look, a sound, an authentic American tradition. But hey, anything's possible. As to whether any of us would be really pleased to see it happen, that's another question... Greg ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 14:12:28 -0500 From: William Jones Subject: Close Encounters of the Bomp Kind Timothy Gassen asked: > how about some anecdotes from other Bompers: what "brushes with greatness" can you share? First a couple of quick run-ins, then a lengthy story... (sorry) 1) I met Paul Westerberg briefly when they played at the Airport Music Hall in Allentown, PA during the #Don#t Tell a Soul# tour. For some reason I asked what he thought of Soul Asylum and he replied, #Dave Pirner#s got some okay songs but he can#t sing a note.# Thought it was a little harsh, but not altogether inaccurate. 2) I'm not a Sonic Youth fan, but I ran into them at the Philadelphia Record Exchange a few years ago and got their autographs on the "Goo" album cover. Thurston Moore wrote #What is a penis?# above his signature. Go figure. I met Kim Gordon while she was flipping through the CD racks and asked her which of their releases I should start with and she suggested the #Confusion Is Sex# EP. She was pretty friendly. 3) Last Tuesday I flew from Baltimore to Charlotte and had an encounter with a genuine rock and roll legend. As I approached the jet, I saw a bag sitting outside the doorway with BO DIDDLEY written on the side, though it could have been a bumper sticker. Normally I would think that it belonged to some fan, but I heard that Bo played one of the inaugural balls with Chuck Berry the night before. So I was pretty excited as I walked toward my seat. And a bit more so when I spotted him sitting two rows behind my seat (in coach!?). Big black hat, dark (sun)glasses, and a Hard Rock Cafe jacket. I lifted my bag toward the overhead compartment and saw two guitar cases in the way. Needless to say I didn#t shove them to the side! Some guy who, strangely enough, looked like Buddy Holly leaned across the aisle and asked, #Are you Bo Diddley?# When Bo nodded, the Buddy Holly Guy shook his hand and said how much he loved his songs and that he recently listened to his version of Willie Dixon's #Can't Judge a Book (By Looking at the Cover).# He then apologized for bothering him and Bo replied, #Hey, no problem. It#s when people stop recognizin# ya that ya gotta worry.# He turned to see me looking at him, bug-eyed. I pointed up at the guitars and tried to be nice by asking, #Is that Lucille up there?# Yep, you guessed it. He looked puzzled and said, #Lucille? hmmm... no no, that's B.B. King's guitar!!! heh heh heh!# I turned red, shrank back into my seat and said #and I'm an idiot...# Then I recovered and told him, #Oh yeah, you#ve got that square guitar. That was cool.# He nodded and smiled, then I turned around and thought about how stupid I was. A few minutes later he chewed out a flight attendant (i.e., waitress in the sky) for more than five minutes. She didn't do anything wrong, he just wanted to express his concern that his bag (the one I saw) had better make it to his final destination, Gainesville. He told her, #I'm a 68 year old man and I've been through a lot. You should walk a mile in my shoes to know what I'm talking about. You say my bag#s gonna end up where I am but when I get there and the bag#s missing I know that you won#t be around anywhere either. And suddenly everyone#s gonna get dumb. I know you say my bag#s gonna get there, but if it don#t then what am I gonna do? You can#t be apologizin# for anyone else#s mistakes, ya know. As long as I get my bag I'll be happy.# Too funny. The rest of the flight I thought about what I#d say if I got a second chance to speak to the legendary bluesman. I walked off the plane in front of him and his guitars. His hands were full and I wondered how I would be able to obtain an autograph without asking him to stop and put down what he was carrying. Fortunately, he asked an airline rep for a cart to take him to his connecting gate, then he sat down in a chair to wait. I spotted my opening. #Excuse me Bo, would you mind signing an autograph?# He said #sure thing# and ignored my extended hands, in which I held a pen and a blank sheet of paper. Instead, he reached into his bag and pulled out a promo postcard for his latest album #A Man Amongst Men,# signed it #Bo Diddley #97 Rock On# and handed it to me. I asked him if he did #I'm a Man# (knowing full well that he wrote it) and he responded (assertively), #Yeah, I WROTE IT.