BROADCAST #24
AIR DATE: 06-12-07

Fanatics, did you dig tonight’s show or what?! I got some letters about the Tony Allen track. Good luck finding that one, I guess it’s out of print for now. Next week’s show is going to be great. I have it all done and it’s rarin’ to go so please tune in if can and thanks for the letters and for tuning in tonight. I am glad you dug the music. We have some great music to play you all through the summer so let’s do it! Until next week, 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.

MC5 – Poison: From the band’s 3rd and not praised enough High Time album released in 1971. When you mention the MC5 to someone, if they know who you’re talking about, the response is in the positive but the reference often doesn’t go past the band’s monster debut Kick Out The Jams. If the band were to have stopped right there, it would have been enough. But luckily for the rest of us, they decided to make a couple more records. The band’s 2nd album, Back In The USA had some really great songs like The American Ruse, Human Being Lawn Mower and Looking At You but it had very slick production and seemed to be doing all it could to jump into America’s lap and purr safely with a songs like Shakin’ Street (where all the kids meet). For me, it was their 3rd and final album, High Time that had their best studio recordings in my opinion. It sounds like the band recorded at very high volume and went flat out with not a fraction of the restraint of the previous album. There are some horns in places where I don’t think they are needed at all and I wish they would have left them out but what the hell. When I first heard the MC5 on a regular basis, it was the Kick album over and over again. I think Dukowski had the other two and I taped them and listened to them over and over. Immediately, it was High Time that grabbed me. Such a heavy album. I listened to Poison, Over And Over, Future/Now all the time. This album to me, is where vocalist Rob Tyner gets to show off just how powerful that voice of his was. We have not played anything from this album yet so this is our first time with it but we’ll be coming back to it further on down the road.

Iggy Pop – Loco Mosquito: From the Soldier album. I love this record. This album was the follow up to New Values. I think this may have been the only single from this album. It has a lot of great songs on it like Get Up And Get Out and Ambition. I think this is the last of the Iggy records that have that cool / smart thing that the previous ones did. After this one, it was the Party album, which again, has a lot of great songs on it tonight but Soldier and New Values might be the best of his mid period output.

Gangbé Brass Band - Jesu Ohun: From the Whendo album. This is the 2nd time we have dipped into this album and I think that this is my favorite track from it. I played it three times last night just staring at the speakers like they were video screens, the vocals on this track are so great. The Gangbé Brass Band is from that tiny slice of a country, Benin in Western Africa. This is their newest album and so far, the only one I have heard. I read that brass instruments made it to this part of Africa by the French when they thought they were going to take over the world. Oh, those silly Europeans with their thoughts of empire. All they had to do was read up on their history and see that no empire lasts. You wish some people would do more reading. Anyway, I hope you liked this joyful and thunderous music!

X Ray Spex – I Live Off You: From the amazing Germfree Adolescents album. This one gets better with age and I feel so luck to have had this record for so long and to have played it so many times. For the few of Fanatics left who don’t know who this band is, they were one of the most well-known First Wave Punk Rock bands on the UK scene in the 70’s. I am sure almost all of you know the song of theirs Oh Bondage, Up Yours but if you have not pressed on and checked out this album, I suggest you do. Forget about Poly Styrene’s great lyrics and singing, the band’s great songwriting, the band had a sax player and it really worked. This song is one of the best examples of how well the horn integrated into the band’s sound. I met the drummer of the band many years ago but that’s the only person in the band I’ve ever met. There’s a great 2CD set of the band called Let’s Submerge that has the album, Peel tracks and Poly’s pre-X ray Spex single on it. You can find that one anywhere and find it you should.

The Afflicted – Anywhere Sleeper: From The Afflicted Man’s Musical Bag album. You can’t find a great deal about Steve Hall and his band The Afflicted or The Afflicted Man as some of his releases go by. A couple of 7”’s and three 12”’s. The music ranges from fuzzed out low-fi Psychedelic, Oi-tinged Punk Rock to the strangeness that is Steve Hall. I was lucky to pick up on this band a long time ago when the records, often with hand made sleeves of xerox and staples and sometimes paper bags folded over. There seems to be some retro interest in the band now as someone has collected all the tracks and released a two CD complete songs set. The tracks are mastered from vinyl if the reviews I have read are right. No one can seem to find the elusive Mr. Hall. Recommended.

