Saturday, August 31, 2024

The Beach Boys: Endless Summer, Martin Phillips & Shows # 1047, 1048, 1049, 1050, 1051, 1052, 1053, 1054 & 1055


The Beach Boys: Endless Summer Special

At the beginning of August, Revolution Rock did an episode made up entirely of Beach Boys songs. However, with so many box sets, alternate takes, different versions from albums sessions that have been released, we focused on lesser-known Beach Boys tracks from albums that are not as well known.

Following the release of 1966’s Pet Sounds, an album that was changed the landscape of pop music, Brian Wilson set about making an even more ambitious album Smile. Due to a variety of factors such as tensions within the band and label pressure, that album was never completed, however a version of it was reworked, re-recorded and released as Smiley Smile in 1967. Talk of Smile had high expectations and when Smiley Smile didn’t deliver, the Beach Boys veered off into another course of musical exploration. After decades of being bootlegged, Smile would be released in as complete of a form as possible as The Smile Sessions box set in 2011. In 1967, they released the album Wild Honey, an album that is very underrated in their catalogue and may be one of the first lo-fi albums ever released. It was also DIY pop, so it also gave birth to another genre of DIY music. But, its back to basics approach to music, was not received well critically. Perhaps it was too different from what was being done at the time, but it would still have an impact on some artists in terms of less produced sounding material such as Bob Dylan (John Wesley Harding), The Band (Music from Big Pink), and The Rolling Stones and The Beatles to name a few.

Musically, Wild Honey was indebted to a heavy influence from R&B, Motown, Stax and soul music in general. Other band members also began to contribute more in terms of songwriting such as Carl Wilson in addition to contributions from Mike Love, the group as a whole and of course Brian Wilson. The band wanted to be a more self-contained rock band for this record, partially due to heavy criticism that The Beach Boys sounded like choirboys. Recorded primarily at Brian Wilson’s home studio, Wild Honey also purposely avoided mainstream trends at the time such as psych rock and hard rock. It was as Carl Wilson has stated, “Music to cool out by.

“Aren’t You Glad” is a song written by Mike Love and Brian Wilson that also features dual vocals from both members. It has a Motown inspired lyric and a laidback simplicity, while the lo-fi and raw sounding production lends itself with breeziness to this song and the album as a whole. “Country Air” describes the sun rising over rural America. With classic Beach Boy-styled harmonies, this song also features a buzzing that was present on the master tape due to a technical issue. It was left in. “Darlin’" is a track sung by Carl Wilson. Pulling in the soul/Stax influence, this song started out differently as a song written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love for the band Three Dog Night, but by the time it got to these sessions, it was reworked into a unique track and future fan favourite. “I’d Love Just Once To See You,” a Brian Wilson original, plods along with acoustic guitar and bass as Wilson sings of everyday life things and adding an edge to it, despite the briefness of the track, “Here Comes The Night” injects a soulful, rock and roll energy to it as that ever present tape buzz in the background is almost an instrument in itself, “How She Bugalooed It” is a Carl Wilson original that is a bit more rock and roll, but also has Jonathan Richman vibes to it (pre-dating his music of course). The also cover Stevie Wonder’s “I Was Made To Love Her” and the title track was sung from Wonder’s perspective.

Overall, Wild Honey is greatly underrated and overlooked album in their discography. Reportedly named after a jar of wild honey in Brian Wilson’s kitchen, the title suits the album and collection of songs here so well. Wild Honey is raw, unfiltered and unprocessed.

Martin Phillips of The Chills (1963-2024):


At the end of July, New Zealand musician and songwriter Martin Phillips passed suddenly at the age of 61. He fronted The Chills, a band associated with the early days of the pioneering indie label Flying Nun Records. The band itself went through many lineup changes over the years and released a plethora of singles, EPs, compilation albums and studio albums. The music that they created was an architect of the Dunedin Sound, a subgenre of that music mixed elements of psychedelia and pop. It was influenced by other genres such as punk and often cast the music against wistful melodies. The songs that Phillips wrote such as “Kaleidoscope World,” the unsettling, but beloved track “Pink Frost,” “Leather Jacket,” written about a leather jacket given to Phillips following the passing of Chills drummer Martyn Bull and the stunning “Heavenly Pop Hit,” to name a few, are all unique and a good example of his style of songwriting. His lyrics were dark, sometimes philosophical, literate and captivating.

