Neil Young

03-08-10 Neil Young

I heard the albums by Buffalo Springfield so long ago that all 3 of ‘em got in under my radar. “On The Way Home” has been known (to me) to make me cry. Nostalgia for the innocent young mind that I once had? My older sisters played me those records while I was being ‘watched’ (they were effectively my babysitters). The thought-provoking statement of “For What It’s Worth”, the hard rock of “Mr. Soul”, the lush arrangements on numerous recordings. It all sounded good to me.

I lived in America in 1969, 11 years old. You would’ve had to have been The Who’s “Tommy” – deaf, dumb & blind – to have missed Crosby, Stills & Nash…and, in rapid succession, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Seems a million years ago, but Warner / reprise records had to ‘promo’ Neil Young on their wonderful loss-leader sampler LP’s. I believe his first appearance there was the track “The Loner”, from his debut solo album.

“Cinnamon Girl” got played the FM radio…a lot. After “Déjà vu”, I guess I was really ready for the 3^rd Neil Young solo album, “After The Goldrush”. It was a good deal, too – on sale at the hippie record store for probably some oddball figure like $2.57; I had heard Side 1 of the album being played in a record store, so I knew it sounded good to me – and it came with a poster of lyrics. I might’ve been ready for the onslaught of German progressive rock / electronic music, but my west coast hippie roots were showing. Interesting to note that this is the album that is loved in Japan!

Never really made it all the way to “Harvest” (solo album #4). N.Y. was no longer an underground artist, “Heart Of Gold” was on the radio so much it was…cloying. Besides, we can never ‘control’ our musical path – I needed Arthur Brown’s Kingdom Come, Faust, Amon Duul II, Can…not “Harvest” by Neil Young.

Fast forward through several decades. How successfully could I ignore Neil Young? A record (film?) with Devo. Videos on MTV / MuchMusic (“This Note’s For You”, most notably). I heard “Harvest Moon” being played in record stores in the 90’s. Those “Weld” albums, with all the feedback.

Last week, I found an inexpensive “used” copy of his “Archives Vol. 1” CD box (approx. $40 or so). The Squires material is amusing, to be sure. Pretty good sound on the Buffalo Springfield material. Interesting to see how the artist sees his solo work collide with his work within CSN&Y. OK. I could be tempted by the re-issue of his first four albums – I seem to recall re-buying Buffalo Springfield CD’s ostensibly to get “HDCD” versions. I know I have ’funky’ old CD’s of N.Y.’s first four albums – Heck, I even bought my CD of his debut solo album at Sam The Record Man on Yonge Street in Toronto for C$5.99!

I don’t think I’ll be buying the DVD version of “Archives Vol. 1” – or the almost $400 Blu-Ray version. I might consider Blu-Ray if there was a massive Frank Zappa box, but…

Citizen Band

03-05-10 Citizen Band

Greg Clark, Geoff Chunn, Mike Chunn and Brent Eccles. Some ex-Enz!

7" IN A LIFETIME / GOOD MORNING CITIZEN MANDRILL NZ M 10007

1977 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

7" I FEEL GOOD / GOOD MORNING CITIZEN / MY POHUTAKAWA MANDRILL NZ DRILL 4

1978 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" SOMEBODY ELSE / HOLY FULELE MANDRILL NZ DRILL 11

1978 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

LP CITIZEN BAND MANDRILL NZ MAN 2

1978 12 TRKS

LP CITIZEN BAND re-issue CBS NZ CBS 001

1978 12 TRKS CBS re-issue

LP JUST DROVE THRU TOWN CBS NZ SBP 237349

1979 11 TRKS

7" RUST IN MY CAR / DIG THAT TEX CBS NZ BA 222562

1979 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

7" NO STEREO / S.O.S. CBS NZ BA 222596

1979 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

LP PIRATE CBS NZ CSP 129

1979 10 TRKS Live

7" I'M SO UP / I'M SOUPED (Greg Clark & Mike Chunn) CBS NZ BA 222702

1980 2 TRKS with pic sleeve (a Phil Judd song)

7" HOME TONIGHT / PAJAMAS / I WANTED TO BE HAPPY CBS NZ BA 222750

1980 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" GREEN ROOM, THE (Greg Clark solo) CBS NZ BA 222837

1981 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

7" WAY IT WILL BE, THE (as "The Sinclair Brothers") CBS NZ BA 223004

1982 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

CD RUST IN MY CAR COLUMBIA AUS 474167.2

1993 16 TRK Collection

I had the good fortune to have seen the original Split Enz at the Golden Bear nightclub in Huntington Beach, CA – at the time of the U.S. issue of “Mental Notes” (known as “Second Thoughts” in Australasia). Mike Chunn was still their bassist at that point.

