Had a couple of more sets I was going to drag out but the overlap factor was just too great as to not
render this redundant......so my choice for today is a "The Stiff Records Box Set", A very great set with SOME overlap with the other sets, but with plenty of unique new wave sounds of the era as to make it all worth the while.....and, since when I was grabbing these off the shelf, I ACCIDENTALLY grabbed an EXTRA disc, unrelated to this, which I hadn't thought about in a while and thought might make a nice bonus disc for today.....more on THAT later.
The Stiff set is crammed. 25 tracks or so on ech disc, Stiff Records was no joke in their day.....lots of great artists called it home, and this Box gives a good look at a bunch of em. Some well known, some not so much, all worthwhile.
The First disc begins with a couple from Stiff stallwart Nick Lowe (including overlapper "Heart of the City")....next comes former oddball-stoner-metal Pink Fairies, who by this time had taken up residence at Stiff, modified their sound a good bit, and present "Between the Lines". Richard Hell's "Blank Genration" and Elvis Costello's "Less Than Zero" turn up, as do Costello standards "Watching the Detectives",and "Allison", Graham Parkers wondersome "Back to Schooldays","New Rose" by the Damned, Ian Dury's "Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll", and "One Chord WOnders" by the Adverts......so you may ask, what the hell is here that ISN'T overlap? Good question.....Roogalator, Sean Tyla, Max Wall, Jill Read, Dave Edmunds, Wreckless EriAlberto Y Los Trios Paranoias, some
LESSER KNOWN Ian Dury, The Yachts, "Police Car" from Larry Wallis (of the latter-day Pink Fairies), Jane Aire, and BEST OF ALL, "Let's Loot the
Supermarket Again" from the incredible Mick Farren, who passed away, just in the last couple of weeks (he was a brilliant musical mind, a fine critic and as a musician check the great work of the Deviants)
Disc two goes further "out there" with FAR less obvious stuff.....there is plenty of Ian Dury and Nick Lowe, also a couple more Wreckless Eric, a somewhat-lesser known Costello track "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself".....one layup repeater is Devo's "Jocko Homo", but other than that, hows bout some Humphrey Ocean, Lene Lovich (the wonderful "I Think We're Alone Now"),Jona Lewie, the wonderful Rachel Sweet (remember her?) with a couple of fine numbers ("B-A-B-Y" could melt yer heart!), The Members, The Rumour (without Graham), Kirsty MacColl, Mickey Jupp, Motor Boys Motor, Lewis, Lew & Reformer, Theater of Hate......plenty of fresha material here.
Disc 3.......gotta point out it includes "Isrealites" by Desmond Deker (!), and a couple Graham Parker
tracks and not really GREAT (merely good) ones ("Mercury Poisoning", "Stupefaction").....otherwise all kinds of odd stuff from Joe "King" Carrasco (don't even tell me ya don't remember HIM!), Jona Lewie, Any Trouble, Dave Stewart, DirLooks, Madness, John Otway, Tenpole Tudor, Department 5, The Equator, Alvin Stardust, Billy Bremner, Pookiesnackenburger, Via Vagabond, and, of all people, Tracey Ullman with "You Broke My Heart in 17 Places"
And the fourth and final installment.......nothing commonplace here, we get the Belle Stars, Electric Guitars, Passion Puppets, Jakko, KIng Kurt, The Pogus, Makin TIme, Untouchables, Furniture, tor Feelgood, Tommy Chase Quartet.....nothing spectacular here, really, but a LOT of stuff I bet ya never heard before......and that's kind of what matters?
