Tom Waits - Closing Time LP

Label: Asylum Records; Year: 1973; Format: Vinyl LP

Well, first and foremost I am back to writing reviews for the blog after a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to other commitments. Initially I had planned on jumping right in with a review of an ancient hardcore punk smasher, but truth is that my mood, mind and my local record store had other plans in store. I guess you could say that Tom Waits' first LP had found me at the right time as Mr. Waits is someone I had on the radar for years, but it wasn't until this past Saturday I had finally bought one of his releases. And let me make it as clear as possible that I am thankful 'Closing Time' is in my collection now as it is simply a beautiful record. But let me not get ahead of myself and give you a very brief introduction as to the early stages of Tom Waits' life and career. Waits was born in Whittier, Southern California in 1949 and after his parents had separated when Tom was just ten years old he moved with his mother to Chula Vista, a suburb of San Diego. After developing a love for R&B and Soul singers as well as Beat Generation writers like Kerouac, Ginsberg or Burroughs Waits began to frequent folk music venues around San Diego until he eventually became part of the circuit by the late '60s. In his early days Waits often covered songs by Bob Dylan or country singer Woodrow "Red" Sovine but little by little he started to write his own material, lyrically often influenced by his relationships with various girlfriends. At some point Waits realized that San Diego wasn't offering him enough exposure and as a result of that he started to take more and more trips up the Pacific Highway to the Troubadour in West Hollywood, Los Angeles. It was at the Troubadour where Waits came to the attention of Herbert Cohen who surely had a word with David Geffen, a transplant from Brooklyn and co-founder of Asylum Records in 1971. Closing Time was released in 1973 and word is that Waits' intention was to create a piano-led jazz album while the producer pushed it in a more folk-oriented direction. In my opinion the different directions this album is a result of worked perfectly and fifty years on since its release this album not only stands the test of time but should really be regarded as one of those essential albums to be heard by everyone with good taste in music. Phil Scarisbrick, writing for UK magazine Secret Meeting had the following to say about Tom Waits while reviewing 'Closing Time': 

Drenched in whiskey and the foggy aroma of tobacco, Waits plays the part of a lounge singer in the last dive bar in town. You can picture him crouched over a worn out piano, with a worn out suit and worn out trilby hat. A fading Marlboro red cigarette hanging from his mouth, he places his liqueur on top of the piano and starts to play. For all this bleak imagery, the music we hear is utterly beautiful. There is a quote often attributed to Waits where he says, "I like beautiful melodies telling me terrible things." Closing Time fits this description perfectly.

Trust me, I certainly couldn't have described it better hence I rather give you someone else's quote that couldn't have been more perfect. When I sat down to listen to 'Closing Time' last night I made sure I sat comfortable in my recliner. From the moment the needle hit "Ol' 55", being the opening song of Side A, I was basically not just mesmerized, but instantly taken back in time to a world which was much slower, less hectic, less healthy and much boozier. Waits' music has the gift to not just evoke all kinds of emotions, but to lift you into a state of euphoria and depression at the same time. Songs like "Martha", "Lonely" or "Midnight Lullaby" to name a few, have the ability to take you on a trip down memory lane enabling you to reconnect with lost memories while enjoying simply beautifully crafted songs. No matter what music genre you really prefer, there are records that just speak to everybody and in my honest opinion 'Closing Time' is one of them. The fact that the album didn't sell very well back in 1973 just tells me that quite often brilliant artists are overseen early on in their careers and Waits certainly proved to the world how multi-talented of an artist he is. I shall make sure to seek out more of his music in the future so stay tuned until Closing Time. 

