Bald Headed Beats

I've had this one sitting on my hard drive for a while and simply haven't had time to upload it... unfortunately it's not quite as complete as some of the other "sample compilations" I've done in the past and I was hoping time would help fill some of the gaps in the break beat list. Oh well. Willie Dee's epic debut, 1989's Controversy is a work of absolute DIY raunchy genius and oozes a strange aura of cut-and-paste charm to help overcome the sheer amateurishness of it all (and the fact I'm writing about it over 25 years after its release proves it). Peering once more into DJ Ready Red's late-90's record collection there are a few new nuggets for those who downloaded the Geto Boys and Mr. Scarface Is Back comps - including a rather rare track from forgotten British funk obscurity Olympic Runners. I couldn't find or figure samples from a few of Controversy's tracks (primarily "Kinky") but did the best I could. Notable omissions include the strange-but-cool organ overdub on "Put The F'in Gun Away" and the back beat ("wooo!" included) from "Trip Across From Mexico". I know these are somewhere hidden in some 8-minute Meters or James Brown jam but simply cannot find them!

Still, here is the CD track-by-track breakdown:

1. Do It Like It G.O.

        • "Apache" by Incredible Bongo Band

        • "Superfly" by Curtis Mayfield

2. Fuck The KKK

        • "Smiling Faces Sometimes" by The Undisputed Truth

        • "Impeach The President" by The Honey Drippers

        • "Bring The Noise" by Public Enemy

        • "Funky Drummer" by James Brown

3. Kick That Shit

        • "The Boss" by James Brown

        • "If You've Got It, You'll Get It" by The Headhunters

4. Willie Dee

        • "Willie Dee" by Martha Reeves & The Sweet Things

        • "The Champ" by The Mohawks

        • "'The Twilight Zone' Opening Theme" by Marius Constant

5. Put The F'in Gun Away

        • "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss

6. Trip Across From Mexico

        • "Movin'" by Brass Construction

7. 5th Ward

        • "Think (About It)" by Lyn Collins
        • "Kool Is Back" by Funk, Inc.

        • "N.T." by Kool And The Gang

        • "Funky Drummer" by James Brown

8. Bald Headed Hoes

        • "Kool Is Back" by Funk, Inc.

        • "'Dragnet' Opening Theme" by Walter Schumann

9. Welfare Bitches

        • "Don't Let Up" by Olympic Runners

10. Kinky

11. I Need Some Pussy

        • "Yes We Can Can" by The Pointer Sisters

12. Fuck Me Now

        • "Different Strokes" by Syl Johnson

        • "Think (About It)" by Lyn Collins

        • "The Big Beat" by Billy Squier

Additionally, I was really hoping to find the full sample of whatever comedian (?) does the kinda gross "greasy split" monologue at the bookends of "I Need Some Pussy". Some old grumpy Redd Foxx-esque motherfucker sitting at some dank nightclub to scattered drunk applause. Amazing that there is still some shit out there today that the Internet can't figure out for you!!! Any advice or submissions will be promptly added to the catalog - until then thanks and enjoy.

5th Ward Funk

What Have You

Goddamn I wish I was Nick Hexum. Not only does the guy not look like he hasn't aged a fucking day since he graduated college but he owned a fucking island in the Florida Keys. An island. That is some serious shit. Anyways, twenty years before he became a paradise entrepreneur, his band released their second demo on Hexum's What Have You Records. In case you've been living in a soundproof cave on Mars since 1990, Hexum is the lead singer for perennial funk rockers 311; one of the few 90's bands that weathered the death of MTV just fine and still release arguably good shit to this day. I just picked up 311's 4-disc Archive box set and was kinda disappointed they didn't include the band's pre-Music demos. I've sifted through boatloads of illegitimate mp3s over the years trying to find a definitive copy of most of them and the aforementioned Dammit! (1990) has proved the most elusive. Sure there are umpteen "first generation" rips out there but they all seem to be from one of two sources; are completely inconsistent in their mastering; are actually songs from the more readily findable Unity (1991); and many rips clip off several minutes of some tracks (or are missing a song or two entirely). With that being said, I compiled a few "versions" and tried to form what is a reasonable facsimile of an entire album. Side A is actually pretty listenable but make no mistake, the quality is rough (think 64kbps mp3s sleazily up-ripped in disguise). Oh well, what the fuck, you can't have everything. Enjoy.

Fuck The Bullshit!

South Central Samples

Well, with the upcoming Straight Outta Compton hitting theaters in a fortnight or two I thought I'd wrap up my sample compilations with the record that started it all. Pulling the material for this one was a real beast; the first thing I learned is that Dr. Dre had a lot of records in his archives and secondly, he produced in a significantly different way then DJ Ready Red of the Geto Boys did. While Ready Red tended to use pretty big chunks of his sample songs, Dre (and I guess Yella to an extent) used only the tiniest snippets from records. Of course there are a few exceptions ("Parental Discretion Iz Advised", "Express Yourself" and "I Ain't Tha 1") but for the most part only a quick drum loop, sound effect or guitar lick was lifted from source songs. And Dre also wasn't against modifying some of the material, case in point the classic drum beat to "Straight Outta Compton" is a significantly slowed down bridge riff from the Winstons' "Amen, Brother." With that being said I don't know if I would have been able to figure a lot of these out (or track them down) without a plethora of assistance from various sample libraries on internet.

