What can you say about the Velvet Underground that's not been said already? I figure you should always have a few VU tunes in your back pocket, with Nico or without, however you take 'em. Both these songs, here played by me and my old Iona Prep buddy John Stackpole in summer '11, come off the VU's 1970 swansong, "Loaded". Yet another Rock Pantheon record, "Loaded" was a fun, transitional one, with Lou starting to step away from the Velvets, John Cale already gone, Mo Tucker away on maternity leave, and Doug Yule beginning to take the reins. Anyway, that disc continues to supply great cover fodder such as these tunes and more obscure numbers like (watch this site!)"Oh! Sweet Nuthin'".
As to these, I've managed to wheedle almost every band I've been in to play a version of "Sweet Jane", goddarn national anthem that it is to many of us. I do love including the melancholy "heavenly wine and roses" bridge section that proverbial "studio execs" clipped from the "Loaded" version but which was played on the Velvets' "Live, 1969" record and resuscitated by the Cowboy Junkies. Here, though, we hew to the bones of the rockier versions. This one is patterned off that done through the early '70s by then-huge, and now-unsung Mott the Hoople (featuring the even more unsung but still-going-strong Ian Hunter).
I have less of a history with "Rock n' Roll" but recall taking a stab at it with the post high-school band (Dillo, Maff and maybe Andy O') back in the day. This particular version is in the vein of Lou Reed's early 80s band of Robert Quine, Fernando Saunders and Fred Maher (check out "Live in Italy"!). Certainly, the world probably doesn't need another cover of either of these tunes but you can't keep me from playing the first one and on this one it sure was fun to double track those funny slide parts on the lap steel, to approximate Lou's sing/ speak, and all that. Stag's lead guitar makes its big entrance after the last chorus. Rock n' roll indeed!
Sweet Jane: https://www.box.com/s/165i4et38c2aeyy0sq6n
Rock n' Roll: https://www.box.com/s/si4ccmso9082lcq698lb
Monday, December 31, 2012
Monday, December 24, 2012
Re-gifted, 2012
Well, we may've done botched our time management this year, here at RKBS Industries. Sadly, we have a couple holiday tunes in construction, but they didn't manage to squeak in under the yule wire for '12. Irregahdless, that kinda thing happens. Maybe we'll put them in the Cry-O-Vac 'til next year. Maybe just change some things around and make them into Easter Songs, or Labor Day. But in the meantime, I did get the chance to remix the old Christmas hits, so here you go, new coat of paint and all. With all the usual sloppy kisses and hopes to see you this year, or see more of you:
Christmas Ain't for Family: https://www.box.com/s/vk72ls7ajmstuh0dgix0
Christmas Parties: https://www.box.com/s/ns5e81i7f1ntibd8olle
Everyday Christmas: https://www.box.com/s/9czyyvj38hvywhm94av0
Christmas Ain't for Family: https://www.box.com/s/vk72ls7ajmstuh0dgix0
Christmas Parties: https://www.box.com/s/ns5e81i7f1ntibd8olle
Everyday Christmas: https://www.box.com/s/9czyyvj38hvywhm94av0
Monday, December 10, 2012
The Man Known Only as Beez
He asked that we refer to him only as "Beez". It was just over one year ago that from distant (?) lands (south and west?) he came, with messages in a peculiar tongue. We still don't know whether "Beez" is even his real name, or perhaps one of many. In any event, we thought it wouldn't help to ask, as concepts like "true" and "false" seemed not to concern him much. Anyway, what was the point? We suspected that his true nature would remain beyond our mortal ken, just over the horizon. Miss Oonagh and I did our best to make him comfortable during his stay, and I tried to convert his messages to, I suppose, a more common parlance. And then he was gone, as if dreamt. There's blurry Flipcam video of some kind of blinking light he sported, and some audio, as follows:
"Tree": https://www.box.com/s/u7z46qpeyou2hsxzgw33
"Looks Like We'll Have to Row": https://www.box.com/s/ocll81dlsmve0haa2xi8
"Nine More Minutes": https://www.box.com/s/s31v4sz2zrnp1844znkt
"Tree (acoustic demo)": https://www.box.com/s/1gpuglc4vlm2ajszfq34
"Tree": https://www.box.com/s/u7z46qpeyou2hsxzgw33
"Looks Like We'll Have to Row": https://www.box.com/s/ocll81dlsmve0haa2xi8
"Nine More Minutes": https://www.box.com/s/s31v4sz2zrnp1844znkt
"Tree (acoustic demo)": https://www.box.com/s/1gpuglc4vlm2ajszfq34
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Woodpile 2: "Brand New Bird" b/w "Five Days Crawl"
Good day all. Here's hoping that your Thanksgivings were leisurely and unencumbered. It's a quiet time up for us in the midcoast, which is a nice break. The only think we can't really give thanks for is our not being able to see more of you fine folks, but plug away at that we shall. And this post wraps up the second Woodpile.
