Spring & Flowers: Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most

Rickie Lee Jones: Spring Can Really Hang You up the Most

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I've got a couple more Springtime & Flowers ideas for later on, but right now I've got to go outside and move around about 1/2 ton of soil for my mother's flower garden, so this'll be a short post.

A rather subdued Springtime song, from Rickie's 1991 release "Pop Pop".

Something about the laconic pace, in addition to a drowsiness inherant Miss Jones' delivery, makes me want to laze about a porch, drinking iced-tea (with perhaps a measure of Jack Daniels mixed in!) and watch the clouds roll past. Unfortunately, like I said, I get to move dirt around instead.

Spring & Flowers: April 5th

Talk Talk: April 5th

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I stopped recommending Talk Talk to people several years ago after consistently receiving tepid responses, at best, from friends. I admit that they are a bit moody and difficult at times, but I love the band (late period only) and I think they are more musical than people give them credit for.

Talk Talk started off as darlings of the New Romantic movement in 1981, getting heavy rotations on MTV. But by their third album, front man Mark Hollis had led them away from pop music into the netherworlds of a particularly haunting brand of jazz-infused post-rock. In my opinion their two great albums are The Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock, with Spirit of Eden being the clear high point. I also think Hollis's first solo offering is worth hearing.

But, like I said, I don't officially recommend this band to people anymore. Purchase or download at your own risk.

That being said, you can't help but love the lyrics of this featured track:

Here she comes
Silent in her sound
Here she comes
Fresh upon the ground

Come gentle spring
Come at winter's end
Gone is the pallor from a promise that's nature's gift
Waiting for the colour of spring
Let me breathe
Let me breathe the colour of spring

Here she comes
Laughter in her kiss
Here she comes
Shame upon her lips

Come wanton spring, come
For birth you live
Youth takes its bow before the summer the seasons bring
Waiting for the colour of spring
Let me breathe

Reader submission by Berrett

Spring & Flowers: Flowers On The Wall

The Statler Brothers: Flowers On The Wall

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I've always loved this one. Ever since I saw Pulp Fiction, which has a great soundtrack by the way.

Just thinking about that poor guy playing solitaire with a deck of 51 is sad. It's not really a springtime song, but it tecnically fits the theme.

Spring & flowers: Sunflower Suit

Buffalo Tom: Sunflower Suit

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A new theme. It´s spring. La primavera, le printemps... Need I go on? My favorite season. Trees are budding out, flowers are starting to bloom, the swallows have returned from whatever exotic countries they spent the winter months in, while other birds are already looking around for nest-building material. The sun is out, the light is perfect. Time to put on your sunflower suit and strut into town.

My First: No Business

Negativland: Favorite Things

[purchase] from Amazon, or better yet...
[purchase] direct from the band! (psst... there are a couple more songs to listen to for free behind this link!)

I'd planned on posting up a few more numbers this week, under the various formats I first purchased, but... You know how it goes: Fella gets busy (or lazy), so fella don't follow through on intentions. It's the sad, same story, so I will spare details. I will, however, share my first legal internet music acquisition (or at least a song off said album): Negativland's "No Business".

For those of you that are not familiar with the group, Negativland are a cut-up, collage-y sort of art collective based out of San Francisco, CA. A decent description of the group, from their own website, can be read.

Their biggest claim to fame, probably, is the "U2 Fiasco", wherein Ireland's favorite sons sued the pants off the San Francisco group, to the point that Negativland was dropped by their label, made to destroy master-tapes, and, well, basically screwed to the wall. Yeah, I know...

The "No Business" release breaks ground, even for Negativland. The entire album was created out of material illegally downloaded from the internet. And they didn't get sued for this one? Yeah, I know...

"No Business" didn't chart anywhere.

My First: Last Train To Clarksville

The Monkees: Last Train To Clarksville

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When I was about 9 or 10 years old my favorite music in the world was The Beach Boys, The Grease Soundtrack (crush on Olivia), and—number one in my heart—The Monkees. Back then the old Monkees TV show was shown in reruns after school got out. Mickey was my favorite Monkee because of his wacky sense of humor. So, when I got my own personal record player, the first “record” I bought was this 45 rpm single.

I never could have imagined that, years later, I’d be making a vinyl rip of the same single to post on the internet. But here it is…

My First: Teenage Wasteland!

The Who: Baba O’Riley

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Out here in the fields
I fight for my meals
I get my back into my living.
I don't need to fight
To prove I'm right
I don't need to be forgiven.

Has anybody seen the short-lived TV show called Freaks and Geeks? It was a pretty good show, or at least I think so. Probably because the younger brother in the show, Sam, was me. I was the same age (14), in the same state (Michigan), at the same time (early 1980s), with the same social prospects as that little 14-year kid (hopelessly pining for the beautiful, friendly, popular girl). My high school even had the same odd nickname (the Norsemen). So, basically, I was clueless and girls were scary.

