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Stiff Records Week – Elvis Costello – Watching The Detectives

I was around 11 walking through a drug store in the late seventies and I saw this album cover…I thought what? Another person named Elvis? Who is this skinny guy?

While at the drug store, the guy was playing this album for the entire store and I heard Alison… That was the first thing I ever heard from Elvis from his debut album My Aim Is True. Later on, I would get the album and I knew this guy was different. He would blend punk, reggae, pop, pub rock, and new wave.

This song was inspired by Costello’s experience of staying awake for 36 hours, during which he listened repeatedly to The Clash’s debut album. Initially unimpressed, he grew to appreciate it after many listens. He stayed up by consuming an entire jar of instant coffee and that led to the creation of Watching The Detectives.

Costello has said that Watching the Detectives was a favorite of his from the early years of his career. He also experimented with different arrangements of the song, including a big band version with Allen Toussaint to capture the film qualities and swing rhythms of 1950s detective shows.

Before recording the album, Costello worked as a computer operator while performing in pubs and writing songs. He sent demo tapes to different record labels but initially received little interest. Costello caught the attention of Jake Riviera, co-founder of Stiff Records known for his edgy approach. Riviera saw potential in Costello’s demos and signed him.

My Aim is True was released in 1977 and peaked at #14 in the UK, #32 on the Billboard Album Charts, #24 in Canada, and #32 in New Zealand. The song peaked at #15 in the UK and #60 in Canada.

Elvis Costello: “When we did ‘Watching the Detectives,’ it was the first record that Steve Nieve played on. He was 19, straight out of the Royal College, and we’d only just met. I said, ‘This is about detectives, I want a piano thing that sounds like Bernard Hermann,’ and, of course, he didn’t know what I’m talking about, so I go [makes staccato, sharp sound], and what you hear on the record is this galloping piano thing that rushes the beat and it sounds like one of those sudden jarring gestures that Hermann would use a lot. But we didn’t have 19 clarinets or whatever he used [in] Torn Curtain; we just had a battered upright in an eight-track studio. What you imagine you have to render whether you use a fuzz-tone guitar or a symphony orchestra and everything in between.”

Elvis Costello: “I spent a lot of time with just a big jar of instant coffee and the first Clash album, listening to it over and over. By the time I got down to the last few grains, I had written ‘Watching the Detectives.’”

Watching the Detectives

Nice girls, not one with a defectCellophane shrink-wrapped, so correctRed dogs under illegal legsShe looks so good that he gets down and begs

She is watching the detectives“Ooh, it’s so cute”She’s watching the detectivesWhen they shoot, shoot, shoot, shootThey beat him up until the teardrops startBut he can’t be wounded ’cause he’s got no heart

Long shot of that jumping signInvisible shivers running down my spineCut to baby taking off her clothesClose-up of the sign that says: “We never close”

You snatch a chill and you match a cigaretteShe pulls the eyes out with a face like a magnetI don’t know how much more of this I can takeShe’s filing her nails while they’re dragging the lake

She is watching the detectives“Oh, he’s so cute”She is watching the detectivesOh, and they shoot, shoot, shoot, shootThey beat him up until the teardrops startBut he can’t be wounded ’cause he’s got no heart

You think you’re alone until you realize you’re in itNow baby’s here to stay, love is here for a visitThey call it instant justice when it’s past the legal limitSomeone’s scratching at the window, I wonder, who is it?

The detectives come to check if you belong to the parentsWho are ready to hear the worst about their daughter’s disappearanceThough it nearly took a miracle to get you to stayIt only took my little fingers to blow you away

Just like watching the detectivesDon’t get cuteJust like watching the detectivesI get so angry when the teardrops startBut he can’t be wounded ’cause he’s got no heart

Watching the detectivesIt’s just like watching the detectivesWatching the detectivesWatching the detectivesWatching the detectivesWe’re watching the detectivesThey’re watching the detectivesWatching the detectivesWatching the detectives

Stiff Records

This week I’m going to tip the proverbial cap to the pioneering Stiff Records which was an independent Record Company that helped a lot of artists in the UK. I’ll be posting a song each day off that label. This week I’ve written up 3 songs and Randy and Dave are going to contribute two songs. I really appreciate them for doing that.