Starting in 1980, The Chills put out several singles on the Flying Nun label, which would eventually be collected on the album Kaleidoscope World album. Their first proper album Brave Words followed in 1987, all of the albums and singles up to this point did very well in New Zealand and the UK and they toured often throughout Europe and New Zealand and Australia. In 1990 they released Submarine Bells. This album was released in the US via Slash Records (and in New Zealand on Flying Nun). The album featured orchestral flourishes in between a strong collection of indie songs written by Phillips. The single “Heavenly Pop Hit” reached #17 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks. However, following one more album, 1992’s Soft Bomb, Phillips and The Chills would lose a bit of momentum. Phillips released an album as Martin Phillips & The Chills called Sunburnt in 1996, but following that the band took a long break. Stand By, an EP of new Chills material was released in 2004, a documentary The Chills: The Triumph and Tragedy of Martin Phillips was released in 2019. Three albums followed their 2004 EP, in 2015 (Silver Bullets), in 2018 (Snowbound) and 2021 (Scatterbrain). A new album of material was being worked on prior to Phillips passing called Springboard: Early Unrecorded Songs.

Phillips was an outsider artist. Several of his influences such as Brian Wilson, Syd Barrett, Scott Walker and Nick Drake, align with the music that he created. Throughout The Chills discography and Martin Phillips songwriting, there is one this present in all of it, a sense of wonder. Even all the way up to The Chills most recent album, Scatterbrain, The music never lost that.

Show 1055 (Originally Aired On August 31st, 2024)(Deja Voodoo, Leonard Cohen's New Skin for the Old Ceremony 50th anniversary, Nick Cave, Kid Congo Powers):

1. Deja Voodoo - Rock Therapy 
2. Deja Voodoo - Expresso Bongo 
3. Parsnip - Papier-Mache 
4. Chris Burns & His Growing Concerns Things - Overheard (From People Talking Loudly on their Phones) 
5. The Bell System - You Be You 
6. Terminal Sunglasses - Could That Be People Crossing My Lawn 
7. Theee Retail Simps - Spit It Out 
8. The Supremes - Standing at the Crossroads of Love 
9. Alex Chilton & Hi-Rhythm Section - Where Did Our Love Go? 
10. Heaven For Real - Oh No 
11. Nick Cave & The Bad Sees - Oh Wow Oh Wow (How Wonderful She Is)
12. black midi - Speedway 
13. Geordie Greep - Holy, Holy 
14. Preoccupations - Continental Shelf 
15. Leonard Cohen - There is a War 
16. Leonard Cohen - Who By Fire 
17. Beth Gibbons - Rewind 
18. Tess Parks - Koalas 
19. Built To Spill - Singing Sores Make Perfect Swords (Live) 
20. Floating Witch’s Head - Bodysnatchers 
21. The Stonemen - In the Evening 
22. Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds - A Beast, A Priest
23. Kid Congo & The Pink Monkey Birds - The Boy Had It All 
24. Fugazi - Do You Like Me 
25. Leonard Cohen - I Tried To Leave You

To hear this program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and click the August 31 file to download/stream the episode.

Show 1054 (Originally Aired On August 24th, 2024)(Bloodshot Bill, Sanford Clark, Carl Perkins, Rick White and The Sadies, Richard Hell & The Voidoids):

1. Bloodshot Bill - Breakaway 
2. The Mystery Lights - Mighty Fine & All Mine
3. Los Babys - Cool Jerk 
4. Los Profetas - Loco Estare
5. Los Monjes - Batman 
6. Ducks LTD. - Hollowed Out 
7. Sanford Clark - The Fool 
8. Sanford Clark - It’s Nothing To Me
9. Flying Burrito Bros. - Wheels 
10. Carl Perkins & NRBQ - Sorry Charlie
11. Rick White and The Sadies - Walls 
12. The Ford City Ramblers - Ramblin’ Mind
13. The Locusts Have No King - Is It Or Ain’t It 
14. Dragsville - Suitcase 
15. Meringues - Reality
16. La Luz - Always in Love 
17. Kairos Creature Club - Good Company 
18. A. Swayze and The Ghosts - News
19. Tim Presley’s White Fence - The Neighborhood
20. Oblivians - Vietnam War Blues
21. Dog Day - Dark Side 
22. Golden Shitters - Love Blows 
23. Big Bill - Political Meat 
24. Baby Giant - She’s A Queen 
25. Paul Jacobs - Your Favorite Number 
26. Habibi - On the Road
27. Osees - Pixelated Moon 
28. Lou Reed - She’s My Best Friend (Alternate Version)
29. The Replacements - Dose of Thunder 
30. Ramones - Outsider 
31. ATV - Action, Time, Vision
32. Richard Hell & The Voidoids - Lowest Common Dominator (Remixed)

To hear this program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and click the August 24 file to download/stream the episode.

