Tag Archives: wax

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70’s Rock Must Die

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L for LardAs far as Lard is concerned, it really doesn’t get much better than 1989’s The Power of Lard. “Pity the poor trainer, in the stable when the racehorse farts,” “It’s ok to run out of butter in Zambia, just smear squashed caterpillars on your toast,” and “Poison Oak really is the aphrodisiac of the Gods” are just the red hot tip of the frozen iceberg found within the band’s debut track.

Fast forward to 2000 with the release of the band’s 2nd EP (three tracks). Their fourth and final release, 70’s Rock Must Die unfortunately features more tongue than cheek, and is by far the band’s ill-fated gift. For you see, there really is no bad Lard album, track, phrase, loop, what-have-you, there’s just spitfire Industrial brilliance, and their other stuff.

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JimiSex sells, and so do lottery tickets. Hendrix was. His legacy is. Fervent toils remain unraveled over the greatness of this 6-stringed beast. Let them toil and snare, grieving for future’s ears. The future was last week, as well as tomorrow. Let time prematurely leak its incessant novelties, and let the cautious remain cautious.

RIP Johnny Allen Hendrix.

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Great Hank

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HankHappy October 10th to all of you music lovers out there. Happy Friday night for those of us on the West Coast. Offered up this fine fall evening is a 24-track, 2-LP comp of Hank Williams’ great hits titled, The Great Hits of Hank Williams. As a member of both the Country Music and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame, Mr. Williams remains as influential a songwriter and musician as any other single titled artist. Cash is classic, Dylan is decent, but Williams will forever be without end.

RIP Hiram King Williams, Sr.

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Record #3000

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WhiteThe road to 3000 has been a long and winding one, and the choice of the mighty 3000, being the featured white vinyl version of the Beatles 1968 self titled album, is nothing short of exaccurate (exactly accurate).

I’d been hunting this monster down for more than a few years. The hefty price tag ($100+ complete w/ all four headshots and poster) always deterred me from pulling the trigger. That is, until I found this beaut off ebay last week. Knowing the inevitable 3000 was rapidly approaching, my once torrid, vinyl-hording obsession turned into a frugal-minded halt, as I forwent the “casual” purchasing phase until the mighty 3000 came home. I certainly hope #4000 isn’t for quite some time, as space is really starting to become an issue… one that every collector knows all too well.

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Tim Hardin > The Dead Kennedys

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LiveWhilst listening to Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, it’s beyond evident to conclude, that although magnificent and majestic in his own right, Tim Hardin’s Tim Hardin 3 is much more socially acceptable than 1980’s FFfRV. I acknowledge that, of course, Mr. Hardin’s live offering is just, if not more fruitful as DK’s studio performance.. and all-the-more vibrant, I’m just exhausted and unable to prolong the unimaginable fight.

Tim Hardin > The Dead Kennedys

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Country Bo

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BoThe law might get ‘em, then again the law might not get ‘em too! I must admit, that the motivation behind the inclusion of John Schneider and Tom Wopat’s pop-country work into the fold (Bo and Luke Duke respectively), is purely, and without shameful hesitation, based solely upon their prominent involvement with The Dukes of Hazzard.

That being said, it’s about hot damn time for the yearly Dukes of Hazzard marathon. (More of a reminder for me, than anything else… let’s be honest.) Pour yourself a hefty cup of bootlegged moonshine, weld the doors of your mound-jumping coupe, and pray to the heavens that Rosco Purvis Coltrane isn’t hot on your daisy dukes.

#gewgewgew

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Best of

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Best of

How a “Best of” album can be fathomed (let alone released) after only two studio albums (out of nine) is far beyond my feeble comprehension, yet, such is the case with The Best of Tim Hardin. Comprised of a single disc cutdown of Tim Hardin 1 and Tim Hardin 2, this 11-track comp, although magnificent beyond all audible understanding, lies through its teeth with its brags and boasts that this is in fact the best that Tim Hardin had to offer. Does it contain his early, and most pop-centric hits? Sure. Does it contain If I Were A Carpenter and Reason to Believe? Of course. Is it a well-rounded sense of this man’s brilliant songwriting ability, well thought out, considering his lengthy body of work? Not a chance in hell. For my money (I own it twice, and bought it three times), it doesn’t get any better than This is Tim Hardin, a worthy and presentable alternative as an adequate “Best of.”

