BROADCAST #21
AIR DATE: 05-22-07

O, Fanatics! I do hope you enjoyed tonight’s show. I don’t know how we got all 26 songs we planned in there but we did it. It has been a blurred and interesting week so far. We shot footage for the IFC show Sunday, Monday and today. Guests were Gore Vidal, Russell Simmons, Larry Flynt, Serge Tankian of System and Tom Morrello of Rage. Everyone was very interesting. Personal big deal for me was Gore Vidal because I like his writing so much. It was a lot of work doing all the other stuff that it takes to get the show to the editing phase. In any case, there are a few things worth noting. New Ozzy record Black Rain is out today I believe. Pere Ubu re-releases with extra tracks, you can go to the Pere Ubu site http://www.ubuprojex.net/ and get more info on them. I can’t wait to hear them. Also, Engineer X would be angry if I didn’t mention the Betty Davis albums have been re-released with extra tracks. I am also waiting on them. I am sure some of you have noticed I have not played anything off the new Fall re-issues of Shift-Work, Extricate and Code: Selfish. I don’t have them yet but I will be in London in a couple of days and will see if I can secure them when I get a chance. I will bring them on the show as soon as I can. There’s a great show all prepared for next week, I think you’re going to like it so please tune in if you can. Also, Inger Lorre and her Nymphs will be playing at The Roxy on June 6th. XBXRX played the other night at the Smell and I couldn’t make it as I wrapped late and had to start it all over again the next day so I couldn’t do both. Maybe next time. Until next week, Fanatics—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.

The Buzzcocks - Love You More / Noise Annoys: Could there be a better way to start a radio show?! I couldn’t decide which song to play so I decided I better play them both. I have been listening to this band for almost 30 years now. Have we played he Buzzcocks on our show yet? Let me check, oh. Ok, so you’re familiar with them by now. The United Artists-era of The Buzzcocks is one of the best batches of songs I have ever heard. I don’t have many of the band’s records after this period although I do check in with them time to time and they are good but there’s something about these songs that is very special. I am also perhaps a bit sentimental, having spent so much time with these songs for so many years. In any case, some facts are in order. The band recorded this single at Abbey Road Studio on 03-13-78 and was released on either 06-30-78 or 07-07-78, I have seen listings for both dates. I know of a few different pressings of this single.
Love You More / Noise Annoys – UA (UK)
Love You More / Noise Annoys – UA (Germany)
Love You More / Noise Annoys – UA (Holland)
Love You More / Noise Annoys – (A label promo) – UA (UK)
This was a great time to go to the record store. Not having any knowledge of release dates of records, I would go to the record store with high hopes and once in awhile, there would be a single like this one just sitting there. That’s probably how I got this one. These two wonderful slices of brilliance are easily found on the Singles Going Steady CD.

Ozzy Osbourne – I Don’t Wanna Stop: Thanks Ozzy! Here’s a track off the new Ozzy album Black Rain that came out today. Thanks to Heidi making some calls and the kind folks at Sony I have had the album for several days but this is the first opportunity I have had to bring it onto the show. It would have been great to have had it last week and had a few days jump on things but better on day of release than not at all! It’s the first Ozzy album in a long time. I have played it a few times and I am liking it but could have used a little more Zakk in the mix but that’s just me. If you want the Ozzy record with the Zakk Wylde overload, the Live At Budokan album is the one for that. That is a MONSTER!!

Buck Gooter - I've Got Damn Age: Now, a few weeks ago when we first aired Buck Gooter, I made a mistake in the write up on the band and told you they were from PA, that is to say, Pennsylvania. One of the members kindly wrote me and straightened me out on that. They are in fact from VA, that is to say, the state of Virginia, Harrisonburg to be more specific. Tonight’s track is from the band’s 2nd album TV Evangelist Song. Pretty cool how this album came to be. Dischord Records has a thing called the DC Free Recording Project where they give studio time to young bands at Inner Ear Studios. I don’t know how one gets chosen and I don’t know how Buck Gooter had the good luck to get the deal but they did and they recorded this album there. The band’s 2nd and 3rd albums are available through an address on their site and you can also get TV Evangelist Song through Dischord as well. Want to know more about this band? I hope so, I think they’re really cool. Here’s their website address: http://www.littlegrillcollective.com/bg/

Epsilons – Problems: This is from the soon (?) to be released Killed ‘Em Deader ‘N A Six Card Poker Hand album. This track is taken from a CD sampler the label sent me. I like this band a lot and am looking forward to the new album. When I get one, we’ll check out more.