Stiff Records gave you an alternative to the Top 40. They would take chances on performers than the established record companies wouldn’t take. Who would have taken a chance on a nerdy-looking fellow named Elvis Costello? Many of the artists didn’t fit in with the major labels’ idea of what an artist should sound or look like. They had their own unique roster of talent.

This could be a mile-long post but I’m going to keep it short. This record company was created in 1976 by Dave Robinson and Jake Riviera. The label was created to capitalize on the new punk and new wave scenes, providing an alternative to the major record companies. They used bold marketing tactics…their slogan was “If It Ain’t Stiff, It Ain’t Worth a F***. The company didn’t have a lot of money but they had plenty of ideas.

They signed a lot of talent and that talent is what we are going over this week. I wanted to do a week of Stiff Records and let’s see what we will find. The talent was Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe, Ian Dury and The Blockheads, The Rumour, Madness, The Damned, Motorhead, Devo and even Tracey Ullman.

Jake Riviera left in 1978 to form Radar Records, taking Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe with him. Despite its success, the label faced financial difficulties in the early 1980s. Stiff was sold to Island Records in 1984, which marked the end of its independent era.

Stiff Records was revived in the 2000s by ZTT Records (Zang Tumb Tuum), releasing new music while managing its extensive back catalog.

Nike Lowe: The pop business was full of these dreadful groups, Genesis and Journey and REO Speedwagon and people like that. And it was all safe and run by these bean counters and know-nothings. That’s why, over here, the pub rock thing started up. When punk came along a few years later, that was the thing that it really needed, but I would say that pub rock was spawned for the same reasons — dissatisfaction that it was all rubbish and needed to be pulled down. Because it had gotten to a point where you just couldn’t have another concept album or triple bullshit thing.

Replacements – Little Mascara

Great name for a song or a band…and that guitar is what I was sorely missing around this time in the 1980s. This album was in the stretch of great albums by the band. Let It Be, Tim, and Please To Meet Me. Personally, I never knew how big this song was with fans. One search on YouTube and you can find bands covering this song everywhere.

Everyone who knows me… knows I’m not a huge fan of the Top 40 in the 1980s but alternative rock is a different story. In my opinion, the two best American alternative rock bands to come out of the 80s were The Replacements and R.E.M. The Replacements were the generation’s Big Star influencing 1990s and 2000s bands. They had a secret weapon in Westerberg as a songwriter. I would safely say they were two of my favorite bands in the 80s.

This song was on their 1985 album Tim. Why was the album called Tim? There was no reference to the name on the album. The band’s manager said that he asked Paul Westerberg what the name of the album would be. Paul told him “Tim,” and the manager asked why. Paul said, “because it’s such a nice name.”

This album was their first major label release on Sire Records in 1984. This would be the last album by the original band because Bob Stinson would be kicked out a couple of years later. Stinson did a great solo in this song…very Keith Richards-like.

Tim was placed 136th on Rolling Stone’s 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and 137 in a 2012 revised list. The album peaked at #186 in the Billboard Album Chart in 1986.

I couldn’t find any footage of them originally doing this song live so here they are when they regrouped in the teens.

Little Mascara

You and I fall togetherYou and I sleep aloneAfter all, things might be betterAfter one, and there’s one that’s long gone

For the moon you keep shootin’Throw your rope up in the airFor the kids you stay togetherYou nap ’em and you slap ’em in a highchairAll you ever wanted was someone to take care of yaAll you’re ever losin’ is a little mascaraLittle mascaraLittle mascara

Afternoon, things are quietSettle back now if you canStations clip by like a rocketDon’t you worry if you wonder why he ran

All you ever wanted was someone to take care of yaAll you’re ever losin’ is a little mascaraLittle mascaraLittle mascaraThat you cry, cryThat you cryYour eyes outThat you cryThat you cryThat you cryYour eyes out

