Nirvana Nevermind 20th Anniversary Release... Show # 358

Originally released by Nirvana in September of 1991, Nevermind was the bands breakthrough album. It crashed into the Billboard charts shaking up the music industry and eventually went on to sell over a million copies, the sales figures are said to be around the 30 million mark currently. Now twenty years later Nevermind is getting the deluxe reissue treatment. Previously Nirvana's first full length album Bleach was released in 20th anniversary form in 2009 it came with a bonus disc featuring a live concert, but this release falls into a different category of deluxe reissues, it is super deluxe. It will be released on September 20th, 2011.

The reissue is more like a box set, featuring four CD's and one DVD of a Nirvana concert never before released in complete form officially. Rumours and speculation have already been made on internet sites as to what will be contained on this release some claiming that it may contain the original rough mixes of the album done by producer Butch Vig, but an official release confirmed that it will include B-sides, rarities, BBC radio sessions and live recordings. Dave Ghrol in a recent interview with Rolling Stone magazine had this to say of the release, even hinting at future Nirvana releases:

"I wouldn’t doubt it if something very special happens – we have a few things up our sleeves. I can’t really say anything yet. But you’ll see. It’ll be fun."

The latest info on Nirvana can be found at http://www.nirvana.com/

This Week's Play List:

1. The Stooges - T.V. Eye
2. Magic Hall of Mirrors - Coke Mountain
3. The Doughboys - Until The Clock Strikes Doom (Live)
4. Cat's Eyes - Over You
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - We Almost Lost Detroit
6. Neil Young International Harvesters - Get Back To The Country
7. Lonesome Lefty - Let's Go For Breakfast Anyway
8. Gunfight!- Sticks
9. Goldtones - Strike
10. Mark Malibu And The Wasagas - Wasaga Run
11. Link Wray - Deacon Jones
12. The Hook Up - Come Down With Us
13. Nervus Rex - Love Affair
14. The Donkeys - What I Want
15. Pointed Sticks - How Could You?
16. Active Dog - Fun While It Lasts
17. The Bureaucrats - Grown Up Age
18. The Subways - It's A Party
19. Nirvana - Drain You
20. Buzzcocks - Fiction Romance
21. Fire Engines - Everything's Roses
22. Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers - Milk Me (Live Max's Kansas City 1979)
23. The Gruesomes - What's Your Problem?
24. The Clash - Ivan Meets G.I. Joe (Live Amsterdam 1981)
25. The Clash - I Fought The Law (Live Amsterdam 1981)

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for June 28. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Join The Professionals ... Show # 357

The Professionals formed in late 1979 after the demise of The Sex Pistols. After Johnny Rotten had left the Pistols, a make shift band was put together for a few recordings featuring session bassist Andy Allen and Steve Jones on vocals for the songs “Silly Thing” and “Lonely Boy”. Later on that year the Pistols officially split and this line up was converted into a new group that would call themselves The Professionals. In July of 1980, The Professionals released their first single “Just Another Dream” backed with “Action Man”. The music while people could make Sex Pistols references was different, reflecting a more Hard Rock based nature. The single “1-2-3” followed in October of 1980, it went to number 43 on the UK singles charts. The band then recorded a full length album that was to be self titled and released in 1980, but there were some issues that stopped its release and as a result, it had to be re-recorded and released under a different name.

So what happened? Well it was a combination of a few things, first of all bassist Andy Allen left the group following the release of their second single “1-2-3”, he was replaced by bassist Paul Myers of The Subway Sect and a second guitarist (Ray McVeigh) was added to the line up. Andy Allen sued their label Virgin Records, claiming that he had not been paid for the recordings he made. In attempt to avoid further complications with the matter, the new line up of The Professionals re-recorded previous material that the band had done so that he would no longer be owed royalties. The result of these recordings would be released under the name I Didn’t See It Coming, the bands' first officially released full length album. Recorded by Nigel Gray, the album was released in November of 1981. But the album wasn't a re-recording of every Professionals song per se.  It featured several new tracks such as "The Magnificent", "Payola", "Northern Slide", "Friday Night Square", and "Too Far To Fall".  These songs were mixed in with re-recorded versions of the songs "Kick Down The Door", "Little Boys In Blue", "All The Way", "Crescendo", and "Madhouse".  The songs on this album featured more of a production based sound, as opposed to the intended 1980 album The Professionals, which features a rawer, more based live sound. 

