Jefferson Airplane

In the history of rock n roll, has there EVER been a great band that "fell" as far as did Jefferson Airplane, (Aka "Jefferson Starship", aka "Starship", all plenty gag-worthy, including the single "We Built this City" which was in some book/publication as the worst song in rock history....I won't argue, but actually some of the other drek they vomitted out ("Jane", many more) really don't settle any arguements as to what was the MOST nauseating thing they ever spit out, I'll leave it up to you as it's not REALLY the point.....

Well, first of all, I should have done this on January 7, my Dad's birthday (were he alive), my Dad LOVED Jefferson Airplane in thier glory daze, usually I do something for his birthday, this time it's a little late......I am going to break out the Jefferson Airplane albums that I DO have here (inherited a few from my Pops), and if you are looking for "Miracles" or some such crapola, please look somewhere else...preferrably, somewhere FAR FAR from here!

OK, here are the "real" Jefferson Airplane, kicking it off in the mid-1960's as one of the TRUE psychedelic/acid bands of the day, perhaps the definitive one. Originally, they were composed of singer/guitarist Marty balin, vocalist Signe Anderson (soon, of course, to be replaced by Grace Slick), guitarist Jorma Kaukonen,singer/rythem guitarist Paul Kantner,  bassist jack Cassidy, and drummer Spencer Dryden (Skip Spence as the original drummer)......the earliest material appears on "Jefferson Airplane Takes Off!", which is more "interesting" than "great", still. it is most listenable, parts of it at least, and ya just KNEW something was going onn here (as a kid I got a lethal dose of this stuff every day)....there is plenty of good shit on "Takes Off", such as "Let's Get Together" and "Blues From an Airplane", this CD version is stacked with a lot of bonus material, you kiddies may want to hear all of this, you near-death seniors such as myself may just crack a smile over this set if you ain't heard it in a while!

Really, for most people, Jefferson Airplane really "took off" (GOD I am clever) with album #2, "Surrealistic Pillow".....of course it had a pair of Slick-voiced hit singles, "White Rabbit" and "Somebody to Love", both, of course, of which are fanstastic, unlike so many singles of that era, I am ALWAYS thrilled to hear "Somebody to Love", I may be wrong, but, perhaps, one of the great female rock vocals EVER? But there is so much more......"She Has Funny Cars", "Embryonic Journey", and my fave, "3/5 of a mile in 10 seconds" allwork together to create ONE of the greatest acid-rock a;bums of them all.....Five Stars, all the way, can't even imagine a lesser grade for this fine album, and even better, this is a fine "Deluxe" edition with tons of bonus material/unreleased tracks......wonderful release.

"After Bathing At Baxters" was released in 1967, it is FAR less commercially "accessible" than "Pillow", it is a psych masterpiece....It is divided into "suites", I guess you'd call them, and is FAR ahead of it's time....this is (for my dough) THE definitive Jefferson Airplane album, and, also, the definitive acid/psych LP as well.....a masterpiece that I cannot do justice with mere words.
The next year saw the release of "Crown of Creation", it's a pretty good effort as well, this was a band at thier creative peak or just past it, worth noting, I suppose, is David Crosby's menange-a-trois opus "Triad" which appears here and was deemed as too risky for the Byrds.....this also includes the great "The House at Pooneil Corners", and as an album recorded at the peak of their credibility, this is one you should hear as well, should you have just taken a sudden interest in them.

"Bless It's Little Poined Head" is sort of the definitive "live" acid/psych album, wonderful release.....compare these versions to the studio versions and you will see what I am saying, this was a band MADE for the stage....they take the previous versions of "Somebody To Love" and "3/5 of a Mile" and reinvent them, recreate them......five star album, one of the best live LP's of the era....fine, fine, live recording, the band were in their element and if not "at" their peark, just past it.
Not many bands have as much quailty material in the vault as did the Airplane.....thier output, up until this point, I'm sure you'd agree was pretty fine......so it is somewhat surprising that the next release, 1969's "Volunteers", may just be thier best ever release.....yet another classic, five star album, certainly you know the awesome title track and "hey Frederick", my version here has a handful of live tracks that are without question worth your money, one of the great albums of the late 1960's and made3 even better with a handful of bonus tracks.

OK, that's about it....I happen to have a few more albums, which outline the path to suck-city pretty well, "Bark" is the first album without Balin, also without Dryden.....Poppa John Creech, interestingly enough, takes over on violin, an inersting idea which, unfortunately, could have worked better.....it's here, if you want it, to be honest I don't care for it even a little.

Nor, frankly, am I much endeared with 1972's "Long John Silver"....couple decent tracks here, the title track and "Easter?", for example, but the moment was simply over/gone/finished, whatever adjective ya need......hey, I still have these albums, out of respect or whatever, but, nonetheless, these 1970's albums are, in my estimation, a pale, vapid imitation of the classic material we heard on "Volunteers" or "Bathing", or "Pointed", or "Crown"......the story was over.

Cause, that is all I got......, I am not about to start wandering in the wasteland that is "Jefferson Starship" or "Starship" or "Ship" or whatever they fucking call tehmselves this week, I don't have those discs, if you do, well.......hey, Baskin-Robbins has 31......I always thought one of the most comical lyrics ever came from the notorious "We Built this City"....lyric: "They're always changing corporate games...who cares? They're always changing corporate NAMES!"........uhhh, really? isn't that something like changing one's name from "Jefferson airplane" to "Jefferson starship" to "Starship" to.......whatever, fuck it, they fucking sucked all through the bulk of the 70's, the 80's, the 90's and whenever ELSE they decided to "treat" us to their stuff.....

