Exiles On The Same Street

 

While browsing Stones covers, it became apparent that an Exile On Main Street cover album would be easy to assemble, especially since both Pussy Galore and Phish have recorded versions of the entire abum.  Fortunately, it was only necessary to use one song by each of them.

SIDE A: Rocks Off (Reagan Youth)/ Rip This Joint (Billy Squier)/ Shake Your Hips (Th' Legendary Shack Shakers)/ Casino Boogie (Casino Steel)

SIDE B: Tumbling Dice (Blackberry Smoke)/ Sweet Virginia (Jerry Lee Lewis)/ Torn And Frayed (Black Crowes)/ Sweet Black Angel (Wailing Souls)/ Loving Cup (US Rails)

SIDE C: Happy (Steve Conte)/ Turd On The Run (Pussy Galore)/ Ventilator Blues (Richard Hell & The Voidoids)/ Just Wanna See His Face (Blind Boys Of Alabama)/ Let It Loose (Phish)

SIDE D: All Down The Line (The Dirty Truckers)/ Stop Breaking Down (Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears)/ Shine A Light (Allison Crowe)/ Soul Survivor (Hoss).

AND ANOTHER THING: Here's the third (and final) volume of NUGGETIZED (more cover versions of songs compiled by Lenny Kaye from the First Psychedelic Era).  

NUGGETIZED: Imitation Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era

Lenny Kaye's compilation album Nuggets (Original Artyfacts From The First Psychedelic Era) has had a massive influence on rock music in the decades since its 1972 release.  In a 1980 interview with Trouser Press Collectors' Magazine, Lenny provided a detailed history of Nuggets, and he explained why it would be difficult to assemble a second volume (which finally appeared last year). Scroll down to the third article at this link to read the interview.

Stinky has shared over two dozen Homemade Live Albums on these pages, and I've assembled a few cover albums.  Today's share is a set of covers of 25 of the 27 songs from the original double LP, plus a second set which includes all the songs I could find from Nuggets Vol. 2 (some of Lenny's choices are quite obscure), as well as covers of songs from the Nuggets series on Rhino Records. Some of the Nuggets songs also appeared on my Steppingstones compilation of punk versions of garage rock, psych and glam.

There are some punk bands in today's sets, as well as groups from the garage rock and psychedelia revivals that have occurred since then.  The first revival included American bands like The Cramps, The A-Bones, The Chesterfield Kings, The Cynics, DMZ, The Droogs, The Fuzztones, The Hypstrz, Plan 9, Plasticland, The Slickee Boys and The Turn-Ups (led by Billy Synth, who compiled the Psychedelic Unknowns series).  Across the Atlantic were The Barracudas, Cannibals, Nomads, the Medway bands, and "side projects" like Naz Nomad and The Purple Helmets. I'm sure I've forgotten some.

I've got half a dozen leftovers filed for a third volume, so leave a comment if you have any recommendations!  And if you enjoy various artists compilations, be sure to visit Nothin' Says Somethin', as Nathan Nothin' is featuring VA comps all month!   

Steppingstones (Garage Rock Meets Punk)

A fine old English gentleman asked me to repost my Steppingstones compilation, which featured cover versions by first wave UK punk bands of garage rock songs originally released between 1964 and 1967.  

I had long intended to follow it up with a second set of Steppingstones, which would continue from the psychedelia of 1967 through early 70's glam.  I also found some songs that should have made the original compilation, so I've made some adjustments to the tracklist of the first Steppingstones.  Vol 1.1 contains the original garage rock songs, and 1.2 compiles the punk and pub rock covers of the same 29 songs in the same running order.   Same for Steppingstones 2.1 and 2.2 -- 26 songs from 1967 to 1974 on Vol. 2.1, with the corresponding punk covers on 2.2.

The point of the whole thing (aside from refuting John Lydon's ridiculous claim that the Sex Pistols didn't do cover songs) was to highlight the influence of garage rock, psych and glam on punk rock.  This isn't an original observation -- Lenny Kaye knew it when he compiled Nuggets.  And despite what has been said about "Year Zero", punk didn't make a complete break from the music that preceded it.  

Thanks, Nobby!

Not all of the punk versions are great, but most or all of them are performed with sincere affection for the originals, rather than those punk parodies that simply sped up old songs (which The Dickies did brilliantly) or spat them out with exaggerated disdain (e.g., Sid Vicious' "My Way").

Part of the appeal of garage rock and glam was of course that anyone could do it.  It was worlds away from prog rock.  Garage rock was appealingly simple (and aggressive) but it wasn't "style over substance".  Psychedelia required a bit more musical skill.  As far as glam, maybe its style was its substance.

Kim Shattuck's Got The Hits!