# I told him that was one of my favorites, then thanked him and walked away. Happy. Be seeing you, Bill p.s. Roger, why don#t you share your Lou Reed run-in with the audience?? ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 14:44:35 -0500 (EST) From: Lelia Ellen Raley Subject: Re: brushes with greatness "Chrissie Hynde" is spelled perfectly - take back that apology! On Sun, 26 Jan 1997, Josh Lewis wrote: > At 04:19 PM 1/25/97 -0500, Craig wrote: > > > > > I played pinball with Johnny Winter around 1971. He seemed like a > > regular guy, considering. > > > > I can second this one. I had a chance to interview him 2-3 years ago, and he > was incredibly nice (and a good interview as well.) He's so fragile in > appearance, though, that I felt as if he'd break in two if I sneezed. > > Chrissie Hynde (sorry about the spelling) initiated a conversation with my > girlfriend a year or so ago on a subway in New York City. C.H. complimented > her on her shoes (which had a fake fur pattern) and then asked with a smile > if she was mentioned in the history of punk book my girlfriend was reading. > > Josh > > ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Jan 97 22:04:45 UT From: "Bill Holmes" Subject: RE: Iron Butterfly Sounds like SPINAL TAP to me! Amazing! - ---------- From: Bomp-Sender@bolis.com on behalf of Frank Uhle Sent: Sunday, January 26, 1997 7:12 PM To: Bomp@bolis.com Subject: Re: Iron Butterfly Our radio station has an old promo lp with an interview with these guys from around '70 or so. It's hilarious to hear them talking (seriously!) about how they are going to record their next lp in a diving bell because it will have some groovy effect on their voices or some such thing (the proposed title was "Music of the Deep"). They are interviewed by some "hip" sounding dj who acts like he's talking to the likes of the Beatles or Stones, but of course our heroes are the "Stoned," not the Stones. Frank ------------------------------ Date: 27 Jan 97 17:58:28 +0000 From: "Blair" Subject: Re: brushes with greatness - --Cyberdog-AltBoundary-00027022 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable >I was hanging out backstage chatting with some people when I noticed Adny >Shernoff had just come into the room. I had been a huge Dictators fan since >1976 or so, and I figured this was my big chance to tell him how great the >Dictators were. I gathered the courage necessary to approach a rock idol >(not terribly difficult as I had been indulging in the free Rolling Rocks) >and started making my way over to him. Just as I was about to introduce >myself he saw me, stuck out his hand, and said, "Evan 'Funk' Davies! My >favorite DJ! Nice to meet you." > > >I was floored, to say the least This doesn't surprise me in the least. Andy Shernoff remains one of the absolute nicest guys on the NYC scene. He's always been extremely warm and friendly towards just about anyone I can think of. Blair - --------------------------------------------------- This message was created and sent using the Cyberdog Mail System - --------------------------------------------------- - --Cyberdog-AltBoundary-00027022 Content-Type: text/enriched; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable 12Geneva>I was hanging out backstage chatting with some people when I noticed Adny >Shernoff had just come into the room. I had been a huge Dictators fan since >1976 or so, and I figured this was my big chance to tell him how great the >Dictators were. I gathered the courage necessary to approach a rock idol >(not terribly difficult as I had been indulging in the free Rolling Rocks) >and started making my way over to him. Just as I was about to introduce >myself he saw me, stuck out his hand, and said, "Evan 'Funk' Davies! My >favorite DJ! Nice to meet you." > > >I was floored, to say the least10Geneva This doesn't surprise me in the least. Andy Shernoff remains one of the absolute nicest guys on the NYC scene. He's always been extremely warm and friendly towards just about anyone I can think of. Blair - --------------------------------------------------- This message was created and sent using the Cyberdog Mail System - --------------------------------------------------- - --Cyberdog-AltBoundary-00027022-- ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 20:41:13 -0500 (EST) From: Phil Lerman Subject: Re: brushes with greatness This is a reply to a few different things. Over the years, I've run into Joan Jett, the members of Sonic Youth, the guitar player for Foghat (a mere 2 weeks