The Jesus & Mary Chain - Never Understand: From the 21 Singles CD collection. I don’t know a ton about the band nor have I heard all of their albums. I have the first two albums, the Peel Sessions and the singles before and around the first two albums. When their singles before their first album, the very cool Psychocandy came out, I would check them out at my old pal Deirdre O’Donoghue’s place. She was one of the greatest people radio ever had. She had a great record collection too. When these records came out, I was too broke to get them so played catch up much later. There are two versions of this song I that I have, I have this one and the Peel version. I picked this one because the Peel one has a lower vocal level and it might not sound as good through small speakers. There are a few of their songs I have on vinyl that I can’t find on CD as yet so I will throw some of those onto CDR at some point so we can check them out.

György Ligeti - Trio III. Alla Marcia: From the Edition Series on Sony. This is from #7. I got interested in Ligeti after Matt, the man who fixes our computers at the office lent me some of his work. I liked it immediately although I can’t write with any clarity about this kind of music, Avant Classical I guess you would call it. I know that I like it but I feel like a dummy trying to get a point across as to what it is about his work that moves me. All I can say is that I have never heard anything like this stuff in my life and the level of musicianship is insane. It’s not stuff I can listen to every day and I am getting more and more into it as I go but the journey into Ligeti’s work has been challenging and worth every moment. Wikipedia says that Kubrick used his music in films. Apparently, there’s some of his work in The Shining. I knew Bartok was used but didn’t know about Ligeti.

Little Richard - She Knows How To Rock (Master): From the Specialty Records Years box set. There are two editions of this release as far as I know. There’s the US version that is 3CD release I believe and then there’s the one out of Germany that has 5 CDs. That’s the one I wanted because what the hell, it’s Little Richard from his best and most killer period. I actually found it in Germany while on tour, which made me very happy. What a maniac. Have you ever seen the interview with Little Richard where he talks about how he gave Hendrix his start? Hendrix played with LR for awhile. I think Richard said, “He made my toe curl up in my boot!” I don’t know what that means but I’ll leave that with you to ponder. Anyway, here’s a song of his I never hear on the radio.

Neo - Small Lives: From the Vortex Live album. One thing bugs me sometimes, Fanatics. I wonder if this ever happens to you. Do you have albums or songs that you listen to with great affection but you’re not sure if they’re great or if you like them for some other reason? There might be an album that you listened to at a certain time in your life and it resonates now because it takes you back there or makes you think of something or someone and it no longer matters if it’s any good, you just like it. This happens to me sometimes and not wanting to belabor you all too much with my musical idiosyncrasies worse than I already do, I try to be objective to a certain point with what I bring to our weekly show. This album is one of those for me. I have been listening to this one for so many years, I don’t know if it’s a great album or if I really like it because of the time and place thing. In any case, this is one of 12 tracks from this rippin’ live Punk album. We have listened to several tracks from it over the years. The Vortex was a club in London that I don’t know much about. This album is on CD and there’s not a bad track on it I think. This was one of my car tapes from 1979. I think DEVO’s Duty Now For The Future was on the other side.

The Velvet Underground - The Black Angel's Death Song (mono): From the band’s very amazing first album. Years ago, there was a deluxe edition released that had both the mono and stereo versions. I was in living in London at the time and would look at it lovingly from time to time at the record store but waited until I was back in America to get my hands on it. I like a lot of older music in its mono version even though it’s not how I hear music live. There’s something about all that music hitting you square in the face that appeals to me. I never heard this album all the way through until I was in Black Flag. We played this one a lot. I liked it as soon as I got my head around it. Up to that time, I had only heard the band’s 2nd album, White Light/White Heat, which I didn’t really get a chance to spend any time with. VU was a band I connected with very heavily in my youth and I followed the paths of some of its members into their post VU material. Cale and Nico’s the most along with Lou Reed of course but Cale and Nico were so way out after they went solo, they really captured my imagination. I am still checking all those records out. I have seen Cale play many times. Never got to see Nico. There’s not a bad second on this album and this is one of the stand out songs on it.