Hard to believe that Kim Shattuck has been gone five years now.  Founder of The Muffs, member of The Pandoras and The Coolies (both with Melanie Vammen), guest vocalist with White Flag, co-leader of The Beards (with Lisa Marr of Cub), and (briefly) bassist of The Pixies. Kim accomplished a lot, even after she developed ALS, a cruel disease that attacks your nerves and muscles and takes away your ability to move, speak or breathe.

You can hear Kim's singing and songwriting on records by all of the artists above.  She didn't sing or write songs in the first incarnation of The Pandoras, but she contributed originals to the band's comeback.  

When Kim sang cover versions other artists' songs, she brought her own personality and sensibility to each tune.  The Muffs had some success with their cover of "Kids In America", but even better is their version of "No Action" (which Elvis Costello called one of the best covers of his songs). Roy McDonald kills it on the drums.  I also love Kim's unhinged take on Frank Black's "Thalassocracy" (a highlight of The Beards' album Funtown).

Her voice could be incredibly raw and snotty or irresistibly melodic and charming, and she could summon the most ungodly roar!  Sometimes it's through hearing a different voice sing a familiar song that we can appreciate a vocalist's style and skill.  Listen to these tracks and you will hear Kim became more confident over the years, and she wasn't afraid to take on "White Rabbit" on Bowie's "Changes".

As a White Flag collaborator, Kim was part of the Bill Bartell story (coming to a theater near you). Bill's universe included the Tater Totz and Redd Kross. RK shared a drummer with The Muffs for a number of years, and that's why today's share is called Kim's Got The Hits!  

Photo of Kim from Analog Love: The Art Of The Mixtape.  ELSEWHERE IN THE BLOGOSPHERE: Kim and Melanie leading The Pandoras live on WFMU in 2015.  We miss you, Kim!

The Best of the Detroit Cobras

 

Welcome to CLEAR THE DECKS WEEK!  Stinky and Koen have been sending in some great stuff, and this week we're going to see (and hear) a lot of new posts.  There will be a new post every day this week -- maybe longer -- until we get caught up on this backlog of musical goodness!

The Detroit Cobras was a garage rock band with a revolving lineup centered around singer Rachel Nagy (left) and guitarist Mary Ramirez (right).  The band existed from 1994 until Rachel's death in 2022.

The Detroit Cobras released four albums, consisting almost entirely of cover songs from the 1950's and 1960's (with the exception of an original composition called "Hot Dog").  Their music encompassed influences that included blues, rockabilly, R&B, soul and girl groups.  Their talent lay in making all of these songs sound like their own.  If you've heard their music, you know.  If you haven't, you're in for a treat.

Stinky has personally selected 32 of the finest tracks from the Cobras' catalog.  He writes, "I had the extreme pleasure of seeing them live in NYC, which drove home that LIVE was how they made their legend.  They were AMAZING.  The list of female rockers who look and sound the part as much as Rachel Nagy did is pretty short: Ronnie Spector, Tina Turner, & Amy Winehouse."  Let's add Pearl Harbour to that list.

I got to see the Detroit Cobras perform live myself (while Greg Cartwright was in the band).  It was a fabulous evening, especially when they kicked into their version of Mickey Lee Lane's "Hey Sah-Lo-Ney" (which the Cobras called "Hey Sailor").

PREVIOUSLY ON JONDERBLOG:  Stinky's compilations of the best of Ronnie Spector (who also passed away in 2022).  

 

Steppingstones

Have you seen the awful video where a drunken John Lydon monopolizes a press conference for the documentary series Punk, and finally Marky Ramone (Marc Bell) has had enough and reminds Lydon that punk started in NYC, and that the Pistols did "Stepping Stone"?

Lydon had claimed that the Pistols didn't do any cover songs.  But in the earliest days (when Glen Matlock was in the band), they routinely performed "Don't Gimme No Lip Child" by Dave Berry (the b-side of his 1964 "Crying Game" single). 

The final song of the last Pistols' concert in SF was a cover ("No Fun").  The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle soundtrack included songs that the Pistols rehearsed back in '76 ("Stepping Stone", "Substitute", "Whatcha Gonna Do About It" etc.)   

Shawn Kerri rules.

The point that Marky was trying to make was that songs like "7 And 7 Is", "Talk Talk", and "You Really Got Me" were "the precursor to all this (punk) stuff".

Steppingstones is a compilation of garage rock songs covered by UK punks and pub rockers.  I skipped all the VU and Stooges covers; in 1977, punk bands were apparently required to do at least one of each.

There are two sets: the first Steppingstones contains the 29 original songs (recorded between 1964 and 1969), and the other includes the punk and pub rock versions of the same 29 songs (recorded between 1976 and 1980).  

