Another installment of the column where we weed through the piles of vinyl in my office together to decide what stays and what goes. Is it a keeper or a tosser?
Chosen randomly from my "To Spin" stacks . . .
The Blackbury Accident - Overdose of Love/Under my Roof
No idea where this one came from, but here it is, in my collection, wondering when it was ever going to get a spin. Well, that spin came today and it most likely will be it's last. Here's all I could find on the band :"Hard to find album from this unknown Netherland band formed in 1979. The band had a lot of success in the Dutch club scene with their powerful bluesy hard rock. In 1981 they even hit the local charts with the song “Overdose of Love”. In 1985 the band had their first album, called “Too late to hide”, recorded at Ivory Towers Studio and produced by Fred Rootveld, but without being successful anymore the band split up in 1986."
So, if Overdose of Love was their big "hit" we got a problem. It's a rather flat, uninteresting, formulaic barroom shuffle. To call this bluesy hard rock is a slap in the face of bluesy hard rock bands everywhere. Not that it's awful, but oh man, is it ordinary. Could be any bunch of bearded drunk guys climbing up on stage at an open mic night any where. Flipside "Under my Roof" is much more interesting with a quasi-NWOBHM vibe -- just not very good. Part of the problem is the vocalist sounds like he's gargling Listerine while singing. The other part of the problem is that the songs simply aren't very good.
Yes, it's rare, and yes, it may be worth some money. But it will be even rarer in my collection. I'd never play it again which is my criteria for taking up my valuable shelf space. Maybe someone will want it on discogs.
Verdict - Tosser
Flying Lizards - TV b/w Tube
Money was a kitschy hit and lived up to it's hype. With Deborah Evans' deadpan delivery and weirdness, it's still a cool-as-shit, deliberately eccentric cover of Barrett Strong's "Money," So it's not a surprise that this 7" ended up in my collection. But I wish I could say the same about it as I did for "Money" TV is a disjointed vomit of weird noises and random sound bites that I'm sure seemed oh-so-avante-garde at the time, but now simply sounds outdated and weird. Evan's is as flat and tuneless as ever, but that's really the only charm here for me. Money was aided by a strong melody, undeniable hook, and catchy lyric, TV isn't. It's arty for the sake of arty and entirely forgettable. Tube seems to be a dub-version of TV which is actually more interesting because I like dub. But as I write this, I've already forgotten all about it.
Verdict - Tosser
Fortune Maltese - Girl's Gotta Learn
Now this is more like it. After those first two random pullings I almost lost faith in my 7" stack. Fortunately, Fortune Maltese has come raving back to restore my wavering strength. Full-on, massively fuzzed garage punk from Get Hip Recordings, "Girl's Gotta Learn" is a 4 song EP of sea-water drenched surfer garage madness. Big organ, maximally fuzzed guitars, short bursts of energetic vocals, hooks and spit. Just the way I like it. Four all-out-rockin’ dance your pants off songs by the Detroit kings of garage rock, and heavily inspired by the Cynics and Chesterfield Kings! Features Amy Gore on drums on track 1.
Like most 7" in my stack, I have no idea where this one came from, how much I paid for it, or how long I've had it. All I know is I plan to keep it a little longer.
Verdict - Keeper
Buddy Holly - It Doesn't Matter Anymore b/w Raining in my Heart
So here's the facts: ""It Doesn't Matter Anymore" is a pop ballad written by Paul Anka and recorded by Buddy Holly in 1958. The song reached No. 13 as a posthumous hit on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in early 1959 shortly after Holly was killed in a plane crash on February 3, 1959. The single was a two-sided hit, backed with "Raining in My Heart". "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" was Holly's last US Top 20 hit and featured the orchestral backing of Dick Jacobs. It was also successful in the United Kingdom."
So, it's Buddy Holly. It's original 1958 issue, and in fact, somehow I got a Promotional only copy. Needless to say, I'm hanging on to this one. In truth, the songs are a bit more polished, produced and orchestrated than I'd prefer (I'd rather have the rawness of Peggy Sue) but still, it's Buddy and even lost with the strings and orchestra, he still sounds great. Kinda proud to have this one.
