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Mixtape Madness

Monday, April 29th, 2013

Check it, Drum and bass on cassette was a thing. Who knew?

009

Ed Rush – Live In ’98
Side 1
Side 2
This tape suffers a bit from wear and tear, and from the sounds of things the original source recording wasn’t the greatest either. The opening dips out a bit, and the MC’s vocals can get muddled up at times. Thankfully the audio quality gets better as it goes on. I know there are a few Ed Rush sets from this era that have made it onto music-sharing sites like Soundcloud and such, but I don’t think this one has. At least, I couldn’t find it. If someone does have a better recording of this set please let me know. I’d love a high-quality copy.

Nicky Blackmarket & Ed Rush – Live At The Edge
Side 1
Side 2
Nicky Blackmarket is another early drum and bass DJ, going all the way back to the 1980s. I assume his set is on side one, and it’s pretty good. It starts and stops suddenly a few times early on, probably because of technical difficulties. The second side is the Ed Rush set, and it sounds much more like the Ed Rush I know and love than the stuff on the first tape. It’s still high-energy and intense, but it also has that menacing neurofunk vibe that I fell in with when I first heard Wormhole and had my mind properly blown.

The quality of this tape is a little bit better than the first, but remember that a high-quality tape is still going to sound worse than a low-quality CD. So go in with a bit of lowered expectations. And once more, if anyone out there has better quality rips of either of these sets let me know and I’ll replace the links with those.

Posted in Ed Rush, live | 1 Comment »

Boom Boom Room

Tuesday, March 26th, 2013

1280-1024-tsujo
I’ve pretty much been listening to Boom Boom Satellites every single day since I got back from Japan in January. Before then I only had their 1999 debut album Out Loud (their only CD to get a proper release in the states), so I guess I’ve been going on a binge of their entire back catalog to make up for lost time.

Since I’ve been diving into their back catalog I’ve been trying to figure out exactly why they’ve failed to gain any kind of foothold in the states. And after listening to all of their albums multiple times over, I think I’ve managed to pin down their lack of success in the West to one thing: jazz.

Allow me to elaborate.

Boom Boom Satellites’ first album, Out Loud, was released in the states not soon after it came out in Japan. It was even given a fairly big push by their American distributor Epic. They went on tour with Moby, and were even commissioned for some pretty big remix jobs. I think a lot of people had the band pegged to break through because that album was the perfect crossover record; very much like an “electronica” album of the era, but with a very heavy, very guitar-focused rock sound as well.

But if the band gained any momentum off of Out Loud, they probably squandered it completely with their next two albums. Their second album, 2001′s Umbra, is the poster child for the stereotypical “difficult sophomore album.” While a fine record, it’s all over the place, with the band taking detours into hip-hop, drum and bass, and even some trip-hop. It’s not the kind of album that one can just pick up and listen to.

And things got even less accessible with their third record, Photon, as it found the band diving head first into the oh so dangerous waters of acid jazz with crazy, free-flowing horns and rambling drums taking  hold on about half of the album’s tracks. It’s interesting, to be sure, but jazz fusion electronica isn’t exactly a crossover genre that the masses are eager to eat up. It’s a shame too, because while the album as a whole is pretty out there, two of the band’s most intense and powerful tracks, “Dress Like An Angel” and “Light My Fire” are buried alongside the freeform jazz freakouts.

Since then, the band has all but completely discarded their jazzier and more experimental side, opting instead for a more electronic-rock sound that could best be described a s heavier, more frantic version of Garbage. Their follow-up to Umbra, 2006′s On, opens with “Kick It Out,” an obvious ready-made single designed exclusively to be a radio megahit if there ever was on. It was a massive smash for the band in Japan, but by then I think the jazz had done its damage. American record labels probably stopped calling, and anyone who had heard of the group during their brief run for success in the states had probably forgotten about them. Even I forgot about them for a long time, and I saw them live once!

And it’s a damn shame, because while they’re not as experimental or complex as they used to be, ever since 2006′s On they’ve been doing nothing but cranking out one solid electronic-influenced rock banger after another. Exposed (2007), To The Loveless (2010) and their recent release Embrace are all amazing works that combine electronic dance music and hard-rocking guitars better than anyone else on the planet. They’ve simply taken their unique sound to a whole new level. Sure, it’s lacking some of the spontaneity and experimental nature of their early work, but it’s infinitely more accessible, and damn it, there’s nothing wrong with creating music for the masses.