Still, it was a little iffy adding some of the songs to the compilation. Including Beastie Boys' "The New Style" simply because Adrock's solitary one-second "Puttin' it on wax!" lyric is used in "8-Ball" was a bit of a game-time decision. Unlike the Geto Boys who culled most of their spoken word from Scarface, Dre used a ton of different records for quick vocal clips. Hell, I probably could have included the entire Eazy-Duz-It and N.W.A. And The Posse LPs as source material as well. Interestingly, a choice few of the sample tunes I included I am not actually sure when they are used in the respective song but I figure someone out there does. There are also a couple that I question their legitimacy - Fishbone's "Lyin' Ass Bitch' for one. Yeah, there's a loud "Biiiitch" yelled in both "A Bitch Iz A Bitch" and at the close of Fishbone's track but is it the same one....?

Once again, here's the song-by-song breakdown, and yes I added "A Bitch Iz A Bitch" simply because it is such a classic fucking song:

1. Straight Outta Compton
        • "Amen, Brother" by The Winstons
        • "You'll Like It Too" by Funkadelic
        • "Engine Number 9" by Wilson Pickett
        • "West Coast Poplock" by Ronnie Hudson And The Street People
        • "Burn Rubber On Me (Why You Wanna Hurt Me)" by The Gap Band
        • "Take Me To The Mardi Gras" by Bob James
2. Fuck Tha Police
        • "It's My Thing" by Marva Whitney
        • "The Boogie Back" by Roy Ayers Ubiquity
        • "Funky Drummer" by James Brown
        • "Funky President (People It's Bad)" by James Brown
        • "Feel Good" by Fancy
        • "Engine Number 9" by Wilson Pickett
3. Gangsta Gangsta
        • "Weak At The Knees" by Steve Arrington’s Hall Of Fame
        • "Be Thankful For What You Got" by William DeVaughn
        • "N.T." by Kool And The Gang
        • "Funky Worm" by Ohio Players
        • "Troglodyte (Cave Man)" by The Jimmy Castor Bunch
        • "Impeach The President" by The Honey Drippers
4. If It Ain't Ruff
        • "A Star In The Ghetto" by Average White Band & Ben E. King
        • "Don't Believe The Hype" by Public Enemy
        • "Ain't We Funkin' Now" by The Brothers Johnson
5. Parental Discretion Iz Advised
        • "I Turned You On" by The Isley Brothers
6. 8-Ball (Remix)
        • "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye
        • "Paul Revere" by Beastie Boys
        • "Fight For Your Right" by Beastie Boys
        • "Girls" by Beastie Boys
        • "Be Thankful For What You Got" by William DeVaughn
        • "Yes, We Can Can" by The Pointer Sisters
        • "It's My Beat" by Sweet Tee And Jazzy Joyce
        • "My Melody" by Eric B. & Rakim
        • "West Coast Poplock" by Ronnie Hudson And The Street People
        • "Too Much Posse" by Public Enemy
7. Something Like That
        • "Take The Money And Run" by Steve Miller Band
        • "I Think I'd Do It" by Z.Z. Hill
        • "Down On The Avenue" by Fat Larry's Band
8. Express Yourself
        • "Express Yourself" by Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band
9. Compton's N The House (Remix)
        • "Take Me To The Mardi Gras" by Bob James
        • "Funky Beat" by Whodini
        • "It's My Turn" by Dezo Daz (featuring D.J. Slip)
        • "Cinderfella Dana Dane" by Dana Dane
10. I Ain't Tha 1
        • "The Message (Inspiration)" by Brass Construction
11. Dopeman (Remix)
        • "Funky Worm" by Ohio Players
        • "Dance To The Drummer's Beat" by Herman Kelly & Life
        • "My Posse" by C.I.A.
        • "Freestyle Live (Edit Version)" by Roxanne (Fly) Shanté (featuring Biz Markie)
        • "I'm Bad" by L.L. Cool J
12. Quiet On Tha Set
        • "Rock Creek Park" by The Blackbyrds
        • "I Get Lifted" by KC And The Sunshine Band
        • "The Unsafe Bridge" by Laura Olsher
        • "Funky Drummer" by James Brown
        • "Take The Money And Run" by Steve Miller Band
13. Something 2 Dance 2
        • "You're The One For Me" by "D" Train
        • "Dance To The Music" by Sly & the Family Stone
        • "'Mighty Mouse' Theme" by The Sandpipers
        • "Change the Beat (French Rap)" by Beside
        • "ORCH5" by David Vorhaus
14. A Bitch Iz A Bitch (bonus)
        • "Papa Was Too" by Joe Tex
        • "Lyin' Ass Bitch" by Fishbone

Phew, what a list. Almost 4 hours of stuff. Y'know when I started writing this blog I was sure it was my swansong compilation but I gotta tell ya, after typing this all out I'm now sort of itching to do Eazy-Duz-It. But until then, sit back, crack a 40 or two of Old E and enjoy.