Verdict - Keeper
-- Racer
Chosen randomly from my "To Spin" stacks . . .
No idea where this one came from, but here it is, in my collection, wondering when it was ever going to get a spin. Well, that spin came today and it most likely will be it's last. Here's all I could find on the band :"Hard to find album from this unknown Netherland band formed in 1979. The band had a lot of success in the Dutch club scene with their powerful bluesy hard rock. In 1981 they even hit the local charts with the song “Overdose of Love”. In 1985 the band had their first album, called “Too late to hide”, recorded at Ivory Towers Studio and produced by Fred Rootveld, but without being successful anymore the band split up in 1986."
So, if Overdose of Love was their big "hit" we got a problem. It's a rather flat, uninteresting, formulaic barroom shuffle. To call this bluesy hard rock is a slap in the face of bluesy hard rock bands everywhere. Not that it's awful, but oh man, is it ordinary. Could be any bunch of bearded drunk guys climbing up on stage at an open mic night any where. Flipside "Under my Roof" is much more interesting with a quasi-NWOBHM vibe -- just not very good. Part of the problem is the vocalist sounds like he's gargling Listerine while singing. The other part of the problem is that the songs simply aren't very good.
Yes, it's rare, and yes, it may be worth some money. But it will be even rarer in my collection. I'd never play it again which is my criteria for taking up my valuable shelf space. Maybe someone will want it on discogs.
Verdict - Tosser
Money was a kitschy hit and lived up to it's hype. With Deborah Evans' deadpan delivery and weirdness, it's still a cool-as-shit, deliberately eccentric cover of Barrett Strong's "Money," So it's not a surprise that this 7" ended up in my collection. But I wish I could say the same about it as I did for "Money" TV is a disjointed vomit of weird noises and random sound bites that I'm sure seemed oh-so-avante-garde at the time, but now simply sounds outdated and weird. Evan's is as flat and tuneless as ever, but that's really the only charm here for me. Money was aided by a strong melody, undeniable hook, and catchy lyric, TV isn't. It's arty for the sake of arty and entirely forgettable. Tube seems to be a dub-version of TV which is actually more interesting because I like dub. But as I write this, I've already forgotten all about it.
Verdict - Tosser
Now this is more like it. After those first two random pullings I almost lost faith in my 7" stack. Fortunately, Fortune Maltese has come raving back to restore my wavering strength. Full-on, massively fuzzed garage punk from Get Hip Recordings, "Girl's Gotta Learn" is a 4 song EP of sea-water drenched surfer garage madness. Big organ, maximally fuzzed guitars, short bursts of energetic vocals, hooks and spit. Just the way I like it. Four all-out-rockin’ dance your pants off songs by the Detroit kings of garage rock, and heavily inspired by the Cynics and Chesterfield Kings! Features Amy Gore on drums on track 1.
Like most 7" in my stack, I have no idea where this one came from, how much I paid for it, or how long I've had it. All I know is I plan to keep it a little longer.
Verdict - Keeper
Buddy Holly - It Doesn't Matter Anymore b/w Raining in my HeartSo here's the facts: ""It Doesn't Matter Anymore" is a pop ballad written by Paul Anka and recorded by Buddy Holly in 1958. The song reached No. 13 as a posthumous hit on the Billboard Hot 100 charts in early 1959 shortly after Holly was killed in a plane crash on February 3, 1959. The single was a two-sided hit, backed with "Raining in My Heart". "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" was Holly's last US Top 20 hit and featured the orchestral backing of Dick Jacobs. It was also successful in the United Kingdom."
So, it's Buddy Holly. It's original 1958 issue, and in fact, somehow I got a Promotional only copy. Needless to say, I'm hanging on to this one. In truth, the songs are a bit more polished, produced and orchestrated than I'd prefer (I'd rather have the rawness of Peggy Sue) but still, it's Buddy and even lost with the strings and orchestra, he still sounds great. Kinda proud to have this one.
Verdict - Keeper
-- Racer
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