1. flip-flops are the worst thing you can ever place upon your feet, period. (there is an exception -- and only one -- for jason r womeldorph)
2. every girl EVER has a crush on either levon helm or peter criss. its the truth, ask em.
3. drugs rule.
Monuments = Travis + Mike L + myself / Drone + Swirl.
We will play first.
Show up early... or don't.
Word!
Drop everything you are doing right fucking now and immediately listen to "March to the Witch's Castle" by Funkadelic.
Fucking do it!
PS: It's on Cosmic Slop.
So seriously.
Have you listened to Van Der Graaf Generator lately? You fucking should, dawg.
I had always chosen to dwell on the first couple albums, for whatever reason; however, I have been listening to Still Life and Godbluff nonstop for days now. There is a certain amount of piss and vinegar in those two that just grab you by the back of the neck and throw you around the room. There is just something about this band that is so sinister but smart and so evil but peaceful. It certainly doesn't hurt that Peter Hammil writes endlessly about the endless futility of modern life, albeit often through some sort of sci-fi allegory.
For whatever reason this band has never rang more true or sounded better to me than right now. Maybe it's caused by this second attack of winter making me want to doom and gloom it up a little bit more, or maybe its my general morose mood as of late, but this band is destroying my right now.
Also...
For those of you into the unfortunate format that is CD (and for those of us who download more music than we should) a few of their finer records just got a recent re-mastering with bonus tracks... and are worth hunting down as they sound WAY fucking better than the first gen CDs that are out there.
In Closing...
Apparently I am not the only one in the midst of a VDGG mindfuck. I opened up the newest issue of Wire and there is a great multi-page interview with Peter Hammill. Odd how these things line up sometimes...
PS: Were you aware that Charisma records was basically founded so that VDGG wouldn't get screwed over by another label (re: mercury).
Soooo...
Regardless of whether or not you know it, I have a weird thing for the Vietnam War that only continues to grow more and more. I have this big theory about the reason why our contemporary culture is borrowing more and more pieces of visual culture (seriously go to the gap... and be confused by how much psych typography and imagery is being used), as well as the obvious sounds being borrowed. The theory basically boils down to this: As our present 'War' seems increasingly analogous to the 'Vietnam War / Conflict' (re: no end in sight, total bullshit, and will be a historical black spot) the 'pop culture' of the time resonates in a much more understandable tone. Sadly this seems to be resonating without the political and social connotations, but then again we live in a 'fuck it' post-ironic world where there idea of making anything actually change just seems pointless... fuck, most of America doesn't even know if it really likes Journey or if it thinks it's being really fucking clever.
But...
I stumbled across the Merry Airbrakes record today (self-titled from '73) and my mind was fucking blown.
It was recorded by a fucking Vietnam vet and is fucking as honest, sincere, and beautiful as it gets. Its not post traumatic acid flashbacks or just bitching. Instead it's down home blues fireside take on the war. It's just simple and complete honesty. I have never heard a record quite like this before, or at least this personal of a take on one's experience at war.
Its worth checking out just for "Draftboard Blues," which is amongst the best songs about the draft ever. Plus "Vigilante Man" is a fucking electric slide blues stomp that will melt yer face off. The fact that the line "no it wasn't anything that id ever smoked" actually appears in the chorus of a song on here is almost too good believe.
CGR has it posted for download here.
Get it now!
I am not going to post the amazing handwritten notes about the album written inside the insert... you gotta downloaded it to read 'em... but they will blow yer mind.
Love in Stuggle!
Since my return to CMH I haven't had much time to sit around on Mr. Internet (nor have a really wanted to), but this evening I found myself scouring through youtube. The results? I found some serious shit.
Camel // Never Let Go
Tangerine Dream // Ricochet
National Health // ???
Aphrodite's Child // It's Five O Clock
Crimson Fantasy // Fantasy Based on the King Crimson Themes
Japanese Mellotron Tape Change
So yesterday I picked up two Larry Coryell records I didn't own and only one of which I had heard before. We all know that the 11th House is a fucking fusion monster and the 1st LP is fucking beyond gnarly, but I wasn't aware how gawdamn good Offering is.
It opens with this atonal white noise fuzz attack that eventually turns into this fucking manic melody. It like Inner-Mounting Flame meets Hot Rats. If you can dig on fusion you need to check out 'em jamz up on it.
Its nice outside. Fuck Mr. Internet.
Summer is fucking here!
Therefore:
