this is : my web log

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23 Skidoo : 'Coup'
Correctly identified by : Baby_2u
Well - Linda certainly hides her light under a bushel - she got this really quite difficult quiz in 2 goes - I'm impressed Thanks Linda - nice work OK, well the quiz song is the rather groovy 1984 12" single 'Coup' by 23 Skidoo which, despite the fact that I earlier said isn't on an album - I find that it IS in fact on their 2002 album 'The Gospel Comes To New Guinea' which is actually a compilation of singles - but nonetheless means that you can find it on a CD that doesn't include stuff by other bands. If you see what I mean. I've actually got the song on this CD, which frankly isn't very good - mostly mediocre songs by otherwise interesting bands (it does have the advantage of including 'Being Boiled' by the proto Human League - before they were famous - and which I quite like). But then I only paid about $2.50 for it, so having it for just these 2 really good songs is quite acceptable OK - enough. the very interesting 23 Skidoo albums on Amazon here (I read that the aforementioned singles compilation is well worth getting, as is the album Urban Gamelan. That one in particular gets really good comments on quite a few blogs ) Oh - I should mention what the expression '23 Skidoo' actually means. Thank you for your attention

Alabama 3 : 'Bulletproof'
No winner this week, despite best efforts by P2 and Rose-Marie Thanks for participating though, you guys Well - this week's quiz details - The band : Alabama 3 (now aparrently known as A3), the song : 'Bulletproof', the album: 2002's 'Power in the Blood'. Not a bad album at all - if you like A3 you will like it (and may already have it). For a while there, I though this outfit were going to end up as a comedy band, don't ask why - but they are still out there and are supposed to be outstanding live They are very, very good at electronica but IMHO do tend to suffer a bit from the fact that the main vocalist is on nearly all the songs (is it because he likes the sound of his own very distinctive voice a little too much? hard to say) - if they just left some of the songs to the backing singers\guests, I think the whole would improve no end Still like their albums though, despite that

The clue referred to the fact that their rather amazing song 'Woke Up This Morning' was used as the opening credits tune to the TV show 'The Sopranos'

Amon Duul II : 'Morning Excuse'
Correctly identified by : Phantom2
Well - damn good skills from P2 - he managed to get Amon Duul II - I seriously thought that no one was going to solve this Oh how the mighty are fallen
So - this track 'Morning Excuse' from the quite good album 'Vive La Trance' by the German Psychedelic\Space\KrautRock (take your pick) band Amon Duul II. There's another song in the widget above, 'A Trip From Here To Your Ears' from the 1969 album 'Dance Of The Lemmings', by way of comparison and for interest's sake. This outfit have been around since...oh, let me see....it was 1969 when they released their first album, so 39-odd years - quite a while, then. I really enjoy a lot (but not all) of their stuff - and in fact they have the honour of being the producers of the album I dislike the most, of all the genuine albums that I've heard thus far ('Live in London from 1973. Aaarrrggghhh). Not saying there's anything wrong with it - I just can't stand it. And there you have it . I have got (or have at some stage had) 'Yeti' (1970), 'Dance Of The Lemmings' (1971 & My favourite of them all), 'Carnival In Babylon' (1972), 'Wolf City' (also 1972), the quiz album 'Vive La Trance' (1973 or '74) and 'Hijack' (1974). Of all the above, the only one I can't personally recommend is 'Hijack', being the one of the above I liked least (I think I sold it). OK - well, the 2 songs featured here give you a glimpse into the wacky world of Amon Duul (II), but believe me, there's way more to the band than I could possibly hope to write here. Think adventurous, innovative Rock, think avant-garde classical and electronica, think 20 minute flights of often pleasantly bizarre musical adventure - think also of 3 minute forays into jazzy, spacey, rocky territory.....quite literally an inventive and often exciting musical kaleidoscope.....ummm...have I said enough?? It's not all good of course, but then - what band is? If you're interested enough to invest a few dollars in a CD or two, you could do worse than starting with a selection of the ones I mention above. (Tip : 'Yeti' is held by many to be essential in this improvisational rock genre). OK - enough. The original Amon Duul and Amon Duul I here, and Amon Duul II here. This is very interesting.....the quiz album on Amazon here and more by Amon Duul II on Amazon here. Enjoy

Atomic Rooster : 'Devil's Answer'
Correctly identified by : Phantom2
This is going very well indeed, thanks P2 OK - the song is the live version of 'Devil's Answer' by long gone UK band Atomic Rooster. The original 7" single version of this was released in 1970, then re-released with a different 'B' side in 1971, reaching #4 in the UK charts at the time. From what I can glean on the internet, the quiz song version of 'Devil's Answer' is actually taken from a number of live sessions the band did for the BBC, so although 'live' in the true sense, it isn't from an actual venue performance out in the wild (this will explain the very good sound quality, for a live recording). I can't find the original (single) version of this song anywhere on a contemporary album - it certainly didn't appear on their first 3 albums, so must be one of those songs that you're only ever going to find on compilations, such as 1974's 'Assortment' on the Charisma\B & C Records labels.
So - Atomic Rooster here and here ...and this is a very interesting link detailing what happened, where, why and to who of the various members of Atomic Rooster, during the band's career. The always interesting Discogs entry here and Atomic Rooster albums available on Amazon here