Took me a few years to get to NZ, but the Citizen Band material was everywhere…in 1980. The debut album is really neat English-language pop music – a bit more polished than some NZ rock music. I was instantly a fan.

But I always got the impression that I had just missed them. They were no longer performing by the time I got to NZ, for example. I think I like the debut album better than the 2^nd album, but that’s my opinion. And I like the “I’m So Up” 45 better than almost anything else they recorded!

Took me a few years to even find out that they had re-formed as The Sinclair Brothers, with a great solitary 45, “That Is The Way It Will Be”. End of story.

The CD age has only brought one Citizen Band CD that I am aware of – a “Best Of” CD 17 years ago. Probably out-of-print. Citizen Band were better than being relegated to being merely a Split Enz footnote. Check out their debut LP – snappy stuff!

Birthday Party

03-04-10 The Birthday Party

We seem to have an Aussie / Kiwi thing going on this month!

I first heard of The Birthday Party when they were called The Boys Next Door. I was in London, and I heard the “Hee Haw” EP being played at the Record & Tape Exchange in Notting Hill Gate – likely in the fall of ’79. When I got home, I found a copy – and wrote to the band. Both Nick Cave and Mick Harvey answered my letters. They moved to England, became The Birthday Party – and we remained friendly. I was saddened by the recent death of Rowland S. Howard, as well as the passing of Tracey Pew. Nice guys, all.

LP DOOR DOOR (as "The Boys Next Door) MUSHROOM AUS L 36931

1979 10 TRKS Birthday Party

12" HEE HAW (as "The Boys Next Door") MISSING LINK AUS MLEP 3

1979 5 TRKS with pic sleeve, autographed

CD HEE HAW 4AD UK CAD 307CD

1979/80 13 TRK Collection

LP BIRTHDAY PARTY MISSING LINK AUS LINK 7

1980 10 TRKS autographed

7" MR. CLARINET / HAPPY BIRTHDAY (PS) MISSING LINK MLS 18

1980 2 TRKS with pic sleeve UK

7" MR. CLARINET / HAPPY BIRTHDAY (PS) re-issue 4AD UK AD 114

1981? 2 TRKS wth pic sleeve UK reissue

7" FRIEND CATCHER / WAVING MY ARMS / CATMAN (PS) 4AD UK AD 12

1980 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP DRUNK ON THE POPE'S BLOOD TRIO JPN AW-23019

1981 5 TRKS Live, Lydia Lunch ('82 issue)

CD DRUNK ON THE POPE'S BLOOD MISSING LINK LINK 29CD

1981 11 TRK Collection ('91 issue) Live

LP PRAYERS ON FIRE MISSING LINK LINK 14

1981 11 TRKS autographed

CD PRAYERS ON FIRE 4AD UK CAD 104CD

1981 13 TRKS (2 x bonus tracks)

12" NICK THE STRIPPER / BLUNDERTOWN / KATHY'S KISSES MISSING LINK MSD 479

1981 3 TRKS with pic sleeve, autographed

7" RELEASE THE BATS / BLAST OFF (PS) 4AD UK AD 111

1981 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP JUNK YARD 4AD UK CAD 207

1982 10 TRKS original UK issue

CD JUNK YARD 4AD UK CAD 207CD

1982 13 TRKS (3 x bonus tracks)

7" AFTER THE FIREWORKS (as "The Tuff Monks") AU-GO-GO AUS ANDA 22

1982 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD MUTINY / BAD SEED 4AD UK CAD 301CD

1983 10 TRKS 2 EP's on 1 CD (2 x bonus tracks)

LP IT'S STILL LIVING MISSING LINK ING 009

1985 12 TRKS Live '82

LP COLLECTION..., A MISSING LINK US LINK 22

1987? 12 TRK U.S. Collection

CD5 PEEL SESSIONS, THE STRANGE FR UK SFPSCD 020

1988 4 TRK CD Single CD5

CD LIVE 1981-82 4AD UK CAD 9005CD

1999 17 TRKS Live

They were an astonishing live band, to say the very least. No wonder there are numerous live albums, and videos, notably the wonderful “Pleasure Heads Must Burn” DVD. A ‘fun’ band.

