seems my ex-favourite band is releasing another album of 70s drenched leather whatever, which got me thinking about how much i used to love the mooney suzuki. i still wear the t-shirt, and the badge is still stuck on an old faded denim jacket. i remember grabbing their debut album off the record store shelves and shoving it into my discman as soon as i walked out the door. not long after i spotted several 7″s on ebay, and bought the your love is a gentle whip single for, oh, maybe A$20? the band was worth plenty to me in those days. their bio in 1999 reads:
Unaided by booking agent, label or management, the act has attained an unmatched level of regional notoriety. With nothing on record store shelves, the band’s success can be attributed solely to the tremendous word of mouth…
back then it did seem they were relying solely on their sweaty live shows, and that one 7″ released by garage band label estrus records. rumour was it that their guitarist had only picked up the instrument a matter of months earlier, though maybe this was invented to fuel the usual garage myth of three chords and no ability, because ultimately anyone can play in a band.
even i could use their music as guitar practice, beating out E D and A for three minutes until i believed i could actually play my telecaster copy. it seemed so much simpler then, from their all black mod getup to their self-made crude fliers, to the knowingly crap design of their first album, people get ready (that is definitely some shitty computer font for the title).
but in fact, isn’t there a weird resemblance between this cover and the other? most of their covers have been designed by the band or in conjunction with another party, so it can’t be accidental…
but back to the 7″ - the a-side is killer, and actually made we wonder if i needed to clean my record needle. because it sounds like this:
none of their later recordings have the same heavy impact, as they increase their levels of self-parody with each album (not unlike the ramones). in fact, the warning signs can be seen in this piece of artwork, the 7″ for in a young man’s mind, a single from their second (listenable) album, before the release of the bomb (alive and amplified):
still in the mod getup, the artwork has turned towards late 60s/early 70s, with none of that photocopied cut and paste that characterised their earlier releases. a sure sign of things to come.
actually, what do i have against the 70s? maybe it’s the hippie folk freelove shit, or the copious amounts of drugs which resulted in ten minute guitar wank solos by those too absorbed in their own musical universe. because switching decades makes the mooney suzuki do horrible things like try to write their breakout album (alive and amplified) with the matrix, and now i have to listen to songs of groupies, girls, groupies, sex, rock ‘n’ roll, liquor. boring. and the fact the matrix helped to suck all the dirt out of the rock didn’t help either.
i think my fan levels were at their highest when they made an appearance in the school of rock film. it was nice to have that superior moment to myself since i already knew the band and their songs, and couldn’t be bothered telling anybody else, as the short appearance by the mooney suzuki would probably have not registered on their brains anyway. but now i’m just being flippant, because i did want these guys to make it, but perhaps not in the way they’re doing it now. still, they have their fans, as 782+ pictures on flickr would attest. just that it doesn’t matter to me anymore. but writing this has made me hunt down those early 7″ singles…
postman was nice enough to open my front gate and hide the package by the wall. it was dark by the time i got home, and i only noticed when i sat at the front door untying my shoelaces.
jet set records hooray! i visit their site regularly, since i love browsing their recommendations, and listening to the samples (hint: you’ll get many more if you look it up in japanese).
inside the package: a canvas record bag (as in the first picture), the book of lists 7″, harvard - talkin and loud, hideki kaji - new pretty, and satoru ono - frankenstein. the records i pretty much picked these out on what i heard on the website.
but i am a longtime fan of hideki kaji. his sound is not dissimilar to swedish pop - but this time around has added electronic beats and dance sounds into his repetoire. at least he is trying something new after many years of making music, because a stagnating artist can soon be an earful bore.
i bought a copy from jet set because they were offering an exclusive 60min cdr interview with kaji-kun. mine is numbered 86/100, so maybe there aren’t many left?
spot the “orange juice” (band) tribute
harvard’s “talkin and loud” - general fun from japanese skater boys. not as well playing as the choice cuts in the samples indicated, but at least they seem less concerned with ‘the trendy sound of now’ as their debut. if there’s one thing i can’t stand, it’s emulating the popular sound for no real purpose than to fit in. still, fly (or fly) and i will take paris are driving rock songs, and a title like looks like chloe sevigny will get them notice wherever they go.
the biggest surprise is satoru ono, who does remind me of kaji, but his sounds come from anything and everything - hissing cheap tiny amps, shaken things, saxaphones. frankenstein is his debut album. where did he come from? no mention of previous bands, although he has been a support player for the tenniscoats and maher shalal hash baz. his influences include xtc, jellyfish, and swedish band eggstone, which go down well in my book. or my blog.
i realise i haven’t reviewed the book of lists 7″, but i am totally knackered after a long saturday at work and being out at dinner. next entry, promise!
and in honour of the webcam sitting on top of my computer (my mother’s really) here is another low resolution, colour distorted photograph. of myself. ha.
who needs a phone camera when you can have a webcam. same crappy pictures, one central location. and what did your mother tell you about vanity?!?
today was a public holiday, so i got sick of being at home and went for a walk into town. actually, most days that i have off from work i end up walking into the city. i don't usually buy anything other than a drink or chocolate, but i just like motion. lately i walk the entire way there and back, instead of cheating and catching a train for two stops. i will never have "nice legs" (pretty stupid concept if you think about it), but my calf muscles are sticking out a fair bit now from all the walking i do. it's my strength.
i like watching everyone else walk by, and looking at the tops of old buildings (where the old facades remain). i still have my nasty photograph taking habit, so i'll supress my feelings of embarassment and pull out a camera out of my bag regardless.
i kinda lied - i did end up buying two records today. the shopkeeper asked me if i knew them, and honestly i didn't. netherlands eurovision entry 1969; dream academy - no clue. actually, i just played it, and realised i already hate the a-side, just didn't know the name to attach to the radio tune, because it starts sounding like all that paul simon african shit in the chorus. i think i'll just stick to buying records i know i want from ebay or something. and eurovision is still cheese, even sandy shaw's entry.
oh i am soooo sorry. you will be too after five seconds of it.
oh, and i picked up a ten dollar bill whilst walking along the railway line. i turned around to check if anyone was following me, or if it was attached to a string. but it was mine. see, there was a reason why i left the house! although, a couple of weeks ago in adelaide i did have a dream where someone told me that something good was going to happen in a fortnight, but i really hope that wasn't it.
seems my ex-favourite band is releasing another album of 70s drenched leather whatever, which got me thinking about how much i used to love the mooney suzuki. i still wear the t-shirt, and the badge is still stuck on an old faded denim jacket. i remember grabbing their debut album off the record store shelves and shoving it into my discman as soon as i walked out the door. not long after i spotted several 7″s on ebay, and bought the your love is a gentle whip single for, oh, maybe A$20? the band was worth plenty to me in those days. their bio in 1999 reads:
still in the mod getup, the artwork has turned towards late 60s/early 70s, with none of that photocopied cut and paste that characterised their earlier releases. a sure sign of things to come.
