This was my fourth time seeing some iteration of Goblin, the third time I’d seen a version including founding member Claudio Simonetti, and the first time I’d seen the film Demons (properly known as Demoni in Italy, where it was made). Simonetti and his crew were performing a new prog-rock version of the film’s score to a live screening of the film – the first time they’d done this in the United States.
It was a fun show right out of the gate, with good sound quality the whole time. Simonetti announced that the original score was synth-based, but hoped we’d all enjoy this new take on it by him and his band.
In case you haven’t seen it, Demons, is flat-out nuts and is about a bunch of people trapped in a movie theatre while most of the patrons turn into blood-thirsty monsters. I can’t tell you more than that, not because I’d spoil it, but because there isn’t more than that. Simonetti said he loves the film, stating, “I think it’s very funny.” It is, actually. It’s a wild ride, and so was their new score.
After that came a brief intermission and then they returned for another full set of Goblin classics and even some rarities – including the theme to Ruggero Deodato‘s crazy action / horror film Cut and Run.
And, of course, there was plenty of music from Dario Argento‘s films, including the themes to Opera, Tenebrae, Deep Red, and Suspiria.
Simonetti’s current band includes Daniele Amador on guitar (who played a great solo during the Opera theme), Federico Maragoni on drums (who delivered double-kick drum beats so fast that I thought they were programmed tracks), and Cecilia Nappo again on bass.
It was a fun night all-around, and a fun way to kick off the Halloween season. The crowd was made up of prog-rock fans, horror fans, and movie buffs. It felt like a bunch of friends (including the band) just hanging out to watch movies and listen to good music.
Apparently there was a bit of a ruckus when Motörhead released their Another Perfect Day album forty years ago. The band had a new lineup, as guitarist “Fast” Eddie Clarke had been replaced by Brian Robertson, and this caused some rumblings among the band’s fans. Robertson was no slouch, however. He formerly played for Thin Lizzy. The rest of the ruckus came from Lemmy Kilmister‘s new “musical” approach to recording and deciding to add more hooks and guitar effects on the record instead of hammering everyone with raw power all the time (which they were still doing in live performances, mind you).
What’s interesting about Another Perfect Day is that despite it being a “divisive” album among the fans, a lot of tracks from it became staples of their live shows and fan favorites. “Back at the Funny Farm” doesn’t scrimp on any of Kilmister’s fuzz-heavy bass or Phil Taylor‘s wicked double-kick drum madness. “Shine” became a hit for them, and why shouldn’t Motörhead have made radio friendly singles if they wanted?
Robertson’s solo blazes like a lit trail of gasoline on “Dancing on Your Grave.” On “Rock It,” they do exactly that for four straight minutes without taking a breath. The title track has a long solo from Robertson that borders on psychedelic rock. “Marching Off to War” covers one of Kilmister’s favorite subjects – the effects of war on those who fight it. A couple tracks later, “Tales of Glory” has Kilmister snarling at those who brag about their war experiences that were nothing like those who were on the front lines. “I Got Mine” is another track off this “controversial” album that is now considered a Motörhead classic. The closing track has one of the best titles of any Motörhead song, “Die You Bastard.”
The bonus tracks on the CD and digital download versions include live versions of “Hoochie Coochie Man” and “(Don’t Need No) Religion” and demo versions of “Shine” (one an instrumental), “Die You Bastard,” and “One Track Mind.”
If you can score the vinyl version, you’ll also get a full, previously unreleased recording of a concert at Hull City Hall in Hull, England recorded June 22, 1983. You can’t miss.
Another Perfect Day has reached a new group of fans, and (rightfully so) the ruffled fan feathers have smoothed over the course of four decades. The album deserves to be revisited and heard, and this new version is a great way to do it.
Hit Me! The Best of Ian Dury is a great three-disc collection of Ian Dury classics, demo tracks, live cuts, new wave bangers, tenders ballads, and punk ragers from one of the best songwriters of his era.
Starting with two funky floor-fillers out of the gate, “Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll” and “Wake Up and Make Love with Me,” the compilation is already firing on all cylinders. I discovered Dury’s work through live versions of songs like this when I was in a record store in Bloomington, Indiana and the clerk was playing a live album from Dury and his killer band, The Blockheads. I thought, “Who is this?” and had been intrigued ever since. I snatched up this collection at a London record store as soon as I saw it.