Only three proper Boom Boom Satellites are available digitally in the states: Out Loud, Embrace and Exposed. I recommend starting with Embrace, but Over and Over, a 2010 greatest hits compilation made specifically for American audiences, is also available, and that’s probably a good start for those looking to find out more about the band.

Even though the majority of their stuff is out of print in America, I don’t want to just post all of it. I do feel like it’s just a matter of time before they do make it here, at least digitally if nothing else.  But I did want to share something special, something that both die-hard Boom Boom Satellites fans and newcomers to the group would appreciate, and I think I found it.

Boom Boom Satellites (Live At Shibuya O-East)
All In A Day
Back On My Feet
Kick It Out
Light My Fire
Dress Like An Angel
When Boom Boom Satellites excellent 2010 album To The Loveless was first released, it came in a special edition that included a live DVD. Above is an audio rip of that concert. I chose to share this for two reasons. One, it’s an excellent mini-setlist that shows off both the electronic and rock sides of the group perfectly. Two, it also shows how damn awesome their live show is. As great as the studio versions of “Kick It Out” and “Dress Like An Angel” are, they cannot hold a candle to these live cuts, especially with “Kick It Out.” Holy shit. It’s crazy. If I ever get to hear that song live in person I think my heart will explode. Fucking incredible.

Posted in Boom Boom Satellites, live | 4 Comments »

Hot Ash

Thursday, March 7th, 2013

I just bought tickets for seven different shows between March 20th and June 16th. I should really start buying earplugs by the gross.

Ash
Girl From Mars (Live in Tokyo)
Girl From Mars (Live from the Numbskull EP)
Girl From Mars (Live from the Twilight Of The Innocents Bonus Disc)
I really need to update my sources of music news. Not only was I not aware that Ash recently released an amazing 3LP edition of their excellent A-Z Singles series (it comes complete with a digital download that includes a shitton of extra tracks, you should buy it). But I also was not aware that they were touring the states! Even worse, I had no idea that they were coming to my own backyard of Pittsburgh, PA! Shit! Thankfully I found out in time and now I have tickets, but damn, how the hell did this one nearly sneak past me. I must be slipping in my old age.

I fucking love Ash. They’re my favorite band of the britpop era (yes, I know they’re from Northern Ireland, but you know what I mean). 1977 is a great record. Amazing. A must own in my opinion, and everything they’ve done since has been great too. I actually think that their best work has been their most recent, the aforementioned A-Z Series. You should seriously buy that. For real. Go buy it. It’s great.

In the meantime, here are three versions of “Girl From Mars,” taken from different hard-to-find singles, bonus discs and DVDs.

Quick sidenote about Ash. While I do love them, as a person with an s/sh speech impediment, I find their name endlessly frustrating.

Spiritualized
Come Together
Broken Heart
Broken Heart (Instrumental)
HEY EVERYONE LET’S GO DO ACID.

Ahem, these versions are from The Abbey Road EP, and are different than the versions that appeared on Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space.

OH GOD IT’S KICKING IN I CAN SEE NEW COLORS.

Posted in Ash, B-sides, live, Spiritualized | 2 Comments »

I’m in a good mood. Celebrate by buying some of my records (and downloading some Belinda Carlisle).

Thursday, November 1st, 2012

No profanity-laced political tirade tonight. No rants about how people are horrible (spoiler: they sill kind of are). No depressing exclamations of pessimistic, misanthropic views about the American voting population. None of that bullshit. Why?

Because I’m actually kind of in a good mood for once and I’d rather keep it that way. Also, I just updated my “For Sale” page! So if you really want me to keep this upbeat, positive vibe, then go to that post and make me an offer on some stuff you want. I added some cool Duran Duran, Laibach, Exotic Birds and more! I should also be updating it this weekend, so check back often!

Now music.

Belinda Carlisle
Visions Of You (Remix ’91)
I Feel Free (Live)
Heaven Is A Place On Earth (Live)
When I was in NYC a few weeks ago I did the proper hipster thing and went to a drunken party in a dive bar with a bunch of art students. While there, I got met a man who was rocking a GoGo’s t-shirt (and an amaaazing mustache). I immediately knew this was a person I had to talk to, and we spent about five minutes discussing exactly how awesome The GoGo’s were (we settled on “really fucking awesome.”)

At the end of the conversation though, the mustached man said that while he loves her, Belinda Carlisle has to be one of the worst names in the history of pop music.