Crazy Cavan 'N' The Rhythm Rockers - Rockability LP

Label: Charly Records; Year: 1976; Format: Vinyl LP

Let me tell you straight off the bat that it sure as hell isn't easy to do many blog entries during the summer months as I am not someone whose energy levels feed off of hot weather, actually quite the opposite. Luckily I don't live in one of those States where it's constantly 110 degrees, otherwise I'd have to hide in a freezer for the remainder of the summer. Anyway let's get down to business, and with that I am talking music and to be more specific Crazy Cavan 'N' The Rhythm Rockers. Since I was a little kid I've always had a bit of an ear for Rockabilly as my father had a little stack of LPs of artists like Buddy Holly, Bill Haley & His Comets and a few others hence I was exposed to the music early on and it stuck with me ever since, at least to a degree. Teddy Boys on the other hand were not exactly the best friends of punks, at least not in Europe where I grew up. As a result of that I had very little to no exposure to local Rockabilly scenes with the exception of a few people that were open minded and frequented the punk scene as well. It must have been 2010 or 2011 though when I did see Crazy Cavan with his band at the 100 Club in London and I remember having a blast. My friend and I kind of stuck out with our rather casual clothes as most people were dressed in their Teddy Boy and Girl uniforms rocking out to the tunes of Crazy Cavan. I discovered Crazy Cavan through a good friend of mine back in Switzerland as he's always been a big fan and is a good few years older than myself having experienced the Rockabilly revival scene first hand. Cavan Crogan (aka Crazy Cavan) got his band together as early as in the late '60s celebrating long forgotten American artists like Charlie Feathers. They played their socks off in little clubs during the early '70s and were eventually discovered by two DJs in London's East End. After having released two 7"s on their own Crazy Rhythm label and the first LP on Rockhouse Records the band eventually signed to Charly Records in February of 1976 and "Rockability" was the first record to have come out on said label and was the beginning of a lengthy collaboration. One thing I would like to bring up as food for thought is the fact that when it comes to the months and years pre-dating the punk rock explosion it is often glam rock or pub rock that are mentioned as the main influence of early UK bands. I don't remember ever hearing or reading much about the rockabilly revival scene and their influence on punk rock, maybe due to both fractions viewing each other with contempt. Musically as well as fashion wise though it should be said that without a doubt rockabilly has definitely had an influence on early punk rock acts, at least in the UK, leading to quite a few punks discovering said roots in the early '80s through bands like the Stray Cats for instance. As for "Rockability" I really love the album and can't think of even one song that could have been scrapped. Whether you like your rockabilly up-tempo in songs like 'Stompin' Shoes' "Nobody Else Like you" or my favorite "Knock Knock" or you prefer the more swooning songs such as "Delores" or "Sweet Little Pretty Thing" you will find plenty of both on this full length. For now I own just this one LP by the band but I definitely keep my eyes out for their first and third LPs so stay tuned for more. Unfortunately Cavan Crogan passed away in 2020 (RIP), aged 70 years old. Should you want to find out more about the band's history please click on below link for an interesting article in Vintage Rock Mag. 

https://www.vintagerockmag.com/2020/07/crazy-cavan-a-rockabilly-star-in-heaven/

V/A - The Anthology Of British Blues LP

Label: Imperial Records; Year: 1968; Format: Vinyl LP

It's not like I need more artists or genres to get my teeth into as I sure as hell have enough I am trying to get through and to learn about when it comes to music from the past, but sometimes the records seem to find me instead of the other way around. Last week I walked to a small local independent book store in Downtown Buffalo during my lunch and in the few boxes stuffed with second hand records the cover of an old British Blues record struck my interest. After having listened to the record last night and having done some research about the artists themselves I have the slight suspicion that in the future I will want to grab more of old British Blues records and to immerse myself in its history. And in that sense this record is a good introduction as it is a highly enjoyable compilation that was recorded in 1968 highlighting tracks by known and not so known British Blues artists of that time. Tony McPhee for instance - the sole constant member of the Groundhogs - is to be found on this LP with three outstanding tracks, one of them a great take on "Death Letter" by Mississippi legend Son House. The one artist I found most compelling on this record and naturally dug deeper into the history of though is Andy Fernbach from Bournemouth on the sunny coast of England. None of the three tracks Andy contributes to the album are his own but we are talking 1960's here where that was standard with Andy paying tribute to some great US blues players including Skip James whom Andy had the pleasure to tour with shortly before James' had passed away. For a much more detailed biography and history of the Blues in Bournemouth please see the link at the end of this blog entry. Also to be found on this LP are sister and brother Jo-Ann Kelly and Dave Kelly, equally fascinating when it comes to their personal histories with Jo-Ann having been a much wanted pursuit by Canned Heat from Los Angeles. If you are like me and just start out getting interested in British Blues then seek this one out and I have the feeling that just like me you'll get the bug to be wanting to find out more. The liner notes on the back of my US pressing state the following: "It's music to nurse two jiggers of Scotch by in the lonely wee hours. It provokes melancholy reflections of reality, and gives glimpses of life as it really is. Here, without pretense, is basic blues."