Big Joe Turner : 'I've Got A Pocketful Of Pencils'
Correctly identified by : Phantom2
Phantom 2 strikes again 'I've Got A Pocketful Of Pencils' by Big Joe Turner. Well identified by Mr 2, because although Big Joe is quite famous and had several quite important successes (not to mention, in the guise of performing R&B, being one of the inspiring voices of Rock 'n Roll - which, love it or loathe it, you can't deny is the foundation of most of today's popular rock music), his name isn't the first that springs to mind. And this isn't an easy song to get, by any means. So - nice one, Phantom Well - Big Joe's longtime pianist & musical partner was Pete Johnson, with whom Big Joe had a hit with 'Roll 'em Pete' - who, upon repeated listening, I don't think is the pianist on this live rendition. Big Joe sounds advanced in years, and Pete Johnson had a stroke in 1958. Something tells me this recording is later than that - much googling has only turned up Milt Buckner as being the pianist on recordings of this song, so it might be him (the source CD hasn't got any liner notes, which is extremely irritating). Just doesn't sound like Milt's style, from what I've heard, that's all. Could be somebody else entirely of course Somebody tell me I'm wrong, please - any info welcome Anyway - whovever the pianist is, marvellous stuff. OK - cut to the chase, big boy : Big Joe here and here....this French blues film featuring Big Joe and others, on YouTube is absolutely bloody marvellous and - Big Joe doing what I guess was one of THE prime movers, all those years ago - 'Shake, Rattle & Roll'. Hooee, they were controversial lyrics in those days boy, you betcha by golly! Plenty of Big Joe on Amazon here. Thank you very much for your attention

(The) Boomtown Rats : 'Mary Of The 4th Form'
And the winner wass...<dramatic pause>...Certified Swamp Rat : Phantom2. Well done P2 and thanks A bloody good song this, still makes me jump about when I hear it...gots to say that it's probably my favourite song by The Boomtown Rats, from their eponymously titled 1977 debut album. The various clues referred a) to the vocalist (who, lets face it, was bloody well on fire when they recorded this song), the very worthy Bob Geldof and b) probably the band's best known song 'I Don't Like Mondays'. The Boomies albums on Amazon here...and the album I've got with this song on here. I love compilations, don't you?? You can catch up with all sorts of stuff you didn't get at the time, or have subsequently lost Excellent music

(The) Cure : 'A Forest'
Correctly identified by : Rose-Marie
That Rose-Marie, she strikes yet again Good on ya Rose, and thank you Not a difficult one for Rose this time, being the song 'A Forest' by our old friends The Cure. Originally released in 1980 on the excellent album 'Seventeen Seconds'. The actual version featured here though is in fact the extended remixed version from the 1990 'Mixed Up' album, which I quite like, although the quiz song is definitely my favourite and the remix which works best for me So - The Cure here and their home site here and this looks as though it might be interesting. I've always liked this band generally and in principle, although I must say that a few of their albums just don't quite excite me enough (but hey, who cares ). Having said that, I haven't heard all their albums, either. The very first one I did hear was the aforementioned 'Seventeen Seconds', in the front room of a post-punk purist (i.e. a girl who didn't think much of the broad spectrum 'popping up' that The Cure underwent sometime after the 'Pornography' album of 1982). That sort of thing doesn't worry me at all - I mean, just get over it whydontcha and listen to what the band have become. Nobody should remain static - art is dynamic and that's all there is to it I liked her and all, but she took all that stuff way too seriously. Uhhh - where was I???... ...and having said all of that, I still think that Seventeen Seconds may end up being my favourite Cure album, when all's said and done, the cows have come home to roost and the cordwangler is safe & sound in the loombucket. 'Seventeen Seconds' available on Amazon here and 'Mixed Up' available on Amazon here. And there you have it

Curved Air : 'Backstreet Luv'
[url=http://my.opera.com/rose-marie/info/Rose-Marie strikes again Coolly identifying 'Backstreet Luv' from 1971's 'Second Album' by Curved Air. Quirky and exotic are words that come to mind - I've got to say that I like this song a lot, although the farty synth sound is a bit...ummm...unusual. Deep in the heart of obscure prog rock country and from an album that had less than outstanding reviews at the time....but that may well be because in those times of proggery - extended guitar & drum solos & etc.etc.etc., this album mostly consisted of quite nice 3 or 4 minute songs, like this one To be honest I haven't heard the album, but the soundbytes you can listen to on Amazon do sound pretty good. But buy it - I dunno. If someone wants to lend it to me..... Anyhoo - more on Curved Air here. As noted in the Wikipedia entry above, quite a few names of note passed through Curved air on their way to or from other, often huge bands (i.e. Stewart Copeland) - it's very interesting the way these relatively obscure early bands are often the roots for big time outfits....<pauses briefly, to ponder on err...connections and things like that...>. OK - Curved Air's albums on Amazon here - looks like most if not all have been re-released, which is excellent Good music, like good books, should never be allowed to die Oh and the rather cool singer -Sonja Kristina - has an interesting site here

