You Went The Wrong Way, Old King Louie

Allan Sherman

My Son, The Nut

1963

Review

by Mark Deming

Allan Sherman began moving cautiously away from the explicitly Jewish humor of his debut album on its follow-up, My Son, the Celebrity, and he all but abandoned it for his third long-player, 1963's My Son, the Nut. However, if Sherman was less eager to poke fun at Jewish-American culture as he grew more popular, his need to kvetch about the absurdities of modern life was stronger than ever, and My Son, the Nut unexpectedly proved to be Sherman's masterpiece, featuring 12 superb song parodies that take aim at the perils of suburbia ("Here's to the Crabgrass"), advancing technology ("Automation"), advertising ("Headaches"), and lots more. Sherman also indulges his passion for the quirks of the English language on "One Hippopotami," vents his spleen on "Rat Fink," and encounters a fanciful half-woman half-bunny on "You're Getting to Be a Rabbit with Me." But the album's two biggest laughs come from Sherman's biggest hit, "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh (A Letter from Camp)," based in part on his own son's unpleasant experiences at summer camp, and the side-splitting closer, "Hail to Thee, Fat Person," in which Sherman explains to people who are "skinny or in some other way normal" how he gained weight "as a public service." Lou Busch's witty and full-bodied orchestrations are the icing on the cake for what would prove to be the best and most popular album of Sherman's career.

Tracklist

1. You Went the Wrong Way, Old King Louie
2. Automation
3. I See Bones
4. Hungarian Goulash No. 5
5. Headaches
6. Here's to the Crabgrass
7. Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh (A Letter From Camp)
8. One Hippopotami
9. Rat Fink
10. You're Getting to be a Rabbit with Me
11. Eight Foot Two, Solid Blue
12. Hail to Thee, Fat Person

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My Zelda

Allan Sherman

My Son, The Folk Singer

1962

Review

by Mark Deming

At his best, Allan Sherman was as perceptive an observer of the American Jewish experience as Philip Roth or Saul Bellow, and when he was on a roll he was a lot funnier than either, and that's certainly the case with 1962's My Son, the Folk Singer, Sherman's first album and the record that made him an overnight success, selling over a million copies within a few months of its release. Musically, Sherman's shtick was to take familiar melodies and fuse them to new lyrics that offered a very funny and openly Semitic take on contemporary American life, as "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" was transformed into the tale of a tailor named Harry Lewis, "The Streets of Laredo" became "The Streets of Miami," and the French ditty "Frere Jacques" accompanied a telephone conversation with "Sarah Jackman." While My Son, the Folk Singer was the most openly "Jewish" of Sherman's albums, the bulk of Sherman's humor was recognizable to anyone familiar with the absurdities of suburban life in the Kennedy era, and while many Jewish humorists treated their material as some sort of inside joke, by marrying his lyrics to songs familiar to everyone he gave them a universal appeal -- and it certainly didn't hurt that most of the numbers on his debut album are howlingly funny. While so many Jewish artists frequently focused on the often painful desire to assimilate into mainstream American culture, Sherman's characters were so innately Jewish that whether they landed in Scarsdale or the Old West, their accents and appetites traveled with them, and the unspoken but clear acceptance of the comic foibles of Sherman's twin cultural allegiances has much to do with why My Son, the Folk Singer remains both funny and potent more than four decades after it was recorded.

Tracklist

1. The Ballad Of Harry Lewis
2. Shake Hands With Your Uncle Max
3. Sir Greenbaum's Madrigal
4. My Zelda
5. The Streets Of Miami
6. Sarah Jackman
7. Jump Down, Spin Around (Pick A Dress O' Cotton)
8. Seltzer Boy
9. Oh Boy
10. Shticks And Stones

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Lively Up Yourself!