Show 1052 (Originally Aired On August 17th, 2024) (Packs, Sebadoh, Jeff Buckley, Mudhoney, Steve Turner):

1. Motorists - Back to the Queue 
2. Bad Hoo - Bintro 
3. Cindy Lee - Olive Drab 
4. Cameronoise - You’re Someone Else’s Problem Now 
5. Temps - June 
6. Baby Rose w/BADBADNOTGOOD - Slow Burn
7. Packs - Honey 
8. Heavenly Sweetheart - Forgot Something 
9. Bitters - I’m Not There 
10. Packs - Spotted 
11. Packs - Just Like Me
12. Sebadoh - Rebound 
13. Sebadoh - Careful 
14. Jeff Buckley - Kick Out the Jams (Live)
15. Jeff Buckley - Dream Brother 
16. Mudhoney - Cascade of Crap
17. Mudhoney - Real Low Vibe
18. Mudhoney - Six Two One
19. The Thrown Ups - Stock Boy, Superhero 
20. Steve Turner & His Bad Ideas - Off-Ramp to Nowhere
21. Steve Turner - Living Through the Mistakes 
22. The Phantom Ships - The Coast
23. Jack White - Archbishop Harold Holmes 
24. X - The Way It Is 
25. Illuminati Hotties - The L 
26. Los Campesinos! - KMS
27. The Sad and Lonely(s) - Idiot
28. The Sad and Lonely(s) - No Troubles
29. The Fall-Outs - Ambition
30. The Wellwater Conspiracy - Sleeveless 
31. Thee Headcoats - [Bitten Off] More than you can Chew
32. Holly Go-Lightly - Till I Get 

To hear this program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and click the August 17 file to download/stream the episode.

Show 1051 (August 10th, 2024)(Martin Phillips of The Chills, Bob Dylan's Another Side of Bob Dylan 60th Anniversary):

1. Nap Eyes - Passageway
2. Tough Age - The Heart of Juliet Jones 
3. Dumb - Gimme A Call 
4. Kiwi Jr. - Leslie 
5. Duotang - Friends 
6. The Chills - Monolith 
7. The Chills - Heavenly Pop Hit 
8. The Chills - Pink Frost
9. The Chills - This is the Way 
10. Bloodshot Bill - Spotted
11. Bozo - Just Like Me 
12. DVTR - Les Olympiques 
13. The Scenics - Jonathan Richman 
14. Mad Ones - Last Summer 
15. Bob Dylan - Spanish Harlem Incident 
16. Bob Dylan - My Back Pages 
17. Bob Dylan - Mama, You’ve Been On My Mind
18. The Chills - Kaleidoscope World
19. The Chills - I Love My Leather Jacket 
20. The Chills - Rain 
21. The Chills - Part Past Part Fiction 
22. Carson McHone - The American Ruse 
23. Blacktop - Confusion 
24. Dion Lunadon - Out in My World
25. The Anomayls - On My Way
26. Dog Day - Bordering
27. The Chills - Dead Web 

To hear this program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and click the August 10 file to download/stream the episode.

Show 1050 (Originally Aired On August 3rd, 2024)(The Beach Boys Endless Summer Episode):

1. The Beach Boys - Surfin’ (with Session Intro/Mono) 
2. The Beach Boys - Cindy, Oh Cindy 
3. The Beach Boys - Land Ahoy 
4. The Beach Boys - Don’t Back Down (Alternate Version) 
5. The Beach Boys - I Do 
6. The Beach Boys - Dance, Dance, Dance (Alternate Version) 
7. The Beach Boys - I Get Around (Live in Studio) 
8. The Beach Boys - I Get Around (Session #4) 
9. The Beach Boys - Let Him Run Wild (Alternate Version) 
10. The Jesus & Mary Chain - Surfin’ USA 
11. Yo La Tengo - Little Honda
12. Cub - Surfer Girl
13. Ronnie Spectre - Don’t Worry Baby
14. The Beach Boys - Hang Onto Your Ego 
15. The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations (First Version with Overdubs) 
16. The Beach Boys - Wild Honey (Live in Detroit 11/17/1967) 
17. The Beach Boys - Time to Get Alone (Alternate Version)
18. The Beach Boys - Can’t Wait Too Long 
19. The Beach Boys - The Letter (Live in Studio) 
20. The Who - Barbara Ann 
21. Shadowy Men On A Shadowy Planet - In My Room 
22. Thee Headcoats - 409
23 .Sonic Youth - I Know There’s An Answer 
24. The Beach Boys - Even Steven (Early Version of Busy Doin’ Nothing)
25. The Beach Boys - Passing By (Alternate Version) 
26. The Beach Boys - I Can Hear Music (Alternate Lead Vocal)
27. The Beach Boys - All I Want to Do (Dennis Wilson Lead Vocal Take 1) 
28. The Beach Boys - Slip on Through (Alt. 1969 Mix with Session Intro) 
29. The Beach Boys - Big Sur 
30. The Beach Boys - Seasons in the Sun 

To hear this program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and click the August 03 file to download/stream the episode.

