March 7, 2014

Lost In The Flood: Hard-To-Find ’70s Albums (“Rough Mix” By Pete Townshend & Ronnie Lane)

The Analog Kid blog has been featuring out-of-print ’80s albums on “The Lost Boys” series for quite a while, and now it’s time for the ’70s to join the party! “Lost In The Flood: Hard-To-Find ’70s Albums” will give you the chance to listen to some great music from the ’70s that can no longer be easily acquired on-line or at your local record store (especially since many of you probably no longer even HAVE a local record store!).

 

Ronnie Lane had initially asked Pete Townshend to produce a solo album for him after his departure from The Faces, but the project transformed itself into the collaborative 1977 album Rough Mix. Many other famous musicians of the era make guest appearances on the album, including Charlie Watts, Eric Clapton, John Entwistle, and Ian Stewart.

After the depressing lyrical content on most of 1975’s The Who By Numbers, it’s nice to hear Townshend having fun again on Rough Mix. “Keep Me Turning” and “Misunderstood” are classic Pete songs, and “Street In The City” provided the template for a song format Townshend would explore in great detail on his massively underrated 1982 album All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes.

Ronnie Lane first began experiencing symptoms from multiple sclerosis around the time of Rough Mix, and he managed to hold on for twenty years before succumbing to the disease in 1997. This great album stands as a testament to Ronnie’s talent, and it’s a real shame that Rough Mix is now out of print. You can listen to this classic for free here on the Analog Kid blog, and then perhaps you can go make a donation to help fight MS here:

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Donate

roughmix

Pete Townshend & Ronnie Lane: Rough Mix

MCA Records, 1977

 

1. “My Baby Gives It Away” (Townshend)

My Baby Gives It Away

2. “Nowhere To Run” (Lane)

Nowhere To Run

3. “Rough Mix” (Townshend/Lane)

Rough Mix

4. “Annie” (Clapton/Lambert/Lane)

Annie

5. “Keep Me Turning” (Townshend)

Keep Me Turning

6. “Cat Melody” (Lane/Lambert)

Catmelody

7. “Misunderstood” (Townshend)

Misunderstood

8. “April Fool” (Lane)

April Fool

9. “Street In The City” (Townshend)

Street In The City

10. “Heart To Hang Onto” (Townshend)

Heart To Hang Onto

11. “Till The Rivers All Run Dry” (Holyfield/Williams)

Till The Rivers All Run Dry

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Bonus Tracks!

The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.

Ooh La La

The Faces: “Ooh La La” (Lane/Wood)

From the album Ooh La La

Warner Brothers Records, 1973

Ooh La La

 

The Who By Numbers

The Who: “Imagine A Man” (Townshend)

From the album The Who By Numbers

MCA Records, 1975

Imagine A Man

 

All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes

Pete Townshend: “The Sea Refuses No River” (Townshend)

From the album All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes

Atco Records, 1982

The Sea Refuses No River

 

Scoop3

Pete Townshend: “I Like It The Way It Is” (Townshend)

From the album Scoop 3

Hip-O Records, 1994

I Like It The Way It Is

One of my favorite Pete Townshend songs. “I Think I Like It The Way It Is” was recorded in 1978 and sat in the vaults until its release on the Scoop 3 demos compilation in 1994. It would have fit beautifully on the Rough Mix album.

Posted by on March 7, 2014 in Rock and tagged , , , , , .

4 Comments

March 6, 2014

The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums (Timbuk 3’s “Eden Alley”)

“The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums” gives you exactly what the title implies: a rare or out-of-print album or EP from the ’80s in its entirety. Some will be from CD, but most will have been lovingly transferred from pristine vinyl culled directly from the Analog Kid’s vast collection. Whatever album I choose, it will be one that you can’t easily find a physical copy for sale on Amazon or in your local record store (if you even have one anymore). Death…by stereo!

I spent a lot of time with Timbuk 3’s Eden Alley in the spring of 1988. It’s a quirky little album with some superb songwriting, and it’s worth owning just for the genius of “Sample The Dog” alone. Eden Alley was Pat and Barbara MacDonald’s follow-up to 1986’s Greetings From Timbuk 3, which of course included the ubiquitous “The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades.” If Pat and Barbara felt any pressure to top the surprise smash from their debut LP, it certainly didn’t show on Eden Alley.

In the spring of 1988– right around the time Eden Alley was released, in fact– I sat right behind the MacDonalds at a show on Bruce Springsteen’s Tunnel Of Love Express tour in Austin. They held hands for the entire concert, and nobody bothered them even though everyone in Austin knew who they were (the MacDonalds had relocated to Austin from Madison in the mid-’80s, and were big local celebrities). Timbuk 3 broke up when Pat and Barbara’s marriage ended in 1995, and that news really made me sad. They had seemed so happy together that night, but at least they left us some great music.

