By the Light of the Moon - Los Lobos. Band of Special Merit. See 1984. Even better tunes here.
Daydream Nation - Sonic Youth. Double album. I had the first date with the woman I'd two years later marry just hours before seeing their show that December. My friends invented the Mexican Graveyard (Mezcal screwdriver with a splash of tabasco) in a snooty preppy bar at the University of Virginia after the gig. Surreal. Some friends opened up for them and smashed their instruments. The Sonics played on the littered stage. Their guitars sounded like machines and they banged on them with steel rods. Intellectual Hardcore with rage and abstract artism.
Diesel & Dust- Midnight Oil. Album of Special Merit. Here is a band I cheered for years. I thought they were almost great and this one shows them great. I thought there were overtones of The Who's Tommy here. "Put Down That Weapon," "Beds Are Burning" and "The Dead Heart" are protest songs, you could say.
Distant Horizon: Rio/New York - Kenia. Samba meets jazz in excellent Sunday morning tuneage. Spacey recording, featuring deep vocals and a version Stevie Wonder's "Creepin'." Some lyrics in Portugese. The sultry, hellababe inner sleeve photos are truly identical to this girl who shot me down in flames in junior high. Years later, a guy with whom I painted houses rode his motorcycle up and down the snowy Jersey turnpikes to Virginia to take her out. I think she said yes for the free food.
Forever Your Girl - Paula Abdul. Falling for syrupiness. I remember dancing at a wedding with a flock of little kids to "Straight Up" when I hadn't recovered as much as I thought from pleurisy. Stratospheric singing over layers of electronica. Liked the title song and "Cold Hearted Man." She was a serious babe in the videos; never got too heavy for me, damn it.
Greatest Hits - Bananarama. More saccharine. "Robert Deniro's Waiting" was so cool I couldn't believe it was these bimbos. Greatly enjoyed "Cruel, Cruel Summer" with this female friend of Miami Kevin's who went on to be a big fashion consultant in Hollywood.
Green Thoughts - Smithereens. The New Jersey rockers move ahead a few years; sounding like The Who in 1970.
If I Should Fall From Grace With God - Pogues. Celtic folk rock, with an emphasis on the folk here. "A Fairytale of New York" is really beautiful, yet peppered with typical vulgarities by singer Shane McGowan: "You're a bum, you're a punk, you're an old slut on junk...Merry Christmas, your ass, I pray God it's our last."
Less Than Zero - Movie Soundtrack. "Hazy Shade of Winter" by Paul Simon, is updated nicely.
Lucinda Williams - Lucinda Williams. Song of Special Merit. I was told she was a 35-year-old housewife who decided to release a country album. This one has more in common with 50s rock than country and helps to signal the transition to 90s New Country. Very good on "Austin City Limits." The original "Passionate Kisses" is here; the plaintive, yearning quality is exquisite; it wasn't captured by my musical hero Mary-Chapin. Sorry, babe.
Nothing's Shocking - Jane's Addiction. "Jane Says" and "Mountain Song" are two of my favorites by them. Skewed hard semipunkrock with nice beat; squeals, yelps and shouts for vocals.
Pontiac - Lyle Lovett. Texas Swing and Dylanesque folk sung with a quaver. Insightful, humorous stuff.
She's Having a Baby - Movie Soundtrack. Album of Special Merit. U2's producer's wife turns in a fantastic version of "You Just Haven't Earned it Yet, Baby" that outdoes the Smiths. "Woman's Work" by Kate Bush is startling; I swear I hear her sob at the beginning. "Desire" by Gene Loves Jezebel is a cool clubrock tune. Everything But the Girl turn in a good roll, too. I wouldn't hear from them for years after this. You know, we just don't have enough films with Kevin Bacon in them; this one is quite good, actually.
Shooting Rubberbands At The Stars - Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians. Sure, she looked like she was weedling, all squatted down in the video for "What I Am." That one and "Circle" showed strong writing and a decent band. Sister music to the Dead, I always thought. Or Phish.
Short Sharp Shocked - Michelle Shocked. Lots of sweet documentary folk. "Black Widow" combines fast hardcore with a take on the Ventures' "Walk Don't Run." "If Love Was a Train" came on as I crossed the bridge in Baltimore once.
The Trinity Sessions - Cowboy Junkies. Recorded live with supposedly one or two mics in a church. Their covers of "Sweet Jane" and "Walking After Midnight" fit well with the originals. Unique, Sandy Denny-type singing, in the 60s near-operatic folk tradition. The music is brooding, swirling and narcotic. If you liked this, please get October Project's self-titled 1993 debut. Love that.
Thusly, Thee Mighty Caesars - Thee Mighty Caesars. Song of Special Merit. "Wiley Coyote" had the coolest lyrics..."I got a stack of dynamite and a 100-ton weight/I got TNT birdseed to use as my bait"...This is screaming over low-fidelity fast-paced garage rock at its best. I remember being awakened by a fresh copy of this blaring at 8 am. I looked around the room and didn't know where I was. Cleveland. Caesar singer Billy Childish also was in the Milkshakes. Bad attitude--he who wrote the songs "I F'd Your Daughters and P'd on Your Lawn" and "Messerschmitt Pilot's Severed Hand."
Vivid - Living Colour. Intense arty speedmetal guitar playing over heavy duty midpaced funk. We played the ska-flavored "Glamour Boys" in a techno band.
Washington Squares - Washington Squares. Gig of Special Merit. Saw them Election Night and they were all hacked that Bush won. Social conscience folk. The recordings were not as good as this passionate trio was live. I heard Mojo wrote "You Can't Kill Me;" it's startling. The obligatory Dylan tune is "He Was A Friend of Mine." I might have the date wrong for this release. If you're interested, get the CD released in 1997 or 98; it has all their stuff on it. I don't think they recorded but this album and an EP.
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