A surprising find among my dad's shelves, Ocean Rain is widely considered the pinnacle of Echo and the Bunnymen's recording career. I'm a bit embarrassed to confess this, but the only Bunnymen song that I was familiar with before I found this record was The Killing Moon (which, coincidentally bats sixth on this album). And I thought it was just a really catchy Smiths song. I know. I'm ashamed of this and my Matchbox 20 cds. But anyway...here that is:

[ mp3 ]: Echo and the Bunnymen - The Killing Moon

Ian McCulloch is the 'Echo' of Echo and the Bunnymen, and it's no surprise he counts David Bowie, Lou Reed, and Leonard Cohen among his influencers. His voice is an amalgam of the three...a baritone with seemingly built-in reverb. For me, his voice is the touchstone for the EATB sound, skating and sometimes soaring over lavishly constructed orchestrations that rival those of The Smiths and Roxy Music. 

This album took multiple listens for me. It was not an instant hit...it struck me first as a bit too...dandy. The musical equivalent of a pink satin bow tie. Instead, the more I listened, the more the melodies creeped into my ear, grabbed on, and wouldn't let go. Like a Ceti Eel wrapping around my cochlea...but without Khan there to boss me around.

Take, for example, the dark and brooding dirge Nocturnal Me. Epic in every sense of the word, the song brings to mind the mad orchestrations of Pink Floyd's The Wall, while maintaining a strong sense of pop structure. It's like Morrisey in combat boots.

[ mp3 ]: Echo & the Bunnymen - Nocturnal Me

Ocean Rain isn't all gloom and doom. It has its light moments, if not lyrically than at least musically. Crystal Days is pure pop for now people...a new wave hit that brings to mind cocaine and asymmetrical haircuts. (Done ironically, of course.)


[ mp3 ]: Echo & the Bunnymen - Crystal Days


All in all, Ocean Rain is the perfect gateway into the world of Echo and the Bunnymen. I'm warning you though...like drugs, sex, Chinese buffets, Pringles, mochi, Apple products, Orbit gum, The Wire, The Wedding Singer, and making lists of things; once you start, it's hard to stop. 

Another one of my dad's records that was squeaky clean and played like it was brand new, Too Tough to Die also sounded like it could have been released last week. Of course, the legend of The Ramones has traveled far and wide, and there's not much more to be written about the brilliance and staggering influence of these guys. So I'll just tell you about this record.

The album starts with a few Ramones' 'standards.' All clocking in around two or three minutes, these numbers are brash and bold; power chords are played with a familiar sneer, and drums crushed in perfect time by Joey Ramone. In '84, this was a welcome return to form for the band, and my favorite is the blistering Wart Hog. One of the few tracks sung by Dee Dee (I think) the lyrics are almost indiscernable, and were offensive enough to be omitted from the album sleeve by the label, Sire.

[ mp3 ]: The Ramones - Wart Hog

What really sets this album apart, though, is the middle portion. Here, The Ramones prove that they're not just the kings of the two minute punk song. Three songs in a row clock in over four minutes, and it's clear that The Ramones are more than capable of sustaining melodies, not just slamming you with a hook. The first, Chasing the Night, could have been a single for The Cars, with its New Wave-y keyboards and dance-worthy beat. (Oh shoot, did Dee Dee just roll over in his grave?)

[ mp3 ]: The Ramones - Chasing the Night

Howling at the Moon is another pop masterpiece...complete with a Baroque harpsichord bridge, which is the last thing you'd expect on a Ramones' record. Couple that with an insanely catchy 'sha-la-la' chorus, and a verse that harkens back to Doo Wop, and it's hard to believe you're even listening to The Ramones. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the reviews that came out in '84 contained the line, "This isn't your older brother's Ramone's record."

[ mp3 ]: The Ramones - Howling at the Moon

All in all, Too Tough To Die, while maybe not the quintessential Ramones record (hello, self-titled debut), is one of their finest efforts. Not a bad place to drop in, if you want to work your way backwards through their catalogue.


-N.W.