Yep, I've been hard on them, so what? I gave them props for when they were GOOD, and simply commented the same way when they SUCKED.....the albums I have posted here are some stuff that you may wish to listen to, there is some GREAT music on them, if you wish to dig further, please do so on your own, it's just amazing to me....I can't really think of a band who EVER fell "further" in thier career, going from kings/queens of the revolution to absolute unlistenable corporate shills, hey, that is THIER choice, but if someone can name someone who took a deeper, further fall from hipness/grace, let me know, just for fun.

JEFFERSON AIRPLANE TAKES OFF-01 Blues From an Airplane/02 Let Me In/03 Bringing Me Down/04 It's No Secret/05 Tobacco Raod/06 Come Up the Years/07 Run Around/08 Lets Get Together/09 Don't Slip Away/10 Chauffeur Blues/11 And I LIke It/12 Runnin Round This World/13 High Flyin Bird/14 It's Alright/15 Go To Her/16 Let Me In/17 Run Around /18 Chauffer Blues/19 And I Like It

SURREALISTIC PILLOW-01 She Has Funny Cars/02 Somebody to Love/03 My Best Friend/04 Today/05 Comin' Back To Me/06 3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds/07 D.C.B.A.-25/08 How Do You Feel/09 Embryonic Journey/10 White Rabbit/11 Plastaic Fantastic Lover/12 In the Morning/13 JPP McStep B Blues/14 Go To Her/15 Come Back Baby/16 Somebody to Love (mono Single)/17 White Rabbit (Mono Single)

AFTER BATHING AT BAXTERS-01 The Ballad of You Me and Pooneil/02 A Small Package of Value Will Come To You SHortly/03 Young Girl SUnday Blues/04 Martha/05 Wild Tyme (H)/06 The Last Wall of the Castle/07 Rejoyce/08 Watch Her Ride/09 Spare Chaynge/10 Two Heads/11 Won't You Try/Saturday Afternoon

CROWN OF CREATION-01 Lather/02 In Time/03 Triad/04 Star Track/05 Spare a Little Joke/06 Chusingura/07 If You Feel/08 Crown of Creation/09 Ice Cream Phoenix/10 Greasy Heart/11 The House at Pooneul Corner

BLESS ITS LITTLE POINTED HEAD-01 Clergy/02 3/5 of a Mile in 10 Seconds/03 Somebody to Love/04 Fat Angel/05 Rock me baby/06 The Other Side of THis Life/07 It's No Secret/08 Plastic Fantastic Lover/09 Turn Out the Lights/10 Bear Melt/11 Today/12 Watch her Ride/13 Won't You Try/Saturday Afternoon

VOLUNTEERS-01 We Can Be Together/02 Good Shepherd/03 The Farm/04 Hey Fredrick/05 Turn My Life Down/06 Wooden SHips/07 Eskimo Blue Day/08 A Song For All Seasons/09 Meadowlands/10 Volunteers/11 Good Shepherd (Live)/12 Somebody to Love (Live)/13 Plastic Fantastic Lover (Live)/14 Wooden Ships (Live)/15 Volunteers (Live)

BARK-01 When the Earth Moves Again/02 Feel So Good/03 Crazy Miranda/04 Prety as You Feel/05 Wild Turkey/06 Law Man/07 Rock and Roll Island/08 Third Week In the Chelsea/09 Never Argue With a German If You're Tired or European Song/1o Thunk/11 War Movie

LONG JOHN SILVER-01 Long John Silver/02 Aerie (Gang of Eagles)/03 Twilight Double Leader/04 Milk Train/05 The Son of Jesus/06 Easter?/07 Trial By Fire/08 Alexander the Medium/09 Eat Starch Mom


Links be up shortly, hope ya like and comment on this post.....Brian almost has the Swans post ready, that will be VERY freaky and great......got some more Greek Punk coming, as long as a BUNCH of other shit I have in mind, hope you guys appreciate the musci and the effort so many people put into it (not ME, I'm FUCKING RETIRED!!)

Wall of Voodoo

Wall of Voodoo were yet another of those 1980's new-wave/synth bands that scored a big hit with the great "Mexican Radio", and also with the somewhat lesser known but equally fantastic "Back In Flesh"......by know means have I ever heard thier full catalogue, nor do I have it, but I do have a live rarity and the "meat" of thier recorded career.....a fine 1980's ensemble, with, imagine, a sense of humor.......

Wall of Voodoo were vocalist Stan Ridgeway, guitarist Marc Moreland, bassist Bruce Moreland, keyboardist Chas T Grey, and drummer Joe Nanini.......according to thier Wikipedia page, they released an EP in 1980 which included a version of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire".....while I have never heard it, it sure sounds like a taylor-made cover to me......anyway, "Dark Continent" was released in 1981, a somewhat overlooked album of the era, they did appear on the "Urrgh! A Music War!" compilation with a live take on "Back In FLesh", obviously ruined in that take by the seeming encessity to take the word "Fuck" out of the lyrics (Geeeeeez)......anyway, "Back in Flesh", in it's "uncensored" version, is one of the most uderappreciated of 1980's new-wave singles, a fine take on, say the "walls closing in" (sample lyric: "What about some bowling?' "The lanes are closed', 'How about some tennis?' 'Your racket's got a hole")......a fine song, IMO, and it's a pretty decent album as well, you may get a kick out of "Two Minutes Til Lunch", "Tse Tse Fly", "Red Light", and others, the HUMOROUS new wave of the 80's was not really all that popular compared to the more gloomy stuff, but for my money, this was a good album.....see what you think, after all, what the fuck do I know?