ago), Chelsea Clinton's friend, the president of Sony (Yetnikoff??) in an elevator, Joey Buttafucco, Carl Reiner, Mayim Bialik, probably others I can't think of right now, but not anything relevent to this list. I was at the Miami Metrozoo about 10 years ago (before a 'cane ripped most of it apart) and who should be playing but...you guessed it...Iron Butterfly. "In a gadda da vidda" came on about 5 songs into the set, lasted 20 minutes and the crowd left in droves. I'm not lying about this. I was gonna' say something about garage bands getting big but I don't really see it as much of a problem right now. - -pHIL http://www.picante.com/~phil htlaehruoyotsuodrazaherasegassemsdrawkcab ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 21:16:23 -0500 (EST) From: Mark Robinson Subject: Re: brush with fame At 06:36 PM 1/26/97 -0600, you wrote: > >Also, I interviewed Emitt Rhodes after finding his name in the phone >book(!). He was very cooperative, considering I had just called him out of >the blue. We talked for a long time about stuff after the official >interview. Did he mention the release of any of his Palace Guard - Merry Go Round stuff? Mark ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 21:16:25 -0500 (EST) From: Mark Robinson Subject: Re: brushes with greatness Hey.... I got to play pinball with the Tubes in '75. It was in a sub shop in off Harvard Square in Cambridge. I was cranked on several quarts of Tango and tried to pick up Rea Styles. No go! I think it was the Hai-Karate. Mark ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 21:48:07 +0500 From: William von Hagen Subject: Re: brushes with greatness I played drums for a local (Pittbusgh) new-wave band in the early eighties, and got to open for and meet alot of the "stars" of the time. Gary Numan was very cool - he even introduced us to his mother, who was touring with him and was ironing his shirt when I walked in. Duran Duran were a bunch of assholes - maybe they were mad that they had to play in a 200-300 person club in Pittsburgh, but they still posted a goon backstage who wouldn't let us get to our equipment until someone from DD said that each piece that we carried out wasn't theirs. We were a synth band (except me!) so we didn't give a fuck about most of their equipment even if we'd wanted to steal something!) They sucked anyway, but perhaps this was a taste issue... We also opened for bands like Squeeze, who we never saw so I don't know anything about them... I apologize in retrospect for my verbal candor... I had many positive experiences with the "punk" banks of the late seventies, when no one was popular - many of the old Dangerhouse bands came though Pittsbugh (where I live) and were fun! For example, the Screamers came over after a local show and were lots of fun, though there was some weird spray-paint in my house afterwards. KK form the Deadbeats and Pony Ride was also ther, and I think I suffered from all of that - too funny! X and Kk from the Deabeats were very cool, and were amazed to find that they had fans on the "right coast". A year or so later, I got to visit Black Randy at his apartment in LA, and we split a six-pack while laughing about various trends in modern art. The Ramones were also very cool when I interviewed them (via a scam) "for a local paper" (so I lied!) in 1978 - I mostly wanted to meet them. I also got to meet people like Che from the old Kim Fowley band The Orchids, who was both beautiful and totally cool, but who still painted stuff in my apartment. I got to talk to Robert Quine, (Richard Hell and the Void_oids) who actually danced to a band I played in and then told us we were lots of fun! Can't beat that! I should also mention that I met my wife at a local Richard Hell Show and that our first date was his subsequent show the next night. His first album has special meaning for me... Maybe all of the bands I've mentioned these aren't big stars to anyone else, but if they aren't, I question your definition of "stars" -- the punk thing in the late 70's/early eighties was special - small bands were big by virtue of their existence at the time... Hey Bernie - be good! (Reference to obscure single). Let me play! I'll be, well, I'll be good! Bill ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 20:40:59 EST From: denimdelinquent@juno.com (James R Parrett) Subject: Re: brushes with greatness It's funny about greatness - you don't always know who's going to be cool. When I was a rock hack, the absolute best people were Gene Simmons (who remembered