Ten months into the existence of Dad's Records and we can finally celebrate a momentous post: THE FIRST HIP HOP ALBUM. Now, I can usually tell how much my dad likes each record by how worn it is. Most Neil Young albums - folded sleeves, a looseness in the cardboard. The first and last track sure to have a few crackles and pops. But, The Message? Pristine. Felt (and sounded!) like it was pressed last week. 

So it's probably safe to conjecture that when I was a kid, Dad wasn't throwing me in the back of our green VW Rabbit, rolling down the windows, and blasting Grandmaster Flash while cruising down Northampton Street in Easton, PA. But that's what I love about my dad's collection; if it's important, if it's good - it's in there. It's half a collection of meaningful music, a compendium of the soundtrack of his life. And the other half, curated museum.

In doing a little reading about Joseph Saddler (Grandmaster Flash's real name), I found out that he also had a father who collected records. This large collection, combined with his interest in electronics, spurred him to experiment with what we now call, "DJing." He popularized scratching, punch phrasing, and backspinning, which have all become standard musical ingredients across almost all genres. Needless to say, I did not use my father's record collection in the same way. (he would have killed me)

Obviously, the biggest hit on this record is the title track, The Message. If you haven't heard, then you've probably never listened to music before, so I suggest you begin with some light reading. The track is positively perfect (and readily available in all music formats, so there's really no excuse to not have that track in your collection.) 

But the rest of the album has plenty to offer as well. I just heard She's Fresh in the dentist's office this past weekend. And, not belying its title, it held up. 

[ mp3 ]: Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - She's Fresh

Scorpio is also surprisingly modern sounding for 1982. A computerized voice may sound tired today (special thanks to the recent glut of auto-tune), but it's the kicking orchestration around it that really builds this song from the ground up.

[ mp3 ]: Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five - Scorpio

It's been twenty eight years since this record came out. My dad's old VW Rabbit is dead and gone. All I'm saying is, keep your eyes open this summer for a Passat, cruising down Northampton Street blasting Grandmaster Flash. And when you see it, you can say to yourself...now that is some real brand loyalty. 


-NW

If you're not familiar with hilarious blog of "I, splotchy," then I suggest you blog roll it STAT. One of my favorite features of splotchy's blog is the Green Monkey Music Project, in which themes are announced, players are named, and a mix is made. It's good fun.

Anyways, dadsrecords contributed to the last mix. The theme was "Food & Drink." Here are my picks. You can find my portion, and the rest of the mix HERE.

ADAM GREEN salty candy

This guy is like a wonderful whimsical idiot genius. His songs don’t often make sense (or do they???), but they’re always funny. I hope that’s his intention. Otherwise, things just got weird....er.

BLITZEN TRAPPER  gold for bread
Great track on an all around great album. If you haven’t heard the album’s title track, Furr, do yourself a favor. It’s “Best of” worthy. (best of 2009, best of Blitzen Trapper, best of most music)

THE CURE mint car
This song is happy Cure, if that’s a thing. It’s also full of Robert Smith’s patented non-verbal exclamations, which I have a real soft spot for.

GEORGE THOROGOOD one bourbon, one scotch, and one beer
A hardcore drinking song. And bourbon/beer combo is my third favorite combo (2 is The Dark Knight Returns w/ the Melvins’ Houdini. 1 is pizzeria/pretzel.)

MINUTEMEN jesus and tequila
Like a bizarre punk Captain Beefheart song, this tune is funky, fresh, and makes me want to drink some Jesus. I mean…

CAKE nugget
So this song might be the best song ever written about chicken mcnuggets. You don’t think so? Well, you know what? Shut the F#&* up.

DANGERDOOM mincemeat
I wanted to write that this is an often overlooked album, but I’m not sure that it is. But it’s an album based on Adult Swim characters, produced by DangerMouse (of Grey Album fame) and MF Doom on the mic. I’d say it’s pretty essential for anyone living in the now/know.

REEL BIG FISH beer
Hey college version of me! This song isn’t that good! What’s that? You don’t care because you just started drinking beer and think that it makes you cool? Oh, okay. Well, you’ll get over it.

If the only Jam song you've ever heard is Absolute Beginners on the Grosse Point Blank Soundtrack, then you are a twenty-year-old version of me and have somehow found this blog from another dimension or reality. And my life is, as I have expected, simply an episode of Lost or Fringe, but has unquestionably been executive produced by J. J. Abrams.