The band released a single in June of 1981 called “Join The Professionals” which was featured in the cult movie Ladies and Gentleman The Fabulous Stains. The single chosen from the I Didn’t See It Coming album was the song “The Magnificent”. The band set up a UK and US tour in support of the album, but the tour was cut short when Cook, Jones, and McVeigh were injured in a car accident during the American tour. The band regrouped in 1982 to tour in America. They were also offered a spot on The Clash’s tour, which they declined. Shortly after this they broke up.

The Professionals first full length album, with Andy Allen on bass was finally released in 1990 by Limited Edition Records in modified form, and then again by Virgin Records in 1997 in yet another modified form. Both releases featured slightly different track listings, the 1990 edition featured the song “Rockin’ Mick” and an alternate version of the song “All The Way”, but it did not contain the song “Just Another Dream”, which was their first single. The Virgin Records edition removed the song “Rockin’ Mick” and added two bonus tracks “Join The Professionals” and “Has Anybody Got An Alibi”, which were actually recorded with the second line up of The Professionals. Some say that the first full length album recordings by the Professionals are actually better than I Didn’t See It Coming featuring a rawer, more spirited sound, its hard to disagree. While I Didn’t See It Coming features a boxer getting punched in the face and musically is good in its own right, for some it’s the original Professionals album that knocks you out. A greatest hits was released in 2005, while the album I Didn’t See It Coming was reissued with six bonus tracks in 2001.

This Week's Play List:

1. The Vandelles - Summer Fling
2. Johnny West - I'm Optimistic
3. Joel Plaskett - Extradordinary
4. The Phonenix Foundation - Skeleton
5. Blue Stones - Star Killer
6. Private School - Money Guns and Power
7. Silicon Injection - Payday On Friday
8. Lowlife - Leaders
9. Crash Kills Five - Oddy Knocky
10. The Love Me Nots - Cheap Knockoff
11. The Coathangers - Chicken: 30
12. The Youngthings - All My Friends Are Junkies
13. New York Dolls - Looking For A Kiss
14. White Denim - It's Him
15. Novels - This Wouldn't Be The First Time
16. The Boys - I Don't Care
17. The Vibrators - London Girls
18. Blitzkrieg Bop - 9 till 5
19. Rolling Stones - Before They Make Me Run
20. Black Lips - Spidey's Curse
21. Black Lips - Raw Meat
22. The Police - Dead End Job
23. The Misfits - TV Casualty
24. The Professionals - 1-2-3
25. The Professionals - Join The Professionals

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for June 14. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Washing Machine Fill In ... June 16 2011

Today I filled in for The Washing Machine, which airs every Thursday from 10:30 until Noon on CJAM 99.1 FM. I played a mix of Indie Rock, Garage, Punk, New Wave, Soul, and Blues music. You can also visit The Washing Machine Blog for more info.

Washing Machine Play List:

1. The Strokes - Gratisfaction
2. Dan Sartain - I Don't Wanna Go To The Party
3. Ugly Ducklings - I Wish You Would
4. The Detroit Cobras - Ya Ya Ya (Looking For My Baby)
5. John Lee Hooker - Jump Me One More Time
6. Johnny West - Purgatory Waltz
7. Papermaps - Reunion
8. Novels - Big Run
9. Novels - Record In Hand
10. Balkans - Edita V
11. Pluto - Cool Way To Feel
12. Eric's Trip - Follow
13. The Wipers - Tragedy
14. Booker T. Jones - The Vamp
15. Otis Redding - Down In The Valley
16. Tammi Terrell - What A Good Man He Is
17. Sloan - Follow The Leader
18. Hater - Blistered
19. Iggy Pop & James Williamson - Johanna
20. Dee Dee Ramone & The Chinese Dragons - Chatterbox
21. The Rapture - Out of The Races and Onto The Track
22. The Government - Real Computer
23. The Subway Sect - Ambition
24. The Kills - Satelllte
25. Black Lips - Mad Dog

You can download the show here.