Anyways, both of these songs date back to our days on the north end of Bath, ME, Miss Oonagh and me. "Brand New Bird"? One spring day, the loudest goddarned bird set up shop in a huge, bedraggled oak across the street from us, in our neighbor Madeleine's yard. At the time, I was trying to be a good do-bee and study for that vile veterinary pathology board exam, but that dang thing was making me nuts for a few days with its boring-ass but extremely loud, sing-song "Peter-Peter-Peter" whistling. Turned out that crazy noisemaker was a plain old tufted titmouse. I'd always loved those lil' rats on account of their wide-eyed, crested, cartoon-y look and outgoing ways but I'd never appreciated the lungs on 'em, and things were looking grim for a while... Anyway, a metaphor ensued and I was off to the races! Mules kicking in the stall? Old-timey jug band stylings? Ain't that America!
"Five Days Crawl" is another ode to weeks spent working away from home. And a rockabilly player I am NOT, on rhythm, lead or bass, but I do love the rockabilly music. and by now at least I can fake it a bit. I'd written this as a straight up Elvis-Scotty-Bill rip-off, so such a version is long overdue.
Brand New Bird: https://www.box.com/s/k8395yfyq2w50bn155i6
Five Days Crawl: https://www.box.com/s/771crnuwzzrii6bvn4hh
Anyways, both of these songs date back to our days on the north end of Bath, ME, Miss Oonagh and me. "Brand New Bird"? One spring day, the loudest goddarned bird set up shop in a huge, bedraggled oak across the street from us, in our neighbor Madeleine's yard. At the time, I was trying to be a good do-bee and study for that vile veterinary pathology board exam, but that dang thing was making me nuts for a few days with its boring-ass but extremely loud, sing-song "Peter-Peter-Peter" whistling. Turned out that crazy noisemaker was a plain old tufted titmouse. I'd always loved those lil' rats on account of their wide-eyed, crested, cartoon-y look and outgoing ways but I'd never appreciated the lungs on 'em, and things were looking grim for a while... Anyway, a metaphor ensued and I was off to the races! Mules kicking in the stall? Old-timey jug band stylings? Ain't that America!
"Five Days Crawl" is another ode to weeks spent working away from home. And a rockabilly player I am NOT, on rhythm, lead or bass, but I do love the rockabilly music. and by now at least I can fake it a bit. I'd written this as a straight up Elvis-Scotty-Bill rip-off, so such a version is long overdue.
Brand New Bird: https://www.box.com/s/k8395yfyq2w50bn155i6
Five Days Crawl: https://www.box.com/s/771crnuwzzrii6bvn4hh
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
RKBS4 Covers "EP"
Continuing a little pre-Thanksgiving belly-stretching, we follow up the previous post's gut-busting cornucopia with the remaining tasty leftovers from that session. This "EP" gets you the remixed cover material, as follows:
- "A Goodby Rye" (Richard Buckner). Good lord, but what heart-stopping and near-perfect albums comprise Buckner's out-of-the-gate trilogy! "Bloomed" (1995) finds him getting his dusty legs, and "Since"(1998) is a masterpiece, but "Devotion and Doubt"(1997) is the pinnacle. Band, voice, production, lyrics, songs... It all comes together and crushes you.
