My compadre from the Old Country, Loose Handlebars, just posted an awesome cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Stupid Girl” sung by Ellen Foley at the link above (“Judge a Song By Its Cover”). For those who don’t know Ms. Foley, she was the female vocalist of Meat Loaf’s “Paradise by the Dashboard Light,” sang backup for several artists (from Ian Hunter to the Clash), was a regular on the quintessential 1980s TV show “Night Court,” had a supporting role in 1987’s “Fatal Attraction,” and was the subject of the Clash’s 1982 classic “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” (she was dating the Clash’s Mick Jones at the time).
And while you’re at it, check out Mr. Handlebar’s other terrific posts about music, film, and other fine pop cultural artifacts:
Forget the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame. Randy Newman is the equal of any of the greatest American songwriters in our over 200 year history. “Louisiana 1927” is a beautiful and terribly sad song about the flood of 1927, which has taken on even more resonance, post-Katrina.
The lead off track to Reed’s incendiary album from 1989 “New York.” I’ll let the lyrics speak for themselves:
Caught between the twisted stars
the plotted lines the faulty map
that brought Columbus to New York
Betwixt between the East and West
he calls on her wearing a leather vest
the earth squeals and shudders to a halt
A diamond crucifix in his ear
is used to help ward off the fear
that he has left his soul in someone’s rented car
Inside his pants he hides a mop
to clean the mess that he has dropped
into the life of lithesome Juliette Bell
And Romeo wanted Juliette
and Juliette wanted Romeo
And Romeo wanted Juliette
and Juliette wanted Romeo
Romeo Rodriguez squares
his shoulders and curses Jesus
runs a comb through his black pony-tail
He’s thinking of his lonely room
the sink that by his bed gives off a stink
then smells her perfume in his eyes
And her voice was like a bell
Outside the street were steaming the crack
dealers were dreaming
of an Uzi someone had just scored
I betcha I could hit that light
with my one good arm behind my back
says little Joey Diaz
Brother give me another tote
those downtown hoods are no damn good
those Italians need a lesson to be taught
This cop who died in Harlem
you think they’d get the warnin’
I was dancing when his brains run out on the street
And Romeo had Juliette
and Juliette had her Romeo
And Romeo had Juliette
and Juliette had her Romeo
I’ll take Manhattan in a garbage bag
with Latin written on it that says
“it’s hard to give a shit these days”
Manhattan’s sinking like a rock
into the filthy Hudson what a shock
they wrote a book about it
they said it was like ancient Rome
The perfume burned his eyes
holding tightly to her thighs
And something flickered for a minute
and then it vanished and was gone
Great late-1970s punk rock from Northern Ireland, but seriously, that singer needs lozenges … STAT! I cringe when I think this was probably done in one take. I love how the chorus goes “Don’t believe them, don’t believe them, don’t be bitten twice” and then during the last chorus, the lyrics shift to “Don’t believe us!” instead of “them.”
Trivia note: the monster guitar riff at the beginning of this song was stolen from Montrose’s “Space Station #5.” Considering that Sammy Hagar was the vocalist for Montrose and the riff from the Clash’s “Safe European Home” was allegedly stolen from Sammy Hagar’s “I’ve Done Everything For You,” it prompts the question, do all punk roads lead to Sammy Hagar?
Welcome to Hell, folks! The hell that’s being led by the Satan wearing a black leather jacket, a pompadour, and long-long sideburns. This Satan may haunt and torment you, but will also serve you cheap beer and show you some Russ Meyer films. I mean, if you’re going to be in Hell, it’s nice to have a host who wants you to have a good time.
It’s time to turn the black light on, get your favorite mind-altering substance (hopefully legal) ready to ingest, and trip out to the Lumerians. If Hawkwind were a bit more punk sounding, they’d sound like this. Incredibly good modern psychedelic with an organ that rocks as hard as the guitars.
Another beautiful cover by Ms. Spector … this time she’s doing a remarkable job on Johnny Thunders’ signature song. This time she’s backed up by Joey Ramone.
From the decadent and extremely trippy late 1960s masterpiece by directors Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg is the infamous sequence where Mick Jagger’s rock star character changes identities with James Fox’s gangster character. Things get very freaky very fast. Do not watch under the influence of any mind-altering substances.
“Performance” is a notorious masterpiece from the late 1960s. Its release was held up by at least two years by a skittish Warner Brothers. It was given an X-rating and dumped into midnight screenings. Some critics called it the most repulsive film ever made, one even describing it as the equivalent of someone sticking the dirtiest finger into the back of your throat to make you vomit. I wouldn’t go that far. But it’s still pretty intense. The clip is not safe for work or little ones.
From Roxy’s terrific 1975 album “Siren,” here in just slightly over 5 minutes is the blueprint for most of Duran Duran’s output from between 1981 – 1986. Duran squared claimed they sounded like a cross between the Sex Pistols and Chic. But I would argue that statement was a subterfuge to mask their real influence. Durannies, I’m calling you out.
Dave's Strange World 