I will say this, thousands and thousnds upon thousands of inexplicable rock star names are out there and this is one that I can’t even scrape up a guess.
Rubber Radio is this one one , which debuted with ‘Rubber Rodeo in 1981.
Hmm. is there a Plastic Playgrounds?
Belushi and Dan Akroyd popularized an old soul 1950s hit –‘Rubber Biscuits,’ –and of course there was Birmingham singer Eddie Kendricks known for his hit record , ‘Rubber Band Man.’
Rubber Rodeo, on the other hand came out as a New Wave cow-punk band that was sweeping, nation, well maybe dustbrooming .the nation.
Despite some good press and a couple or so albums, they never bounced back.
Bounced back? From what? Well I was making a little joke there, but if you must know, rubber head, in the cow punk genre they just weren’t as good as Jason and Scorchers, Rank and File, Danny and Dusty and, got to mention some of X’s work..
ALBUMS: High Infidelity (1980). A Decade of Rock and Roll 1970 – 1980
MVC Rating: Infidelity 3.5;/ $$’ Decade of Rock and Roll. 4.0/$$$
Kevin Cronin (with the hair ) and me (Mike Oliver) a photo and discussion after the show about Lewy body dementia at a Lewy conference in Las Vegas.
OK, i’ll start something: Journey or REO Speedwagon?
Which one was the better band?. They both suck right, ?
Well, no. How can you even ask the question? Journey had better songs. Journey was the perfect rock date band: Journey was more famous and was worldwide. Man, what’ are you even talking about?
I hear you .
My family moved to Indiana, trading red clay dirt clods for cornfields and a famous car race My new Indiana friends were very much into REO Speedwagon and if you think REO ws a cheesy Top 40 band listen to some of their earlier albums, they rocked so hard the front row had their eyebrows burned off.
Of course that is obviously not true but I’m sure there were ringing ears.
Now flash forward a couple of decades plus. I was regional editor or projects editor for the Oakland Tribune., My co-workers of a slightly younger age who grew up in the SF Bay Area Journey was the thing. Not even a guilty pleasure but an awesome hard rock band that made REO look like hayseeds. (They’re behind the corn).
Let’s look at the tale of the tape, quite appropriate when you consider how many cassettes these guys sold .
Super hard rock in Speedwagon’s earlier days. s
Journey, over a 40-years career, has been one of the greatest classic rock bands of all time. The band has released 23 albums and 43 singles since 1975 and has reached worldwide album sales totaling more than 75 million. .
I didn’t think their resume was THAT good. And I like them. Just so we give ’em a fair shake, I’ll find REO’s numbers. Those are oustanding numbers for Journey probably putting them in the top echelon for 70s and 80s bands..
OK, here we go with the REO number. (Both of these nuggets of info, supplied by Wikipedia and Google aggregation abilities.
Over the course of its career, the band has sold more than 40 million records and has charted 13 Top 40 hits, including the number ones “Keep On Loving You” and “Can’t Fight This Feeling?.
Not bad. But this was exactly the music I was transitioning out of at about 18. Played them again for this piece and yes both Journey and REO Speedwagon rock!
I used to say that if I was limited to one album to play at a party it would be Dr. John’s Gumbo.
Swampy cajun with creole spices, a magical brew of traditional and current dance songs that, even if you can’t understand the words — are forced to dance by the driving zydeco beat. But guess what? In my experimental ‘sell-some-records’ mission linked here, It was one of the very first bought at my booth at the Alabama Record Collector’s Association. I think I sold it for $18. The price was good for me and the buyer. But, I’ve regretted it ever since.
But I had regrets about most I sold — and that’s why this was an experiment to see how I would handle, and how much money they could make. I sold 33 records for a little over $400.
So what I didn’t foretell was that I let go of a very useful album that could be played successfully at a party over and over again as if you had no other selections.
Now, if you’re paying attention you probably realize that you are in the Rockpile post. And you guessed it, it is the new successor to Dr. John. It was a one-album only gig for a couple successful musicians Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds
The album is a frothy brew of American rockabilly, and English pop helping push and shape the new genres of New Wave and Power Pop, who both have extensive catalogs of their solo work which this blog covers (HERE FOR EDMUNDS AND HERE FOR LOWE). The Rockpile album, as a listening experience, is a treasure. It’s kind of like Buddy Holly’s 20 greatest where there are no bad songs and even the sad ones make you happy.
It would be easy to dismiss this average white band as a great bar band and go with that. But they are actually a good bump above that description. They are an American band in the Grand Funk mode or blue-eyed rock and soul of Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels.
Rare Earth was from Detroit, and like Mitch Ryder’s great band, absorbed the Motor City’s soul music tradition.
Detroit Wheels had some funk and soul in their approach. Rare Earth was one of the first successful- all- white bands to be signed by Motown Records. (Others had been signed but never had a hit or achieved much success.) Some audiences called the band too white sounding and others called the band too black sounding, but a lot more liked the sound. One of their biggest hits was a cover of a Temptations song, ‘Get Ready’ which was a real jam — like 30 minutes of jam in concert. They were loud, both vocally and musically.
