R.I.P. - Tommy Ramone

Rest in peace Tommy Ramone.

I loved how I was able to record all three albums to a single 90 minute cassette ("Why Is It Always This Way?" got cut off just before it ended if memory serves). No records ever spoke more directly to my own sense of misfit-ism than these three, and that cassette became a constant traveling companion.

A couple memories: I used to wait on Johnny pretty regularly when I worked at Kim's Underground (video store in the Village). He didn't say much and rented exactly the kind of movies you'd expect: Z-grade horror films mostly. One day I found myself standing in line at Bagel Bob's next to Joey. He was impossibly tall and thin and frankly didn't look all that healthy. I never met Tommy or Dee Dee.

Generally when in the presence of famous people I leave them alone. I figure that's what they want. And that's how I treated Joey and Johnny. Just left them alone. I wish now that, when I had the opportunity, I had just said "thanks" to them. Their music changed my life. As a young person just knowing there were people like the Ramones out there made me feel better, and recognize there was something beyond the world I had experienced up to that point.

Tommy, Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee, from the bottom of my heart, thank you!

R.I.P. - George Jones

American music lost one of its true giants with the passing of George Jones. I'll have some thoughts on Jones, one of my favorite artists regardless of genre, in a few days.

R.I.P. - Scott Miller (Game Theory/Loud Family)

It's really hard for me to write at the moment, because my own father just passed and I'm taking some time to take stock of things, think about life, mourn, etc. My Dad was one of the most important people in my life, I love him and miss him terribly, and it feels weird for me to write about anything else, especially another person's passing. But I could not let the death of Scott Miller--of Game Theory and Loud Family fame--go without mention. 

Bands like Game Theory were a big part of my original impetus for starting this blog; my primary focus has always been great acts that never got the attention they deserved during their lifetime but made music that should not be forgotten. I'd put the music of Scott Miller near the top of that list. His music was catchy, beautiful, thoughtful and smart--but somehow, inexplicably--never popular. He's often labelled a "power pop" artist, but the tag does not do him justice because his music always had an experimental/arty side that was far more sophisticated than generic power pop. Here is something I wrote about Game Theory way back in 2006 when I first started this blog.

This is really sad news, at 53, Scott was way too young to leave us. I was just thinking the other day that with all the 80s indie acts reuniting that Game Theory should really get back together. Apparently Scott was planning on recording a new Game Theory album this summer. What a shame that won't happen. I'm sure I would have eagerly covered it here.

One of the best shows I ever saw was Game Theory with Yo La Tengo and Peter Holsapple/Chris Stamey at Maxwell's in Hoboken in October of 1988. I talked to Scott after the show and he was really sweet and gracious. (Looking through the "Ask Scott" archives on the Loud Family website, apparently that was one of Scott's favorite shows ever as well). 

The Loud Family website has made every Game Theory album (more or less) available for free download so you don't have to pay rip off prices for the long out-of-print CDs.

Scott was a brilliant musician and writer who left us far too soon, and whose genius never got the recognition it deserved during his lifetime. Sad.

R.I.P. - Mike Flanagan

Mike Flanagan and Earl Weaver after game one of the 1979 World Series.

Orioles great Mike Flanagan was found dead near his home this past Wednesday. The Orioles pitcher, executive and broadcaster was only 59 years old. My heart goes out to his wife and three daughters, and all those who loved him.

I'll refrain from further commentary until more of the facts surrounding his death are known, but this is very sad news for all Orioles fans. Really it's shocking news that I'm still working hard to process.

In the meantime, read this 1991 Baltimore Sun column by Ken Rosenthal begging Orioles management not to deal Flanagan to the Mets at the trade deadline. It gives you a good idea of what Flanagan meant to the franchise and its fans. Later that year Flanagan pitched the final outs at Memorial Stadium.

R.I.P. - Bubba Smith

I can't say I remember him playing for the Baltimore Colts, but I do remember his Miller Light commercials, and my Dad talking about what a great defensive lineman he was.

"I sure hope those horses can swim." That was pure comedy gold.

R.I.P. - Manuel Galbán

Manuel Galbán died as a result of cardiac arrest at the age of 80 at his home in Havana, Cuba on July 7, 2011. Galbán is best known in the U.S. for his guitar work on various Buena Vista Social Club projects. But he is perhaps better known in his native country for his time as guitarist and musical director of Los Zafiros, one of the most popular Cuban groups of all time. He was the last of two surviving members of the popular vocal group that fused American styled, doo-wop, close harmony singing with a distinctly Afro-Cuban groove, and one of a sadly dwindling number of Buena Vista Social Club alumni.

Billboard Magazine reached the lone surviving Zafiro, Miguel Cancio, at his home in Miami on Friday for comment: "There was something unique and so beautiful about his sound...Galbán was like a one-man orchestra. Meeting him was the best thing that could have happened to us as a band," said Cancio.

This video is one of my absolute favorite things on YouTube, and in it you can see a young Galbán on guitar:

If you don't already own them, I highly recommend picking up the album Galbán recorded with Ry Cooder in 2003, Mambo Sinuendo, as well as the compilation album Bossa Cubana, which collects some of Los Zafiros' best recordings.

Galbán is survived by his wife, Magda, and daughters, Taby and Leyva. My thoughts go out to them.

R.I.P. - Bob Sklar

Film Historian Robert Sklar, 1936-2011

I was deeply saddened this morning to receive the news that respected film historian Robert Sklar died on July 2, 2011 as a result of injuries sustained in a bicycling accident in Barcelona.

Bob is best known for his book Movie Made America: A Cultural History of American Movies, which was one of the key texts in establishing film studies as a serious discipline. Prior to Bob's book, most film history texts were largely anecdotal in nature, and few seriously attempted to place film in a broader historical and cultural context. Bob showed how Hollywood film not only reflected the society in which it was produced, but more importantly how it could also serve as a catalyst and shaper of values and attitudes within that society. It's a work of penetrating genius, and remains a standard text in the field that has influenced generations of film historians and others who seek to take film seriously.

I was a student of Bob's at NYU in the 1990s, where he taught in the Department of Cinema Studies for 33 years. My own dissertation was a much feebler attempt to make sense of American musical films of the 1930s by placing them in a broader social, cultural and historical context. I would not have even been able to think seriously about the subject in this context were it not for the model provided by Bob's own pioneering efforts in the field, and I was honored when Bob agreed to serve as a reader on my dissertation committee.

Bob's advice, and more importantly his support, were critical to my being able to complete a tough and thankless task, and I will be forever indebted to him for that. I was extremely grateful for every second that Bob allowed me to pick his brilliant mind. Despite his brilliance, Bob was an warm and approachable person, and he always took what I had to say seriously, even when he disagreed with me. 

My deepest sympathies go out to Bob's wife Adrienne, his entire family, as well as the many former students who I know Bob remained close to.

R.I.P. Clarence Clemons

R.I.P. Poly Styrene

Poly Styrene (aka Marianne Elliot Said) in a recent publicity photo

 

It took Poly Styrene (aka Marianne Elliot) all of 10 seconds to become an immortal legend.

"Some people think little girls should be seen and not heard,

But I think,

Oh Bondage up yours!

One, two, three, FOUR...."

Before the first notes of her band X-Ray Spex's first single were even played, Poly uttered those words from a mouth still full of braces in her little girl cockney accent, and she would never be forgotten, nor could she be.

I was greatly saddened to learn of Marianne Elliot Said's passing after a battle with breast cancer at the age of 54. She lived a life as bright as her signature day-glo fashions, but one that was tragically cut too short.

