"Monsters of Metal"/"Sincere Apologies to All of the Women in the World"/Black Flag and the Crüe/"Rock 'half measures'"

Do Kim Salmon, Scott Miller and Ginn/Rollins/Dukowski know that they get a special dedication in one of the first tomes solely dedicated to Mötley Crüe? Straight from the barn archive, I present to you, "Monsters of Metal" from 1986 written under Byron Coley's nom de plume, Billy Dwight. Yes, the subject matter of this one is dodgy (the same year Byron published another book on Chuck Norris though under the Coley brand name - post on that one down the line).



Not quite sure how I missed it in real time, but it is one of the funnier music books of the 1980's even if it was a quick money maker. I found this one sometime in the 90's after I heard about it. Dig the ace 80's bubblepop design:




While living in Santa Cruz, Forced Exposure was really one of the main taproots into the various streams of '80s culture. Much entertainment was had by the reviews, and I believe that a letter was sent to the magazine by me asking if one Billy Dwight would be supplying more film reviews. Here is a "photo" of the Dwight family that ran in a 1987 Forced Exposure (G. Haynes cover). Did Byron swipe this photo from a copy of Ina May Gaskin's classic from the Farm? I'm too lazy to rifle through the copy of "Spiritual Midwifery" staring at me from the family bookshelf.



The influence Forced Exposure had among my peers for a few years there in the mid to late 80's - until publication ceased really - (along with Phuud/Black to Comm, Ugly Things and a couple others) was heavy. The 90's opened up the game a bit for others as I have written about previously. I guess I can say that Billy Dwight was responsible for sending me and my mates to see Derek Bailey record the live lp at LACE that came out later on Emanen based on a FE review. I think I now know the real reason for the lapse in time between issues of FE based on the extracurricular writing of books. Byron was responsible for a lot of lexicon that folks I know used (along with Thirsty a lot of funny spelling for words we knew).



Most likely the only Mötley Crüe book, or any book for that matter, with special thanks to Black Flag, the Scientists and a Game Theory record.



That this was done in 1986 no less should really lead to the re-write of that decades history. I mean, is this fact in that Azzerad book for crissakes?

Here is a single random excerpt - you need to know more about Mick Mars. Now, why did Byron not delve into the crossover back in Indiana between Mick Mars and the nascent Lazy Cowgirls?:



This is NOT Mick Mars:



To get back to chronological order, I bought Black Flag's "Damaged" the week it came out in December 1981. At the time, I was somewhat unsure of what to make of Rollins as "Jealous Again" (and the previous singles) had been my most played music that year apart from some cantorial practice tapes. While I don't play "Damaged" too often now, I still rate and respect it and am really more of a fan of their music that followed. You caught Gira's recent comment on hardcore, right? Yes, I still join the chorus of "RELEASE THE TWO-GUITAR '82 FLAG DEMOS! However, "Side 2" - as the original Pettibon "My War" t-shirt I wore much of 1984 and have now passed on to my son says - Side 2 of "My War" is still the era I where I come down push comes to shove. Sorry knuckleheads.

When I purchased "Damaged," I did not know that also in December 1981, Mötley Crüe released "Too Fast For Love" on their own Leathur Records. I finally heard the self-released version of "Too Fast For Love" in 1986 when living in Santa Cruz.



I was unwittingly forced to listen to "Too Fast" ad nauseum by collegiate pals enamoured by acts that Carducci has politely referred to as '"rock" half measures." Pop metal in other words. Mind you I diverge with Carducci in his rating of "half measures" such as Van Halen - VH's pop and DLR's tin pan alley instincts are in part of what make their first four records palatable to my ears. Eddie Van Halen is incapable of producing a statement anywhere near "The Process of Weeding Out" and why even try.

This one is in three parts from Anarchy TV! - 1985 fuckin' live. Heavy and unstoppable:

This Game Theory album from 1985 has a pretty great Big Star cover. They did not play "You Can't Have Me" when I saw them with Rubin Fiberglass in 1985. Is "Sister Lovers" from the D. Crosby lyric in "Triad"? Can someone clear that up for me.



A gratuitous Huskers drop here? You be the judge.

