RUHtf Gem: Lou Reed on KSCA Music Hall

This is a cool little gem i've been hoarding...Lou Reed being interviewed by Mike Morrison on KSCA Music Hall. Mike is a great DJ, but he probably didn't do his due diligent research.

Things you don't ask Lou Reed:

1) Why is Egg Cream [ed note: a song about a soda fountain drink] dark?
2) Why so many songs about New York [ed note: where Lou is from]?

and the final doozy:

3) Why do you think VU was so influential?

I met Lou (thus the picture) and told him I heard the interview, and he said "Was I an asshole? I always come off as an asshole."

The story behind the picture is pretty cool...I saw him talk at the Festival Of Books. Afterwards, they told everyone to go to the booth behind the stage for a meet and greet. Already, a line was forming. I went up front to see if I could work the violin (my wheelchair, that is...it usually gets "special" privileges). Well...the security person had a cold heart, and said I had to go to the end of the line, which was already winding around the corner. I did so, and sat there for about 20 minutes. All of the sudden, another security person was walking the line. He saw me and said "Hey! You don't need to stand in line!" and took me and Hawk (my service dog) to the front of the line. He pushed the people in the front out of the way and removed the rope cordon to allow me by. Lou was busy signing someone's "Between Thought And Expression" (the "poetry" book he was pimping). When he was done, he looked up at me, cocked his head, and Sharpie in hand said in his best deadpan New York accent "What the hell happened to you?" It was a classic moment in my history. That's the first thing that one of my heroes and idols says to me. It's as good as the story about the time I met Prince...but i'll save that for another entry. Anyhow...we got to talking. Lou was taken by my story and traded his war story about almost dying in a crash a few years back on his motorcycle. The record company guy Bill Bentley saw the camera on my lap and asked if I wanted a picture (mind you...in line, they were telling us "NO CAMERAS!!") Lou apparently is sensitive to the flash, cause he insisted the flash be shut off. After the picture, I told him I was going to try to go to the Wiltern show. He told me he'd get me in. Three weeks later, Terry and I were bringing Lou a bag of a dozen chocolate chip rugula from Canter's after the show backstage. Lou was so happy to see the rugula...he held it up and was showing it to everyone and telling them what it was.

(speaking of motorcycles...before the Festival of Books, I was at Amoeba watching Daniel Lanois. I was hanging out with Nick the security guy before Daniel showed up, so I could meet him (because I had to leave early). Daniel showed up on a shiny BMW bike. I introduced myself to him and got to talking. I told him he's produced probably 5 of my 10 favorite albums of all time...but not Lou. He told me he was supposed to produce a Lou Reed album, but unfortunately it fell through. THAT would have been brilliant!)

So now, for your enjoyment, the Lou Reed KSCA interview:
Initial banter:

Sweet Jane:

Banter:

NYC Man:

Banter:

The Proposition:

Banter:

Egg Cream:

Banter:

Dirty Blvd.

End of the banter:

Not that I would have done any better...I would have been a blubbering idiot.

RUHtf: Maiden/Anthrax Concert preview

Alright...this is a quickie...and kinda cheating. This probably isn't too rare, nor unreleased, nor hard to find. It still is cool, and at least it isn't the version you can find on the album. I'm banging my head tomorrow with my brother-in-law Ken, so this is in preparation for the Iron Maiden/Anthrax show. Plus, I had fun making the album cover.

RUHtf Gem: Jane's Addiction on Rockline 7/21/03

This was an interview with Jane's Addiction on Rockline 7/21/03. I called in on this show (I am "Larry from Irvine"). I was kind of surprised to hear Jane's Addiction on Rockline, a show on KLOS. I doubt KLOS had played Jane's before, and I doubt they have played them since. Regardless, nice to hear Bob Coburn giving praise to the band..when other guests on Rockline have been Fleetwood Mac, Journey, Doobie Brothers, Styx...you get the idea.

Here is the full interview:


Here's my portion isolated. I don't know what happened to me, but the second they said "Larry from Irvine, you're on with Jane's Addiction!" I turned in to a blubbering fool and said "Hey...how are you guys doing?" (which is one of my pet peeves when it comes to radio call-ins). Of COURSE we know how they're doing!! Perry didn't quite understand my question...which, upon reflection, was a pretty stupid question, on a par with "Who are your influences?"