DISC 1-01 NICK LOWE-So It Goes/02 NICK LOWE-Heart of the City/03 PINK FAIRIES-Between
the Lines/04 ROOGALATOR-Cincinnati Fatback/05 SEAN TYLA-Styrofoam/06 THE DAMNED-New Rose/07 RICHARD HELL-Blank Generation/08 THE DAMNED-Stab Your Back/09 ELVIS COSTELLO-Less Than Zero/10 MAX WELL-England's Glory/11 JILL READ-Maybe/12 THE ADVERTS-One Chord Wonders/13 ELVIS COSTELLO-Allison/14 DAVE EDMUNDS-Jo Jo Gunne/15 WRECKLESS ERIC-Whole Wide World/16 ALBERTO Y LOS TRIOS PARANOIAS-Kill/17 IAN DURY-Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll/18 IAN DURY-Razzle In My Pocket/19 THE YACHTS-Suffice To Say/20 MICK FARREN-Let's Loot the Supermarket Again/21 ELVIS COSTELLO-Watching the Detectives/22 IAN DURY-My Old Man/23 LARRY WALLIS-Police Car/24 JANE AIRE-Yankee Wheels/25 GRAHAM PARKER-Back To Schooldays
DISC 02-01 NICK LOWE-I Love My Label/02 NICK LOWE-Marie Provost/03 IAN DURY-What a Waste!/04 ELVIS COSTELLOS-I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself/05 HUMPHREY OCEAN-Whoops-A-Daisy/06 LENE LOVICH-I Think We're Alone Now/07 DEVO-Jocko Homo/08 IAN DURY-Hit Me With Your Rythem Stick/09 WRECKLESS ERIC-Semaphore Signals/10 JONA LEWIE-I'll Get By In Pittsburgh/11 RACHEL SWEET-B-A-B-Y/12 LENE LOVICH-Lucky Number/13 MEMBERS-Solitary Confinement/14 THE RUMOUR-Frozen Years/15 WRECKLESS ERIC-Take the Cash (K.A.S.H.)/16 KIRSTY MACCOLL-They Don't Know/17 MICKEY JUPP-You'll Never Get Me Up In One Of Those/18 RACHEL SWEET-Who Does Lisa Like?/19 MOTOR BOYS MOTOR-Drive Friendly/20 LEWIS, LEW, & REFORMER-Win or Lose/21 THEATER OF HATE-The Hop/22 MADNESS-One Step Beyond/23 THE RUMOUR-Emotional Traffic/24 IAN DURY-Inbetweenies/25 LEWIS, LEW, & REFORMER-Lucky Seven
DISC 03-01 MADNESS-My Girl/02 DESMON DEKKER-The Isrealites/03 JOE "KING"
CARRASCO-Buena/04 GRAHAM PARKER-Stupefaction/05 JONA LEWIE-You'll Always Find Me In the Kitchen/06 ANY TROUBLE-Trouble With Love/07 DAVE STEWART-What Becomes of the Broken Hearted/08 GRAHAM PARKER-Mercury Poisoning/09 DIRTY LOOKS-Let Go/10 MADNESS-Baggy Trousers/11 DAVE STEWART-It's My Party/12 JOHN OTWAY-Green Green Grass of Home/13 TENPOLE TUDOR-Three Bells In a Row/14 JONA LEWIE-Stop the Cavalry/15 DEPARTMENT 5-Going Left Right/16 DEPARTMENT 5-Is Vic There?/17 EQUATORS-If You Need Me/18 TENPOLE TUDOR-Wunderbar/19 DESMOND DEKKER-Allamana/20 ALLVIN STARDUST-Pretend/21 BILLY BREMNER-Loud Music In Cars/22 TENPOLE TUDOR-Throwing Out the Baby With the Bathwater/23 POOKIESNACRGER-Just One Cornetto/24 VIA VAGABOND-Who Likes Jazz?/25 TRACEY ULLMAN-You Broke My Heart In 17 Places
DISC 04-01 BELLE STARS-Sign of the Times/02 BELLE STARS-Sweet Memory/03 ELECTRIC GUITARS-Language Problems/04 TRACEY ULLMAN-Breakaway/05 PASSION PUPPETS-Like Dust/06 JAKKO-Dangerous Dreams/07 KING KURT-Destination Lululand/08 THE POGUES-The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn/09 INSPIRATIONAL CHOIR OF THE-Pick Me Up/10 MAKIN TIME-Here Is My Number/11 THE POGUES-Dark Streets of London/12 UNTOUCHABLES-Wild Child/13 KIRSTY MACCOLL-A New England/14 JAMIE RAE-Pretty One/15 UNTOUCHABLES-Free Yourself/16 POGUES-Sally MacLennane/17 FURNITURE-Brilliant Mind/18 DOCTOR FEELGOOD-Don't Wait Up/19 TOMMY CHASE QUARTET-Killer Joe (Right Cross)/20 FURNITURE-Shake LIke Judy Says/21 DOCTOR FEELGOOD-Hunting SHooting Fishing......
