The College Crowd Digs Me

Interview:--> Bill Goffrier

2012-01-28T00:31:00.006-06:00

"They won't be coming back...
but their message will reach us."
--> The Embarrassment <--

Once upon a time, in the unlikely trend-setting Midwest metropolis of Wichita, KS, local time-traveler, guitarist Bill Goffrier and 3 of his college buds (Brent Giessmann, Ron Klaus, John Nichols) formed a little group that many fans revere as..."the best band you never heard of" ...The Embarrassment.

The Embarrassment were one of the original DIY indie bands. Making tapes in basements and makeshift studios. Flooding mailboxes with music. Leaving phone messages with record labels. Getting their share of late night college radio airplay. And putting in the usual roadwork, playing their way across the country.

But despite receiving great reviews from underground music mags and top-crop critics alike, The Embarrassment could never quite swing that elusive BIG record deal.

But they absolutely made their mark.

The Embarrassment were a hidden-force-coincidence. A parallel-universe-circumstance. And a testament that some journeys can indeed be its own reward.

I caught up with post-punk pioneer Bill Goffrier, who was performing a solo set before a SRO crowd at The Choke and we hooked up later at Watermark Books for a delicious...hot as lava, pot of java and a bit of Q & A

Bill Goffrier self-portrait

The following is an excerpt:-->(Dec 31, 2011)

CASEY CHAMBERS: I'd like to start off by asking about some of your musical influences.

BILL GOFFRIER: The first thing that pops into my head is the Beatles White album. It was all over the map. Every style of music was in there. Very personal stuff. I recognized at the time that it was more individually done. Here's Paul doing his thing. Here's George. Here's John. Everyone doing his thing.

It was kind of like this songwriters collaborative. And I just loved that idea. I'm not saying that's what we tried to do in the first bands that I was in...we were barely able to play. Other than our drummer Brent (Giessmann) who was pretty accomplished, hey, we were barely able to play anything. We were just trying to be like the Ramones or the Sex Pistols.

CASEY CHAMBERS: How did The Embarrassment come together?

BILL GOFFRIER: Well Brent and i already knew each other; we met in 3rd grade in a sandbox. John Nichols was carrying his trumpet case to school. He was getting on the bus with a little plastic case that had a little trumpet in it and we were kinda making fun of John. Although subconsciously, it was drawing us together because Brent and I loved music. We'd listen to his older brothers weird rock albums. We were getting into David Bowie. Todd Rundgren. All this artsy stuff.

It took a couple years until we realized John was really into cool music, too. And we'd go over to his mom's apartment and he'd play Kool and the Gang. I think he had a Ringo Starr. "Frankenstein" by Edgar Winter Group. Like...'ahhh, this is cool.' We all liked that song.

We didn't know what we were going to do musically. I think we had like three different punk band configurations before The Embarrassment. John, Brent, and I was the first one. Just the three of us. And that had its limitations. Then Brent and I found Ron (Klaus) and we had a trio without John. We thought that's all we'd need, but then the band realized we needed a front man. A 4th person in the group.

And then we remembered...'oh yeah, John.' We'd heard him sing. He hadn't sung in the other groups. He played bass. He was very shy. Very reluctant to be on stage. He didn't want to put himself out in front, but we talked him into it.

That's where he had to develop his own way of dealing with stage fright issues and stuff like that. Kind of...create. His John persona came out of that. We watched it grow. We thought, he's really cool. He's coming up with some really cool stuff.

CASEY CHAMBERS: Where did you guys first start playing?

BILL GOFFRIER: It would have been a college party at someone's house near WSU (Wichita State University). Once in awhile there would be these drunken parties and all the cool college art students would come and...y'know...we were hip and cool and we were in the arts, too, so it was like...'Ah! Let's get that punk band to come and play.'

We didn't even have a name yet. I think we played two of those shows around campus before we decided on what the name of the the band was. We also got to go on KMUW college radio and play live.

CASEY CHAMBERS: You guys started recording some of your music and getting positive reviews...

BILL GOFFRIER: We had our manager Dan Rouser with us and he was the one making a lot of that happen. We didn't know how to go about it. But he was such a good PR person. He'd be on the phone and writing letters. There was no Internet or anything so that was the only way you could do it. He'd be mailing stuff and he'd be on the phone. So we'd see stuff (reviews) like that and think...'oh, this is great'.

But does this mean that we're going to get a better show or we're going to get picked up by a label? Cause he'd keep approaching record labels. 'Sign these guy? Nah. I don't think we need a Kansas punk rock band. Thanks but...' It just wasn't an easy sell.

CASEY CHAMBERS: Did The Embarrassment ever make it out to New York's CBGBs?

BILL GOFFRIER: In the early 80s, we made it out to New York and we played...Danceteria (famous new wave club). It was a huge multi-floored dance club and the guy that ran it started bringing in some really cool live acts. Something different every night. Live bands on one floor...disco going on another. He'd always have really interesting bills.

The same time we were playing there, we got a flyer that had the Club's calendar on it and R.E.M. was gonna be playing the very next week cause they were kinda on the same circuit we were at that point.

Taken backstage after Embarrassment's
first appearance at the Danceteria,

And that was really good money for us. That was the only way we could afford going to New York and get back. And just knowing we were gonna get a good amount of cash from Danceteria allowed us to book other shows.

CASEY CHAMBERS: You guys had the opportunity to open for some pretty famous artists. Velvet Underground's John Cale and one of my favorite guys...Iggy Pop...

BILL GOFFRIER: Yea, I think we did a couple of shows with Iggy. This was at a big Chicago ballroom venue. Big theater. And we did a lot of those kind of show openings. Chicago was a really good town for The Embarrassment. Sometimes we'd headline at the little clubs, but if there was a big show like that, I don't know, I guess we had a good enough reputation that we could get on some of those bills.
We opened for Pete Shelley of the Buzzcocks once. He was doing a solo tour. We were excited about that because we were all huge Buzzcock fans. Oh and we opened for Public Image Ltd in Chicago too. That was big, big hype for us opening for them. They were drawing huge crowds cause that was the only way anybody got a chance to see Johnny Rotten at that point. It was such a rare opportunity. Everybody went to that show.

Always up in Chicago. Those would be like week long tours for us. If we had a good gig in Chicago, then we'd play our way up and play our way back.

"Now that I've finally gotten the message, a year and a half after this

great lost American band dispersed into the wilds of Wichita,
I still can't repeat it back to you." - Robert Christgau

CASEY CHAMBERS: In 1995, Bar None Records finally released The Embarrassment's double-disc compilation..."Heyday: 1979-1983". That was "manna in the desert" for embo fans. How did that come about? What took so long?

BILL GOFFRIER: In the early 80's, our paths crossed with Glenn Morrow who had his own band...The Individuals out in Hoboken New Jersey. He later became one of the head guys at Bar None Records. So we kind of had a mutual knowledge of each other.

The Embarrassment had split up by this time but we were starting to play some reunion shows...at least once a year playing in Lawrence or Wichita. And that grew into the idea of recording some new stuff. So Bar None said...'Lets do this! We'll give you a recording budget to do a new album. But we want to reissue all the older stuff too. So it'll be like a 2 record deal and we'll see where that goes.'

"One of the main influences on American indie rock's
look, sound, and D.I.Y. aesthetic." - All Music Guide

So we ended up recording and putting the reunion album out right away..."God Help Us" (1990). But the anthology reissue thing took like...5 more years to actually happen. I'm not sure why that delay. It may have been a financially difficult time for the label. It was kind of up and down.

So when Bar None finally worked things out, our band wasn't very active at all. I don't even think our band played any shows again until maybe 2006. I could be forgetting something. But it finally came out and it got some good press.

