The Comprehensive Cub Koda Volume 2

Response was so positive to Volume 1 of The Comprehensive Cub Koda that Volume 2 was almost mandatory [Stinky writes]. Forget about leftovers— there were still big meaty chunks left over, and lots of good suggestions in the comments. After Volume 1 was on its way to the pressing plant (okay, we rubbed it against a ficus) I discovered a hard-to-find self-released rockabilly collection on Cub’s website, so here we are.

We spare no expense to pamper our patrons here at Jonderblog, so I reached out to Cub’s wife (Lady J), the webmaster, and even snail mailed Her Ladyship at the address on the site trying to buy a copy, to no avail. My usual resources didn’t even list it. But a friend at From The Vaults (who sometimes helps me find rare recordings) pointed out that five of the ten tracks were available as bonus tracks on a reissue of one of Cub’s albums. Problem solved!

One can’t make a “best of” without having all of the great man’s recordings to choose from— which isn’t to say all his records are represented here. While Koda seemed to have an instinctive understanding of all roots music, there’s nothing from one of his albums, Cub Digs Bo, on either volume. Not that it isn’t good, there’s just so much material that’s better. Cub was remarkably consistent & had GREAT musical taste. So much so that in his later years he was mainly known for his record reviews and his radio show— of which there are snippets included on Volume 2.

Like Peter Wolf “The Woofa Goofa” before him, Cub was from the snappy-patter, jovial jive school of DJ’s, and he had his famous friends record intros for him: “What time is it, Cub?” “It’s ROCKABILLY time!” I’ve spliced short segments onto the tracks so that Cub occasionally introduces his own records. It’s exactly the kind of cutesy crap I dislike— but with Cub’s palpable personality & atomic energy level, I think it works. He even introduces the pseudo-group he created & led (and with whom Cub may have invented “prank rock”), King Uszniewicz & The Uszniewicztones. “Whoever told these guys that they were a rock band was yankin’ their ankle!” Or as Down Home Music wrote: “You could blackmail people with tapes twice this good.”

After years of searching for obscure artist’s self-released 45’s in thrift stores, Cub got the idea to perpetrate a hoax and “create” a forgotten group: King Uszniewicz & The Uszniewicztones. He recorded the songs, came up with a backstory, used old photos of his dad for images of King Uszniewicz, & pressed some 45’s that he then slipped into the stacks of wax in thrift stores. Eventually there were three LPs of material released on Norton Records (most outlets list them under comedy), as well as a shared “battle of the bands” album with The South Bay Surfers.

Of course there are tracks with Brownsville Station— two that were suggested by George Glass — and a third, My Buddy Jack, which was clearly the inspiration for George Thorogood’s I Drink Alone. On the first installment, I used a live version of Brownville’s biggest hit Smokin’ In The Boys Room to highlight some of his onstage rap, so the original’s included here, along with another live track with an intro from Cub Koda & The Points, Double Mirror Wraparound Shades.

Also represented are his live raw bone blues records with The Houserockers, solo tracks with Cub playing all the instruments, and his scorching version of The Fred Wolff Combo’s instrumental Scratchin’ & Whammin’. Which, while I was writing these liner notes, I discovered was ALSO Cub Koda. He got me again!

As always, this compilation was designed in Stinky Laboratories to be listened to from soup to nuts— in hopes it will transport you somewhere without you leaving the house. But if you do take it on the road, please do as Cub might suggest, and “Keep the greasy side down.”

The Comprehensive Cub Koda

 

Here's a terrific addition to our Gnarly Guitarists series of six-string slingers. 

The Comprehensive Cub Koda opens with Cub's version of "I've Had It", which listeners like me will recognize from the Alex Chilton album Like Flies On Sherbert.  Cub also covers "Cadillac Walk" by Moon Martin, "Round And Round" by Chuck Berry, and a host of other great tunes.

Cub formed his first band (The Del-Tinos) in 1963, at age 14.  He became famous in the 70's as the frontman for Brownsville Station.  Cub was also an obsessive record collector and professional music writer.  In the words of Tiesco Del Rey, "Mr. Smokin' In The Boy's Room was passionate about American music, preferably the raw, wild, lunatic-fringe variety."

As the members of Brownsville Station saw it, "rock 'n' roll had taken a left turn straight into hell. We thought that concept albums, drums solos, and wah-wah pedals were a spit in the face of our musical forefathers." Instead, they took inspiration from the blues, early rock and rockabilly, and from the loud volume and brash style of their Detroit contemporaries.  "The ground breaking work by Motor City bands like Mitch Ryder and the MC5 upped the performance ante in our neck of the woods; standing up there and pretending to be a Beatle just wasn't enough." 

The two dozen tracks on Stinky's compilation include nine by Brownsville Station (two of them live recordings that give a hint of his manic Motor City stage presence).  Brownsville broke up in 1979. The self-titled debut by Cub Koda & The Points came out in 1980, and his first album fronting the Houserockers was released in 1982.  Those bands are also represented in this compilation, as well as Cub's self-recorded solo material (on which he plays all of the instruments!)

Stinky and I learned a thing or two about Cub while he was compiling this set.  For example, I didn't know that Cub Koda  played harmonica on Blackfoot's popular 1979 song "Train, Train" until I started writing this post today.  Stinky was not aware that Cub "played" sax and "sang" on the decidedly less popular records by King Uszniewicz & His Uszniewicztones until I asked if they would be included.  According to this detailed article, Cub's first instrument (which he taught himself) was the drums.  But it's as a guitarist and vocalist that he really shines, and the depth and range of his musical interests are evident on The Comprehensive Cub Koda.