New podcast episode is alive and well!

And so is this blog, dammit! Sorry, was bit of a wacky last week so the posts weren't as plentiful. Anyway, after a couple weeks out, there is a new Camel Ike podcast episode ready to enjoy. Lots of groovy tunes packed in there, so please dig it, won't you?

Lou Reed: Hater of Beatles and British rock in general.

Oh, Lou, how I love thee.  Your way of saying anything outrageous in a deadpan manner has always been your trademark.  Let's forget all about how you recorded your first three albums over in England and have also been quoted in regards to your love for how the Beatles wrote so many groovy tunes.  And how Bowie basically gave you a career.  You rock, Lou.

Reviews from the Spark Plug - Billy Joel's The Stranger

Billy Joel

The Stranger

Rating: *****

I used to have a sheet set just like the one on Billy's bed there on the front cover.  I didn't have an awesome mask to ponder, however.  Billy looks at the mask and wonders if it was the right thing to have next to him, having already decided that his old boxing gloves were a nice touch on the back wall.  Perhaps the mask is too much.  He gets paranoid.  He remembers that he forgot to put on his shoes.  He wonders why he went to bed in his suit. The mask wants a kiss.

Reviews from the Spark Plug - The Velvet Underground's Another View

The Velvet Underground

Another View

Rating: *** 1/2

Once again Moe Tucker gets the shaft and is barely visible behind the V here.  Livin' down in Georgia workin' at Wal-Mart and peepin' out behind the V.  Do you think people who might stumble across a VU album at Wal-Mart check out through Moe's line and make the connection?  Standing there with the CD and a cartload of NASCAR shit, live bait, some cookies from the bakery and assorted shirts that say such things as "Hottie," "Sexy Grandma," and "Hugs Are Best From Best Friends."  That's true utopia, my friends.

(Still) talkin' 'bout The Who.

Hey! I must just be right on time or ahead of the curve or whatever. I dunno, call me crazy. But you remember before, right down there, when I was talking about how many damn times The Who's biggest tracks have been regurgitated by Universal Music? Well, if you've been waiting for yet another, have I got news for you. let me introduce you to Universal's Icon series, one of which features our heroes:

This little number is known as Icon 1.  Because if that's not enough, then hold your hats because...

Yes!  It's Icon 2, which is just Icon 1 with a second disc of hits larded on!  And yeah, that's the same freakin' artwork from the old Who's Better, Who's Best compilation that came out in the late '80s.  Future generations are going to get the idea that The Who actually never recorded any full-length albums, and instead merely crapped out compilations over and over of the same 12-24 tracks.

Now that's some mileage, kids.

Lennon's test for echo.

What too much echo will do to you.

That John Lennon sure was a creative guy, wasn't he?  With and without his buddy Paul McCartney, he created some of the most creative and classic rock tunes known in the universe.  With Yoko Ono, he alienated and confounded a lot of folks, but he still remained true to his own artistic vision and did whatever the hell he wanted.

During his Beatles tenure, John found that he really liked the echo effect on his voice.  Apparently (according to whatever tale you read and/or choose to believe) Lennon was self conscious of his own singing voice and felt a little more bolstered with having a bit of echo thrown on top.  It wasn't as obvious in the beginning, but by the time 1965 and 1966 rolled around and the Fabs became more creative in the recording studio, John was all about the echo.

Under George Martin's tasteful guidance, the echo was pretty cool.  Once the Beatles disbanded, however, the effect turned into a different sort of beast.  Lennon was suddenly throwing it all over everything, and producer pals like Phil Spector were only too happy to indulge him.  It's right there on "Mother" on Plastic Ono Band.  It was ladled on in gallons on "Give Peace a Chance" and only held back slightly in a more compressed, gated effect on "Cold Turkey."

"Instant Karma," "Power to the People," "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" and even the old favorite "Imagine" are echo city, baby.  And if that wasn't enough, John also loved to throw in greasy saxophone solos that bogged down the tubes.  Hey, have you ever heard "Beef Jerky" or "Touch Me"?





I think the sound of the tree falling in the latter says it all, really. Hoo boy.

So how many compilations have The Who released, anyway?

Good question, kid.  Let me tell you.  I always knew the answer was "a lot," but I never knew just exactly how much that lot was until I was perusing The Who's web site just now and checked it out.  So, as of April 28, 2011, The Who have officially released the following number of compilations (including box sets, special limited editions, etc.):

TWENTY

That's not even including soundtracks like the one for Quadrophenia, Tommy, or The Kids Are Alright, which are basically old Who tunes you know and love regurgitated in new or different forms.  It's also not counting live albums, such as Join Together or Who's Last.  So, if you want to include those, feel free and inflate that total even more.  Note that this number does include the Magic Bus LP as it was the very first US compilation.

Amazing, isn't it?  That the band was already being compiled and resold right after their third LP (the UK got Direct Hits as their first comp).  But above and beyond that, how many freaking times can you sensibly compile the same tunes and expect people to buy them?  Why not just let new generations of Who fans sit through Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy or The Who's Greatest Hits and take it from there?  Those were both fine and solid collections that are still an enjoyable listen to this day.  In fact, the latter was my first Who purchase and did a pretty fine job of showing me the scope of what the band was all about, beyond "My Generation" or "Who Are You?"

But I guess once you get into that rut, you just have the tendency to do it.  Universal must think the kids are not all right and need a new Who compilation every few years to make sure no one forgets about the band.  Which leads me to wonder what the sales are for these various comps versus the actual albums of "new" material the band recorded from The Who Sing "My Generation" to ...well, I was going to say It's Hard, but go ahead and throw that boring Endless Wire one on the pile as well.  I'd say certain comps easily outsell those last two studio albums.

There must be a market for such a commodity, else why would Universal keep cranking them out?  Is the "regular" Who fan just someone who wants the hits and nothing more?  I suppose that makes some sort of sense, like owning Who's Next and Tommy and a greatest hits album, much like a casual Pink Floyd fan may only own Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here and/or The Wall and that's it.  Do casual fans want to hear nuggets like "Mary-Anne With the Shaky Hands" or "How Can You Do It Alone?"  Probably not.  For them, "My Generation" and "Won't Get Fooled Again" are probably good enough and the rest of the hits in between, maybe say "Pinball Wizard" will perk up the ears and make them feel like they spent their money decently.

But have there been other bands that have gone through a similar thing so obviously?  The Who's '70s output wasn't as regular as a band like The Rolling Stones.  And god knows the Stones have had their fair share of compilations, too.  Just looking at the Wikipedia entry for their count of compilations...it says they've had...

Thirty-One.

All right, so maybe this whole post is pointless.  Fuck you, Rolling Stones.  Fuck me sideways.