New Direction ... Black Lips Arabia Mountain & Show # 356

On June 7th, Atlanta’s Black Lips released Arabia Mountain, an album that took over a year in the making and an album that marked the first time that they worked with an outside producer (Mark Ronson). But before you scream sell out, there are a few things that you should know. The band actually worked with two producers, Mark Ronson, who has been responsible for working with artists such as Amy Winehouse, Lilly Allen, and Duran Duran for the majority of the album and Lockett Pundt (of Deer Hunter) for two songs (“Bicentennial Man” and “Go Out And Get It!”). In addition to this, Black Lips have used a lot of different types of instruments to add to the songs structures such as Saxophone, Theremin, Muscle Saws, and a human skull which was used as an echo chamber. Guitarist Cole Alexander described the use of the human skull in terms of recording in an interview with SPIN Magazine in August 2010:

“Yeah. I'd been searching for a human skull and I found one in New York City. We used it as an echo chamber. One of our favorite bands, the 13th Floor Elevators, had a jug player who would makes noises into a jug and it would reverberate. So we used the skull the same way. When music reverberates in your head it has a certain sound based on the geometry of your head. So this resembles the echo you would hear in your head at a live concert. Also, if you believe in spirituality, it's cool with the trippy spiritual implications of the sound going through this particular person's skull. It's also straight up creepy. The eyes and the nose created a problem during recording because the sound escapes there. But I'd just put my hand over the nose and eyes -- problem solved. “

“Family Tree” opens up the album with a raw Sonics/Stooges swoon, infectious beats and aggressive vocals. “Modern Art” is a 60s Garage Rock styled number that lyrically was based on a true experience of tripping out at the Salvador Dali Museum in Spain. The humorous lyrics reflect the fact that they were tripping out on Ketamine at a surreal Art museum, feeling normal as a result. “Spidey’s Curse” is a 60’s Pop song that tells the story of Peter Parker being subjected to the sickness of society during his childhood. Songs such as the extremely catchy Garage Surf mix of “Bicentennial Man”, the Pop of “Go Out and Get It!”, and the 70’s Punk Stylings of “Raw Meat” all contribute to Arabia Mountain’s cause. Lyrically and musically Black Lips are un-relentless, keeping true to their gritty and at times strange lyrics which has never been more evident on songs such as “Raw Meat” a song about food poisoning, “Dumpster Dive” a song with splashes of Exile On Main Street era Rolling Stones, the sleazy fuzzed out “Noc-A-Homa” a song about the former Atlanta Braves Mascot Chief Noc’A’Homa. “Mad Dog” deals with subliminal messages that can be found in songs by Judas Priest and The Beatles, musically it features sleazy horn sections and Surf/Garage Rock riffs, while “Time”, the only song featured on the album written by guitarist Ian St. Pe, is Pop flavoured track with Surf guitar licks, “New Direction” is a positive song with 70s Punk sensibilities, “Don’t Mess Up My Baby” a song that at times seems to have Garaged up Bo Diddley like rhythms and Beach Boys styled vocals in the verses, and finally “You Keep On Running” is a slow Psychedelic track that ends Arabia Mountain on an eerie note.

Arabia Mountain features sixteen tracks, all of which sound fresh and exciting while at the same time staying true to the bands ethics. Working with Ronson helped Black Lips and their songs to reach their maximum potential. Lyrically the album features many songs that reflect a narrative based nature, sounding mature while at the same time keeping true to the unique tenacious style. Amongst the sixteen tracks found here you will find elements of Surf, 60s Garage, 70s Punk, and Psychedellic music. After six albums this album serves as a new starting point for the group, while fans often choose 2005’s Let It Bloom and 2007’s Good Bad Not Evil as the bands best work, Arabia Mountain serves as a new contender. The band has never sounded better on record and as a result, this may be not only one of the bands strongest produced efforts, but also one of their best albums so far.