Strip away the obscenity and titillation, and "Oh Bondage Up Yours!" is very simply a song about refusing the chains that other people would put on you. Widely embraced as a feminist anthem, the message is also universal. The obscenity of the metaphor, the shocking quality of hearing it shouted so forcefully from the mouth of someone who was barely more than a little girl herself at the time, only amplified the power inherent in the refusal. The song is at once potently nihilistic and forcefully affirmative. In many ways "Oh Bondage Up Yours!" is the punk-rock single, and I rank it up there in importance with The Sex Pistol's "God Save The Queen," or anything else to come out of the English punk rock explosion of the late 70s. It might be the greatest one of them all.

Likewise, I consider X-Ray Spex's first album, Germfree Adolescents, to be one of the very best UK punk rock albums, and just as vital as the debut albums by The Clash, The Damned or The Sex Pistols. With her day-glo fashion, bi-racial beauty, and mouth full of braces, Styrene cut a smashing figure across the punk rock scene, one that no doubt has served as inspiration to the hundreds of rebellious female (and male) musicians who followed in the trail she blazed so brightly.

Styrene quickly refused the shackles imposed by punk rock, releasing the decidedly non-punk solo album Translucence, then dropped out of the music scene altogether to join a London based Hare Krishna sect. She would periodically reappear on the music scene, most recently with Generation Indigo, which was released earlier this year.

According to her BBC obituary, Styrene recently said, "I know I'll probably be remembered for 'Oh Bondage Up Yours!' ... I'd like to remembered for something a bit more spiritual." I know nothing of the spirit world Poly now belongs to, but I don't think there is much better advice for living in the material world than that contained in "Oh Bondage Up Yours!"

"Oh bondage, no more!"

R.I.P. - Charlie Louvin

Charlie Louvin, half of the famed country duo The Louvin Brothers, died early this morning of complications from pancreatic cancer at the age of 83.

Charlie Louvin was born Charles Elzer Loudermilk (J.D. is his cousin) in Henager, Alabama in 1927, three years after his brother Ira. Charlie and Ira worked in the fields on their family's farm and began singing together as teenagers. Their musical partnership ended in 1963 in no small part due to Ira's excessive drinking which made him unpredictable and often violent. Ironically, Ira was struck and killed by a drunk driver in 1965, not long after a warrant was issued for his own arrest on a DUI charge.

Charlie kept performing and releasing solo albums, including a quartet of highly acclaimed albums on the Tompkins Square label during the 2000s. Charlie kept making music til very near the end of his life; his last album, The Battle Rages On, was released on True North Records on November 9, 2010.

The Louvin Brothers' Christmas music has been a staple of my holiday mixes for years, and their music has never been far from my turntable, CD player or computer. Charlie will be missed.

R.I.P. - Don Kirshner

Don Kirshner (left) with Carole King and Gerry Goffin.

Don Kirshner died at the age of 76 on January 17th. Don was perhaps best known as the musical impresario behind the Monkees and later the Archies. At the time some joked that after the Monkees fired him, Don decided to work with a cartoon band because they couldn't (fire him, that is). But looking at Kirshner's career through this sort of rockist prism sells the man and his genius for spotting and nurturing songs and talent short.

First of all, there was much more to Kirshner's career than his role as a bubblegum impresario. He started off working closely with his friend, and fellow Bronx High School of Science alumnus, Bobby Darin. He co-founded (with Al Nevins of Three Suns fame) Aldon Music, one of the most important "Brill Building" music publishing companies. Writers employed by Aldon included Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weill, Neil Sedaka, Howard Greenfield and Jack Keller. A few of the hits that originated at Aldon include: "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," "Up On The Roof," "The Loco-Motion," "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do," "One Fine Day," "Walking In The Rain," "Stupid Cupid," "Uptown," "On Broadway," "We Got To Get Out of This Place" and (last but certainly not least) "Who Put the Bomp (In the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)." Had he done nothing but co-found Aldon Music, Kirshner would be an important figure in 20th Century popular music.

