BROADCAST #16
AIR DATE: 04-17-07

Alright Fanatics, here’s what we heard tonight. I hope you liked what you heard. I have been in NYC as you know and returned to a mountain of work and have been kind of going around the clock since I got back here about 36 hours ago so if I sounded a little all over the place, I am sorry about that. Also, with Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane both getting Pulitzer prizes, I had to do some quick changes to the set to add them in and that took me somewhat by surprise. Anyway, I think we had a good show tonight and hoped you heard some stuff that made you curious to hear more. About an hour before we went live tonight, Engineer X and I put together a show for next week that I think you will like. I will be onstage with Marc Maron and Janeane Garofalo from Tuesday through Sunday at the Silent Movie Theater at 611 Fairfax right below Melrose. Last weeks shows in NYC were a blast and I am looking forward to next week’s run at this beautiful theater. I hope you show up. In any case, here’s the notes on what we heard tonight, thanks for listening and STAY FANATIC!!! --Henry

For you Fanatics who can’t live without hearing this show again or if the original broadcast time is too hard on your sleep cycle here’s the re-broadcast schedule.

USA: Fridays: 0200 – 0400 hrs. PST
UK: Fridays: 1000 hrs. – 1200 hrs.
Continental Europe: Fridays 1100 hrs. – 1300 hrs.
Australia: Fridays 2100 hrs. – 2300 hrs.

Comets On Fire - The Way Down: From the self-titled first album. Comets On Fire. These guys make a great racket. That they band are from Santa Cruz CA gives me hope. Normally when someone mentions that town, I start thinking of napalm or that some of my martyr buddies should belt up and take a walk down the main drag on a Saturday and stack up some casualties because by golly, I’ve had some mighty bad times there. To the cops who tried to beat me up to the coked out venue staffers who we should have tore the ears off of. So, from the idyllic environs come the Comets to tear your face off with Blue Cheer on steroids jams. What a great earth scorching this album is.

The Brides Of Dr Funkenstein - War Ship Touchante: Another track from the Funk Or Walk album. You remember we played Amorous from that album back in February. I only have two Brides albums, this one and the live at Howard Theater in DC one. There are two more studio albums that I have never checked out. I have looked around for them and never been able to find them. Anything related to George Clinton is worth checking out at the very least. A lot of the George related stuff has been released in Japan and are not always available here. The original version of the Brides were Dawn Silva and Lynn Mabry who used to sing with Sly Stone. They recorded the Funk Or Walk album and the live album in 1978 and then Mabry left a year later and Silva kept the group going after that. These two records are not easy to find and pricey when you do, which is a shame.

Joe Meek - March Of The Dribcots: Another track from the I Hear A New World album. Whenever we listen to Joe Meek, it’s always from this record. This was Joe Meek’s vision of what music might sound like on other planets. That’s what he’s quoted as saying. It’s a great lo-fi record of beautiful insanity. Meek is perhaps known better for his production work especially on the Tornados’ song Telstar which was the first British song to hit #1 in America. He’s also famous for being a complex and closeted homosexual who on 02-03-67, killed his landlady and himself with a shotgun.

The Jesus & Mary Chain - Psycho Candy: From the Barbed Wire Kisses singles collection CD. I am not up on the band’s discography, have none of their vinyl and only some of their early material like the first two albums and the CD of singles but from what I can make out, this track was on an EP called Some Candy Talking, released in 1986.

Mercyful Fate - Curse Of The Pharaohs: We’ve played two tracks from Mercyful Fate’s hilarious Melissa album: Black Funeral and Evil and it’s time to hear some more of this bullshit. I am completely unable to take the band’s singer, King Diamond with any degree of seriousness but all the same, this is a great album, you put it on and laugh all the way through. The world needs more laughs.

Othar Turner - Granny, Do Your Dog Bite?: From the Everybody Hollerin' Goat CD given to me by the very talented Luther Dickinson, who recorded it. Othar played one of the oldest styles of music in America, Fife & Drum. The first recording I ever heard of Othar was on the first fife & Drum music CD I ever got called Traveling Through The Jungle: Fife And Drum Bands Of The Deep South that featured him. A long time ago, I was told that Alan Lomax came to Como MI looking for Fred McDowell and stopped at a gas station and asked the attendant how to find him and the attendant was Fred. I always thought that was a great story. I just read a really nice bio on Othar that says he was the attendant. Othar played for decades but sadly, there’s not a lot of him that’s available. Luther invited me to invited to hang out for one of Other’s cookouts many years ago and I should have done it but didn’t. I know I blew it. Othar passed away in 2003. When you listen to his recordings, you go back in time, recommended. A nice write up on Othar by Greg Johnson can be found here: http://www.cascadeblues.org/History/turner_othar.htm

Sexual Milkshake – Peanutz: From the Sing Along In Hebrew album. One of those Teenbeat Records bands. That’s why I got the record. I went to the Teenbeat site and looked up the band bio and it didn’t say much. I think this record is great and way out there. I have been looking around for more copies of the album and so far, I can’t find any.

The Fall / The Other Half - Mr. Pharmacist: The Fall have done many covers in their multi-decade span. Mr. Pharmacist turned up in the band’s live set fairly often. Originally released 09-01-86 as a 7” and 12” and later in the same month on the Bend Sinister album. San Francisco’s Other Half recorded some singles and an album. I just found a CD of their singles and other tracks and when I get it, I’ll bring in more tracks. I found this track on the Nuggets box. If you want info on The Fall, you can go here: http://www.visi.com/fall/index.html. I am looking forward to hearing more of the Other Half material.

Public Enemy - Fight The Power: From the very handy Singles N' Remixes 1987-1992 CD. I got this in Japan in 1992. I was really hoping for the 12” remix of You’re Gonna Get Yours on this thing but to no avail. It does have this clean for radio version of FTP which I can really use on this show. It cleans up the lines, “Elvis was a hero to most but he never meant shit to me. The straight up racist was simple and plan, motherfuck him and John Wayne.” I love that! This is one of the greatest songs I have ever heard. It was used so effectively in Spike Lee’s film Do The Right Thing.

The Galaxies - This Rock And Roll: From the Automatic Bop Vol. 1 CD. Another one of my exploratory purchases from the late, great Tower Records at Piccadilly in London. I love London. I bought this CD because it looked interesting and I figured I could learn a thing or two about Rockabilly and old Rock and Roll. There’s three volumes of this CD and they’re all pretty interesting. Sometimes the sonic quality of the recordings isn’t the best but the songs are cool if not sometimes a little simplistic but still, there’s some real personalities in these bands, almost none of them I had ever heard of. I can’t find anything on this band, sorry about that, good song though.

The Minutemen – Boiling: From The Punch Line. I think this is easily one of the best albums SST Records ever released. There may be a few of you Fanatics out there who have not heard this band. I can’t overstate how much you need to change that situation. One of the bestest bands we’ve ever had. They have been gone for many years now after the death of the band’s guitarist and vocalist D Boon. There’s a great documentary on the band called We Jam Econo.

The Adverts – Safety In Numbers / We Who Wait: I have played both of these songs before but I thought it would be cool to play the entire single, great as it is. The Adverts were one of the first wave Punk Rock bands in the UK. They were not around for long but released a lot of music for a Punk band, who in those times often made a single or two and disappeared. The Adverts made a good number of singles and an album that needed up being one of the classics of the genre called Crossing The Red Sea With The Adverts. This single was released in November of 1977. All of the band’s music is in print and worth checking out. Recently the band’s 2nd album, Cast Of Thousands, was just remastered and released with new liner notes and corresponding intact. There’s also a great CD of all the band’s BBC recordings called The Wonders Don’t Care that’s really worth checking out. If you have are into the Punk Rock and have not checked out The Adverts yet, this is one band not to miss.

The B-52's - Private Idaho: This is from the band’s 2nd album Wild Planet. This is the last album of theirs I ever got. I am not saying that their work past this one is no good but around this time, I just started listening to other stuff. This is the one track from this album that sounds like it should have been on the first one and that’s why I like it. This was a song they were doing live long before they put it out.

Nico - Genghis Khan: This is not the first time we have visited this album, The Drama Of Exile. Perhaps Nico Fanatics may not agree with me but I think this might be her most listenable records. While not as stark and challenging as her work with John Cale like The Marble Index and The End, this album is really striking and Nico’s singing is really something. If you remember when we played a track from this album

The Bad Brains – Send Me No More Flowers: I figured you wouldn’t mind another track from the Build A Nation album due out in May or June. It’s a strange set up they have, the Bad Brains. They have been an on again off again operation for decades. When was the last studio album, the one they did on Maverick, God Of Love about ten years ago? It will be interesting to see them play live. I thought their show at CB’s would be their only one but I guess they’re back for now.

Discharge - Society's Victim: From their singles CD. I can’t say I like every song the band did, their later stuff, the more metal mood the band got into loses me to a certain degree only because their early stuff is so amazing and on its own. I have all their recordings but don’t find myself going past their Why EP.

The Elegants - Little Star: From Best of Doo Wop Uptempo CD. I think there is a best-of for this group but I have never checked it out. This originally released in Apt Records in 1958 and it was a #1 hit. It was the only #1 the band had. From what I’ve read, the band were from Staten Island NY. If you have been following our broadcasts, you have noticed there’s a bit of Doo Wop now and then. Ever since I saw American Graffiti when it hit the screens, I was a Doo Wop and 50’s music fan.

Slayer - Love To Hate: From the Diabolus In Musica album. I love this record. There’s nothing like it when Rick Rubin produces Slayer. I hope he works with them again on their next one. I had never listened to a Slayer album all the way through until Rick gave me a copy of Reign In Blood many years ago. I heard that one and never looked back. It was so great to see them play on the show last year. The band has total integrity and that’s why their fans are so fucking intense. They are never going to make that friendly record.

Tinariwen - Cler Achel: From the brand new Aman Iman album. The title translates into “Water Is Life”. This is one of the records I have been greatly anticipating and it does not disappoint. This is the Toureg band’s 3rd album, although over their long life, they have released countless cassettes. The low end and sounds on the record are better than the last two and the songs are as amazing as the ones that came before. The members met in a Libyan refugee camp. I think I got my first Tinariwen album in 2005, The Radio Tisdas Sessions. I read about it online and it seemed interesting and then I listed to it on Amazon.com and got a copy. I think I got Amassakoul, their 2nd album soon after. I also saw them on the BBC along with PJ Harvey one night in Australia and it seemed to be one of the most amazing double bills imaginable. As far back as you want to go, there has been great music coming out of Africa but it’s only in the last several years and perhaps with the advent of the CD, that this beautiful music is getting the exposure it deserves. It’s more than a matter of deserving, bands like Tinariwen are a gift to the world.

Dinosaur Jr. – Almost Ready: From the band’s new album Beyond, due out 05-01-07. I must say, I really enjoy getting a record before it comes out since getting this radio show. It’s such a kick to be able to put this stuff on before it’s in the stores. I don’t know, it’s just really cool! It makes the show better. This is another one of those records I have been looking forward to along with the new Tinariwen. It’s been such a great year for records so far this year. There’s some Fall re-issues coming out later in the summer, looking forward to those as well. I hope I am in town when Dinosaur comes thundering into town. Beyond is a great Dinosaur Jr. album and one of the best reunion albums of all time.

Radio Birdman – Locked Up: From the 2006 release Zeno Beach. This was sent to me as a gift. I don’t know if I would have checked it out if it had not been given to me. I saw it when I was in Australia recently and gave it a pass just because I wanted a chance to hear it before I shelled out all the money it requires to purchase a CD in Australia, sometimes expensive there. Anyway, I have played the record once and am liking it but have to give it some more spins. I figured since it was a new addition, I might as well bring it in. I know the Birdmen have gotten back together a few times in recent years to tour in Australia and heard it was great although the members don’t get along all that well apparently. I know all about that.

Joey Ramone – Don’t Worry About Me: From the Don’t Worry About Me album. Well put by Joey. This was the last thing he ever did and I believe it came out after he had gone. Perhaps one of the reasons I have never brought this record in to play on the show. He was the nicest of all the Ramones, at least to me. I hung out with him a few times in my life and it meant a lot to me that he was friendly. I sure wish I could find the pictures of the two of us that someone took of us after a Dictators show at CB’s many years ago. Handsome Dick Manitoba was in some of the pictures as well, I guess I could ask him.

John Coltrane: Naima: Named after Coltrane’s first wife. I read somewhere that this was his favorite piece of music he composed. This is from Coltrane’s legendary Atlantic period and is found on perhaps one of Coltrane’s best known titles from his time on Atlantic, Giant Steps. When I listen to Coltrane, I usually go right to the Impulse era and stay there. It’s been a long time since I have listened to his Atlantic and Prestige era recordings. I used to listen to them a lot. Hearing this tonight, it made me want to get back into these recordings. Coltrane’s sound, his control and commitment to each breath, it’s all there on those Atlantic recordings. Just listening to this one track, the level of intensity he applied to it is incredible. Coltrane is as good a player of music as anyone who ever called themselves a musician. Coltrane, many years gone, received a Pulitzer Special Citation at the same time another Jazz great was awarded as you will read below.

Ornette Coleman – Moon Inhabitants: Actually an outtake, this track appeared on an album called Art Of The Improvisers that came out years after the 1959 - 1961 sessions that begat it, this album is in print on CD and you can also find this track on the box set Beauty Is A Rare Thing box set which is one of the more worth it purchases you could ever hope to make at a record store. While it’s always a great time to play Ornette, tonight’s broadcast is special because Mr. Coleman just won the Pulitzer Prize for music for the release of his 2006 album Sound Grammar. What a great thing it is to hear that Ornette Coleman was honored with such an award. It’s not like he’s not one of the most important artists America ever had. I am going to have to play some Ornette this week. I have not played much for some weeks so it’s about time.