But, in the more likely scenario that you are a different person who heard that song, liked it, but ended up exploring the back catalogs of The Clash, The English Beat, and The Specials rather than delving into the Jam, then thank me later...

All Mod Cons is widely considered their classic, the quintessential Jam record. If I were twenty years old in 1978, this would have been my favorite album of the year; incredibly catchy, intelligent lyrics, and a healthy spoonful of youthful cynicism (is that a thing?). It would have sounded great blasting from the tiny, tinny speakers of a brand new dodge omni. Imagine blasting the opening riff from To Be Someone out your windows, drowning out the car playing the Grease  soundtrack next to you.

[ mp3 ]: The Jam - To Be Someone (Didn't We Have a Nice Time)

To Be Someone is a great intro to the Jam. It's two - two - two songs in one; welding together a catchy, rollicking verse with a heavy chorus that doesn't arrive until more than halfway through the record. One of the great cuts is David Watts, a Kinks cover that reminds you this band is English, if you've forgotten that over the first three tracks. Perhaps its the timing of this post, but I can't stop thinking about LCD Soundsystem when I hear the beginning of this track.

[ mp3 ]: The Jam - David Watts

The Jam lump their anglo-centric tracks together, as David Watts is followed immediately by the almost too sweet English Rose. In what has quickly become my favorite track on the record, we are treated to a stripped down Jam, with Paul Weller's voice highlighted against a finger-picked guitar and sound of waves lapping at the shore. It's an open mic on the HMS Endurance, circa 1914.

[ mp3 ]: The Jam - English Rose

Also, English Rose could have been an Oasis B-side.

What do you think? Let me know what your favorite Jam song is in the comments!


- N.W.

My dad's about as funky as a pair of khaki pants. But when it comes to music, he's always had this thing for the grooves and beats of motown, soul, and R&B. You know that scene in Animal House where all the college kids dance to Otis Day singing "Shout?" I like to think my dad had a few nights like that back in college. But then again, my dad went to college in Carlisle, PA, and I'm pretty sure Otis Day never made it out there. Otis Redding didn't either. They didn't even get Otis Spunkmeyer. (Although that would have been a delicious concert.)

So it was no surprise when my dad retrieved this classic from the stacks. I had of course heard of Allen Toussaint before. But I was hard-pressed to actually name a song of his. To me, he was a jazz enigma; a New Orleans artist that I was hearing a whole lot more about since Katrina. So when I threw this one on to transfer it, all I could think was, "I had no idea."

Allen Toussaint, you groovy old man. This album, right from the get go, is the perfect summer companion. The lead-off track, Last Train, has a got a funky bass line that would make even the most sedentary porch-sitter at least tap his toe.

[ mp3 ]: Allen Toussaint - Last Train

Worldwide continues that summertime funk; and by the time you hit Back in Baby's Arms, a grand, stately dedication with a chorus that could have been a Sam Cooke number, it's clear this album is full of tightly crafted songs that are catchy as hell. Country John is a damn good tune that I'm sorry I haven't known my whole life.

Detractors of this album claim that the excerpts of the titular track that are sprinkled throughout the record dilute the tightness of the songs. I disagree. The Southern Nights theme, which was later covered quite successfully by Glen Campbell, submerges the album smack dab in the middle of a hot New Orleans summer. When this theme breaks through, I swear I saw perspiration form on the spinning vinyl.

[ mp3 ]: Allen Toussaint - Southern Nights

Southern Nights is the one track I actually recognized, although I'm not sure if that's because of the Campbell single, which popularized the tune.  Toussaint's version, with it's vaguely Asian harp opening and shimmering vocals that sound as though they're emanating directly from a wet puddle in the bayou, is so palpably lazy I simply had to put my feet up. You Will Not Lose would have been a hit in the eighties, and When the Party's Over has done more to make me want to visit New Orleans than any other song I've ever heard. (and that includes live recordings of Trombone Shorty)

[ mp3 ]: Allen Toussaint - When the Party's Over

So if you can't afford the airfare, and it's still a bit chilly where you are, turn on the heat for an hour and mix yourself a sazerac. Throw on Southern Nights, and I guarantee you a relaxing summer evening.