The Stooges - Gimme Some Skin Take 1 (Final Mix): Last year, I hesitated to play this song because I really don’t like having to censor an artist by dumping words that the FCC might find objectionable but seeing how good Engineer X is at getting rid of the odd naughty word, I can see no reason not to finally get this killer track onto our show. this is from that period of The Stooges that I am so curious about. I guess it’s pre-Raw Power stuff was rejected for use on the Raw Power album by Bowie or something. Perhaps he was afraid of the earth scorching impact this song and others like I’m Sick Of You would have. There are a handful of these 1972 era tracks around and they’re all good. They have been released time and time again on different Stooges records. Tonight’s version is from the I Got A Right CD EP on Bomp! Records. Some lethal stuff from Mr. Pop and associates.

Bootsy Collins - Jam Fan (Hot): From Back In The Day: The Best Of Bootsy CD. I picked this version because it’s an edit of the original, found on the now out of print This Boots Is Made For Fonkin’ album in its 9+ minute glory. I think I got the CD version of this album in Japan many years ago. This was seen to some Funkateers as perhaps not Bootsy’s bestest outing and a bit of a rush job to capitalize on his success at that moment. It’s not my favorite Bootsy album but it’s a great one all the same.

The Blood Brothers - Vital Beach: From the recently released Young Machetes album. I really like this band. They played on the IFC show last year and tore it up. I heard that the label they were on, V2 went under. I hope they end up at a good place. That is easily one of the coolest names for an album I have ever heard. You can’t really put anything sharp after “middle-aged” without sounding a little loose upstairs. “Middle Aged Cleavers” wouldn’t “cut it,” now would it?

The Fall – Serum: From The Unutterable. Been awhile since I have played something off this album, right? This was a great line-up of The Fall. Nev Wilding was in the band and he was a real force in the songwriting and the overall sound of the band at this time. He and I have exchanged letters over the years. I don’t know what he’s up to at the moment. I guess he was on this album and 1999’s The Marshal Suite, that’s a great album, too. The Unutterable was released in November of 2000. As much as I like the band’s albums up to now, to me, these were the last two really great Fall albums. I am still trying to warm up to the new one. I am working on it. I’ll get there. For some Fall information, here’s a good site: http://www.visi.com/fall/

The Germs - Manimal / Dragon Lady / Strange Notes: All from the long out of print Tooth And Nail album. This is a very cool and interesting album. It’s 15 tracks and 6 bands. The Controllers, The Flesh Eaters, UXA, Negative Trend, The Middle Class and The Germs. Released in 1979 on Upsetter Records. To my knowledge, it’s not in print and has yet to be released on CD. I bet there are a lot of Germs Fanatics who have never heard these versions of these songs so I reckoned we should listen to all three of them and get them out there again. I think the Flesh Eaters tracks have been released on CD as well as The Controllers perhaps but I am not sure of the other ones. I remember someone wrote me a couple of years ago telling me that this comp. along with the very great Keats Rides A Harley was going to come out but so far, only I have only seen Keats back out, that’s on the Warning label and it’s really great. I will bring tracks off that one in soon. So, Fanatics, here’s some Germs that you might not have heard.

SPK – Retard: From the Auto Da Fe CD. I have yet to take my SPK tapes and put them onto CD. I will try to get on that this summer and bring some of that to our show. I don’t know much about SPK or “noise” bands that are around now past that I like what records I have but I don’t know if SPK was at all an inspiration to the Hair Polices and the like who are around now.

Smart Went Crazy – Sugar In Your Gas Tank: From the Now We’re Even CD on Dischord. I am sure you remember that we listened to Smart Went Crazy two weeks ago, a selection from their Con Art album. We’re going backwards through their catalog as Even came out in 1995 and Con in 1997. I have only had one listen to this album but I am liking it. One of the many Dischord bands I never got to see.

De La Soul - Tread Water: This is not the only De La album I have but is 3 Feet High And Rising the one I always go to when I want to bring a song of theirs onto our show. I think it was one of the high points of the 1980’s and still stands out as a great artistic statement. This one definitely sent a ripple through the rap world as well as the independent scene. I guess it was 1987 or around then, so many people had this album. It took me awhile to get it, finances were very tight in those days but eventually, I secured a copy. I heard some recent work of the band and it’s cool but nothing like this album. I think there were a handful of those one time one time only albums in the 80’s, a few that come to mind: The Pixies album Doolittle, Public Enemy’s Nation Of Millions and Dinosaur Jr.’s Bug.

