Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Drivin'...The Kinks Story Part Two...Show # 198



In 1969, The Kinks released King Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire). Originally Ray Davies conceived this concept to be a soundtrack to a TV play. The play was cancelled and the Kinks recorded the album. The story of the album was based on the life of Ray Davies real life brother-in-law who moved to Australia named, Arthur. The album was also the album in which Peter Quaife left the band (he was one of the original founding members), he was replaced by John Dalton. The album was moderately successful in the US, the band who was on a four year US ban starting visiting the states and getting more notice (the ban was over in 1969).

The album King Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire) contained alot of great songs. The starting track, "Victoria" is an upbeat excellent track. The drum work is simply amazing. The song itself did not chart in the US, but it did in Sweden and Canada. Other great tracks include "Brainwashed", "Australia", and "Shangri-La". When the album was re-issued on CD it contained bonus tracks. One of them being the song "King Kong" which is a rocking almost White Stripes sounding song. The album is also constantly being compared to The Who's Tommy. Tommy also is a concept album, the band was influenced by The Kinks. The truth is Dave Davies was friends with Pete Townshed, and the two bands both made a concept album; It doesn't really matter who did it first because both albums are great.


After adding John Gosling on keyboards, The Kinks recorded Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneyground Part One in 1970. The album was taking a look at the music industry, poking fun at it. The album also contained the hit "Lola", which was a huge hit all over the world for the band. "Apeman" also cracked the top ten in the UK. In 1971, Percy was released. The album was a collection of instrumental and non instrumental Kinks songs that was written for the British comedy film Percy. The album is seen as not as great as the bands other albums by critics. It was not released in America.

In 1971, the bands previous contracts expired and they signed to RCA. Muswell Hillbillies came next in 1971. The album was the first album recorded in the bands own studio titled Konk studios. The album was named after Muswell Hill in London where the Davies brothers grew up. The album is more acoustic than the bands previous albums. It contained elements of country, blues, and music hall. Despite the fact that the album wasn't successful commercially many regard the album as an example of Ray Davies best work.

Everybody's In Show-Biz came out in 1972 and it was a double album. The first disc is studio recordings, while the other is a live compilation of the bands two night stay at Carnegie Hall. The album also showed a shift in the musical stylings of Ray Davies. He was progressing towards a more theatrical, operatic style. These would be expressed in the bands next four albums Preservation Act 1, Preservation Act 2, Soap Opera, and Schoolboys in Disgrace.

The band would continue their career into the 90's; In the 80's the band achieved more success in the US. In 1995, X-Ray was released it was an autobiography written by Ray Davies, and in 1996 Dave Davies released Kink his own autobiography. Ray and Dave have since had solo careers. In 1990, The Kinks were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2005, inducted into UK Music Hall of Fame.

The Kinks were a band that were lumped into the British invasion of the 60s, that included the likes of The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and The Who. Despite the fact that they didn't do as well in the US as the UK, the band is an influential group that has influenced the likes of The Who, The Clash, The Jam, Richard Hell, Buzzcocks, The Knack, The Pretenders, Oasis, Blur, Libertines, and Franz Ferdinand. The Kinks created a different kind of platform for creating music that is still relevant today as it was back in the 60's. Recently rumours have been flying on whether or not The Kinks will do a reunion tour, but it is not known whether this will happen or not. In December of 2008, The Kinks released a 6 CD box set. It contains a 60 page booklet, demos, outtakes, and previously unheard material. The box set is titled Picture Book.




To see part one of my kinks history click Here. Also if you are looking for further Kinks information, the best site to go to is Dave Emlen's Unofficial Kinks Web Site. Next week I will be doing a show on the UK punk band Buzzcocks.

Kinky Play List:

1. Party Line (Face to Face 1966)
2. Got My Feet on the Ground (Kinda Kinks 1965)
3. Dancing in the Street (Kinda Kinks 1965)
4. Rosie won't You Please Come Home (Face to Face 1966)
5. Sunny Afternoon (Face to Face 1966)
6. I Need You (B-Side of Set Me Free 1965)
7. Come on Now (Kinda Kinks 1965)
8. You Shouldn't Be Sad (Kinda Kinks 1965)
9. Never Met a Girl Like You Before (Kinda Kinks 1965)
10. Situation Vacant (Something Else 1967)
11. Till the End of the Day (Kink Kontroversy 1965)
12. She's Got Everything (B-Side of Days 1968)
13. Harry Rag (Something Else 1967)
14. Dedicated Follower of Fashion (Single 1966)
15. Susannah's Still Alive (Single 1968)
16. This Strange Effect (BBC Session 1965)
17. Days (Single 1968)
18. Shangri-La (Arthur 1969)
19. Waterloo Sunset (Something Else 1967)
20. Love Me Till the Sun Shines (B-Side of Death of A Clown 1967)
21. Where Have All the Good Times Gone (Kink Kontroversy 1965)
22. Dead End street (Single 1966)
23. Everybody's Gonna Be Happy (Single 1965)
24. Victoria (Arthur 1969)
25. Brainwashed (Arthur 1969)
26. King Kong (Arthur 1969)
27. Starstruck (Village Green 1968)
28. I'm Not Like Everybody Else (Sunny Afternoon B-Side 1966)