But of course he did do more. Much more. He was hired by the producers of the Monkees to provide the pre-fab four with songs (which would be needed quickly due to the demands of television). The songs he provided them with, including "Last Train To Clarksville," "I'm A Believer," and "Pleasant Valley Sunday" are rightly remembered as some of the greatest hits of the era, regardless of who actually preformed on them. And while much has been made of the fact that, yes, The Monkees did actually have their own songwriting talent (especially Michael Nesmith), it is unlikely anyone would care were it not for the outstanding material Kirshner brought to the band in the first place.

The Monkees fired Kirshner after he released "A Little Bit Of Me, A Little Bit Of You" as a single without the band's permission. Arguments about artistic integrity aside, it should be pointed out that it was a great choice for a single and one of the best songs released under the band's name. And rockist revisionist history aside, it should also be pointed out that the Monkees' sales slid precipitously after they fired Kirshner. They may have released some fine music post-Kirshner, but the the hits mostly dried up.

Kirshner's next project, The Archies, never got any respect from the rock establishment (not that it needed any), but I would still put "Sugar, Sugar" on a short list for greatest songs of the sixties. And despite the fact that the Archies failed to have as many big hits as The Monkees, many of their songs ("Jingle Jangle," "Bang-Shang-A-Lang," "Everything's Alright," etc.) hold up better than much of the "serious" rock music that was being championed by the rock music critical establishment at the time.

From 1971 until 1982 Kirshner hosted ABC's Don Kirshner's Rock Concert, which introduced such punk and new wave acts as The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, Devo, The New York Dolls, and The Police to American television audiences at a time when few other U.S. television and radio outlets would touch them.

Here is what Kirshner had to say about his days helping produce hits in The Brill Building:

"I believe that after I'm gone, my grandchildren will be whistling these tunes. Whether they know that I published them or not - they will be whistling these tunes the same as they do songs from My Fair Lady and Camelot, and these tunes will be part of American culture - they'll be used in movies and so on. Of all the legacies that I have given, personally to me it's very important that I was able to come out of the streets of Harlem, out of my dad's tailor shop, and have the ability to create an environment where this sound will be part of American and international culture forever."

Don Kirshner is survived by his wife of 50 years, Sheila, two sons and five grandchildren. Whistle one of the many tunes Don Kirshner helped bring to the public's consciousness in their honor.

R.I.P. - Robert Wilson [The Gap Band]

I was saddened to hear that Robert Wilson, bassist for the legendary Gap Band died of a massive heart attack at the young age of 53 this past Sunday.

"You Dropped A Bomb On Me" and “I Don’t Believe You Want To Get Up And Dance (Oops),” were two of my favorite songs growing up. In fact, The Gap Band IV is currently sitting in my pile of records to be needledropped so I can listen to it on my iPod.

My thoughts go out to Robert's family, including brothers Charlie and Ronnie.

R.I.P. - Alex Chilton

R.I.P. Damon Crowdy

I got some sad news from my Mom today when I learned that an old school friend of mine, Damon Crowdy, passed away recently. I was sad to learn that Damon died of heart failure after a long struggle with kidney disease.

I hadn't seen Damon in twenty years or so, but I never forgot him. It's not possible to forget a guy like Damon. I was entirely unsurprised to learn from his obituary that as an adult Damon dedicated his life to helping others. Damon was one of the funniest people I've ever known, but unlike so many other children, there was never a hint of cruelty in his humor. And while Damon had a rowdy side as a child, there was also always an almost spiritual quality about him.

If Damon liked you, he would invent a funny nickname for you--I was "Squeaky Mongueeky"--a silly name that nevertheless always made me feel special. I can remember reading the book I Wish I Had An Afro, a story of a young boy's emerging sense of black pride, with Damon in Elementary school, and how Damon created a musical version of the story to the tune of "If I Were A Rich Man" from Fiddler On The Roof. Maybe you had to be there, but it was genuinely hilarious. Most kids are not nearly so clever in their attempts at humor.