CASEY CHAMBERS: When The Embarrassment broke up in '83, you moved out to Boston and later formed another great indie band...Big Dipper.

BILL GOFFRIER: That wasn't supposed to happen, really. I only moved out there because The Embarrassment was...we were just kind of on our last legs. We were really down. We had lost our manager friend Dan and we were trying to do it ourselves.
It seemed like even though our record..."Death Travels West" (1983) was getting really good reviews and stuff, it just wasn't paying. And we were trying to do this full time! We were poor and starving. It just wasn't realistic to stay out on the road. It was like...'Guys, this is just not fun anymore. We can't keep this up.'

So I think John (Nichols), our singer, was the first one to say...'Well, you know, I gotta get out of this and be doing something else.' I think he was starting to work for an airline that was new in town at the time.

And I was applying to grad school to finish my studies in painting. And it was between Boston, Chapel Hill, North Carolina and Bloomington Indiana. I was going to go to one of those programs for a Masters Degree. And I decided on Boston cause we had played there a lot. Loved Boston. I wasn't looking for the music scene cause I thought I was completely done, but the art scene was really good so I went out there.

Brent (Giessmann), our drummer, was wanting to get a fresh start, too...so he ended up coming out right after me. While I was in the painting program, he joined the Del Fuegos and kind of took off. They had just signed a major label deal. So he ended up becoming a semi famous rock star with the Del Fuegos and I was watching that.

Big Dipper

(Bill Goffrier, Steve Michener, Gary Waleik, Jeff Oliphant)

Then at the end of my 2 years in art school, one of my painting peers introduced me to Gary Waleik. She was telling me, 'I want you to meet this friend of mine cause he's an Embarrassment fan. She told Gary I'm going to art school with this guy and he was in some band in Kansas.

Gary's like, 'Yeah great.' But when he learned it was The Embarrassment, he got all excited. Cause he was sort of like you...A real cool underground music fan. At the time, he was playing with the Volcano Suns with the drummer from Mission of Burma.

Mission of Burma had broken up. We knew all about them when we were still here in Wichita. We had their records. So I thought, 'Well that's cool. He's playing with a Mission of Burma guy.' I went to see the Volcano Suns a couple times and Gary was grumbling. He's like, 'Ahhh! I'm not getting along too well in this band. They don't want to do my songs. They want to do the drummer's songs. He's the head of the band. This isn't fun anymore.'

So we just started sitting around on the front porch where I live. We had our guitars. It was fun to just write songs together. It was just a songwriters collaborative. Not a band. We didn't even want to be in a band anymore.

And then he brought another member of the Volcano Suns...bassist Steve Michener. And I think Steve had left the Volcano Suns and joined Dumptruck. They were an up and coming local indie band. Kind of more poppy. Steve liked that. He came on board.

Still we just thought...it's not a band. We just have these 3 different songwriters who get together and hash out our ideas. It turned out the place to do it was in Gary's cousin Jeff Oliphant's basement. Jeff was a drummer and we'd practice there about once a week. And we started feeling like we should record some of this stuff. So we did.

Since we had those connections, it was kind of easy to get gigs. I think our first show was at The Rat (The Rathskeller) in Boston. We were opening for The Mekons who we all loved. They were one of our British post-punk heroes. I think the new lineup of the Volcano Suns were on that bill too.

We just kind of jumped into the scene. Gee, we didn't want to be in a band again and here we are. I guess we had a different attitude then. It was like, 'OK, we'll be in a band..as long as it's fun. If people are just offering us shows and want us to put out records, why should we say no?' It didn't seem to be hard work. So we did it.

CASEY CHAMBERS: The iconic video game..."Rock Band"...wound up using a few songs from Big Dipper.

BILL GOFFRIER: Oh yeah! A few years ago that came to pass. Rock Band is headquartered in the Boston area and the main people at Rock Band have a lot of Boston connections. They wanted to do more independent bands and they thought well, why not Big Dipper. And I think since the anthology on Merge...("Supercluster")...had just come out in 2008, that kind of brought our music out into the public again.

"...(Big Dipper) were making music on par
with the best bands of the era." - All Music Guide

They used three songs and on their budget had our guitarist, Gary, go in and do the remixing which was a lot of fun for him. But he also had to make sure they had all the individual tracks 'cause the way it works is, you have to go back to the multitrack masters and isolate every track or you can't work it into the game system. So that was a job. Gary's our studio wizard.

CASEY CHAMBERS: I gotta tell ya, you play a pretty mean paintbrush, as well. I especially like the way you capture parts of the city with your paints and your cosmic take on other-worldly subjects. What medium do you enjoy most and when did you discover this talent?

BILL GOFFRIER: Oil is back to being my medium of choice. Sometimes it's watercolors. Back in grade school my parents got me art lessons at what used to be the Wichita Art Association. And now it's the Center For The Arts way out on east Central. I was able to take lessons from some really good local artists. My high school teacher, Don Weddle was a really good painter and was very supportive. He helped me get college scholarships based on my art portfolio so I was able to go full time to WSU.

All of the members of The Embarrassment were in the Art program at WSU. We were all Fine Art students. But then I'd kind of teeter. If the music was very satisfying, then I'd think...'OK I'm not gonna paint for awhile. I'll get back to it cause I can go do my painting anytime.' It goes like that.

--> Bill Goffrier Art Studio <--

When the band breaks up, I'm painting. But then in the late '80s, I was doing more music with Big Dipper. Then I wanted to get back to painting in the '90s. Very prolific in the '90s. Now it's kind of a balance. I'm painting regularly enough that I don't lose my momentum completely.

And the music's fitting in much better now. I'm more adaptable. I do solo shows, duo stuff with my girlfriend now, even Big Dipper when we're being active. It's great that I can get my musical fix in a lot of different situations. So I feel really lucky about that. Cause I like doing all of it.

* * * * * * * *

Bill was heading back to Boston on an early New Years Day flight, so I jumped into my car and drove off listening to the CD below...

"...the energy of their live shows makes
Blister Pop! a real thirst-quencher." - Trouser Press

...shouting "I got Blister Pop on my fingers!"

Good stuff!

Casey
Follow me on --> Twitter

Lost Book Gem: "Endurance" - Alfred Lansing (1959)

2012-01-25T15:34:00.001-06:00

"Let me keep on sleeping
Forget that I'm alone.
One day of faceless living
is 24 hours too long."
--> Angel City <--

In this amazingly true adventure. Sir Ernest Shackleton and his handpicked crew of 27 men attempt to cross the Antarctic in a 3-masted wooden ship named the Endurance.

Alfred Lansing's straightforward telling of the crew's extreme day-to-day living conditions are nothing short of harrowing. What starts off as a journey of exploration quickly becomes an exercise in stayin' alive. (And I'm not talking Saturday Night Fever.)

Shackleton observing his men saving one of their boats.

Forced to evacuate the ship or risk being crushed by the ice...the crew seek refuge on a moving ice floe. For 17 months, these courageous and strong-willed men have death looming over their shoulders. Daily life-threatening battles with Mother Nature are a constant. No one else knows where they are and there's no way to call out for help.

Fascinating still, is the leadership and managing skills Shackleton employed to get the best out of his men.

Everyone survived!

The Angels - "Face The Day" (1980)

I don't wanna face the day
I don't wanna face the day
I don't wanna face the day, the day, today
Long night leaves me stranded
black visions, danger signs
no love, need protection
feels like I'm on production line
daggers of dawn, cold-hearted day
why does it have to be morning?
cover my head, stayin' in bed
too late, the luckless warning.

