Masterpiece: Closer

[Today: Requiem for a supernova...]

Every review of Closer inevitably begins with a young man swinging at the end of a noose. The date is May 18, 1980 and the young man is Ian Curtis, the 23 year-old lead singer for post-punk heroes Joy Division. Curtis had been dogged by personal demons – including a recent onset of severe epilepsy and a failing marriage – but his suicide was unexpected, coming as it did on the eve of Joy Division’s first tour of the United States.

Released posthumously, Closer plays out like a macabre letter from beyond the grave, and seems to contain many clues to Curtis’ fragile state of mind. Song titles like ‘Atrocity Exhibition’ ‘Isolation’ and ‘The Eternal’ tell the story in shorthand, but Curtis’ vocals are saturated with a grim gravity that must be heard to be believed. Every phrase here seems carved out of the cold granite of tombstones, and he sings like a man who isn’t long for the world.

Watching him dance on stage in a grainy YouTube clip, it’s easy to detect the alien quality that made Ian Curtis such an interesting artist. He moves with the herky-jerky gyrations of a mating insect and sings from the bottom of a well of despair. In his bearing, his vocals, and his untimely death, he gave the impression of a man far removed from polite society, fated to live in dark shadows, even as his star burned brightly and carried him away.

Listen: Atrocity Exhibition

Listen: Isolation

Buried Treasure: Burning From The Inside

[Today: Bauhaus builds a creepy gothic castle...]

Burning From The Inside is a horrorshow album, but it’s not the blood-spattered, slasher variety of scary. This is a psychological thriller about darkness, decay, anger and insanity. In setting their madness to a claustrophobic mix of post-punk, dub and glam rock, Bauhaus staked out a new musical territory that eventually earned them the title ‘Godfathers of Goth’.

Album-opener ‘She’s In Parties’ was a Top 20 hit in the UK, and serves as a vivid summation of the Bauhaus sound – dense, layered, swirling guitars, along with brooding, Lugosi-esque lyrics, and a feeling of impending doom. ‘Antonin Artaud’ ups the ante, going inside the dank institutions of the early 20th century to imagine the story of the mentally troubled artist of that name. “Scratch pictures on asylum walls/Broken nails and matchsticks/hypodermic hypodermic hypodermic/RED FIX” Peter Murphy babbles, before losing himself in a tornado of nonsense and agony. Meanwhile ‘King Volcano’ has enough majestic madness that it could be George W. Bush’s theme song, and ‘Who Killed Mr. Moonlight?’ closes out a perfect album side of music with a deranged piano man longing after the death of nostalgia.

Lead singer Peter Murphy played a limited role in the sessions for this album. Viral pneumonia limited him to just four songs, and the fact that the rest of the band proceeded merrily on without him hastened a split that was already well underway. Burning From The Inside was released a week after Bauhaus played their final show – July 5, 1983 at Hammersmith Palais in London. Murphy would go on to a productive solo career, and the remaining band members would eventually form Love & Rockets, but neither entity would top the dark, curdled atmosphere captured here.

Listen: She’s In Parties

Listen: King Volcano

Grooves

Grooves Vinyl Attractions is an old-fashioned record store where cds need not apply, and LPs, cassettes and 8-tracks are all the rage. This colorful shop sits at 1797 Market St, at the foot of both the Castro and the lower Haight. Even from the outside it’s easy to tell that this is a great store, and all those brightly colored LPs beckon the helpless record-buyer like so many bugs to the zapper. There aren’t many record stores left in the city, but this is the best one that’s not called Amoeba (which is a mythical beast beyond comparison anyway).

Grooves is a medium-sized shop stuffed with the inventory of a much larger store. Vintage poster art and collectible records line the walls (the current display is devoted to political and presidential records). There’s always good cheer in the air here, with excellent music on the sound system and employees involved in smart, mild-mannered discussions about musical minutia.

If there’s one (oh so minor) drawback to this store, it’s that the overflowing stock can be somewhat intimidating. Fortunately, the staff is helpful to a fault, and not above answering even the most elementary questions.