Part I                                        Part II                                        Part III

Who The Fuck Is Fred?

Nothing like a one-trick pony, right? No sooner did I finish my Geto Boys sample post then I got some info on the background material for Akshen/Scarface's incredible 1991 solo debut Mr. Scarface Is Back. Nursing a sore throat and with a little time on my hands, I culled the sample tracks for this record and here ya go, another amazing 2+ hour collection of 70's funk and soul. Not as much James Brown this time (and there are a few hold overs from the Geto Boys comp as well, sorry) but finally hearing "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss and "Thinking" by the Meters is enough to deserve a listen. Half of these tracks are a who's who of legendary sample beats - wonderful to hear the full songs behind the scenes.

Here is the LP track breakdown:

A1. Mr. Scarface

        • "Gimme What You Got" by Le Pamplemousse

        • "Different Strokes" by Syl Johnson

        • "Sexy Coffee Pot" by Tony Alvon & The Belairs

A2. The Pimp

        • "Sportin' Life" by James Brown

        • "Impeach The President" by The Honey Drippers

A3. Born Killer

        • "Theme From 'Buck & The Preacher'" by The Nite-Liters

        • "Amen, Brother" by The Winstons

        • "The Assembly Line" by Commodores

        • "Funky Drummer" by James Brown

A4. Murder By Reason Of Insanity

        • "Synthetic Substitution" by Melvin Bliss

        • "UFO" by ESG

        • "Untitled Instrumental" by James Brown

A5. Your Ass Got Took

        • "Sing A Simple Song" by Please

        • "Down On The Avenue" by Fat Larry's Band 

        • "The Traffic Cop (Dance)" by Bloodstone

        • "Four Cornered Room" by War

A6. Diary Of A Madman

        • "The Payback" by James Brown

        • "Atomic Dog" by George Clinton

B1. Body Snatchers

        • "Soul Power Pt. 1" by James Brown

B2. Money And The Power

        • "Love Serenade (Part II)" by Barry White

        • "UFO" by ESG

B3. P D Roll 'Em

        • "I've Been Watching You" by Southside Movement 

        • "Blind Alley" by The Emotions

B4. Good Girl Gone Bad

        • "Do Like I Do" by Smokey Robinson

        • "Good Old Music" by The Parliaments

B5. A Minute To Pray And A Second To Die

        • "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" by Marvin Gaye

        • "What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye

        • "Kissing My Love" by Bill Withers

B6. I'm Dead

        • "Thinking" by The Meters

        • "Down On The Avenue" by Fat Larry's Band

        • "Mango Meat" by Mandrill

On a final note, I never really liked the cover I did for The Geto Boys sample comp so I updated that one and used what I had before for this one. Makes a lot more sense - and I sourced the photo from the original Mr. Scarface negative before they "browned" out DJ Ready Red. Enjoy.

Part I                                                                     Part II

F#@* 'Em

With the 25th anniversary of the Geto Boys' eponymous Def American debut looming, I decided to take a cue from a fellow blogger and add another entry into the "Songs Someone Taught Us" series. The year was 1990 and Def American released quite possibly the finest rap record in history. The Geto Boys. Sure, "Ghetto" Boy purists consider it more of a remix album then a legit new LP (although other than possibly "Size Ain't Shit" all of the Grip It! On That Other Level tracks were revamped and re-edited into vastly superior versions) - it still stands as the group's best work and a standard for pretty much any other hip-hop album to aspire. I was surprised to learn how much material was sampled to create The Geto Boys, while mostly funk tracks featuring James Brown as vocalist (or in some other major role) there are some real surprises once you deconstruct the songs. Billy Squier? "My Girl"? After listening to the album over and over while culling the below tracks I now can't hear a sample without thinking of its origin. So while this is not quite a collection of originals that a band covered (à la my previous Metallica and GG Allin posts) it's a window into what D.J. Ready Red's record collection must have looked like and got that Houston studio bumping way back in 1989.

Here's the song-by-song breakdown:

A1. Fuck 'Em
        • "Breakthrough” by Isaac Hayes
        • "Rocket In The Pocket (Live)" by Cerrone
        • "Kool Is Back" by Funk, Inc.
A2. Size Ain't Shit
        • "Blow Your Head" by Fred Wesley And The J.B.'s
        • "Mt. Airy Groove" by Pieces Of A Dream
A3. Mind Of A Lunatic
        • "Givin' Up Food For Funk" by The J.B.
        • "Funky Drummer" by James Brown
        • "Batman: Stacked Cards" by Joey Lapidos
A4. Gangster Of Love
        • "The Joker" by Steve Miller Band
        • "I Walk On Gilded Splinters" by Johnny Jenkins
A5. Trigga Happy Nigga
        • "Memphis Soul Stew" by King Curtis
        • "Love The Life You Live" by Kool And The Gang
A6. Life In The Fast Lane
        • "The Big Bang Theory" by Parliament
        • "Girl In The Hot Pants" by The Soul Brothers Inc.
        • "The Big Beat" by Billy Squier
A7. Assassins
        • "Apache" by Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band
B1. Do It Like A G.O.
        • "Superfly" by Curtis Mayfield
        • "Apache" by Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band
        • "Scorpio" by Dennis Coffey And The Detroit Guitar Band
        • "Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved" by James Brown
B2. Read These Nikes
        • "It Takes Two" by Rob Base & D.J. E-Z Rock
        • "You Can Have Watergate Just Gimme Some Bucks And I'll Be Straight" by Fred Wesley And The J.B.'s
        • "Funky Drummer" by James Brown
        • "Funky President (People It's Bad)" by James Brown
        • "My Girl" by The Temptations
        • "Batman: Stacked Cards" by Joey Lapidos
B3. Talkin' Loud Ain't Saying Nothin'
        • "Talkin' Loud & Sayin' Nothing" by James Brown
        • "Skin Tight" by Ohio Players
        • "Theme From The Planets" by Dexter Wansel
        • "South Bronx" by Boogie Down Productions
B4. Scarface
        • "Blues & Pants" by James Brown
        • "Ashley's Roachclip" by The Soul Searchers
        • "Gimmie What You Got" by Le Pamplemousse
        • "Different Strokes" by Syl Johnson
B5. Let a Ho Be A Ho
        • "Money" by Pink Floyd
        • "Impeach The President" by The Honey Drippers
B6. City Under Siege
        • "The Message From The Soul Sisters" by Myra Barnes
        • "Think (About It)" by Lyn Collins
        • "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony)" by The Hillside Singers

For those with sharp eyes, yep there's a children's Batman 7" record on the list. Packaged with a comic book, it was a 70's vinyl version of the "Read-And-Listen" shit kids have loaded on their iPads today. It supplies all of the "he's a paranoic who's a menace to our society" samples  - which up to this day I assumed were from some obscure B-movie. Who in the Geto Boys owned that record? I debated including it since it runs a little long but was so surprised at the discovery I felt I had to. And upon listening to this catalog you'll find that it could have sufficed as sample material for a whole multitude of famous rap songs from back in the day (Public Enemy being one of the more consistent repeat clients). While some of the tunes are far from something I'd listen to on a daily basis, all have their moments, and most of the funk stuff is truly amazing. Interestingly, I just read a somewhat recent interview with Scarface in which he pledges a Geto Boys reunion LP if Rick Rubin would produce. Rick, are you reading?

7/11/15 update: Since my latest post was actually for Mr. Scarface Is Back I went ahead and updated the "album" cover for this one. Looks a ton better in my opinion. Enjoy.

Part I                                        Part II                                        Part III

Laughing As People Die

Recorded in 1991, the debut cassette from these Bakersfield, CA funkers is way more akin to the shit Excel (Venice) or Limbomaniacs (San Francisco) were doing at the time than what the band eventually mutated into (especially Excel - this album is absolutely on par with Seeking Refuge). For those who've been under a rock since then, soon after Who's Laughing Now dropped, L.A.P.D. found a fresh new producer in a guy named Ross Robinson who was looking for something way heavier and harder... at the same time L.A.P.D. shitcanned their singer and hired local vocalist Jonathan Davis who sang for the quasi-heavi industrio band Sexart. Interestingly, it was Sexart's pissy sound the guys embraced and the rest is nü metal history. Yes... I'm talkin' about KORN retards! Still, the funky fun of L.A.P.D. is not lost on the ages - though it's interesting to now watch some of Korn's early documentaries (specifically Who Then Now?) and see Fieldy wax historically on his multiplatinum band when in actuality he's totally talking about L.A.P.D. coming together. Still, this record has its moments, lead vocalist Rick Morrill is no Davis but he sounds like a solid southern Cali thrasher (and even like Tony Chaba here and there - check "Don't Label Me"). The band rocks through the songs - Munky is a way better guitarist then listening to Korn would ever have you believe and there are moments they almost sound like a proto-Vision Of Disorder ("Excuse Me"). I'm not going to give them that much credit so just sit back and enjoy...

Proto Korn

REPOST: The Funk Is Free

Five years and a month since my good pal Daniel Frouman passed on into the ether. In some weird way, I'm still in total denial that I won't get a random phone call, unexpected text, or simply bump into his lanky ass walking down Lamar Boulevard one day. I wish that were the case. I am happy to report that his memory lives on with yearly Funk Extravaganzas in his honor (featuring both a run and a concert) and on the amazing Daniel Frouman Memorial maintained by his brother. Photos and memories galore. I recently re-ripped all the cassettes of music I am privileged to have had him share with me; cleaning off as much of the tape hiss and other analog limitations as I could. I think the songs sound better than ever. While I was at it I also created a whole new slew of CD covers since I'm weirdly/annoyingly neurotic about that sort of thing so the (printable) PDFs are included with the songs. Enjoy and pass the word.