Well, here it is, warts and all:

Bad Hair Day

(Click photo to enlarge)

Hope none of you have to "Run To The Hills".

Yikes....I guess since his band "Blaze"'s new album has been delayed, he's got to pimp for hair replacement.

The ONLY lead singer of Iron Maiden I know is Bruce Dickinson. I guess this guy is like the equivalent of the replacements Styx and Journey have for their lead singers.

RUHtf Concert Review: The Cult at the Grove, Sunday May 25

Many 80’s bands seem to have suffered a fate akin to making a deal with the devil during their prime in exchange for their fast fame and huge fortune. They either:

A) had their one hit single/album/video never to be heard from again, but putting food on the table with their royalty checks, either from their song being featured on 80’s compilations appropriately (and embarassingly) called something like “80’s One Hit Wonders!”, and/or appearances on VH1’s “Where Are They Now?”

B) had their hit, was dropped by the label because of a lackluster second album, are forever relegated to playing “Flashback” multi-band tours with other 1, 2, and 3 hit wonders…with position on the bill dictated by number of hits.

C) Enjoyed success in the 80’s, had some in the 90’s, jumped the sinking ship known as the music industry and are now putting out music on their own (finding $9/album more profitable than $1) or are a “trophy” artist for an indie looking for some mainstream cred.

D) Are U2.

In this fickle day and age of a cannibalistic/self-defeating record industry and music fans’s fickleness, what could be all the rage one minute becomes cut-out bin fodder the next.

The Cult fall in the “C” category above. They were giants back in “the day”. In the 80‘s they toured with other huge bands (Metallica) and helped launched the careers of others (touring with Guns And Roses shortly after the release of “Appetite For
Destruction”). In the great debate that often takes place when music geeks gather, if not “the most influential”, valid arguments could be made to place The Cult amongst the top 10 greatest and most influential bands of the 80’s. They would have easily been able to headline and sell-out the first Lollapalooza, had Ian Astbury (the Cult’s singer) not “invented” the multi-band, multi-city alternative festival a year earlier with Gathering Of The Tribes.

On stage at The Grove Sunday was ½ of the band that made their “classic” albums (“Love” and “Electric”), but then again the Cult was always Astbury and Billy Duffy…with two other guys. It may as well have been Andrew Ridgeley and Dave Stewart (two other musicians in the 80’s whose partners eclipsed their careers) on the front of the “Electric” album cover along with Astbury and Duffy. They have put out albums since their heyday, and have been touring, yet they don’t have the status, have not sold as many albums, and are not playing the same size arenas. The fans come to expect loud power chords, dynamic solos, and thundering drums, as well as Astbury’s wail, and at the Grove the band delivered. Each era of their career was touched on, going back to Death Cult (one of their first incarnations). The new songs gave the casual fans a moment to go for a bathroom break (it seems “Here’s a song off our new album” translates in to “Why don’t you take a moment to go to the bathroom”). The old songs shook with the thundering power of the original albums. New songs blended right in with the groove. Hardcore Cult fans will notice that live, the “Electric” songs sound more like the “Manor Sessions”/Peace, rather than having Rick Rubin studio crunch. Missing, sadly, was a noticeable contingent of young fans, important for a band to bring in new fans rather than having to repackage the hits for the old fans.

Also absent was a sign that the Cult will be slowing down any time soon. They’re doing things their way, which is playing shows, putting out occasional albums, and making the fans happy. It could be argued that “She Sells Sanctuary” is the “Stairway To Heaven” of the 80’s generation. The use of the song in a Nissan commercial helped make the opening riff as ubiquitous as hearing the opening notes “Stairway To Heaven” whenever one ventures in to a music store. Hopefully, the Cult can continue to keep putting out albums and tour, and get their music heard somehow, as that is how they will get new fans. A rumored tour with an as yet unconfirmed Zeppelin could also help propel The Cult back to the upper floor of the sales charts, though often an opening band on such a high profile show could get lost under the weight of the headliner (and “Opening band” on the marquee sometimes translates as “Show starts at 9:30”).

Here's a cool promo clip I saw on Cinemax:


Listen to this interview with the band from Rockline when Beyond Good and Evil came out:

RUHtf Newsstand: Whatever happened to Frankie?