When I was in last week, Kelly (who functions as something of an assistant manager) was helping a hapless customer who was obviously new to “Rock & Roll”. It was pretty awe-inspiring to watch a seasoned record store employee patiently introduce another adult to both AC/DC (for the record, High Voltage, along with a stirring explanation of the importance of Bon Scott) and The Kinks (Greatest Hits) without flinching or descending into sarcasm. Meanwhile, Ray (the owner) was running around like a chicken with his head cut off – filing albums, changing the store music, cracking wise, and generally keeping the atmosphere light.

If The Muppets had run a record store, I’ll bet it would have felt a lot like Grooves.

Here’s what I picked up:

The Rolling Stones * Jumpin’ Jack Flash (45rpm)
Lightnin Hopkins * Lightnin’! (2-LP)
Howlin’ Wolf/Muddy Waters/Bo Diddley * The Super Super Blues Band (Checker LP)
Robert Nighthawk * Bricks In My Pillow (LP)
Pete Seeger * Clearwater Classics (2-LP)
Thad Jones & Mel Lewis * Live At The Village Vanguard (8-track)
New York Rock Ensemble * Freedomburger (8-track)
Chuck Berry * Back Home (8-track)
Count Basie * Afrique (8-track)

Doubleshot Tuesday: Buddy Holly/Rolling Stones

Buddy Holly & The Crickets play for a room full of debutantes in 1959:

And The Rolling Stones play Buddy Holly for a TV audience in 1964:

The P Speaks: SFO To MIA

Today I’m on a cross country flight, and seeking protection from humanity with my iPod.

I normally don’t chart the oddities of the iPod Shuffle, but the juxtaposition of the first two songs made me pay attention. So this post will likely be of interest to me, and me only, but that’s why the mouse was invented. Here’s my SFO to MIA playlist…

‘I Don’t Want To Be A Playboy’ –  Archie Bell + The Drells

‘Pimp Of The Nation (Jackal + Hyde Cost Cutter Coochie Mix)’ – Kid Rock

‘Salty Dog’ – Lester Flatt + Earl Scuggs (live at Newport) ['finger on the trigger and eye on the hog?' um, okay.]

‘Last Night A DJ Saved My Life’ – In Deep [who hasn't been saved by a DJ?]

’2nd Avenue Blues’ – Little Annie + the Legally Jammin’ [a sad drama of a drag queen with a uterus, with some maracas in the background]

‘Feelin’ Alright’ - Jungle Brothers [this song just makes me want to dress like MC Hammer and stroll the aisle wearing my kangol cap and fancy pants]

‘Shining Star’ – Earth Wind + Fire [don't mess with my funk classics!]

‘African Hustle’ – Mombasa [more funk!]

‘Los Angeles’ – X [just classic X. this song will always be associated with road trips to the sierras + yosemite.]

‘Humanoid Boogie’ – Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band [love love love…it's a wow, it's a scream]

‘Callin’ Out Remix’ – Lyrics Born (featuring E-40 and Casual) [note to self: go to Cactus Tacqueria when you get home. Ratio of veggie tacos consumed to LB sightings: about 20 to 1.]

‘Quem Cochica O Rabo Espicha – Jorge Ben [I really should learn some spanish]

‘Dance Reaction’ – Metro Area [it's a bit of a drag to have my running mix pulled in – though probably more annoying for my seatmate, as I'm now thumping away to the beat]

‘Christian St’ – Marah [guess this is a sign I'm supposed to be rooting for the Phillies. And for those of you who don't know Marah, start with Kids in Philly.]

‘I Left My Heart in San Francisco’ – Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band [though the sentiment is true, this particular rendition is a bit off. Sorry BDDB!]

‘Great Balls Of Fire’ – Jerry Lee Lewis [ah, the killer...]

‘Pachacuti’ – Soul Ascendents [I should be running a discoteca]

‘Machien Sun’ – Commodores [why didn't the Jerry + Merle every take this one one?]