“Belinda!” he said, “it just sounds gross!”

This man’s name?

Pacifico.

Glass houses people.

These three tunes are from a clear 12″ single that came in a ziplock bag. Yeah. It was weird looking.

Devo
That’s Good (Extended Version)
Speed Racer (Extended Version)
Speaking of weird singles, I got these hard-to-find remixes from a 12″ promo-only single that was given out to radio stations. I have no idea why these mixes were never put out on any other single or have yet to be re-released in any way (at least, as far as I know), they’re pretty great. “That’s Good” is one of Devo’s best, and definitely one of those songs that can never be long enough. Yay Devo.

 

Posted in Belinda Carlisle, Devo, live, remixes | 1 Comment »

Beep! Magazine video-game flexi-discs!

Tuesday, September 4th, 2012

In recent years I have developed quite a fascination with video game soundtracks that have been released on vinyl. Unfortunately, these are pretty rare in the states, with only a few marquee titles like Halo and some cult hits like Sword & Sworcery getting the vinyl treatment.

However, in Japan things are different. There, video game music gets the respect it deserves. Back in the 80s, nearly every game that was worth a damn had a soundtrack release, either in its original form or as an arranged (remixed/reproduced) version. Either they were given an album of their own, or highlights were included on compilation LPs that featured a selection of video game music from a particular game company such as Namco or Sega.

Some were even given away for free in flexi-disc form as bonuses to readers of Japanese video game magazines like Beep!, a popular magazine from the 80s that stuck around in some form or another until this year.

I know this because I have a very awesome friend named Anna Hegedus. And she got me two of these amazing discs for my birthday! So let’s take a look at them, shall we?

 

Wai Wai GAME MUSIC (March 1988)
Music From Ninja Warriors
Che!
Are you Lady? (Kunoichi’s Theme)
Name Entry

Namco x-Mas Charity Concert Live
Berabo-man
Toy Pop
Member Introduction 

According to VGMdb, this flexi was a supplement for the March, 1988 issue of the magazine. Side A is a collection of original music from the Taito arcade game Ninja Warriors, a uniqe beat-em-up that used three monitors to create a widescreen-style experience. (You can find out more about the game at this site). I never played any incarnation of this game from what I can remember, but this music is great, an excellent example of the kind of diverse and shockingly complex tunes that games of the time were able to produce.

On side B we find three more tracks, but instead of music taken directly from a game, they are live reproductions that were performed at a special Namco charity Christmas concert! I don’t know anything about this concert, or what charity it was supporting, so if anyone out there who does know anything about it is reading this, please let me know!

As far as the songs themselves go, the first is the theme music to Berabo-man, an arcade shooter that never made its way out to the states. Judging from the sound of this recording, it sounds like the live version still used a fair bit of synthesizers and drum machines, but I think I hear some live strings and other instruments in there as well. The second track is for another Japanese exclusive title, Toy Pop, and it’s a purely piano arrangement of that game’s theme music. It’s cute. The final track features the MC announcing the concert’s performers (each of whom perform their own quick little solos).  All very interesting stuff and something I bet most gaming fans have never heard before!

SUPER ARRANGE GAME MUSIC (November 1988)
Chase H.Q. – Stand By (Arrange)/Los Angeles (Arrange)
Syvalion – Round Start Arrange)/Main Theme (Arrange)
Assault – BGM 1 (Arrange)
Marchen Maze – Round 1 (Arrange) 
Next up we have this flexi disc, which was originally included with the November 1988 issue. Unlike the Ninja Warrior tunes from the previous disc, these songs are arranged (remixed/re-recorded) versions that sound substantially more complex and intricate than the original game versions.

The disc really starts things off with a showstopper, both in terms of music quality and in game reputation, with an amazing arrangement of music from the car pursuit classic Chase HQ. I don’t know if the bassline in this version is real or the work of a synthesizer, but if it is legit, then Squarepusher and Les Claypool could learn something from whomever is responsible for it, as it’s freaking unbelievable.

Paling in comparison but still worthwhile is the theme to the Japanese-only Syvalion, which has a great sci-fi feel that fits its space shooter genre very well. After that there’s an arranged version of the background music (BGM) for the generically titled Namco game Assault, another title that never saw a US release from what I can gather. It’s probably the second-best track on the disc, thanks in large part to its awesome synth guitar solo. MIDI shredding is the best shredding.