Jimi Hendrix – Can You See Me: Like many of you Fanatics, I have spent a lot of time with the Are You Experienced album by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. I think I first heard this song on the Smash Hits best-of album. I think I either got that one when my step-brother left it behind or my mother may have had it and I dragged it into my room. I didn’t get into the Experienced album until Ian and I would listen his copy a lot. This song is very typical of Hendrix’s early work, very simple, very rockin’. I like the lesser known more middle of the LP stuff of his very much. It’s been a long time since I’ve listened to this period of the man’ work. Only months later, he had outgrown this music and was onto other ideas.

The Barbarians – Moulty: I got this from the Nuggets Vol. 1 Box. I first heard this song on one of Ian’s mix tapes many years ago. I don’t know how he found out about this song. I think he got very curious about Garage Punk or Garage Rock, whatever you want to call it, many years ago. He was the first person I ever saw with the Pebbles LPs. I don’t know much about the band but the song is based on the band’s drummer of the same name and it’s a true story. That’s him singing and he’s a member of the band. The thing that always stuck in my mind about this song are when he says something about something deep down inside him, telling him to “go on, yeah, on.” It sounds so right-off-the page but it’s cool. Moulty!

Von Sudenfed – Serious Brainskin: Another track from the challenging Tromatic Reflexxions album. The and is a convergence of one Mark E Smith from some band called The Fall and two gentlemen from Mouse On Mars. This is one of the more trying tracks but I like it because it sounds like MES is being put through the ringer and there’s even the momentary melody. There’s no way I would have come near this album had MES not been on it. The music doesn’t hold up but MES is always worth a listen.

Silver Apples – I Have Known Love: Talk about always worth a listen. This is such a cool band that I don’t play often enough. There’s a great two-fer of their first two albums Silver Apples / Contact easily found and it’s really cool. I had the bootleg version of the album for years but then it finally came out legit and it sounds great. What is perhaps the coolest part of this band is that they made these records in the late 60’s. Either they sound “now” or there’s a lot of bands from now trying to sound “then,” you decide. The band was Danny Taylor on drums and Simeon on synth. I think I wrote about this once on one of our broadcasts that the guy who turned me onto this band thinks this is where the band Suicide got some ideas. You may be wondering at this time, as to why we have not played a track from the new Alan Vega album Station yet? I stupidly waited on a copy from Blast First as they told me they were going to send it so I didn’t think it was out yet. I saw it in London the other day for 15 pounds! Fuck that!

Bobby Byrd / Sayin' It And Doin' It Are Two Different Things: From the Bobby Byrd Got Soul best-of CD. We have heard this man before. You perhaps know him best from all the famous recordings he did with the late James Brown. He was JB’s affirmation man and back up singer. When JB wanted to know if he could go to the bridge, it was Byrd’s voice you heard telling Mr. Brown to take them across. Now that James Brown has left the building, it makes the time I met him all the more poignant to me. I am really glad I have a picture of that. Bobby Byrd is one of my favorite singers of all time and I love the solo stuff. On this track, check out what the rhythm section is doing on the bridge and how easily Byrd goes right with it. He’s one of those guys who are so deep in the music, their instinct reacts first and they just follow along with it. Have you ever checked out the Live At The Apollo Vol. III album where JB turns the word “Byrd” into two syllables? “Bud Ha!” Ever seen that killer black and white footage of JB and the band doing Sex Machine with JB and Bobby in those cool pantsuit things? Could be on Youtube. I have it on a video I bought in Japan many years ago.

The Germs - Lexicon Devil / Circle One / No God: From the MIA: The Complete Anthology CD. This is the 2nd release from The Germs. It came out on Slash Records in 1978. I bought two copies of the record in 1979 for a couple of bucks each. I lost one but I think I know where it ended up and it’s cool but I am glad I still have at least one. The Germs weren’t around long enough to make a bad record, had they been around longer, it may have happened but as things happened, they had time to release the two 7”’s the album and that was it pretty much. Now, you remember recently we played all the Germs tracks from the Tooth And Nail comp. LP in an effort to get all three of those tracks out to you because they are not on the Germs Complete CD. There might be one more thing to include at some point. The Yes LA comp. album features the track No God but I believe it’s a slightly different mix. It’s been awhile since I have played it but I remember there being some reverb on some of the instruments. I will put the track onto CDR and if I think it merits your Fanatic attentions, I will bring it in soon. The Germs are one of those bands you can’t say enough good things about. There is information on them all over the internet so if you liked what you heard, then get into it and learn more.