I don't wanna face the day, the day, today.
I don't wanna face the day, the day, today.

Outside, screaming city
red lights and hungry eyes
sucks like a space invader
the vacuum of its lies
stealing my strength, stealing my time
it's raining in a world of traders.

Let me keep on sleeping
forget that I'm alone
one day of faceless living
is 24 hours too long.

Give the night, it's more forgiving
hold back the light from my eyes
please stay invisible darkness
can't see the tears I cry
I know it's coming loaded with nothing
trapped in a tunnel of time.

Good stuff!

Casey
Follow me on --> Twitter

Lost Gem: "Blue Red and Grey" - The Who (1975)

2012-01-20T00:20:00.002-06:00

"I know a crowd who only live after midnight.
Their faces always seem so pale."
--> The Who <--

1975 was a difficult year for hall-of-fame rockers...The Who.

Excessive drinking and partying was the flavor of the day...nearly killing Pete and certainly playing a significant role in Keith's destruction. Friction between Pete and Roger had reached a physical point. And John E. was spending money faster than he made it.

Plus the silly cheese hit..."Squeeze Box"...given to radio from "The Who By Numbers" gave fans little warning of the more darker songs found on the album. (It was jarringly NOT the party album buyers were expecting and it unfairly got a bad taint.)

Keith, Pete Roger, John E.

But this is inspired Who...and definitely not one for the kiddies. This is Pete struggling to draw a line in "real-life" sand...with the other bandmates bringing their weapons to the fight. This one's for the guy sitting in the back row.

Lost Gem:--> "Blue Red and Grey" ...is a surprisingly sweet & gentle acoustic tune dropped on the album...guided by Pete's uke and John E's nicely added horn. It's miles removed from the familiar bombastic thunderdome Who sound...so charming and just a wee-bit wistful. Absolutely one of Pete's best.

Have you heard this gem?

Some people seem so obsessed with the morning
Get up early just to watch the sun rise.
Some people like it more when there's fire in the sky
Worship the sun when it's high.
Some people go for those sultry evenings
Sipping cocktails in the blue, red and grey.
But I like every minute of the day.

I like every second, so long as you are on my mind.
Every moment has its special charm.
It's all right when you're around, rain or shine.

I know a crowd who only live after midnight
Their faces always seem so pale.
And then there's friends of mine who must have sunlight
They say a suntan never fails.
I know a man who works the night shift
He's lucky to get a job and some pay.
And I like every minute of the day

I dig every second.
I can laugh in the snow and rain.
I get a buzz from being cold and wet.
The pleasure seems to balance out the pain.

And so you see that I'm completely crazy
I even shun the south of France.
The people on the hill, they say I'm lazy
But when they sleep, I sing and dance.
Some people have to have the sultry evenings
Cocktails in the blue, red and grey.
But I like every minute of the day

Good stuff!

Casey
Follow me on --> Twitter

Stream Gem: "Kansas City Confidential" (1952)

2012-01-14T09:45:00.001-06:00

"Are you my friend?
Are you my plumber?"
--> Iggy Pop <--

"Kansas City Confidential" is a B-movie crime caper...surprisingly taught and tight in the telling...and very pleasing to the eye.

Noir films have always been a guilty-pleasure and this one easily falls in the "better than most" category.

A well-executed bank heist causes an innocent flower delivery guy (John Payne) to be arrested. Later released, but fired from his job anyway...ex-flower delivery guy goes hunting for the real robbers.

Neville Brand & Lee Van Cleef

Jack Elam

The story is standard noir fare, for sure...with some clever twists. But it is the inspired bad-guy casting that sweetens the shuffle.
The bugeyed Jack Elam. The throaty Neville Brand. The mustache-less Lee Van Cleef (looking like Cosmo Kramer). All younger actors playing the heavies and they steal every scene.
Stream it at AMAZON.

Iggy Pop - "Mask"

You're wearing a mask
You're wearing a mask
You're wearing a mask
You look better that way
You're wearing a mask
You're wearing a mask
You're wearing a mask
You look better that way
Are you my friend ?
Are you my plumber ?
Are you my God ?
What do you do ?
Wearing a mask
You're wearing a mask
You're wearing a mask
Which mask are you ?
Which mask are you ?
Complicated crushed up disappointed squirming angry thrusting stabbing regretting starving greedy human alien being, struggling down the street, up the alley, in the elevator, through the party, to the office, in the bedroom, on your way to the morgue. Bullshitting, lying, doing a good deed or feeling loved barely possible. Aware of insatiable demands of not a society all around you. Chunky frat boys in their shorts, pimps with old semite eyes, sex hoochies of the jungle, sensitive smart alec college graduates, critics fronting franticly in New York city, every body in L.A just plain licking ass or having it licked, irony in place of balls, balls in place of brains, brains in place of soul, where is the soul?, where is the love?, where am i?
Which mask are you ?
Which mask are you ?
Which mask are you ?
You're wearing a mask
You're wearing a mask
You're wearing a mask
which mask are you ?

Good stuff!

Casey
Follow me on --> Twitter

Lost Gem: "Running With The Angels" - Russ Ballard (1980)

2012-01-08T17:42:00.002-06:00

"Engines scream
You could hear her shout
Look Out! Look Out!"
--> Russ Ballard <--

In the early 70s, British rocker Russ Ballard was providing lead vocals and guitar spank for the classic rock band...Argent. Songs like "God Gave Rock and Roll To You" and the familiar thump, thump,thumping of..."Hold Your Head Up"... never fail to grab my attention.

After leaving Argent, Ballard hit the solo road, writing songs and making records that never quite got enough push. If ya blinked, you might have thought he quietly disappeared and was tucked away neatly into the crowded and oft-forgotten Rock-n-Roll footnote pages...BUT HOLD YOUR HEAD UP BABIES!

I wasn't hearing Ballard on the radio much...but I was hearing plenty of RB songs recorded by other famous artists. And it was klassic kool learning who some of them were.Many familiar songs..."Free Me"/Roger Daltrey - "New York Groove"/Ace Frehley - "On The Rebound"/Uriah Heep - "You Can Do Magic"/America - "Liar"/Three Dog Night - "Winning"/Santana - "Since You Been Gone"/Rainbow...were all penned by sly Russ Ballard.

And while flipping through stockpiles of my Pop's eclectic album collection, I stumbled upon a Russ Ballard offering..."Barnet Dogs" (1980). A recommended platter of rockers...played with fire and fun...with only a couple of hiccups.

Add it up. Russ Ballard be bad!

Lost Gem:--> "Riding With The Angels" ...a delicious..."roll down the windows & press the pedal"...freeway nugget. Way too good to be so short. Bonus kudos for the sneaky Beach Boys refrain. (oh yeah...she dies in a car wreck.)

Have you heard this gem?

Katie was a kid,
I guess she hid her thoughts from everyone.
Went to school at eight, she was never late
That girl didn't know the meaning of fun.
Every night Katie prayed to God above
But her daddy gave her everything but love.
She woke up one day, said: "I'm on my way"
Her mummy read the letter, It did say:
"I'm on my way, I'm on my way."

Riding with the angels.
Riding with the angels. Riding with the angels.
Riding with the angels
She's having fun, fun, fun.
She's having fun, fun, fun.

They rode around and every boy in town
tried to win her back.
But it was no go, cause she rode with Joe
he was the leader of the pack.
People ran for cover when they rolled to town.
Stand in the way and baby you were run down.
Every night at the light
You can always bet they'd be in a fight.
There's gonna be a fight.

The night was black, rain on the ground
People on the street they could hear the sound.
A local road; engines so loud
There must've been a hundred in the crowd.
Katie and Joe, they were riding too fast.
She knew the ride would be her last.
Engines scream, you could hear her shout...
"Look Out!...Look Out!...Look Out!"