I                                                              II                                                              III

Apple Pie

Holy fuck, is it early-90's time again? Yep. I don't know how many of you forty-somethings out there were suckered into buying this 1991 debut eponymous release by Queens funk/metal/soul outfit White Trash solely from their catchy "Apple Pie" video. Join the crowd. Months before Nirvana changed the music world forever, White Trash claimed their fifteen minutes of fame with a pretty unique brass take on the metal world which would later be more legitimately (and popularly) usurped by ska. The "Badass Brass" horn section added some much-needed individuality to the band - the music sounds like a cross between the Black Crowes and Fishbone. The annoyingly high-pitched lead singer can get annoying at times but he was actually exactly in sync with what the 90's were offering in terms of vocalists so what can ya do. "Apple Pie" will always be the perennial hit associated with this band but check out "The Crawl" and "Po' White Trash" - guilty runner ups that'll raise a dry smile at your next highschool reunion. Enjoy.

Crawl

What'd you say your name was?

Way back when, when music was cool and Mike D had his own record label (Grand Royal for all the freshmen), the Beastie Boys added a buncha cool bands to their entourage including DFL, the Moistboyz and Ween(!). Also among this eclectic cartel was an all-girl funk quartet named Luscious Jackson. Featuring an ex-Beastie (circa the 1982 hardcore years) named Kate Schellenbach on drums, Luscious made phonophile history by claiming the auspicious spot as Grand Royal's inaugural release. The band spans a mix of styles on their debut 7-song ep, from cool Digable Planets-ish hip-hop to more folkish Indigo Girls-esque rock 'n' roll. You can probably guess I'm a fan of the former. The trip-hop flows real tight and sultry vocalist Jill Cunniff is pretty hot in that geekish sort of way even all these years later. Enjoy.

Let Yourself Get Down

No Sensei! No Sensei!

Wicked awesome party band from Massachusetts. Their 2005 eponymous debut has been a staple at nearly every Memorial Day party I've thrown for the last six or seven years. It's completely retarded and lifts a shitload from similar bands like Zebrahead and 311 but c'mon who at your pathetic shindig isn't going to dig "Dojo" where the chorus lifts Kreese's dialogue word-for-word from Karate Kid. And weirdly, "Balls Vagina" always is a hit. I guess I gotta start getting a cooler group of friends. Anyways, I was actually in touch with the guys in the band a few years ago and they were cool as shit. Just sent me a ton of swag like I was their only fan in the world - I guess it was nice to hear someone finally say they didn't suck. They just got a bandcamp page with a new(ish) recording from 2012 - glad to hear the new tune guys - go fucking Patriots.

Just Rub Your Legs

 
Currently watching: Zero Dark Thirty

Currently listening to: MDC Millions Of Dead Cops

Mo' Ex-Excel

Just a quickie post here - a couple extra lost tunes from the band of the hour - SoCal's defunct My Head. Two tracks that appeared on Suicidal Tendencies' 2001 compilation Friends & Family 2 as well as one that made it onto another obscure Infectious Grooves album as a "bonus EP" track. Enjoy.

The Beard

 
Currently watching: Morel Orel Volume 3

Currently listening to: Beautiful Mother Vanilla

Don't Waste My Time

Sadly forgotten debut by Excel veterans Adam Siegel (guitar) and Greg Saenz (drums) came too late in a music world being quickly overtaken by nü metal and fucking Sublime. Taking a cue from the way-ahead-of-its-time prog thrash that was The Joke's On You, Siegel added a nice touch of funk, psychedelia and even grunge ("I Don't Want Nothing" really has a Nirvana flavor to it) to their only album, 1996's Endless Bummer. Fans of 311, Chili Peppers, Fishbone and that type of shtick will easily find something to like with My Head - solid riffs with a lighter metal groove to it. Just bad timing - too late to ride the Faith No More funk metal wave and too early to ride the Incubus funk metal wave (ugh... did I just write that?) Now here's your chance to catch up. Enjoy.

Killer Hair

 
Currently watching: Eating Raoul

Currently listening to: Ween Caesar

Dutch Shade Of Soul

When I wrote up the Limbomaniacs blurb a couple weeks ago I couldn't help thinking "whatever happened to Brussels' Urban Dance Squad?" Of course we all remember them from their quasi-hit "Deeper Shade Of Soul" back in the early 90's but was that it?? Evidently not, I was one of the few who got their next album, Life 'N' Perspectives Of A Genuine Crossover which was actually more memorable for its create-your-own sticker art cover then the music. Yeah, it was fun and they had a bit of a hit with "Crossover" but better bands were beginning to hijack their already stolen style and run away with it (hellooooo 2 Skinnee J's). Anyways, here's a promo CD of a couple tracks from the aforementioned album that completists may be interested in - enjoy.

