Serge Gainsbourg

6-10-10

Serge Gainsbourg

I recently lucked into an inexpensive copy of the 17CD boxed set (“Gainsbourg Forever”) of the studio albums by French singer / songwriter Serge Gainsbourg (1928 – 1991). An acquired taste, to be sure. I think I first really heard him around the time of “Love On The Beat” (1984) – I remember that the US album that was released had a “Parental Advisory” sticker on the cover – despite the lion’s share of the lyrics being in the French language. Huh? At least it got a US release!

I remember seeing all the posters for “Mauvais Nouvelles Des Etoiles” all over Paris on one of my early visits there – I didn’t really know who he was – and I certainly didn’t hear his reggae albums at the time they were made.

My 80’s interest in French pop music was created by luckily finding LP’s by Etienne Daho, Les Rita Mitsouko and Charlelie Couture – I’d done the French progressive rock bands in the 70’s – but that wasn’t all together a “singer / songwriter” scene – Magma, Catharsis, Pulsar – those kind of artists.

After finding several Serge Gainsbourg CD’s and a few LP’s – I read about a 9CD boxed set that could be special ordered, toward the end of the 80’s. It was meant to be “everything” that was to be available on CD. Serge was still alive, I hasten to add. Even in 2010 – almost 20 years after his death – I still listen to him a lot, and I continue to add to my collection. My facilitator was Rick @ Poo Bah’s – who let me trade in all my Gainsbourg CD’s to help cut down the hefty price tag on this first CD box. Man, it was a mouthful! I found I really dug the early 60’s material, particularly “Confidentiel” (which remains a real favorite record of mine, for any genre).

The 17CD boxed set isn’t everything – no live albums, and – unless I am totally out of

the pool – none of his original soundtrack work (such as his fabulous “Anna” score). But crisp new (2003) re-masters of all of his studio albums – the new mastering of “Love On The Beat” is a tremendous improvement over the old ’84 CD…

I remember playing “L’Homme A Tete De Chou” to a Japanese progressive rock fan once, while we were driving somewhere in my car – he couldn’t believe his ears! Ha ha, he thought it was progressive rock! I have read (and been told) that in France, all of Gainsbourg’s records are well received because everything he did, every “style” he tried – rock, reggae, chanson, prog rock etc. – all were valid examples of each style.

Some people are charmed by his ex-wife Jane Birkin. Some people like his daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg (ever hear “Charlotte Forever”?) – I always rather liked that he seemed to love to write songs for women to sing – Isabelle Adjani, Catherine Deneuve, Viktor Lazlo etc.

I was very bummed when he died. Jane said on British TV that whenever workmen would come to her house (where SG had lived) they would say to her, “Who will be there to make fun for us now?” Merci pour la musique, Serge-san.

Mute Records - Visible Evidence

6-9-10

Mute Records – “Visible Evidence”

Exhibit 1 – Visible Evidence (58m)

ERASURE – Star

NITZER EBB – Fun To Be Had

RENEGADE SOUND WAVE – Biting My Nails

BARRY ADAMSON – The Man With The Golden Arm

CRIME & THE CITY SOLUTION – I Have The Gun

DEPECHE MODE – World In My Eyes

FORTRAN 5 – Love Baby

NICK CAVE – The Weeping Song

FRANK TOVEY – The Liberty Tree

INSPIRAL CARPETS – Caravan

CRIME & THE CITY SOLUTION – The Dolphins and The Sharks

MIRANDA SEX GARDEN – Gush Forth My Tears

NITZER EBB – Family Man

EASY – He Brings The Honey

Exhibit 2 – Visible Evidence (41m)

MIRANDA SEX GARDEN – Amarylis

BARRY ADAMSON / ANITA LANE – These Boots Are Made For Walking

ERASURE – Chorus

FORTRAN 5 – Groove

NITZER EBB – I Give To You

WIR – So and Slow It Grows

FORTRAN 5 – Heart On The Line

THE ASSEMBLY – Never Never

This is the detailing of 2 x 1992 stereo Japanese laser discs that I own of music video by Mute Records artists. Of these artists, I am very OK with Barry Adamson, Crime & The City Solution and Wire (aka Wir). I find the linking parts very interesting, where all of the releases on Mute Records are displayed, even the titles not featured in the music videos – such as Boyd Rice and Diamanda Galas. And not much on these 2 volumes for Depeche Mode fans, I’m afraid – apart from the fact that they appear on “Exhibit 1” for one song.