Alright...here's a new feature of RUHtf. Over the years i've amassed a bunch of articles I'd like to share. Some in nice condition..others (like this), a little road-beaten. Anyhow...hope you enjoy them. The following answers the question, "Whatever happened to Frankie Goes To Hollywood?" Well, as you'll read...it's more like "Phrankie". I knew there was something awry when I saw the marquee at the Crazy Horse (a local country/western "hip" bar in the Irvine Spectrum) announce an upcoming show: "Frankie Goes To Hollywood".

Message about Scribd: It is convenient to upload documents to blogs, however, you only have the option of that default window size. Click the link below the document and you'll see it in full (or you can click the plus and minus signs and enlarge the document, still in the window).

phrankie - Upload a doc

Read this doc on Scribd: phrankie

RUHtf song: Swans - Love Will Tear Us Apart

Just to prove I plan on keeping this up, i'll post this nice little ditty. It's a cover of Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart". It doesn't deviate very far from the original, but modernizes the song enough that it's very enjoyable.

More information can be found here, and on the Swan's website.

As for the film, Control...I enjoyed it very much, yet felt that it oversimplified Ian's life as well as the development of the band (the scene in which they decide to form the ban, they're standing in front of the Free Trade Hall marquee which says "Tonight! Sex Pistols!"...I felt that was like a scene from Forrest Gump).

Enjoy this track.
>

This is the video for it:

RUHtf Gem Of the Week #1: Pop-O-Pies: The White EP

Wow...first post already!

Ahhh...the Pop-O-Pies White EP. One of my recent vinyl bin scores. I paid like $2.99 at Fingerprints (the LAST of the independent record stores...hell, the last of the record stores in general), knowing full well that this has an ebay value of no less than $25.
According to P.O.P legend, their first two years performing as a band consisted of one song...their punk cover of "Truckin'".
The band line up changed a lot, and head Pie, Joe Pop-O-Pie felt that since the PAs sucked in the clubs, no one would notice. Plus, the band had frequent line-up changes, so this made teaching the repertoire easier.

As with any well executed novelty, though there were many detractors, the band also garnered a following. So much so, that when they got more professional and tried adding songs to their set, the faithful (who came to hear "Truckin'", ad nauseum) got restless.

This is their first, infamous EP. They also have two full albums out, and, for the digital age, an Anthology available at CD Baby.

There is a Pop-O-Pie/Faith No More connection. Some of the band members from P.O.P joined FNM. As well, Joe was FNMs first singer...before the mohawked guy and Mike Patton. Another early FNM singer was, surprisingly, Courtney Love.

Well, enjoy Pop-O-Pies' ultra rare White EP. Keep checking in to RUHtf for another Gem Of The Week.

Truckin'


The Catholics Are Attacking


Timothy Leary Lives


Truckin' Rap


Fascists Eat Donuts

Mission Statement of RUHtf

This is a LONG time coming, and due to popular demand...Being a music fan for life, and a lover of all genres (as long as its good), I have a tendency to pile up a lot of songs, whether they be CD, tape, vinyl, mp3, or a vhs I recorded long ago (and have since digitized). I love turning people on to stuff they HAVE to hear or see....stuff they're going to have a hard time finding anywhere else (because it was never released, was deleted from the catalog, or, in some cases, was never officially recorded). Rather than making disc after disc for my friends (not that I mind), I just decided to start a blog and start putting things up and send links to people (and hopefully those friends will tell two friends, and those friends will tell two friends...you get the drift). Who knows? Mabye Spin will one day feature me in their must-view websites. It's going to take a while for me to build up this site. If you have anything to share, please e-mail me and i'll see about getting it up.

This should be fun. Hopefully you'll be enlightened and become a fan of some new music you never knew about. I'm not saying this stuff is not available anywhere...due to whatever circumstances, it's hard to find. Please visit regularly and comment nicely. If you don't have something nice to say...this probably isn't the place to say it (mabye Rush Limbaugh's blog is a more appropriate place?) This blog is about music...good music. Music you probably never knew existed. Music you probably would have never heard were it not for RUHtf. Music that my encourage you to go buy it, petition the artist/label to put it out, pay exhorbitant amounts on ebay so you can own it, encourage you to learn more about the artist and what they're doing today.

My final mission....to have you enjoy this as much as I do researching and putting it together.

Oh....one more thing...check out my other groovy-filled site at larrysinger.com. There, you'll see pix of me and family and friends (famous and not) and other cool stuff. Dig through cause there's some more RUHtf stuff that may eventually work its way over here.