Frank Zappa : 'Purple Haze' ~and~ 'Sunshine Of Your Love'
Correctly identified by : Phantom2
Frank Zappa. One of the best and most talent musician\composers of the last century, history will confirm. These 2 cover songs are from the 1991 double album 'The Best Band You Never Heard In Your Life'. I believe that this is the sister album to 1991's 'Make A Jazz Noise Here'. Both essential albums if you even think you might like some FZ on your shelves. I think they're both taken from the same tour of '87\'88 (I was lucky enough to attend the London gig), which I also believe was Frank's last tour with a band...they kind of self-destructed and he sacked them all (or at least, broke the band up because they were causing him too much grief, which comes to the same thing). I know that FZ isn't everyone's cup of Tea - but also, there are a lot of people out there who've never actually heard anything much by FZ (apart from maybe 'Dancing Fool'), and have no idea of how mind-bogglingly good he & band were.

The way he worked was that every couple of years, he would audition the very best of the very best, (who I understand would pretty much sell their souls to be picked), and form a band, rehearse them until he thought they'd 'got it', then go on tour. A tough gig, but great for the character, the fun & blindingly good shows, the sharpening of skills and no doubt the CV

The quiz songs featured here are not necessarily representative of what to expect from what I shall call 'The Frank Zappa Experience' - many of his more recent albums are actually all recordings of live concerts, with some overdubs (check out the 'You Can't Do That On Stage Anymore' series)...these two songs are indeed 'live', but are rehearsals, rather than in front of an audience. And are also unusual in not actually being Zappa originals. This tour also produced an almost definitive version of 'Stairway To Heaven' (on 'Best Band...') and featured some bloody excellent Starvinsky and Bartok (on 'Make a Jazz...'). I honestly can't do any of it justice here, you'll have to seek some out for yourself and listen with an open mind - it's not all Rock, it's not all Jazz, it's not all Lampoon...it's.....amazing, thrilling, mind-bogglingly talented, funny.....RockJazzClassicalOtherstuff. Frank Zappa here and here. The peerless, marvellous 'Peaches En Regalia' from I think that very '88 final tour here on YouTube - bloody happy to have found this, because it doesn't feature on the albums mentioned above, from that tour (there's quite a lot more FZ on YouTube if you look around, as well ). If I can decide what song to feature, I'll post Frank in my Song Of The Week blog soon (but, such a hard choice to make...). Definitely the musician I admire & enjoy most in the world 'Best Band...' and 'Make A Jazz...' on Amazon here Oh - and the excellent Discogs entry here. Super stuff. Well done with that P2

Jah Wobble & Invaders Of The Heart : 'Becoming More Like God'
Correctly identified by : Rose-Marie
Crikey - Rose is back and no mistake I thought this one would be quite difficult...well - in fact it is quite difficult generally, but not for Rose So - it is the charming little number called 'Becoming More Like God' by the exceptonally talented, beguilingly eccentric, extremely influential and still (IMHO) potential revolutionary leader of the people, Jah Wobble and his band of the time The Invaders Of The Heart, from the almost-but-not-quite-work-of-genius 1994 album 'Take Me To God'. I like it And I really like Mr. Wobble, and whatever band he's driving around with - however much you like his albums - you simply must see him live - this is where he & associated musicians really take off (obvious really). If you think the albums are OK, you're going to freak out if & when you see (and hear) them live. Astoundingly good, is my opinion OK, well, cut the crap I here you saying, so I will Mr. Wobble here, and a good interview here and a variety of his albums on Amazon here. Great stuff Oh - and here's another reason to seek out his albums - this is next on my list Ohhh - can't leave this one out....OMG. Take me lord, take me - oh to have been in that outfit Quite a lot of entertaining YouTube-y stuff out there, if you look

