Posted December 22, 2001
IT'S THE END OF THE YEAR AS WE KNOW IT (AND I FEEL FINE)
Nineteen eighty-four and 1999 might have come and gone inauspiciously,
but not 2001. Quite a fuckin' space odyssey it's been. September 11th knocked
a lot of us for a loop, and it's hard to know where this whole ball of confusion
is gonna wind up. Thanks to those 'netizens who've sent messages of sympathy
and support for us dumbass 'mericuns. It's been real, uh, INTERESTING to read
some of the other comms that have come my way since then, by virtue of this
"16 Forever" shingle, I guess. My faves: "You're an Army guy.
How do you feel about Iraqi conscripts being bulldozed to protect American
corporate interests?" (I LOVE it when people pull that Eurocommie anti-American
schtick just to get a rise.) How do I feel? I think William Tecumseh Sherman
said it best (and without irony.) You could look it up. And, "How do
you reconcile your military service with digging nihilists like the MC5 and
Stooges?" I don't, Brother, I don't. Just chalk it up to the duality
of man. I dig what I dig, and I've done what I've done. Didn't realize I needed
permission from the Committee. Maybe next lifetime.
Ironically, it's been an uncommonly good year for rock'n'roll (the kind I
like, anyway). It seems like there have been more good records out this year
than any year I can remember since I got back into the noise in a big way
back in '94.
To begin with, the "D" section in my wall of CDs has assumed greater
significance over the past few months with the addition of new opuses from
the Dictators, Deep Reduction, and the Dragons. The Dictators' "D.F.F.D.,"
their first full-length release in 23 years, is quite simply the best thing
I've heard this year, a worthy studio representation of their colossal live
show, and proof positive that visionarymastermind/songwriter/producer/bassplayer
supreme Andy Shernoff is currently rock's greatest obsessive-compulsive perfectionist.
Finally released this October, "Deep Reduction 2" totally eclipses
the memory of that aggregation's eponymous debut, marking as it does the reunion
on disc of Deniz Tek and Rob Younger, a logical continuation of the paths
both men have been following since Radio Birdman's last set of reunion shows,
and the most accessible (and PERHAPS best) work from the Iceman since "Outside."
The Dragons' "Rock and Roll Kamikaze" had the misfortune to appear
in the wake of September 11th with a cover filled with airplane and explosion
imagery (albeit from World War II Imperial Japan), but is nonetheless a solid
slab of Stones/Heartbreakers/Replacements-influenced punk rock'n'roll that
builds solidly on the strengths of the San Diego band's previous studio entry,
"Rock Like Fuck," and is worthy of front Dragon Alejandro Escovedo's
familial heritage (Nuns/True Believers/Rank and File/Zeros).
Dr. Tek also had two worthwhile archival releases this year: Sub Pop's "The
Essential Radio Birdman," the first material by the seminal Australian
band to be available in the United States in 23 years, which lives up to its
name but is still an unworthy successor to the unspeakably dynamite Red Eye
reissues (which, I suppose, now sleep with the fishes), and "It's Just
That I Miss You," a compilation of NEARLY everything recorded by Angie
Pepper with the Passengers and the Angie Pepper Band, lovingly restored by
Deniz and released on Citadel, gorgeous poppy post-punk chick-rock with Jeff
Sullivan's hook-laden songwriting and the ever-impressive bass stylings of
Jim Dickson giving the Passengers material the slight edge.
Among archival releases, a couple of others deserve mention. Scott Morgan's
"Medium Rare" on Real O Mind proves conclusively that the Ann Arbor
phenom is perhaps our finest surviving blue-eyed soul man and Heartland rocker,
an R&B-drenched shouter with a history and catalog of songs that extends
much, MUCH further than the Sonic's Rendezvous Band repertoire by which many
Barflys know him. A more uplifting listen you won't find. And moments ahead
of the remastered Blue Oyster Cult catalog, Rhino Handmade blessed us with
"St. Cecilia," a snazzy remastered edition of the often-bootlegged
Oaxaca and Stalk Forrest Group sessions that stands up to anything on the
first BOC album.