Link to fantastic article about Andy Fernbach and Blues in Bournemouth: https://bournemouthbeatboom.wordpress.com/andy-fernbach/

Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels - Wheels of Steel 10"

Label: PRT Records; Year: 1983; Format: 10" Vinyl

Today I've had a long and busy day at work so when I got home I just wanted to have a bite to eat and kick back for a little while. I promised myself that I would do another entry for the blog tonight but when it came to it I wasn't particularly in a punk rock mood so I opted for something lighter and more soulful so to speak. Mitch Ryder (nee William Lewis Jr.) is a Detroit Rock'N'Roll legend who recently turned seventy eight years young. From 1964 to 1967 Mitch Ryder used the Detroit Wheels as his back-up band releasing a number of Top 20 hits. This little 10" that came out in 1983 on PRT (Precision Records and Tapes, formerly known as Pye Records) in the UK collects some of the bands greatest hits such as "Jenny Take A Ride", "Sock it to Me Baby" or "Little Latin Lupe Lu" to name a few. It's a great little compilation when it comes to the music, but not so much when it comes to the packaging as there is absolutely no info about the recordings to be found. I suppose the people behind Precision weren't so precise and forthcoming about that and expected the music hungry consumers to make a trip to the library to find out about Mitch Ryder but in all fairness not much has changed to this day except that we have the intranet and can find everything with a few clicks. Well, goal achieved for tonight. I had a good twenty minutes of shaking my arthritis ridden knees to the soulful rock'n'roll smashers coming out of Motor City and that put a smile on my face. Keep on wheeling! 

Colin Grant - The Natural Mystics (Marley, Tosh, and Wailer)

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company Inc. (US Edition); Year: 2011; Format: Hardcover Book

You never know what you can get at a library book sale hence whenever they happen I make an attempt to go as for a few bucks you can get a nice stack of books. A few months ago the main library in downtown Buffalo, NY had a sale and I spent a good hour amongst other book freaks looking through literally thousands of books going home with a little stack of books, amongst them the one reviewed herein. I must admit it has taken me unusually long to get through this book and I will be honest in saying that I did not always enjoy reading it as it is conceptually not the greatest book. First and foremost, and like everyone else picking up this book, my goal was to learn much more about the Wailers and Reggae itself. Wrong, I learned much more about the history of Jamaica, Rastafari religion, the politics of Jamaica and a heap of other fascinating facts surrounding and influencing the Wailers. Quite frankly I was definitely expecting to learn more about Marley, Tosh and Wailer but it wasn't to be. Tonight after having finished the book I went online to see what other people had to say about the book as I was left a bit confused and to a degree disappointed hence I was not surprised to see some reviews that mirror my opinion of this book. Colin Grant, the author of this book, is a historian of Jamaican origin based in the UK and as such an extremely knowledgeable writer when it comes to the history of Jamaica and African culture in general. My guess is that he set out to write about the Wailers but in all fairness got caught up writing more about Jamaica itself than about the Wailers. Generally speaking I don't see a problem with that at all because it's important to give the reader a good understanding of the socioeconomic background to where Marley, Tosh and Wailer have grown up. And in that sense Grant has done an excellent job providing detailed research into the history of this former British West Indian island. I learned a lot about the Post-independence Jamaica and its cultural evolution leading up to Ska and eventually Reggae. The problem with the book is that the editors could have done a much better job dividing the book into different areas so that the reader wouldn't get lost and confused. After having read thirty pages about political aspects of life in Kingston it is difficult to get back to music and then again back to other matters. As I have stated at the beginning of this review, conceptually I really think the book sadly suffers, but on the other hand one does come away with a good understanding of Jamaica in general, and that alone is worth picking up this tome. And yes, one still gains knowledge about the lives of Marley, Tosh and Wailer as well, just not as much as I and many others had wished for. Still a good read though! 