Eden Alley 2

Timbuk 3: Eden Alley

I.R.S. Records, 1988

1. “Tarzan Was A Bluesman” (MacDonald)

2. “Easy” (MacDonald/MacDonald)

3. “Reckless Driver” (MacDonald)

4. “Dance Fever” (MacDonald)

5. “Sample The Dog” (MacDonald)

6. “Too Much Sex, Not Enough Affection” (MacDonald)

7. “Welcome To The Human Race” (MacDonald)

8. “Eden Alley” (MacDonald/MacDonald)

9. “Rev. Jack & His Roamin’ Cadillac Church” (MacDonald)

10. “A Sinful Life” (MacDonald)

11. “Little People Make Big Mistakes” (MacDonald)

12. “Reprise (Don’t Stop Me Now)” (MacDonald)

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Bonus Tracks!

The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.

timbuk-3-all-i-want-for-christmas

Timbuk 3: “All I Want For Christmas” (MacDonald)

I.R.S. Records, 1987

Chimes Of Freedom 1

Bruce Springsteen: “Tougher Than The Rest” [Live] (Springsteen)

From the EP Chimes Of Freedom

Columbia Records, 1988

u·biq·ui·tous  /yo͞oˈbikwətəs/ 

1.
 present, appearing, or found everywhere.

 

Posted by on March 6, 2014 in Alternative, New Wave, Rock and tagged , , , , .

1 Comment

March 5, 2014

One Is The Loneliest Number: The Korgis

The Analog Kid’s iTunes music folder contains almost 86,000 songs, so you may think that I own everything by everybody. Not so fast, my friends– even a collection that large is bound to have some true one-hit wonders and/or obscurities mixed in with the 1,200+ Elvis Costello songs. In this continuing series, I will feature an artist that has exactly one song in my entire digital library.

After all, one is the loneliest number…

Dumb Waiters

The Korgis: “Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime” (Warren)

From the album Dumb Waiters

Asylum Records, 1980

I stumbled across The Korgis’ “Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime” on an obscure compilation CD about a year ago. The name of the band and the song triggered my internal “I think I know this” mechanism, and my $3.99 turned out to be well-spent when I found myself immediately singing along to this classic song from 1980.

“Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime” reached #5 in the band’s native UK, and even managed to break into the Top 20 in the United States. Success was fleeting for the Korgis, though, as the band’s original lineup splintered shortly after the song’s success.

After rediscovering “Everybody Wants To Learn Sometime,” I set out on a search for more Korgis and did manage to find a beautiful vinyl copy of Dumb Waiters. I haven’t ripped the vinyl to digital format yet, so at this moment I still only have one Korgis song in my iTunes library. And what a song it is…

Posted by on March 5, 2014 in New Wave, Pop, Rock and tagged , , .

1 Comment

March 4, 2014

Groovy Tuesday: 1986

Every Tuesday, the Analog Kid blog goes back in time and features some groovy R&B/soul songs from a specific year. Sometimes you’ll hear songs from individual artists, and other times you’ll get an entire full-length classic LP ripped directly from the Analog Kid’s vast vinyl vault. Warning: by R&B/soul, I also mean disco. I could go all Van McCoy on your ass at any given moment, so just be ready!

Groovy Tuesday: 1986

Word Up!

Cameo: “Word Up!” (Blackmon/Jenkins)

From the album Word Up!

Atlanta Artists Records, 1986

Word Up

It took Cameo almost a decade (and eleven albums!) to score their first Top 40 hit, but at least they did it in style. “Word Up!” was everywhere in the summer of ’86, and it eventually peaked at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was such a cultural phenomenon that even R.E.M. occasionally dropped it into their sets on the Green tour in 1989.

 

Control

Janet Jackson: “What Have You Done For Me Lately?” (Harris III/Lewis/Jackson)

From the album Control

A&M Records, 1986

What Have You Done For Me Lately

pennyjanet

Lil’ Penny is all grown up!

 

Frantic Romantic

Jermaine Stewart: “We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off” (Walden/Glass)

From the album Frantic Romantic

Arista Records, 1986

We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off

Jermaine Stewart first came to prominence as a dancer on Soul Train, and he even auditioned for a job in Shalamar (along with fellow TV dancer Jody Watley). Stewart didn’t get the Shalamar gig, but he did eventually land a contract with Arista Records. “We Don’t Have To Take Our Clothes Off” was his biggest hit, reaching #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1986. Stewart passed away from cancer in 1997 at the age of 39.

 

Emotional

Jeffrey Osborne: “You Should Be Mine (The Woo Woo Woo Song)” (Goldmark/Roberts)

From the album Emotional

A&M Records, 1986

You Should Be Mine (The Woo Woo Woo Song)

Jeffrey Osborne began his music career as the drummer and vocalist for L.T.D., who had a Top 5 hit in 1977 with “(Every Time I Turn Around) Back In Love Again.” He went solo in 1982 with “On The Wings Of Love,” a song that has been providing bad karaoke singers with an unwinnable challenge for over thirty years now. “You Should Be Mine (The Woo Woo Song)” reached #13 on the Hot 100 in 1986, and stands as Osborne’s biggest solo hit.

