R.E.M. — Green

• Artist: R.E.M.
• Title: Green
• Year: 1988
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 9
• Owner: Mary / Tracy
• Acquired: 1988 – Our store RIP Records in Norfolk, VA.
• Keeper: Yes

I had forgotten what a huge hit this R.E.M. album was. Despite its pop success, or maybe because of it, I found “Green” to be the most enjoyable R.E.M. record I’ve logged so far. “Pop Song 89,” “Stand,” and “Orange Crush” must have been on the radio so much that I’ve been programmed to respond to them as “classics.” My favorite is “Turn You Inside-Out.”

By the way, the movers called and they are going to be a day late. More quality time with Kellie and Grayson!

Parliament — Mothership Connection

• Artist: Parliament
• Title: Mothership Connection
• Year: 1975
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 10
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1998 ? – I think I got it at Record Mart in Alexandria, VA.
• Keeper: Yes

Asheville! Finally! We made it. Now we just need the movers to get here with our stuff.

Parliament’s “Mothership Connection” is as good as it gets. I’m too tired from traveling to say much else. “Make my funk a P Funk…”

Read about Parliament at Wikipedia.

Ohio Players — Honey

• Artist: Ohio Players
• Title: Honey
• Year: 1975
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1999 ? – Record Mart in Alexandria, VA?
• Keeper: Yes

Good morning from Fayetteville, NC. We’re spending a couple days with Mary’s parents after spending a couple with mine. Tomorrow morning we finally head to Asheville where we will spend a night or two with Grayson and Kellie while we wait for the movers to show up. Time with family: priceless. Roadtripping after shoulder surgery: painful.

The Ohio Players love their gatefold-pin-up album covers. If you think the cover for “Honey” is spicy-hot you should see the inside. I was going to include it here but I’m Heavy Duty! is a family show. Just picture the woman on the outside cover with honey dripped all over her. Enough about the packaging. The big hit, classic even, on this record is of course “Rollercoaster”, made popular again a few years ago as a cover by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. But my absolute favorite is the riff-heavy, slow-grinding, super-funky “FOPP.” This is another classic by any standard and has also had its share of cover versions. Soundgarden did a great version on an early EP of the same name when they were still with Sub Pop. What does “FOPP” mean? Anything?

Read more about The Ohio Players at Wikipedia.

The New Christs — Detritus

• Artist: The New Christs
• Title: Detritus
• Year: 1987
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 5
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1987 ? – Probably bought it when I was working at Mother’s Records in Hampton, VA.
• Keeper: Maybe

Yesterday was one of the longer days of my life. The movers finally finished loading our stuff sometime after 5 PM and then we hit the road. We’re touring through the South visiting parents/grandparents for a few more days and plan to hit our new town, Asheville, NC, on Monday. With the cartop carrier loaded and our jumbo dog in the wagon wayback we feel like the Beverly Hillbillies!

This “Detritus” record by The New Christs is a four song EP. It’s very listenable Australian garage rock, but for some reason I just don’t get excited about it. That said, the first song, “Born Out of Time”, has been stuck in my head since I played it, again, a few days ago. Maybe it’s better than I think…

Madness — Absolutely

• Artist: Madness
• Title: Absolutely
• Year: 1980
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 10
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1982 ? – Olsson’s in Georgetown, DC.
• Keeper: Yes

Yesterday the packing tornado ripped the turntable out of my sweaty hands and it’s about consume this keyboard. The moving truck comes tomorrow morning, and what’s not already in a box will be shortly. But, yes, I did in fact play the records I hope to log over the next week in flurry of rock and roll yesterday.

Today is an “M” day. Madness, the band, strikes again. They’re always popular at our house, no pun intended. This record, “Absolutely”, has the super-fun-hit-that-everybody-knows… “Baggy Trousers.” On matters of Madness I always defer to Mary.

Me: What would you rate this?
Mary: A 10.
Me: “Absolutely”?
Mary: It’s Madness!

Not sure I like it as much as “One Step Beyond”, but she has a point. It is Madness.