- "Game of Pricks" (Guided By Voices). From the best-by-far incarnation of Dayton's slop-pop-prog-lo-fi kings. We used to take this one up now and again back in the day with the Dillo band ("Motor Away" as well) but I swear I never knew the chords, which is a shame. Still atoning for past sins, I guess.
- "Save It for Later" (The English Beat). You might not peg me for a Beat fan but, oh my friends, I am one in spades! Someday we'll get back around to again covering their version of "Tears of a Clown" (as the pre-Buttsteak JHU roadshow used to do-- fast, fast, fast!) but in the meantime there's this classic. It's the sort of non-ska, non-political, poppy number that raised some hackles within the Beat at the time but Dave Wakeling (and management) won out and we're all the better for it.
- "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" (The Smiths). Yet another fine Smiths tune, and one long-covered by the Buttsteaks. This particular version reflects an effort on the part of Mike and me to rock it up a bit and keep the sappy maundering down to a minimum-- to dial up the Marr, Joyce and Rourke side and tone down Morrisey a tad.
- "From a Buick 6" (Bob Dylan). Tip of the hat to Son Volt, whose rip-roaring encore version of Dylan's "Obviously Five Believers" at Bohager's in Fell's Point back in the day convinced me that we should take a stab at this one.
A Goodbye Rye: https://www.box.com/s/hgbu1olsvgxsub6dcuoj
Game of Pricks: https://www.box.com/s/2z97neyh8gjcaj6qw0fm
Save It for Later: https://www.box.com/s/h6vcazl6n201a7qn85xz
There Is a Light That Never Goes Out:
https://www.box.com/s/bgfjzvf29vppc5daagz8
From A Buick 6: https://www.box.com/s/vyozlol9nl44a3ojauu6
- "A Goodby Rye" (Richard Buckner). Good lord, but what heart-stopping and near-perfect albums comprise Buckner's out-of-the-gate trilogy! "Bloomed" (1995) finds him getting his dusty legs, and "Since"(1998) is a masterpiece, but "Devotion and Doubt"(1997) is the pinnacle. Band, voice, production, lyrics, songs... It all comes together and crushes you.
- "Game of Pricks" (Guided By Voices). From the best-by-far incarnation of Dayton's slop-pop-prog-lo-fi kings. We used to take this one up now and again back in the day with the Dillo band ("Motor Away" as well) but I swear I never knew the chords, which is a shame. Still atoning for past sins, I guess.
- "Save It for Later" (The English Beat). You might not peg me for a Beat fan but, oh my friends, I am one in spades! Someday we'll get back around to again covering their version of "Tears of a Clown" (as the pre-Buttsteak JHU roadshow used to do-- fast, fast, fast!) but in the meantime there's this classic. It's the sort of non-ska, non-political, poppy number that raised some hackles within the Beat at the time but Dave Wakeling (and management) won out and we're all the better for it.
- "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" (The Smiths). Yet another fine Smiths tune, and one long-covered by the Buttsteaks. This particular version reflects an effort on the part of Mike and me to rock it up a bit and keep the sappy maundering down to a minimum-- to dial up the Marr, Joyce and Rourke side and tone down Morrisey a tad.
- "From a Buick 6" (Bob Dylan). Tip of the hat to Son Volt, whose rip-roaring encore version of Dylan's "Obviously Five Believers" at Bohager's in Fell's Point back in the day convinced me that we should take a stab at this one.