I saw them at an outdoor free concert in West Lafayette, Indiana, in around 1974 or 1975. Or, maybe that was the J. Geils Band (?). I don’t know. I do know I became familiar with Rare Earth’s songs around this time as they bombarded the radio airways.
‘Born to Wander,’ ‘Hey Big Brother,’ ‘(I Know) I’m Losing You’ and my favorite: ‘I just Want to Celebrate.’
Of all the psychedelic jam bands that came out around 1967-69 in the San Francisco Bay Area — the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin/ Big Brother and Holding Company, It’s a Beautiful Day — Quicksilver Messenger Service certainly was one of them.
I have tried to get into Quicksilver. John Cipollina plays great guitar. Their two big hits were ‘Take Another Hit’ and, ‘What About Me.’ They were good FM radio type songs. But when I had stop and listen to an entire album from the group, I begin to look askance at Hippies. And I was heavily influenced by the Hippie culture in the 1960s, despite my relative youth at the time.
I had a lifesize Jimi Hendrix poster on my wall right about age 13. I liked the San Francisco band called ‘It’s a Beautiful Day’ with it’s magic violin sounds. And although I’m not a lifelong Grateful Dead fan — I have started an older age appreciation for some of their work.
And don’t get me wrong, there was some talent but Quicksilver’s lyrics were a sequence of hippie cliche’s: “I’m always getting busted … and I believe in revolution …oh oh, what’s you going to do about me? ……If you stand up for what you do believe, be prepared to be shot down. … oooh oooh What’s you gonna do about me?’
Quicksilver is a good name for a heavy metal band, though.
Interesting prophetic(?} lyric from ‘What About Me:’
Your newspapers They just put you on They never tell you The whole story They just put your Young ideas down I was wonderin’ could this be the end
Here’s an excerpt about a pretty amazing song. I just posted on AL.com:
Living on free food tickets, Water in the milk, From a hole in the roof, Where the rain came through, What can you do? MmmWhat is it about this song?It’s called ‘Love of the Common People,’ first recorded in 1967, it has been recorded by many many artists — some quite big , yet it always seems to be flying under the radar.“I’ve heard that before. Who sings it?” is the reaction I get most often when I play it for someone.Maybe it was at a friend’s house? Or your parents played one of its abundant iterations. I’ve heard that song before. Who sings it?From country singers to reggae versions to punk and soul. Waylon Jennings, John Denver, Elton John and the Everly Brothers.
Happy Mother’s Day everybody. It’s Mom’s Appreciation Day or MAD as we call it. Actually, no It’s, of course Mother’s Day (for MD, what every mom wanted their son or daughter to grow up and be.} Well, we didn’t all become doctors but I’ve lived for the most part a wonderful life and I bless and acknowledge my mother’s assistance in that. Please try to empathize with our Moms. Today‘s a day where we stop and say I Love You.
(And a very happy BIRTHDAY, tomorrow May 11, to the love of my life, Catherine.
I also want t say RIP to one of the greats, Little RIchard, who is on my countdown albeit I don’t really have any vinyl of the rock and roll Little RIchard — rather I have a gospel record.
Little Richard, aka Richard Penniman from Macon, Ga., belongs up there with Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley and the Beatles in completing the crossover mixture of white and black song stylings that melded in what we call rock and rollld.
His jagged falsetto and frenetic presentation of rock and roll songs had never been heard quite like Little Richard delivered them. His influences can be heard all over rock and roll, very specifically in Paul McCartney’s vocal yells and yelps.
The multimillionaire record mogul was worried enough about the group to sue them for using Quincy as the name of their band. I’m getting this from a compilation of sources, blogs and bios, incuding IMDb’s profile, of one of the ex-band members, Gerald Emerick.
Quincy Jones who has set the record for Grammy nominations with 80 (he won 28) went after a New Wave band with no hits and just a little promise. Because they called themselves Quincy?
I picked up the band’s self-entitled album in a bargain bin I believe while I was in Auburn. 1980. The music is pretty good New Wave, power pop with some synth highlights. The songs bounce a la Boomtown Rats or Elvis Costello or the Cars.
Maybe it’s a collectible because it’s the first and only album (that I know of) under the name Quincy. The band was no match for Mr. Jones and settled out of court.
For their second album, their name was Lulu Temple.
After not much success, the band that had once been a frequent performer at CGBG’s, disbanded and went their separate ways.
All I can say is Quincy Jones. Wow. Lulu Temple. Wow. Wasn’t there a popular TV show about this time called ‘Quincy?’
I haven’t seen that Jack Klugman vehicle in a long time. Maybe it’s called something else now? I can I picture Jack Klugman smoking a big cigar yelling: “Quit calling me Lulu.”
Don’t worry, I’m still going to finish. I just believe I need to step it up.
My Vinyl Countdown, or myvinylcountdown.com, is still rolling, but needs some maintenance as I’ve piled on about 500 posts in less than three years.
Read About Me for a detailed explanation but in general, I’m counting down the 678 vinyl records I have collected over the years. Of my 500-plus posts, a little more than 400 are record reviews. I have about 230 of those reviews to go which will be another 18 months at the pace I’m going now. So, I need to accelerate.