Augustus Pablo

Original Rockers

1979

Get down wih the Original Rocker

AUGUSTUS PABLO: ORIGINAL ROCKER

Born in Jamaica circa 1953 in the parish of St. Andrew, to the west of the island capital of Kingston, at night, from his bed, the young Pablo (born Horace Swaby) could hear the distant thump of sound systems playing out nearby, the music calling him as a shepherd might call a lost sheep to a flock, and he would steal away when his parents were asleep to take in the musical vibes.
As a youth he regularly skipped lessons to practice (hit-making Studio One organ player and arranger) Jackie Mittoo riffs on the school organ with his friend Tyrone Downie, later to achieve fame as The Wailers’ keyboardist, and thereby eliciting frequent beatings from the Masters who, in common with many middle-class Jamaicans, considered reggae music to be in the idle employ of ungodly hands.
Though his parents naturally disapproved of such behavior, the boy was obviously smitten and talented enough for them to acquiesce and purchase a second-hand piano for him to practice on. He abandoned his studies and began to pursue his calling, running a sound system and taking the bus to downtown Kingston on regular record-buying forays.
It was on one such expedition that destiny intervened in the form of a friend’s girlfriend. She was holding a melodica, a small, rudimentary keyboard with a mouthpiece at one end through which one blew, producing a sound somewhere between a harmonica and a kazoo, usually reserved for the musical education of primary school children.
Intrigued, Pablo asked if he could try it out, whereupon the girl told him she had no use for it and he could have it. Entering the Aquarius record shop in Halfway Tree, Pablo attracted the attention of the proprietor, Herman Chin-Loy, who asked him if he could play the instrument. Pablo replied in the positive and Chin-Loy took him to Randy’s studio in North Parade to record his first sides: “Iggy Iggy” and “East Of The River Nile” (an early version of his classic). The later minor-chorded epic inaugurated the nascent “Far East” style that was to become Pablo’s trademark, pioneered by Don Drummond and Jackie Mittoo on the old Studio One tunes that Pablo loved so much, such as “Addis Adaba” and “Drum Song.” Chin-Loy had been producing instrumental records featuring the organ work of erstwhile Upsetter Glen Adams over the past year or two, releasing them under the unlikely nom de disque “Augustus Pablo.”

Randy’s was owned by the family of an old school friend of Pablo’s, Clive Chin. Chin was fascinated by the new and unusual sound presented by Pablo and swiftly organized a session for Pablo which resulted in “Java,” his first hit in 1971. The tune became a big success, spawning a rash of imitators: Glen Brown, Joe White, Bobby Kalphat, Pablove Black, etc. and establishing Pablo and Chin at the forefront of the burgeoning bass-heavy skank sound, soon to be dubbed “rockers,” that was taking over from the faster, more energetic reggae that had prevailed since 1968. During the early Seventies, Pablo pursued a career as one of Kingston’s most prominent session musicians, arranging and playing for most of the top producers of the day: Bunny Lee, Clive Chin, who released Pablo’s classic debut album This Is Augustus Pablo, Leonard Chin, Derrick Harriot, Lee Perry, Keith Hudson and Gussie Clarke.

By 1972 Pablo had saved enough money through session work to finance his own recordings and embarked on a series of unsurpassed classic releases throughout the Seventies. Records such as “Skanking Easy,” “Cassava Piece,” “Frozen Dub,” “Warrika Hill,” “555 Crown Street,” “Pablo’s Theme Song,” “Pablo Satta,” “Memories Of The Ghetto” and more...an endless list. He also became a renowned producer of other artists, especially many newartists, including dee jays Dillinger and Big Youth, singers Paul Whiteman, Jacob Miller, Hugh Mundell, Junior Delgado and groups like The Heptones, The Immortals and Tetrack.

Pablo worked in close association with King Tubby’s studio during its formative years and in 1975 released the epochal King Tubby Meets Rockers Uptown, “rockers” being the name of Pablo’s sound system and main record label, arguably the finest dub album extant, featuring wild Tubby’s dubs to a dozen of Pablo’s finest early rhythms. Other albums followed, most notably the instrumental East Of The River Nile. Pablo had only one real hit record in Jamaica, the afore-mentioned “Java,” which was versioned many times by many artists over the years. His recordings after “Java,” particularly those he issued on his own Rockers label, were generally too esoteric and rootsy for mass popularity amongst the island’s music lovers.