Finally there’s the stage one music for Marchen Maze, an isometric platformer based on Alice In Wonderland. As you may have guessed considering its source material, the music is rather jaunty.

All in all this is excellent stuff, and a peek into the era. If you like it, remember you have Anna to thank for it, and if you want to make her happy, follow her on Twitter and visit her website, where she often posts crazy technical videos that are so awesome they make my brain hurt.

And I’ll be back later this week with another Japanese-themed post! Until then, enjoy this 8/16-bit goodness!

Posted in live, remixes, soundtrack, video game music | 2 Comments »

David Bowie’s Cocaine Adds Life (Cocaine Bear Approves)

Monday, July 30th, 2012

Another week, another amazing 2LP bootleg. This time it’s from David Bowie.

Cocaine Adds Life

The wonderfully titled Cocaine Adds Life mostly features tracks from mid-70s Thin White Duke Bowie (hence the title), but it also throws in some random 80s stuff on the last side. While Discogs sites the album as coming out in 2008, I think that’s a repressing, and that the version I have actually came out in 1984 (as this site claims). If the back cover of my version is to believed, the bootleg label responsible for this release only printed 200 of these bad boys (mine is number 66), making it a pretty rare find.

Regardless of where and when it came from, and how rare it is, it’s a great bootleg full of some pretty interesting stuff. The first three sides are a complete concert, recorded live at the Rotterdam Sports Palais Ahoy on May 13th, 1976. The recording is from a soundboard, so it’s crystal clear, if a little flat. Although Bowie complains on the recording that he’s suffering from a bit of bronchitis, he sounds great as the band plays through some of his best material of the time, including “Station to Station,” “TVC15″ and “Diamond Dogs.”

The final side of the bootleg is a grab bag of bonus cuts culled from a variety of sources. First up is a recording of Bowie performing “Sweet Jane” with Lou Reed on July 8th, 1972 in London. It’s a real rarity, which makes up for the fact that the recording kind of sounds like garbage. After that there’s another super-rare one, Bowie doing a cover of The Beatles’ “This Boy,” performed on July 18th, 1972 in Aylesbury. It also sounds pretty bad though.

That’s followed by “Sister Midnight,” taken from a performance in Toronto on February 26th, 1976, and a version of “Sound and Vision,” that’s from a show in London on July 1st, 1978. These sound bad, but better than the previous tracks.

Finally there are a pair of tracks taken from two shows in Brussels on April 18th and 19th, 1983. The first is a rare live version of “Joe The Lion” and the second is a cover of The Who’s “I Can’t Explain.” These also sound okay, but not great.

Truth be told, the final side is pretty much a wash when it comes to sound quality, although those versions of “Sweet Jane” and “This Boy” should probably be of interest to Bowie completists out there. Like I said before, the real treat here is the complete concert from 1976. It sounds great and is well worth a listen. I hope you like it.

Complete Track Listing

Rotterdam Concert – 5/13/176

  1. Station to Station
  2. Suffragette City
  3. Fame
  4. Word On A Wing
  5. Stay
  6. Waiting For The Man
  7. Band Introduction
  8. Changes
  9. TVC15
  10. Diamond Dogs
  11. Rebel Rebel
  12. Jean Genie

Additional Tracks

  1.  Sweet Jane – 7/8/72
  2. This Boy –  7/18/72
  3. Sister Midnight – 2/26/76
  4. Sound And Vision – 7/1/78
  5. Joe The Lion – 5/18/83
  6. I Can’t Explain – 5/19/83

Posted in Complete Albums, David Bowie, live | No Comments »

Echoes of Romance – An Ultravox(!) Bootleg

Monday, July 23rd, 2012

Echoes Of Romance
Part 1
Part 2
I’ve been accumulating quite a few bootlegs lately so I think I’m going to have to go bootleg crazy for the next few weeks to clear them out of my queue. Don’t worry, I’m sure most of you will like what I have to offer (even those of you who whine about “decent music).” So let’s just jump right in with one of my favorite recent bootleg finds, Echoes Of Romance by Ultravox.

This is an awesome album because it’s basically two great bootlegs in one, 30 songs pulled from two completely different shows. The first 15 tracks are taken from a December 26th, 1978 concert at the Marquee in England. This is the original(ish) line-up that includes Robin Simon on guitars and, more importantly, John Foxx on vocals. It’s classic early Ultravox, a bizarre combination of punk rock, synthpop and glam rock that still sounds unique and fresh some 32 years later. The quality is also excellent, with very clear vocals and almost no audience chatter. Classics like “Young Savage” and “Hiroshima Mon Amour” are performed, as well as awesome unheralded tunes like “Walk Away” and the supremely odd “Someone Else’s Clothes.” It’s a great show and worth a listen to even the most casual fans of the group’s early work.

