This Ain't No Picnic

Minutemen L-R: D. Boon, Mike Watt, George Hurley

Last night I was housesitting for my homeboy, Ducktaper, so I brought along Double Nickels On The Dime (1984). I've written about this Minutemen classic before [click here], mainly because it's one of the greatest rock albums ever made. Not punk rock. Rock. In fact, if you gave me only three records to bring on that proverbial desert island ... you know, the one with functioning electricity and some sort of solar-powered jukebox ... this would certainly be one of them.

I also brought along Michael Fournier's excellent 33 1/3 treatise on Double Nickels, so I could listen to the songs and read what he had to say. Basically, if there was a Nerd Olympics, last night I was Usain Bolt. And as I was sprinting by page 16, this quote stopped me in my tracks:

"D. Boon had the most trebly guitar sound, totally scratchy and everything. But, the songs are so catchy. It's totally in your face in a lot of ways, definitely lyrically, but at the same time there was this pop side to it that was awesome. They managed, in a forty second song, where thirty seconds of it was scratchy guitar and crazy rhythms ... to have ten seconds of it be this super catchy chorus."
--Mac McCaughan, Superchunk

Mac (pictured right) being a Minutemen fan isn't surprising. Hell, I'd be surprised (and disappointed) if he wasn't a fan. I just didn't expect to see him quoted in this book. His comment is actually very revealing. If anyone has spent a career balancing super catchy melodies with punk rock discord, it's McCaughan. So, it's telling that he'd pick up on the pop song lurking deep in the recesses of D. Boon's writing. But, you may be wondering, how about an example of this melody/dissonance dichotomy? OK, fair enough.

Minutemen - '99 [buy]

"'99" is not from Double Nickels, but rather their 1983 LP, What Makes A Man Start Fires? You got your crazy rhythms (Mike Watt and George Hurley say, "Hi"), you got your scratchy, trebly guitar, and while it's far closer to Blue Oyster Cult than it is The Beach Boys, that brief chorus ("Reserved for '99, you knew it would be there") is undeniably catchy, especially relative to the rest of the album.

WORKING MEN ARE PISSED

Music aside, there's actually a lyrical connection between the Minutemen and Superchunk that is so damn obvious, I'm pissed I didn't notice it before last night. One of the Minutemen's most well-known songs and Superchunk's most well-known song share the same thematic concern. Working men are pissed and they're gonna spend a few minutes pogoing and yelling about it.



Working on the edge
Losing my self-respect
For a man who presides over me
The principles of his creed
Punch in, punch out
8 hours, 5 days
Sweat, pain, and agony
On Friday I'll get paid

This ain't no picnic! (x4)

Hey mister don't look down on me
For what I believe
I got my bills and the rent
I should pitch a tent
But our land isn't free
So I work my youth away
In the place of a machine
I refuse to be a slave

This ain't no picnic! (x4)



You haven't moved from that spot all night
Except to ask for a light
You damn smokestack
You wasted my time
I'd like to see you try and give it back now

I'm working
But I'm not working for you
Slack motherfucker!

Relax, sit down
I'll kick that stool right out from under you
Well then, I see you sitting outside
I can do the same thing too

I'm working
But I'm not working for you!
No!
Slack motherfucker!

I'm working
But I'm not working for you!
Slack motherfucker!
You motherfucker!

Technically, "Picnic" is about working FOR an asshole and "Slack Motherfucker" is about working WITH an asshole, but that's nitpicking, really. I love the fact that two of my favorite bands have anthems about how much work sucks. It's practically an American tradition, ain't that right big boss man?