This is the revised tracklist for 1.2 (with the original songs in the same track order on 1.1)

DMZ

There were some strange mismatches between punk bands and producers in the late 70's. Sometimes record companies assigned a "name" artist to a young band, maybe to drum up record sales or to do some creative accounting. Some of these "big names" knew how to produce records, and some didn't. 

Nick Mason was allegedly chosen to produce The Damned's ill-fated Music For Pleasure after the band couldn't get Syd Barrett. Sandy Pearlman was probably supposed to make The Clash sound radio-friendly. Same with the Dead Boys and Felix Pappalardi. 

The members of Generation X were Ian Hunter fans, but there wasn't much Ian could do about the overwrought songwriting on Valley Of The Dolls. Mick Ronson's production of the Rich Kids album disappointed fans and critics, which is why my Rich Kids comp is heavy on demos, Peel Sessions, and live tracks. 

One of the biggest "WTF?" pairings of the early punk years was Flo & Eddie producing DMZ's 1978 debut album. It's not like there was a potential audience for DMZ among Turtles and Zappa fans (or vice versa). I don't think F&E did a terrible job, but Mono Man hates the album, and it sounds like late 70's hard rock recorded by dudes in leisure suits with coke spoon necklaces. 

Stinky assembled a set of live tracks and demos that capture DMZ's primal energy and the 60's garage rock vibe that they loved. If you dig this one, don't miss the stellar Peter Greenberg career overview that Stinky put together last year!

The Best Of Peter Greenberg

Holy smokes, folks! This is a scorching selection from Stinky, a career-spanning compendium of classics by undersung guitar genius Peter Greenberg. This blog has trafficked in hyperbole now and again, but The Best Of Peter Greenberg is truly a ferocious florilegium of frenzied fretwork.

Boston garage punks DMZ debuted in 1976, with Peter Greenberg and JJ Rasler on guitars, and Jeff Conolly on vocals and keyboards. Bomp released a DMZ EP in 1977.  Months after DMZ’s self-titled 1978 LP, Greenberg quit, moved back to Cincinnati and formed The Customs (who were once labeled “the loudest, drunkest, most obnoxious rock & roll band in the city.")

Greenberg returned to Boston in 1980, and soon joined Jeff Connoly’s new band, The Lyres. With Mike Lewis (DMZ bassist) and Howie Ferguson from the Real Kids on drums, The Lyres recorded an EP (AHS 1005) and the immortal  “Help You Ann” single (both on Ace Of Hearts Records).  Greenberg, Lewis and Ferguson quit The Lyres at the end of 1981. 

In 1982, Greenberg and bassist Phil Lenker formed The Savages (with Ferguson on drums and sax player Steve LaGrega). Boston local Barry White was recommended as a singer, and was rechristened Barrence Whitfield.

Greenberg left the music business in 1986 (after two albums with Barrence Whitfield And The Savages).  He earned a graduate degree, got married, and raised two sons.

Two decades later, Peter Greenberg was enticed into playing reunion shows with The Customs and The Lyres. Greenberg, Lenker and Barrence Whitfield reunited The Savages in 2010.  They recruited drummer Andrew Jody (from Cincinnati band The Long Gones) and Tom Quartulli on sax. The reunited Barrence Whitfield And The Savages have released four albums since then.  

The Best Of Peter Greenberg includes songs recorded with DMZ, The Customs, The Lyres, and The Savages. It begins with “Long Gone” (The Customs’ ode to leaving Cincinnati), and ends with Greenberg back in CinCity, sitting in with The Long Gones. Thirty tunes were lovingly selected by Stinky.

For further listening, Mythkoz has you covered with more Customs, Surfadelic has plenty of DMZ and Lyres, and there's a whole lotta Barrence on Bandcamp.

Faux Deluxe: Naz Nomad & The Nightmares

After the departure of Brian James, The Damned made one of the most remarkable comebacks in modern music. 1979's classic Machine Gun Etiquette revealed Captain Sensible as a guitar hero, and the group as exceptional songwriters. It was quickly followed in 1980 by the double disc Black Album. 

By 1982's Strawberries, Captain Sensible apparently began to feel that he was casting pearls before swine, and he brought forth two novelty pop singles ("Happy Talk" and "Wot"), as if to prove that he could top the charts. He left the Damned in 1984.

What were the other members of The Damned to do?  Once again, they defied expectations by creating what was purported to be the previously unreleased soundtrack album for a lost Sixties film called Give Daddy The Knife, Cindy. This soundtrack was allegedly performed by a mysterious group called Naz Nomad and The Nightmares.

