A compilation album that works just as thoroughly as a collection of random, previously released songs from any proper album previously released, Creedence Country finds John and Tom Fogerty, Stu Cook, and Doug Clifford in top-notch form as they kiss the southern sun of classic, southern-rock-n-roll. If you’re in the mood for a new Creedence album of songs you already know and love, consider Creedence Country. I have, and my recent commutes to work in LA traffic couldn’t be more enjoyable.
Author Archives: The Prudent Groove
The Fab JC
For J. R. Cash’s third studio album, 1958’s The Fabulous Johnny Cash, the legendary man in black, or The Undertaker, as he was jokingly nicknamed, took a staggering leap up the distribution ladder and landed a contract with acclaimed Columbia Records, a label he’d stay with until moving to Mercury Records in 1985. It should be noted that J. R.’s stint with Sun Records, his first label, is the favored batch of rural tunes by yours truly. Be it either the simplistic and underproduced approach, or the documentation of a storied artist making his first marks, I for one just can’t get enough of that radiant, Sun sound.
Mr. Cash released two singles from TFJC. Frankie’s Man, Johnny and Don’t Take Your Guns to Town, the latter proving to be one of his biggest, early successes. It’s painfully obvious to mention that J. R. Cash was as unstoppable as Old 97 for Columbia, churning out hit after record breaking hit, a three decades long merger that proved, what I assume, immensely lucrative for both parties.
This copy was a thrift store find about a decade back, and was apparently pre-owned by a Pat Johnson from 655 Park Ave in Port Hueneme, CA. I venture to think, since 3/8/62 until the day it was offered to an Oxnard, CA second hand store, that Pat cherished The Fabulous Johnny Cash almost as much as I do.
Auntie Em! It’s a Twister!
Mr. Chub Check was, single-handedly and without question, the Tycoon of Twist. In the wee years before the British invasion, kids of all ages, and of all nationalities, wickedly wiggled and provocatively pranced to the world’s first dance craze. It was a short-lived event, charting on Billboard from ’59 with Hank Ballard and The Midnighters’ The Twist, and ending with Twist and Shout in ’64 by The Beatles (a cover of the 1961 single by The Top Notes). A total of 19 twist-influenced (twinfluenced?) tunes hit Billboard between these six years, but no one artist was more prolific and prominent than Ernest Evans (aka Chubby Checker).
242 Calorie Thought
The Mind is A Terrible Thing to Taste… it’s not like chilled monkey brain, toast, or a pear. What you’re looking at are Brazilian and US pressings of Ministry’s 1989 masterpiece. Exactly half the contents of 1990’s live effort, In Case You Didn’t Feel Like Showing Up (Live), Mind is home to some of Ministry’s most prolific efforts: Breathe, Burning Inside, So What, and the resounding, Thieves. Food for thought… give Ministry a shot.
Coming Soon… to the Past
Had the pleasure of attending this show last night. It was pleasant. Many thanks to Har Mar and The Pizza Underground for an exciting evening at the El Rey.
“V” is for Vulgar
As a casual Tool fan, I find Puscifer, Maynard James Keenan’s other side project to be the following: decent, a good listen, but certainly not groundbreaking. I’d owned this album for nearly 7 years and just today got around to giving it a spin. I can’t put my finger on the cause of my extreme hesitation, but today was a good day for “V” is for Vagina.
I’ll certainly need to give it a few more spins, and may even contemplate digitizing, but for now I give it a solid C+ / B-. Again, not bad, by any stretch, it’s just missing that sprinkle of fascination present with early Tool releases.
Life is Life
Laibach brings such a cynical smile to my face, I border on fits of maniacal laughter. Life is Life is a classic, and comical oppressionist Industrial hymn, and is the perfect relief for the Friday afternoon doldrums. To be completely honest, I’m not 100% sure that Laibach’s brand of persecution theme music is to be taken sincerely. By themselves, Laibach songs can raise the weary eyebrow of the unsuspecting ear, but when coupled with a blatant, over the top video (such as Life is Life, or the Beatles cover, Across the Universe), one can’t help but break out in a rash of uncontrollable snickers.
If you can get past the repetitious hammering and deep-throated persecution, Laibach is comedy gold, with a brainwashing beat. This, and all Laibach comes HIGHLY recommended by the PG.
How High the Moon
Nothing major tonight, except for a recent 78 find, at a reasonable $1, from the local brick and mortar down the street. Like everything that enters, at least one proper spin is required. This guy here is first in line for this weekend’s graduation-like introduction. Les Paul and Mary Ford. Please and thank you.
The Spy Who Slept In
A lot of my idiot friends dog Roger Moore as James Bond (I’m looking in your direction, Hardwick), but I find him to be an adequate agent of the secret nature. 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me, and its motion picture soundtrack, is a fitting, and worthwhile example of classic, James Bond goodness. Take that, Brosnan.