Obviously this is not all about music; I’ve written quite a few post, essays, even poetry about the disease, some are here. Check the ‘categories ‘ and ‘archives’ buttons for more.
An associated fund-raising group called MikeMadness has staged a basketball tournament for three straight years resulting in about $40,000 combined toward awareness and research. Our fourth annual even was scheduled for July 25, 2020. We are watching the issues surrounding the coronavirus closely to see if and how we may have to make new arrangements. Stay tuned in to this blog, or AL.com, or MikeMadness.
My impetus to accelerate is not that I’ll be dying any minute from this incurable degenerative brain disease. But I will be dying any year. I’d like to accomplish this task with some cushion, big cushion.
In the mad swirl of advocating for Lewy body dementia, I’ve met Suzanne WIlliams Wright, Robin WIliams’ widow, And I was interviewed for podcast by Kerri Kasem the daughter of Casey Kasem, who also like WIlliams died of Lewy body dementia.
Alphabetically I just finished the ‘P’s’ and into the ‘Q’s’ with Queen. I’ve bought and received a good deal of albums during this time, but I’ve also sold about 40 or 50. One of my tune-ups is to correct my countdown numbers which appear in bold on the title headline of each bog post. Those countdown numbers are supposed to tell you and me where I am with these. I have found that in several places I’ve skipped adding the number. For example, I have on Van Morrison listed only one album when in reality I have about five. The error came in listing only one album for the countdown. So this is exciting in that it might move me up (down?) in the countdown. In other words, I’m farther along than I thought.
If I was really ambitious and forward thinking and savvy I would have all of these in a spreadsheet and keep track by updating every time I gain one or lose one.
Now readers, friends and family have worried that the end of the countdown somehow means the end of me. Not what I’m planning. I started this to raise money for Lewy body dementia research and awareness. When I get to 678 I am anticipating I’ll have overage which could be dealt with by simply adding an addendum to this blog, which has also been a regular feature at AL.com.
I’ll leave you now with reviews from the blog archives:
JANIS JOPLIN
Album: Greatest Hits (1973); Pearl (1969)
MVC Rating: Greatist: 4.0/$$$; Pearl 4.5/$$$$
NOTE: I added Pearl rather recently, not being able to resist its thrift store price and good conditionl. Half the tracks overlap with Greatest Hits. Pearl is a great classic album. I’m pretty sure I have pretty much all the Joplin I need as I also have a CD with something like 20 song.
—
Talk about pain — as we have been with the country songs of George Jones and Tammy Wynette — Janis Joplin was one hurting puppy.
Her voice was like no other when that inner turmoil came out.
That’s why the video in my last post of Janis and Tom Jones is something of a revelation. Tom Jones (coming to Birmingham soon) is a made for-Vegas, pop singer with a ladies’ following, some nifty dance moves copped from Elvis, and a strong strong voice in his own right. On this duet, Tom and Janis seem to be having much fun as they see who can out belt each other while shimmying around the dance floor to a small but raucous crowd of musicians and dancers.
CLICK ON TITLE FOR FULL REVIEW
ROY CLARK
ALBUM: Guitar Spectacular! (1965)
MVC Rating: 4.0/$$
This one slipped between the cracks earlier, having now passed my “C” section. But upon hearing of his death today it feels appropriate to put it up.
He was 85.
AL GREEN
]ALBUMS: Greatest Hits (Reissue: 1982 of 1975 release); Truth In Time (1978); Soul Survivor (1987)
MVC Rating: Greatest 5/$$$$; Truth 4.0/$$$; Soul Survivor/$$$
One of my favorite artists — all time.
I have three albums that capture the essence and soul of a man with essence and soul. He was the best at covering other’s work and elevating. But he wrote his own as well.
His earlier stuff collected on the hits album is classic R&B, soul. Some of the best made.
The Al Green-penned ‘Let’s Stay Together,’ ‘Let’s Get Married,’ ‘Call Me,’ and ‘I’m Still in Love With You’ all smolder with love and hotter love. Green’s falsetto is the best. That’s not up for debate with me. It is the best. His song, “Tired of Being Alone” is a timeless classic.
But it’s his cover of the Bee Gee’s ‘How Can You Mend a Broken Heart’ that takes the prize for top, not to be too hyperbolic, perhaps Top 3, covers of all time. That is an emotional workout listening to Green sing that.
The only song not on the Greatest Hits that should have been is ‘Take Me to the River,’ a Green song covered quite successfully later by the Talking Heads.
Green in 1974, after some traumatic life events and hospitalizations, became a pastor. He leads a big church in Memphis near Elvis’ Graceland. Over the years he has wavered between recording pure gospel music and a hybrid of popular, with God infused throughout.
Some of his ’80s’ work is as powerful as anything he’s ever done. I got religion about three times listening to Soul Survivor and his sung version of the 23rd Psalm with a full gospel choir. In my copy of ‘Soul Survivor’ I was happy to find a 5X7 photo and a bio sheet.