The Dragons' guitarist Kenny Mochikoshi Horne originally hails from Yokohama,
Japan, and is pals with Yusuke Chiba, frontman of one of the year's other
surprises, Thee Michelle Gun Elephant. These TMGE guys, who are evidently
rich college boys transmogrified into Big Rockstars in their homeland, followed
up Y2K's blazing "Gear Blues" with "Collection" on Bomp,
an equally stunning compilation of earlier and later tracks. Both Bomp releases
are eclipsed, in this writer's opinion, by the band's latest, the unfortunately
titled "Rodeo Tandem Beat Specter," currently available only on
Nippon Columbia. I still have no FUCKING idea what Chiba is singing about
(and on the newie, they've totally dispensed with even token stabs at English
lyrics), but it doesn't matter; these boys (who claim R&B-stoked Brits
like the Pirates, Dr. Feelgood, and the 'oo Themselves as inspiration) play
with a raw intensity and drive rarely heard ANYWHERE, in ANY language. (Still
don't think much of Guitar Wolf or Gasoline, tho.)
Even sleepy Canada (think of America with lower blood pressure) has an entry
in the Great Rock Album sweepstakes this year: Montreal band Tricky Woo's
"Les Sables Magiques." Pared down to a three-piece, these Woo guys
have produced the closest thing I've heard in eons to a '68 rock record, the
kind bands like the Stones and Traffic usedta make - a little basic rock,
a little psych, a little pastoral acousticism, a little jazz influence, but
all of a piece, a worthy and interesting listen.
I'm still waiting for my copy of "The Quine Tapes," the first volume
in Polygram's long-heralded Velvet Underground "bootleg series,"
but in the interim, I'm enjoying the hell out of Luna's "Live,"
an album which captures much of the rhythmic feel and guitar chug of the '69
Velvets, along with lyrical smarts worthy of late-period Lou. Likewise, I've
yet to pick up on Iggy's new "Beat 'Em Up" in spite of the wrap
the Barman gave it, but I've been digging the shit out of the Streetwalkin'
Cheetahs' "Waiting for the Death of My Generation," on which Wayne
Kramer's erstwhile protégés finally transcend the slew of (mainly
Detroit) influences they've worn on their collective sleeve for years to produce
a varied but consistently hard-rocking slab. Speaking of Brother Wayne, his
new band Mad for the Racket has a worthy entry in "The Racketeers"
(although I still think new partner, ex-Damned/Lords of the New Church man
Brian James ain't in quite the same league as the former MC5 guitar terrorist).
Bin Laden has declared a jihad on Orstralia as well as the U.S., for sending
the SAS as much as for turning away the Afghani boat people, which didn't
seem to hurt John Howard much in the recent election and certainly won't diminish
the continuing torrent of Rock Action emanating from Antipodea. Pick of the
litter is prolly "Reading Between the Lines," a career pinnacle
for Asteroid B-612 and a personal triumph for leader John "Johnny Casino"
Spittles, giving the lie to all those who maintain that Asteroid's best stuff
was with Stew Cunningham. And still haven't heard the Monarchs' full-length
yet.
Finally, the Deviants remain every Barfly's favorite fringe lunatics, and
this year they weighed in with another sterling compilation, "On Your
Knees, Earthlings!!!" on Total Energy. Leader Mick Farren finally published
his memoirs, "Give the Anarchist a Cigarette," and guitarist Andy
Colquhoun released an interesting solo album, "Pick Up the Phone America!"
This was the year I finally got to see Ron Asheton (three times, with J. Mascis
and Mike Watt) and interview James Williamson. I've actually accomplished
everything I said I wanted to do when I started doing the rockwrite thang,
uh, three years ago. (The Sonic's Rendezvous Band book idea sleeps with the
fishes, for the time being. We need money first.) Who knows what 2002 will
bring? (Fave rumors of the moment: another Radio Birdman reunion, and Gearfest
U.S.A. with the Dictators headlining in Austin next May.) We'll see.
OTHER BAR STAFF WRAP UP THE YEAR WITH THEIR
FAVE RAVES HERE