Let's tie a bow around the lineage of these two great bands, featuring my favorite cover of "Slack Motherfucker." It's a live recording from The Palomino in North Hollywood and the band features Mike Watt on bass, George Hurley on drums, and Ed Crawford on guitar and vocals. I'm obviously talking about fIREHOSE (pictured above w/Ed far left), the band formed in the wake of D. Boon's tragic death in December 1985. And if you're like me, this is gonna make you feel old because the song was recorded almost exactly 20 years ago. That's right, a 2 than a 0. Ugh.

fIREHOSE - Slack Motherfucker [buy]
Recorded August 16, 1991

By the way, is it just me or has fIREHOSE quietly slipped through the historical cracks? OK, they were no Minutemen, but they weren't THAT far behind, come on. Besides, who can't you say that about??? They were a force of nature live and Ed brought a melodic, almost country feel to several of his songs that D, for all of his greatness, didn't bring to the table. If anyone is interested in a fIREHOSE post, I'd be happy to mix up that medicine. Hell, if it wasn't 187 degrees outside, I'd fly the flannel on general principle.

#punkrockisthenewnostalgia

Ronnie Wood: I've Got My Own Show To Do

"When I made my first album in 1974 at Wick Studios in Richmond (Greater London) there was never any time to lose and this record was made (quickly) by many of my extremely talented friends. We took the songs from the record straight onto stage. Thus the First Barbarians were born."
--Ronnie Wood

I consider myself fairly well-informed when it comes to Faces lore, which is why I gave Ronnie Wood's solo debut a little love last time. I've Got My Own Album To Do is a semi-obscure classic and deserves the attention. So, imagine my surprise when I recently discovered that Woody organized one live performance of said album. The date was July 14, 1974 (37 years ago yesterday), the venue was the Kilburn Theater in London, and his backing band featured the same players from the album. While they're now referred to as the First Barbarians ... in deference to Woody's band from 1979, The New Barbarians ... at the time it was billed as a Ron Wood solo show.

BAND:
Ronnie Wood - guitar, vocals
Keith Richards - guitar, electric piano, vocals
Rod Stewart - vocals, tambourine, lyric sheet
Ian McLagan - piano, organ
Willie Weeks - bass
Andy Newmark - drums

Everyone knows Richards and Stewart and you're probably familiar with McLagan. However, Weeks and Newmark were under-the-radar session guys and not exactly household names. Not to worry. Weeks made his bones in Donny Hathaway's soul-jazz crew circa 1972-73, with Hathaway on electric piano and the late, great Cornell Dupree on guitar. Meanwhile, Newmark was behind the drumkit for the last great Sly and the Family Stone album, 1973's Fresh. Interestingly, aside from their work on I've Got My Own Album To Do, 1974 also saw Weeks and Newmark collaborating on Randy Newman's Good Old Boys, Rod Stewart's Smiler (along with McLagan and Wood), and George Harrison's Dark Horse album and tour.

So, with all that in context, let's get our loose, soulful groove on.



Let's see ... great harmony vocals, sweet riff, the Woody/Richards guitar weave is clearly ready for primetime, McLagan lays out on boogie-woogie piano, Weeks walks the dog, and Newmark holds it all together. In other words, it's pretty much a perfect rock 'n' roll song.

By the way, Izzy Stradlin, the original rhythm guitarist in Guns N' Roses (the Ronnie to Slash's Keef, if you will), brilliantly covered this song on his own solo debut, Izzy Stradlin and the Ju Ju Hounds (1992). It's a surprisingly sturdy album and his version is no doubt helped by the presence of Woody himself on co-lead vocals and guitar.



Did you know Woody wrote this song about Pattie Boyd after a brief fling in 1973? This, of course, is the same Pattie Boyd who was married to George Harrison and inspired "Something." A short while later, she inspired George's friend (and her second husband), Eric Clapton, to write "Layla." I'm no biologist, but "Something" + "Layla" + "Mystifies Me" = magical pussy. Seriously, no other explanation makes sense.

And speaking of covers, country-rock/alt.country fans may also know this song from Son Volt's version on Trace. Therefore, between Pattie Boyd's vagina and Jay Farrar are a mere TWO degrees of separation. You're welcome.