Dave Vanian led the group as Naz Nomad, Rat Scabies became Nick Detroit, bassist Bryn Merrick was rechristened Buddy Lee Junior, and Roman Jugg did double duty as guitarist Sphinx Svenson and keyboardist Ulla. 

Naz Nomad photographed by Pere-Ake Warn

The Damned's next two albums, 1985's Phantasmagoria and 1987's Anything, were written and performed by Scabies, Vanian, Jugg, and Merrick.  The latter three then started a new band called The Phantom Chords.

This post is recycled from a contribution I made to the late and lamented Willard's Wormholes blog. If you recall, Willard used to create "Faux Deluxe" expanded versions of his favorite albums. I was led by his example to pair Give Daddy The Knife, Cindy with the original songs covered by Naz & Co. Two live covers (of the Doors and the MC5) round out the set.

For more of Pere-Ake Warn's photography, visit his website. Sounds gave Roman Jugg the knife in the photo above. Thanks to the Aural Sculptors blog for sharing the live Naz tracks from 1987's Acid Daze festival. Surfadelic recently shared more music by Big Boy Pete, author of my favorite Naz Nomad track, "Cold Turkey".

Pearl Harbour (Part 2): The Missing Years

Promo photo for Here Comes Trouble.
Looks like the same bikini, 25 years later!

Back in the USA, there was a gap in Pearl's musical activities until she became inspired by a SF rockabilly trio known as Buck Naked And The Bare Bottom Boys. She started writing songs with the band, but Buck Naked was tragically shot to death in 1992. The resulting album, Here Comes Trouble, was dedicated to his memory. East Bay Ray played lead guitar, and the group recorded covers of You've Got My Number (Why Don't You Use It) by the Undertones, and the Richard Berry classic Have Love Will Travel. 

Pearl with East Bay Ray in 1995

The album went unreleased until Pearl met a former classmate from her childhood in Germany who had started a record label. Here Comes Trouble (1995) was Pearl's last solo album. She guested on a 2002 record by rockabilly band The Colts, singing Brand New Cadillac and her best known song, Fujiyama Mama.

Since then, Pearl has parlayed her longstanding passion for vintage clothing and collectibles into a line of custom designed handbags. She has appeared in several books (including an interview in 2005's Wacky Chicks by Simon Doonan) and films (including the 2012 documentary The Rise And Fall Of The Clash).  

Pearl in the film Siren by Viv Albertine

Pearl in 2018

Here's Pearl on the end of the Clash: "It is hard to replace people. It is hard to replace your youth. You can't have money and pretend you don't.  I don't see it as much of a mystery that when you get a little bit older, you can't be a crazy-ass punk unless you're a loser." 

Promotional comic for Here Comes Trouble

Things I would love to see or hear: "Two Bullets" by Pearl Harbour And The Palaminos (a song from the film Sid & Nancy that did not appear on the soundtrack album); the "Killer Joe" music video (directed by Don Letts); Siren (a 1986 film directed by Viv Albertine); and the Pearl Harbour comic book!

A Rose By Any Other Name

A misleading band name if ever there was one. One might readily assume that (like other groups named after organs of the reproductive system) the listener would be assaulted by gratuitously shocking punk rock. A glance at song titles like "Penguins Addicted to Molasses" and "Abstract Salamander Dilemma" would suggest surrealism or psychedelia. One might also imagine that records with "Live" appended to the band name would be concert recordings. None of these assumptions proves to be true.

Instead we find an upbeat Farfisa-driven garage rock band, led by singer Mike Pocius and guitarist Mickey Crnich (the primary songwriters). Pocius was also a visual artist who created the record sleeves. They were early to the garage rock revival: back in 1978, their contemporaries were the Hypstrz, the Slickee Boys, Plan 9 and DMZ. [Edit: forgot about the Droogs!]

The group had their own label, Disturbing Records (sometimes listed as Disturbing Records And Filmworks). They released records by fellow Chicago bands ranging from ska to synth pop, including this one with a young Al Jourgensen and this one by Nicholas Tremulis, who signed to Island Records in 1985, and who joined the short-lived Fauntleroys in 2014 with Alejandro Escovedo, Ivan Julian, and Linda Pitmon. The Fauntleroys' record Below The Pink Pony is well worth hearing.

Pocius and Crnich (with longtime drummer Al Scum) released five singles (1978-1984) and five albums (1984-1995). They returned for two more CD's of new material in 2001 and 2004. Many of the record covers included the statements, "Remember to have fun" and "We encourage home taping!"

Chicago label Pravda released a compilation album called A Decade Of Fun which includes single tracks on one side and unreleased songs on the other. Disturbing Records issued two anthologies of the band, Secret History (1997) and Apocalyptic Garage Rock (2012). None of these comps includes all of the tracks on the five singles.