So, in 1982, they released their best known and best selling work, "Call of the West", which does contain their best known number "Mexican Radio", which IS a great number ("How I wish I was In Tijuana, eating barbequed iguana")....to me the album as a whole doesn't match up to "Dark Continent", again, it's not like I know anything about it, but I prefer the first album to this one.
Anyway, they released a couple more albums, "Seven Days In Sammytown" (1985), "Happy Planet" (1987), and the posthumous "The Ugly AMericans in Australia" (1989).....to be honest, I've never heard a lick off of any of them, any of you lads have a copy I'd be happy to listen to em, as for now I shall suspend judgement.
I do have something of a rarity, here, however, a live 1986 release from Vaulx En Velin, Lyon France.....it's pretty cool, not the greatest sound I've ever heard, but it's fun to hear different versions of "back In Flesh" and "Mexican Radio", and at least they slip in "Ring of Fire" as well....
All in all, one of those 1980's new-wavesters who sort of got trampled under that whole 1980's crush......"new wave" was what it was, and a lot of good bands are, today, completely forgotten about......Wall of Voodoo fit this label to an absolute "T"......honestly, I'd like to hear the albums that I don't have, just to say I have, and if you are NOT familiar at all, hell, get yourselves acclimated to the stuff that I have, at least.....

DARK CONTINENT-01 Red Light/02 Two Minutes Til Lunch/03 Animal Day/04 Full of Tension/05 Me and My Dad/06 Back In Flesh/07 Tse Tse Fly/08 Call Box/09 This Way Out/10 Good Times/11 Crack the Bell
CALL OF THE WEST Tomorrow/02 Lost Weekend/03 Factory/04 Look at Thier Way/05 Hands of Love/06 Mexican Radio/07 Spy World/08 They Don't Want Me/09 On Interstate 15/10 Call of the West
LYON FRANCE 3/25/86-01 Dark as a Dungeon/02 Red Light/03 Big City/04 Mona/05 Can't Make Love/06 This Buisness of Love/07 Don't Spill My Courage/08 Ring of Fire/09 Far Side of Crazy/10 Back In Flesh/11 Mexican Radio/12 Room With a View/13 Blackboard Sky/14 Tragic Vaudville

As always, I attempt to present a variety of stuff from the soundtrack of my life to this site......as always, open to requests, of course, most vulnerable to the stuff I have "lived through", 60's psych/punk/garage, 70's metal/punk/glam, 80's new wave, 90's alt-grunge, 00's "whatever".........basically the fucking rock n roll........I've been doing this thing for several years now, since 2011 as I check.....I hope that I have introduced you to SOMETHING new/cool, and, if not, hopefully I still will.....I still have a LOT of shit that I haven't shared yet, the key to this is YOU GUYS NEED TO SHARE YOUR STUFF TOO, as do y wondersome guest/assistant bloggers.......I want EVERYONE in the world to have thier own "perfect" music collection, as I more or less do (even though I add to it now and then of course), and the best way we can accomplish this is by SHARING SHARING SHARING what we already have, it costs US nothing and can make another SO VERY happy, why, oh why, would you NOT?

Zwan

OK, back again, after a much deserved weekend (as previously stated) of both fucking and blackjack, I am, after all, an old, married, retired guy, so, every now and then I need to think about my dick and my wallet, and not about you hosers.....anyway, LOTS of fucking (THANKS BigCarla66), so-so effort at the tables (have had better, but have certainly had worse), and now back to share some more tunes with the minions......my silent-partner Brian is working on a KICK ASS Swans post for us, should be ready pretty soon, if you don't know about Swans, it will be some freakish shit for ya......Apantabapanta, also, is working on Part 8 of the Greek Punk series, it is winding down (probably 10 parts, an AMAZING series)......so tonight, tomorrow, whatever, yer uncle needs to find a few "short" posts to fill in the gaps between the MEGA-Boris thing (and YES, I still have some Boris scraps, collabortations and the like, to assemble) and my much beloved guest posters things.....
So, since we have Swans coming up soon, that made me think of the sole album by Zwan, Billy Corgan's first post-Smashing Pumpkins effort.....the album is "Mary Star of the Sea", and it was NOT terribly well received at the time of release.....why?, I have no clue, as I consider it nearly a great-"lost" Smashing Pumpkins album.....for one thing, it couldn't help but SOUND kind of "Punpkins-ish" what with Corgan on guitar and vocals, as well as Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlain pounding the skins, I guess if James Iha and my birthday-sharing sweetheart D'arcy hadn't been in rehab or whatever, we wouldn't even know who Zwan was.......the liner notes on "mary Star of the Sea" refer to the band as "True Poets of Zwan", fine by me, because, contrary to the belief of many, I actually do think this is a quite good album, and if you don't think so, hey, that's why Baskin-Robbins has 31.......additional players on the album are bassist David Pajo and guitarist (and longtime Pumpkins hanger-on Matt Sweeney).......