My musical knowledge consisted of Top 40 radio (Hall & Oates, Toto, Journey) and my parents’ record collection (Gordon Lightfoot, John Denver, The Carpenters). Then I went to some kind of “band” party to make a homecoming float and I heard “Teenage Wasteland.” It blew me away. I was ready to enter the teenage wasteland. This might have been the first time music really moved me. I found out that the song was really called “Baba O’Riley” by The Who.

The next day I took my newspaper delivery money and rode my bike down to Harmony House to find the record by The Who with the song Baba O’Riley. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. Better yet, my parents didn’t really like it. I’ve been a devoted music fan ever since.

The Who are not a very fashionable group these days, but damn if Keith’s drumming still doesn’t get my blood pumping.

Bonus tunes:

The Who: Love Ain't For Keeping
Petra Haden: Don't Stop Believin'

My First: Nevermind

Nirvana: Polly

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I bought this one as a gift for my brother. He introduced me to everything back then, and I somehow managed to overhear about this record that he somehow didn't have yet. He was a serious Nirvana fan. I've always enjoyed their songs over their sound. But I remember exactly where I was when I heard about Kurdt's death.

My First: King Of Rock

Run DMC: King Of Rock

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This was the first CD I ever bought. I got it used at Wazoo Records in Ann Arbor when CD’s were a brand new thing. I might not even have the player, but I could never pass up a bargain. And I figured a used CD was just as good as a new one, since the markering people at the record companies were saying that you could play frisbee with them and they would still play perfectly. Ha!

Its funny to hear this compared to the hip hop of today. It’s like comparing Buddy Holly to Jimi Hendrix.

Here are some of my favorite lines from the featured number:

I'm one def rapper, I know I can hang
I'm Run from Run-DMC, like Kool from Kool and the Gang

My name is Darryl, you can call him D
You can call me Darryl Mack, or you can call him DMC
People always ask, "DMC, what does it mean?"
D's for never dirty, MC for mostly clean

Every jam we play, we break two needles
There's three of us but we're not the Beatles

My first: The Guns Of Brixton

The Clash: The Guns Of Brixton

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I can still recall the first single I´ve ever bought, thanks to an older nephew. A totally cool dude with long Beatle hair, an Afghan coat and an adorable girlfriend, he needless to say made quite an impression on innocent eleven year old me. The poor guy had to entertain me for a day for some reason, and did so with flair. First he took me to the chip shop, and later he drove over to the local record store and told me I could pick any single I wanted. After much nervous deliberation, I chose I Don´t Want To Die In An Air Disaster by Albert Hammond, which was riding high in the charts in ´74. Not too embarrassing for a first buy I guess, and good memories. It´s probably gathering dust up in the attic at my mum´s now, so I can´t share it here. Maybe Matt´s got it. By the way: I had almost forgotten that song until it got quite a lot of airplay in the aftermath of 9/11. My first album probably came a year later, and it was either a Beatles or a Dylan best of. My first cd was London Calling. Had to replace it as the cassette I had taped off a friend had broken, and I couldn´t picture myself without it. And I still can´t.

My First: On The Outside

Oingo Boingo: On The Outside

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By the time I purchased my first Walkman, I had left behind the 70's rock of my youth and had embraced the post-punk new-music scene (complete with sleeveless DEVO turtleneck which I actually wore to school several times. I was never exactly a magnet with the ladies). You know how there are some songs that made such an impression on you that you remember exactly where you were when you first heard them? This track is like that for me. I was 14 years old, in the corridor of my junior high school, when a friend put his headphones over my ears and let me hear a brand new band, Oingo Boingo. The song was On The Outside. I bought the album, Only A Lad, that very day; the first cassette I ever purchased.

This post was submitted by SMM reader Berrett. Thanks for the posts Berrett!

My First: Don't Look Back

Boston: Don't Look Back

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The first album I ever owned was The White Album, which my father gave to me for my 10th birthday. However, the first album I ever purchased for myself, with my own money, was Boston: Don't Look Back. My dad had a lot better taste than I did. I was eleven year's old when Don't Look Back was released. After I heard the title track on the radio I asked my mom for a ride to Tower Records to pick up the LP. Where the White Album was difficult for me to digest at that age, Don't Look Back's harmonized vocal hooks and effected guitar solos grabbed my attention immediately, causing me to involuntarily launch into pre-pubescent air-guitar sessions on the side of my bed. Seventies arena rock only held my interest for a couple of years, but for me it marked the moment when I began to define my own musical preferences. For that reason I honor Boston's contribution to my musical life. Long live Boston and their flying space guitar!

This post was submitted by SMM reader Berrett.

New Theme: "My First..."

Elton John & Kiki Dee: Don't Go Breaking My Heart

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I feel kind of bad putting up this song, after all the wide-ranging and cool music during our last theme, but...