Much has been written and said about Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground, but the most insightful observation I've heard came from Brian Eno. In reference to the Underground's relative lack of record sales, he commented "Only five thousand people ever bought a Velvet Underground album, but every single one of them started a band." Hell yes. Much like the late Alex Chilton, or Gram Parsons, Lou Reed's value isn't just in his work, it's in the influence his work has had on music over the years.

When I found Transformer on my dad's shelves, it stuck out for two reasons. First, the cover art, which can probably be blamed for the first utterance of the term 'heroin chic.' Secondly, I had just seen Adventureland, in which Satellite of Love is heavily referenced. And while I had several Lou Reed songs among my collection, for some reason that track had eluded me until then.

Transferring this album to mp3 was the first time I'd actually listened to the album all the way through. It starts with Vicious, which is the dictionary definition of a Lou Reed tune. The steady 4/4 marching guitars, accented with the occasional distorted shimmy, all backing up the understated vocals. The song builds to a Heroin-like cacophony, but reels it in just when you think it's all about to fly off the handle.

[ mp3 ]: Lou Reed - Vicious

By the time I got to the third track, Perfect Day, I realized I had stopped doing whatever menial tasks I do when transferring these records - dishes, writing, whatever. I was simply standing there, completely locked in. This is Lou Reed at his best. The songs are so tight they make you forget any artistry involved. It's like these songs have always existed and Lou Reed just grabbed them out of the ether and started playing them. For example, Perfect Day could have a parenthetical title, Perfect Song.

[ mp3 ]: Lou Reed - Perfect Day

And finally, on the second side, there it was. Satellite of Love, finally in my grasp.

[ mp3 ]: Lou Reed - Satellite of Love

As the record ran out on side B (with the brilliant Goodnight Ladies, which I would like to be played ceremoniously at my funeral), I immediately re-arranged my brain to refer to this as Lou Reed's best album. Can you name one better?

-N.W.

If you, like me, were a member of Team Coco, then you were there when Neil Young serenaded young Conan with a stirring rendition of "Long May You Run" as a part of Conan's final Tonight Show. (I would love to link to a video, but NBC has taken down all videos relating to Conan. They will reap what they sow.) My dad and I are two of the worlds biggest Neil Young fans, and when we each saw that performance, even though we were separated by two state lines and 202 miles, we both thought, "I wonder who Neil Young originally wrote that song for?" and "Is the original release on dad's shelf?"

And of course Dad had the record, although it was pretty dust-free; almost untouched. I was very excited to see it, since I had never even heard of the Stills-Young band, instantly removing me from the echelon of 'world's biggest Neil Young fan,' and placing me among 'Neil Young Enthusiasts.'

Well, as my dad explained to me, the song Long May You Run actually debuted as the lead-off track to the only album from the short lived Stills-Young Band, an ephemeral union of Stephen Stills and Neil Young pragmatically thrown together in response to the success of Wind on the Water, an album by former CSN&Y'ers David Crosby and Graham Nash. While the album did make some dough (it went gold), Long May You Run is kind of uneven. Mainly because the two split it right down the middle - it's a Young song, then a Stills song, then another Young song...ad infinitum. And those Stills songs can get pretty mind-numbing. Check out track two:

[ mp3 ]: Stephen Stills - Make Love to You

Um, gross. I'll stick with Barry White if I'm looking for that kind of music, especially these days.

Neil's songs are not great, barring the title track. But songs like Midnight On the Bay still have some charm, while the Stills tunes kind of ruin the album. It's like filling a cup with half Pepsi and half Diet Pepsi; it will taste kind of weird, and you're going to get diabetes and have all the calcium sucked from your bones. (I think that's what PepsiMax is trying to accomplish anyway.)

[ mp3 ]: Neil Young - Long May You Run
[ mp3 ]: Neil Young - Midnight On the Bay

Long May You Run is a classic, undeniably bright eyed yet nostalgic, the perfect send-off to any old friend.  Midnight On the Bay is uncharacteristically funky for Neil, dare I say it's his version of Rupert Holmes' Escape (The Pina Colada Song.) Fun.

