Andrew Loog Oldham Orchestra

"Crazy Rhythms" by The Feelies (vinyl)

"Crazy Rhythms" by The Feelies is one of those unique recordings that caught my attention, like a cat seeing a bird in front of him/her.  I was working at Moby Disc (for only a week or so, and that's another story) when this album came out.  I was struck by the cover of four geeky guys.  At the time the only other geeky band was Talking Heads - but this band took 'geeky' to another level.  What I found on their L.P. was a guitar band that deals with dynamics of sound and textures. And the percussion work is excellent through out the album.  A combination of Television's first album and the first three solo Eno releases.  I am also impressed with the silence between the tracks on this album.  The quiet is just as important as the Yardbirds like - but still geeky - rave-up.  Remarkable album.  

David Bowie "Cracked Actor"

David Bowie: The Story of Ziggy Stardust BBC Documentary

A remarkable BBC documentary on Ziggy Stardust.  Fantastic interviews with Gary Kemp, Marc Almond, and various members of the Spiders.   For the Bowie fan, this is a must-see.

"A Life in the Death of Joe Meek"

I am a long-term fan of Joe Meek's recordings.  And he is without a doubt one of the most amazing, tragic, and  eccentric narratives in Rock n' Roll history.   For the past nine years Howard S. Berger and Susan Stahman has been putting together a documentary on the dark genius of pop, and so far has interviewed Jimmy Page, Steve Howe, Alex Kapranos, John Leyton, Clem Cattini and others.  I think this will be be a remarkable film on a very important cultural figure.  Watch the video and if you can throw in some dough to their production -well that will be great!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/joemeek/a-life-in-the-death-of-joe-meek

"The Art of Noise: Destruction of Music by Futurist Machines"

Ah, the shock of the now as it happened!   A really nice collection of manifestos and essays by the Italian Futurists who see sound, noise, and yes music as an important art form that matches up with the visual arts.   The early 1900's and yet the manifestos read like from the Punk era.  The need to destroy the past to make way for the Present or future is a very enticing idea.  Yet, the Italian branch are very much aware of its past, so the tension between the new and its history is pretty exciting.  Luigi Russolo and others are mapping out a new territory that we're still exploring.  Essential reading for us explorers.


Luigi Russolo "Veglio Di Una Citta" 1910


Antonio Russolo "Serenata"


Tribute to "The Art of Noise"


Luigi Russolo "Macchina Tipografica"

Recent Vinyl Albums

Recently I have become a vinyl addict.  I gave it up in the 1980's and now its back.  Here are some recent vinyl albums.   The first one "The Well-Tempered Clavier: Book 1 preludes and Fugues 1-8" is a masterpiece.  In mono and superb.  I like to blast this out loud.

A major find for me are the two Goon Shows albums from the late 50s.  Both are superb albums, that are the roots of British comedy.  Genius like and a total 'oh wow.'

The great and classy Sandie Shaw.  Her first 'American' released album on Reprise Records.  A beautiful cover, and the music inside .... well its the perfect storm.

"The Roxy Music Story" Documentary

A great documentary with fantastic interviews with Bryan, Eno, Andy, Phil, and Michael Bracewell, etc.

"The Image" 1967 silent short film starring David Bowie

A 10 minute curiosity of a film starring David Bowie, and made in 1967.  Directed by Michael Armstrong.   And that's all I know!

Bob Dylan and John Lennon in the back of a Limo 1966

Fascinating documentation of a time and place and two guys in the back of a limo.


Part One


Part Two


Part Three

"Gainsbourg" meets Patti Smith's "Just Kids" at Barnes and Noble

IF YOU WON'T READ, THEN WHY SHOULD I WRITE by Jarett Kobek

The unguarded moments of famous people, where normally it is always guarded. Sex tapes are fascinating, in that the participants used them for future reference or is it the thought of being recorded while doing something nasty is the appeal? Or losing control and being totally exposed beyond one's control? Jarrett Kobek, in sort of 'just the facts man' style captures the undocumented 'recorded' moments of conversation or more like it - snippets of dialogue between individuals.

The first book I thought of while reading this was Burrough's "The Last Words of Dutch Schultz," which was inspired by the actual recording of Schultz as he was dying from a gunshot wound. His statement to the police is both lucid as well as fancy -free as his mind wondered. Probably the closest relationship between a crime figure and hardcore Surrealism. Kobek's book reads the same way. Its a fascinating document but also an interesting way to look at a culture as it is being recorded. What Kobek did was put it in a context, that says a lot about celebrities and the role they play in our culture.

The range here is quite large, from Paris Hilton to Tom Sizemore to Muammar Gaddafi. The issue of privacy seems to be an antiquity thought these days. A wonderful book with a beautiful production by its press, Penny-Ante Editions.  

