The Damned — Strawberries

• Artist: The Damned
• Title: Strawberries
• Year: 1982
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Tracy? Mary?
• Acquired: No one knows
• Keeper: Maybe

Live from Alexandria, VA. More specifically, from the home of our good friends and generous hosts the Brokamps. Robert is sitting next to me typing on his laptop about retirement, and I’m typing about old records.

I’ve said this before: Most records by The Damned are pretty inconsistent. I love the songs “Stranger on the Town” and “Dozen Girls”, but not much else on Strawberries. I probably didn’t give it a fair listen since I was trying to jam in some records before we hit the road. It just doesn’t grab my attention, unlike the cool cover.

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds — Deanna

• Artist: Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
• Title: Deanna
• Year: 1988
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: 1988 – RIP Records in Norfolk, VA
• Keeper: Yes

I love the song “Deanna.” And it’s surprisingly sing-along for a song by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds. Despite it’s and fast tempo and upbeat feel the song’s lyrics come across as typically dark, for Mr. Cave, that is. I don’t know what it’s about, but “I’m not down for your love, I’m not down here for your money… I’m down here for your soul” sounds like this character is up to no good. “Girl at the Bottom of My Glass” on the flipside is very minimalist, but also very good.

Oh, Deanna… Oh, D-E-Anna…

Bad Company — Straight Shooter

• Artist: Bad Company
• Title: Straight Shooter
• Year: 1975
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 7
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1999? – Used, maybe Record Mart in Alexandria, VA
• Keeper: Yes

Straight Shooter is another great sounding record by Bad Company, but I don’t think it’s as good their self-titled debut. That said, it does have my favorite Bad Company song, “Feel Like Makin’ Love.” I can’t seem to play that song loud enough. Those guitars are so crunchin’, the drums so cracking, and the sparse lead guitar accents sound so fat and huge I just want more. I’m a sucker for the pretty verse then heavy chorus thing. Another great one is “Shooting Star.” “Good Lovin’ Gone Bad” is a distant third to those but it’s fun to listen to, maybe because I remember it from the radio when I was a kid.

There are only eight songs on Straight Shooter and the other five are pretty forgettable. I’ve played this record a lot and I can’t remember them, so, it must be true.

AC/DC — Back in Black

• Artist: AC/DC
• Title: Back in Black
• Year: 1980
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 10
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: I really don’t know…
• Keeper: Yes

Even I’m Heavy Duty! needs a vacation occasionally, but we’re starting back with a winner: AC/DC’s Back in Black. Most folks probably think this one is their best record, but to me it’s a close second to Highway to Hell.

Between the all black album cover and Brian Johnson’s over-the-top lyrics if I didn’t know this was AC/DC I’d be tempted to think this record was a Spinal Tap tribute. Except that the music is infinitely better and Spinal Tap didn’t come out until four years later. My friend Gary’s favorite Spinal Tap moment is the lyric “Let me cut your cake with my knife.” Pretty hard to beat that one.

Back in Black would rate a 10 in my book just for the title track alone, but it also contains the classics “Hells Bells” and “You Shook Me All Night Long.” Some other favorites of mine are “Have a Drink on Me” and the corny-titled, but hard rocking album closer “Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution.”

Various Artists — Back from the Grave Volume Four

Various Artists -- Back from the Grave Volume Four

• Artist: Various Artists
• Title: Back from the Grave Volume Four
• Year: 1984
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 7
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1984 – Mail order?
• Keeper: Yes

The ultra-cool Crypt Records put out the Back from the Grave series in the 1980s. I have a few records from the series and this is the first one I came across. These records are compilations of relatively obscure 1960s garage rock bands. Many of these groups, despite that they often wore matching shirts or suits, can, and should, be considered the original punk rockers. This stuff had a pretty solid cult following in the 1980s. There were even quite a few new bands at the time emulating the sound and look of the originals. The Fuzztones, Nomads, Vipers, Lyres, and Chesterfield Kings are some of the better-known ones.

If you study the album cover you’ll notice the ’60s punk rock zombies are back to take over. Robin is driving the Batmobile dragging Cyndi Lauper(?), Boy George and Prince. Hippies, joggers and break dancers are all getting their comeuppance.

I find it interesting now, looking back, that less than 20 years after this music was new that there was such an interest by some folks in the 1980s. Maybe it was a reaction to the glut of synth music at the time. Is it possible this niche guitar rock revival eventually went more mainstream in the form of “grunge”? Anyhow, I find it hard to imagine that right now in 2007 there will be a revival of underground late 1980s music. This ’60s garage rock was special, from a special time right before music got a little less fun. It reminds me of the movie Animal House. It came out in 1978 and was set in 1962, only sixteen years earlier. But think about how different those periods were. Would a movie today set in 1991 seem that distant?