I recently watched both of these laser discs, dubbing them onto DVD-R for a friend of mine (and regular reader of this blog). Pretty good stuff. Great sound.

Ten Years After

6-8-10

Ten Years After

I’ve written about Ten Years After twice before – but recently, I found a 45 by them I’d never been able to find for 40 years!

I read somewhere in approx. 1970 that there was a 45 of “Love Like A Man” (from their “Cricklewood Green” album) that had a lengthy live B-side – so lengthy, it was a 33 1/3 rpm single! The live B-side was recorded at the Fillmore East, and was never on a TYA LP – many years later, it came on a double CD “Live at the Fillmore East 1970” (released 2001). Maybe my mind clouded up – but I could’ve sworn it was said that the 45 of “Love Like A Man” was (also?) released as a 10”!

Well, I regularly visited England from 1979 to 1990 – and I never saw a copy of Deram DM 299. Until the last Buena Park swap meet…I liberated it from a nice older dealer for a measly $8. It’s real, 7”, and one side is 45rpm, the other 33 1/3rpm.

I am sure I heard of TYA before their “Woodstock” performance, probably from my older brother. What album did I get first? “Ssssh” or “Cricklewood Green”, most likely. Time doesn’t permit me to remember. Alvin Lee certainly made a big impression on me, from the “Woodstock” film – with his red guitar with the ‘peace’ symbol on it.

Both “Cricklewood Green” and “Watt” LP’s came with posters. I wonder who still has both of those? I do! Anybody out there ever seen a cover for “Cricklewood Green” with the statue flipping us off? I haven’t.

I realize I also have a Ten Years After laser disc – “Live Legends” (61m, Central Music – probably live in 1990). I also seem to recall a beta from Japan that was live about 1983 or so. Must have a look around and see if it’s different from the laser disc I have in my hands.

I have managed to get some nicer CD versions of several albums – in 2007, I got little paper album cover CD’s for their debut album and 2^nd album “Stonedhenge”. More recently, I got British re-mastered CD’s for “Cricklewood Green” and “Watt”. I think “Watt” is probably my favorite all-round TYA album; I really dug it when I got it as a new album in 1970 – and it has stuck with me.

Were you ever a fan of Ten Years After? They were certainly one of the better UK White-boy blues bands. And not many will argue about Alvin Lee’s guitar abilities – he’s fast, no doubt about it. And, in his own style, he’s a good vocalist, too. And I do like quite a lot of the songs he wrote. I always thought it a bit silly that he (much later on) called a new version of the band Ten Years Later.

Does Alvin Lee still play live in England / Europe? (Yes) Is he still calling his band Ten Years After? http://alvinlee.com/

City Limits, 1989

6-7-10

City Limits, 1989

After getting a satellite dish, I used to aircheck a lot of MuchMusic, the Canadian MTV. Last week, I watched (as I dubbed it from Beta to DVD-R) an episode of MuchMusic’s “City Limits” with Christopher Ward from the end of 1989.

This episode had a segment on the “Reading Festival of 1989” – with Pop Will Eat Itself, The Swans, Billy Bragg interviewing The Pogues, New Model Army, The Sugarcubes, The Wonder Stuff, The Butthole Surrfers and The Mission.

Also featured were video clips from The Jesus & Mary Chain, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pere Ubu, Wire (“Eardrum Buzz”), Happy Mondays, Mr. Big Mouse, Edelweiss, Robyn Hitchcock, The The (“The Beaten Generation”), Old Skull, Bad Brains, The Hoodoo Gurus, Sons Of Freedom, National Velvet, The Replacements and The Ramones. Not a lot of my favorite artists, however.

Well, most amusing to see a complete 2.5 hour aircheck in near-perfect quality from over 20 years ago. I am very OK with The The and The Wonder Stuff. I have lots of LP’s, 45’s, 12: singles & CD’s by both of these bands. I recently bought a few Hoodoo Gurus titles and – believe it or not – I recently found a sampler LP that featured Mr. Big Mouse (“Drop That Ghetto Blaster”) called something like “Hit The Perfect Beat” – and it was all stuff from Belgium on the Crammed label (which I usually like a lot). My Wire fandom generally stops with the “Swimmer” 45.