Well, there ya go, really an interesting set. A few select standards, but a LOT of fairly
forgotten/unknown material (when was the last time ya even THOUGHT about Rachel Sweet? Lovich?)......It's a fine set and a testimony to a once great label ("If It Ain't STIFF It Ain't Worth a Fuck" was one of their many great slogans).......there is some great music here, a BIT of overlap, but it does tell the story well of one of the greatest labels of the New Wave Era.
And since I never got to say it before, this is the perfect time: Rest In Peace Mick Farren, I loved your writings in Trouser Press, and I loved your music with the Deviants, as well as your solo works and even the science fiction you authored! You will be missed terribly and your work made, at least MY life, a little more enjoyable, and I bet some others can say the same........
NOW ABOUT THAT BONUS DISC I
MENTIONED......grabbing the "Stiff" CD's and accidentally grabbed the NEXT disc too......haven't thought about this album in a while, glad to see it it is FUN and I'm gonna post it TODAY as a light hearted bonus......it is the terrific "Saturday Morning Cartoons Greatest Hits"......Oh, where to start.....Liz Phair was probably BORN to sing the "Tra La La Song", the same could be said for Matthew Sweet and "Scooby Doo".....The Ramones turn in a perfect take on "Spiderman", Sublime annihilate "Hong Kong Phooey", Sponge decapitate "Speed Racer" and more.....simply stated be glad I grabbed an extra disc today and WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU WAITING FOR with this one?
SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS-01 LIZ PHAIR/MATERIAL ISSUE-The Tra La La Song/02 SPONGE-Go Speed Racer Go/03 MARY LOU LORD/SEMISONIC-Sugar Sugar/04 MATTHEW SWEET-Scooby Doo/05 JULIANA HATFIELD/TONYA DONNEY-Josie and the Pussycats (might have been more appropriate for Liz Phair, actually)/06 COLLECTIVE SOUL-The Bugaloos/07 BUTTHOLE SURFERS-Underdog/08 HELMET-Gigantor/09 THE RAMONES-Spiderman/10 REVEREND HORTON HEAT-Johnny Quest/Stop That Pigeon/11 FRENTE!-Open Up Your Heart and Let the Sunshine In/12
VIOLENT FEMMES-Eep Opp Ork Ah-Ah (Means I Love You)/13 DIG-Fat Albert Theme/14 FACE TO FACE-Popeye the Sailor Man/15 TRIPPING DAISY-Sigmund and the Sea Monster/16 THE TOADIES-Goolie Get Together/17 SUBLIME-Hong Kong Phooey/18 MURMURS-HR Puffenstuff/19 WAX-Happy Happy Joy Joy
ANYBODY WANNA SAY BIGSCOTT DON'T GO THE EXTRA MILE? WORKING LIKE DOBERMAN THIS WEEK........Actually getting bored with the punk comps already, got a couple more I wanna put up, after that? Power Pop Comps? Kraut Rock Comps? Back to Garage Psych? Back to profiling a single band/artist? I have (literally) hundreds of live recordings taken from WOXY and KEXP podcasts from thousands of bands you've never heard of, some are SOOOOO great, and some SOOOOO suck....any interest in SOME of them? (NOT hundreds of them!).....think about it, and there's anything you are wanting next week, let me know. As I write this it is Tuesday night, and if I had to decide RIGHT NOW, I'm thinking some comps from some TOTALLY obscure stoner bands (I have a LOT as you may suspect) may change my mind 40 times betwix now and then!