Kevin Ayers : 'Circular Letters'
Correctly identified by : Phantom2
You don't hear much about Kevin Ayers these days, although he is indeed alive and more or less well and I think living in Montolieu, France (although don't quote me on that). A long-time idol of mine, ever since at around the age of - I dunno, 13 or 14 I think - I first heard the 1971 album 'Whatevershebringswesing' and ever since then, that album's 'Song From The Bottom Of A Well' has been one of my permanent top 10 favourite songs of all time (and that my friends, is a bloody hard list to get on to ). Anyhoo...I digress somewhat - the quiz song is, as Mr 2 has correctly stated, 'Circular Letters' from the 1975 album 'Sweet Deceiver' - although I must admit that I culled this song from the 1989 compilation 'Best Of Kevin Ayers'. Note that oddly, the quiz song is track 18 on this album, which the cover says is 'Diminished But Not Finished'. Odd, that. It's the same on my copy. Hey ho. Anyway - it's all good and I understand that Kevin is currently enjoying some well deserved adulation from modern artists and there is a nice re-emergence of his popularity amongst discerning music folk. About bloody time! Kevin Ayers here and here and his MySpace presence here Plenty of YouTube-y stuff out there...oh - an interesting Guardian article here and a good interview here Good on you, Mr.K. Ayers - we do so love you, you know

(The) La's : 'Looking Glass'
Correctly identified by Phantom2
Mr 2 strikes again damn, he's good I thought I might have been onto a good thing here, what with this album barely making it to #196 on the Billboard charts about 18 years ago, and only making #30 in the UK charts. A couple days grace, I thought. But no P2 got this in a matter of hours What is it with these people?? Don't they know I've got to get some sleep?? (just kidding folks) So - 'Looking Glass' from the 1990 eponymously titled album by The La's. An excellent album and shining example of what was called 'Britpop'. I saw The La's in about 1990 in London (probably Kentish Town, the Town & Country Club - my favouritest venue ever in those days - I used to go there what seemed like every week to see somebody or another) - and they were very good, although as I recall were probably let down somewhat by their lack of material - they did 2 encores, both of which were the same song - which they'd already played in the set. No big deal, but I thought then that perhaps they had nothing else to offer. So it goes. However - that doesn't detract from the quality of this album - it's really good and one of those which I'll never get rid of, plus it reminds me of good times, goooood times. The summer that this was out and 'There She Goes' was getting some heavy rotation, I was bumming around the south of France, meeting & making a lorra lorra friends and incidentally doing things and going to places that subsequently have kinda re-surfaced in my story called 'Trip', elsewhere in this blog....Hmm. Where was I? Oh yes..right then...The La's here and here. This album on Amazon here (well actually not this album, but a newer release with additional tracks, looks a better deal ). Funny - I still hear people on radio & elsewhere calling this band 'The LA's' (i.e. The L.A.'s) whereas in fact, in Liverpewl, the word 'La' is scouse for 'Lad' - so in their home town, the band would be like 'The Lads'. The 'L.A.'s' - I ask you

Ladytron : 'Burning Up'
Correctly identified by : my good friend Rose-Marie
....in what I expect was her last visit here for a few weeks, as she's going on holiday (lucky, lucky girl ). Funnily enough - it was Rose that first introduced me to Ladytron in her now legendary Song Of The Day blog. It's still there, if you search it out - some great stuff, too, thanks for that Rose...an inspiration Anyway - on to Ladyton : This song 'Burning Up' from their latest album, 2008's 'Velocifero' - better, to my ears, than their previous offering 'Extended Play' which personally I thought was only OK and has suspected that perhaps Ladytron had gone off the boil. Not so, I'm pleased to report This is a damn good album - if you know Ladytron then you'll know what to expect - and if you've never heard any of their other stuff, and like this song - this is an excellent album to start with Buy it now! So - Ladytron here and here. This album for sale on Amazon here..and the ever interesting Discogs entry here. Excellent band

Lightnin' Hopkins : 'You Treat Po' Lightnin' Wrong'
Correctly identified by Phantom2
Phantom 2, with a finely tuned and educated ear, nailed Lightnin' Hopkins. That really was very good indeed As P2 says, there are a huge number of recordings out there by Sam 'Lightnin' Hopkins - the one I have is one of the very many compilations, called 'Goin' Back Home'. Better than many - you need to beware some compilations, they have dodgy recordings, badly transferred from vinyl - and you sometimes don't get what you're expecting (words of experience). So read the reviews, pick and choose, the good stuff isn't usually in the bargain bins....

OK - so, originally I thought 'You Treat Po' Lightnin' Wrong' (which is here a) because it's a bloody good recording and b) because the quality of Lightnin's voice here sends shivers up my spine...oooohhh baby, it IS the blues talking)...ummm, oh yes, I thought it was from an album called 'Cadillac Man', but it turns out that album was released in 1994, so basically it's another compilation. And then I found this, which judging by it's title '1946 - 1951', is probably what's available from those years. So the song is from later than 1951 - it's too good to have been missed off if that's a comprehensive collection.
Also, it's not included in the Complete Aladdin Recordings - so we're looking at end of the '50s onwards, I'd say...anyway, I've flicked through the playists of heaps of Lightnin' Hopkins albums and as yet only found this song on bloody 'Cadillac Man' - so I still can't say when it was first recorded. I suspected some live sessions recorded by Sam Charters in his apartment, for Folkway Records in 1959 (there is a small but appreciative audience in the background), but then I found that recording here so...that's not it either. Then I thought maybe from Stan Lewis' Jewel Records in the mid-'60s, but the listings here don't show this song. And it's not in the Complete Prestige\Bluesville recordings, either. So I dunno. If I find any more info I'll put it here. I don't think it really matters, but I'm bloody well interested dammit So : if you want to learn how to play Lightnin's guitar style, look here. There's so much stuff on the web about Mr Hopkins, many, many album reviews, blogs and other quite interesting things - it would be silly of me to presume what bits you're going to be interested in, so I'll content myself with pointing you to (just a few of) his albums on Amazon here.