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Too Much Monkey Business

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MonkeyHave monkey, will operate organ. Bent Fabric, the whimsical piano master, follows his animal friendly, attention stealing formula with his 1964 effort, Organ Grinder’s Swing. A must for any fan of the solemn cool, Mr. Fabric opens the door to soothing piano rolls, a relaxing atmosphere, and adorable, domestic animals. Still on the lookout for his more prominent 1964 release, The Drunken Penguin, I find comfort in these open window, cool breeze piano eruptions, which are perfect for late night rye consuming moments of sporadic clarity. Thank you, Mr. Fabric.

As a special note, happy beautiful birthday to my amazing, and domestic animal loving mother, without whom, there would be no Groove. Happy birthday, mom!

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Anything Goes

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GNR_InsertWhat you’ve got here is a South Korean insert from the 1987 album, Appetite for destruction, by LA’s Guns N’ Roses released by the Oasis Record Co., an overseas distributor for Geffen Records. This exclusive version features a 9-track song list instead of the usual 12. Omitted are Nightrain, Mr. Brownstone and My Michelle (for those interested). I guess, by way of GNR in South Korea, anything goes.

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Seal of Quality, One Discovers

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Authorized_WaxWhen one witnesses this 1992 seal of quality from the 1992 KMFDM album, Money, one knows one is witnessing one’s best possible selection one can possibly make. One need not continue looking once one discovers ol’ Moonface logo guy, here. One looks, one sees, and one gets that deep down warm and industrial fuzzy feeling one tends to get, when one knows, and respects, that Wax Trax! Records sound.

There can be only one, and this is it.

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Get The Knack

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KnackJust in the Knack of time, 1979’s debut by LA’s (Los Angeles) The Knack dropped their international hit-tastic album just 16 days before I was born (and some mere 32 miles away from the hospital in question). This is the time, which I like to refer to as “my Mother’s physical hell.” Sure, My Sharona is present and accounted for, but what’s disturbingly overlooked is the vast greatness of the remainder of this prolific album.

The Knack, 1979’s Weezer, is, by all means, the sound of “now.” Get the Knack! Got it? Good!

 

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Six Hundred

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Dr.MartinMilestone posts are always a let-me-down. Huge, flamboyant ambitions are conceived; yet, more times than not, reality yields less than satisfactory results. This, of course, takes nothing away from (rather adds to) the genius of Steve Martin (and his souvenir insert from the classic 1978 album, A Wild and Crazy Guy) and / or this gentleman’s comedic herring (or, whatever hell kind of fish this is). 600 posts, for each and every one of the Prudent Groove days (a day in which I’m awake and functional… which sometimes, as of late, happens to extend past the standard 24-hour mark… I make no apologies), which, by defaulted design, keeps me fresh and anxious by the ambitious, yet stressful necessity to “continue.” Rediscovery of one’s varied collection has proved much more pleasing than initially conceived, and I sincerely appreciate (and deeply question… WHY?!) the avid stoppers-by.

The Prudent Groove… not knowing what to say for the past 600 days. Humbly, I thank you.

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A Shameful First

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CoverCan you imagine James Ensor in a piano keys tie? So too is the flabbergasting monstrosity that is to follow… 1980’s One for the Road was, sadly, and with a heavy blanket of shame, my first Kinks album. The raging rivers of comfort that are Arthur, Village Green, Something Else, and quite literally, every-damn-thing-else I’d discovered by The Kinks, were slow to flow throughout my younger, adolescent, and obviously stupid, darker days. One never forgets their first… as much as they’re willing to try.

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The Mighty Mancini

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Mancini_FrontThese are possible words The Mighty Mancini may have at one time spoken, “I am The Mighty Mancini! I will not pay your ridiculous charge for an additional honey mustard dipping sauce!” The Mighty Mancini was indeed a powerful beast (Three’s Company, NBC Nightly News Theme, Theme from Star Trek, Theme from Battlestar Galactica), whose abundant soundscape knew no intergalactic boundaries.