Released in 2003, when the Pumpkins were in one of their frequent periods of disharmony/discontent, as the controversy swirled around Corgan and Co, what often is overlooked (and you VERY WELL MAY disagree with me) is that "Mary Star of the Sea" is a pretty decent album.......hell it's better listening than some of the more pretentious Pumpkins stuff, the track "Honestly" is a fine track and I DEFY you to discern it from a track off of, say, "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Saddness" or something, and there is a good bit more enjoyable material here, "Lyric", and stuff like "Baby Let's Rock!" and the epic "Jesus, I/Mary Star of the Sea", would fit easilly on many Pumpkins discs without standing out too negatively.

Hey, a fairly forgotten album, but one I always pretty much enjoyed, to be honest with you, and I was a HUGE fan of Smashing Pumpkins...long story, but I saw one of their final concerts (Dayton Ohio 2000), (I mean of thier original state of being), and it was one of the absolute worst shows I have ever witnessed, seriously, and I have a tape from the NEXT night's show, their "Final" concert in Chicago, and it was great.......you just never know sometimes)...anyway, I have never thought that the Zwan album really got a fair shake, so let me give you a chance to decide for yourselves....since I took the whole weekend playing cards and getting my dick wet, I'll probably come up with yet ANOTHER post in the next coupla hours or so, but don't dick me round......if you're a Pumpkins fan, or not, even, and you have not checked out the Zwan album with an open mind, puh-leeze do so, coz I think it's a fairly underappreciated effort, although the reasons for such are pretty understandable.

01 Lyric/02 Settle Down/03 Declarations of Faith/04 Honestly/05 El Sol/06 Of a Broken Heart/07 Ride a Black Swan/08 Heartsong/09 Endless Summer/10 Baby Let's Rock/11 Yeah!/12 Desire/13 Jesus, I/Mary Star of the Sea/14 Come With Me

Boris, Part 3

OK, I hope I can make this coherent enough....BigCarla66 and myself are heading off later today for a casino weekend, lots of blackjack and lots of FUCKING, etc, but I thought I wouldbe a wonderful guy and put up some MORE Boris stuff before the weekend......in case you can't tell, I am drunk as hell right now, I assume my homie Brian has probably already sent me some of the links that I have neglected here, forgive me.....anyway, I have some Boris scraps here, that I mostly copped from a Pirate bay Torrent, if ANYONE has some more of their shit, post it HERE in the comments section of this post, I am still sorting things the way I ALWAYS have, attempting to complete everyone's music collection, but GOOD LORD, right now I can barely even TYPE, so I hope this post comes out fairly reasonably.....

First of all what we have is something taken from the aforementioned Pirate Bay, "1970"....I have no clue if it is a single or what, but it is BAD ASS.... 01 1970/ 02 Wareuraido ....bad ass shit, man, I promise ya....
http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/4uo2l7Wn/file.html


Next up, we have, I guess a great tune from the album "Absolutego", the title track, which is presented here in a "Special Low Frequency Edition"), and it really is wonderful.....
http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/9U48cRgo/file.html

So what else ya got? Well, if ya wanna compress all this stuff into a little bit more manageable format, here we have three discs of Boris "Archives, Volume 1-3".......kinda hard for me to figure that by NOW if you are "up" on the Boris "thing" you'd want an "archive", but here is is nonetheless.....some especially wonderful extended versions of some of the great Boris material....

VOLUME 1- 01 Huge/02 Hush/03 Soul Search You Sleep/04 Vacuum/05 Mosquito/06 Mass Mercury/07 Scar Box/08 Hama

http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/YxtGEUC0/file.html


VOLUME 2- 01 01 Huge/02 Mosquito/03 Vomit Yourself

http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/nfwL8J9O/file.html


VOLUME 3 -01 Absolutego/02 Flood
http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/56wp2IA2/file.html


Next up, it's a weird one ("Implication Flooding") I don't even feel like looking up where it comes from/was created, it IS bad-ass, wonderful creation....if BY NOW you are a Boris fan, dig up on THIS SHIT.... CRAZY ASS SHIT and the greatest song titles in the history of music (Possible exception: The Liars, FUCK YOU if you don't know them, check my archive!).

01 A Rise, A Moment Before Something Unexpected Is On the Verge of Starting/02 Not Knowing If It Will Be Agony or Comfort For Us/03 Wonder What Colour Would Be Suitable For the Dwelling/04 The Decision of A Dream Which Will Never Be Completely Red/05 It Should Be Watched, Not to fail to Notice These Flashes of an Accusation From Inside/06 Offer It All Up, Our Madness, That Which Will Be Crushed On This Land That Has Come To Be Called Chaos Unzipped/07 From The Distance With Their Own Gentle Eyes Always Fixed On Us They Are Affectionately Gazing At the Black-Implication F/08 Don't Be Cheated By the Oozing Silt From Both of the Accuser and the Accused Which Is Always There, Saying "Something Have/09 The Person Who, What Is She Like, The One Who Has Been Determined And Prepared

http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/6JYdHS52/file.html


Got a split or two here as well, might as well allow you to check these out.....