Clearly, 1989 was not my favorite time in pop music. I mean – Old Skull were a “punk rock” band of 10-year-olds. Yuck – then and now! Never a Bad Brains fan (though I will admit to owning a CD that is a “Tribute” to Bad Brains by Japanese artists). I once had the misfortune to see Pere Ubu play live in San Francisco at the Warfield Theatre – at one of the “Urgh” shows – I went to see Magazine! National Velvet were Canadian (but she wore a visible black bra!). I didn’t recognize the Sons of Freedom at all. Canadian, perhaps?

Of course, 1990 was a different story for me. I fulfilled a life-long dream of going to live in England, where I heard lots of good, new music – it’s where I first heard The Creeps! A Certain Ratio was signed to A&M and releasing albums and singles. I found 45’s by Kirsty MacColl and Frazier Chorus! And let’s not forget Alf Klimek and The Other Ones (their superlative 2^nd album, “Learning To Walk”).

Same old story – one year is magical – the other can be not-so-good. How did it happen? Cursed with Jane Child, on one hand. But on the other hand I got to see The Charlatans (“The Only One I Know”) and Jesus Jones (“Real Real Real”) – when both were still ‘of interest’! And Dread Zeppelin toured England while I lived there! (I got to see them play live and M.C. their show in Birmingham, England – and in Amsterdam, Netherlands – a few years later).

Better records?

6-4-10

Better records?

Sometimes I will allow myself to read “audiophile” stuff on the internet – things like interviews with Steve Hoffman (the mastering engineer), or articles on so-called “audiophile” websites that sell expensive records (ordinary pressings that have been cleaned really well). I love to read such heated arguments about how to clean phonograph records – one guy says the brushes are junk, another likes this fluid or that fluid. Rec-O-Vac? After we clean the LP, how do we get the, er…residue off of it?

It doesn’t take a genius to know that there are some records that sound a lot better than others. Same goes for CD’s. I have noticed that audiophile folks tend to trash Japanese pressings / masterings – so, I guess some of them are not in the business of “listening”! Japanese LP pressings are usually ‘quieter’; and some Japanese CD masterings are definitely different from their non-Japanese versions. For me, usually that’s a good thing! The new / recent Tom Waits Japanese SHM-CD releases? Never re-mastered in the US, as far as I know.

So I don’t have a million dollar stereo or “audiophile ears”. I basically have the same stereo that I started working on about 1975 or so. Yes, I’ve changed my turntable, and a Minidisc deck replaced a cassette deck. Amp & speakers – still the same. Mixing board still the same. THE SAME. Upgrade the needle / cartridge on the turntable and – BOOM! – sounds good…sounds better…no, I didn’t re-adjust the tone-arm – so perhaps I am talking through my hat.

Some folks do not go for re-mastered CD’s. I can see that – the lack of desire to buy a secondary preference version of a much-loved title. I’ve sat through enough “low level” CD’s to have some idea of when to re-buy. And I have a clear idea (of my own collection, anyway!) of what titles to “keep the old versions” – “Satisfaction” in stereo, Japanese “Hot Rocks 1” is a good case in point. All those early Rolling Stones songs in stereo, that one’s a keeper! Mobile Fidelity “Tommy” by The Who? Compared to the sound of the Deluxe version 2CD, that one is NOT a keeper. Should be able to even flog that one on eBay!

Ever upgrade from a US pressing to, say, a German pressing? It can be a dramatic difference. Or ever buy a French (Euro) version of an LP to get a gatefold cover of an album that only ever had a single sleeve in England or the US? Or ever buy a Japanese pressing of an LP – just to get the quieter vinyl? Many of these propositions are how / why my collection swelled due to “over-collecting” – always wanting to try and get the most preferable version of something that I liked.

For some artists, I just keep all the variants – Frank Zappa, Gruppo Sportivo, Split Enz – thankfully, I do not “keep everything” on many more artists than those three! But let’s hear it for European 7” picture sleeves! And Japanese pressings! And Japanese little paper album covers! And SACD’s! Let’s say “Thanks!” if you ever bought something a 2^nd (or 3^rd or 4^th) time – and were happy with the results.