Marta Sebestyen : 'Tavasz Tavasz'
Correctly identified by Phantom2
Thank you, thank you Mr P2 You are indeed The Man The correct answer is 'Tavasz Tavasz' from the excellent 1992 album 'Aprocrypha' by Marta Sebestyen. She's from Hungary, you know. Sings traditional Hungarian (or perhaps central European, anyway) Folk and as here, what I would call Folktronica. Lovely stuff (well, I think so anyway, hence it's appearance here ) The beautifully voiced Marta here and here...her home site here and this super album available on Amazon here Another nice piece on YouTube here. Groovy stuff

Mary Gauthier : 'Falling Out Of Love'
Correctly identified by Phantom2
Once again -P2 strikes - Jeepers - showing his true colours now, that's for sure OK - the song 'Falling Out Of Love', track 1 from the 2005 album 'Mercy Now' by the superb Mary Gauthier (which, as you will find in more-or-less every single article\review, is pronounced go-SHAY). This is the only album of Mary's that I have thus far, and I've got to say that although being musically omnivorous, I'm not a lover of C&W, although I do like Country and I do like Western. This falls into the Country music arena (NOT C&W), but is actually Gothic Soul music, IMHO. Dark, sombre, with flashes of genuine insight to the human condition, expressed wryly, ironically and accompanied by a knowing sigh. Don't be put off by categorisations - if you like the sound of this song, you'll like this album in particular and you'll accompany me looking for more of Mary's music. I think she's a very cool musician indeed, it takes a lot of bottom (in the depth sense of the word) to do stuff this deep OK - Mary on wikipedia here, her home site here...this is interesting - the title track from this album on YouTube here and this album on Amazon here (with some nice reviews ). Good stuff, I like

Mercury Rev : 'Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp'
Correctly identified by Theoddbod
Crikey This quiz was up for just 4 minutes, before it was correctly answered by Mart, AKA Theoddbod. Now that's what I'm talking about - nice one, Mart - thanks very much OK - this song - 'Delta Sun Bottleneck Stomp' from the fine 1998 album 'Deserter's Songs' by the very entertaining Mercury Rev. The is the second album of theirs that I've had - the first being 1993's Boces which I got the week it came out....I was browsing a CD store in London's Soho (my favourite part of that City)...and it was playing through the PA. I had to buy it. Much later, I lent it to a 'friend' and never saw it again. Bugger! I loved that record Don't you just hate that? Anyhoo - I like the band, and their albums, end of story. Mercury Rev's home site here, their MySpace presence here and the ever informative Discogs entry here. Thank you all for your attention and have a nice day Oh - nearly forgot - Mercury Rev albums on Amazon here. Enjoy

Owsley : 'I'm Alright'
Correctly identified by : No winner this week
Oh well - this one turned out to be quite hard after all....quiz song #77 was 'I'm Alright' from the eponymously titled 1999 debut album by Owsley. A very decent album in, I guess, the genre 'power pop' - well worth having if you like this kind of stuff. Not much I can tell you about this artist that isn't on his website (see above)...and his albums on Amazon here. The clues got a bit convoluted - I tried alluding to the legendary Owsley Stanley, pioneering sound engineer, LSD producer and Grateful Dead soundman - but the connections never happened - never mind

(The) Peter Stuyvesant Hitlist : 'Superkool'
Correctly identified by : No winner this week
Well - despite best efforts from Linda and Rose (thanks for trying, you guys ) - this one failed to fly Never mind - I think my clues were a wee bit off the mark - I thought Peter Stuyvesant cigarettes were a well known brand in the USA, but apparently not - they must be a European brand (altho' definitely made by British American Tobacco, the murdering bastards) & imported into USA. I could here go into a rant about shareholders in BAT & other Tobacco companies and how they actually perceive their place in Society - but that should be aired somewhere else - not here, not now Where was I? Oh yes - this weeks quiz song turns out to be 'Superkool' from the 1998 eponymously titled album from NZ band Peter Stuyvesant Hitlist. Well, you'll not find much on the web about this band, this is about as good as it gets There's also a small article here (scroll right down towards the end...) So - the 1998 eponymously titled album is, despite the lack of exposure, quite good - 5 out of 10 on the old Musicometer - intentionally rather cheesy, it has references (K Road, for instance) that few non-kiwis would get...which of course doesn't affect the quality of the music one iota. I like it, anyway. Unfortunately I can't find this album for sale in any NZ online CD stores (and certainly not Amazon)...you'll just have to keep a lookout in the usual places (i.e. Real Groovy and Smoke CDs etc.) if you really want a copy. Good luck with that