No man (cini), or woman (cini) can deny the soothing tones of this mighty composer.

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Buddy, the BS 2000 Canine

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BuddyNeed a quick, jittery-eyed pick-me-up, but don’t have the time for full-length endeavor? Wet your whistle on this 4-track EP from BS 2000 titled, Buddy. I mean, who will refuse a Buddy, am I right? Narcissistic-nay-sayers… that’s who. Anyway, Buddy is a four-track abbreviation of the full-length release titled, Simply Mortified, the band’s and (unfortunately) the label’s last.

Simple mortification is completely up to the willing ear, so take this subtle suggestion with a grain of salt, a shot of brown liquor, and an uncomfortably loud stereo.

 

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Sammy the Salmon

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SalmonHello boys and girls… featured here today is 2007’s 7” single from UK’s big beat crackerjacks, Chem Bros (aka The Chemical Brothers). Featuring, and co-written by Derrick Stewart, aka Pharcyde’s Fatlip, the 2nd (of many) lucrative singles from 2007’s We Are the Night, brings to life a shorter, much more compact (and opaque) version of the promo 12” of the same track. Dance the Salmon, kids… in your own, upstream, current-faring way.

(Thanks to LDNE for the gracious, and timely gift!)

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PG-13 Guns N’ Roses

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GNR_CoverThis South Korean version of GNR’s classic, Appetite for Destruction, features a PG-13 variant cover of the Robert Williams painting of the same name. The original, and banned, or discontinued cover was deemed offensive by some in South Korea, enough to warrant the GNR logo to be slapped over the questionable portion of the art.

With such precautions taking place in South Korea, one can only imagine the North Korean version would look identical to Spinal Tap’s Smell the Glove.

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MMM Circa: 1998 (Part 1 of 3)

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MikeFor reasons that are still unknown, MMM’s Anti-Theft Device takes me back to a, well, let’s say, rosy-utopia, filled with pizza delivery, copious amounts of unquestionable activity, and musical-self-discovery. A personal Renaissance, that has yet to be fully examined and filtered, save for all in attendance… and NOT without good reason.

Mix Master Mike, the, then, newly-crowned Disc Jockey of the famed, and lavish Beastie Boys, released his first, major label release, the same year he debuted as the B-Boy’s newly sworn-in DJ with their less-than-stellar, Hello Nasty. Clearly a creative shift forward (for those who thought so), this newly developed mesh isolated some fans, while slurping up many, previously unassociated catchers-on. Blame has not been cast, as bad as this may look.

So, intro aside, such that it is, I offer my lubricated ramblings while listening to the first 1/3 of Mix Master Mike’s 1998 release, Anti-Theft Device. Please note: formality just clocked out for the evening.

Mike BackPart 1 (of 3): Get That Sauce Pie There in 30 Minutes or Less!

Ill Shit through Radiation (Ultra Into aside), kicks off this sample-tree-picking mix of (then) pop culture favorites, coupling, pairing, and otherwise fornicating its way through various space-themed, Austin Powers-conscious one-liner-laced, one-man-hip-hop extravaganza… to put it lightly.

“No coupon, no deal!” – Delivery driver PG

It’s no question that the Beastie Boys gravitated towards this schizophrenic style of old-meets-new, sample-heavy hip-hop. Get in… get out… make ‘moist, punch the card.

Money Mark endorsed, wholesome mother disapproved, the first 1/3 of Anti-Theft Device is a Fresh Fruit for Rotting Hip-Hop Vegetables… again, circa: 1998… that’s 16 years ago, kids… take wisdom with a grain of salt… and a shot of bourbon.

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Yank

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YankSo, after 19-years, the universe is one, once again. It wasn’t without the help from organ queen, Dr. Carol Williams, and Pinback alumni, Rob Crow, that Drive Like Jehu was able to reload their one-off reunited arsenal of post-hardcore wizardry. The venue, San Diego’s Spreckels Pipe Organ Pavilion at Balboa Park, was serene and picturesque, while the crowd, aging warriors with golden ears and eager offspring were many, and ecstatic.