This Week's Play List:

1. Sex Pistols - Satellite
2. Reatards - C'Mon Over
3. Lost Patrol - Grown Up Hard
4. Fatal K.O. - Inside Scene
5. E.B.S. - Glass Slippers
6. Ugly Motels - Not For Me
7. Disband - One Man Army
8. Thurston Moore - Bennediction
9. The Soles - Illusion
10. Mazes - Summer Hits
11. Crocodiles - Refuse Angels
12. Captain Sensible - Wot
13. Dee Dee King - Funky Man
14. What Seas What Shores - Pave The Oceans
15. Franz Ferdinand - What You Meant
16. Rich Kids - Ghosts of Princes In Towers
17. Wreckless Eric - Out Of The Blue
18. The Jam - Going Underground
19. Joel Plaskett - Radio Fly
20. Johnny West - Spider Ventriloquist
21. King Khan & BBQ Show - Animal Party
22. 49th Parallel - Missouri
23. Black Lips - Bicentennial Man
24. Black Lips - Family Tree

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for June 14. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.

Big Audio Dynamite... Medicine Show & Show # 355

Following his departure from The Clash, Mick Jones formed a new group that would cater to a 80s New York Hip Hop sound. A full length album was released in 1985 titled This Is Big Audio Dynamite. The third single released from the album was the song "Medicine Show". The song which clocks in at just over six minutes is a song that features a lot of samples, all of which originate from movies. Within the song you can hear samples from primarily Spaghetti Westerns, A Fistful of Dollars, The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, Duck You Sucker, and samples from the film The Treasure of The Sierra Madre. The songs found on BAD’s first album, and a large majority of their albums all experimented with sampling methods and music that was at times Hip Hop, Dance and Rock. Part of the reason this song contains so many samples from movies could be due to the fact that Don Letts was a member of the group and he had a film background. He would often film events as they occurred in the late 70s British Punk scene as well as making music videos, and eventually documentaries (The Punk Rock Movie, Westway To The World which won a Grammy, and several others).

What is interesting about this song is the music video. It features many members from the British Punk community, the most obvious being Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon from The Clash. John Lydon is also featured at the end of the video. Big Audio Dynamites 1986 album No.10 Upping St featured Joe Strummer in the producing seat as well as the collaborating, which he did with Mick Jones. In January of 2011, fresh from playing with The Gorillaz Mick Jones reformed Big Audio Dynamite for several live shows, mostly at festivals.

This Week's Play List:

1. Radio Birdman - Descent Into The Maelstrom
2. Moon Dogs - Imposter
3. The Roughnecks - You're Driving Me Insane
4. 11 Lucky Strikes - Put Your Cat Clothes On
5. Teenage Head - You're Tearing Me Apart (45 Version)
6. Rock and Roll Bitches - Wild West
7. The Dirtbombs - I'll Be In Trouble
8. The Castaways - Liar, Liar
9. Michael & The Messengers - Romeo & Juliet
10. Folk Town Massacre - Idle
11. Cigarettes - The Wrong Parts
12. Generationals - Goose & Gander
13. Dan Sartain - Voo-Doo
14. Danger Mouse & Danielle Luppi - Two Against One
15. Swell Maps - Ripped and Torn
16. The Points - In The Park
17. V-Necks - Sand Overload
18. TBA - Through My Fingers
19. Kinetic Ideals - Me And The Sky
20. Big Audio Dynamite - Medicine Show
21. David Bowie - Repetition
22. The Stranglers - (Get A) Grip (On Yourself)
23. Luger Boa - Asteroids and Satellites
24. The Saints - L-I-E-S

To download this weeks program, visit CJAM's schedule page for Revolution Rock and download the file for June 7. Or subscribe to Revolution Rock as a Podcast.