Shaun Cassidy, Claude Bessy and Philip K. Dick/Fly Jefferson Airplane/Easy on Paul Williams

A couple of random facts about the late, great Claude Bessy. Claude Bessy's first acid trip was seeing the Jefferson Airplane in 1967 ("Cocktails With Claude," LA Weekly 1979 interview w/ R. Meltzer). Second fact: there was a late 70's meeting(s) between Claude and P.K. Dick with Germs manager Nicole Panter and artist Gary Panter at Dick's Orange County home, with photographic evidence that ranks up there with the great 70's photos including the Nixon/Elvis photograph and Iggy Stooge and Robert Plant c. 1973. Third, Claude had a recurring cameo on the Hardy Boys tv show playing bad boy rocker "Frenchie" (hey Claude - easy on Paul Williams there!)


Seeing Claude 20 feet high with fucked teeth spewing his rock philosophy (and with Catholic Discipline - get that great Artifix cd) - at the Sherman Theater (RIP) in Sherman Oaks during the spring 1981 original theatrical run of the Decline of Western Civilization was one of the more indelible memories of my pre-teen years. Claude is clearly someone who needs both a compendium of his writing and a critical biography.


I had originally thought I would do a big write up on the Jefferson Airplane given how much time I had spent listening to everything up through "Bark" and live recordings up to that time as well. Figured out what Kantner was on about with Pooneil. Duh, he likes Fred Neil and A.A. Milne. I reread the Ralph J. Gleason 1969 paperback "The Jefferson Airplane and the San Francisco Sound" (Ballantine Books, New York, (1969), which reprints excerpts of his 1966 slam of the Velvets and the Tamarkin book (even the Slick autobio - did she actually type any of it?). Watched the great "Fly Jefferson Airplane" dvd. Godard and the pre-Let It Be NYC rooftop shoot was a revelation.



But in the end, I just think I was wrong to skip the records other than "Takes Off" and "Surrealistic Pillow" until now. Make no mistake, Skippy WAS really one of the creative forces in the band - they even cut his tunes after he left the band. I think I have to thank Haggerty for forcing me to stick it out through "Bark" via the cover of "Law Man." Those first six records - including the live one - have golden moments. Maybe hearing "Miracles" in the 70's so many times forced a reaction to shun them. Thank the Coen Brothers as well for inspiring a recontextualizing/revisitation of what those records meant at the time and Coley's PSF interview last year.



I always felt that Byron Coley was kidding when he wrote of Marty Balin's "crooning hambone essence," or referred to him like an "underground" version of Bob Hope. See Spin, Jan. 1993, Blue Light Special: Jefferson Airplane. After reading Jeff Tamarkin's book, I kinda felt sorry for the guy for having his band practically taken from him by a science fiction obsessed ego-maniac and a totally soused, limo liberal. I mean, the guy could have been considered an east coast pal of Meltzer at the height of the JA's creative and commercial peak circa '67-68. See Meltzer, R. "Marty Balin: Artist as Madman" (Rock, 1970). That said, I am deep enough in to keep an eye out for "Blows Against the Empire" and "Sunfighter" in the dollar bins. Here is JA at the Filmore '66 with Signe (looks like Dryden and not Skippy on drums) doing a number from "Takes Off," an lp that Meltzer I think correctly referred to as "post" folkrock:



Marty's lyrics are not Dylan's, but hey, the guy could write a great simple love song. For some reason, I think I had always steered clear of the band owing to the stench of the forced agitprop as well. But, like I have said before, "Volunteers" sounds great today and Jorma's Fahey-esque playing on "Embryonic Journey" on the Jerry Garcia coined title "Surrealistic Pillow" is near perfect.

Is the creative peak "After Bathing at Baxters"? George D. Henderson of the great and underrated NZ band the Puddle cites "Crown of Creation" as a top 10-er. I can imagine George having his mind blown in 1970 Invercargilll in his off time from the movie theater job. My vote for best Great Society cover is the Salvation Army's cover of "Grimly Forming." Here is the Grace Q&A from Hit Parader 1967.