Good stuff!

Casey
Follow me on --> Twitter

Lost Gem: "Hell No I Ain't Happy" - Drive-by Truckers (2003)

2011-12-23T12:51:00.002-06:00

"She’s an overnight sensation after twenty five years."
--> Drive-by Truckers <--

Drive-by Truckers deliver up refreshing "new century" southern rock. Well-written songs...sounding terrifically gritty with a heart-strong urgency to bring it.

Their album..."Decoration Day" (2003) is one of my favorites...and it went on to make several..."best of...lists".

DBT are good...and don't they love proving it!
Lost Gem:--> "Hell No I Ain't Happy" ...is an on-the-road bluesy thunder-bucket of rock-n-roll. And the expressive title catch-phrase makes for a dandy crank-it-up & pop-another-beer sing-a-long.

Have you heard this gem?

There’s a lot of bad wood underneath the veneer
She’s an overnight sensation after twenty five years
Sharp fast curves, power steering
unroll that twenty, buy me some beer
Ain’t too bad, too bad at all, pick up the phone if I ever call
Hell No, I Ain’t Happy.

There’s a purdy little girl outside the van window
Bout 80 cities down, 800 to go
Six crammed in, we ain’t never alone
Never homesick, ain’t got no home
Check my mail if you would please, Jenn
Collect my things till I’m in town again
Hell No, I Ain’t Happy.

But I get a little closer everyday
Gonna be a long time till I’m back your way.

I’ve seen just how much I can stand
One night in Kansas City, we thought about killing a man
Seen my number fly by on Interstate Ten
Seen the mountains of Montana at Seven AM.
And I keep it all together for the sake of the kids
Got your fine-ass self on the back of my lids
Hell No, I Ain’t Happy.
But I ain’t too crappy, too crappy at all.

Official website

Good stuff!

Casey
Follow me on --> Twitter

Lost Gem: "Time Out" - Joe Walsh (1974)

2011-12-18T13:00:00.001-06:00

"The maids are in the hallway
bangin' on the door
Askin' what the funny smell was."
--> Joe Walsh <--

Wichita breeze...Joe Walsh...was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998...as a member of The Eagles.

But most Classic Rock aficionados agree, Joe's earlier work as leader of the legendary James Gang...and...Barnstorm, along with several accomplished solo albums should easily provide more than enough cred for induction on his own merits.

Once you factor in his achievements as a producer, along with the ticker-tape list of session work he's done over the years.... and I guess ol' Joe can make as many goofy guitar faces as he wants while laughing all the way to the RnR Hall of Face...I mean Fame. Forever adored by his Wichita, Kansas family...Joe Walsh is the real mccoy. Accept no substitute.

Lost Gem:--> "Time Out"...from Walsh's first solo album..."So What" (1974)...has that very distinctive guitar churn and stellar slide-work. It all sounds loose and free, when, in fact, there's not a wasted note anywhere. His bite-ass lyrics are trademark good, as well.

Have you heard this gem?

Goin' through the motions
Tryin' not to snore
Didn't know the gun was loaded.
Rowin' through the ocean
Caught without an oar
Someone said they all exploded.

Time out, save the play
Try to make the lie last
Any old way you can.
Signed out, blown away
When you speak your mind out
Never say what you plan.

The maids are in the hallway
Bangin' on the door
Askin' what the funny smell was.
Wake you up and tell you
It's OK to sleep some more
By the way, is there any you can sell us?

So the case is gettin' hotter
Hear me tell ya, Jack
Stick 'em up, you've just been busted
Your basement's full of water
Forgot about the tide
Hope to God the pump ain't rusted

Signed out, blown away
When you speak your mind out
Never say what you plan
Time out, save the play
Try to make the lie last
Any old way you can.
(Editors note:-->This is the way I hear the lyrics. I've found many interpretations.)

Official Site

Good stuff!

Casey
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Lost Gem: "Nothing's Free" - Alice Cooper (1994)

2011-12-09T08:30:00.005-06:00

"Sign upon the bloody line.
A drop of yours, a drop of mine."
--> Alice Cooper <--

Sometimes people forget.

Maybe it's all his hobnob golfing. Maybe it's his friendly classic rock radio program. Or maybe it's because he once allowed himself to be tenderized by the dangerous...Muppets!

I get it. Alice Cooper is a nice guy.

But DO remember this. On stage...Alice Cooper is an original Rock and Roll bad ass!

Long before there was a Marilyn Manson...Kiss...or...Rob Zombie, there was Alice.
For over 40 years, he has been delightfully creeping us out. Trapping his fans in an unsettling Rock and Roll web. Both musically and theatrically...Alice is (and always will be) the "Showman of Nightmares".

Earlier this year, Alice Cooper was finally inducted into the RnR HoF.

LOST GEM:--> "Nothing's Free"..is from the must own and highly underrated..."The Last Temptation" (1994). Cooper (and band) sound like they've stepped into the 1970's kitchen again...and they're hungry! The showman deftly explains all things come with a price.

Have you heard this gem?

You, me
Understand
Shake my hand
Last chance, little man
Ain't it grand
It's a bargain, it's a steal
30 pieces of silver
And a deal's a deal
Sign upon the dotted line
I'll be yours and you'll be mine
Nothing's free
Eventually.

Nothing's free
From the rules and laws of morality
Free to take your fill
Free from your own free will
Nothing's free.

My boy, it's getting late
I'll raise the stakes
So close
Control your fate, why hesitate
Seal the deal, close the sale
Take my hammer, drive the nail
Sign upon the bloody line
A drop of yours, a drop of mine
Nothing's free
Eternally.

Nothing's free
From your conscience or
Free from the consequence
Free to sin and death
Free till your final breath
Nothing's free
Free from the claws and flaws of your family
Free from obedient life
You're cut like a double-edged knife
Nothing's free, nothing's free
Oh, you pay me.

Free to ignore the bore of authority
Free to spit in the face
Be the winningest rat in the race till
Judgement Day
Then nothing's free
Bow to me if you wanna be free
Free from life, come die with me
And when we're dead it's for
eternity.

Come on little one and dance in the fire
The heat's getting close and the flame's
getting higher
When the music's over there's a hush
in the choir
Nothing's free
When the trumpets sound and his light
is all around
And the saints all raise from the graves
in the ground
We'll be going way downtown
Way downtown.

Good stuff!

Casey
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Book Buzz: "The Time Machine" - H.G. Wells

2011-12-01T08:09:00.004-06:00

"I danced myself right out the womb.
Is it strange to dance so soon?"
--> T. Rex <--

"The Time Machine" (1895) is a classic sci-fi tale about a gentleman discussing his latest invention with a small and unbelieving group of dinner guests.

Of course this intricate contraption is called a...time machine. (btw...the 'time machine' term we have all become overly familiar with was first coined by Wells.)

The inventor tells of his strange traveling experiments that carried him off into the future where he finds himself way the 'H' in the 81st century.

H.G. Wells

H.G. Wells' thought provoking ideas on evolution are worthy of discussion...and appreciating the fact this novel was written nearly 120 years ago makes it all-the-more amazing.

Long before our man Gene-O was writing about explorers "boldly going where no man had gone before"...legendary sci-fi author, H.G. Wells was dreaming novels of man doing a little cosmic dancing themselves.

"Cosmic Dancer" - T. Rex

Good stuff.

Casey
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Lost Gem: "New York's Not My Home" - Jim Croce (1972)

2011-11-18T16:44:00.002-06:00

"And I had begun to doubt
all the things that were me."
--> Jim Croce <--

Jim Croce's breakout album was "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" (1972)...with the uptempo title track being his radio debut single. Three tracks from this album would become radio staples.