Ry Cooder : 'El UFO Cayo'
Correctly identified by : Rose-Marie
Rose-Marie strikes again Well done - this turned out to be much harder than I expected - so thanks Rose - nice one! From the 2005 album 'Chavez Ravine' by the now legendary Ry Cooder. The problem with Ry Cooder is that it's almost like he doesn't appear on his own records, sometimes Mr. Cooder has been around for a while now, and has some superb albums under his belt - if you aren't particularly familiar with Ry's body of work - it covers a host of styles (and he's appeared on more other people's albums than you could shake a reasonably pointy stick at)..I recommend you start with the gorgeous 'Paris, Texas' soundtrack, then maybe 'Chicken Skin Music'...and take it from there Anyway - I really like this album - it's grown on me tremendously in the last 2 or so years...and I've been thinking of having another track from it as my Song Of The Week for a while now.......
But - moving right on along : the vocalist on this lovely song is Juliette Commagere (she's the vocalist in a reasonably interesting sounding band called Hello Stranger, which I shall be investigating later). The album Chavez Ravine also stars, amongst other luminaries, Flaco Jiminez and Jim Keltner. The record itself is latino in style - but don't get the idea it's like 'Buena Vista Social Club' - it's not, at all. Buena Vista was a celebration of a musical style, the musicians and their home. 'Chavez Ravine' is an opportunity, via the medium of music, to tell the true story about how a community was destroyed and eventually rolled over to build a Baseball stadium. Big Guy vs little guy, of course - a familiar story, wherever you live. Whatever - it's a bloody good record. So - Ry Cooder here and, interestingly, here. A very focussed site here...and one more very interesting site here. Plenty more about the excellent Mr. Cooder out there, if you look The album 'Chavez Ravine' on Amazon here. Great recording - buy it now!

Robyn Hitchcock : '1974'
Correctly identified by : Rapunzel
Rapunzelis obviously a Rock Chick of the first order - she got this in one, seemingly only moments after I posted it Maaaaate Thanks very much - I'm extremely pleased. Anyway - the mystery song is '1974' by Robyn Hitchcock which first appeared on the live recording 'Storefront Hitchcock' in 1998, and re-appeared as a studio take (this, the quiz version) on the 2000 album 'A Star For Bram'. I really (no, I mean really) like RH - in fact he's the most recent live act I've seen (as a member of The Venus 3) when they played The King's Arms, Auckland in 2006, a tour promoting the (then) new album 'Ole Tarantula'. Some people have reviewed RH and compared him to the late, great Syd Barrett - which is bollocks, frankly. I've got all of Syd's best albums and the majority of RH's albums and the similarities really are their educated english open-sounding accents (most certainly NOT Cockney, as I've read RH's accent is supposed to sound. Ridiculous.)...and their mutual talent for breathtakingly poignant bursts of surreal songwriting. They complement each other, but don't compete for the same sound (if you see what I mean). OK - Robyn Hitchcock : here and here and also here ....and more here. More entertaining than something very entertaining indeed

Scritti Politti : 'Lover To Fall'
Correctly identified by : No winner, this week
A no win situation - well, it is quite hard . The mystery song this week is 'Lover To Fall' by Scritti Politti, from the 1985 album 'Cupid & Psyche 85'. I like this album - it is very 80s, but not in a Duran Duran kinda way. I might feature something else from this as my Random Song Of The Week soon - there's some great stuff in here. IMHO Scritti Politti (aka Green Gartside) rather pioneered the good use of samples and, listening to this album, the quality of the production herein is quite amazing, considering that it's 23 years old. You would never know. OK - Scritti Politti here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scritti_Politti ...more here : http://www.dosswerks.com/scc/ ...this album on Amazon here : http://www.amazon.com/Cupid-Psyche-85-Scritti-Politti/dp/B000002L7Z/ref=m_art_li_0 ..(buy it now ) There's heaps of YouTube-y, MySpace-y & LastFM-y stuff out there