The Great 1973 Sonics Revival/"The Closest Thing to Heavy Metal Until the Advent of the Zep and MC5"/Morock ("Moronic Rock")

Of the many places that could claim the mantle of pre-punk or proto-punk headquarters (for even a few minutes), let me introduce the San Fernando Valley circa 1972-1973, or more specifically Panorama City. That is the location of Mark Shipper’s BuckShot Records and the great compilation of the Sonics called “Explosives.” Then we have the Valley’s own Droogs practicing and releasing their first single in 1973 covering the Sonics’ “He’s Waitin'” on Plug-n-Socket, beating certain high profile “punk” folks to the pressing plant. I don't think there is any dispute these days to the Pacific Northwest's right to claim its place in the history of punk via the Sonics, Raiders, Wailers etc.

Now, do we even get into the ethics of reviewing one of your own releases in a trade publication? See RPM, June 1973, below. Naw, as RPM was itself a mouthpiece for a particular label and when the review is this over the top (and spot on 38 years later), and includes high praise from Metal Mike, we let it slide, no? Then, what do you do next? You have your friend Ken Barnes flog the thing in Fusion the next month, followed by a sweet Sculatti review of the second BOC record (along with a NICE photo of the Soft White Underbelly/Stalk-Forrest Group), wherein he talks about picking the Sonics of the 70’s. Great review, great record. This is how back in the day you created a real critical consensus! Don, the Imperial Dogs coulda been (are) the true Sonics of the 70’s! Decided not to crop Bangs’ review of Sun Ra’s “Atlantis” or Meltzer’s Spheeris reviews for your enjoyment. Oh yeah, a couple of pages of Sculatti/Saunders/Shipper’s 1974 “Brain Damage” as well. Mark Shipper phone home.

Father Yod and Cisco Pike/The Source on Film Part 1 and other stuff from Cisco Pike

If you blink you may miss the sign, but as Kristofferson (Cisco) and Viva (Merna) drive down Sunset they pick up Merna's friend Lynn played by Joy Bang at the corner of Sunset and Sweetzer, i.e., Father Yod’s vegetarian restaurant, The Source.

Here is Kris performing one of his many standards written at the time of Cisco Pike and included in the film - this over the opening credits and here on the Johnny Cash Show:

Another detail from Cisco Pike that needed a still was Waylon's 1971 engagement at the Troubadour.



After seeing Kris' Cash show clip, I had to see this one. Which of course had me thinking that this era of Waylon may be another influence on King Loser (other than the obvious Lee and Nancy), based on Waylon's Heazlewood to the organist's Celia with O'Reilly on the double-necked 6/12 string guitar in this '70 Johnny Cash show clip. Did Waylon put out a single bad record from this era - I sure as hell haven't heard it.

Some other worthwhile images to share from Cisco Pike including one with foil HDS:

The scene with Doug Sahm in the studio is pretty over the top - that is Doug is over the top in all his "Dougness" - though it did remind me and Damon of certain musician friends years ago.



Yes, the business conducted in automats and Alan Arbus' office!

Blondie & Pleasant/A Small Circle of Friends/The Non-Beatles Paul and George/Spider - "America's REAL Rock n' Roll Magazine"

Pleasant Gehman always loomed large as I was getting into music as a teenager, firstly from her association with the Germs and Go-Go's, then from her LA Weekly by-lines and performances with the Screamin' Sirens. By the time I became aware of who she was, Lobotomy magazine was long gone. She features in so many iconic images of the era, mostly shot by Jenny Lens but I am sure Donna Santisi has quite a few we haven't seen yet. She was as much the "it" girl of the early LA punk scene as Trudie Plunger or Alice Bag. Pleasant was a great link between the NYC bands of the era and LA, whether it be visits by the Ramones, the underrated Mumps (who need their own post), or case in point here, Blondie. Was Jeffrey Lee Pierce still the president of the Blondie Fan Club as late as July/August 1979? Man, those early shows in LA by the NYC bands would have been amazing. The handful of folks at that first LA Ramones show included people like John and Dix Denney of the Weirdos, Brian Tristan (aka "Kid Congo Powers"), Phast Phreddie, Plez and who else? Did Iggy show up with an "appearance" like on Patti Smith's "Teenage Perversity" bootleg at the Roxy in early 1976. Blondie and Tom Petty would have been quite a show as Pleasant recounts. Did Dwight Twilley attend that show? Sometime in late 1978, Pleasant and Kid Congo moved to NYC for six months and lived with Teenage Jesus drummer Bradly Field and Kristian Hoffman of the Mumps.