The Wailers live on BBC performing at the "Old Grey Whistle Test" in 1973.  Source: The Natural Mystics by Colin Grant 

V/A - Intensified! LP

Label: Mango Records (Division of Island Rec.); Year: 1979; Format: Vinyl LP

In all fairness today I was planning on posting a totally different record but even the best-laid plan of mice and men often go awry as you will surely know. I took a little stroll to the local shoemaker and afterwards stopped at my local record store and found this beauty looking at me like it needs a new permanent home which it has found. In a world full of bad news of mass shootings or police killings I just was not in the mood for hardcore punk today so why not putting on the record I had just bought and enjoy some original Ska from the '60s. If you have stumbled on to this blog before you might be in the known that I like compilation records, especially the old ones. It's always a great way to discover more about a genre I may not be as familiar with. As for Ska it's a tricky one with me as I do enjoy some of the late '70s Two-Tone stuff, but anything beyond that has never gotten my attention. But as with most genres of music the origins are where the true gems are to be found and that is certainly no different with Ska. Intensified! is a wonderful compilation of '60s Ska from Kingston, Jamaica where it all started. The minute you put this record on you either start skanking around your house, as in my case, or you wander to your fridge and grab a Red Stripe picturing yourself on the beach on some Caribbean Island instead of looking at piles of ice and snow outside your window. The sixteen songs on the record will not only put you instantly in a much better mood, but you will also come to appreciate an explosion of a different kind to Beatles-Mania when it comes to sounds from the '60s. Derrick & Patsy deliver their big hit "Housewifes Choice" while Shenley Duffus makes you dance to "Rukumbine" and the list goes on. The sixteen tracks on the record will have you shake your bones to the driving horns, and that's all you can ask for on a dreary Saturday afternoon. While so much garbage is being wasted for reissues these days, it sure as hell surprises me that this one has not seen the light on vinyl in recent years. I highly recommend this should you find a copy out there in the wild. 

Poison Idea / Ray & Glover - Single At Christmas 

Label: Tim/Kerr Records; Year: 1993; Format: Picture Disc 7" Single

Last night I listened to an entertaining episode of the "Vinyl Guide" podcast with Jerry A of Poison Idea fame as a guest. The interview prompted me to go through one of my 7" boxes to see which Poison Idea EPs I have and at the very end of the box I stumbled across this nice Christmas split between Portland's finest and the Blues/Folk duo Ray & Glover. So tonight I sat down to not just listen to the two songs but to type up the last entry for this year as every blogger needs a break too, and I am certainly craving one from my job and from my hobby. Poison Idea crank out a great version of the classic "Santa Claus is back in town" while digging deep into the blues while on the other side Ray & Glover deliver a nice and slow bluesy number with "I'm mad at the fat man". 

A nice and fitting end to my blog entries for this year me thinks and with having said that I would like to extend my thanks to everybody that has read my blog these past few months since I have been active again, it is much appreciated. 2023 will bring you more of the same so be ready for a wild ride and until then enjoy the holiday festivities and a happy and healthy New Year to you all!

Lightnin' Hopkins - Flash Lightnin' Volume One LP 

Label: Diving Duck Records; Year: 1985; Format: Vinyl LP

This was the first LP I had bought of Lightnin' Hopkins some years back at Flashback Records in London, UK where I spent quite a few Saturday afternoons. I knew of Mr. Hopkins and have at that time liked 'the blues' for some time hence it was time I started a little collection of his. In the meantime I have bought quite a few more of his recordings but looking at his extensive catalogue I will never hear all of his recorded material, that much is guaranteed. Anyway this is a perfect record to spin with your coffee on a weekend morning as it kindly smoothes you into the day with thirteen tracks recorded in 1954. According to the sleeve notes on this record said year marked the end of Hopkins' most creative period and a lot of the recorded material was never released on record until these two volumes on Dutch label Diving Duck. Sam 'Lighnin' Hopkins was born in Texas in 1912 and died in Houston, TX in 1982. At a very early age he fell in love with the music of Blind Lemon Jefferson and in the '20s and '30s Sam used to accompany Texas Alexander by playing on the streets or buses. The tracks on this record all fall between two and three minutes and many of them deal with Sam's longing for a lost woman, something not unusual for blues artists of that time. Most of the songs are mid-tempo blues numbers with Hopkins' typical deep and cracky voice while two or three numbers are upbeat and faster introducing early rock'n'roll tendencies. All in all this is a highly enjoyable record and many more Lightnin' reviews will be coming your way in the not so distant future, stay tuned!