It doesn’t disappoint. Ever. “Sweet Gene Vincent” pays tribute to one of Dury’s heroes. “Clevor Trever” and “Billericay Dickie” have Dury taking on alternate identities (Or are they?). “Blockheads” (with Dury singing / yelling toward the back of the room) ended up giving his future band their name. Dury is brutally honest with himself, and any female suitors, on the groovy “If I Was with a Woman.” “The Mumble Rumble and the Cocktail Rock” showcases Dury’s love of 1950s jukebox rockers. “Crippled with Nerves” (a song about his life with polio) showcases his love of country, gospel, and Elvis Presley, whereas “Blackmail Man” is a punk punch in the face…and that’s all on just the first disc.
Disc two starts with two more classics – “Reasons to Be Cheerful (Part 3)” and “Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick.” “What a Waste” is sultry and slippery, reminding me of some of Frank Zappa‘s work, and the groove of “Inbetweenies” is outstanding. On “I Want to Be Straight,” Dury and the Blockheads are “sick and tired of taking drugs and staying up late.” The saxophone work on “Waiting for Your Taxi” is perfect for a late 1970s crime film. “Dance of the Screamers” turns into a psych-jazz freakout with disco beats behind it, showing us how the Blockheads were (are) one of the best bands out there. That hot disco groove continues on “Don’t Ask Me.”
“Mash It Up Harry” starts out disc three with a reggae twist (and, later, “Itinerant Child” continues it). “Dance Little Rude Boy” is another funky classic made even funkier by the electric piano work throughout it. The live version of “Spasticus Autisticus” is sharp as a razor and is a brief glimpse of how much the Blockheads were a murderer’s row of musicians. The guitar solo on “Bed O’Roses” is somewhere between a yacht rock anthem and a prog-rock ripper. The relentless rhythm of “Jack Sh*t George” is perfect for both a new wave club or even a late 1980s nighttime talk show theme. The disc, and the collection ends with a demo version of “England’s Glory,” which has a rough, raw edge to it that’s great, and it sounds like Dury and his band had a fun time in the studio that day.
This is a great entry point to Dury’s music, and it certainly made me want to find live albums by him.
Keep your mind open.
[I’ll have another reason to be cheerful if you subscribe,]
Recorded live November 27, 1977, The Damned‘s The Captain’s Birthday Party Live at the Roundhouse is, like other Damned records, mired with some weird history.
First, this album is often known and titled as Not the Captain’s Birthday Party. The band did play a show at the Roundhouse on April 23, 1977 – a day later after (then bassist, now guitarist) Captain Sensible‘s birthday. However, this show wasn’t recorded until seven months later at the same venue. Their label at the time, Stiff Records, thought this album was the April 1977 show and thus released it as The Captain’s Birthday Party. Later, in 1986, the album was re-released by Demon Records as Not the Captain’s Birthday Party. Are we all clear?
Another interesting bit of Damned history with this album is that it’s a recording of a rare lineup of the band with the Captain on bass and perpetual lead singer Dave Vanian, but with two guitarists – Brian James and the newly acquired Robert “Lu” (short for “lunatic”) Edmunds – and a new drummer – Jon Moss (who would later go onto worldwide fame drumming for Culture Club), as the legendary original drummer, Rat Scabies, had quit the band two weeks earlier.
The album is just eight tracks, but they’re eight tracks of raw power thrown at an enthusiastic crowd. Opening with “You Take My Money,” the guitar roars and feedback are immediately apparent, and Moss is holding his own with just two weeks of practice with three guys who were already punk legends just a couple years into their careers. “Creep (You Can’t Fool Me)” gets a great response from the crowd. “Fan Club” is rough, with Edmunds and Moss still figuring out some of the band’s mechanics, but that energy just brings more growl to it.
“This one’s for Rat Scabies,” Vanian announces before they start “Problem Child.” The whole band is energized for this one, and you can tell Moss wanted to slay it. “So Messed Up” is a full-blown sprint that must have sent the crowd into a panic. “New Rose,” their first hit (and, by most accounts, the first punk single) transforms from a grungy rocker into a wild mix of feedback, crashing drums, and bass rumbles that only settle for a moment before they rip into a blistering cover of The Stooges “Feel Alright.” They end with “Born to Kill,” barely leaving you any time to process what the hell just happened.
