Mornin' Java and Archive Thumbin' : Round-Up #1 [Expanded from http://instagram.com/jeremynobody postings]

12 June 2014

[Soundtrack v1]

Noel Harrison Collage (Reprise, 1967)

(Review forthcoming)

13 June 2014

[Soundtrack v2]

Tito Rivera and His Cuban Orchestra Cha Cha Cha (Golden Tone, 196?)

(More in-depth review forthcoming)

Thought this was gonna be pure square-bear dumpster fodder, but turned out to be mellow groove Afro-Cuban Cha Cha vibes.

14 June 2014

[Soundtrack v3]

Charlie Blackwell Here's Charlie (Chafay, 1975)

Seattle born'n'bred mixed bag private touching on loungey swamp-funk/rock, country balladry, classic R&B & R'n'R, gospel, blues, and more—and remarkably 3/4's original material. The man oddly played in Stan Kenton and Dave Brubeck's bands as a drummer as well. Worth the price of admission for "Voodo Man" [sic] alone.

Some of the worst / off-base dealer-hype I've read: Northern soul???

[Mine was a thrift score, I didn't buy this hoopla.]

16 June 2014

[Soundtrack v4]

"Miss America" Vonda Van Dyke Teenage Diary (Word, 1965)

Cash-in LP reflecting on the ruminations of true love and how that all boils in an age of racing hormones, pre-marital sex—physical gratification is selfish desire... the only GENUINE love is God's love, baby!—and expensive dresses/cheap morals (starring the voice talents of Miss America 1965 Vonda Van Dyke). There's also a drunken pops who pops the protagonist's suitor when thinkin' he'd touched too much shows the grown ain't got it all figured. Sad, sad stuff... Voice-overs and dialogue are shot-through with groovy instrumental interludes (prom celebrations at a Tiki bar), and distant, ethereal singing. Any "higher choice" ya wanna indulge in gets my vote if that makes you wanna be a better hoo-man, but this kinda heavy-handedness is always a major source of amusement for me.
['Twas originally a 1960 scare film that can be procured from Something Weird Video in a combo pack along with early HG Lewis treat The Alley Tramp]

More info here — http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2007/09/365-days-265.html ; http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0480469/

[Soundtrack v5]

Richard Kimble ...IN ACTION (Vista International Productions, 197?)

Paper doll-style cut-out action shots on front slick represent the lively Canuck performer described by a Variety Mag critic as, "A bright, brisk, sexy bundle of energy, who communicates with his audience like a magnet!" on this covetable private lounge treat. I'm partial to the B-side where the groovy smaltz and Twilight Zone Holiday Inn vibes kick into high-gear, with my brand o'kicks dialing into the "Charlie Rich Medley" ('specially "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" take!), and "Memories (The Way We Were)" [which I later found my pal Mike Ascherman comped on The Worst Lounge Extravaganza Ever—click title for download] , but the whole side's a kick in the gut for those searching ace lounge vibes—and the set ends with "The Impossible Dream" NATCH'LY!

More here — http://themotellounge.blogspot.com/2011/03/richard-kimble-in-action.html?m=1

17 June 2014

[Soundtrack v6]

Berringer Takin' A Chance (Gambler Prods, 1982)

IL Lounge / AOR / SSW Soft Rock at its best when the synths get stuck on overload, the guitar kicks in, and there's a frantic, ramshackle disco-like rhythm pulsing in the background—the heat is in the upbeat—otherwise it's 3/4 melodramatic balladry (which has bursts of promise, but is pretty ho-hum). Worth the price of admission for "Love Is A Lonely Way to Feel," and the two-part title track also holds attentions (there's even a brief drum solo/break in the 2nd part!). "Magic in the Eyes of Love" and "Dreamer" also serve some hooky joys. Only to be entered by the open and adventurous.

18 June 2014

(First, can we forgive Dave Edmunds' role in foisting the Stray Cats upon us? Now enjoy...)

[Soundtrack v7]

Dave Edmunds Get It (Swan Song, 1977)

Even if you don't dig throwback vibes, ya gotta admit Edmunds did it better than many, was adept in various modes, and was an ace at connecting the faint threads of good pop music that transcend genre—and his collaborations with Nick Lowe are (yessir!) undeniable. Stabs at teener balladry ("Where or When"), Bakersfield jones' ("Worn Out Suits, Brand New Pockets"), gentle nods to godhead Sahm ("Juju Man"--penned by under-legend Jim Ford, and cut at an earlier session in '75), and classic Lowe-assisted numbers ("I Knew the Bride," "Here Comes the Weekend," "What Did I Do Last Night?," and "Little Darlin'") make it hard to pinpoint the '50s-early '60s gems from the pastiche. (The Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup by way of Elvis gem "My Baby Left Me" even dates back to '69 with superb, scorching backing from Love Sculpture). Even with slight tweaks all tunes carry the waft of Edmunds, combining his love for '50s Sun slapback rockabilly and pre-Brit Invasion pop, and filtering other kicks through that prism (plus, if you watch the songwriting credits close it could be debated Edmunds knew his way around a hook just as well as Saint Nick—Lowe, natch). Like his first two sets the majority of instruments are executed by the name on the cover, though here he finds gentle assistance from a few pals as well (members of Brinsley Schwarz, Chilli Willi and the Red Hot Peppers, the Rumour, Man, Love Sculpture)—and a handful of tracks see the embryonic pieces of Rockpile begin to fall outta the womb.

I bend my ear close to the Lowe-assists, but that's just where one man's interests lay. I take umbrage to a take on Hank's "Hey Good Lookin'" (ya can't mess with perfection, after all), 'tis solid throughout otherwise, though.

(ahem)...If be you the sort that transits in digital, please drop your sounds here for my perusal and amusement:
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note energy (\ˈnōt\ \ˈe-nər-jē\ )
:spiritual sustenance provided by the perfect combination of notes and words, bringing about the sensation of excitation