You Call It Madness
You Call It Madness: The Sensuous Song Of The Croon by Lenny Kaye (2005) - A biography of 1920s/30s crooner, Russ Columbo, also covering many other players and facets of those years in showbiz. Kaye’s prose is stylishly impressionistic, sort of like a Raymond Chandler unchained from mystery plots. Some readers would prefer a more straight ahead approach, but I felt it worked well in this case. I found it a fascinating evocation of a very different (though some things are always the same) era of life in the USA.
Posted by M.Ace - May 28, 2007...Bookbag...no comments
The Dumpster
Vanity press or public humiliation? Almost all of the music I’ve ever created is available for free download in the Web Album Dumpster. More Narthex, more pre-Narthex, more post-Narthex. In the immortal words of Neil Innes: “I’ve suffered for my music and now it’s your turn.”
Posted by M.Ace - May 26, 2007...Generic...no comments
The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society
The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society by The Kinks (Pye/1968) - The perpetually underrated Kinks present the flowering of their terrific pastoral rock phase.
Posted by M.Ace - May 26, 2007...Record-Bin...2 comments
English Settlement
English Settlement by XTC (Virgin/1982) - Filled with the usual clever lyrics and hyperactive arrangements. It’s all so 1980s, I’m flashing back to girls with lumpy hair and oversized sweaters.
Posted by M.Ace - May 26, 2007...Record-Bin...no comments
Life Sandwich
Life Sandwich by Baby Flamehead (Texas Hotel/1990) - Philly’s way ahead of their time (conceived circa 1987) acoustic rock band, Baby Flamehead, weren’t just ahead of the pack. They had a lot more style, wit and fun than the overly earnest acoustic bands that followed. They were also way cooler, in an ‘unafraid of being uncool’ kind of way. This, their one studio album, has been out of print for years, but is very worth the effort of tracking down. Meanwhile, someone really ought to bootleg their live and demo recordings someday…
Posted by M.Ace - May 6, 2007...Record-Bin...2 comments