Peter and the Wolf
I’m not sure The Rocking Horse Players and Orchestra’s rendition of Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf necessitates a slot in the collection, yet, there it rests, unplayed, and unloved. Perhaps it should have been passed up (by me at some random secondhand store of yesteryear) so that some modern-day-junior-vinyl-collector could begin his or her little record collection of favorite children stories. I mean, this isn’t a bad place to start given that it also contains The Shoemaker and the Elves, The Golden Goose, and Ozzie the Ostrich, but for someone in their mid-thirties, the appetite for Peter and his friend is all but blown away.
Protection
Protection is. Seldom it is not. These last two bundles, 25 apiece, 50 in total, represent the last needed blankets to cover the remainder of my 3000+ record collection. Certainly not a boasting opportunity, yet rather, a proclamation of a timely endeavor. First, it was the database… second, it was protection. Listen with good health, kiddos!
Gift it, Foo!
When in doubt, give the gift of music. Anniversaries, birthdays, bar mitzvahs, or the random Tuesday… music calms the vivacious soul.
I Want to be Stereotyped…
… I want to be classified.
DWBH
When Fridays creep up on you (and this one most certainly has), it’s always a pleasant, and calming recess to loop the soothing earworm, Don’t Worry, Be Happy. It’s all I can do right now to maintain what ember of sanity dimly shimmers along the crescent alcove of the raging fire that sits in front of me. It’s a mad, salivating dash to Thanksgiving, kids, and I’ll gleefully accept defeat if, and when the needle rounds its last, vibrant groove. Don’t Worry, Be Happy.
Country Sunshine
(Listening to Death’s Spiritual | Mental | Physical while typing… but who cares, right?)
It’s Thursday evening… time to enjoy this Country Sunshine, complete with the confused, and somewhat befuddled look of master Croce impersonator, Jerry Reed (row one, column two… also below).
Presented by Goodyear and released by RCA Special Products, the long and unrelenting days of laborious fieldwork almost make themselves worth the back-breaking efforts when at the end of each sundown is a mason jar full of bootlegged moonshine and this, 1980 10-track comp ripe with shade-searching Country Sunshine.
Neglecting Responsibility
Neglect for a proper AM photograph yields little in the ways of a PM post! About all I can offer is this bit of advice: Listen to the music that moves you, and get the things you know need doing, done as soon as humanly possibly. The everyday nuances will fill the gaps of dead air. What makes up your live air is entirely up to you. Happy listening.
Super Deals on Super Tuesday
Super Tuesday means super savings at the polls! For one day only, exercise your obligation as a red or blue blooded citizen (if you live in the states and all your papers are in order, or professionally forged), and take advantage of all the fantastic, and money saving Super Tuesday deals!
Can you hold a nifty marker chained to a table? Then voting Jerry Brown out of office is easier than you could have ever imagined! Fan or not, Dead Kennedy’s make for great “pump-me-up-to-vote” music (“I am Governor Jerry Brown. My aura smiles and never frowns. Soon I will be president…” – Jello Biafra), but whatever your political position may be, you don’t get that slice of American Pie unless you get out there and vote. (Free stickers while supplies last.)
Jump Up
Spice up your mundane Monday with a splash of enthusiasm with Mr. Harry Belafonte and his 1961 smash hit, Jump Up Calypso. The follow-up to 1956’s straight-shooting Calypso, Jump Up is a hurricane in all kinds of weather. Aside from offering both Angelina AND Jump in the Line, Jump Up Calypso was the unofficial soundtrack to the 1988 Tim Burton comedy, Beetlejuice. Listen to this, then watch that, and count how many times this album pops up. I count five, but I haven’t seen the film in a few years.
Monday’s don’t have to be banal. Sprinkle in a dash of Calypso, and your feet will feel as light as Caribbean air.
Also, if you’re in the states, don’t forget to vote tomorrow!
Live Suck
I’ve seen them live, and, in fact, they don’t suck. In general, perhaps, but for all the tomfoolery and blatant side poking they flamboyantly indulge themselves with, NOFX is a solid outfit, and a wholesomely prominent collective, “across the board.”
Do they rustle the feathers of social abnormality? Well, of course, and damn well they should! No effects are a necessity, no matter how it’s spelled.
Dr. Johnny Fever vs. Tim Hardin
One wonders if Dr. Johnny Fever ever favored Mr. Hardin, and if the Cincinnati crowd ever embraced the heavyhearted songwriter quite like I have. There are a few notches on the Tim Hardin belt that I bet ol’ J. Fever would have enjoyed spinning, and somewhere, in the deep, orange and brown decorated closet of my imagination, a groove or two from Mr. Hardin may very well have found its way onto Mr. Fever’s plate, and was offered for all the Cincinnati area to enjoy.
If Tim Hardin lives, he’s certainly on the air in Cincinnati. Cincinnati, WKRP.
The Prudent Groove 