Coconut Rough

03-03-10 Coconut Rough

7" AS GOOD AS IT GETS / BALANCING ACT MUSHROOM NZ K 9049

1983 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP COCONUT ROUGH MUSHROOM NZ L 38216

1984 10 TRKS P. Judd cover art

7" LEISURE TIME / ONCE IN A WHILE MUSHROOM NZ K 9701

1984 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

7" MAGIC HOUR / PASSENGER SEAT MUSHROOM NZ K 9055

1984 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" SIERRA LEONE (1^st vers.) MUSHROOM NZ X 14036

1983 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" SIERRA LEONE (2^nd vers.) MUSHROOM NZ X 14045

1983 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" SIERRA LEONE / MONKEY PUZZLE MUSHROOM NZ K 9047

1983 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK CBS NZ SBP 247956

1983 10 TRKS Live, 'split' album w/ The Narcs

Kiwi pop music. I did this one in real time, so I think I have listed all known works of the NZ band Coconut Rough. Mark Bell came from Blam Blam Blam and Andrew Snoid (aka Andrew MacLennan) came from Pop Mechanix. Later in their career, they were joined by Bones Hillman, who was in The Swingers. Who remembers me touting this band in ‘83/4?

First out of the gate was the ‘split’ live LP (“Whistle While You Work”) with The Narcs, another decent kiwi 80’s band. It was good, but I knew they could do better.

I must’ve been the exact intended audience for this band. Their debut studio LP even had cover art by Split Enz songwriter Phil Judd! As Split Enz were well on their way to breaking up in ’84, it seemed to me that there was room for a commercial kiwi band to take their place – and, for the most part, Coconut Rough were that band.

But it was not to be. I never had the opportunity to see them live; the studio LP didn’t get good notices in NZ. “Sierra Leone” had been received decently, but the LP…on the nascent Mushroom NZ label didn’t appear to capture the imagination of the Australasian punter. Perhaps some of the band members had a ‘dis-taste’ for Australia?

I remember trying to hook them up with a guy at Arista Records in New York City. He must’ve stayed at Arista, because eventually Arista did get a kiwi band – Straitjacket Fits, to be exact.

I probably read in the pages of Rip It Up or saw on Countdown RTR (Radio With Pictures?) that they broke up – no real 2^nd album for Coconut Rough. Ah, well.

I went to New Zealand 7 times in the 1980’s, and I had the good fortune to see lots of great kiwi bands, and I got to meet lots of kiwi musicians…I’m even a page in the John Dix book (in reference to my cassette of a D.D. Smash show in Auckland being used to acquit Dave Dobbyn of inciting a riot). Coconut Rough deserved better than they got. As far as I know, their Mushroom NZ album hasn’t ever been re-issued on CD.

GANGgajang

03-02-10 GANGgajang

Can’t believe I’ve never written about Australian band GANGgajang!

7" G.S.L. (GIMME SOME LOVIN') / NOISY TALKING MERCURY AUS 880351.7

1984 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD GANGgajang TRUE TONE AUS 826349.2

1985 10 TRKS 1st

LP GANGgajang TRUE TONE AUS 826349.1

1985 10 TRKS 1st

7" HOUSE OF CARDS / FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM TRUE TONE AUS 880664.7

1985 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" GIVER OF LIFE TRUE TONE AUS 880937.7

1985 6 TRK EP; with pic sleeve, 7"x2

7" DREAM AT NIGHT / C. Allen: TUNKLEYS LEAVE HOME TRUE TONE AUS 884113.7

1985 2 TRKS no pic sleeve, O.S.T.