Perspect This

 
Currently watching: Death Scenes 2

Currently listening to: Oruga Oruga

I Need Porno

Formed in 1982(!), the Bay Area-based Limbomaniacs would have probably faded into obscurity were it not for the fact that during their recording sessions, drummer Brain Mantia introduced producer Bill Laswell (and indirectly, the world) to guitar virtuoso Buckethead (Laswell would later employ Buckethead in his supergroup Praxis). All praise the Gibson God. As for the 'Maniacs though, their only album was 1990's Stinky Grooves, a funky, sometimes overly cheesy slab of tunes that would have probably been more of a hit had the trendy grunge movement not decimated every other musical genre that year. It's a nice throwback to the days of Urban Dance Squad, Fishbone and 24-7 Spyz and perfect for your next party, especially when the toilet's flooded.

Get Funkin'

 
Currently watching: Until The Light Takes Us

Currently listening to: The Doors Perception

42nd Street Sleaze

One of the more random flicks in my DVD collection is the 1970's Nick Phillips raincoat oddity Roxanna. A strange 50-minute softcore descent into big breasts, thigh-high boots, leather and tribbing; nicely blended with suicide and dementia. Too depressing to be considered a token skin flick, Phillips' movie absolutely reeks of 16mm Manhattan sleaze; it's gritty, low budget and unrelentingly fetishistic. And the music score is fantastic. Imagine generic 70's porno funk downtuned into a cheerless acid-trip dirge and there ya go. Recorded live and barely mixed, I would love to find the band that sat for this session. I ripped the soundtrack from the DVD and cut out most of the annoying narration - I couldn't find a movie poster of the film's original grindhouse release (only the yawn of a 2002 remake with Misty Mundae) but I discovered a pretty cool painting by some dude named William Wright.. his other artwork can be found here. Enjoy!

Uschi

 
Currently watching: Team America: World Police

Currently listening to: Wormcumshot Oh!! What A Fuck!!!

R.I.P. Old Friend

Today brings both reflection and remembrance... As we go through life, our social skills unintentionally cause us to become somewhat selective and categorical about the people we call "friends". You have your work buddies, family, neighbors, roommates, school pals from back in the day, people at the Kroger that you just sorta "know", etc. etc. whatever. It's weird when these categories intersect, we've all had those moments where we're hanging out with our social friends and we recognize our co-worker at the bar. Ugh. Put out the smoke, check please and I gotta roll. To advance the idea to a more seasonable level, it's interesting to ponder the fate of all of these relationships when you make what the insurance companies call a "life-changing event" (changing jobs, moving, having a kid, picking a different bar to hang out) and those BFF's are no longer an instantly intimate part of your life.

To make a short point long, it's at those "events" when you realize (and unconsciously select) who your true friends are. How many of you still hang out with your highschool buddies? Is it because those relationships were so tight that they stood the test of time or that you've simply never left your hometown? Looking over the 35+ years of my life, it's odd to compare the amount of people I've considered friends (even "good" friends) to the number I'm in relatively frequent touch with today. And I'm not talking about checking someone's "wall" on Facebook or whatever, I mean real interaction. I guess it's just those strange, special relationships that hold strong through time and can handle the physical distances (the typical "we pick up right where we left off" cross-country pal) tend to mature as the people involved do the same. I have friends who were my self-destructive drinking buddies back in college who are now fellow parents. And we still get along great. That's the test of a true friendship.

On July 8, 2009, a true friend of mine passed away. Daniel Frouman.

As with most friends, I met him completely at random. Moving to Austin, TX on a whim in my early 20's, I rented a room in some 70's-decor rancher on the south side of the city. Owned by a nice (albeit strange, moody and probably clinically insane) alcoholic ex-hippy nicknamed "Crazy Bill," the rent was a mere $125 month-to-month. Three roommates: two lived in other rooms in the house and the third had converted the garage into a kind of cave-like den. Since it was a garage he only payed $75 a month. This was Daniel.

I was a complete outsider in Austin. Didn't know anyone. A suburbanite from New Jersey who had recently graduated from college and was "finding himself" (or whatever) by taking off and setting up camp across the country. The first roommate I met was Daniel. Quiet and soft-spoken, we exchanged the basic pleasantries and that was that. I left feeling like he thought I was some type of narc. Years later, once I knew the trials he had been through with his family, I would understand the reasons behind his initial trepidation about "the new guy." Yet by the next time we stumbled into each other he was talking to me as if I were a long-lost brother, passing the beers and whatever else around. He introduced me to the other guys in the house as well as Crazy Bill. Man, what a relief! I knew I had lucked into a sweet place to crash.

I lived at the ranch for about a year and during that time became great friends with the guy. Not only was he "cool," he was incredibly interesting; possessed an amazing shitload of stories for someone who was only 22. He had lived across South America, was chased up to the States by members of a familial cult he escaped, acted as a ball boy for Argentina's world-renowned soccer team, and had a musical sense and could play guitar like no one I'd ever met (then or since). He was supremely mellow yet slyly sarcastic and was a lot of fun to hang out with. Although not one to really raise his voice, he was incredibly intense, as if he didn't feel like wasting words on unimportant stuff. Daniel was definitely a guy you could learn from. We partied throughout that year without worrying about money or jobs or any real responsibilities whatsoever. Credit cards and pawn shops were our cash, Lone Star tall boys were our daily drunk. Stumbling out of bars, sleepless night of continuous partying and music, waking up in a stalled Volvo on the I-35 median, it was an absolute whirlwind of a time.