The Sonics are by far the best-known band on this record. My favorite track is the extra-fuzzed out “Flash and Crash” by Rocky and the Riddlers.

Zodiac Mindwarp And The Love Reaction — Planet Girl

Zodiac Mindwarp And The Love Reaction -- Planet Girl

• Artist: Zodiac Mindwarp And The Love Reaction
• Title: Planet Girl
• Year: 1988
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 6
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1988 – Bought it at our store, RIP Records, in Norfolk, VA
• Keeper: No

Here we go again. More Zodiac. This process of weeding out is a good thing. Who needs all these 12 inch singles? When it comes to Zodiac Mindwarp And The Love Reaction I definitely have a lot of stuff I would never listen to again if it weren’t for this web log. Zodiac is kind of like Motorhead to me. You gotta have some of it, but after a couple essential pieces the rest is really not necessary.

“Planet Girl (Invader Mix)” is typical Zodiac and two other songs here are typical Zodiac b-side filler. By that I mean they sound like half-developed demos. Those songs are “Dog Face Driver” and “Go Go Baby Dream Show.” Another decent track is a cover of Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild.” The Cult had also covered this song on Electric. A note below the title on the back cover declares “This track was recorded in a fit of childish petulance with the specific intention of making The Cult look like a pile of shit.” Okay.

XTC — Skylarking

XTC -- Skylarking

• Artist: XTC
• Title: Skylarking
• Year: 1986
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 5
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: Plan 9 Records Richmond, VA
• Keeper: Maybe

Listening to music like XTC’s Skylarking reminds me that I do, in fact, have something in common with Dee Snider. I wanna rock. And this record ain’t taking me there. I’m not saying I only want to listen to crunching guitars and screeching vocals. Good classical rocks, even pop can rock, and funk is always rocking. I don’t think XTC is bad, but rarely does their music meet the need I share with Dee.

This copy of Skylarking is the first edition and doesn’t include the hit “Dear God.” More about this record.

The Wedding Present — Ukrainian John Peel Sessions

The Wedding Present -- Ukrainian John Peel Sessions

• Artist: The Wedding Present
• Title: Ukrainian John Peel Sessions
• Year: 1989
• Format: Vinyl 10 in.
• Rating (1-10): 8
• Owner: Tracy
• Acquired: 1989 – Got it at our store RIP Records in Norfolk, VA.
• Keeper: Yes

The Wedding Present is a British rock band and this is not a typical record for them. This is their version of Ukrainian folk music. There are couple titles on the record sleeve and Ukrainian John Peel Sessions is not one of them. On the front is УкраїнÑ?ькі ВиÑ?тупи в Івана Піла and on the spine Ukraïnski Vistupi v Johna Peela. This is record is an oddball size, 10 inch, and it comes in a handsome package with a nice booklet. I must admit that it’s a lot better than I remember. Or, maybe my taste in music is better than it was.

Etched in the vinyl margins:
That Side — “Should I worship at the feet…
This Side — …of this God like ferret?” (Traditional)

More about The Wedding Present and Ukrainian John Peel Sessions at Wikipedia.

The Vandals — When in Rome Do as The Vandals

The Vandals -- When in Rome Do as The Vandals

• Artist: The Vandals
• Title: When in Rome Do as The Vandals
• Year: 1984
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 4
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: When? “I think someone gave it to me.”
• Keeper: No

Uh, well, more old school comedy punk from The Vandals. When in Rome Do as The Vandals came out in 1984 and it wasn’t exactly old school then, but it sounded more like early punk instead of hardcore, which had already been around for a while. The first song “Ladykiller” is an anomaly. That ditty sounds more like a bad, comic version of the early Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was probably fun then.

U2 — The Unforgettable Fire

U2 -- The Unforgettable Fire

• Artist: U2
• Title: The Unforgettable Fire
• Year: 1984
• Format: Vinyl 12 in.
• Rating (1-10): 7
• Owner: Mary
• Acquired: When? Used at Plan 9 in Richmond, VA.
• Keeper: Yes

Do the hits getting any bigger? I don’t think so. Maybe that’s why I was already getting tired of these guys by their fourth LP. U2 was constantly on the radio at this point, especially “Pride (In the name of love).” Of course, there are some other hits from The Unforgettable Fire. My favorite is “Wire.” At this point their earnestness and Bono’s breathy vocals were wearing on me. I did go see them on this tour, even though I never bought the album, probably because all my friends were going. This time they were at an arena and I had to pay a whopping $12.50. I think Lone Justice opened up.

Pics: Front cover, dust sleeve, ticket stub