7" SOUNDS OF THEN / HOUSE OF CARDS (LIVE) TRUE TONE AUS 884267.7

1985 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" BIGGER THEY ARE / GIVER OF LIFE TRUE TONE AUS 884592.7

1985 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" INITIATION / SOUNDS OF THEN (INSTRUMENTAL) MERCURY AUS 888197.7

1986 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" INITIATION MERCURY AUS 888197.1

1986 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD GANGAGAIN MERCURY AUS 832586.2

1987 11 TRKS 2nd

7" AMERICAN MONEY / ROOF ONLY LEAKS WHEN IT'S RAINING MERCURY AUS 888749.7

1987 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" TREE OF LOVE / LUCK OF THE IRISH MERCURY AUS 888985.7

1987 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD5 HUNDREDS OF LANGUAGES ROO ART AUS 93981.2

1993 3 TRK CD Single CD5

CD LINGO ROO ART AUS 95653.2

1994 13 TRKS 3rd

CD5 TALK TO ME ROO ART AUS 95545.2

1994 4 TRK CD Single CD5

CD OCEANS AND DESERTS SHOCK AUS GANG 02

2002 11 TRKS 4th

The debut album by GANGgajang was one of the first commercial compact discs I ever wanted! Made in Germany for the Australian market, I bought it in a shop in Melbourne, Australia in 1987. I had seen the band on a VHS videotape the year before my ’87 visit to Australia, so I knew what they sounded like – having seen virtually the entire first album played live on stage. I definitely Johnny Appleseed’ed this band to my friends!

Some of ‘em used to be in a band called The Riptides and drummer / writer Graham “Buzz” Bidstrup came from The Angels. A fine Australian rock pedigree.

2^nd album was very good; this band always had great singles and B-sides. If they ever played live on the West coast, I missed ‘em. I must’ve been in NZ or Australia!

After the break of ’88 – ’93, I gladly picked up “Lingo” and (later on) “Oceans And Deserts”, as well as Mark “Cal” Callahan’s solo album, “Sailors and Mermaids” (1988).

I will never forget the excitement of those songs from their debut album…

Mi-Sex

03-01-10 Mi-Sex – Singles

Kiwi rock band active from roughly ’78 – ’85. Saw ‘em live, got their autographs and I liked their 4 x proper albums. The first band named after an Ultravox song?

7" STRAIGHT LADDIE / HIGH CLASS DAME EMI UK HR 580

1978 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

7" BUT YOU DON'T CARE / BURNING UP CBS NZ BA 222542

1979 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

7" COMPUTER GAMES / WOT DO YOU WANT? CBS AUS BA 222563

1979 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" COMPUTER GAMES (Disco Version) / GRAFFITI CRIMES CBS AUS BA 12023

1980 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" COMPUTER GAMES / GRAFFITI CRIMES EPIC US 48-50830

1980 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" PEOPLE / PAGES AND MATCHES CBS NZ BA 222652

1980 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

7" PEOPLE / PAGES AND MATCHES CBS NL CBS 8960

1980 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" SPACE RACE / LIVING IN SEPTEMBER CBS NZ BA 222672

1980 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" FALLING IN AND OUT / ROUND AND ROUND CBS AUS BA 222809

1981 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" MISSING PERSON / WATER CBS NZ BA 222874

1981 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" CASTAWAY / YOUNG MANIACS CBS NZ BA 222930

1982 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" CASTAWAY / DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER EPIC/SONY JPN 07.5P-276

1983 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" DOWN THE LINE / CALLING CBS NZ BA 223001

1982 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

7" DOWN THE LINE / CALLING CBS AUS BA 223001

1982 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" 5 O'CLOCK (IN THE MORNING) / WHY DID YOU LEAVE CBS AUS BA 223195

1983 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

12" ONLY THINKING COLUMBIA US AS 1852

1983 2 TRKS no pic sleeve, promo

7" ONLY THINKING / NAME GAME, THE CBS AUS BA 223106

1983 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" BLUE DAY / DON'T LOOK BACK IN ANGER EPIC UK A 4302

1984 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" NON-STOP SEX (Medley) CBS AUS BA 12167

1985 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

“Straight Laddie” is their debut, before they went to Australia. “Computer Games” was a world-wide hit, beating even Split Enz to the punch. I have eliminated unnecessary duplication in this list, as I have many “Computer Games” variants. They played the Whisky A-Go-Go in Hollywood, where I met ‘em. “Castaway” was a great single, but few up here seemed to notice. Singer Steve Gilpin passed away after the group became inactive – a car accident, I think. I always wondered what happened to the other guys in this band. I think the guitarist had been in a kiwi band called Think and drummer Richard H. had at least 1 x solo album. I remember their bassist, standing on the stage of The Whisky, really playing well and posing. I think they were somewhat older (& wiser, and better players) than some of the “punks” of the era that came through L.A. I wish their #2 – #4 albums were properly on CD, and not just “The Best Of”.