In the UK it was a different story. Pablo’s exotic sound, dominated by his frequent use of melodica as lead instrument, captured the imagination of a certain section of Black youth in Britain, some born here, but others migrating from the Caribbean with their parents, eager to find a musical identity of their own. They found it in the rebel rock sounds of the contemporary reggae music emerging from Jamaica. It was amongst this young audience that Pablo’s tough, militant music began to really find favour. His early self-produced titles on the Rockers label perfectly conveyed the required dread soundtrack…Roots fans and collectors in the UK have always considered Pablo’s music, alongside the finest productions by Yabby You, Lee Perry and Coxsone Dodd’s Studio One, as the peak of the roots reggae style…As the Eighties progressed, reggae music’s focus moved away from Rastafari towards a more light-hearted, hedonistic style known as Dancehall and Pablo’s music reflected this as he maintained that all reggae music is dancehall music. He scored a hit in 1986 with Junior Delgado’s “Raggamuffin Year,” which utilized a computer-originated rhythm, though Pablo had long been experimenting with drum machines and digital keyboards to create his rhythms.

In the Nineties, Pablo’s health deteriorated rapidly. He had suffered from ill health for much of his adult life, though he performed in Japan, England and even the United States to great acclaim in the late Eighties and early Nineties. Sadly, in 1999, he passed away from a rare nerve disorder and reggae music lost one of its most revered and innovative talents.This collection offers great tracks from Pablo’s entire canon, including many rare and previously-unavailable-on-cd tracks. Taken together, they are definitive evidence that Pablo was indeed the “Original Rocker.

Tracklist

1. "Rockers Dub"
2. "Up Warrika Hill"
3. "Cassava Piece"
4. "Tubbys Dub Song"
5. "Jah Dread"
6. "Brace a Boy"
7. "Thunder Clap"
8. "Park Lane Special"
9. "New Style"
10. "AP Special" (Adapted)

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Me Thinks The Poison Done Already Killed Billy Boy

Billy Boy On Poison

Drama Junkie Queen

2009

No word of any recent activity on Billy Boy On Poison. If you didn't watch closely you might have missed them altogether. They were a quick flash but I liked the tune I posted up a couple of years ago. Check it out HERE

New York scuzz-rock by way of the Sunset Strip, Billy Boy on Poison feel as if they were concocted in a laboratory, assembled from elements of every rock trend since 1994. Take a bit of the Strokes' tight, efficient new wave art-punk and downtown hipster sensibility; add a bit of hooks borrowed from Oasis, a little disco-rock from Franz Ferdinand, enough ironic hair metal thievery to get them on the radio à la Hinder, and a bit of Jet's three-chord bounce; and season with Jack White guitar solos and stairstep classic rock riffs reworked from Hendrix and the Beatles -- and you'll have Drama Junkie Queen, an exercise in trash-rock. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi Tracklist

1	On My Way
2	Saturday's Child
3	Happy Valentine's Day
4	4 Leaf Clover
5	Angry Young Man
6	Drive Me Insane
7	Higher Power
8	You're Too High
9	Standing Still
10	Another Lonely Start

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Who Stole The Damn Freeway??!

The Doobie Brothers

The Captain and Me

1973

Ripped @ 320

Another favorite of mine that I never get tired of.