BORIS/THE DUDLEY CORPORATION SPLIT-01 BORIS-Ibitus/02 THE DUDLEY CORPORATION-Little Man/03 THE DUDLEY CORPORATION-3rd Song

http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/t5fM4UDD/file.html

BORIS/BAREBONES SPLIT-01 BAREBONES-Just Broken/02 BAREBONES-Puppets/03 BAREBONES-Shoot Up and Die/04 BAREBONES-Freak Out/05 BAREBONES-Still Unknown (Live)/06 BORIS-Soul Search You Sleep/07 BORIS-In Hush/08 BORIS-Scar Box (Live)/09 Mosquito (Live)

http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/fbq5EA27/file.html

BORIS/TOMSK SPLIT (BORIS TRACK ONLY)-01 Mass Mercury


http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/uIUS12Z3/file.html

BORIS/TORCHE SPLIT-01 TORCHE-King Beef/02 BORIS-Luna
http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/0HBuUuEf/file.html

HEAVY METAL ME-01 A Bao A Que/02 The Evil One Which Sobs/03 Feedbacker (Live)/04 Flood (live)/05 Credits
http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/WXtrvWyj/file.html


BORIS/TOUCHING AIR LANDSCAPES SPLIT-01 Fukurou/02 Kanau Part 1/03 Kanau Part  2

http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/6VXhpqLZ/file.html

VARIATIONS-01 Introduction (Edit)/02 Korosu/03 Pink/04 Woman On the Screen/05 Yesterday Morning/06 Rainbow/07 A Bao A Qu/08 Statement/09 My Neighbor Satan/10 Floor Shaker/11 Naki Kyoku/12 1970/13 Farewell (Full Length)

http://www49.zippyshare.com/v/kbkRZrf7/file.html

YO, that is a whole buncha shit.....I prolly have more, in fact I am CERTAIN that Mr. Brian Parker has sent me some other stuff, like some collaborative efforts, which at this moment I cannot find.....l ikely there will be a "Boris Part 4" post, sometime in the future, I know Brian is diligently working on a Swans extravaganza, and as I told ya, I plan on spending this weekend FUCKING and playing blackjack........so for right now, here is a BUNCH of Boris stuff.......if any of you have ANY other stuff, live stuff, any other splits or whatever, send em my way, coz I really DO plan on doing  a "Part 4", at some point, just right now I be kinda burned on Boris......we will see what happens, but I DO know that Boris (one of our greatest unknown rock bands) has a whole BUNCH of OTHER shit out there, but for right now, it's the weekend off, and maybe next week prepping some easier, one or two album posts, until my dawg Brian gets the Swans mega-thing ready.........hey, see ya Monday or so, taking the weekend off.......

Boris, part 2

BigScott62 here, any of you actually listen to the entire Boris deluge from last night? Do your self a favor and do so over time, this is complex, wonderful, imaginative music, and of coure, given my weakness for non-English language hard rock, right up my alley......I didn't really know I had so much of their stuff on my shelves, but away we go......

Well, I need to aknowledge that Brian Parker has helped tremendously with these posts, uploading links, writing text, etc, and he's done a fine job......just didn't want to forget his input. So, last night we wrapped up with three separate versions of "Smile" from 2008, after which the band took a hiatus before releasing "New Album" in 2011....it appears in a few different versions, and I can't give you a complete track listing as many of the titles are written in Japanese characters which my keyboard won't duplicate......do I need a Japanese version of Apantabapanta to help me straighten this kind of thing out? Actually, I did find English translation titles for one of the albums versions:
http://www28.zippyshare.com/v/fEN243iC/file.html

01 Flare/02 Hope/03 Party Boy/04 Luna/05 Spoon/06 Pardon?/07 Jackson Head/08 Les Paul Custom '86/09 Tu, La La/10 Looprider

I find it to be a fine disc as well, highlighted in my opinion by the great "Les Paul Custom '86"......Now, in a typically confusing Boris move, in 2011 they released an album bearing the EXACT same title as they had used in 2002, "Heavy Rocks"....as best as I can determine, this was symbolic of a "get back to roots" kind of move, after all this material, an attempt to remain true to the heavier sounds of 2002.....at least that's how I get it, there are alternate takes of a few tracks from "New Album", and the album DOES sound fresh and like a sly blend of new/old Boris, and NO DOUBT it certainly is BORIS!

http://www28.zippyshare.com/v/OYkBrYNG/file.html

01 Riot Sugar/02 Leak (Truth, yesnoyesnoyes)/03 GALAXIANS/04 Jackson Head/05 Missing Pieces/06 Key/07 Window Shopping/08 Tu, La La/09 Aileron/10 Czechoslovokia

In another typically Boris move, on THE SAME DAY they released "Attention Please", which is a much more modernistic effort, droning and hypnotic, really somewhat less rocking than we are used to from Boris......to be honest, I am not crazy about the album.....it features some droned out takes on earlier material ("party Boy", "Les Paul Custom 86", etc), but give Boris credit......much like the Melvins whom I earlier compared them with, they will try ANYTHING and do not remain slavish to any particular sound, unlike, say, a band like Rush or something who basically recorded the same album  over and over every year for 40 years.

http://www28.zippyshare.com/v/4YpODe6c/file.html
01 Attention Please/02 Hope/03 Party Boy/04 See You Next Week/05 Tokyo Wonder Land/06 You/07 Aileron/08 Les Paul Custom 86/09 Spoon/10 Hand in Hand