After a year or so, Crazy Bill wanted to move back into the house. He had been living in the "Love Shack" - a homemade one-room box he shared in the backyard with his giant black poodle and whatever woman he could grab at local swinger parties. It fit a king-size bed and nothing else, scavenged electricity from the house via a web of extension cords and had no running water (let's just say Bill's garden never lacked fresh manure). I guess the novelty of his "living off the land" project had waned and he was ready for stained shag carpeting under his feet once again. Suddenly, the rent went up and we now had our quasi-psycho landlord living with us. Within a week Daniel and I split for another apartment.

For another six months or so we stayed roommates. We rented a tiny cookie-cutter apartment that barely fit the both of us but blissfully had A/C. I never got the feeling he was completely happy there. Being at Bill's gave him some anonymity (especially from the cult folk he worried were after him); now he was on a lease, bills were in his name, etc. There were people below and next to us who would complain if we played guitar too loud. Not enough room inside for people to hang out. No yard. It was the typical starter apartment for someone starting out in the typical working world. He wanted no part of it.

At the same time I was ready to move out as well, but for different reasons. The apartment had unintentionally given me enough of a snapshot into my next phase of my life. My two years of fucking around in Texas was coming to a close. Without knowing it I had gotten sucked into the real world, found a new job on the East Coast, and was moving out. Over time I've recognized that decision as the biggest crossroad in my life. It was the true beginning of my current lot and it's strange to look back and realize it was made (rather impulsively, I may add) by a usually drunk, impetuous and supremely overconfident 24-year old. As the years have passed I've both been regretful and relived that I left Austin. Losing Daniel as a roommate and nearby friend is easily the biggest sorrow.

I helped Daniel move back to Bill's, saw him a few times over those last days and left Texas abruptly. We kept in touch sporadically over the years, firstly through letters and phone; then emails and internet as the technology arrived. Still incessantly calling me "my brotha," I was happy to learn he had started college and stuck with it, over the years I was even more impressed that he decided to go to medical school. Always affable and supportive as I spoke of the hits and misses in my life, there was never any criticism in his candor - in fact it was always the opposite. He had had a bad bike accident that challenged the future of his music playing, however his guitar playing turned out to be the exact rehabilitation his injured hand needed. Positive, positive vibes from the guy on every level. I tried to rendezvous with him a couple times during visits to Austin, unfortunately all attempts ended as nothing more then some cell phone calls and conflicting schedules. No problem, I always figured, we'd catch up at some point....

One year later all I am left with now are the memories and the music...

It is one of the real treasures Daniel brought to my life. I have always been rather picky, eccentric and private about my musical tastes, yet it was easy to open up and play the guy the most fucked-up shit in my collection. Never judging, Daniel happily gave me the skills and knowledge to not only play the stuff myself but appreciate other genres I wouldn't have necessarily liked.

When it comes down to it, music-wise, Daniel was a genius. One of those self-taught protégés who was born with a groove, he had started playing guitar as a 3-year old peddling for coins on the streets of Argentina (how can you say "no" to a kid strumming "Bringing In The Sheaves?") The guy didn't just teach me guitar, he taught me about the guitar. And he didn't stop there. He taught me how to play drums, work 4-tracks, record effects, write music... the list goes on and on. Very confident and comfortable with his skills and instruments, Daniel made a great teacher.

The band he was in during my tenure at the ranch was a funky, jazzy, hip-hop-ish outfit called Sci-Fly. They played some real groovin' funk, very influenced by old Stevie Wonder and Parliament. After the dissolution of the group Daniel continued to record similar-sounding stuff, bypassing the need for a band and playing all the instruments himself. Throughout our later correspondence he would send tapes through the mail containing both new recordings and tweaked older stuff. He had no problem finding guest vocalists and musicians, almost everyone who knew Daniel regarded him as "the guy I've got to play with sometime."

So here are those tapes, broken into 3 CDs which span the years as best as I could arrange. Disc 1 includes Sci-Fly stuff (a live jam and demo tape) as well as some post Sci-Fly musical projects with guys from the band. Disc 2 opens with a hilarious recording Daniel made with his father (which at times he completely disowned) as well as long, bare-bone recordings of what would eventually turn into Disc 3, his solo album The Funk Is Free. New songs and re-recorded stuff, I lost his tracklist long ago so I gave the songs somewhat generic names. They are m4a's ripped through iTunes, reduced to 128kbps so the .zip file would be somewhat manageable. I tried my best to upgrade the sound quality but the analog limitations of over-played (and over-dubbed) cassettes is impossible to erase. Imagine you are playing the songs through your blown-out Sanyo cassette deck and the hiss will be a lot more palatable. The tracks are soulful and jazzy, funky and deep. Whether playing his Gibson or his Rhodes, Daniel had the knack for a good groove. He could make the music funny, fearsome or funky - I'm honored to have been there when he recorded the stuff and that he thought enough of me to send the finalized tracks years later.