Laibach — Sympathy For The Devil

• Artist: Laibach
• Title: Sympathy For The Devil
• Year: 1988
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1988 – Bought it for myself at our store RIP Records in Norfolk, VA.
• Keeper: Yes

I’ve never been un-screwed before, but I think I like it. At least compared to having the plate and screws attached to my previously obliterated clavicle today’s surgical undoing was a breeze. Thanks Keith, for pumping [Clap!] me up

Ja man ja, more Laibach. Do you like it? Or, do you love it? There is no third question. I love Laibach. This “Sympathy For The Devil” EP came out the same year as their most awesome interpretation of The Beatles “Let It Be.” (Their own web site says it came out two years later, but ladies and gentlemen the record I’m holding in my hand right now says otherwise! The Internet is crap.) The “Sympathy” record isn’t quite as impressive if for no other reason than instead of an album’s worth of songs it’s six, very different, versions of this Rolling Stones classic. The hi-hat sound on one of them is the greatest thing ever.

Again, I point to this article about Laibach at Wikipedia. It’s good, they’re good and too strange for you to not know all about them.

Killing Joke — Killing Joke

• Artist: Killing Joke
• Title: Killing Joke
• Year: 1980
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 10
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: Not sure when or where, just glad I have it.
• Keeper: Yes

I am ex-haus-ted. I stayed up way too late and then went to meet my friend Ollen Douglass for breakfast, at 8 AM! It’s a modern world; who gets up that early? On top of that today has been a packing frenzy, because tomorrow I’ll be useless. I’m getting surgery to remove a plate and eight screws from my clavicle. Fun!

This Killing Joke record is probably in my all-time top five. I can’t begin to describe how unique and just plain excting it is. They influenced way more bands than most people know. Metallica had the class to cover their song “The Wait” from this album. They have even been successfully plagerized. A lot has been written about how Nirvana stole the riff from a later Killing Joke song, “Eighties”, for their hit “Come As You Are.” Keyboards and heavy riffs together and it works beyond belief. Faith No More should’ve followed this example.

I highly recommend this article about Killing Joke at Wikipedia.

Bicycle Saddle and Handlebar Goat, a Transparent Rip-off of Picasso’s “Bull’s Head”

I had a major crash on the bike that used to have this saddle and handlebars. Lots of broken bones, etc. That saddle was always a little too uncomfortable, even for a racing bike, and the handlebars were really meant for the track which means they only feel right when you’re in the drops. So, I rapped them with some new white tape, attached the stem and wedged it between the saddle rails, and there it is. My own “metamorphosis” as Picasso would call it.

Now, Picasso didn’t make “Bull’s Head” until 1943, but it has always reminded me of the “Ready-Made” art that some Dadaists were creating two or three decades earlier. Which brings me to the next pic. Trying to get as much out of D.C. as we can before we move, today we went to see the Dada and Cézanne exhibits at the National Gallery, and some new cool stuff at the Hirshhorn.

Joe Jackson — Will Power

• Artist: Joe Jackson
• Title: Will Power
• Year: 1987
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1987 – Promo Mary got when she worked at Plan 9 Records in Richmond, VA.
• Keeper: Yes

The first time I played Joe Jackson’s instrumental album “Will Power” the other day I didn’t quite get it. And I couldn’t help thinking it was going to take some will power to play it again. Since then I’ve played it a number of times and like most good, but challenging, music it has grown on me. I don’t know if I’m sophisticated enough to describe it accurately. This isn’t The Joe Jackson Band; he’s working with a full orchestra here. Let’s call it “symphonic.”

I think the original album artwork was just the pattern of red and blue circles on fabric, but at some point the label must have insisted on that circular sticker with his name on it. Or, maybe it’s just that way on the promo since they don’t usually come with shrink wrap.

More about Joe Jackson at Wikipedia.

Jeff Slay — Acrylic Painting on Wood

This is a painting by my long lost friend Jeff Slay. Every few years I try to get back in touch with him, and then he gets lost again. Now, I’m not even sure where to start looking. Jeff is an interesting character and we spent a lot of time together when we were younger. Musician, biker, tattoo artist/collector, painter, golf nut (seriously), and at one point sophisticated CAD designer all describe Jeff.

He gave us this painting of three cows years ago and we’ve had it prominently displayed in every place we lived ever since. I took this pic just before I packed the painting to move it to our new house.

Jeff Slay, if you ever stumble upon this page please give me a shout.