A Goodbye Rye: https://www.box.com/s/hgbu1olsvgxsub6dcuoj
Game of Pricks: https://www.box.com/s/2z97neyh8gjcaj6qw0fm
Save It for Later: https://www.box.com/s/h6vcazl6n201a7qn85xz
There Is a Light That Never Goes Out:
https://www.box.com/s/bgfjzvf29vppc5daagz8
From A Buick 6: https://www.box.com/s/vyozlol9nl44a3ojauu6
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
RKBS4 Originals "EP"
Yep, you've probably heard some of these songs before. Hopefully you have, as Mikey and I are pretty proud of this batch, which dates back just a couple years. So here's the story....
I was rooting around on the ol' iPod a while ago for a song or two from the RKBS unit, and realized that some tunes had gone missing, probably on account of some computer or iTunes shuffling/ uncluttering binge, or maybe they were melted in the big burndown. Dunno. I reopened the files and tweaked them, but once that horse's snoot was out the barn door, along came the rest of the tunes from those sessions, which I've packaged here into a couple "EPs". In the intervening time since these songs were first recorded and mixed, I've hopefully made some gains in skills, software and/ or hardware, so hopefully these versions are indeed new and improved.
This week's RKBS4 "EP" (that's shorthand for an "extended play" single, you vinyl lovers!) is comprised of the non-cover material. By way of refresher:
- "North Marin" speaks for itself. Man, what a place for a drive!
- "Rock n' Roll Town" is the previously discussed shout-out to East Douglas, MA.
- "Blowing It" is something of a tribute to my fondly recalled Boston sound of the late 80s- early 90s (e.g. Dino Jr, Buffalo Tom, Lemonheads).
- "Wavey" was an off-the-cuff instrumental, done in the usual melancholy vein, that turned into a fun workout for a bunch of relatively new gear I was getting to know at the time (organ, ElectroHarmonix delay, Gretsch 6121 hollowbody with a sweet, smooth vibrato).
- "Tupelo" is just one of my favorite songs ever, written by our old amigo Johnny "Rock" Marsh back in the Dillo band days.
North Marin: https://www.box.com/s/n96uxsuzgca6b14wh3cv
Rock n' Roll Town: https://www.box.com/s/y0qffo6ut0912tcoo886
Blowing It: https://www.box.com/s/lc0v3u6t2s637ewd9omd
Wavey: https://www.box.com/s/v7czl1hfu41xj7yuz1sv
Tupelo: https://www.box.com/s/z2tfe6hgbhh6ugu0y0s8
I was rooting around on the ol' iPod a while ago for a song or two from the RKBS unit, and realized that some tunes had gone missing, probably on account of some computer or iTunes shuffling/ uncluttering binge, or maybe they were melted in the big burndown. Dunno. I reopened the files and tweaked them, but once that horse's snoot was out the barn door, along came the rest of the tunes from those sessions, which I've packaged here into a couple "EPs". In the intervening time since these songs were first recorded and mixed, I've hopefully made some gains in skills, software and/ or hardware, so hopefully these versions are indeed new and improved.
This week's RKBS4 "EP" (that's shorthand for an "extended play" single, you vinyl lovers!) is comprised of the non-cover material. By way of refresher:
- "North Marin" speaks for itself. Man, what a place for a drive!
- "Rock n' Roll Town" is the previously discussed shout-out to East Douglas, MA.
- "Blowing It" is something of a tribute to my fondly recalled Boston sound of the late 80s- early 90s (e.g. Dino Jr, Buffalo Tom, Lemonheads).
- "Wavey" was an off-the-cuff instrumental, done in the usual melancholy vein, that turned into a fun workout for a bunch of relatively new gear I was getting to know at the time (organ, ElectroHarmonix delay, Gretsch 6121 hollowbody with a sweet, smooth vibrato).
- "Tupelo" is just one of my favorite songs ever, written by our old amigo Johnny "Rock" Marsh back in the Dillo band days.