Enjoy the punk/new wave sets though, it HAS been a blast, and I DO have a coupld more goodies on that front before I wrap THAT up!
render this redundant......so my choice for today is a "The Stiff Records Box Set", A very great set with SOME overlap with the other sets, but with plenty of unique new wave sounds of the era as to make it all worth the while.....and, since when I was grabbing these off the shelf, I ACCIDENTALLY grabbed an EXTRA disc, unrelated to this, which I hadn't thought about in a while and thought might make a nice bonus disc for today.....more on THAT later.
The Stiff set is crammed. 25 tracks or so on ech disc, Stiff Records was no joke in their day.....lots of great artists called it home, and this Box gives a good look at a bunch of em. Some well known, some not so much, all worthwhile.
LESSER KNOWN Ian Dury, The Yachts, "Police Car" from Larry Wallis (of the latter-day Pink Fairies), Jane Aire, and BEST OF ALL, "Let's Loot the
Supermarket Again" from the incredible Mick Farren, who passed away, just in the last couple of weeks (he was a brilliant musical mind, a fine critic and as a musician check the great work of the Deviants)
Disc two goes further "out there" with FAR less obvious stuff.....there is plenty of Ian Dury and Nick Lowe, also a couple more Wreckless Eric, a somewhat-lesser known Costello track "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself".....one layup repeater is Devo's "Jocko Homo", but other than that, hows bout some Humphrey Ocean, Lene Lovich (the wonderful "I Think We're Alone Now"),Jona Lewie, the wonderful Rachel Sweet (remember her?) with a couple of fine numbers ("B-A-B-Y" could melt yer heart!), The Members, The Rumour (without Graham), Kirsty MacColl, Mickey Jupp, Motor Boys Motor, Lewis, Lew & Reformer, Theater of Hate......plenty of fresha material here.
Disc 3.......gotta point out it includes "Isrealites" by Desmond Deker (!), and a couple Graham Parker
tracks and not really GREAT (merely good) ones ("Mercury Poisoning", "Stupefaction").....otherwise all kinds of odd stuff from Joe "King" Carrasco (don't even tell me ya don't remember HIM!), Jona Lewie, Any Trouble, Dave Stewart, DirLooks, Madness, John Otway, Tenpole Tudor, Department 5, The Equator, Alvin Stardust, Billy Bremner, Pookiesnackenburger, Via Vagabond, and, of all people, Tracey Ullman with "You Broke My Heart in 17 Places"
And the fourth and final installment.......nothing commonplace here, we get the Belle Stars, Electric Guitars, Passion Puppets, Jakko, KIng Kurt, The Pogus, Makin TIme, Untouchables, Furniture, tor Feelgood, Tommy Chase Quartet.....nothing spectacular here, really, but a LOT of stuff I bet ya never heard before......and that's kind of what matters?
DISC 1-01 NICK LOWE-So It Goes/02 NICK LOWE-Heart of the City/03 PINK FAIRIES-Between
the Lines/04 ROOGALATOR-Cincinnati Fatback/05 SEAN TYLA-Styrofoam/06 THE DAMNED-New Rose/07 RICHARD HELL-Blank Generation/08 THE DAMNED-Stab Your Back/09 ELVIS COSTELLO-Less Than Zero/10 MAX WELL-England's Glory/11 JILL READ-Maybe/12 THE ADVERTS-One Chord Wonders/13 ELVIS COSTELLO-Allison/14 DAVE EDMUNDS-Jo Jo Gunne/15 WRECKLESS ERIC-Whole Wide World/16 ALBERTO Y LOS TRIOS PARANOIAS-Kill/17 IAN DURY-Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll/18 IAN DURY-Razzle In My Pocket/19 THE YACHTS-Suffice To Say/20 MICK FARREN-Let's Loot the Supermarket Again/21 ELVIS COSTELLO-Watching the Detectives/22 IAN DURY-My Old Man/23 LARRY WALLIS-Police Car/24 JANE AIRE-Yankee Wheels/25 GRAHAM PARKER-Back To Schooldays
DISC 02-01 NICK LOWE-I Love My Label/02 NICK LOWE-Marie Provost/03 IAN DURY-What a Waste!/04 ELVIS COSTELLOS-I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself/05 HUMPHREY OCEAN-Whoops-A-Daisy/06 LENE LOVICH-I Think We're Alone Now/07 DEVO-Jocko Homo/08 IAN DURY-Hit Me With Your Rythem Stick/09 WRECKLESS ERIC-Semaphore Signals/10 JONA LEWIE-I'll Get By In Pittsburgh/11 RACHEL SWEET-B-A-B-Y/12 LENE LOVICH-Lucky Number/13 MEMBERS-Solitary Confinement/14 THE RUMOUR-Frozen Years/15 WRECKLESS ERIC-Take the Cash (K.A.S.H.)/16 KIRSTY MACCOLL-They Don't Know/17 MICKEY JUPP-You'll Never Get Me Up In One Of Those/18 RACHEL SWEET-Who Does Lisa Like?/19 MOTOR BOYS MOTOR-Drive Friendly/20 LEWIS, LEW, & REFORMER-Win or Lose/21 THEATER OF HATE-The Hop/22 MADNESS-One Step Beyond/23 THE RUMOUR-Emotional Traffic/24 IAN DURY-Inbetweenies/25 LEWIS, LEW, & REFORMER-Lucky Seven
DISC 03-01 MADNESS-My Girl/02 DESMON DEKKER-The Isrealites/03 JOE "KING"
CARRASCO-Buena/04 GRAHAM PARKER-Stupefaction/05 JONA LEWIE-You'll Always Find Me In the Kitchen/06 ANY TROUBLE-Trouble With Love/07 DAVE STEWART-What Becomes of the Broken Hearted/08 GRAHAM PARKER-Mercury Poisoning/09 DIRTY LOOKS-Let Go/10 MADNESS-Baggy Trousers/11 DAVE STEWART-It's My Party/12 JOHN OTWAY-Green Green Grass of Home/13 TENPOLE TUDOR-Three Bells In a Row/14 JONA LEWIE-Stop the Cavalry/15 DEPARTMENT 5-Going Left Right/16 DEPARTMENT 5-Is Vic There?/17 EQUATORS-If You Need Me/18 TENPOLE TUDOR-Wunderbar/19 DESMOND DEKKER-Allamana/20 ALLVIN STARDUST-Pretend/21 BILLY BREMNER-Loud Music In Cars/22 TENPOLE TUDOR-Throwing Out the Baby With the Bathwater/23 POOKIESNACRGER-Just One Cornetto/24 VIA VAGABOND-Who Likes Jazz?/25 TRACEY ULLMAN-You Broke My Heart In 17 Places
DISC 04-01 BELLE STARS-Sign of the Times/02 BELLE STARS-Sweet Memory/03 ELECTRIC GUITARS-Language Problems/04 TRACEY ULLMAN-Breakaway/05 PASSION PUPPETS-Like Dust/06 JAKKO-Dangerous Dreams/07 KING KURT-Destination Lululand/08 THE POGUES-The Sick Bed of Cuchulainn/09 INSPIRATIONAL CHOIR OF THE-Pick Me Up/10 MAKIN TIME-Here Is My Number/11 THE POGUES-Dark Streets of London/12 UNTOUCHABLES-Wild Child/13 KIRSTY MACCOLL-A New England/14 JAMIE RAE-Pretty One/15 UNTOUCHABLES-Free Yourself/16 POGUES-Sally MacLennane/17 FURNITURE-Brilliant Mind/18 DOCTOR FEELGOOD-Don't Wait Up/19 TOMMY CHASE QUARTET-Killer Joe (Right Cross)/20 FURNITURE-Shake LIke Judy Says/21 DOCTOR FEELGOOD-Hunting SHooting Fishing......