The Doobie Brothers' third long-player was the charm, their most substantial and consistent album to date, and one that rode the charts for a year. It was also a study in contrasts, Tom Johnston's harder-edged, bolder rocking numbers balanced by Patrick Simmons' more laid-back country-rock ballad style. The leadoff track, Johnston's "Natural Thing," melded the two, opening with interlocking guitars and showcasing the band's exquisite soaring harmonies around a beautiful melody, all wrapped up in a midtempo beat -- the result was somewhere midway between Allman Brothers-style virtuosity and Eagles/Crosby & Nash-type lyricism, which defined this period in the Doobies' history and gave them a well-deserved lock on the top of the charts. Next up was the punchy, catchy "Long Train Runnin'," a piece they'd been playing for years as an instrumental -- a reluctant Johnston was persuaded by producer Ted Templeman to write lyrics to it and record the song, and the resulting track became the group's next hit. The slashing, fast-tempo "China Grove" and "Without You" represented the harder side of the Doobies' sound, and were juxtaposed with Simmons' romantic country-rock ballads "Clear as the Driven Snow," and "South City Midnight Lady." Simmons also showed off his louder side with "Evil Woman," while Johnston showed his more reflective side with "Dark Eyed Cajun Woman," "Ukiah" and "The Captain and Me" -- the latter, a soaring rocker clocking in at nearly five minutes, features radiant guitars and harmonies, soaring ever higher and faster to a triumphant finish.

Tracklist

Natural Thing Long Train Runnin’ China Grove Dark Eyed Cajun Woman Clear As The Driven Snow Without You South City Midnight Lady Evil Woman Busted Down Around O’Connelly Corners Ukiah The Captain And Me

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That's SIR Finks To You!

The Sir Finks

Instrumentals In The Key of BOSS!

2000

Ripped @ 320 Served by Teisco del Mar (I'm still here!)

Biography

by Greg Prato

The Sir Finks are an Austin, TX-based surf revival trio, comprised of members Mike Guerrero on guitar, Damien Llanes on drums, and Jason Gentry on bass and sax. Formed in the mid-'90s, the Sir Finks have issued a few full-length recordings for the independent surf-based Wildebeest Records label, Devil's Agent and Instrumentals in the Key of Boss!, as well as contributing the odd track to compilations, including a tribute to Memphis soul instrumentals titled Chinese Checkers, surf re-workings of songs originally played by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass, Surfin' Senorita, plus a four-song collaboration with Italy's I Cosmonauti, titled Guitars Don't Argue.

Phil says:

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"Weird Beard"

"Weird Beard" is an ultra reverbed super chunk stomp, utilizing a simple progression that gets into your noggin and stays there. Somewhat monster movie-ish, and very fun.

"Heads Up"

This is a right honest delivery of "Heads Up," also known as "Shootin' The Pier." It's Freddie King composition. Much chunkier and more restrained than the original or the Lively Ones' retitled version, this retains the soul and adds ultra reverb.

"Mondragora"

This is a pretty chunky traditionally styled surf jam, mid tempo and infectious. The trad progression styled melody line, damped plucks, and definite surf tweaked structure provide ample interest and wet rhythms.

"Knights of the Long Board"

Groovy percussion, percussive surf guitar, extreme damped reverb, and a delightful riff driven by the infectious rhythm. "Knights of the Long Board" is a very cool tune, with lots of chunk and pure surf tone. I couldn't get this outta my head... excellent!

"The Ulrich"

"The Ulrich" is a delightfully playful piece, percussive and infectious, and very spunky. Mike Guerrero knows how to use damped reverb to it's fullest. In some ways, this can be compared to a speeded up Fireballs tune. Very fine.

"Double Buck"

Mexican village stomp, cowboy prancing, and surf reverb... this is a mighty fin tune, a border surfed masterpiece. Entirely cool, very infectious, and totally fun. Yee-haw!

"Penny Dance"

Cowboy dance hall prancery, with that quiet reverb and playful rhythm. "Penny Dance" speaks of innocent fun, a polka band, and gussied up country folks. Even the subdued chorus brings cheer. Excellent!

"The Ballad of Mike Fink"

"The Ballad of Mike Fink" is a splendid light weight stomp, a tale of guitaristry and chunk. Mike's plucking is just too fun, and the perfect blend of drums and bass keep it afloat on a sea of airborne flying fish. Very infectious.

"Moon's Theme"

Outstanding picking, suave percussion, solid bass, and a magnificent arrangement. The Farfisa underneath is subtle and adds to the ambiance. "Moon's Theme" is a splendid track, bouncy and infectious, and slightly dangerous, with spiffy whammy.