Black Scat Books Window Display

"To Hell With The Ugly" by Boris Vian sharing space with other great titles

Read more about Black Scat Books and their adventures at http://blackscatbooks.wordpress.com/

And I am very happy that they have my Vian title on display at their window.

TamTam Books Tribute to Johnnie Ray

The second song he sings here  is "Soliloquy Of a Fool" which is my all-time favorite Johnnie Ray recording.  Great version here, and to my ears, the orchestration is almost from another part of the world. 


His ability to match up emotion with the weather is simply amazing to me.  And you can clearly see his hearing aid in his right ear.


Great song


Again the mixture of nature and high emotional state.

Bardot a Go-Go Documentary Film on French Pop 59-69

A film that needs to be made!

TamTam Books' Tribute to Andre Hodeir

Andre Hodeir is very much a mysterious figure to me - because its difficult to find his work and I suspect that he may be obscure in his native country France.  But saying that, Hodeir is a Jazz composer/arranger and a jazz theorist.  He has written numerous books like down below

"Andre Hodeir Jazz Reader" is still in print as far as I know and its a great collection of his writings on Jazz.   As for his other books I usually find them in very literate used bookstores in various parts of the world.  Grove used to issue his books during the 1960's.  

I discovered Hodeir through my obsession on Boris Vian.  He knew Vian, and in 1968 he did the soundtrack to L'écume des jours, which is....fan-tas-tic.  One of the best music EP's I have ever heard.  A mixture of classical, jazz and early electronics.   It took me forever to find an original copy of the disk

You can hear a touch of the music in this clip from the film:

 But when I did, I totally forgot what I paid for it.  A lot of money (at the time) but like something pleasurable that has pain attached to it - you forget the pain and only the pleasure stays in your mind and ears, in the particular case.    

His album "Jazz et Jazz" is probably his masterpiece.  A collection of uber-cool orchestrated jazz music with the title cut being probably one of the great eccentric recordings of the 50's.   The spirit of Joe Meek is in Andre Hodeir and the spirit is in Meek as well.   Listen to this amazing piece of music:

Jazz et Jazz by Andre Hodeir

Here's rare footage of Andre Hodeir conducting a band featuring Roger Guerin doing "Jordu."

Here are some cuts from the incredible "Kenny Clarke Plays Andre Hodeir

Here is Andre Hodeir with the great Christiane Legrand, Henri Crolla,  "Une Parisienne OST

Some very early Hodeir music:

James Moody with Strings.  Arranged and conducted by Andre Hodeir:

Here are some of his album covers:

Hodeir at work!

Boris Vian album (and one cassette) covers

Cassette: a recording of a reading of L'ecume des jours (Foam of the Daze)

TamTam Books Tribute to Philippe Clay

I know very little about Philippe Clay, except that he was a singer, actor and worked with both Boris Vian and Serge Gainsbourg.  He is also commented in Gilles Verlant's "Gainsbourg."  A very much of a hardcore French showbiz figure.  But an artist with a remarkable face.  Born in 1927 and passed away in 2007.  Oh, and I like his music.  

"J'suis sous"


Philippe lay chante Boris Vian "rue Watt"


"Le danseur de Charleston"


Serge Gainsbourg and Philippe Clay


"a perpete"


Philippe Clay chante Boris Vian "la Complainte du Priapisme

Recent Vinyl Buys

I have been looking for the album for awhile and now have it.  "Jack Good's Oh Boy" was recorded in a TV studio in London on October 19, 1958.  Starring a very young Cliff Richard and the always fantastic John Barry Seven.  With appearances from Vince Eager, The Vernons Girls, and smoothy singer Peter Elliott.  Hardcore British late 1950's culture.  Probably one of the first and of course the earliest example of the Rock n' Roll variety show.  Totally fascinating.  Purchased this album from Rockaway Records in Silverlake.

Here is an example of the original show.  From 1959:  Including the fantastic Billy Fury

Oh Boy Part 1

Oh Boy Part 2

Another episode of Oh Boy (April 4, 1959)

Oh Boy Part 1 April 4, 1959

Oh Boy Part 2 April 4, 1959

Oh Boy Part 3 Aprio 4, 1959 (a great Chris Andrews sequence)

One of my all time favorite singers is Paul Jones. He was the lead singer for Manfred Mann, and starred in the very odd but wonderful film "Privilage."  This is a solo album of his from 1967 or 1968.  Not perfect mind you, but nevertheless a wonderful odd work by Mr. Jones.  I just purchased this album from Mono Records in Echo Park. 

Excerpt from Boris Vian, La vie jazz

This is a mere intro to a documentary that I think would be fascinating.  If anyone reading this has seen the documentary, do write to me.  The Director/filmmaker is Philippe Kohly and it came out in 2009.  I think it was made for French TV.