my name a year after I first met him) & Paul Stanley, Geddy Lee, Kevin Cronin of REO, and Bun E. Carlos (who shared a monstrous joint with us scribes backstage in Dallas much to the chagrin of Rick Neilson, who was not such a great guy). Bun E., by the way, was quite a garage rock fan at the time, and used to turn Neilson on to some classic rarities, which Neilson would in turn retool into Cheap Trick riffs. Then there was my run-in with Patti Smith, who rushed by us after declining an interview request with my fanzine, pausing only long enough to snatch the gifts our arms had extended. (More details of this encounter in Denim Delinquent #6). Lenny Kaye wrote a postcard later expressing his appreciation for the gifts and apologizing for not stopping to chat. Now that's a great guy! win "A Session with the Remains" CD at http://home.sprynet.com/sprynet/denimdelinquent/denim.htm ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jan 97 03:37:27 UT From: "Bill Holmes" Subject: Best of 1996 List My friends and I always set the Super Bowl party as the deadline for producing the "best of" lists from the year before, so I've held off on mine. I had previously done a top 5 but had to even move one of them...down...as I reconfigured everything in the long form. Below is my abbreviated list; if you'd like to see the full comments as well as the other categories and awards, check my webpage after February 5th. Right now the 1996 page only has the artists and titles. Every year the "Big Game" comes in a distant fourth to music, food and beer. This year we had fifteen guys show up, and all of us came away with something new to check out, some theories to consider, and a hangover. We've been doing this for 15-16 years now, and it's been a lifeline for good music. I let them know how much they were missing by not joining a couple of these lists. By the way, someone brought Robert Schimmel's "Comes Clean" comedy CD and played it during the fourth quarter. We had to shut it off because people were laughing so hard it HURT. Check him out if you get the chance, but not when yer Mom is within earshot... One last thing - sorry if you get this more than once. That just proves that since you are on more than one list belong to, you have impeccable taste!! The Top Twenty Five of 1996 1. The Odds, "Good Weird Feeling" 2. Fountains Of Wayne, "Fountains Of Wayne" 3. Brad Jones, "Gilt Flake" 4. Semisonic, "Great Divide" 5. Martin Luther Lennon, "Music For A World Without Limitations" 6. Wilco, "Being There" 7. The Pursuit Of Happiness, "Where's The Bone?" 8. Terry Anderson, "What Else Can Go Right?" 9. Doug Powell, "Ballad Of The Tin Men" 10. Gin Blossoms, "Congratulations, I'm Sorry" 11. The Roswells, "The Roswells" 12. Frank Black, "The Cult Of Ray" 13. Jonny Polonsky, "Hi My Name Is Jonny" 14. Steve Earle, "I Feel Alright" 15. Tommy Keene, "Ten Years After" 16. Anton Barbeau, "Waterbugs And Beetles" 17. Graham Parker, "Acid Bubblegum" 18. Jason Falkner, "presents Author Unknown" 19. Sleeper, "The It Girl" 20. Aimee Mann, "I'm With Stupid" 21. Paul Westerberg, "Eventually" 22. Dan Baird, "Buffalo Nickel" 23. Social Distortion, "White Light, White Heat, White Trash" 24. Marshall Crenshaw, "Miracle Of Science" 25. The Posies, "Amazing Disgrace" Bill Holmes** bholmes_fm@msn.com http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/8282 VISIT THE WEBSITE! NEW RANTS AND LINKS WEEKLY ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "I'm not afraid of you, you're very nice in fact you've got it all but now I'm bored of being sycophantic so get your knickers down" SLEEPER , "Factory 41" (from THE IT GIRL) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 27 Jan 1997 22:41:42 -0500 (EST) From: Frank Uhle Subject: Re: brushes with greatness Here's my brush with greatness: I was asked by a friend (the lovely Miss Wendy Case) to accompany her on a trip to interview Question Mark and the Mysterians a couple years ago. We actually drove to Question Mark's house (on a dirt road in the country), which is where the then-reformed Mysterians also were rehearsing. We spent the better part of an evening with the Man himself, and he is a character, believe me! (Freddy Fortune has a few stories too I'm sure...) He had his shades on the whole time, naturally. As soon as we arrived he started off telling us about his dream of the night before that featured dinosaurs on Mars, which he concluded must mean that he was born on Mars, because he knew he was alive at the time of the