 

Prince_ Singles & B-Sides 1

Prince: “Mountains” [Extended Version] (Prince)

From the 12″ single Mountains

Warner Brothers Records, 1986

Vinyl rip courtesy of the Analog Kid

Mountains [Extended Version]

If you follow the Analog Kid blog on a regular basis, you know that I love Prince. That is not something I have always admitted to– I used to tease my little sister about her love for Prince Rogers Nelson during the Purple Rain era, and I certainly didn’t own any of his albums. I secretly enjoyed many of his songs, though, and a viewing of the psychedelic video for “Mountains” on MTV in the summer of 1986 finally gave me the push I needed. “Mountains” may have only reached #23 on the Hot 100, but it made me a Prince fan for life.

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Bonus Tracks!

The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.

Cameo_ Singles & B-Sides

Cameo: “Word Up!” [12″ Version] (Blackmon/Jenkins)

From the 12″ single Word Up!

Atlanta Artists Records, 1986

Word Up [12″ Version]

 

Something To Love

L.T.D.: “(Every Time I Turn Around) Back In Love Again” (Hanks/Grey)

From the album Something To Love

A&M Records, 1977

(Every Time I Turn Around) Back In Love Again

 

Jeffrey Osborne

Jeffrey Osborne: “On The Wings Of Love” (Osborne/Schless)

From the album Jeffrey Osborne

A&M Records, 1982

On The Wings Of Love

Posted by on March 4, 2014 in Soul/R&B and tagged , , , , , , .

2 Comments

March 3, 2014

The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums (Concrete Blonde’s “Free”)

“The Lost Boys: Hard-To-Find ’80s Albums” gives you exactly what the title implies: a rare or out-of-print album or EP from the ’80s in its entirety. Some will be from CD, but most will have been lovingly transferred from pristine vinyl culled directly from the Analog Kid’s vast collection. Whatever album I choose, it will be one that you can’t easily find a physical copy for sale on Amazon or in your local record store (if you even have one anymore). Death…by stereo!

 

I was introduced to Concrete Blonde in the summer of 1989 by 94.5 The Edge, the wonderful Dallas-area alternative radio station (often discussed in my ongoing “Songs From The Edge” posts). The Edge played “God Is A Bullet” about once an hour during that glorious summer, and I instantly fell in love with Johnette Napolitano’s amazing voice. I quickly purchased Free and also acquired a copy of their fantastic 1986 debut album, so I was already a big fan of the band by the time the MTV generation discovered Concrete Blonde via the Bloodletting album in 1990.

I’ve only seen Concrete Blonde live twice, but both were very memorable shows. The first time, they opened for Sting on the Soul Cages tour right around the time that “Joey” was making it big. The second show was on the Mexican Moon tour in 1993, and I will always remember that concert for the sheer joy Johnette and the band displayed on stage that night. Concrete Blonde had absolutely packed the cavernous Bomb Factory, and you could tell by the band’s awed response to the overflow crowd that they didn’t necessarily have such a rabid following in other cities. I bet a lot of bands in the early ’90s could say that about Dallas– it was a great place to be an alternative music fan, and a lot of the credit has to go to George Gimarc and rest of the staff at The Edge.

Free is currently out of print on CD for a second time, so the Analog Kid hopes you enjoy listening to this copy of my original CD from 1989 (along with a couple of b-sides from the God Is A Bullet 12″ single).

Free 1

Concrete Blonde: Free

I.R.S. Records, 1989

 

1. “God Is A Bullet” (Concrete Blonde)

God Is A Bullet

2. “Run Run Run” (Concrete Blonde)

Run Run Run

3. “It’s Only Money” (Lynott)

It’s Only Money

4. “Help Me” (Concrete Blonde)

Help Me

5. “Sun” (Concrete Blonde)

Sun

6. “Roses Grow” (Concrete Blonde)

Roses Grow

7. “Scene Of A Perfect Crime” (Concrete Blonde)

Scene Of A Perfect Crime

8. “Happy Birthday” (Concrete Blonde)

Happy Birthday

9. “Little Conversations” (Concrete Blonde)

Little Conversations

10. “Carry Me Away” (Concrete Blonde)

Carry Me Away

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Bonus Tracks!

The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.

Bloodletting

Concrete Blonde: “Joey” (Napolitano)

From the album Bloodletting

I.R.S. Records, 1990

Joey

 

godisabullet

Concrete Blonde: “Free” (Concrete Blonde)

Free

Concrete Blonde: “Little Wing” (Hendrix)

Little Wing

Both taken from the 12″ single God Is A Bullet

I.R.S. Records, 1989

Posted by on March 3, 2014 in Alternative, Rock and tagged , , , , .

1 Comment