The second half of this three-LP bootleg is comprised of songs from a December 13th, 1980 concert at the Odeon Hammersmith. This is of the “classic” line-up that features Midge Ure on vocals. The quality of this recording is a little more sketchy, with the vocals coming off a little more muddled at times and audience noises sometimes making their way into the mix. But even with its lesser fidelity it’s still well worth a listen for fans of the group as the band plays favorites like “New Europeans,” “All Stood Still,” and “Vienna.” Even Foxx-era tracks like “Hiroshima Mon Amour” and “Quiet Man” make an appearance. Great stuff all around.

I’m curious, which Ultravox do you all like the most? The punkier, harsher John Foxx stuff, or the classier, new romantic-influenced Midge Ure albums?

I love them both, although I still don’t have all of the Ure-era stuff. I think my favorite Ultravox song overall is the Ure-fronted “Hymm,” but I also have a soft spot for the crazier Foxx tracks like “Young Savage” and “Saturday Night In the City of the Dead.” Ask me which iteration of the band I prefer one day and you might get a different answer the next. I can’t decide.

Just don’t bring up the Billy Currie-led era. That never happened.

NEVER HAPPENED.

Posted in bootlegs, Complete Albums, live, Ultravox | 6 Comments »

Talk Talk Talk Talk Talk Talk Talk

Sunday, July 15th, 2012

Anyone out there speak German? Okay. I know plenty of people do (they’re called Germans) but any out there who are willing to translate something for me? It’s not much, just a few lines on a couple comic book panels. If anyone wants to help me out, hit me up via email or on Twitter.

Talk Talk
Why Is It So Hard? (12″ U.S. Remix)
It’s Getting Late In The Evening (7″ Version)
Life’s What You Make It (Dub Version)
Living In Another World (Curious World Dub Mix)
Living In Another World (Mendelsohn Remix)
Living In Another World (Live)
Talk Talk (Remixed By Gary Miller)
Five years ago (!!!) I posted some tracks from Talk Talk’s It’s My Mix, a 1992 remix EP that was released only in Italy. Since then, I’ve been asked to repost those tracks about a billion times over. My go to response has typically been to ignore those requests. Not because I hate Talk Talk or the people who want the songs, but because I lost those tunes on a hard drive crash and I didn’t want to bother cleaning and re-recording the record. I’m lazy.

It also turns out that it’s completely unnecessary for me to re-record almost all of those tracks, because EMI has actually been pretty excellent at making Talk Talk rarities available. There are, in fact, two Talk Talk rarities collections out there, Remixed and Asides and Besides. Between the two of them nearly every Talk Talk remix, dub mix, b-side and alternate version are now available to purchase at iTunes, Amazon or just about any music outlet you could imagine. So if you want most of their remixes and rarities, I suggest you go there.

But if you want even more Talk Talk, don’t worry because I still totally have you covered.

In a case of random weirdness, while Remixed includes most of It’s My Mix, it doesn’t include all of it! For some reason the 12″ US Remix to “Why Is It So Hard?” (hehehe) is absent on both Remixed and Asides and Besides. Why? Who knows. But that does mean that I can provide it for you here.

Additionally, while many of Talk Talk’s 12″ singles were mined completely for both of those compilations, some were left behind, most notably these killer mixes and versions of “Living In Another World” and an entirely different remix of “Talk Talk” which is actually longer than the “Extended Remix” that is on Remixed. Go figure.

And before anyone asks, yes I am aware that there are additional Talk Talk remixes that are not on Remixed nor Asides and Besides. They are also not in my personal record collection. So unless they show up at Jerry’s sometime, I’m not going to be posting them.

Now if I never say “Talk Talk remix” again I’ll be very happy.

Posted in B-sides, live, remixes, Talk Talk | 7 Comments »

Music for Unicorns

Thursday, July 5th, 2012

I celebrated American Independence Day by watching clips of The Day After on YouTube. Actually, my roommates did more to celebrate the holiday and they’re both Chinese immigrants. I fail at being American.

But I totally rule at sharing 80s music, so let’s do this.

Bryan Ferry
Is Your Love Strong Enough (Extended Version)
Man, that’s one stone cold stare.