The Warriors - Movie Soundtrack LP

Label: A&M Records; Year: 1979; Format: Vinyl LP

Back in 1982/83 I was a 12-year old living in the suburbs of Zurich, Switzerland. At some point I saw this gang-related movie from New York City called "The Warriors" for the first time on TV, dubbed from English to German. I remember that one of my friends that lived on the same street saw it also and we instantly became huge fans of this cult movie trying to figure out how this Coney Island gang navigated their agonizing trip from the Bronx all the way down to the Ocean. Of course we had no knowledge whatsoever about the geography of NYC but to the two of us the movie remained an all time favorite until today. Forward thirty years after that experience and in 2012 I actually moved to "The Big Apple". Little did I know back in the early '80s that one day I would live where they filmed "The Warriors", but you never know where live takes you. Even though I don't reside there anymore but still live in the state of NY, a little part of me will be a New Yorker for the rest of my life. I have fond memories of my wife and I taking the bus from Bay Ridge in Brooklyn to Coney Island to take a walk on the boardwalk and grab some unhealthy but yummy food from Nathan's while taking in the fresh air from the Ocean. In 2015 I was lucky enough to witness one of the reunions of some of the actors from the movie. If I am not mistaken the person that organized the event had punk rock roots which is not surprising at all taking into account that quite a few bands took their band name from the movie. Sick Of It All headlined the musical aspect of the event and John Joseph of the Cro-Mags was the interviewer at the end of the event when there was a Q&A with the actors (see photo). But this entry is really about the music on the movie soundtrack LP. I am by no means an expert on soundtracks and in general not even a movie buff but "The Warriors" is always worth an exception. So today I sat down on a trip down memory lane and gave this a spin and if you ask me for the most part it's just a really enjoyable record. If you are a fan of the movie then you will know the big hits announced throughout the movie by a female DJ we never learn much about. Barry De Vorzon, a progressive Disco producer of the time was tasked with the soundtrack to the movie and succeeded on all levels in my opinion. From his own electro-disco themed tracks to the heavy soul hitter of 'Nowhere To Run' by Cleveland born Artist Arnold McCuller to the fantastic Joe Walsh written song about making it in the city entitled 'In The City', a song that later ended up on an Eagles album to Desmond Child's 'Last Of an Ancient Breed' the soundtrack immensely helped carrying the movie. Maybe a little less known are the equally great 'You're moving too slow', an energetic blues-rock stomper or 'Love is a Fire' by Polish-born Solo Artist Genya Ravan. Interesting was also the inclusion of Bed-Sty, Brooklyn based band Mandrill who in 1971 started to fuse Afro-Carribean sounds with Jazz, Latin and Rock, something that would in years and decades to become known as World Music. Walter Hill's movie based on a novel by Sol Yurick is not just a great watch but also a great listen people. Warriors, come out to plaaaaayyy! 

V/A - Texas-Mexican Border Music Vol. 1 (An Introduction 1930-1960) LP

Label: Folklyric Records/Arhoolie; Year: 1975; Format: Vinyl LP

I love picking up records like this compilation of at least to me absolutely unknown artists from the Texas-Mexican border with songs recorded between the 1930s and the early 1960s. It is kind of similar to discovering and learning more about blues music in the sense that it is music from the working people sweating in factories, packing houses or in the fields picking fruit. As the notes from editor Chris Strachwitz say it's the music of the Tejanos, Chicanos, Nortenos or Mexican-Americans. The recordings vary in quality and the songs recorded later sound generally louder and better but this is a highly enjoyable record taking you back in time to a place that certainly must be special and fascinating to this day. Migrants from Mexico have crossed the Rio Grande headed for the North back then and still do to this day in the hope of a better life in the US. Back then they have brought a different music with them and it would be interesting to see what a compilation like this one would sound like with current artists. I will definitely try to scoop more records from this series. Una historia de la musica de la frontera! 