The next year, Croce's follow-up record..."Life and Times" (1973) quickly went gold with another three singles taking over the airwaves.

He had just finished recording the album..."I Got A Name"...that same year with plans of a holiday release. Barely a week out of the studio, after doing a show in Louisiana, Jim and longtime partner Maury Muehleisen would tragically be involved in a fatal plane crash.

Jim Croce and Maury Muehleisen

Made no difference whether you were a bruising truck driver or a scared young boy with a broken heart. Redneck or longhair...it didn't matter.

He was one of us and he was singing our life.

LOST GEM:--> "New York's Not My Home"...is really about anyplace where we feel odd man out or last man picked. That place where the weight of all the strange places and faces almost buries us.

Have you heard this gem?

Well things were spinnin' round me
And all my thoughts were cloudy.
And I had begun to doubt
all the things that were me.
Been in so many places.
You know I've run so many races.
And looked into the empty faces
of the people of the night
And something is just not right.

'Cause I know that
I gotta get out of here.
I'm so alone.
Don't you know that
I gotta get out of here.
'Cause New York's not my home.

Though all the streets are crowded
There's somethin' strange about it.
I lived there bout a year
and I never once felt at home.
I thought I'd make the big time
I learned a lot of lessons awful quick
And now I'm tellin' you
that they were not the nice kind.
And it's been so long since
I have felt fine.

Good stuff!

Casey
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Lost Gem: "Zero the Hero" - Black Sabbath (1983)

2011-11-05T01:10:00.011-05:00

"Impossibility.
Impissibolity."
--> Black Sabbath <--

"Born Again" (1983) is a pretty good Black Sabbath album...but receives even higher marks as a post-Ozzy album.

Ronnie James Dio had a good run as the first Ozzy replacement. (four albums...the first one being diamonds.). But near the end of his tenure... Dio (may he RIP) was sounding a wee-bit tired and uninspired. Hence he cut bait.

This allowed legendary screamer Ian Gillan of Deep Purple to be brought into the fold...(this move caused a nasty backlash from Sabbath fans...Dio wizards...and Deep Purple purists!) After one album...Gillan left.
However, Gillan's banshee vocals wailing atop classic Sabbath thunder riffs sometimes worked. The album deserved better.

LOST GEM:--> "Zero The Hero"...is dark, heavy and catchy. Tony Iommi fires off blistering riffs and solos...while Ian Gillan's vocals give the song a fresh twist of metal magic. Nicely done.

Have you heard this gem?

Accept the fact that you're second rate life is easy for you
It's all served up on a gold plated plate
And we don't even have to talk to you
Your face is normal that's the way you're bred
And that's the way you're going to stay
Your head is firmly nailed to your TV channel
But someone else's fingers on the control panel

What you gonna be brother - Zero the hero
Don't you wanna be brother - Zero the hero
When you gonna be brother - Zero the hero
Impossibility impissibolity mother really a hero

You sit there watch it all burn down
It's easy and breezy for you
You play your life to a different sound
No edge no edge you got no knife have you
Your life is a six lane highway to nowhere
You're going so fast you're never ever gonna get down there
Where the heroes sit by the river
With a magic in their music as they eat raw liver

You stand there captain we all look
You really are mediocre
You are the champion in the Acme form book
But I think you're just a joker
Your freedom life ain't so much of a pity
But the luv-a-duckin' way you're walkin' around
The city with your balls and your head full of nothing
It's easy for you sucker but you really need stuffing.
Good stuff!

Casey
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Lost Gem: "Wellsville" - Embarrassment (1981)

2011-10-26T10:52:00.003-05:00

"Offered us his hospitality
but of course
we were too busy."
--> The Embarrassment <--

The Embarrassment (Embos to their fans) were four young guys who seemed to have dropped through a weird..."CBGB Time Crack"...that borned them smack dab in the middle of ...Wichita, KS?

Freshly original, Embarrassment were off-center but always on target, making music that connected with the stressed-out and the left-out.

They were penguins on the prairie. They were kool.

Casey Chambers...In the daytime...In the sunshine.

LOST GEM:--> "Wellsville"...a great roadtrip song with snapping drumbeats and bass runs. Snaggly guitar trim from Bill Goffrier almost disguises vocalist John Nichols' regret of rushing.

Have you heard this gem?

Driving fast down the road
on the highway
I guess so
We stopped just past the Flint hills
there's a sign
it was Wellsville.

Met a country man
willing to lend a hand
fix the car
run the land
down to earth
man stands so tall
he informed us
of the sky and the rainfall.

pass by life
(pass it by)
pass by Wellsville

Offered us his hospitality
but of course
we were too busy.

pass by life
(pass it by)
pass by Wellsville.

in the daytime.

pass by life
(pass it by)
pass by Wellsville

in the sunshine
where the youth die
pass by life
(pass it by)
pass by Wellsville.

You can see main street anytime.

Good stuff!

Casey
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Lost Gem: "The Lottery Song" - Harry Nilsson (1972)

2011-10-10T10:34:00.006-05:00

"If life is just a gamble,
gamble if you want to win."
--> Harry Nilsson <--

He was handed the ultimate stamp of approval any artist would cream their jeans to receive...complimentary long-distance phone calls from each one of The Beatles.

Harry Nilsson. The eclectic musical magi with a head full of moonage daydreams. John Lennon's..."favorite group".

Nilsson was like nobody else. He had spirograph vocals and lite-brite visions. But his fear of performing in front of crowds all but voided any chance for growing that much larger fan base he justly deserved.
Nilsson was Nilsson...and it's exactly these strange attributes that drew me in.

And it is especially rewarding for me when I discover any Nilsson song being utilized in a film...("Coconut" in "Reservoir Dogs" & "Jump Into The Fire" in "Goodfellas") quickly come to mind.

LOST GEM:--> "The Lottery Song"...a gentle McCartneyesque melody, instantly catchy and sweet...but, on closer listen, more sweetly...tongue-in-cheek. The big-time dreams of the small-time everyday man. (himself included). Perfect.

Have you heard this gem?

You could do the laundry
I'll come by on Monday
You give me the money
I will buy a ticket
On the local lottery
We could win the lottery
We could go to Vegas
And be very happy.
Ooh Loo...

I could be a plumber
We could wait till summer
We could save our money
Have a fine vacation
We could buy a trailer
If we bought a trailer
We could go to Vegas
And be very happy.

Ooh Loo...
If life is just a gamble,
Gamble if you want to win
Ooh Loo...
Life can be so easy
Let the wheel of fortune spin.

We could make a record
Sell a lot of copies
We could play Las Vegas
And be very happy.

Check out the wonderful documentary... Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin About Him?). It can be easily streamed from your friendly neighborhood Netflix cloud.

Good stuff!

Casey
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Lost Gem: "Clean Clean" - The Buggles (1980)

2011-09-25T09:32:00.004-05:00

"Johnny tell the chaplain
go and polish his tombs."
--> The Buggles <--

The Buggles, and their now-famous and delightful opening video for MTV, will always be an answer on some game show somewhere. And that ain't such a bad thing.

But The Buggles were more than a one-hit-wonder. They were blending synth sounds and tones creating a unique electronic pop experience that masked a darker future of a more antiseptic society.

The band consisted of just two guys experimenting in the studio...making moods. But with one rare difference. They were outstanding musicians.

Trevor Horn & Geoffrey Downes

Geoffrey Downes spun his magic over the keyboards and percussion...while Trevor Horn pottered the bass, guitar and vocals.

