The Jam - In the City LP

Label: Polydor (Spain); Year: 1977; Format: Vinyl LP

Many, many years ago when I got into Punk/Hardcore Punk I scoffed at bands like the Jam or even the Clash for that matter. I was of the opinion that those were nothing else than boring rock bands trying to sound somewhat punk rock. Throughout the decades though my taste and understanding of music has gradually changed to the point where I eventually reached the point of exploring the Jam catalogue. The band's history is interesting in the sense that it starts as far back as 1972 when school friends Paul Weller and Steve Brookes set out to start a band in the unassuming London suburbs of Woking in Surrey. Their early live shows often happened at youth clubs or workin men's clubs and consisted of mainly covers of fifties rock'n'roll acts, but they did have some of their own original numbers as well. Another intriguing fact is that from very early on Paul's father, John Weller, a featherweight champion and cabbie, was heavily involved in the music career his son would go on to have. Unlike many other parents of that time he was very supportive of what Paul was doing and through some of his boxing contacts things started to come together for the band as by 1974 the band started to play in London and landed a supporting slot for Thin Lizzy at Croydon's Greyhound. By 1976 Paul Weller was exposed to the nascent Punk Rock explosion happening in London and things started to take off for the Jam, now a trio of Paul Weller on guitar/vocals, Bruce Foxton on bass guitar and Rick Buckler on drums. According to Alex Ogg's punk bible "no more heroes" it was actually devoted fan Shane MacGowan of Nipple Erectors and later the Pogues who pushed the Jam to Chris Parry of Polydor. Their first LP, released in 1977 is in some ways an odd record in the sense that it is definitely not a pure punk rock record, but neither is it a Mod record. Nevertheless what counts most is that it is a good record, built on the Jam's live performances and recorded in just eleven days. Paul Weller has never made it a secret that he will forever be loyal to his love of '60s music, be it the Who, the Beatles or Motown. And that's exactly what you can expect from this album as the raw energy of punk rock collide with the pop sentimentality of Paul Weller's songwriting resulting in great songs such as "In The City" or my favorite "Away From The Numbers". In many ways this first album only foreshadows as to what was to come and should be viewed merely as an appetizer when it comes to the talent the Jam had. Stay tuned for more from the Jam down the road. 

Larry Williams - Unreleased LP

Label: Specialty Records; Year: 1986; Format: Vinyl LP

The beauty of walking into a record store and hearing instantly something played over the stereo that I like is a feeling that I have always cherished, and that will hopefully never die out. So, it was only a week ago when I took a long walk in my neighborhood and stopped at my local record store up the road from the house. Over the stereo was blasting Larry Williams, an artist I had not been familiar with but instantly fell in love with. This week I was also thinking that at some point in the not so distant future I will introduce you to the two record stores here in Buffalo, NY that I mainly use for record shopping these days. I don't buy many records, and as you will have noticed if you read this blog, only old stuff and reissues, but I thought especially for people traveling through Buffalo it might be good knowledge to have hence stay tuned. On to Mr. Williams (nee Lawrence Eugene Williams) then, born 1935 in New Orleans, Louisiana. After having been uprooted by his parents' move to Oakland, California Larry returned to New Orleans in 1954 where he began working for his cousin Lloyd Price as a valet. Larry was eventually introduced to Little Richard and with being a piano player for Lloyd, Williams eventually signed his own record deal with Art Rupe's Specialty Records. This record collects quite a few previously unreleased or alternate version of songs from the label's vast vault. According to the sleeve notes by Joey Mattia the LP was compiled and mastered by Little Walter of Boston, a prominent DJ and expert in the field of 50's and 60's rock'n'roll: "We have compiled this album with some of the most rocking tunes you'll hear. Some of the songs are alternate takes from the sessions where the original hit was recorded. These alternates are every bit as exciting as the ones that were originally released. At the time, Art Rupe, founder of Specialty Records, felt that maybe these sides were not as good as they could have been, but hearing them anew, we all felt they were dynamite!"

While researching for this entry this morning I came across the fascinating history of Specialty Records and the fact that Art Rupe just died recently at the age of 104. It could very well be argued that without artists and independent record label owners such as Rupe the DIY punk rock explosion would have never taken off the way it did as inspiration has to always come from somewhere. It could also be argued that sadly it is often the case that record labels try to cash in on artists that are no longer with us and by 1986 when this record had come out Larry was already dead for several years after having committed suicide in 1980. Williams' later life was plagued by drug abuse and violence, sadly nothing uncommon with a lot of artists from his generation. If you appreciate well crafted and wild' '50s rock'n'roll then you will not be disappointed with this record and should get your greedy hands on a copy of this. Rockin' Pneumonia it is!!!

Art Rupe obituary from The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/apr/18/art-rupe-obituar

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! 

V/A - Fizzy Soul Cocktail Vol. 2

Label: Cheeky Monkey Records (Unofficial); Year: ?; Format: Vinyl LP

Just like the Killed By Death volumes for rare worldwide punk rock many other musical genres have their own various compilation series when it comes to hard to find records. This particular LP must have been pressed in the UK as I got it dirt-cheap while I lived in London and the few copies that are available through Discogs seem all to be from sellers in the UK. Anyway, this is a great compilation of hard to find soul/funk hits which all seem to have originally been recorded in the '60s. The packaging is typical for a bootleg in the sense that it lacks any information about the artists but the sound quality is good so I won't complain too much. In all fairness it truly is a great record as all twelve songs are above good with some being plain superb. Without wanting to go into all the songs I am going to give you a few teasers so maybe you would want to seek them out on YouTube or such. 'I'm in love with your Daughter' by '60s rhythm'n'blues band The Enchantments from Los Angeles is a beautiful track originally released on Faro Records as a single back in 1965. West Virginia born Turley Richards gets you dancing and grooving with the upbeat smasher 'I feel all right' originally released on Columbia in 1966 while Johnny Robinson's 'Funky Feet' from 1970 is exactly what the song title suggests. Maybe the best song on this compilation is 'Two sided thing' by Johnny Mae Mathews also known as the Godmother of Detroit soul. Miss Mathews founded the Northern Recording Company back in 1958 and many more record labels thereafter. Her song on this platter originally came out in 1968 on Big Hit Records. I will see if I can find the first volume of this compilation at some point as I imagine it'd be equally strong. If you are looking to dance your night away don't hesitate to grab a copy of this one. Have some Boogaloo!