The Ramones - Rockaway Beach: From the perfect Rocket To Russia album. I am still reeling from the It’s Alive footage I saw last summer at Hollywood Forever Ramones bash. Johnny Ramone told me that Rocket was the best Ramones album. It’s my personal favorite but always liked the production on Road To Ruin and the big sound of the guitars. When I told him I thought he got his best sound on that album, he agreed. He was very tough in his assessment of the band. I have been reading and re-reading his autobiography and he is very critical of the band. I know that on this station, we play this band a lot and that I play them a lot on this show but they are to me, one of the essential elements. I hope you don’t mind.

Tony Allen – Black Voices: When I told Ian that we had just shot the collective of Damon Albarn, Simon Tong, Paul Simonon and Tony Allen, kinda sorta known as The Good The Bad And The Queen and how cool they were, etc. Ian immediately zeroed on in Tony Allen. Ian is a big fan of Fela Kuti and as you probably know, Tony Allen played drums with Fela. It just so happened that Ian had a solo album of Tony Allen’s in the car at that moment and he put it in and we listened. I had never heard this album before and it knocked me out. That album was what we heard a track from tonight, Black Voices. It is a sparse yet complex record mixing Afro Beat and Techno and finds all kinds of ways to be interesting as hell from start to finish. When I was listening to the album I got to thinking of what the music reminded me of and then I saw the track listing and I was right. Track #5 is called Asiko: In A Silent Mix, perhaps in reference to Miles’ In A Silent Way album. This is what I was thinking. This is an album that Miles would have shown up to jam on. If you listen to what the keyboard player is doing, it’s got that feel that some of the electric Miles albums have. Of course, this album is hard to find, at least it was when I went after it but it’s worth it every penny. One of my favorite listens of the year so far.

Sort Sol - Dog Star Man: When I was in Denmark the other day, I had no time to check out any record stores thanks to flight chaos. Someone from one of the local record stores knew I was looking for this Sort Sol best-of, Circle Hits The Flame and brought it down to the show. I have not yet played it or had time to figure out if there’s any rare or unreleased stuff on there. I think the title track is unreleased. There’s a lot of Sort Sol albums and I don’t know every single title of every song so would have to take a moment. I will get deeper in on this album when time permits. Tonight’s track shows up on this album but previously showed up on the band’s 1993 release Glamourpuss. I thought this was a new album but it’s not, it’s listed as coming out in 2002. Shows you how together I am on my Sort Sol facts.

The Harold Wartooth – Synapse: From the band’s self-titled EP. A young band from Toronto Canada. An old associate sent me this and asked that I give it a listen. I did and thought it was pretty cool. So, I picked out this track and here we are. If you liked what you heard, here’s how to find them: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=97212607

The Gun Club - Devil In The Woods: Finally the very cool Keats Rides A Harley compilation album is out on CD. And from it, you get this alt. version of Devil In The Woods. The band released this song on their 2nd album, Miami. This was always my favorite song on Miami, an album I always go back to as I didn’t get it when it came out. Keats has tracks by 100 Flowers, The Meat Puppets and The Leaving Trains to name a few and as well, you get 14 extra tracks, 5 of them comprising the ridiculously rare Happy Squid Sampler. I have not seen that one around for many years. This album is out on Warning Label Records. www.warninglabelrecords.com for more info.

Betty Davis - They Say I'm Different: From the They Say I'm Different CD. Great news about this album. It has been re-issued with extra tracks and it sounds great. Previously, this was an expensive import and Engineer X and I have the scars to prove it. As many of you Fanatics know, Betty gets the name Davis by being married to Mr. Miles Davis. She had a profound influence on the man and apparently connected him with music that was to become a big part of his sound. I have no idea as to what she’s doing now. This record is well over 30 years old but still kills. You can look her up and get more info but the thing to do is check out this album as soon as possible.

Grinderman - Depth Charge Ethel: We have left off this record for a little while and it’s time to play another track. This is from their self-titled debut. Grinderman is Nick Cave, Warren Ellis, Martyn Casey and Jim Sclavunos. You have seen these men onstage as members of Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds. Grinderman was a rough out project the men did to, well, I don’t know why they did this but I sure am glad they did. So far, there’s one album, one b-side and apparently some live shows this summer. The album came out earlier this year and I got a copy in Sydney. This album kind of reminds me of the project Cave did many years ago with German band Die Haut, an album called Burning The Ice. The project won because it put Nick in a different musical environment and I think he always does well when he has to reach for it and that’s what make the Grinderman thing really cool. They got some great sounds on this album, the more I listen to it, the better it gets to me.