It’s a wild ride, not unlike one of those carnival rides that takes you up high, spins you around, and then drops you at a frightening rate.
Thanks to all who listened to my Deep Dive of The Beatles‘ Help! album and all the trivia around it. It was my last Deep Dive of the 2023 summer, and a lot of fun. Here’s the set list:
The Beatles – Help!
The Beatles – Help! intro
John Barry – The James Bond Theme
The Beatles – The Night Before (live)
The Beatles – You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away
Ken Thorne – From Me to You Fantasy
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers – I Need You (live)
Dave Berry – The Crying Game
Paul McCartney – Another Girl (live)
The Beatles – You’re Going to Lose That Girl
The Ramones – You’re Gonna Kill That Girl
Ken Thorne – In the Tyrol
Vanilla Fudge – Ticket to Ride
Pink Floyd – Brain Damage / Eclipse
The Beatles – Act Naturally
Gary U.S. Bonds – It’s Only Love
Ken Thorne – Another Hard Day’s Night
The Beatles – You Like Me Too Much
The Beatles – Tell Me What You See
Elvis Presley – Trying to Get to You
Ken Thorne – The Bitter End / You Can’t Do That
Paul McCartney and Wings – I’ve Just Seen a Face (live)
Ray Charles – Yesterday
Frankie Lane – Answer Me, Lord Above
Ken Thorne – The Chase
Larry Williams – Dizzy Miss Lizzy
The Beatles – Wait
Thanks for all those who tuned in over the summer! The Deep Dive should return this winter!
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Betty Davisʼ self-titled debut — an electrifying artistic statement that launched one of modern musicʼs most revolutionary figures. To celebrate the visionary singer, songwriter, producer, and fashion iconʼs broadly influential career, acclaimed reissue label Light in the Attic is revisiting four essential titles from The Queen of Funkʼs catalog: Betty Davis (1973), They Say Iʼm Different (1974), Is It Love Or Desire? (recorded in 1976, released in 2009), as well as the first-ever vinyl release of Crashinʼ From Passion, which captures Davisʼ final 1979 sessions. All four tiles were produced in close collaboration with Davis, who sadly passed away in 2022.
Betty Davis, They Say Iʼm Different, and Crashinʼ From Passion were remastered by Dave Cooley at Elysian Masters and pressed on vinyl at Record Technology, Inc. (RTI). For the aforementioned three titles, the accompanying booklets include a treasure trove of rare photos from the era, plus lyrics, and new liner notes by writer, ethnomusicologist, and Davisʼ close friend, Danielle Maggio, who integrates interviews that she conducted with Davis, marking her last-ever interviews. They Say Iʼm Different also includes a fold-out 24×36 poster. Is It Love Or Desire? was remastered by GRAMMY®-nominated engineer John Baldwin and pressed on vinyl at Record Technology, Inc. (RTI). The album includes liner notes from journalist, DJ, and professor Oliver Wang.
Each album will be available on CD, black wax, and in a variety of exclusive color variants. All titles will be released on August 25th. Read below for more information on Davis and the individual albums.
Far ahead of her time, Queen of Funk Betty Davis (1944 – 2022) defied the limits of gender, race, and genre during her all-too-short career. She innovated with her space-age blend of funk, R&B, and blues and enraptured audiences with her raw and powerful vocals – then shocked (and awed) them with her provocative, sexually liberated lyrics. Unapologetic and independent, Davis smashed glass ceilings with gusto. To count a few, she was among the first Black models to grace the covers of Seventeen and Glamour, while later, she became the first Black woman to write, produce, and arrange her own albums.
When Davis released her self-titled debut in 1973, she was already a force in New York, London, and Los Angeles. She had opened one of NYCʼs most vibrant private nightclubs, penned songs for The Chambers Brothers and The Commodores, collaborated with Hugh Masekela, and inspired her then-husband Miles Davis to create the roots for jazz fusion on Bitches Brew. While she received numerous offers from record labels in those early years,
Davis also recognized the power of retaining control over her music. Fiercely DIY, she eventually signed a contract with Woodstock organizer Michael Langʼs Just Sunshine imprint, under which she released Betty Davis (1973) and They Say Iʼm Different (1974). In 1975, she made her major label debut under Island Records with Nasty Gal. Davis would go on to record two more albums—Is It Love Or Desire? and Crashinʼ From Passion—both of which remained unreleased for decades.