I'm sure that Damon touched many lives after I last saw him, and I'm sure that many people are better off for having known him. I know that I am. I will always remember him as a warm, funny, cheerful kid, and regret I didn't get to know the man he became. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

R.I.P. - Sky Saxon

Farrah Fawcett wasn't the only person to have their death go less noticed than it should have been because of untimely demise of the "King of Pop." I was very sad to learn of the passing of Sky "Sunlight" Saxon this past Thursday. Saxon was a true rock legend, a man whose life and musical legacy deserve far more attention than they have received.

My friend Peter wrote a very eloquent post about Sky and his music here a couple of years ago, and the single biggest thrill I've gotten from running this blog came when the man himself, Sky "Sunlight" Saxon, posted his thanks in the comments section. I was truly elated to know that a legend like Saxon had stumbled across this humble blog.

My thoughts and prayers go out to Sky's loved ones and friends.

R.I.P. - Michael Jackson

We headed up to New Hampshire for a short vacation starting last Wednesday and on the way up I pulled up the Jam's Sound Affects on my iPod.

Perhaps because I once read a quote from Paul Weller in which he claimed Sound Affects was intended to sound like a cross between The Beatles' Revolver and Michael Jackson's Off The Wall, I started thinking about Jackson. I said to my wife something to the effect of "someday we're going to find out all the weird stuff that has been going on with Jackson the over past 10+ years, and it won't be pretty." I didn't realize it at the time, but I was talking about what would happen when Jackson died, which coincidentally happened the next day.

Because we were staying in a motel, I had access to cable news (no cable at home), and its weird world of wall-to-wall coverage of major and not-so-major events. It was strange hearing the different takes on Jackson. Depending on who you believe, Michael Jackson was either the closest thing the world has ever seen to a perfect human being (a child-like, innocent and kind humanitarian who only thought of others) or history's greatest monster (a master manipulator, with bizarre, twisted and seemingly insatiable appetites). Of all the people I heard voicing their opinion on Jackson on CNN, MSNBC and Fox, no one outside of Deepak Chopra offered anything close to a nuanced opinion on the man and his personal life. (Chopra clearly had great affection for Jackson as a person, but also seemed intensely aware of his flaws.)

Personally, I do not have any special insight into Michael Jackson, other than to fall back on cliches like "the truth probably lies somewhere in between," which, given the wide chasm between the two camps of opinion, hardly seems adequate either. In any case, the world doesn't need my opinion on who Michael Jackson really was, and not only because I honestly have no idea.

Perhaps the most prescient take on Michael Jackson was offered in episode one of the third season of The Simpsons, in which Jackson lent his voice to Leon Kompowsky, a bricklayer from Patterson, NJ and mental patient laboring under the illusion that he is Michael Jackson. Though Bart is initially let down when Homer brings home a "big white guy who thinks he's the little black guy" instead of the real Michael Jackson, Kompowsky still manages to save the day by helping Bart write a song for Lisa's birthday.

In other words, maybe who Michael Jackson really was matters less than who people (his fans and detractors alike) think he was. Michael Jackson's music has brought joy to millions, and no doubt will continue to do so for many, many years. But he is also there for those of us who need monsters to demonize as well.

R.I.P. - Blossom Dearie

I was saddened to hear of another passing of a great musician, this time jazz chanteuse Blossom Dearie. With her wispy, girlish voice and playful demeanor, Dearie was entirely unique among jazz singers.

The obituary in The New York Times explains why Dearie was a woman after my own heart:

But just under her fey camouflage lay a needling wit. If you listened closely, you could hear the scathing contempt she brought to one of her signature songs, “I’m Hip,” the Dave Frishberg-Bob Dorough demolition of a namedropping bohemian poseur.

Further,

Ms. Dearie didn’t suffer fools gladly and was unafraid to voice her disdain for music she didn’t like; the songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber were a particular pet peeve.

Seriously, anyone who hates Andrew Lloyd Webber is okay with me.