Approaching 25,000

6-3-10

Approaching 25,000

I see my music collection rapidly approaching 25,000 titles. In reality, I must have quite a bit more than that, as that figure does not include music DVD’s, cassettes, reel-to-reels, MD’s, videotape of any kind etc. The 25,000 is just CD’s (SACD’s too) and vinyl (7”, 12”, LP).

So, I go through my great big Excel spread sheet and see what’s happening – removing duplications (i.e. my “over-collecting” of variants), I can get the list down to about 15,000 fairly easily. I even made a list of titles I’d like to lay my hands on, in order to get ‘em out of my collection (mono copies of easy listening LP’s that I found stereo copies of etc., or CD’s I have obtained the re-mastered – clear tray and bonus tracks version etc.)

It is tempting to tell myself that I may not have more than 25,000 titles in my collection. It’s a lot of work to get rid of stuff – either by eBay or trading stuff into Amoeba Hollywood. I have to replace scratched up jewel boxes, clean old LP’s off (disc and cover) etc. Then either have packing materials necessary to sell the item on-line, and the patience to do an auction – or haul cartons into my trunk and remember to take them in to Amoeba.

I had to replace my Palm M125 recently, as the previous one ‘stuck’ on a page. Got a used $6 one off of eBay, and it works beautifully. But no way can I remember everything anymore! Particularly LP’s…it’s like my brain can hold what I have been working on recently, but…not everything stays in the buffer.

But, y’know…recorded music has been what I have done with this life. I feel like I understand recorded music of my lifetime pretty well – certainly the aspects of it that have appealed to me. I sometimes like to stay from my path (music videos, anyone?), but – as my detailing of 1970 releases proves to me – my contiguous interest in popular (and otherwise) music truly extends for the last 40+ years (of my 51 years). I’ve been paying attention for that long – quite an unbroken stretch!

Been blogging about music since July, 2002. “Music Life” is the 3^rd incarnation of my blog, and perhaps will be my last incarnation of music blog. I always want to try to write about something passionately, which isn’t always possible without a bit of repetition. Still, at least I try!

So, why do I think that other people will want to try and understand the world via popular recorded music? Is it because it’s something we can all discuss without the same prejudices that we would discuss religion or politics? Ah, who knows. I just write this stuff, and the sensitive few who read it sometimes chuckle, dome times comment etc.

I just hope this stuff (recorded popular music) doesn’t become extinct in my lifetime, like so many birds that I am fond of. “Hey, where’d my hobby go?” is something I used to joke about – but I could just as easily say, “Hey, where’d my life go?”.

p.s. I am amazed at the nearly 3 hours of video to be found in the Genesis box “1970 – 1975”!

Anthony Moore

6-2-10

Anthony Moore

A member of Slapp Happy who isn’t Dagmar Krause or Peter Blegvad!

7" CATCH A FALLING STAR / BACK TO THE TOP VIRGIN UK VS 144

1976 2 TRKS no pic sleeve

CD FLYING DOESN'T HELP VOICEPRINT UK VP 177CD

1979 10 TRKS

LP FLYING DOESN'T HELP QUANGO UK HMG 98

1979 10 TRKS original issue

12" INDUSTRIAL DRUMS PARLOPHONE UK 12R 6072

1984 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" JUDY / LUCIA (PS) QUANGO UK HMGS 10

1980 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

12" ONLY CHOICE, THE PARLOPHONE UK 12R 6081

1984 3 TRKS with pic sleeve

LP ONLY CHOICE, THE PARLOPHONE UK EJ 240210.1

1984 9 TRKS original issue

CD OUT VOICEPRINT UK VP 165CD

1976? 12 TRKS ('97 issue) CD-only release?

CD PIECES FROM THE CLOUDLAND BALLROOM POLYDOR JPN POCP-2402

1971 3 TRKS

LP PIECES FROM THE CLOUDLAND BALLROOM POLYDOR DE 2310 165

1971 3 TRKS

CD SECRETS OF THE BLUE BAG POLYDOR JPN POCP-2403

1972 3 TRKS

LP SECRETS OF THE BLUE BAG POLYDOR DE 2310 179

1972 3 TRKS original issue

LP WORLD SERVICE DO IT UK RIDE 7

1981 8 TRKS

7" WORLD SERVICE / DIVING GIRLS (PS) DO IT UK DUN 16

1981 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

7" WORLD SERVICE / RUN RIGHT BACK (PS) DO IT UK DUN 22

1982 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

Not sure when I first became aware of Anthony Moore – perhaps I had read that he appears on Faust’s “The Faust Tapes”? Or was it finding the “Catch A Falling Star” b/w “Back To The Top” 45 on Virgin UK about ’76 or so? “Back To The Top” had been one of my favorite all-time songs for years…

