The Bay Area has been getting a healthy dose of summer a little bit early this year. Temperatures have been around 100 degrees each of the last three days, and it’s got me holed up in my music room, sitting in front of a 12 inch, 3 speed oscillating fan, and rocking out to these albums to beat the heat…
George Brigman * Jungle Rot – Brigman’s guitar is like those heat waves that rise up off the road on an especially warm day – shimmering and semi-liquid, menacing yet enchanting, hot to the touch. His vocals float around in the mix, and his voice sounds lazy and detached, like he’s too damned hot to try any harder.
The Beach Boys * Endless Summer – It’s been said that The Beach Boys created their own mythical world where all the girls are beautiful, summer never ends, and surf’s always up. But the reality is that these songs are just mini-documentaries about life in California. The only sour note here is the exclusion of ‘Good Vibrations’ – one of the best summer songs ever.
Funkadelic * One Nation Under A Groove – Side Two in particular. On ‘Promentalshitbackwashpsychosis Enema Squad’ George Clinton raps at length about ‘the man in the tidy bowl of your brain’ and ‘psychological turd removal’ over a slow burning groove. Meanwhile, ‘Into You’ is the sound of an ice cube melting over a naked female body.
Radio Birdman * The Essential Radio Birdman (1974-1978) – Hepped up Australian punk with a load of surf guitar thrown in for good measure. ‘Aloha Steve & Danno’ references 70’s TV show Hawaii Five-O, and ‘Murder City Nights’ is the soundtrack for the hottest night of the year.
Miles Davis * E.S.P. – Here are a few adjectives for you: languid, sultry, cool.
The Rolling Stones * Exile On Main St. – Here are a few more adjectives for you: murky, sweaty, inebriated.
Iggy & The Stooges * Raw Power - Iggy’s a butane torch at all times, and his squealing and yelping make perfect sense on those days when it’s possible to fry an egg on the sidewalk. Yeeeeeeeeeeoooooooow!
Grateful Dead * Dead Set – This is the part of the program where the blazing sun turns into a chuckling Jerry Garcia head, and the animated bears and I dance around in circles to ‘Fire On The Mountain’. Are you with us Ben Lee?
Toots & The Maytals * The Best Of – I saw Toots & The Maytals on New Year’s Eve (’97? ‘98??) at the dearly departed Maritime Hall in San Francisco. Great show, great band, great summertime album.
The Steve Miller Band * Greatest Hits 1974-1978 – In my book this qualifies as the greatest summertime album of all-time. Millions and millions of barbeques and picnics and keg parties have been soundtracked by this album, and they’re all better for it. This album has summer so encoded in its grooves that it will part the clouds any day of the year.
Tags: Funkadelic, George Brigman, George Clinton, Grateful Dead, Iggy & The Stooges, Iggy Pop, Miles Davis, Radio Birdman, Rolling Stones, Steve Miller Band, The Beach Boys, Toots & The Maytals
17 May 2008 at 7:23 pm |
Calling Dr. Wang.
18 May 2008 at 9:23 am |
Dr. Wang is surprised there is no “For Those About To Rock” or AC/DC on this list.
18 May 2008 at 9:34 am |
Good call sir. I played both that and ‘Highway To Hell’ yesterday, but neither ended up on the the list. They sure fit the mood though.
Add your suggestion and Sly & The Family Stone’s ‘There’s A Riot Goin On’ and let’s call it an even dozen…
19 May 2008 at 10:23 am |
Good times… take that money and run!!