Soft Boys : 'I Wanna Destroy You'
Correctly identified by : Petina P
I am delighted to announce Petina P is Musc Quiz winner #2 Thanks for participating, Petina So - without hesitation, Pet got this in one...it is of course 'I wanna destroy you' from the album 'Underwater Moonlight...and how it got there' by The Soft Boys. I'm a big fan of Robyn Hitchcock and so it's fairly obvious that I'd have this album. It's quite good (I won't go so far as to say excellent) - but well worth having if you like the quiz song, which is quite representative of the album's style. A fair 6 out of ten, on my musicometer Plenty of info about The Soft Boys here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Soft_Boys ...and this is interesting : http://www.matadorrecords.com/the_soft_boys/ ...a good article here : http://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/s/softboys-underwater.shtml ...and this is a bit of a laugh : http://www.fegmania.org/pvcambridge.html
Get the CD & read some cool reviews here : http://www.amazon.com/Underwater-Moonlight-How-Got-There/dp/B000059N5Y/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1195082895&sr=1-1

Spencer Davis Group : 'Stevie's Blues'
Correctly identified by : Phantom2
Well - continuing the run of damn good skills from Phantom2 - he got the song 'Stevie's Blues' from the 1967 album 'I'm A Man' by the Spencer Davis Group. Now, as it happens, I just knew that P2 would get the band, but thought the song title\album would give him pause for thought And so it was Nonetheless, he got it without too much trouble - good onya, man OK - the song : I've actually got this great little Rhythm and Blues number on a compilation album which has a nice selection of (a lot of) the good stuff on it, including the theme tune to the UK TV show 'Magpie'. This particular album ('Classic Spencer Davis Group' 1999, Polydor\Universal UN989) is waaay better than the 'best of' which is available as I write, on Amazon. If you want a 'best of', I heartily recommend you search out the one I've detailed above, rather than the one currently on Amazon. As I've said several times before - the music really speaks for itself - Steve Winwood was a precociously good blues singer even at aged 15, when he joined the Spencer Davis Group while he was stll at school - you rarely keep a talent like that down and as history has shown, he went on to great things (although I'm sorry, but if I ever hear the song 'Valerie' again, I'm going to pull my ears off and scream for a week). I love his voice though The Spencer Davis Group had several hits in those heady, far off days, swinging London, Carnaby Street and all that, although as far as I can tell, Steve Winwood was only with them for during the first 3 of their recording years (1965-1967), during which they realeased an amazing 9 albums, the last one of which is 'I'm A Man'. They did what seems to my ears a fair bit of Ray Charles-y material, as well as the hits like 'Keep On Runnin' and some really good Rhythm and Blues numbers that Mr. Winwood himself wrote. All in all, this is a very enjoyable and interesting album - I'd like to get some of the real early albums, but as far as I can see, they're not available on CD (if you know better, please tell me). There's quite a lot of YouTube-y stuff out tere, too. Good stuff. Have a nice week

Spliff : 'Jive'
Correctly identified by : No winner, this week
Nobody identified the tricky 'Jive' from the 1980 album 'The Spliff Radio Show' by (as you probably guessed) Spliff. I quite like this album, despite it's (time-line related) similarity to < anything > by The Tubes (who are not quite My Cup Of Tea, don't know why, sorry). I think it's because Spliff sound European (well, German actually) and I do like that typically quiet & throw-away red-light-vocal from Lisa Bialac (about whom there isn't much info web-wise, other than prior to this, she was in Buddy Odor Stop and later, did sessions in USA for John Sebastian and Tim Hardin). But - back to the main act : Spliff, then - ex-Nina Hagen Band (herself subject of a) a quiz and b) a random song of the week) - and this song from their first post-Nina album. Info about it here : http://www.discogs.com/release/295210 ...and the album on Amazon here : http://www.amazon.com/Spliff-Radio-Show/dp/B00000AQAQ ...a very good bet, if you like clinically accurate Guitar Rock that is, in this instance, combined with a razor-sharp piss-take of The Music Industry

(The) Strokes : 'Reptilia'
Correctly identified by Theoddbod
The man they call...Theoddbod...returns, mops up quiz In one stroke (pardon the pun), Mart identified 'Reptilia' by The Strokes, from their 2003 album 'Room On Fire'. Thank you Mart, nice to see you back . OK - links to song, album & band above - got to say, not my favourite album (I much prefer their later and especially their current stuff). But this really is a great song, love it to bits and I remember being so impressed with the video when it was released - a masterpiece of understatement (unusual for me, often I find the visuals undramatic, unrepresentative and trite i.e. just pumped up pictures & no visual art - the usual marketing crap aimed at a very narrow demographic). However - that has no bearing on the quality of the music, so why don't I just shaaaaat up The Strokes home site here, their MySpace presence here and an interesting (albeit old) article in The Guardian here. This album and lots of their other stuff on Amazon here. Have an excellent day

The The : 'Dogs Of Lust'
Correctly identified by : Rapunzel
Lawks, this is out working well. Rapunzel is popping these off left, right and centre Good on you, Rap. OK - well, the mystery song is, as suggested by Rapunzel, 'Dogs of Lust' by The The, from the 1992 album 'Dusk'. Typical of Matt Johnson, this - what you might call a different kind of Darkness. In my view, Matt J (who is The The) is totally committed to his musical mission in a way only rivalled by Nick Cave. These dudes actually mean it. So - you don't take them (Matt or Nick) lightly and when they sing, you listen. So - The The here...and here ... 'Dusk' the album here...and for sale on Amazon here