When the legendary prog band...Yes...heard The Buggles debut..."The Age Of Plastic" (1980)...they quickly asked them to produce and also join the band. Now that's some pretty strong cred.

LOST GEM:--> "Clean Clean" ... an aggressive runaway roadburn that begins with a slow, almost church organ announcement. The synthesizer solo breaks are classic new wave.

Have you heard this gem?

Pogo Johnny kicked me in the head
Aiming for the floorboards but they picked me up instead
Through the ringing of the night before
Said, ‘The engine’s running, gotta pay a call.’

Johnny drove the half-truck
‘Cause we could not find the Jeep
Wake me in the morning, gotta get some sleep
Driving all night out of fear
Got it in the ribs every time he changed gear

I’m gonna,
Take a ride, gonna pick up the team
Gonna go where we’ve never been
I’m gonna,
Take a ride, gonna pick up the team
(Pickin’ up, pickin’ up the te-e-eam)
God, you know it’s hard to keep the fighting clean

Clean, clean
Clean, clean
Clean, clean
Clean, clean

Pogo Johnny gonna fight the war
Chaplain in the morning at the local liquor store
Pogo coughing bad from diesel fumes
Johnny tell the chaplain go and polish his tombs

Lying on the waste ground with a blanket on his face
Indicating that he’s left the human race
Helmet open where the world came in
Gotta keep your head if you wanna win

Clean, clean
(lost a million in our very first attack)
Clean, clean
(don’t you worry ‘cause you know we’ll get them back)
Clean, clean
(lost a million in our very first attack)
Clean, clean
(don’t you worry ‘cause you know we’ll get them back)

Good stuff!

Casey
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Lost Gem: "We'll All Ride High (Money Bags)" - White Witch (1974)

2011-09-10T10:54:00.004-05:00

"For your life to begin
ol' Money Bags,
your life will have to cease."
--> White Witch <--

White Witch were a gifted group of young Florida boys who oddly signed with a Southern Rock label (Capricorn)...but who were not Southern Rock.

On this 2nd and final album, "A Spiritual Greeting" (1974)...White Witch were RnR chameleons...sounding Beatlesque one minute...Bowieglam the next. Sabbath another time and Uriah Heep yet another.
But White Witch were not merely imitators. Their songs stand as Premium Original 70's rock jams. Played and performed at Premium Octane level. This range, however, would sadly prove to be their undoing.

Capricorn obviously didn't know how to market them...so they didn't.

LOST GEM:--> "We'll All Ride High (Money Bags)"...The intro is a "hoist-your-beers" feel-good chant that turns into a guitar-burn with wickedly odd vocals presiding over a...funeral? A sacrifice perhaps? I like to think so. Turn it up!

Have you heard this gem?

We'll all ride high in the saddle again.
We'll all ride high in the saddle, my friend.
We'll all ride high in the saddle again.

We are gathered here today to pay respect
to a man who was filthy rich.
Though he owned this and that, when it came to friends
he had not a single stitch.
Though he played his part to Oscar-winning performance
While his entity lay, while it lay ever so dormant

We'll all ride high in the saddle again.
We'll all ride high in the saddle, my friend.
We'll all ride high in the saddle again.
Money bags. Money, Money bags

Now as a general rule, we don't usually hand out no flowers.
But as I recall is was said near and far, The old man he had powers.
May your death find you some love. And may your rest find you some peace.
For your life to begin, ol' Money Bags, you're life will have to cease.

Good stuff!

Casey

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Lost Gem: "The Randall Knife - Live" - Guy Clark (1989)

2011-08-29T10:49:00.019-05:00

"I'd cried for every lesser thing
Whiskey, pain and beauty."
--> Guy Clark <--

Guy Clark is a kool hoss singer/songwriter...and he is absolutely one of the best.

Crafting each song with a surgeon's steady hand and a rebel's defiant turn, it's no wonder other artists line up to cover his songs.

And "Live From Austin, TX" is a great Guy Clark introduction.

LOST GEM:--> "The Randall Knife - Live"...a deeply personal telling of a father's passing. The song captures perfectly how hurt feelings left unspoken can turn into a powerful matzo ball.

Have you heard this gem?

My father had a Randall knife
My mother gave it to him
When he went off to WWII
To save us all from ruin
If you've ever held a Randall knife
Then you know my father well
If a better blade was ever made
It was probably forged in hell

My father was a good man
A lawyer by his trade
And only once did I ever see
Him misuse the blade
It almost cut his thumb off
When he took it for a tool
The knife was made for darker things
And you could not bend the rules

He let me take it camping once
On a Boy Scout jamboree
And I broke a half an inch off
Trying to stick it in a tree
I hid it from him for a while
But the knife and he were one
He put it in his bottom drawer
Without a hard word one

There it slept and there it stayed
For twenty some odd years
Sort of like Excalibur
Except waiting for a tear

My father died when I was forty
And I couldn't find a way to cry
Not because I didn't love him
Not because he didn't try
I'd cried for every lesser thing
Whiskey, pain and beauty
But he deserved a better tear
And I was not quite ready

So we took his ashed out to sea
And poured `em off the stern
And threw the roses in the wake
Of everything we'd learned
When we got back to the house
They asked me what I wanted
Not the lawbooks not the watch
I need the things he's haunted

My hand burned for the Randall knife
There in the bottom drawer
And I found a tear for my father's life
And all that it stood for.

Guy Clark Official Site

Good stuff!

Casey
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Lost Gem: "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver" - Primus (1995)

2011-08-20T11:22:00.003-05:00

"But the beaver was quick
And grabbed him by the kiwis."
--> Primus <--

Primus unfairly lost a few followers when they began stepping outside of the imaginary genre thrust on them.

Like a sponge, they were drawing ideas from other styles of music. Not stealing...Pushing. Stamping the envelope and pounding it in the mail slot. This is fresh..wicked...smart stuff and well worth owning.

LOST GEM:--> "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver"...funky groove that trips with a devilish quirk that would've made Zappa smile.
Bassist-extroidinare Les Claypool. ..turns loose like a Looney Tunes Tasmanian Devil. And talented guitarist Ler LaLonde meshes and shreds in and out like customers at a hooker's factory.
Silly?...Sure. But silly ain't never sounded this good!

Have you heard this gem?

Wynona's got herself a big brown beaver
and she shows it off to all her friends.
One day, you know, that beaver tried to leave her,
So she caged him up with cyclone fence.
Along came Lou with the old baboon
And said "Recognize that smell?"
"Smells like seven layers,
That beaver eats Taco Bell."

Now Rex he was a Texan out of New Orleans
And he traveled with the carnival shows.
He ran bumper cars, sucked cheap cigars
And he candied up his nose.
He got wind of the big brown beaver
So he though he'd take himself a peek,
But the beaver was quick
And grabbed him by the kiwis.
Now he ain't pissed for a week.
(And a half!)

Now Wynona took her big brown beaver,
And she stuck him up in the air.
Said "I sure do love this big brown beaver
And I wish I did have a pair."
Now the beaver once slept for seven days
And it gave us all an awful fright.
So I tickled his chin and I gave him a pinch
And the bastard tried to bite me.
Wynona loved her big brown beaver
And she stroked him all the time.
She pricked her finger one day and it
Occurred to her she might have a porcupine.

Good stuff!

Casey
Follow me on --> Twitter

Lost Gem: "Dark Eyed Cajun Woman" - Doobie Brothers (1973)

2011-08-08T09:28:00.005-05:00

"You're like a woman
I've never seen."
--> Doobie Brothers <--

The definitive Doobie Brothers album..."The Captain and Me" (1973)...is filled with their trademark twin guitar and twin drum assault. (This is pre-Michael McDonald stuff, babies...and that's a good thing!)