Kinks Videos:

Victoria (Live 1979)
Days
A Well Respected Man
The VIllage Green Preservation Society
Commerical featuring I'm Not LIke Everybody Else

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Waiting For the Real Thing... Pointed Sticks Story and Show # 197




The Pointed Sticks are a Canadian punk/power pop band that came from Vancouver in Canada. Forming in 1978, the band named themselves after a Monty Python sketch. The band was a mix of punk and pop and only lasted until 1981. They were the first Canadian band signed to stiff records, but the label never released an album by the band just a few singles. After releasing four singles, the band released their only full length album during their first incarnation, it was titled Perfect Youth. Coming out in 1980, the album was produced by Bob Rock (later of Metallica producing fame) and contained twelve tracks.

The band consisted of Nick Jones (vocals), Tony Bardach (bass), Bill Naper-Hemy (guitar), and Ian Tiles on drums. The line up would switch up a bit when Scott Watson went on bass and Tiles was replaced by Robert Bruce. They would also get a keyboard player named Gord Nicholl who was from another Canadian band called Active Dog; Bruce (also from Active Dog) would also be replaced by Ken "Dimwit" Montgomery on drums.

In 1995, the band released the Part Of The Noise Compilation. The album was a mix of unreleased songs and songs from their previous releases, serving as a greatest hits of sorts. In 2005, Sudden Death Records re-issued the bands Perfect Youth album and released the live bootleg Waiting For the Real Thing. All of the re-issues contained bonus tracks, but Waiting For the Real Thing serves in my opinion as the best release by the band. It is an energetic and exciting album and its loaded with songs, 24 of them.

In 1980, the band was featured in Dennis Hopper's movie Out of the Blue. In 2006, the band reunited for a series of shows in Japan, and in tours in Canada and the US in 2006 and early 2007. The band has plans to tour and record again. For more info on the band you can visit their official website. Next week I will continue counting down to my 200th show by doing a show focusing on the band The Kinks. Leave requests in the comments section if there's anything you'd like to hear.

The Play List:

1. What Do You Want Me To Do? (Waiting For the Real Thing 2005)
2. Somebody's Mom (Waiting For the Real Thing 2005)
3. Real Thing (Waiting For the Real Thing 2005)
4. Marching Song (Perfect Youth 1980)
5. Perfect Youth (Perfect Youth 1980)
6. American Song (Perfect Youth 1980)
7. Must Be Crazy (Part of the Noise 1995)
8. Nothing Else To Do (Part of the Noise 1995)
9. Shape of Things To Come (Part of the Noise 1995)
10. Man of the Crowd (Part of the Noise 1995)
11. Careless (1980 Demo)
12. Middle Aged Teenagers (1980 Demo)
13. When She's Alone (Perfect Youth 1980)
14. True Love (Perfect Youth 1980)
15. 1-2 (Perfect Youth 1980)
16. The Witch (Perfect Youth 1980)
17. Out of Luck (Waiting For the Real Thing 2005)
18. Lies (Waiting For the Real Thing 2005)
19. I'm Numb (Waiting For the Real Thing 2005)
20. It's O.K. (Waiting For the Real Thing 2005)
21. Apologies (Waiting For the Real Thing 2005)
22. New Ways (Waiting For the Real Thing 2005)
23. All That Matters (Waiting For the Real Thing 2005)
24. The Witch (Waiting For the Real Thing 2005)
25. Part of the Noise (Perfect Youth 1980)
26. Somebody's Mom (Single Version) (Perfect Youth 1980)
27. Way You Do (Perfect Youth 1980)
28. My Japanese Fan (7" Single 2007)

Pointed Videos:

Lies
Out of Luck/Somebody's Mom (From Out of the Blue 1980)