"Heartful Of Soul"

This is a full fuzz attack on the Yardbirds' grand and moody "Heartful Of Soul." I wonder why no one has done this before, it seems so obvious. Nasty and yet very fun.

"Action Reef"

"Action Reef" is a bluesy number with a chunky backtrack, and a familiar rhythm. The cool chops and infectious rhythm drive this one home. It may be a bit derivative, but it's just too much fun to pass up.

"Lost Wahini"

Almost laughing playfulness, chunky froth, pretty girl search music. Very enjoyable, infectious, and utterly cool. Wahine or haole girl, it makes no difference... it's just too fun.

"Jack the Ripper"

Big whammy chords, extreme damped surf guitar rhythm, tribal drums, moody bass... you know the drill. The thing is, this very different, like a speeded up variation on the Surfaris' version, but with the rhythm guitar out from and the whammy subdued, creating a new image for a well worn Link Wray classic. Excellent.

Tracklist

1. Weird Beard

2. Heads Up

3. Mondragora

4. Knights Of The Long Board

5. The Ulrich

6. Double Buck

7. Penny A Dance

8. The Ballad Of Mike Fink

9. Moon's Theme

10. Heart Full Of Soul

11. Action Reef

12. Lost Wahini

13. Jack The Ripper Get it HERE

The Sun & Sound Is Shining & MORE Vibrant

The Vibrants

The Exotic Guitar Sounds of The Vibrants

2007

Ripped @320 w/ 3% rec

Re-upped for Sidi

You`re drivin` a `63 Impala with a pin stripped board strapped to the side,wearin vintage jams and a fez on your head. There is no tomorrow because tonight you are going to a shindig with that dark haired honey who is always up for a good time. The sun is out,it`s hot and the beach is just over the bend. Surf all day,dance all night. The Exoctic Guitar Sounds of The Vibrants is the soundtrack to this dream date. Sure you dig a bit of rockabilly, but you love surf and garage. Some 60`s twisters turn your head around and make you want to find a dance floor. Maybe you have a guitar or six. Your best pal is drumming on anything and everything. This CD was made for you and about the music you crave.

A nod to Dick Dale,The Trashmen, Duane Eddy and The Crickets. Throw in The Ventures, The Fireballs and Los Straightjackets and you have the perfect mix for a killer sound. This is surf and roll. This is the twist and the stomp it`s "The Twomp." This is The Exotic Guitar Sounds of The Vibrants.Poundin`, twistin` garage frat meets surf slick...not done yet..take a do-wop crooner with "Pretty Girls" and make it a `63 twister. Absoultly brillant. "Snake Eyed Woman" a rockabilly classic turns on it`s forked tounge to slither into outerspace. Wild. Shimmy and shake to this explosive treasure. No stopping there with "Don`t Stop" the guitar work doesn`t stop, the sing along hook will catch you and reel your open mouth right onto the dance floor. "Firewater" the heat of this moonshine firewater is in your head then as it hits your belly you will soon be drunk on the sounds of The Vibrants. Surf City barroom brawl. Surftastic! The CD gets a smokin` starter with this shout out "Vibrant" Rips and whoops while curlin your short hairs. Simply Vibrant. Full of goodness.This band is Fender equipped, Rodger skinned and consists of top players that know exactly what they are doing. Alan, Enrique, Norton and Manolo you will want as your new best friends. Cool as your bachelor pad and shagtastic! Sing along, twist on down , put em on your MP3, you don`t want to go anywhere without the Exotic Guitar Sounds of The Vibrants. Come on, Latin Lovers Meet The Surf Champs. They mixed it all up and made one amazing trip to paradise. The Exotic Guitar Sounds Of The Vibrants are muy buenos!

1 Vibrant
2 Twomp
3 Stockade
4 Pretty Girls
5 Ginchy
6 Snake Eyed Woman
7 The Detective
8 Let's Go To Hawaii
9 El Cuatrero
10 Don't Stop
11 Quite a Fireball
12 Surfer Boy
13 Thunderbird
14 Dance the Carryface
15 Fire Water

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