While Tom Johnston (vocals and guitar) was fronting the California band...the Doobs sounded like The Eagles on a Red Bull chug-fest. Plus, they had a touch of Southern spirit in their sound.

With underrated Patrick Simmons adding to the fiery guitar churn...it was no wonder the Doobie Brothers were quickly endorsed by the wildest of biker clicks.

LOST GEM:--> "Dark Eyed Cajun Woman"...creates a mysterious vibe...with vocals and melody perfectly matched for the ride. The song is timeless and lures me to my car for leaving. Anywhere....Windows down. Thunderstorms, be damned.

Have you heard this gem?

I think back to the time
When I first saw your face
You were walkin' across the delta
To your cold and lonely place
You know, I took you for a small girl
Really not quite seventeen
Oh, Lord, but I was wrong, oh so wrong
You're like a woman I've never seen.

Dark eyed Cajun woman
Where are you comin' from
Your soul is in the back woods
They say you never had a home
But I'm gonna know you better
If it takes all night and day
Dark eyed Cajun woman
You'll never get away, no, no

Now the evenin' breeze is blowin'
I hear your voice most everywhere
Your cold, black eyes
They are dancin' in the starlight
Warmin' the cold night air
It's so beautiful, you know I have to say
Dark eyed Cajun woman
You'll never get away.

Good stuff!

Casey
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Lost Gem: "Highway 17" - Rodney Crowell (2001)

2011-07-18T11:13:00.014-05:00

"I'm the perfect sample
of a bad example
gone forever from their graces."
--> Rodney Crowell <--

Since 1972, Rodney Crowell has been writing and performing great songs, yet somehow has always been one of Americana music's best-kept secrets.

(His rebellious nature towards the direction mainstream country was taking probably had a lot to do with it.)

After signing with an indie label...Rodney made jaws drop and eyes raise with his brilliant release..."The Houston Kid" (2001).
Quite simply, from beginning to end...RC...hangs the laundry out in the wind for all to see. The songs feel real...and personal. Fact or fiction? I imagine a little bit of both.

LOST GEM:--> "Highway 17"...ranks as one of the best guitar monologue songs I've ever heard. Filled with raw...matter-of-fact...memories of bad people and bad deeds.
But it's the haunting way RC delivers each line...like a festering wound. Amazing.

Have you heard this gem?

I put away fifteen grand doing one-night stands
mostly liquor stores and fillin' stations
Me and this peepin' Tom by the name of J.D. Swan
and any number of his odd blood relations
This was armed robbery 1957
and mostly our getaways were clean
Then I'd pay off the boys
and bury my bread out on Highway 17

I had five kids and a wife with one dress
and a yard full of cars that wouldn't run.
My two oldest boys they were on to my noise
they despised what their daddy done
But I did my thing the best I could
making plans by the light of day
And then night would fall and it was time to call
and I was always on my way

Now J.D. he was crazy and he was inbred
he drank whiskey like it was goin' out of style
You know I should have seen it coming the writing was on the wall
he was getting just a little too loose and wild
And he made his mistake out on Airline Drive,
you know those North Houston cops are quick
They blew a hole in J.D. the size of Dallas
and put a lump on my head with the brunt of a nightstick

You know 5-10 in Huntsville ain't no good times boys
but I walked that line do you know what I mean
'Cause my mind was snug on that hole I dug out on Highway 17
I said my mind was snug on that hole I dug out on Highway 17

So I served my time only way I knew how
thinking big and making plans
All about the way I was gonna change the world
when I get my hands on that 15 grand
You know C.W. and Herschel my two oldest boys
they took care of their momma and their little sisters
the best way that they could
Dealing dimes and stealing hubcaps
you know pretty soon they were doing good
So I walked out those prison gates a free man
on the first day of November 19 and '63
I kissed my wife and I hugged my babies
but they didn't seem the same to me

You know the boys looked on they were already grown
it was written across their eyes and their faces
I'm the perfect sample of a bad example
gone forever from their graces
But baby six long years and a lot can change
many miles beyond your wildest dreams
But a six-lane wide modern interstate ride out on Highway 17.
Lord they sunk my ship 'neath a concrete strip out on Highway 17.
Man they broke my back they built a concrete track out on Highway 17.
Well, you know it ain't funny but they buried my money out on Highway 17.

Official site

Good stuff!

Casey
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Lost Gem: "Damaged" - Blue Oyster Cult (1998)

2011-07-04T09:23:00.014-05:00

"But I'm a howler monkey.
Moreau's half & half-man."
--> Blue Oyster Cult <--

I've always been a fan of Blue Oyster Cult.

But sometime in the eighties, BOC sorta fell off my rocknroll radar after back-to-back (to back)...dud releases.

It was only by lucky accident, I stumbled upon their "Heaven Forbid"(1998) CD and was able to take it with me on a 3 hour Tulsa road-trip.

Surprise!
Blue Oyster Cult are swinging their scythes again.
Original members...Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma...have unburied the coffin.

LOST GEM--> "Damaged" <-- is classic Buck Dharma with an agenda. Bruising churn & burn riffs quickly push a left-of-center intro out of the way.
Hey, I admit it. I thought this band was over the hill...but these cemetery chord bangers are fit...and don't they know it.

Have you heard this gem?

Wish I was a better person
With more control
Turn the other cheek
When the punch comes, roll
Wish I was a kinder person
Could see the others pain
Not overreact, never judge
Shrug off the spreadin' stain

But I'm a howler monkey
Moreau's half & half-man
A panther with its tail in a trap
A pumped up pyramid of pulsing glands

I'm damaged, and I like it
It made me what I am
I'm damaged, and I like it
The rest is just a sham
I'm damaged, and I like it
I live for rock 'n' roll
I'm damaged, and I like it
It thrills me to the soul.

Yeah, I told girlfriend I was gonna change
Gonna kick the habit and the taste
Trust me baby, this time it's real
There's a big part of me I've yet to waste
Don't give up baby, don't turn your back
I ain't no wailin' lost cause
I'll toss the pipe and heal the tracks
As long as you don't mind the blood
On my hands, drippin' down the back that's right

D-a-m-a-g-e-d damaged is what I am
D-a-m-a-g-e-d damaged is what I am
D-a-m-a-g-e-d damaged is what I am
D-a-m-a-g-e-d
What I am.

Good stuff!

Casey
Follow me on --> Twitter

Lost Gem: "Walking On A Wire" - Richard & Linda Thompson (1982)

2011-06-18T14:49:00.002-05:00

"I wish I could please you tonight.
But my medicine just won't come right."
--> Richard & Linda Thompson <--

When Richard Thompson & Linda Thompson went into the studio to record..."Shoot Out the Lights"(1982)...it would be their final album together.

The marriage was failing. Emotions were running raw.

The album is a frustrating journey to the inevitable. No amount of bandages will ever be enough to prevent it. Yet through all the hurt and sadness, when it comes to their craft, the couple obviously trusted each other to bring their best

Richard & Linda Thompson

LOST GEM--> "Walking On A Wire" <-- is an emotional chainsaw. Linda's vocals are both sultry and weary. And finally, accepting. The couple's harmonies are back of the throat...and personal.
Finally, enough can not be said about Richard's guitar work. It is an exercise in restrained pain. Perfect! And then, on the final refrain...he joins in one last time offering a sweet guitar solo as if to untie the binds.

Have you heard this gem?

I hand you my ball and chain.
You just hand me that same old refrain.
I'm walking on a wire, I'm walking on a wire
And I'm falling.

I wish I could please you tonight.
But my medicine just won't come right.
I'm walking on a wire, I'm walking on a wire
And I'm falling.