dinosaurs, already... We eventually got the conversation turned around to music, and he was more coherent, but he definitely has a unique perspective on things. At one point Wendy had to use the bathroom and noticed that there was a calendar with "Question Mark's Birthday" written on the thirteenth of the month in it. She had a hunch and, sure enough, this was written on the 13th of EVERY month! His house, by the way, (he lives at his manager's house, actually) is somewhat ramshackle, & there are 40-50 semi-functional vehicles rusting in the yard, a bunch of dogs running around in & outdoors, and a barn out back where the band practices. A smaller barn next door had been used for this, until it burned down. In the last light of dusk, as a light snow fell, he showed us the band's blackened, burned amps and instruments. The words "Question Mark and The Mysterians" and some silver "?'s" had been stenciled on them, and were still visible in spots. Certainly an eerie, freaky moment I will always remember! The Mysterians, on the other hand, are a bunch of sweet, down to earth guys. I feel bad that "Q" (as they call him) is so wacky, because they had offers to play around that Question Mark turned down for reasons known only to himself. The three gigs they did in Michigan at the time I met him were fabulous. Frank ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 00:46:23 -0500 (EST) From: dcoyle@mail.bright.net (David J. Coyle) Subject: Carl Perkins Does Leno I just caught Carl Perkins on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno. He did a pretty smoking rendition of "Blue Suede Shoes" with a backing band that included Dave Edmunds and Lee Rocker (from Stray Cats). After the song, Carl gave Jay a butter knife that supposedly had been owned by Elvis. Anyway, the guy can still rock, but I really wish he'd get a better toupee, or better yet try the au naturel look. He has more hair than he had in 1957, for gods sakes... || David J. Coyle // E-Mail: dcoyle@bright.net || || Chillicothe, OH // Another minimum-wage college graduate || ====================================================================== ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 00:28:51 +0000 From: bloodred@transport.com (Jeff Martin) Subject: RE: brushes w/greatness/Russ Meyer Howdy, Okay, I can combine two threads. I interviewed Russ Meyer about 8 years ago here in Portland. He was in town for a weekend screening of "Faster Pussycat" and "Supervixen." He was a true gentleman and even insisted on paying for our lunch at the end of our talk. In addition to other things, he told me about the Sex Pistols movie ("Who Killed Bambi") which he was set to direct but which fell apart about 2 days into shooting. Of course, he also talked a lot about sex, film and his career. Anyway, he was a great guy and a pleasure to interview. I also had a chance to interview the Ramones a few years earlier. They were great guys (especially Johnny), too, though Dee Dee's answers seldom broke the one-syllable barrier. cheers, Jeff ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 28 Jan 1997 00:29:27 -0700 From: "Allan G. Waite" Subject: Re: Is garage rock the "real alternative"? Greg said: > The one thing that really surprises me is that the Japanese haven't seized on > the '60s garage style they way they have with so much else, from doo wop to > bluegrass. It has all the right elements: a look, a sound, an authentic > American tradition. > > But hey, anything's possible. As to whether any of us would be really pleased > to see it happen, that's another question... The Beatles surely aren't garage rock, but Japan does have an obsession with them...any karoke bar in Japan having a few standards in English, half of them will be Beatles tunes. Perhaps its partly because of Yoko's marriage to John... While living in Osaka, I on several occasions saw a Japanese Beatles tribute group ("The Green Apple Band") at the "Cavern Club". It was a bizarre and wonderful tribute to the Fab Four. Everything was authentic...the Japanese are obsessed with details, (one of many reasons why I LOVE Japan), the suits, the Vox AC-30s, the musicianship. And the clothes! (Three chronological costume changes...suits a la 1964, Sgt. Pepper's uniforms, and Abbey Road hippie gear!) It was like I had entered another dimension! I highly recommend the show to anyone who visits Osaka..it will be an unforgettable East meets West meets Liddypool party! Allan ------------------------------ End of bomp-digest V1 #20 *************************