Friday, October 14, 2011

Song of the Week #164

Today I finally finished watching a TV documentary about Jimi Hendrix. I've mentioned it before and I especially liked it because Jimi was the narrator. I remember buying my first Hendrix LP when I was about 16 and being really quite disappointed. It was "Live At Winterland" and it really took me a long time to 'get it'. And by a long time I mean years. There really isn't that much Hendrix that rates a casual listen, you have to take some time and think a bit about it. In the doco Jimi is being interviewed about his rendition of The Star Spangled Banner and the host tells the audience to consider that Jimi served in the 101st Airborne before they write in to complain!
 
Here's an accessible Hendrix tune, and funnily enough the first track on that album I bought back in the dark ages.
 
 
Last weekend I heard Manfred Mann's "Doo Wah Diddy" on the PA system at the 24hr mountain bike race. It stuck in my head and I asked DJ Mikki if she'd seen it in the movie "Stripes". I guess it was before her time! But here's a clip from the film and also the original tune. Classic!
 
 
 
It always disappointed me that the Australian Army didn't keep us marching in time with cadence calls the way the Americans do. I remember one of my friends starting it up when we were at Tully and him being told to "cut out the Seppo bullshit"!
 
There must've been something about nonsense lyrics into songs back in the day. Try this one as well, another gem! Driving beat, pretty girls AND the Phil Spector wall of sound – this song has it all.
 
 
Flogging Molly are a band I got into after listening to The Pogues (for years) and The Dropkick Murphys (for 5 minutes!). They have a newish record out. The review in R2 Rock'N'Reel Magazine (which is a fab publication by the way) says that their sound is now more Detroit than Dublin and also channels Springsteen. Good enough for me. Here's the first single from the album "Speed of Darkness".
 
 
I've also played Seasick Steve before. I come back to his tunes quite regularly as they are honest, uncluttered and sometimes amusing. He's also got a new CD out. This track was on the sampler CD from R2 magazine which I threw on in the car. I was certain that this was being sung by Kris Kristofferson. But I was wrong and it's a great song from Steve. I can imagine Kris, Johnny Cash or even Nick Cave singing this one.
 
 
Fantastic news is that Billy Bragg has a new disc out. Called, "Fight Songs", it is a collection of non-album tunes with a common theme. As far as I know it is only available from his website – I'll be ordering as soon as I finish boring you all this week!
 
 
One of my best friends and Song of the Week regular, DJ FatBoy, had a birthday this week. I've been lucky enough to know him since we were thrown together by the Army in 1994. Three long months at the School of Signals forged a solid friendship that remains even when he tells me I'm soft with some of my musical choices! This one's for him, I know he's still spewing that he missed seeing this band with me all those years ago. It was a life changing moment for me and for him as well as I forced the cassette on him later on! Happy Birthday mate.
 
 
I hope you'll take the time to check out this next song. It's by a friend of mine, Marji, and her band. Also, the film clip was put together by another friend, Ed. Pretty fantastic stuff. They are a great live band and they also do a wicked version of Dolly Parton's "Joelene". Leaves The White Stripes for dead. Lovers of good guitar should run, not walk, to iTunes to pick up some tracks.
 
 
Zoë bought some tracks from iTunes this week. Nothing too unusual in that. But some ended up on my iPod and this one played while I was running the other day. Apart from the fact that the band sounds exactly like Good Charlotte or Guttermouth, the song is hilarious! I love it!
 
 
Guttermouth? Who are they I hear you ask dear listener. Well, I caught this music video years ago after taping an all night video show. Taping folks, old school. The track is a bit crass but they looked to me like a band that knew how to have a good time. Extra points to anyone who can spot how I know this band has been to Australia for a visit...
 
 
DJ JoJo was telling me during the week how she used to record songs from the radio to help decipher the lyrics. Of course, this was before the internet made life way too simple. What's funny is that JoJo is from East Gippsland and I was surprised that they had electricity that long ago! Here's one that confused me as well. It wasn't until I was playing in a band myself that the lyrics to this one became clear! I had no idea at all that James was singing, "beau-tiful people"!
 
Is that enough? Can you handle more? Does anyone read this far??
 
Well, with the Rugby World Cup drawing to a close it was pretty awesome that England lost to France. I hope my boss isn't reading this far! England have been almost as tragic in the competition as Australia. All that remains now is for Wales to beat the French and setup a win against the underperforming Wallabies. New Zealand? The All Blacks? Not a chance. With Richie's sore foot and two kickers out with groin tears they are a lost cause. I'll probably be eating my words next week!
 
Let's finish with a band that could be Australian and could be from New Zealand depending on your point of view. They're playing here in a couple of weeks and while I was initially tempted nothing will compare to seeing them in the 90's at the Yass Soldiers Club. There were about the same amount of people in the audience as there were on stage. But the band still rocked.
 
 
That's it. With any luck the magpies won't swoop me in the morning!
 
DJ Rob

1 comment:

  1. I'm so glad I'm not the only one that didn't know what Reyne was singing! Ridiculously, being a dumb kid at the time, I thought it was "you .. tickle me bald". How embarrassing. :)

    ..agreed about the Jolene cover, too. Sweet version.

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