Hello, partygoers! Well, we’ve had a pretty rough time the last little while. A lot of people suffering – some in their homes, some at their jobs, some just out for a walk with their dog.
That’s right. We’re talking about our most recent novelty songs mixtape! The good news is it’s all done for now and we can get back to just living through a pandemic.
This bi-week we start listening to side one of Pierce Johnson’s first of two mixtapes that were made especially for him. We hope you enjoy it as much as Pierce did. At least, we hope he enjoyed it! And we hope you do too!
So let’s listen to:
- Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks – “My Cello” – Beatin’ the Heat, 2000 – 37:09
- Low – “California” – The Great Destroyer, 2005 – 1:22:44
- Karen Dalton – “Are You Leaving for the Country?” – In My Own Time, 1971 – 1:33:24
- Kidrock – “Aunt Annie’s Place” – Circus Days: Pop-Psych Obscurities 1966-1972, 2010 – 1:43:54
- Marah – “East” – 20,000 Streets Under the Sky, 2003 – 1:51:47
- Lyme and Cybelle – “Follow Me” – 7” single b/w “Like the Seasons”, 1966 – 1:59:24
- Field Music – “Them That Do Nothing” – Field Music (Measure), 2010 – 2:13:34
- Sloan – “Can’t You Figure It Out?” – Never Hear the End of It, 2006 – 2:20:25
- Local Rabbits – “Yo Teach!” – You Can’t Touch This, 1995 – 2:40:07
- Hearts and Flowers – “Tin Angel (Will You Ever Come Down)?” – Of Horses, Kids and Forgotten Women, 1968 – 2:51:55
- Fred Wesley and the J.B.’s – “Blow Your Head” – Pass the Peas: The Best of the J.B.’s, 2000 – 3:03:01
And we also listened to:
- The Charlatans – “Alabama Bound” – The Amazing Charlatans, 1996 – 44:53
- Moby Grape – “Hey Grandma” – Moby Grape, 1967 – 54:36
- Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks – “I Scare Myself” – KSAN Radio Broadcast, 1971 – 1:11:41
- Lyme and Cybelle – “Song 7″ – 7” single b/w “Write If You Get Work”, 1966 – 2:09:30
- The Magic Band – “Sweet Sweet Bulbs” – Grow Fins: Rarities 1965-1982 (Disc Three: Trout Mask House Sessions, 1969) – 1999 – 2:45:39
Thanks for listening.
Mary’s view while Dave stared out into a soggy suburban backyard:
To illustrate the point that Dave was making about The Charlatans, here are some pictures of them in their finery:
These pictures were all taken from the lavish book that accompanies Rhino’s beautiful Nuggets series collection Love Is the Song We Sing: San Francisco Nuggets 1965-1970.
In regards to the turn of the century styles on display among the Bohemians of the early SF rock scene, we direct you to this picture of Dan Hicks’ apartment on the back of the album Original Recordings:
Decorated from furniture found at the local Goodwill, no doubt.
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With that impressive freestyle Philip K. Dick intro, you have me wishing that you do an exclusive podcast on his books. If you can do 25 minutes like that off the cuff, then it would definitely be great!
Mary and I know our Dick!
…sigh…
Well, it would be hell of a brainstorming session for the name of the show. Anyway, the long and the short of it is that it was a great show – I am going to check out Karen Dalton some more.
Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks – Confession time: my usually reliable entendre detector must have been stuck on ‘single’. Until Mary pointed it out, it honestly hadn’t occurred to me that this song wasn’t actually about a cello! Whatever… this was a real fun song with a lovely, lazy feel, and fine playing from the whole band. A great side opener. And yes, Jessica Harper rocks!
Low – Pleasant enough, but didn’t really engage me.
Karen Dalton – Love, love, love this. Karen Dalton is like a fine single malt – wonderful now and then, but best appreciated in small doses and not too often. What a voice!
Kidrock – Good fun.
Marah – Nah, not for me. I wonder, Dave, if part of its appeal to you is that the singer has a bit of an Elvis Costello sound mixed in with the Springsteen thing? I can’t quite believe I’m doing this, but I feel the need to come to Springsteen’s defence over the charge of phonyness. Not that he isn’t a phony. He totally is. But in interviews and his Broadway show that was streamed on Netflix, he was wryly honest and self-deprecating about never really having experienced the things he writes about. ‘I made it all up,’ I think is how he put it. Also, did I hear you say he’s Jewish? Back to the research, Mr D!
Lyme and Cybelle – I’d never have guessed this was Warren Zevon. Found it really charming, especially the countermelodies. One of the things I loved about Warren Zevon when i first heard him was the biting wit of his lyrics, particularly when he mercilessly sent up vain, self-pitying narcissistic men in the music business. Much later – you guessed it – I read his former wife Crystal’s memoir which revealed that these songs weren’t entirely satirical digs about other characters, but reflected some less than admirable aspects of Warren’s own personality. Still great, though. A troubled soul, but a wonderful talent.
Field Music – Mmm, not sure. I’ve preferred other Field Music songs that you’ve played before. Maybe I just need to listen a few more times.
Sloan – I bet I’d like Sloan more if I’d seen them live. Hearing them cold, and just one song in a mix, they come over as fairly generic. I don’t think I’m being fair, though, since you folks like them so much. On the other hand…
…Local Rabbits – Oh, yes! Wonderful. What else is there to say? More, please!
Hearts and Flowers – Where has this been all my life? Fantastic song, wonderful arrangement and production, and just a tiny bit batshit crazy. Brilliant drumming too. I adored it. Thank you once again, Mr D.
Fred Wesley and the JBs – Almost wrote ‘the BJs’ there – must be the influence of the song title. Good fun closer. I wonder if they’d just got hold of the Moog? It has that excitable feel of someone who’s playing a weird instrument for the first time, and just can’t stop themselves. I guess the tune would have been better without it, but that would have taken away so much of its character. If I ever hear it again, I bet I visualise a kestrel feeding a mouse to its mate.
Of the extras: Charlatans grew on me with repeat listens, though it’s a bit too long and repetitive. Moby Grape was terrific – reminded me of Wings’ Helen Wheels… which came 7 years later! Dan Hicks was fab again. Lyme and Cybelle, though – eeugh!! Magic Band was a good call for a comparison with that Local Rabbits track.
Before I sign off, let me just say that OF COURSE we listen for the conversations between the two of you. Why else would anyone be hanging around until 1 hour 22 minutes until you play – ahem – TRACK TWO of the mix? Love these shows, folks – keep taking care.