Pleasant came to LA in 1975 from New York and landed at Uni High where she fell right in with Paul and George before they became Bobby and Pat. Plez's dad was a "new journalism" guy as well as penning liners for jazz records. Hep, no? Ditching school to attend Runaways rehearsals always seemed like a good idea. Hanging out with Belinda after she drove into Hollywood from the DEEP valley (Newbury Park) unlike the Denney Bros. original sojourn from North Hollywood over the hill. Maybe the genesis for the Blondie profile kicked in while Plez was living in NYC and seeing how big Blondie had by then gotten? In any event, no last name is given for the article but it only makes sense that it is Ms. Gehman. Bangs' quickie book was from around this same time. We wait for Pleasant's memoir if she takes enough time off from belly dancing. We offer our services to edit.

As to Spider, it came from of all places Ventura. Not exactly an epicenter for high energy rock and roll until Grady's Record Refuge opened - unless board sports is your thing. Mea culpa, I saw the Dead a number of times in Ventura and I swear I saw Ginn at a show but I may be wrong! I love the fact that it bills itself as "America's REAL Rock 'n' Roll Magazine." The coverage is a-ok for the time though Slash it ain't. Spider was really a photo magazine, given that Spider took photos and published others by Donna Santisi and David Arnoff. Anyone know how long Spider ran for and if they can locate the other issues for me. The editing could have been tighter (spell check, etc), but hey, it's mostly about the photos.

"I've Always Thought the Stooges Were ok"/"Elitish Crapola"/Peter Crowley v. "The Dean"/Self-Designated Avant Garde Savior of Mankind

You all have read Meltzer's account of the trials of publishing "Dolphy Was Some 'Weird' Cat." Meltzer, Richard. A Whore Just Like the Rest. Cambridge: Da Capo 2000. How was Bob the editor of the Voice with opinions such as this from August 1973: "but like all theoretical hard rock, [The Stooges] music was accessible only in theory." Read on as it only gets worse or more cringe inducing. Wrong in oh so many ways on the Stooges that this one is more for the 2011 peanut gallery to laugh at. Great quotes though. Oh yeah Bob, I guess you didn't really grok Peter's other fave Von Lmo either. Time has shown that Crowley's taste was pretty classy and timeless. I guess you didn't ask him to contribute to Stranded. Roll on!

If Not Exactly a "Trips" Festival/Now Go Listen to Charlie Patton/"When Rock Implied Danger"

Richard Meltzer is going to be 65 this year. When the oracle chooses to write about music, one needs to pay close attention. Even his toss offs are great. Case in point is this column for the San Diego Reader from June 1999. Too late for inclusion in "A Whore Just Like the Rest," Richard still riffs on his favorite Doors, Monterey Pop versus Woodstock, the Byrds and the Association. He is a bit too harsh on the Monkees for my liking - their records have aged nicely. As Eddie Flowers has said (or a paraphrase as such): "Headquarters"= summer! Growing up those lps were some of the only "rock" lps in the house. But what the fuck do I know - I wasn't at Monterey. I came across this barn archival piece in connection with research on Meltzer's take on the Jefferson Airplane. According to Tamarkin's book, the Monkees' "Headquarters" was firmly lodged at Number 2 on the charts after the Beatles "Sgt. Pepper" in '67, thus keeping "Surrealistic Pillow" blocked permanently from the top spot. Though a no show at Monterey, Macca did head to SF in '67 and spent a day being shown around SF by Marty, Jack and Jorma, and also did acknowledge the incredible playing of Jack - did Jaco Pastorius copy prime Casady or what. Apparently, Jack jammed with Hendrix till dawn the night of Monterey whilst both were tripping. Meltzer where were you and Pearlman hanging out? Anyone sat through the entire Moneterey Pop Pennebaker dvd box set to report whether it is worth seeking out?