“My S–t is Perfect” – Bob Log III

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And now for something a little less serious … but no less awesome. Bob Log III is a one-man punk blues extravaganza. During performances, he wears a human cannonball suit with a helmet wired to a telephone receiver, which frees his hands to play guitar and his feet to play drums. When he’s feeling especially frisky, he invites female audience members to sit on each of his legs while he plays.  While the above clip is a pretty cool animated video someone made for Bob’s song “My S–t is Perfect,” there’s an example of Bob in action is below:

Tom Waits is a fan and said: “”And then there’s this guy named Bob Log, you ever heard of him? He’s this little kid — nobody ever knows how old he is — wears a motorcycle helmet and he has a microphone inside of it and he puts the glass over the front so you can’t see his face, and plays slide guitar. It’s just the loudest strangest stuff you’ve ever heard. You don’t understand one word he’s saying. I like people who glue macaroni on to a piece of cardboard and paint it gold. That’s what I aspire to basically.”

“Bob and the Monster” (2011) dir. Keirda Bahruth

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Nowadays, most people know Bob Forrest as the counselor with the hat on numerous Dr. Drew Pinsky reality series (“Celebrity Rehab”). However, lesser known these days is that Forrest was also the leader of Thelonious Monster, one of the most highly-regarded alternative LA bands of the 1980s / 1990s. Along with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jane’s Addiction, and Fishbone, Thelonious Monster was part of a vibrant and exciting Los Angeles music scene that didn’t involve hairspray and makeup.

Forrest and his band had several shots at the brass ring, including record deals with RCA and Capitol Records, but never broke through the way the Chili Peppers and Jane’s Addiction did, mainly due to Forrest’s excessive substance abuse. Forrest’s low points were extremely low, including washing a syringe in dish soap that an HIV-positive drug shooting buddy had just used because he did not have one at the time. Even Dr. Drew, who knew Forrest as a frequent guest on his nationally syndicated KROQ-FM talk show “Loveline” assumed Forrest was dead at one point.

But Forrest did manage to clean up. And after several humble years working as a dishwasher, started work in drug counseling, where he has had tremendous success helping addicts stay sober.

Forrest’s story is told in an excellent documentary called “Bob and the Monster.” The movie has been on the festival circuit since 2011, but is now reaching video with an added coda discussing events since 2011. “Monster” is not just a terrific time capsule of a great era in recent music history, but a compelling story about how anyone, no matter how low they’ve sunk, can turn their life around and make a tremendous difference in the lives of others. Featuring interviews with Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Courtney Love, Gibby Haynes, Keith Morris, and Steven Adler among many others.

Also highly recommended is Forrest’s autobiography “Running with Monsters” which has just been released as well.

“TV Set” – The Cramps

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More early Halloween greetings. This time from The Cramps … from their 1980 album “Songs the Lord Taught Us.” I will say that if the Lord you’re listening to is suggesting the actions in this song, you should probably seek out another Lord. Key lyrics: “I could give you a million hugs / You look so good all covered up in bugs” Produced by the legendary Alex Chilton.

“The Top” (1984) with Andy Kaufman, Dan Aykroyd, Rodney Dangerfield, etc.

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If this seems like a really bad attempt at avant-garde humor/entertainment, you’d be correct. Why am I posting it here? Because it’s an extremely rare debacle that involved a lot of famous people doing a favor for someone named David Jove. Jove was the producer of the infamous (and truly great) early 1980s hardcore punk cable TV show “New Wave Theater.” When that show’s host Peter Ivers was murdered in 1983, some of Ivers’ friends tried to help Jove get a new show started.

“The Top” is similar to “New Wave Theater” in tone, but with a lot more money thrown at it and a lot less balls and heart. Originally Chevy Chase was hired to host, but when he got stuck in the middle of a spontaneous slam-dancing session which he had no knowledge of, he fled the studio and the producers hired Andy Kaufman instead. This was Kaufman’s last live appearance and sadly, it’s not particularly good. Still, it’s a good example of what sometimes happens when the avant-garde tries to go mainstream.

“True Faith” – New Order

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You know how certain songs bring you back to certain times in your life. “True Faith” evokes vivid memories of the fall of 1988: the smell of stale beer, cigarettes, turtlenecks pulling on a 10:00 pm shadow, and hair that’s not quite hip enough to be a mullet. How could a young lass with an Elanie Benes haircut and acid-washed jeans resist? Surprisingly, they did … but that’s beside the point …

“Baltimore” – Randy Newman

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One of Newman’s best … from 1977’s “Little Criminals.” A beautiful, but despairing look at a city in crisis, very similar in tone to Bruce Springsteen’s “Atlantic City.” Also highly recommended (thought I can’t find it on YouTube) is Mink Stole’s recent cover from her album “Do Re Mink”.

When Terry Met Gene … Terry Gross interviews Gene Simmons on “Fresh Air with Terry Gross” February 4, 2002

Here it is folks … the infamous interview Terry Gross did with KISS’s Gene Simmons for her NPR talk show “Fresh Air with Terry Gross” in 2002.  The interview has been split into 3 parts for your edification.  I can’t tell if Terry had any idea of what Gene was like prior to this interview … but Gene is playing himself to the hilt.   It’s hard to tell who wins this battle of the bands, but I think Terry and Gene put up a good fight.   I can’t tell if Gene is acting more like Ted Nugent or Andy Kaufman here.  I think he’s way smarter than Nugent and there’s elements of this that seem tongue-in-cheek, but I also don’t think his performance in the interview is a complete put-on.   Regardless, it’s one jaw-droppingly entertaining (almost) 30 minutes.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

“(I Know) I’m Losing You” – Rod Stewart

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The original version of “(I Know) I’m Losing You” by the Temptations is one of the legendary Motown group’s best songs. But Stewart’s explosive cover from his 1970 masterpiece “Every Picture Tells a Story” is one of those rare covers (like Jimi Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower” and Johnny Cash’s “Hurt”) that blows the original out of the water. I feel bad for saying that because the original Temptations song is strong stuff. But I would argue that Stewart here, already one of the greatest vocalists of all time, invests so much of himself into this song that this is a peak which Stewart has yet to duplicate … even 43 years later. Not only does Stewart shred on this song, but that freakin’ drum sound by Mickey Waller will rattle your fillings. Greil Marcus once said that Waller deserved the Noble Prize for Physics for his drumming on this album and I do not disagree one bit.

“Handbags and Gladrags” – Rod Stewart

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Recognize this one? A cover of this was the theme of the UK version of the seminal comedy TV show “The Office.” However, the song was originally written by Manfred Mann’s Mike D’Abo. This version by Rod Stewart from his first solo album in 1969 (called “An Old Raincoat Won’t Ever Let You Down” in the UK, but was released as “The Rod Stewart Album” in America). Makes you almost forget about “Tonight’s the Night” or “D’Ya Think I’m Sexy?”