But while Dearie was best known for her unique interpretations of jazz standards, she first came to my attention (and I suspect many of my generation) through her work on the educational Saturday morning cartoon series Schoolhouse Rocks. It was Dearie who taught me how to unpack my adjectives and the simple beauty of the figure eight.



It wasn't until many years later that I discovered Dearie's voice could be equally enchanting singing jazz standards. Here are two of my favorites that were associated with her. Her version of "Rhode Island Is Famous For You" ought to be adopted as our official state song. Even though it was Ethel Merman who first introduced Cole Porter's "Give Him The Ooh-La-La" it sounds like it was written for Dearie's playful voice.

R.I.P. Lux Interior

This hurts.

For Immediate Release:
February 4, 2009

Lux Interior, lead singer of The Cramps, passed away this morning due to an existing heart condition at Glendale Memorial Hospital in Glendale, California at 4:30 AM PST today. Lux has been an inspiration and influence to millions of artists and fans around the world. He and wife Poison Ivy’s contributions with The Cramps have had an immeasurable impact on modern music.

The Cramps emerged from the original New York punk scene of CBGB and Max’s Kansas City, with a singular sound and iconography. Their distinct take on rockabilly and surf along with their midnight movie imagery reminded us all just how exciting, dangerous, vital and sexy rock and roll should be and has spawned entire subcultures. Lux was a fearless frontman who transformed every stage he stepped on into a place of passion, abandon, and true freedom. He is a rare icon who will be missed dearly.

The family requests that you respect their privacy during this difficult time.

R.I.P. Gerry Meisenhelder

We got some sad news during our Christmas visit to York, PA. My wife's grandfather and our dear friend, Gerry Meisenhelder, was in the hospital. He had been diagnosed with advanced leukemia and wasn't expected to make it. We got to visit him in the hospital and tell him how much we love him on Christmas night. He was alert, lucid and making jokes, basically doing everything he could to keep the atmosphere light. The next day he was gone.

The York Daily Record has a nice article on Gerry that gives you some sense of what a special person he was. Gerry was York's first Poet Laureate. He was a painter, a playwright, and an actor. He was a WWII Veteran, a peace activist and a humanitarian. He was a husband, a father, a grandfather and a great-grandfather. He was a good man and an inspiration to all who knew him. Gerry radiated the kind of wisdom that sometimes comes with age, yet with none of the bitterness and cynicism that also sometimes comes with age. He was one of the most interesting and creative people I've ever met, and I feel blessed to have known him. I'm going to miss him terribly.

There will be a memorial service for Gerry today at 6:00 PM at Dream Wrights Youth and Family Theater in York. In lieu of flowers, please consider honoring Gerry's life with a memorial donation to the SPCA of York County.

R.I.P. - Dock Ellis

Former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis passed away Friday.

Dock Ellis, who infamously claimed he pitched a no-hitter for Pittsburgh under the influence of LSD and later fiercely spoke out against drug and alcohol addiction, died Friday. He was 63.

His wife, Hjordis, said he died at the USC Medical Center in Los Angeles.

“It’s a tremendous loss to the family,” she said. “He’s been struggling for about a year with the end stages of liver disease.”

Ellis was certainly one of baseball's more flamboyant and interesting figures during the seventies. His 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates beat my beloved Baltimore Orioles in the World Series, but I'm too young to remember that. Despite the fact that the Pirates beat my Orioles twice during the 1970s, I have tremendous respect for those Pittsburgh teams: Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, Dave Parker, Omar Moreno...those were great teams. The 1979 World Series was my first real exposure to sports heartbreak. I still get a little angry every time I hear Sister Sledge's "We Are Family."

In 1971 Ellis was the starting pitcher for the first all black starting lineup in MLB history. Here's one song I can listen to anytime with no problem: It's Barbara Manning and the S.F. Seals tribute to Dock Ellis from their Baseball Trilogy EP. The psychedelic feel of the song is a perfect tribute to the pitcher's wild days in the seventies.