Too many steps to take.
Too many spells to break.
Too many nights awake
And no one else.
This grindstone's wearing me.
Your claws are tearing me.
Don't use me endlessly.
It's too long, too long to myself.

Where's the justice and where's the sense?
When all the pain is on my side of the fence.
I'm walking on a wire, I'm walking on a wire
And I'm falling.

It scares you when you don't know
Whichever way the wind might blow.
I'm walking on a wire, I'm walking on a wire
And I'm falling.
I'm walking on a wire, I'm walking on a wire
And I'm falling.

Good stuff!

Casey
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Lost Gem: "Kool-Aid Kids" - Bloodrock (1971)

2011-05-27T11:25:00.000-05:00

"They all come down
on the Kool-Aid Kids.
Gonna try and steal their dimes."
--> Bloodrock <--

This was Bloodrock's third album and the band's last truly solid release. And to be sure, '3' is definitely worth seeking out for several cuts worthy of purchase.

Bloodrock

"Kool-Aid Kids"...This lost gem has a jazzy churning riff that needs to be added to your highway-driving comp.
This is tasty early 70's classic rock from "another" little ol' band from Texas.
BTW...the terrific keyboard play is provided by underrated Stevie Hill. Also guitarist Lee Pickens compliments with delicious interplay.

Have you heard this gem?

My nose is long and my temper is short
And I want to know everything.
People like lead boots are holdin' me down
Gonna drown if it ever rains.
Well I ain't lyin' there's good folks dyin'
'cause everybody's got a way.
Come on children think about you.
Is this the way you want to be.

Well I can name you a dozen or more
ways of catastrophe.
Friends, beggars, hookers, thieves
Anything you want to see.
They all come down on the Kool-Aid Kids
Gonna try and steal their dimes.
Common people don't make no sense
Lord it's such a crime.

Picture their faces smiling.
Each in their places.
counting on their toes
Secret ambition trying
Wide open spaces
You're invited, too.

My nose is long and my temper is short
And I want to know everything.
People like lead boots are holdin' me down
Gonna drown if it ever rains.
Well I ain't lyin' there's good folks dyin'
'cause everybody's got a way.
Come on children think about you.
Is this the way you want to be.

Well I can name you a dozen or more
ways of catastrophe.
Friends, beggars, hookers, thieves.
Anything you want to see.
They all come down on the Kool-Aid Kids
Gonna try and steal their dimes.
Common people don't make no sense
Lord it's such a crime.

Good stuff!

Casey
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Good Stuff: --> SCOTT GAGNER <--

2011-05-09T12:03:00.019-05:00

"You don't ask any questions...
for fear that she will respond."
--> Scott Gagner <--

A common misconception about the songwriting process..."Songs that are catchy and easy on the ears...Well, those are the easy ones to write!"

Sometimes, maybe.

The truth is...writing songs that make tasty ear-candy is very, VERY difficult.

However, Scott Gagner...sure makes it sound easy.

Scott's exciting debut..."Rhapsody In Blonde"...has more hooks than Roland Martin's tackle box. (God, I've been waiting to use a fishing reference for a long time).
Using a blended confection of Golden Smog and Jayhawks as reference...Gagner delivers each song with a young man's spirit and an old man's wisdom.

And the band...

Prairie Prince: Drums

Arnold Kim: Lead & Rhythm Guitars, BG Vox

John Paul McLean: Bass

James Nash: Stunt Guitar

Jonathan Chi: Lap Steel

...brings just the right swag for each song.

There is not a weak link in the bunch...but I would be remiss to not give added respect to legendary drummer...Prairie Prince... who has a solid "RnR Who's Who" resume.

Download---> "Speak and Spell" <--- Let him know what you think.
...AND THEN...purchase Scott Gagner's solid debut..."Rhapsody In Blonde".

Good stuff!

Casey Chambers
Follow me on --> Twitter

Lost Gem: "The Gospel According To Luke" - Skip Ewing (1988)

2011-04-30T19:46:00.001-05:00

"...but I was the one there
who felt out of place."
--> Skip Ewing <--

Skip Ewing...is a highly respected songwriter...mostly hidden in the shadows, while great artists from George Jones to George Strait record one song of his after another.

But sometimes an original songwriter's interpretation cuts close to the elusive truth. When this happens...best to just stand out of the way.

On this lost gem...Skip Ewing captured a genie.

"The Gospel According To Luke"...Skip Ewing's strength is seeing great things in small moments. And making them great, too.
A sweeter, gentler song...you'll be hard-pressed to find.
And it's okay to occasionally push the RnR aside. When it hurts this good.

Have you heard this gem?

He was an old hand at livin' and makin' his way
He smelled like old whiskey and he needed a shave
His home was an alley off 8th Avenue
If you had a minute or an hour or two
He'd tell you the Gospel according to Luke

Luke carried his Bible in a crown royal bag
He wiped off his brow with an old dirty rag
He'd tell you straight out just the way he believed
Faith in the good Lord was all that ya need
I remember the mornin' he first preached to me

He said give to your brother is he is in need
Offer up thanks for the gifts you receive
There's treasure in heaven for the generous few
That was the gospel according to Luke

So I bought him breakfast at the Daylight Cafe
Biscuits and gravy, hot coffee, and eggs
He was hungry and ragged, hadn't eaten in days
But I was the one there who felt out of place
When he folded his hands, bowed his head, and said grace

A week ago Wednesday, I saw him again
Downtown at the mission, surrounded by friends
Handin' out all the change he'd collected that week
Sayin' you boys might need this a lot more than me
I try hard to practice the words that I preach.

He was an old hand at livin' and makin' his way
He smelled like old whiskey and he needed a shave
His home was an alley off 8th Avenue
If you had a minute or an hour or two
He'd tell you the Gospel according to Luke.

Skip Ewing Official Website

Good stuff!

Casey
Follow me on --> Twitter

Lost Gem: "One More Time" - Joe Jackson (1979)

2011-04-13T12:02:00.004-05:00

"Tell me one more time
that love was only my illusion."
--> Joe Jackson <--

In 1979, Joe Jackson hit the states with one of the best albums of the year.

Filled with venom and attitude...Jackson was quickly labeled... along with Elvis Costello and Graham Parker as being "The Angry Singer-Songwriters".

Joe Jackson would later evolve into much broader musical stylings than one single label could define.

But Jackson's..."Look Sharp"...is the CD I reach for when I need a heavy dose of familiar frustration.
"One More Time"...Ground rules are set. Gary Sanford's guitar jumps out from the speakers like a runaway town-crier. G raham Maby catches up with some wicked talented bass-bombs.

Both clear the way for the deliciously pissed-off Joe Jackson and his cynical...sarcastic vocals.

This was new-wave-rock at its finest. Aggressively catchy, with a stinging left hook...(and a point!)

Have you heard this gem?

Tell me one more time as I hold your hand, that you don't love me.
Tell me one more time as teardrops start to fall.
Shout it to me and I'll shout it to the skies above me.
That there was nothing after all.

Baby, baby, tell me that you never wanted my loving
Baby, baby, tell me that you never, tell me, tell me,
One more time, one more time, say you're leaving, say goodbye
One more time, one more time, say you're leaving, say goodbye

Tell me one more time that we never had a thing in common.
Tell me one more time as you turn and face the wall.
Tell me I should know you never were my kind of woman.
Tell me we were fools to fall.

Tell me one more time your tears are only sad confusion.
Tell me it's just been so long and that is all.
Tell me one more time that love was only my illusion.
You never answered to my call.

Joe Jackson Official Site

Good stuff!

Casey
Follow me on --> Twitter