Knowing of his Faust connection, I dutifully obtained German original LP’s of “Pieces From The Cloudland Ballroom” and “Secrets Of The Blue Bag” – ‘new musik’, to be certain. But the pop songs of “Flying Doesn’t Help” appealed more. At the time of the “Catch A Falling Star” 45, I expected there to be a Virgin label LP…which was not to be. Had to wait 20+ years for the CD of “Out”.

“World Service” was real good and “The Only Choice” even better – end of story? Mr. Moore certainly doesn’t make too many LP’s!

How many of you noticed that Moore became Pink Floyd’s lyricist for “Momentary Lapse Of Reason” and “The Division Bell”? It ain’t on Wikipedia, but I always heard that it was David Bowie who pulled Moore up out of the gutter and got him onto EMI UK.

Robert Gordon

6-1-10 Robert Gordon

LP ARE YOU GONNA BE THE ONE? RCA US AFL1-3773

1981 10 TRKS 5th; Danny Gatton

LP BAD BOY RCA US AFL1-3523

1980 11 TRKS 4th; Chris Spedding

CD BLACK SLACKS BEAR FAMILY DE BCD 15 489

1990 25 TRK Collection (late 70's recordings)

12" ENDLESS SLEEP / THE FOOL PRIVATE ST UK PVTS 127

1977 3 TRKS one side @ 78rpm

LP FRESH FISH SPECIAL (with Link Wray) PRIVATE ST US PS 7008

1978 10 TRKS 2nd

7" IT'S ONLY MAKE BELIEVE / ROCK BILLY BOOGIE (PS) RCA US PB-11471

1979 2 TRKS with pic sleeve

CD KING BISCUIT FLOWER HOUR KING BISCUIT US 88018.2

1979 18 TRKS Live

CD ROBERT GORDON WITH LINK WRAY ONE WAY US OW 34493

1977 10 TRKS 1st

LP ROBERT GORDON WITH LINK WRAY PRIVATE ST US PS 2030

1977 10 TRKS 1st

LP ROCK BILLY BOOGIE RCA US AFL1-3294

1979 12 TRKS 3rd

CD ROCK BILLY BOOGIE / BAD BOY COLLECTABLES US COL-CD-2820

1979/80 23 TRKS 2 on 1 ('01 issue)

LP TOO FAST TO LIVE, TOO YOUNG TO DIE (Collection) RCA US AFL1-4380

1982 12 TRK Collection

I am certain I first saw Robert Gordon at the Whisky A-Go-Go, with Link Wray – Thursday October 27, 1977, 9:00pm. The ticket was $5. I still have it.

I must’ve heard his first album at work – Superior Music in Glendale, CA. Songs like “Flyin’ Saucer Rock & Roll” and “Red Hot” sounded good to me. Was it punk rock? I dunno. It was certainly before XTC, Magazine and Ultravox came to town. Gordon was the singer of the Tuff Darts – a punk band. I guess.

Next time I saw Robert Gordon was at The Roxy, his guitarist was Chris Spedding (Tues. May 1, 1979). Gordon’s RCA Debut “Rock Billy Boogie” sounded good, too – “Black Slacks” etc. I still have the “invitation”…guess I’d better R.S.V.P. to Yvonne (whoever that was, a woman at the label, no doubt).

My 3^rd time seeing him was, again, at The Roxy (Fri. May 15, 1981). I don’t remember who was the guitarist. Danny Gatton? Looks like I bought tickets this time.

Always seemed odd that there didn’t seem to be regular CD issues of his work in the US – took me until recently to find a CD for his debut album (on One Way, a label notorious for letting titles go out of print). Same thing goes for the Collectables label.

30 years passes in the blink of an eye – I have all of the Robert Gordon titles described above. Does he still play live (or tour)? Does he make new CD’s? Whatever happened to Robert Gordon? I suppose I could look him up on Google or Wikipedia. Still alive.