Check out the songs and enjoy. I've included the front artwork files in this post but for the backs of the album covers (and all of the other images spoken about here) check out this folder. (P.S. I know I've labeled their flutist Danny Anonymous but that was only because I couldn't remember his last name - it's actually Danny Krashen - sorry dude!)

Additionally, I thought it would be fun to scan in a couple of ancient Sci-Fly flyers that I unearthed. Might have been all of their gigs, I can't remember. Check out versions 1, 2 and 3. Artwork by Roman.

Rest In Peace Daniel. Miss you man. Thank you for helping make living in Austin one of the best times of my life. The funk IS free my brotha.

Disc 1                                Disc 2                                Disc 3

For God Sakes Jim!

During my senior year in highschool a few of the guys in my grade got together and formed one of the better local funk/punk acts that I've seen before or since. The year was 1990, the band was Juan Valdez And The Spanish Flies, and twenty years later the songs are still catchy and original enough to compete with today's glut of garage band material. I was lucky enough to be friendly with a few of the guys and get this cassette of their studio sessions, as well as record one of their rehearsal jams for an upcoming show opening for the now-legendary Bouncing Souls (also from my highschool). Good tunes ("Ode To The Lonely" to this day is still one of my favorite anti-redneck rants), good jams and good memories. Rock on Juan.

8.2.14 update: Here's a brand new, completely unofficial quasi-remastered rip of the original cassette with a significant focus on retaining the thump of the bass (after all it is a funk band). Sounds as good as DIY home stereo dubbed demos can... amazing this fucker is nearly 25 years old.

What Do You Do?

The Birth Of Rap

There was a point in my life (namely the early 90's) where I was buying every CD I could lay my hands on that I thought had something to do with N.W.A. and their version of gangsta rap. So if something accidentally stumbled into the "rap" section of my local Alwilk Records and it looked legit, $15 bucks later it was mine. I had seen Hustlers Convention hanging around in the "Misc D-L" section (or whatever) and was wary. Sure it had some kinda hard sounding songs like "Four Bitches Is What I Got" and "The Shit Hits The Fan Again". It was copyrighted 1990 so it had to be part of the new wave - although it was weird that The Source had no mention of it. I eventually bought it and what a surprise. Firstly, it was not what I expected - no gangsta rap here. And it was not a product of the 90's - it is actually a 1973 album finally seeing a CD release years later. So what did I buy? The best way I could describe Hustlers Convention is to imagine if someone spieled a 70's blaxploitation movie (The Mack definitely coming to mind) over Kool & The Gang funk. Yep, Lightnin' Rod (a.k.a. Jalal Nuriddin) smoothly raps an entire story of Sport and his boy Spoon complete with a supporting cast, sound effects and a nice little moral jab at the end. It's an amazing journey, completely addictive from start to finish. Buddy Miles (of Band Of Gypsys fame), Brother Gene Dinwiddie and Kool & The Gang (I wasn't making that up) provide the background music like a film score. Forget "Rapper's Delight", Hustlers Convention deserves to be in every hip hop library as a testament of the genre's true beginning. Jalal (who eventually became a member of the equally influential Last Poets) still plays music and has a few more solo albums to his credit including Doriella Du Fontaine in which he raps over a fantastic Jimi Hendrix/Buddy Miles jam session. Check it out.

Cop Some Fronts

White People Only For The Next Five Minutes Please....

The Beastie Boys dropped a bunch of singles off of their seminal Check Your Head (1992) album; all released on maxi-CD singles with great bonus track, remixes and the like. "Gratitude" was the last single to be released and came with a few live tunes ("Gratitude" and "Stand Together") as well as a remix of "Finger Lickin' Good". But the real treat is the unreleased Zamboni anthem "Honky Rink". Nice synthesizer funk, phat bass and humorous skating-rink-PA vocals make this a real treat.

Thank You

What the....?

 

The first album by supergroup Praxis is a bit of a tough swallow at first - I can't remember who actually brought it to my attention. Methinks it was the Buckethead-loving bartender at the restaurant I line cooked at years ago; unsurprisingly the guy was kind of a weirdo - one of those "just into weird shit to say that he's into weird shit" folk. In a (somewhat) unrelated story he once asked me over to play some guitar on some godawful Devo-like midi recordings he had done. I reluctantly obliged (gotta keep the bartender happy) and after playing some brutally awful guitar and drinking a ton of beers he throws on some amputee porn to "just chill out and laugh at". No shit. Interestingly, I don't know what was weirder - the fact that he threw on amputee porn or the fact that Tom Byron was acting in it... and I recognized him. I don't know what that says about either me or him but I guess it was a lean month for ol' Tom and ya gotta pay the rent. Regardless - this album is pretty much the musical equivalent of amputee porn - it's enticing in a weird way but annoying in others. Imagine an epileptic mixing a 64-track album mid-seizure and you have some idea of what to expect. Ethereal, heavy, fascinating, cyber-blasting, boring, jaw-dropping, slamming funky shit. Enjoy.

DownLaswell