The Lurkers - Time Of Year: From the classic Fulham Fallout album. One of my desert island albums of all time. We have not listened to The Lurkers for several weeks so it’s about time. Two albums, the aforementioned and the very great follow-up, God’s Lonely Men, a slew of killer singles and then the band had a line-up change. Vocalist Howard Wall departed for the ether and the band soldiered on with different line-ups and still do the odd show. I tried to like the band post Howard but was unable to stay with them. Over the years, I have tried to find Howard Wall to ask him what he’s been doing with himself. I have made contact with one of the members who keeps in touch with some of the other member but none of them keep in contact with Howard so I have no leads still. I have never seen an interview with him post-Lurkers. The two Lurker albums are in print on CD with some of the singles and outtakes and there’s a singles CD comp. as well as all their radio sessions on yet another CD. It’s all great and I am to this day, a Lurkers Fanatic.

The Nation Of Ulysses - The Hickey Underworld: From the Plays Pretty For Baby album on Dischord. I wish I could have seen this DC band play. I never even got close to one of their shows though. At this point, this band is in Ian Svenonius’ rearview mirror as he went from this band to The Make-Up, Weird War and other projects, musical, literary and now on television. Ian MacKaye told me that Ian S. was just in England taping his Soft Focus show and interviewed Penny Rimbaud of CRASS and Mick Jones of The Clash. Can’t wait to see those. He’s a genius madman of the highest order. All the Nation albums are in print on Dischord and worth checking out. The liner notes are amazing. This band, to me, really knew how to take advantage of being young and in the moment. I listen to the records and try to imagine what the shows must have been like and it really bugs me that I didn’t see them play.

Ludus - Let Me Go Where My Pictures Go: This is from the very cool The Damage CD released in 2002. I think this one is a compilation of sorts. I got it because there were songs on it that weren’t on the other CDs of theirs I was able to find. What an interesting band. I think we have played Ludus at least twice on the show before. The female voice you hear is that of Linder Sterling, the artist who did the cover of The Buzzcocks Orgasm Addict single. This is an extraordinary band. I have never heard anything like them. I was listening to this song yesterday as I was working on these notes and it’s like a recurring thing that happens when I listen to them, I am unable to do anything else but listen, so captivating they are to me. If you look around, you should be able to find this CD fairly easily and two others, one has their Visit and Seduction releases and another that has their Danger Came Smiling and Pickpocket releases. It’s all really great and different. http://home.wxs.nl/~frankbri/ludushis.html

Television – Marquee Moon: The only thing surprising is that we have not played this song yet. From the perfect in every way Marquee Moon album. As I was preparing this broadcast earlier today, I had the alternate version of this song that is included on the remastered version of the MM CD but after listening to it, I thought the album version was better and since this is the first time we have played this song on our show, I thought we should hear the one the band intended for release before we go snooping around into their back pages. Television followed up this album with one called Adventure which is also really good and worth checking out as are Verlaine’s first two post-Television solo efforts, the Tom Verlaine and Dreamtime albums. Tom Verlaine on vocals and that lead guitar, what a talent. A good thing for Verlaine Fanatics, he’s been making records lately and they are really good, too. Check out Songs And Other Things and Around. Also, there’s some legit and bootleg live Television recordings around and those are smokin’.

Scientist - Knock Out: From the Heavy Weight Dub Champion CD. Every now and then, we play a Scientist track. I was introduced into the world of Scientist by Ian MacKaye a few years ago. Scientist, otherwise known as Hopeton Brown, has been mixing and creating sounds for decades.

The Slickee Boys - Gotta Tell Me Why: From the very hard to locate Somewhat Of An Anthology CD. The Slickees were a DC-area band making music and releasing records before Dischord ever existed. I used to see them play fairly often. They were always really cool and played all the time in the city and suburbs. I never had all their singles until a few years ago. I always liked those songs and thought it was kind of disrespectful not to have their stuff so I went to Yesterday & Today Records in Rockville MD and got them there which was the right thing to do.