V/A - SOUTHERN BLUES (Roots of Rock N' Roll Vol. 11) 2-LP

Label: Savoy Records; Year: 1981; Format: Double-LP

Blues is a form of music I have learned to appreciate increasingly over the years. Whenever I can I pick up Blues records without being all that knowledgable about the artists. But over time I have learnt more and more about certain artists and styles of blues which to be fair could take you a lifetime to learn about. On this wonderful Double-LP compilation I was of course familiar with John Lee Hooker but then again who isn't if you are remotely interested in the history of music in general. John Lee Hooker contributes to a whole side on this 2-LP and his tracks were recorded in Detroit in 1948. They are all quite rudimentary and representative of what was to come in the future. All the other artists on this compilation I was not familiar with at all and was positively surprised with. The styles differ from the raw blues of John Lee Hooker with just his guitar to a more upbeat jazzy style performed by bands supporting the main artist. Little Boy Fuller and Ralph Willis stand out to me and they split the Side B of Record 1. Their contributions were recorded in New York in 1948 and are just amazing to be listening to all these years later. Side C and D on the other record don't disappoint either and make this highly recommended if you want to dig into Blues from a non-connoisseur vantage point like myself. 

 Mojo Nixon And Skid Roper - S/T LP

Label: RBI Records; Year: 1985; Format: Vinyl LP

I recently bought this album as it was for one sitting for a cheap price at my local record shop and secondly I had a vague knowledge of Mojo Nixon hence why not. I wasn't disappointed when giving this a spin this past weekend. This album will take you on a wild ride on a mixture of blues, country and rockabilly with Mojo handling the guitar, singing and the foot while Skid is operating the washboard and a stick drum. Throw in some hilariously funny and witty lyrics reminiscent of literally madmen of the past and you get an album that never gets boring. The first track "Jesus at McDonalds" sets the tone music and lyric wise and other hits include "I'm in love with your girlfriend" and "Art Fag shuffle" amongst others. Enigma Records marketed this album worldwide but I doubt it made any waves whether it's here Stateside or anywhere else. It is one of those albums that in my opinion most likely went under at the time and needs to be rediscovered decades later. Glad I grabbed this one, and so should you. 

Update 2-8-2024: RIP Mojo Nixon (1957-2024) Below find link to a nice obituary:

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/mojo-nixon-dead-obituary-1234964257/?fbclid=IwAR0Im4eevm7k2MIiivBgGnpdFynbo8tgISSm-Ms1CZG-IUZXEoVfoAAXXF0

Craig Ibarra - A Wailing Of A Town - "An Oral History Of Early San Pedro Punk And More 1977 - 1985"

Publisher: END FWY Press; Year: 2015; Format: Book

First and foremost I'd like to point out that this book is almost hot off the press, and was published not all that long ago, and therefore I am excited to not already having finished reading it, but also reviewing it after having purchased it a couple of months ago on my quick visit to Southern California. When it comes to the punk history of Los Angeles then much of it has been covered extensively by having covered the Hollywood scene with the bands and scenesters associated with the more glamorous side of punk rock made in L.A. This book here concentrates on the South Bay of Los Angeles, and in particular the seaport town of San Pedro. Trust me, I too had to look up where exactly San Pedro is located in the Los Angeles area. When I first heard about this book, I already liked it, and I tell you why. I too was once a young kid discovering punk rock and hardcore, and I was also living in a suburb albeit thousands of miles away from San Pedro. Still, I can truly associate with the scene, and its people as the stories to be found in this book resemble in so many ways my personal story. This book does not talk about people sporting punk fashion, frequenting famous punk clubs or taking in an immense amount of drugs. Instead this book concentrates on real DIY ethos, and how a few people were able to create an open minded community that helped each other with putting on gigs, doing flyers, recording and distributing records, and so on. I have to admit that I don't own a single record by the Minutemen - whom hailed from San Pedro - but after having read this book I will need to change that. Sure, many pages in this book do deal with the history of the Minutemen and in particular the sadly deceased D. Boon but they also cover the very beginnings of punk rock in San Pedro with the Reactionaries, as well as later acts such as Saccharine Trust, Hari-Kari, Mood of Defiance and others. This book also covers crazy stories involving a certain Jimmy Smack, a talented local dancer who was tremendously helpful with putting on punk gigs, many accounts involving Black Flag and SST Records and their help getting the San Pedro scene off the ground, venues that opened their doors to punk rock, and the eventual arrival of big bands such as the Dead Kennedys making it to San Pedro and putting the town on the punk rock map. Craig has done a fabulous job by covering every little detail of this town's rich history of punk rock and beyond, and can only be congratulated for his efforts. One can only hope that more books of this kind will start to spring up, and people in different parts of this country and far beyond will start writing about their own punk rock adventures beyond the lights of hip inner cities. This is a true must read!