Oen relegated to cult figure status and frequently misunderstood, Davisʼ album recording career spanned less than a decade. While her music earned critical acclaim and respect from peers, it was regularly banned or disregarded, due to its sexual nature. As a Black woman in an industry controlled by white men, Davis found herself in a constant battle for creative control, oen to the detriment of her career. Never given the chance to succeed commercially, a disillusioned Davis retired from the spotlight in 1980.
From a modern lens, the path that Davis forged can be traced clearly throughout the decades, traversed by those who pushed the needle farther and fought for equality in the industry. Many of musicʼs brightest stars have counted Davis as an influence, including Prince, Erykah Badu, and Janelle Monae, while rappers like Ice Cube, Method Man, and Talib Kweli have all sampled her work. In recent years, Davis has captured a new generation of fans, thanks to the use of her songs in such series as Mixed-ish, Girlboss, Pistol, and Orange Is the New Black. In 2017, she was the subject of the acclaimed documentary, Betty: They Say I’m Different.
It’s 1991 and Bob Mould has two solo albums under his belt after the break-up of Hüsker Dü. He’s a writing machine and is getting back to his punk roots after his Workboook album that was a bit subdued and full of folk influences. He’s not sure how his fans and the general public are going to react to the new material, however. It’s loud and raw, but also more melodic than his Hüsker Dü material. He hires David Barbe to play bass and Malcolm Travis to play drums for him and names the band Sugar after seeing a sugar packet at a diner (Free advertising at every diner and coffee shop in the world!). He and his bandmates then put down just ten of the many tracks Mould had written (the word is that he had around thirty) and the result becomes Copper Blue.
It turned out that Mould didn’t need to worry, as the album was a stunner and people were hungry for the sound he’d created in the early years of the grunge scene. The chugging, growling guitar chords at the start of “The Act We Act” were like manna from heaven for early 1990s radio stations eager to spin anything that vaguely sounded like Nirvana‘s Nevermind album (and Mould has openly spoken about howthe success of Nevermind helped Copper Blue find an audience). “A Good Idea” is a roaring tale about twisted love and what it’s like to witness twisted love. Barbe’s bass thumps through the whole thing.
It flows right into “Changes” – a song about how nothing ever stays the same. “You can’t step into the same river twice,” as the saying goes, and “Changes” seems to reflect this as Mould sings about how he and his lover need to make serious adjustments to their relationship if it’s going to work. Mould’s chords on “Helpless” soar, as do his vocals about how hard he’s trying to help someone who is choosing to be helpless. Travis’ snare hits are like signal flares popping off to reflect Mould’s calls for help with the situation.
“Hoover Dam,” with its weird backwards synths, finds Mould in a strange place between madness and peace. The combination of his acoustic guitar with keyboard riffs is a nice one. ‘The Slim” has Mould grieving a lover after their death, and I can tell you that his lyrics are spot-on (“I felt your breath for a moment. I heard your voice for a moment. Then I looked back on my pillow. What you used to say, what we used to say.”). The guitars are almost manic, but they’re maintaining control. They’re managing it. It’s all you can do, really.
On the flip side of this, “If I Can’t Change Your Mind” has Mould trying to convince a lover that he’s going to be there no matter what, but they still won’t believe him despite all his efforts (“With all the crazy doubts you’ve got, I love you even still.”) “Fortune Teller” has that signature “Mould sound” of driving guitar chords backed by solid bass and drums and might be the closest to a Hüsker Dü track.
Mould’s lyrics in “Slick” use the imagery of a car crash (real or imagined?) to reflect his thoughts on his addictions, booze and love, and how they’re often the cause of his own harm. The fuzz on it is great, another metaphor for his roughed-up brain. The album ends with “Man on the Moon,” which has nothing to do with the R.E.M. song or the Jim Carey movie and everything to do with crushing riffs and rock anthem drums.
Copper Blue shook up the airwaves just when we needed it and probably made a lot of wanna-be grunge bands hang up their guitars. It’s a must-own if you’re a fan of Mould’s work.