Oh yeah - so who did Neil write the song Long May You Run for? Was Conan's plight similar to an old friend, lover, or historical character? Turns out, it was written as an ode to his 1948 Buick Roadmaster, which, as I'm sure you know, is a hearse.

-N.W.

PS - lala has mis-credited this record as a Neil Young solo joint. They are mistaken.

Growing up, my friend Ethan and I had a running joke that went like this:

Me: Hey Ethan, what's the best band in the world?
Ethan: I don't know, but it sure as hell isn't The Moody Blues.

No wonder we're both famous comedians and professional music critics. (Neither one of us is either of those things.)

Every Good Boy Deserves Favour is neither Bluesy, nor Moody (though this could be argued). It's, at first listen, a prog-rock album. I think the first word that comes to mind is "lush." For a band that I always thought was a blues band, it's downright surprising. In fact, when my dad first played it for me, I admit that I did not enjoy it. Maybe it was the fact that they were at one point simply a punchline, but I had a hard time taking them seriously. I mean, listen to the first track, Procession, in which nominalizations are eerily shouted, General Zod-like, over an ominous, building orchestration....

[ mp3 ]: The Moody Blues - Procession

But, as Rod Stewart never sang, the first cut is the weirdest, and right after that bizarre opener, The Moody Blues hit you with what might be their best song, The Story In Your Eyes.

[ mp3 ]: The Moody Blues - The Story In Your Eyes

I feel like this song is the true litmus test. If you like it, if you allow yourself to like it, then you're going to like The Moody Blues. It's like that movie Avatar. If you allow yourself to get emotionally attached to blue aliens, you're going to end up getting a lot more out of it than a skeptical friend. Every Good Boy Deserves Favour is anything but casual. You need to really listen to it, and if you make the choice to, parts of it will blow your mind. Take the closer, My Song, which makes the Elton John number by the same title seem like a commercial jingle.

[ mp3 ]: The Moody Blues - My Song

It's powerful stuff, but only if you've already downed the Kool-Aid. It's impossible to say that The Moody Blues aren't good songwriters, especially on this record. The orchestrations are incredibly dense, guitar layered on pianos, sprinkles of organ, flute, and ambient sounds. And the middle of this album is full of great tunes as well. Check out Emily's Song and After You Came, both perfect.

Ethan and I may have been right - The Moody Blues may not have been the best band in the world. But not for lack of trying.

Let me know what you think in the comments.

- N.W.

My dad does not have that many country records. Only the essentials - Cash, Haggard, Williams and the like. So I was a bit surprised when I found a couple Bobby Bare albums stuck together among the B's. Bare is not as famous as those I just mentioned, but is a country music icon; his songs deceptively complex, his voice clear and true. Bare was probably country's first 'cross-over' artist, penning songs that appealed to lovers of both Waylon Jennings and Bobby Darin. He championed traditional country songwriters, like Ian Tyson and Billy Barton, but also incorporated sixties rock'n'roll into his songs. One of his biggest hits, Shame On Me, is the perfect example - a country tune with a horn section!

[ mp3 ]: Bobby Bare - Shame On Me

Bare sounds a bit like Johnny Cash to me - an apt comparison since Cash was also popular outside of the country circuit. But Bare is a little more sunny than Cash. I feel like if you gave them each a handle of bourbon, Bare would end up being the life of the party, and Cash would go all dark. Like Deer Hunter dark. Ugh. If you watched that, here, take a soul shower:

[ mp3 ]: Bobby Bare - Miller's Cave
[ mp3 ]: Bobby Bare - Four Strong Winds

Okay. So the stories Bare is telling aren't necessarily the sunniest. Miller's Cave is a vengeful murder story, and the singer of Four Strong Winds is abandoning a lover. It's not Kid's Bop. But it's clean, straight-forward, story-based country music. To me, listening to Bobby Bare is like reading a Kazuo Ishiguro novel after wading through Infinite Jest. It just feels nice.

Supposedly, Bobby Bare collaborated with Shel Silverstein quite a bit later in his career, and had a few hits geared towards children. My dad doesn't have any of these records, but if you do, let me know what they're like. I think I'm interested.

- N.W.