Another "Richard/Jagger" effort, it's basically a Chuck Berry rewrite with Keef on lead vocal and Woody on backup. Not the greatest video quality, but thankfully this is rock 'n' roll and not a fucking Michael Bay movie in 3-D. A little bit of slop is good for you, it builds character. Besides, y'all should've quaffed a few drinks by now and shouldn't be bothered with such trivialities as "technical expertise."



You already know I love this song, but the beauty of this version is Keef throwing down on electric piano. Seriously, how cool is that??? Sure, he doesn't seem entirely comfortable playing keys and singing, but the novelty of seeing him in this capacity is totally worth it. And while Richards will probably draw most of your attention, watch the video again, but just pay attention to Weeks' basslines. Dude kills it.



Wobbly video, above average audio, and beautifully skewed harmonies. Sounds like rock 'n' roll to me ... and I like it.

Buy First Barbarians: Live From Kilburn (CD + DVD)

Let's Get Our Shit Act Together

Ron Wood - Act Together [buy]

"Don't expect it to last forever, it never does
But it sure beats talking about the weather, it surely does
And I like what you're singing to me
But it's better with a little bit of harmony."

In 1974, Ron Wood had his own album to do. The Faces were still playing live, but they never really recovered from Ronnie Lane's departure in '73, let alone Rod Stewart's periodic forays into solo mega-stardom. Meanwhile, the Rolling Stones gig was still a year away.

Into this vacuum, Woody assembled a first-rate band ... including Keith Richards on guitar and vocals, Ian McLagan on piano and organ, and Mick and Rod on backup vox ... and created one of the great "lost" rock albums of the 1970s. I've Got My Own Album To Do is surely a better record than the Stones or Faces were capable of mustering in 1974-75. While I could've chosen any song not named "Crotch Music" (and probably "Am I Grooving You"), I particularly love "Act Together." It's actually a "Richard/Jagger" co-write (seriously, that's how it's listed on the album), but the tune has Keef's fingerprints all over it, with a strong Curtis Mayfield feel taking us straight to the black church. And really, is there much higher praise that that?

This post originally appeared on Groover's Paradise (RIP).

5

"The wind does not break a tree that bends."
--African proverb

This post is dedicated with love to my beautiful daughter, Leilani, on her 5th birthday. In lieu of the bouncy house and goodnight kisses I wish I could give you, here's the truth sent with all the love in my heart. Thanks to Glossary for their special brand of Murfreesboro Buddhism.

Glossary - Bend With The Breeze [CD/MP3] [Vinyl]

Run honey run as fast as you can
Because the wolves are out
They walk through this town with blood on their lips
And their hands held out

And the vultures are circling above your head
Just watching it all
Waiting for you to make one mistake
So they can watch you fall

So you better find someone to love
And make sure they know you do
Because you either bend with the breeze
Or let it break you

And your daddy had a house up in Harriman
Off the interstate
And when your mama got sick
Fate stepped in and changed everything

Now I've seen fires and floods and car wrecks
Where no one survived
But I ain't never seen fear like I did
When I looked into a broken man's eyes

So you better grab a hold of something
And let it pull you through
Because you either bend with the breeze
Or let it break you

So run honey run as fast as you can
Because it's a mean old world
But luck honey luck is always on the side
Of a pretty girl

So hold your head up and don't you ever
Be ashamed to cry
And never forget how lucky you are
Just to be alive

So you better find someone to love
And make sure they know you do
Because you either bend with the breeze
Or let it break you

And this life can be as beautiful as you want it to
But you got to bend with the breeze
Or it will break you

Grand Champeen: An Austin-American Band

L-R: Michael Crow, Channing Lewis, Ned Stewart, Alex Livingstone
All photos: Emily Joyce

Did you know Grand Champeen released one of my favorite EPs in 2010? OK, technically it's not an official release, but rather five songs extracted from their November 19, 2010, "ACL Presents Satellite Sets" taping. Considering they haven't released an album since 2007's Dial T For This and their tour schedule can roughly be described as "Guns N' Roses-esque," I'll take what I can get. Thankfully, this mini-set is loaded for bear, and is probably something you'd want to download and listen to repeatedly over the course of, say, a Fourth of July weekend. Don't do it for me. Do it for America.