North Marin: https://www.box.com/s/n96uxsuzgca6b14wh3cv
Rock n' Roll Town: https://www.box.com/s/y0qffo6ut0912tcoo886
Blowing It: https://www.box.com/s/lc0v3u6t2s637ewd9omd
Wavey: https://www.box.com/s/v7czl1hfu41xj7yuz1sv
Tupelo: https://www.box.com/s/z2tfe6hgbhh6ugu0y0s8
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Woodpile 2: "Northampton Sun" b/w "Down the Waterline"
Back in '03-'05, at the start of my professorial stint, Miss Oonagh and I spent a 2-year exile from the Pinetree State. Prior to establishing ourselves back at the luxurious Harpswell Estate, we were living in East Douglas, MA, halfway between Providence and Worcester, down in the MA-CT-RI "metro" area. Like a lot of places in the historic Blackstone River Valley, East Douglas is a tiny little town with a couple blocks of commerce, but nothing you'd even want to glorify by calling downtown. It backs up to the "mighty" Mumford River, which is mightily dammed, even there at the headwaters where it's little more than a stream. There was forestry and some granite quarrying back in the day, and ice production in the winter, but things apparently quieted right down when the woolen mill went down in the post-war years.
Anyway, we were living at the edge of the "main drag" of town, on the main floor of an old Victorian, formerly a funeral parlor. The trucks would rumble by and shake the house, and that stretch of road was a popular speed trap so there was no shortage of being awakened by flashing blues seeping into the bedroom at all hours. There was also not a lot to do except cook, play music, quilt, dispose of some wine, and walk the dogs at the State Forest (see the song "Rock n' Roll Town" for all the details). Many weekends that we for some reason stuck around MA instead of taking up our permanent guestroom at the Samsons' up in Brunswick, it was trips out west to Northampton that kept us sane. Heading up the foothills on the west side of Worcester, Massachusetts does get a little wilder and scragglier: the Brookfields and Ware, the storied Quabbin Reservoir and its four sunken towns, the trout-laden Swift River, Belchertown (!) and Hadley and Amherst. We'd stop for a hike at Mt. Holyoke or Mt. Tom, and head over the Connecticut River to kick around Northampton for the rest of the day. Art! Music stores! Vinyl! Restaurants, plus lots of beer! Dirty hippies! Hoo-ray! And now that the Sorkin-Camachos have relocated to lovely Florence, MA, on the NW side of town, "Northampton Sun" has gotten a new lease on life.
Not to slight the B-side, but not having much to say about it either: "Down the Waterline" is a more resigned number, also written during the Exile Years. Definitely to be filed under "Plonky, acoustic, obscure, the usual".
Northampton Sun: https://www.box.com/s/ftib65vzqq5jtfu4xj35
Anyway, we were living at the edge of the "main drag" of town, on the main floor of an old Victorian, formerly a funeral parlor. The trucks would rumble by and shake the house, and that stretch of road was a popular speed trap so there was no shortage of being awakened by flashing blues seeping into the bedroom at all hours. There was also not a lot to do except cook, play music, quilt, dispose of some wine, and walk the dogs at the State Forest (see the song "Rock n' Roll Town" for all the details). Many weekends that we for some reason stuck around MA instead of taking up our permanent guestroom at the Samsons' up in Brunswick, it was trips out west to Northampton that kept us sane. Heading up the foothills on the west side of Worcester, Massachusetts does get a little wilder and scragglier: the Brookfields and Ware, the storied Quabbin Reservoir and its four sunken towns, the trout-laden Swift River, Belchertown (!) and Hadley and Amherst. We'd stop for a hike at Mt. Holyoke or Mt. Tom, and head over the Connecticut River to kick around Northampton for the rest of the day. Art! Music stores! Vinyl! Restaurants, plus lots of beer! Dirty hippies! Hoo-ray! And now that the Sorkin-Camachos have relocated to lovely Florence, MA, on the NW side of town, "Northampton Sun" has gotten a new lease on life.
Not to slight the B-side, but not having much to say about it either: "Down the Waterline" is a more resigned number, also written during the Exile Years. Definitely to be filed under "Plonky, acoustic, obscure, the usual".
Northampton Sun: https://www.box.com/s/ftib65vzqq5jtfu4xj35
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)