When Ridley Scott finished his Tom Cruise frolics with unicorns fantasy epic that is Legend, the studio was not happy with his final cut. Not only did they strip his original 113 minute version down to 96 minutes for European audiences, they also went ahead and cut the American version even more, down to a scant 89 minutes. But that wasn’t the only change they made to the film when bringing it to American shores.

No, in addition to randomly slicing out seven minutes of pesky plot , they also completely removed Jerry Goldsmith’s fully symphonic score and replaced it with a synthesized score by Tangerine Dream, with additional contributions by Jon Anderson of Yes and Bryan Ferry. From what I’ve read it was because they wanted the film to have a broader appeal, but I think it was just because someone at Universal Studios thought Firestarter was dope.

It’s such an odd thing to do if you think about it. Did the executives at Universal really thing that an electronic soundtrack would really help to bring in the kids and families? Why even bother? Why eat the costs of Jerry Goldsmith’s score? Just seems totally random to me.

Besides, it didn’t help. The movie was a bomb and critical dud. Ironically today, you can find Goldmith’s original score on iTunes and Amazon relatively easily, but Tangerine Dream’s soundtrack has long been out of print. The soundtrack version of this song (which features guitar work by David Gilmour) is on a few Ferry compilations, but this 12″ version has never seen the light of day digitally.

The Cure
Kyoto Song (Live)
A Night Like This (Live)
I was going to put a picture of Robert Smith up, but I think one freaky looking British dude is enough for one post.

These two live tracks are from the 12″ single to “Catch” and originally appeared in The Cure’s 1987 concert film The Cure In Orange. (In case you’re wondering, the Orange in question is the Theatre antique d’Orange, located in the Principality of Orange, France.) The movie was released on tape and laserdisc, but it still has never seen a DVD or Blu-Ray release, something that no doubt makes fans of The Cure even more depressed than they already are. Mopey bastards.

 

Posted in Bryan Ferry/Roxy Music, live, remixes, The Cure | 2 Comments »

Havana 3 A.M. and a song way too good for cassette tape.

Wednesday, June 20th, 2012

Just a single song tonight. But it’s really good!

Havana 3 A.M.
Blue Jean Vincent (Live)
A few weeks ago I picked this up at a yard sale.

Take A Spin With I.R.S., a 1992 promo tape made by I.R.S. Records to showcase some of their best and brightest acts. When I grabbed the tape, the only artists on I recognized on it were Concrete Blonde and MC 900 Ft. Jesus. After listening to it, none of the other artists on the tape (which included acts such as Dada, Vinx and Rebel Pebbles), really left an impression on me.

That is, none of the acts except Havana 3 A.M. They close out the tape with a live version of “Blue Jean Vincent,” a track off of their 1991 self-titled debut. It’s an amazing tune, full of energy and a slight rockabilly edge that was reminiscent of some of The Clash’s best work.

Turns out that’s no coincidence. Havana 3 A.M. was a band launched by Clash bassist Paul Simonon after the band broke up in the 80s. Their 1991 record proved to be their only official release, as lead singer Nigel Dixon died just two years later, followed by Simonon quitting the music business altogether. I guess the guitarist went on with the name for a bit, but I think the album he released under the name is more of a solo record.

It was the only song on the tape that I loved, so of course that was the only part of the tape that was damaged and distorted, rendering the end of the song unlistenable. I picked up a copy of their CD, but the studio version of the song just pales in comparison. I needed the live version.

Most people would just give up at this point, but not me. I’m crazy. I’m an idiot. I’m the kind of moron who will pluck down 13 bucks to an online used tape dealer to buy a tape that I already own just in the off chance that it might sound better than the version I already own.

Sigh, I either need a cheaper hobby or I need to get back on Prozac.

Anyways, thankfully my moderate insanity paid off. The second copy of the tape sounded much better (it’s still kind of muddy sounding, but hey, it’s a 20 year old tape), allowing me to finally record a complete version of the tune that I can share with you all tonight.

If you at all love The Clash (and you fucking should) then you need to check out this tune. I can see why the studio version failed to catch on back in the day, it’s a bit too overproduced and was already dated by the time it came out. There’s something funky with the drums, it lacks edge and bite. But this version just kicks ass. It has a rockabilly feel to it, but it’s totally a punk rock song at heart.

It’s the kind of song that I bet Joe Strummer would have dug the shit out of. I hope you do.

Posted in live | 6 Comments »

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