• Download 5 songs as zip file (23 MB)

FYI, Satellite Sets is an offshoot of the Austin City Limits TV show. It's more or less has the same format, live performance + interviews, but features unknown bands from different genres. On paper, it makes perfect sense. ACL gets to grow its brand* and young bands get free exposure. Win-win.** Speaking of exposure, you can watch Champeen's set on the Satellite Sets website, though each song is uploaded separately. Watch here.

* For blatantly using insipid buzzphrasing, the gods will probably curse me with cold sores and explosive diarrhea
** I think my liver is shutting down

Grand Champeen - Records & Tapes

Right out the box, Champeen shows you why they're Adios Lounge standbys. It's Budokan-era Cheap Trick meets Sorry Ma-era Replacements* with angular, melodic guitars (Crow and Lewis), good vocal harmonies (Crow and Lewis again), a locked-in rhythm section (Livingstone and Stewart), and the patented Lewis scream in all the right places. We even get a sweet Keith Richards reference. And given my discussion of nostalgia a few weeks ago, I love the opening line invocation of what's obviously the late '80s/early '90s. Fucking tapes. How did they work?

* Interesting factoid: Rockford, IL (home of the Trick), and Minneapolis, MN (home of the Mats) are exactly 333 1/3 miles apart. True story.

Grand Champeen - Just Want To Get You Alone

Wilco's Being There may be the obvious touchstone ("Red-Eyed And Blue," specifically), but I think I'm gonna spread the rumor that this is a Journey deep cut.

Facebook ... aaaaand share.

Grand Champeen - Root & Branch

Singered and songwritered by bassist, Alex Livingstone, the first 15 seconds sounds like something off of Physical Graffiti, then moves into classic early '90s melodic punk/indie rock (think: Superchunk, Meices, Fastbacks, Overwhelming Colorfast). Love the guitar sound, but it helps to have Ned kicking the band in the ass. He's long been Champeen's secret weapon, "the drummer blowin' our minds behind the kit" (quote from "Records & Tapes").

By the way, did you know Alex Livingstone released one of my favorite albums in 2010? Past Prayers is the name of the project and record, and it combines unreleased GC tunes with new songs written while recording. (Honestly, I should probably write a little sumpin-sumpin because it deserves more love). Look at it this way: If you like his songs in Champeen and are not currently in a coma, I'm pretty sure you're gonna enjoy it. 14 songs for a measly $10 from CD Baby. It's like you're making money.

• Sample/buy Past Prayers [CDBaby]

• Read about Past Prayers album

Grand Champeen - Paid Vacation

Another Livingstone original lovingly descended from Superchunk. In fact, "Why don't you go ahead and pass me on the left right now?" is a direct lyrical nod to "Do not pass me just to slow down" from "Precision Auto." This connection shouldn't be that surprising for two reasons:

1. 3/4 of the band has familial ties to North Carolina.
2. Superchunk kicks ass, so why wouldn't you wanna embrace the influence?

Incidentally, for those of you who like such things, Crow unleashes a solo straight outta the Mascis book of tricks from 1:48-2:19.

Grand Champeen - To The Ides

I've listened to this song champteen times and it never gets old. I love the cool bass runs from Livingstone, but Crow steals the show with his mad scientist guitar voodoo. He's truly one of the best I've ever heard. His gnarly squall from 1:25-1:49 slays me with Robert Quine/Bob Stinson-esque brilliance.

On that "rockets red glare/bombs bursting in air" note, happy birthday, America. Be safe, sane, and let us all hope for a new Champeen album in the next year ... or five.

More Grand Champeen on the Adios Lounge

SXSW Music: Tuesday @ Hole In The Wall

All God's Kids, They Wanna Rock

Six Degrees: Headed For The Ditch

Six Degrees: The Alex Chilton to Chris Bell Edition

Buy Champeen Music

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