OK.....I have been trying to download "Noise" and "Parapat" or whatever it's called, since Pirate Bay has ceased being my  go-to site, I'll get em on KickAss Torrents or Bunalti or something, just not working right now.....I be hoping you be liking the Part 2 Boris post, there will be a Part 3, with EP's, singles, live shit, all that stuff, but be forewarned......it may not be until Monday or so,as BigCarla66 and myself are heading for the casino/resort for a couple of days, and if any of you think you take precedence over myself and BigCarla66.....well, honestly........Boris has a shit-ton of material, a lot of it classic/great, and sooner or later I will get all their shit posted.....my homeboy Brian is working on a VERY COOL post featuring The Swans, should be finished, well, whenever it is finished, but we have given you guys enough Boris shit to choke yourselves on anyway...

So, eventually I will locate "Noise" and "Parapat" and will put them up for you, but the NEXT post will be the "Part 3" Boris, with singles, Live, and whatever else I can dredge up......I may or may not be back here before Monday, we'll see, but there is a LOT of material here for you to delve into.....oh, by the way.....did  ANYONE predict a Patriots-Seahawks Super Bowl? Oh, that's right, that was ME.....(look for Seattle to be the first team in some time to go back-to-back).....anyway, the king of the retired State Workers needs a few days of SEX and BLACKJACK and BEER.....so I may not see none of ya till monday......But, I DO expect you to tell me what you think of our Boris post (Part 2), coz we think it's baddass, and at the very least , please offer up your commentary!

New and Improved Boris!

OK, lets take another stab at the Boris thing, we've stumbled around with this long enough.......I think Brian Parker is back on track with us again, at least part time, I should have probably started him out on an easier post than the mammoth Boris, but I was sick and etc......so let's just take another stab at it.

OK, some of these albums might have been posted the other day, I don't feel like checking, I'm going to start at the beginning and put up the Boris albums that I have on my shelves and post them, most of the commentary given will be from Brian, (if it is mine, I'll let you know, but who among us could not recognize my unmistakeable wordsmithery?

So, Boris have been around since the mid-90's, and they are for my dough the best of the Japanese bands, rocking, innovative, experimental......Eternal Elysium, to be accurate, made some damn good albums as well (including the classic "Spiritualized"), but the volume and experimentation of Boris work renders them as champions. The original crew was drummer/voclaist Atsuo, Bassist Ohtani, and guitarist Wata......

OK, these lads have a rather complicated and extensive catalouge, sort of a Japanese version of the Melvins (?).....some REALLY good, some not so much, but all daring and imaginative......I like it all, you may not, but we'll try to guide you if you wish to cherry pick....

OK, the first proper album is "Absolutego" from 1996......this is a gimmick that has been used before, such as Sleep's "Dopesmoker" and one of the Atomic Bitchwax albums, ie, one lengthy track domination an album.......I think this is a pretty good effort, myself, lets see what my protege Brian thinks:

"The band's first release, and quite an audacious one. While it follows in the same vein as that other epic timestamp work - Sleep's DOPESMOKER - it favors high pitch squall along with the epic trudge. While I wouldn't recommend it as your first listen, for those with patience, this one pays off. This is in a "Special Low Frequency Version"...a loving tribute to EARTH 2.

(Tracks: 1.AbsoluteGo/2.Dronevil 2)" (Brian)........Scott: couldn't have put it better myself, here is the link for this semi-classic:
http://www19.zippyshare.com/v/h3WNKfGd/file.html

Next up, we have my (Scott's) personal favorite, "Amplifier Worship", an unknown classic, stateside at least......Long, trippy heavy tracks, "Vomitself" stands out, but the whole thing adds up to a wonderful four star effort......Brian, what do you have to say about it?


"This one lives up to its fucking title! Here, the band fully indulges in their Melvins fetish, especially on "Vomitself". The longer songs manage to mutate over their running length (say like on "Ganbou-Ki"). The amazing thing about Boris is how they can mix their doom stomp along with their more thrashier psych-rock side, say on a song like "Hama". For fans of Earth, Sleep, or the doom-like side of the Melvins. And not to take anything away from the later stuff, but Boris never made anything this balls-to-the wall heavy again."

(Tracks: 1.Huge/2.Ganbou-Ki/ 3.Hama/4.Kurumizu/ 5.Vomitself)" (Brian)
http://www19.zippyshare.com/v/SOpR6DcP/file.html


Next we have 2000's "Flood".....it's a damn fine album as well, might as well let Brian inform you on this one as I agree with him pretty much......

"Here is where the band really started to indulge in it's psychedelic side. Song titles are simply "Flood" 1-4. Very spacey and atmospheric, in a wandering sort of way, with lyrical heaviness for texture. Boris doing ambient, if you will. Good one to fall asleep to."-Brian........ (Scott: It is an DAMN fine album, psychdecelic and droning, and another one for the ages)
http://www19.zippyshare.com/v/IU3OzTsE/file.html

So, two years later, they gave us "Heavy Rocks", yet another decent effort, but in my mind not as great as the previous two, but still DAMNED interesting and hard rocking, Brian says:
"Putting the year there is important, since nine years later they released an album with the same name. This is one of their Japan-only releases, and needs all the more exposure because of that. Their first album that touched on all of their musical aspects, pointing the way to later American albums like PINK and SMILE."