Well, there ya go, really an interesting set. A few select standards, but a LOT of fairly
forgotten/unknown material (when was the last time ya even THOUGHT about Rachel Sweet? Lovich?)......It's a fine set and a testimony to a once great label ("If It Ain't STIFF It Ain't Worth a Fuck" was one of their many great slogans).......there is some great music here, a BIT of overlap, but it does tell the story well of one of the greatest labels of the New Wave Era.
And since I never got to say it before, this is the perfect time: Rest In Peace Mick Farren, I loved your writings in Trouser Press, and I loved your music with the Deviants, as well as your solo works and even the science fiction you authored! You will be missed terribly and your work made, at least MY life, a little more enjoyable, and I bet some others can say the same........
NOW ABOUT THAT BONUS DISC I
MENTIONED......grabbing the "Stiff" CD's and accidentally grabbed the NEXT disc too......haven't thought about this album in a while, glad to see it it is FUN and I'm gonna post it TODAY as a light hearted bonus......it is the terrific "Saturday Morning Cartoons Greatest Hits"......Oh, where to start.....Liz Phair was probably BORN to sing the "Tra La La Song", the same could be said for Matthew Sweet and "Scooby Doo".....The Ramones turn in a perfect take on "Spiderman", Sublime annihilate "Hong Kong Phooey", Sponge decapitate "Speed Racer" and more.....simply stated be glad I grabbed an extra disc today and WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU WAITING FOR with this one?
SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS-01 LIZ PHAIR/MATERIAL ISSUE-The Tra La La Song/02 SPONGE-Go Speed Racer Go/03 MARY LOU LORD/SEMISONIC-Sugar Sugar/04 MATTHEW SWEET-Scooby Doo/05 JULIANA HATFIELD/TONYA DONNEY-Josie and the Pussycats (might have been more appropriate for Liz Phair, actually)/06 COLLECTIVE SOUL-The Bugaloos/07 BUTTHOLE SURFERS-Underdog/08 HELMET-Gigantor/09 THE RAMONES-Spiderman/10 REVEREND HORTON HEAT-Johnny Quest/Stop That Pigeon/11 FRENTE!-Open Up Your Heart and Let the Sunshine In/12
VIOLENT FEMMES-Eep Opp Ork Ah-Ah (Means I Love You)/13 DIG-Fat Albert Theme/14 FACE TO FACE-Popeye the Sailor Man/15 TRIPPING DAISY-Sigmund and the Sea Monster/16 THE TOADIES-Goolie Get Together/17 SUBLIME-Hong Kong Phooey/18 MURMURS-HR Puffenstuff/19 WAX-Happy Happy Joy Joy
ANYBODY WANNA SAY BIGSCOTT DON'T GO THE EXTRA MILE? WORKING LIKE DOBERMAN THIS WEEK........Actually getting bored with the punk comps already, got a couple more I wanna put up, after that? Power Pop Comps? Kraut Rock Comps? Back to Garage Psych? Back to profiling a single band/artist? I have (literally) hundreds of live recordings taken from WOXY and KEXP podcasts from thousands of bands you've never heard of, some are SOOOOO great, and some SOOOOO suck....any interest in SOME of them? (NOT hundreds of them!).....think about it, and there's anything you are wanting next week, let me know. As I write this it is Tuesday night, and if I had to decide RIGHT NOW, I'm thinking some comps from some TOTALLY obscure stoner bands (I have a LOT as you may suspect) may change my mind 40 times betwix now and then!
Enjoy the punk/new wave sets though, it HAS been a blast, and I DO have a coupld more goodies on that front before I wrap THAT up!