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Let's Shake...Show # 196


This week was the first show as part of my 200th show count down (starting this week I will be doing a series of shows foucusing on a different band until i reach my 200th show). Recently Teenage Head released a new album this April comprised of re-recorded versions of their old songs with Marky Ramone from Ramones on drums. Teenage Head with Marky Ramone, as the album is called was released on Sonic Unyon Recordings. Produced by Daniel Rey (who has worked with Ramones) captured the Teenage Head with Marky Ramone sound on the 12 tracks featured in this collection. The album contains loud and energetic versions of Teenage Head songs ranging from their first 1979 self titled album (6 tracks), Some Kinda Fun (1980) (2 tracks), Frantic City (1982) (1 track), Head Disorder (1998) (1 track), and two tracks from 1988's Electric Guitar

For a more concise history of Teenage Head you can visit this post I did in 2007. Next week I will be doing a show on the Vancouver Canadian punk band Pointed Sticks. If you have a request for next weeks show feel free to leave a comment. 

 The Play List: 

1. Little Boxes (Teenage Head 1979) 
2. Get Off My Back (Teenage Head 1979) 
3. Top Down (Teenage Head 1979) 
4. Ain't Got No Sense (Teenage Head 1979) 
5. Picture My Face (Teenage Head 1979) 
6. You're Tearin' Me Apart (Teenage Head 1979) 
7. Total Love (Frantic City 1980) 
8. Infected (Frantic City 1980) 
9. Disgusteen (Frantic City 1980) 
10. Let's Shake (Frantic City 1980) 
11. Somethin' Else (Frantic City 1980) 
12. Let's Go To Hawaii (Some Kinda Fun 1981) 
13. Want You To Know (Some Kinda Fun 1981) 
14. Teenage Beer Drinkin' Party (Some Kinda Fun 1981) 
15. Some Kinda Fun(Some Kinda Fun 1981) 
16. Fist To Face (some Kinda Fun 1981) 
17. Wild One (Live 1978) 
18. Lucy Potato (Alternate Version) 
19. Disgusteen (Alternate Version) 
20. First Time (Teenage Head With Marky Ramone 2008) 
21. Full Time Fool (Teenage Head With Marky Ramone 2008) 
22. You're Tearin' Me Apart (Teenage Head With Marky Ramone 2008) 
23. You're The One I'm Crazy For (Teenage Head With Marky Ramone 2008) 
24. Little Boxes (Teenage Head With Marky Ramone 2008)

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

Neil Young Annouces Archive Project...Show # 195

Neil Young announced this week that he will finally be releasing his much anticipated Chronicles/Archives project. He is planning on releasing a 10 disc set on Blu-Ray disc only. This archive project has been in the works for many, many years (since the 80's). Young said that he wants this to be released on Blu-Ray so that listeners will also have visuals as they listen to the music. The 10 disc set is said to be comprised of unreleased Neil Young material ranging from 1963-1972. For more information on this release visit:

Neil Young rocks Java One
Neil Young to release Blu-Ray Archive
Billboard

In other news Revolution Rock is quickly approaching its 200th show. To celebrate this I will be doing a series of specialty shows focusing on certain bands. The shows will be on the bands Teenage Head, Pointed Sticks, Buzzcocks, The Kinks, and The D4. Next week will be a show focusing on the Canadian band Teenage Head. If you have any requests for Teenage Head or any of the above mentioned bands, leave a comment and I will play them on the corresponding shows.

Songs Played:

1. Beastie Boys - Remote Control
2. Big Audio Dynamite - Contact
3. Undertones - Here Comes The Summer
4. The Shades - New Clientele
5. The Jam - Set the House Ablaze
6. Locusts Have No King - Trench Song
7. Lou Reed - Hangin' Round
8. The Cigarettes - They're Back Again, Here They Come
9. The Strokes - You Only Live Once
10. Demics - New York City
11. LI 150's - Destiny
12. Gruesomes - Hey
13. Spiral Scratch - England's Burning, 81
14. Talking Heads - Who Is It? (1975 CBS Demo)
15. XTC - Statue of Liberty
16. Iggy Pop - Five Foot One
17. Magazine - Boredom (BBC Session)
18. Joe Strummer - Slant Six
19. The Saints - Church of Indifference
20. Richard Hell & The Voidoids - I Can Only Give You Everything
21. Bob Dylan - One More Weekend
22. Bob Dylan - I Wanna Be Your Lover
23. Neil Young - Song X

Young Videos:

Blu-Ray Archive Preview
Don't Let It Bring You Down (Live 1971 BBC Studios)
Mr.Soul (Live)