(Tracks: 1.Heavy Friends/2.Korosu/ 3.Dyna-Soar/ 4.Wareruraido/5.Soft Edge/6.Rattlesnake/7.Death Valley/ 8.Koei/9.Kane -The Bell Tower of a Sign/10.1970).....(Scott here now), yep, the difference between "Heavy Rocks" and Heavy Rocks 2011 Is signnificnat, we'll get to that one in a while, if not tonight then tomorrow.........

http://www19.zippyshare.com/v/1xCVbopd/file.html


So why not "Akuma No Uta", yet another fine album, so what say you Brian?......well:
"The band's first wide release in America, and immediately distinctive for its Nick Drake cover homage. It opens with the familiar trudge of "Introduction", before breaking into the thrashers of "Ibitsu" and "Hama". "Naki Kyoku" - the longer centerpiece of the album and best track IMO - starts in beautiful echoing dreaminess before Wata comes in with some of her best groove-riding guitar work ever!"

(Tracks: 1.Introduction/2.Ibitsu/3.Furi /4.Naki Kyoku/5.Ano Onna No Onryou/6.Akuma No Uta)"
http://www19.zippyshare.com/v/mRbMAxS0/file.html

And so, what next from this fine and criminally underappreciated band? Well, another, mega-opus, "Boris At Last, Feedbacker", which is again, a single disc split into five parts......again, a fine disc and one that I feel is essential......
(Track List: 01 Feedbacker 01/02 Feedbacker 2/03 Feedbacker III/04 Feedbacker IV/05 Feedbacker V... This motherfucker rocks the house as well, really, as ALL of their discs do......please appreciate this great shit as it is among the great non-English rock n roll ever recorded.
http://www19.zippyshare.com/v/ko7C0t2r/file.html

The next releases from these quasi-geniuses were "The Thing Which Solomon OVerlooked" an "The Thing Which Solomon Overlooked Volume 2".....OK, let's be honest here......I am NOT  crazy about these discs, they are droning, instro-hypnotic efforts, simply not my cuppa tea......if you dig it here it is, but hey, it's not for me......

The Things Which Solomon Overlooked Volume 1
http://www19.zippyshare.com/v/jow5Cxc9/file.html

The Things Which Solomon Overlooked Volume 2
http://www19.zippyshare.com/v/nGpPfUO8/file.html

Next up we have 2005's two-disc set, "Dronevil", this is a fine set imo, it's up to you guys if you like this stu8ff or not, by now, More long, droning tunes, hey, it's better than The Outlaws, or something, if ya don't like it, well, there's always Foreigner for ya to listen to......

DRONEVIL DISC 1
http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/HfXRKkgx/file.html
DRONEVIL DISC 2
http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/WI5LJkQ1/file.html

So, in 2005 they released a soundtrack album to the Japanese film "Mabuta no Ura"....best as I can determine, no such film exists, OK then....these dudes were more out there than I AM, which is saying something.......But, hey, this is a decent release as well....

http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/zgg2my7F/file.html

OK, 2006's "Pink" is a damn fine album as well, more along the lines of their earler, sludgier, uglier stoner rock.....it's a great album, and damn near essential....this is likely the most "famous" Boris album (although not necessarily the BEST), here be the track list:  01 Pink/02 Woman on the Screen/03 Nothing Special/04 Blackout/05 Electric/06 Six, Three Times/07Afterburner/08 Psuedobread/09 My Machine/10 Farewell/11 Just Abandoned Myself
http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/6kzeeG1J/file.html


So, next up, we have the infamous "Vein", a collection of "untitled" tracks........hope ya like it, it is Boris to the core without question......
http://www15.zippyshare.com/v/66qgJlJ5/file.html

Next relese was "Smile", yet another good one, Hell, I'm TIRED of trying to straighten this this shit out, why not let Brian give his estimatiom of this disc?:

"Some criticisms of this album mark it as too similar to PINK, as if Boris were repeating themselves. That's crap. This release is even tighter than that album. "Statement" just socks you in the gut, while you also have the devastating beauty of "Flower Sun Rain" and "Kare Hateta Saki". Like PINK, this album is also radically different in its U.S. release compared to its Japanese one."

Yep, sounds about right to me.....this is a fine album as well and if you guys have caught the Boris addiction by NOW, you'll wanna  hear this one as WELL!....

Well, to be all-inclusive, we have included not only the US version of "Smile", but also the "Live" version as well as the  Japanese version...nmae yer fuicking poison, do you have a fucking clue how much work this is?


SMILE-Japanese Version-http://www2.zippyshare.com/v/gg4YLhlw/file.html
SMILE-US Version -http://www2.zippyshare.com/v/upfp5RH5/file.html
SMILE-Live Version-http://www2.zippyshare.com/v/gVLsEOXn/file.html

OK, that's gonna bout do it for today.....plenty more BORIS to come in the next couple days, I COULD put it up tonight, but guess what? I FUCKING DONT FEEL LIKE IT......thanks loads to my protege Brian, I think he is going to be a HUGE help to me over time, as I finish the Boris thing, he is working on a Swans thing, which is tremendous......what with him, and the Greek Punk, and the Dave Sez stuff, I can become an internet star and never do a goddamn thing!!!! Not  really, I thank all my helpers, you guys are great and I could never do this without ya......Brian Parker deserves TONS of credit for helping me put this Boris post together, as he will the remaining sections of it...... THANKS BRIAN, and you HAVE BEEN a tremendous help in keeping this blog up and running!