Thomas Dolby : 'I Scare Myself'
Correctly identified by : Phantom2
Stone the Crows - barely had I posted this before P2 scored again, correctly identifying 'I Scare Myself' from the 1984 album 'The Flat Earth' by Thomas Dolby. Extra kudos to P2 for knowing that the original of this song was by Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks, from the 1969 album 'Original Recordings' (which I have on vinyl). Now that's what I'm talking about, people When I was a young ne'er do well, playing in bands & dreaming of music, Thomas Dolby was, for a while, the artist I wanted to be like. More specifically, the artist who did the album [yrl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Age_of_Wireless]'The Golden Age Of Wireless', which was an inspiration to me Stagefright got to me though & I bowed out after a while, probably not a bad thing because I didn't know anyone else who was going in the direction that I was (rich synth & rhythm guitar sounds via Can, Miles Davis & Reggae, preferably with Marianne Faithfull - and latterly, the mature Debby Harry - on vocals. And a Banjo\Ukelele reggae version of David Bowie's 'Heroes', sung by a girl with blues chops and a cigarette & whisky voice....always wanted to do that. I give that idea to anyone out there to do with what they will. Good luck getting Marianne and\or Debby to help out ) Aahh - oh yes, Mr. Dolby : his website here, his weblog here and his albums on Amazon here. I bid you all a very good afternoon

Total Magenta : 'Timbelined'
Correctly identified by : No winner, this week
well, no surprise at all this week, didn't honestly expect a winner Almost impossible I would have thought, unless one already knew the song or perhaps was familiar with the band. But hey - it gave me time to reorganise my blogs... So - 'Timberlined', from the 1998 debut EP of the same name by Auckland NZ band Total Magenta. A really amazing sound, IMHO and has become my current favourite, since I first heard it 3 or 4 weeks ago. Not much on the web about this band, although research shows that an other track on this EP ('Jangled and Frayed') has Glen Ross 'Fernando' Campbell guesting on steel guitar. He's an interesting character: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Ross_Campbell - I'm pretty sure he eventually moved to Auckland and from what I can make out, possibly works, or worked as an Art (Woodwork?) teacher (perhaps) at Auckland University - which is probably where the singer met him & the rest (whatever it was) is history. About as much as you'll easily find on the web about this band here : http://www.muzic.net.nz/artists/676.html and here : http://www.amplifier.co.nz/artist/2167/?full=1 (where you an also purchase this song and others by the band online).

Was (Not Was) : 'How The Heart Behaves'
Correctly identified by : Baby_2u
Cripes - Linda strikes again In the few minutes between me posting this song and the remote server BSOD'ing, young Linda correctly identified 'How The Heart Behaves' from the fine 1990 album 'Are You OK?' by Detroit's Was (Not Was]. Thank you Linda - excellent work - just what I want I always liked this band, saw them live in very early 90s & they were outstanding, consequently I have a lot of time for their albums (and have a reasonable selection of those available, including one that I can't find in any listings anywhere) The Was (Not Was) MySpace presence here - their amazing Discogs entry here and the nearest I can find to an official website here. Love that band

Velvet Underground : 'What Goes On'
Correctly identified by : Phantom2
I'm very pleased to announce that this week's quiz song has been correctly identified by my good friend, Mr.2 Excellent work. The mystery song is of course 'What Goes On'' from the excellent 1969 (although the CD blurb says recorded in 1968) eponymously titled album by The Velvet Underground. (Incidentally, this album - which I have on Vinyl, contains what is probably my favourite song by the Velvets...'Beginning To See The Light'). The quiz song however is taken from the CD 'The Best Of The Velvet Underground' - which is why there are no audible scratches I don't suppose there's much point in my writing much about the Velvets - everything has already been said, with way more detail and knowledge than I could impart...so as an aside, I'll link you also to the very interesting and influential - yet surprisingly little known - Tony Conrad here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Conrad ...and here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Conrad - he's the guy who left a book called The Velvet Underground in the apartment he just vacated, which was then found by John Cale when he moved in. The rest as they say, is history So - the Velvets here : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Velvet_Underground ...and here : http://members.aol.com/olandem/vu.html - look - there's just so much stuff out there about this band, if you're interested, there's hours of browsing fun ahead of you This album (the 'Best Of...' CD) on Amazon here : http://www.amazon.com/Best-Velvet-Underground-Words-Music/dp/B000001FR9/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1213958750&sr=1-1 ...well worth it

Well, here we are agin snack lovers - this is as big as a single post can get. So....if you're enjoying this, please proceed to the post entitled 'The Quiz Archive part three' for the continuation of our musical exploration