Cheetah Chrome - A Dead Boy's Tale: From the Front Lines of Punk Rock

Publisher: Voyageur Press; Year: 2010; Format: Book

Every fan of first generation punk rock will be familiar with Cleveland's Dead Boys and their guitarist Cheetah Chrome, no doubt. Even though throughout the years I have read many stories linked to the history of this notorious band, I was over the moon when I heard this book announced a few years back. As a matter of fact I had my then girlfriend turned wife go to one of his book readings here in New York City, and have her buy and sign the book for me while I was still lifting ales in good ole' London. But that's beside the point here, and I have just recently finally gotten around to read this tomb. And yes I do have a habit of buying a fair amount of books without reading them immediately, in case you wonder. Eventually I'll get through them all, or so I hope at least. Cheetah's book certainly didn't disappoint, and as one can only imagine it is filled with crazy, drunken and drugged up stories on life on road with the Dead Boys, as well as the numerous bands and projects Cheetah has been involved with over the years - before (Rocket From The Tombs) - and also after the demise of the Dead Boys. As with many rock autobiographies though I must say that I probably enjoyed the pages about Cheetah's childhood and his becoming an adult the most. Cheetah spent his early years in rough parts of the industrial wastelands of Cleveland where he wasn't able to find many friends until he discovered the magic of rock'n'roll. The fact that Cheetah's mother has always been generously supportive of her son shines throughout the entire book, and for that he adored and loved his mother up until she passed away which was towards the end of the book. One other person that Cheetah had unlimited love for was his good buddy and partner in crime Stiv Bators. Even though their friendship took many hits and had at times a very bumpy road ahead of them, Cheetah and Stiv had a mutual admiration for each other, and as we all know unfortunately Stiv has departed this world way too early. As for the author's alcoholism and drug abuse, you will find him openly talk about his problems, and how he eventually became a clean and sober man. I find it a great pity that Cheetah - like many other talented musicians - paid a high price by being an addict, and could quite likely have had a more fulfilling career had he not chosen that path. Still, he will always be remembered as one of the greats of punk rock, and so will the Dead Boys. The only minus of this book is the fact that the editor must have been either dead tired or dead drunk when editing this book as there is a fair amount of absolutely unnecessary grammatical mistakes. Never mind though as it won't take away from the quality and the honesty with which Cheetah has written this book, and I applaud him for that. Great read!

V/A - The Stars of Fame Records EP

Label: Kent Soul (Ace Records); Year: 2011; Format: Vinyl EP

This EP came out for RSD 2011 and contains four songs of fine Southern Soul from the mid- to late '60s. According to the liner notes none of these songs have been previously released, hence even more reason for you die-hard soul fans out there to own this limited piece of history. I am by no means an expert on soul, but I can guarantee you that I will be reviewing more records from that genre as I do like to listen to it a lot. All four songs on here are great, two of them more upbeat, whereas the other two are slow and beautiful. All of these crackers were recorded at the FAME Studios, home of the Muscle Shoals sound. I am sure someone more knowledgable could write quite a bit about this, whereas I just bought this one as I fancied it, and certainly haven't regretted my decision.

Specials - S/T - LP

Label: Chrysalis Records; Year: 1979; Format: Vinyl LP

Google this album and you will come up with a million and one stories in regard to the Specials and the 2-Tone label and movement. I will spare you any lengthy review here, but have to say that I have given this album a spin not too long ago, and have thoroughly enjoyed it. The Specials were maybe the 'punkiest' out of all the 2-Tone bands, and one of their members, Terry Hall, was even a member of Coventry punk outfit Squad. I shall review their 'Red Alert' single at another point, but that was just a little side note. The songs on this 14-song long-player range from upbeat to slow, but never disappoint as they combine danceable ska and rocksteady to perfection. "Too much too young" even reached No. 1 in the UK, and at one point the band shared the same management with the Clash as they were supporting them on a tour. No matter whether you're into punk, ska, rocksteady, or whatever, I think we can all agree that this is a classic album and should be found in everybody's record collection.