‘I Can Only Give You Everything’ – MC5 [I am thumping the seat again. Sorry neighbor.]

‘Fried Neckbones And Some HomeFries’ – Willie Bobo (Dan The Automator Remix)

‘Bixo’ – Manu Chao [again, I could be using this very time on this plane to learn Spanish!]

‘W.O.E is Me (World of Entertainment)’ – Jurassic 5 [what's up with J5 these days?] – {Editor’s note: Jurassic 5 broke up in the spring of 2007.}

‘Dance with Me’ – Peter Brown [gotta keep on making me high, gotta keep on making me high…come on and dance with me]

‘Daft Punk is Playing in My House’ – LCD Soundsystem [this seems like an appropriate time to stop this chronicle, as I will listen to this song about 6 times in a row before I move on…]

If you got this far, you need a hobby!

Thanks for playing. The P

Merl Saunders (1934-2008)

Keyboardist and Bay Area icon Merl Saunders died this morning from complications related to a stroke. He was 74. Saunders will be remembered as one of the most effervescent personalities in music – a jam-master who always seemed to be at his happiest while onstage surrounded by musicians and tearing through another 15-minute epic. He put on one of the best shows that I have ever seen, a New Year’s Eve extravaganza at the old Maritime Hall that was co-headlined by Toots & The Maytals. Saunders played until 4am, and by the end of the evening, drunks were being carried out of the venue like fallen Civil War soldiers. Just another amazing night in the life of a man who loved to make music…

Listen: Keepers

Listen: It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry

Listen: Merl’s Tune

[Tracks are taken from the album Live At Keystone, Volume 1, featuring Jerry Garcia (guitar, vocals), John Kahn (bass), and Bill Vitt (drums). Recorded 7/73.]

Instant Classic: Buena Vista Social Club At Carnegie Hall

On July 1, 1998 the full lineup of Cuba’s Buena Vista Social Club played their only concert in the United States – at Carnegie Hall, no less. Not long after this performance, the political climate began to change in the US (to say the least), and Cuban musicians no longer enjoyed the welcome entry into this country that they had experienced for a scant few years in the late-90′s. Because of that, and the age of the musicians involved, there was a small window in which this concert could have taken place.

If this show has a stately feel to it, it’s because the group was acting as unofficial ambassadors of Cuban culture. Due to decades of strained relations between Cuba and the US, this was the first trip to the States for many of the artists included here. And for musicians such as Compay Segundo, Ibrahim Ferrer, Ruben Gonzalez, and Omara Portuondo, it was a chance to finally show their stuff to an American audience, in one of the most prestigious venues in the country.

As bandleader Juan de Marcos Gonzalez remembers, “For Cuban musicians, it was something very special to play Carnegie Hall. We had not had the chance to perform in America for almost forty years because of the blockade. But I looked out from the stage and all I could see was smiles on the faces of an American audience.” The liner notes include an extensive selection of quotes from many of the people involved, and their memories of the chaos of the rehearsals, the excitement of the performance, and the relief afterward add another layer of enjoyment to this great recording.

Five of the musicians involved in this concert have passed away in the intervening 10 years, but this lovely package goes a long way toward preserving their memory. The cover is a sly nod to the original BVSC album, pulling Ibrahim Ferrer off that cover and photoshopping him into a night scene in front of Carnegie Hall. The double-LP edition is particularly magnificent, pressed on thick slabs of vinyl that are covered with stylish labels. It’s a bit of a splurge, but well worth it for this once-in-a-lifetime concert.

Magic Moment: Foggy Mountain Breakdown

This smokin’ version of ‘Foggy Mountain Breakdown’ was recorded for The Late Show With David Letterman on November 15th, 2001. It features Earl Scruggs and Steve Martin on banjos, plus an all-star band that includes Vince Gill, Marty Stuart, and Jerry Douglas. I always knew Steve Martin could play banjo, but I didn’t know he could play like this:

Buried Treasure: The Black Man’s Burdon

[Today: Eric Burdon and War re-enact the 1960's...]

Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) is a powerfully hallucinogenic drug that was known in the 60′s as “the businessman’s trip” because it compressed the psychedelic breadth of an LSD trip into a half-hour joyride. Black Man’s Burdon clocks in at an hour and a half, but it’s basically the musical equivalent of a DMT trip – the entire sloppy, soulful, self-indulgent, psychedelic 1960′s packed into one double-LP package.

Lead singer and ex-Animal Eric Burdon is an over-the-top wildman who was perhaps most accurately described as an “abusive boozed-up Geordie.” On this 1973 collaboration with the funk band War, he sounds like the kind of crazy uncle I almost regret never having – raving his way through a mad-capped, eight-part, album side-length cover of ‘Paint It Black’ before descending into the absurdity of two separate, and equally unfortunate, covers of ‘Nights In White Satin’ (zero would have sufficed).

But Burdon’s lunacy isn’t limited to any one or two cover songs. Every nook and cranny of this album is full of groovy, disjointed rhythms, wayward horns, and some of the craziest raps ever laid down on wax. “He committed me to PC3/to the downtown infirmary/for a routine walloping” Burdon free-forms during the ‘PC3′ portion of the ‘Paint It Black’ medley. “I will swallow the sun/and digest the moon” he shouts with glee, and it’s hard not to cheer him along on his quest.

On the flip side is ‘They Can’t Take Away Our Music’ – a song about how dead musicians live on through their music, and the kind of faux-populist hippie crap that sounds like warmed-over freshman philosophy on first listen. But like so much of this album, Burdon’s conviction to the material is impressive, and every subsequent listen finds his pitch a bit more appealing. And War was one of the best funk bands of the 70′s, so the musical base for all of Burdon’s babbling is first rate, and the scattered grooves sink over time. Black Man’s Burdon is a preposterous, fabulous album, and a real trip.

Listen: Bare Back Ride

Listen: Home Cookin’

Listen: They Can’t Take Away Our Music

Masterpiece: Abraxas

[Today: Santana serenades the goddess mother...]

“We stood before it and began to freeze inside from the exertion. We questioned the painting, berated it, made love to it, prayed to it: We called it mother, called it whore and slut, called it our beloved, called it Abraxas.” So goes the line in Herman Hesse’s book Demian that spawned the title of Santana’s second LP. Released in December of 1970, Abraxas was a big step forward for the band and, featuring congos, bongos, and timables, it boasts a much stronger latin influence than their rock-oriented, self-titled debut.

Santana was one of the hottest live bands of their day, as evidenced by an outstanding showing at Woodstock (they were the finest act at the festival not named Richie Havens), but their standard set was loaded with cover songs. Bill Graham convinced them of the importance of original material, and of Abraxas‘ nine songs, seven were penned by the group. Naturally, the two cover songs became big hits – their definitive reading of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Black Magic Woman’ (which is conjoined with a lovely version of Gabor Szabo’s ‘Gypsy Queen’) and an inspired take on Tito Puente’s ‘Oye Como Va’ sent Abraxas up the charts for an 18-month stay.

It’s an album well-deserving of its quadruple-platinum sales. In addition to the aforementioned hits, ‘Singing Winds Crying Beasts’ is an atmospheric instrumental storm, and ‘Incident At Neshabur’ prefigures Santana’s plunge into more jazz-oriented material. ‘Se a Cabo’ ‘Samba Pa Ti’ and ‘Hope You’re Feeling Better’ round out Abraxas, making it nearly a de facto greatest hits. Guitarist and band namesake Carlos Santana has become a brand-name guitarist over the years, but this album marks a highpoint in both the quality and consistency of his playing. Keyboardist Greg Rolie was also integral to the band’s sound – those are his vocals on ‘Black Magic Woman’ – and the group’s four man rhythm section was without peer.

Unfortunately, this version of Santana would only make one more album together before Rolie and guitarist Neil Schon departed to form Journey. But it was fun while it lasted.

Listen: Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen

Listen: Oye Como Va