Our theme this week is for the first music we bought. Specifically, the first music bought with our own money.

Obviously, were it limited to only the very first thing, we'd each get to post just once. What fun is that? You don't have to follow my lead, but I'm going to be revealing my first 45 (this one), my first LP, my first cassette, and my first CD. Oh! and since it just occured to me, I'm going to be posting on my first digital download too. But more on all them later...

I was about six years old when "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" was released. Like a bunch of other people I forked over my 79 cents, then proceded to drive my parents and siblings bonkers with the incessant replaying of a song as only a six-year-old can. If I never have, I'd like to apologize to them for that, now.

Anyhum... I'm going to leave this to that and move on...

Thanks to Six for letting me choose the theme this week. I look forward to hearing the songs that started out your love affair with music...I just hope it's not too embarassing for y'all!

"Don't Go Breaking My Heart" went to #1 in the UK and the USA

Days Of The Week: Drive-in Saturday

David Bowie: Drive-in Saturday

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I've owned a good number of David Bowie albums in my time- still do, as a matter of fact, though I've never owned the particular album this song was originally on. Still, I've managed to purchase the song four seperate times! I've bought the Sound+Vision box set over and over and over and over. First on vinyl, which got scratched to shit, then cassettes, which got borrowed out (so, of course, they were never seen again). Later, when I bought the compact discs, I was happy to be done with the whole affair... until the set was re-released with a fourth disc! Argh!!!
So, basically, I spent as much to own this song (and a bunch more, of course) as I have probably spent on clothing over the past three years. Heck, it's probably as much as Bowie has spent on clothing in the last... three minutes? Hrm... Well, I hope he was able to manage an half-way decent handkerchief or set of socks offa me!

Originally released on the 1973 album Aladdin Sane, "Drive-in Saturday" reached #3 on the U.K. charts.

And, as a special thank you to Six for getting this Star Maker Machine started:
The Kinks: Days.

I'll be back late tonight or early tomorrow morning to post up our next theme: "My First." See ya then.

Days of the week: Seven Days

Bob Dylan: Seven Days

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Can´t let a new theme start here without playing a song that covers not just one day of the week, but all seven of them... Seven Days is a composition Dylan never recorded in the studio as far as we know. He played it live only five times during the second phase of his Rolling Thunder Revue in ´76, but then gave up on it, apparently because he wasn´t really happy with the arrangement. Well, I for one don´t think there´s anything wrong with Seven Days. Nice violin part by the great Scarlett Rivera too. "She had a face that could outshine the sun in the skies". This version was recorded live in Tampa, Florida on 21 April, and eventually ended up on The Bootleg Series Vols. 1-3. By the way: Stone Ron Wood did a take of Seven Days on one of his solo albums way before Dylan´s version saw the light of day. In March ´76 Eric Clapton was recording his No Reason To Cry in the Shangri La studios in Malibu, and Bob was living in a tent in the back of the garden there for some reason. Woody was also hanging around and one day Dylan played Seven Days for both of them, saying to Clapton: "You can have this song if you want it". Slowhand didn´t take him up on it, but Wood sure did.

Days of the Week: Like A Summer Thursday

Townes Van Zandt: Like A Summer Thursday

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I’m a big fan of Townes Van Zandt. This isn’t one of his greatest songs, but it fits the theme and its still Townes.

Days Of The Week: Sunday You Need Love (trio)

Trio: Sunday You Need Love

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For your comparing / contrasting pleasure, here is Trio's version of the tune that Ramone666 was kind enough to share.

Days of the Week - Looking For The Heart Of Saturday Night

Tom Waits: (Looking For) The Heart Of Saturday Night

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This one's always been a favorite of mine. Can you think of another song where one of the verses is an interruption (see below)?

Tell me, is it the crack of the pool balls? Neon buzzin?
(Telephone’s ringin’ – it’s your second cousin)
Is it the bar maid that’s smiling from the corner of her eye?
The magic of the melancholy tear in your eye?

P.S. If you have anymore Days of the Week songs, tomorrow is the last day to post them before Matt debuts the new theme on Sunday.

Days of the week: Sunday You Need Love

Oblivians - Sunday You Need Love

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I haven´t a clue why Memphis garage punks the Oblivians covered two songs by German eighties new wavers Trio on their debut album Soul Food (Crypt ´95) really. Not an obvious choice. Maybe because the Oblivians were a threepiece too? Whatever the reason, their rudimentary, furious cover of Sunday You Need Love really works. Has anyone got the original maybe?

Days of the Week - Shine, Shave, Shower (It's Saturday)

Lefty Frizzell: Shine, Shave, Shower (It’s Saturday)

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You know you’re listening to a genuine, old-fashioned country song when the singer has to specifically point out that he is going to shower and brush his teeth before going out.