BORIS part 1.........mega-post, a collaborative effort bewteen Big Scott and Brian Parker!

Brian Parker REALLY needs a snappy screen name, BUT , number one, he is from the great Buckeye State, and number two, he seems genuinely interested in learning the blogging/SHARING game, which is of course ALL GOOD.......this is part one of our multi-part mega-post on BORIS, if you are somehow unaware, BORIS are one of the planet's best bands, have been for a while.....they are an experimental Japanese rock band, they have released some 19 or so studio albums, (plus live, EP's, singles, etc, ALL of which we intend to touch upon in this multi part blog post.......I probably SHOULD HAVE done a Boris post long ago, but never did, and with the help of Brian, it is finally here.......


So, here are the first batch of links Brian provides for us......

http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/HfXRKkgx/file.html

Dronevil Disc 1

Another of their more rare releases. A two CD set that is meant to be played - like the Flaming Lips' ZAIREEKA - at the same time. While I've never listened to it that way, it's spacey riffing, drum shimmers, and wandering solos work just fine on their own. And pay attention: the last track on disc 2 is gonna show up in devastating form later...

(Tracks: Disc 1 - 1.Loose/2.Giddiness Throne/ 3.Interference Demon - Disc 2 1.(Japanese script) Red/ 2. Evil Wave Form/3.The Evilone Which Sobs)

http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/WI5LJkQ1/file.html
Dronevil Disc 2



Flood

Here is where the band really started to indulge in it's psychedelic side. Song titles are simply "Flood" 1-4. Very spacey and atmospheric, in a wandering sort of way, with lyrical heaviness for texture. Boris doing ambient, if you will. Good one to fall asleep to.

http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/8zQ5C39g/file.html


Mabuta De Ura

A soundtrack to an imaginary film. Spacey but firmly band-based, I kinda look at this like Boris's OBSCURED BY CLOUDS. Japan-only release.
(Tracks: 1.Theme/2.Middle of Stairs/3.A Bao a Qu/4.Slow Ripple of a Puddle/5.Your Name/6.White Warmth/7.Melting Guitar/8.Yesterday Morning/9.Amber Bazaar/10.Smoke Sequence/11.Space Behind Me Pt. 2/12.Picture Of a Wind/13.It Touches)

http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/zgg2my7F/file.html

New Album

This marked a shift in Boris. Not only in record labels - leaving the mighty Southern Lord - but in their sound. This release is kind of a distilling of the next two albums. You've got shivery J-Pop snuggling up to video game music and feedback squall. This one takes some assimilating, but is worth it.
(Tracks: 1.Flare/2.Hope/3.Party Boy/4.Luna/5.Spoon/ 6.Pardon?/7.Jackson Head/8.Les Paul Custom '86/9.Tu La La/10.Looprider)

http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/Uh6qhFod/file.html

Pink

Their first high profile release in the U.S. You have the haunting beauty of "Farewell" and "Just Abandoned Myself", the psych-rock shronk of "Woman On the Screen" and "Afterburner"...just a stellar album. Also released in a radically different version in Japan (wiki link HERE). Cultural note: "Farewell" was used heavily in Jim Jarmusch's existential assassin film "The Limits Of Control". That soundtrack will be in a later catch-all post.

(Tracks: 1.Farewell/2.Pink/3.Woman On the Screen/ 4.Nothing Special/5.Blackout/6.Electric/7.Pseudo-Bread/ 8.Afterburner/9.Six, Three Times/10.My Machine/11.Just Abandoned My-self)

http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/6kzeeG1J/file.html

  Pink (US)
http://www16.zippyshare.com/v/YUxMUFEz/file.html

So here is a whole bunch of some of the greatest japanese rock of all time, (except of course Eternal Elysium), but here are some great albums from the wonderful Boris.....let me dig in and see what ELSE young Brian has uploaded for us, it WILL be phenominal......

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

  

  

   

   

 

 

  

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

  

  

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

  

  

  

 

  

 

  

The week ahead

I have been feeling a bit off my game this past week this haven't been posting the last few days.....that plus NFL playoffs......anyway, thanks to whoever sent the link for the missing Pony Up! album, haven't listened yet but a hard one to locate.......anyway, coming up this week, I have some guest material in the pipeline....not sure which will be on which day, but new friend of the blog Brian has reupped the comedy albums from the other day, with NEW links, great stuff.....Brian is also helping me with a huge post on Japanese greats Boris, as soon as we get that one done, you will no question be impressed with that one.

Also this week, Apantabapanta returns with Part 7 of the awesome Greek Punk series, and in addition, he has created a Bowie surprise that I think everyone will love.......so that's four posts this week, and actually the Boris will likely take 2 days, so very little work for ME, which is how I like it....

Btw, predictions for Monday night? Hope I am wrong, but I see the game turning into a track meet/shoot out, which is exactly what Oregon would prefer....thusly, I see Oregon winning by a score of something like 41-35, buckeyes must play turnover free ball to take this one......anyway, hope I am wrong, go Buckeyes!