Show 1049 (Originally Aired On July 27th, 2024):

1. Ducks Ltd. - On My Way to the Rave 
2. Kiwi Jr. - Unspeakable Things
3. Motorists - Barking at the Gates 
4. The Mystery Lights - Purgatory 
5. Dion Lunadon - Get Back to You 
6. Japandroids - Chicago 
7. Sunset Rubdown - Reappearing Rat 
8. Crack Cloud - The Medium 
9. Via Mardot - Foilage
10. Via Mardot - Strangers 
11. Via Mardot - Waxwork 
12. Ever-Lovin’ Jug Band - Little Rubber Boots
13. Jon Mckiel - Concrete Sea 
14. Scott Collins - Killer Crush 
15. Fontanarosa - Untie 
16. Robert Wyatt - Sea Song 
17. Syd Barrett - Love You 
18. Brian Eno - Burning Airlines Give You So Much More 
19. Dial Up - The Thaw 
20. Rick White & The Sadies - Try
21. Camera Obscura - Baby Huey (Hard Times) 
22. Heavenly Sweetheart A Little Worse 
23. Nomeds - Lover Boy 
24. Ty Segall - The Main Pretender
25. Ty Segall - What Can We Do 
26. Ty Segall - The Dance (Edit) 
27. Lou Reed - Crazy Feeling 
28. Dinosaur Jr. - Pierce the Morning Rain 

To hear this program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and click the July 27 file to download/stream the episode.

Show 1048 (Originally Aired On July 20th, 2024)(Neil Young's On The Beach 50th Anniversary, X, Jon Spencer, Jack White):

1. The Anomayls - Anxiety 
2. The Meringes - Shambles 
3. La Luz - Dandelions 
4. Cola - Albatross 
5. Hot Garbage - Lowering 
6. Neil Young - Walk On 
7. Neil Young - Revolution Blues 
8. Neil Young - Vampire Blues 
9. Neil Young - Bad Fog of Loneliness 
10. Jack White - Track 1 
11. Wilco - Hot Sun 
12. Johnny Blue Skies - If the Sun Never Rises Again 
13. Mdou Moctar - Oh, France 
14. X - Water & Wine 
15. X - Sugarlight 
16. X - Come Back to Me 
17. Jon Spencer - Do the Trash Can 
18. Jon Spencer & the HITmakers - Junk Man 
19. Jon Spencer Blues - Explosion Dissect
20. OMBIIGIZI - Ziibi 
21. Kristjan Eastman - Power Man and Astro Girl 
22. Sure - TV 
23. Laughing - Don’t Care 
24. Cindy Lee - I Have My Doubts 
25. Neil Young - See the Sky About to Rain 

To hear this program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and click the July 20 file to download/stream the episode.

Show 1047 (Originally Aired On July 13th, 2024)(The Beatles Hard Day's Night 60th Anniversary, Big Bill, The Scenics, Shadow Show):

1. Screamin’ Jay Hawkins - A Hard Day’s Night
2. The Smithereens - If I Fell
3. Bentwood Rocker - It Wont’ Be Long
4. The Beatles - I’ll Be Back
5. The Beatles - A Hard Day’s Night (Take 1)
6. Wand - JJ
7. Ever-Lovin’ Jug Band - Five Pin
8. Tom Waits - Emotional Weather Report
9. Tymon Dogg - I Caught You Dancing
10. Richard Laviolette - Saved By Rock and Roll
11. Nap Eyes - Demon
12. Temps - Magpie
13. Sea of Lettuce - Not For You
14. New Enemies - I Don’t Know
15. New Enemies - Joy Ride
16. little window - If I Wait
17. Big Bill - Clean Feeling
18. Goatsinger - Somebody’s Reflection
19. Pack Rat - Sleepless
20. Knitting - Sleeper
21. WUT - Mingling with the Thorns
22. Teenage Art Scene - Shouldn’t This Be Enough
23. The Peawees - Banana Tree
24. The Scenics - This Day
25. Shadow Show - Still A Day
26. The Omecs - Can’t Keep Waiting Around
27. The Beatles - You Can’t Do That (BBC Session)
28. The Beatles - I’ll Be Back (Demo)

To hear this program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and click the July 13 file to download/stream the episode.

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