All you ever wanted was someone Ma’d be scared ofAll you’re ever losin’ isA little mascaraLittle mascaraLittle mascaraThat you cryThat you cryThat you cryYour eyes outThat you cryThat you cryThat you cryYour eyes outThat you cryThat you cryThat you cry…

…

Buzzcocks – Orgasm Addict

This band is a blast to listen to. They have the punk edge but with power pop choruses. Along with bands, like The Jam, Small Faces, Slade, and a host of others…America just didn’t hear unless you were in the know. These guys blended punk and pop about as well as anyone. I had a friend with their import records in the eighties. That was the only way I could hear them. Orgasm Addict was a hell of a debut single for the band. It was banned by the BBC soon after the release. Yet another song about teenage masturbation.

The song was written by Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto during Devoto’s time with the band, though he left before it was recorded. Known for its risqué and lyrics, the track asked for controversy and limited radio play at the time of release but has since become a punk rock staple. This song was released in 1977 and was not an album track. It peaked at #56 on the UK Charts.

They chose the name Buzzcocks after reading the headline, “It’s the Buzz, Cock!”, in a review of the TV series Rock Follies in Time Out magazine. The “buzz” is the excitement of playing on stage; “cock” is northern English slang meaning friend. They were formed in 1976 by Pete Shelley and Howard Devoto after seeing the Sex Pistols. They were able to blend punk’s spirit and sound with pop.

Nirvana invited them to open select dates on the grunge outfit’s last European tour, in early 1994. Steve Diggle told about a memory he has of Kurt Cobain: “Doing two grams of coke is one of my famous stories with him.” They also opened up for Pearl Jam in 2003.

They released 3 albums and broke up in 1981 after a dispute with their record company. They reunited in 1989 and released 6 more albums. Pete Shelley continued to play with the band until his death from a heart attack in 2018. The band still continues to tour.

Orgasm Addict

Well, you tried it just for onceFound it all right for kicksBut now you found outThat it’s a habit that sticks

And you’re an orgasm addictYou’re an orgasm addict

Sneaking in the back doorWith dirty magazinesNow your mother wants to knowWhat all those stains on your jeans

And you’re an orgasm addictYou’re an orgasm addict

Ah-huh, ah-huh, ahAh-huh, ah-huh, ah

You get in a heatYou get in a sulkBut you still keep a beatingYour meat to pulp

‘Cause you’re an orgasm addictYou’re an orgasm addict

You’re a kid CasanovaYou’re a no JosephIt’s a labour of loveFuckin’ yourself to death

Orgasm addictYou’re an orgasm addict

Ah-huh, ah-huh, ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ahAh-ah-ahh!

You’re makin’ out with school kidsWinos and heads of stateYou even made it with the ladyWho puts the little plastic bobins on the Christmas cakesButcher’s assistants and bellhopsyou’ve had them all here and thereChildren of God and their joy-stringsInternational women with no body hair

Ooh, so where they’re askin’ in an alleyAnd your voice ain’t steadyIf sex mechanic’s rough, you’re more than ready

You’re an orgasm addictYou’re an orgasm addict

Johnny want fuckie always and all waysHe’s got the energy, he will amaze

He’s an orgasm addictHe’s an orgasm addict

He’s always at itYou’re always at it‘Cause you’re an orgasm addictWe’re all orgasm addicts

…

Chris Isaak – Round ‘n’ Round

In 1993 Chris Iaasak released the album San Francisco Days. I’ve had this album playing at work, where I listen a lot. It is well-balanced and very likable. I picked this song for the guitar sound of James Wilsey, it’s a little different from his reverb playing because it has more crunch to it. He is the guitarist who played the guitar for Wicked Game and made it memorable with that dreamlike quality.

San Francisco Days was his fourth studio album, was inspired by the city, and features some rock, blues, and his unique singing style. He is a guy that I know because of Wicked Game but like Greg Kihn, there are more things to like but the hits by him. He did have a hit on this album called Can’t Do a Thing (to Stop Me) that peaked at #7 on the Billboard Alternative Charts and #36 in the UK. I will post it above Round ‘n’ Round at the bottom.

When Chris was growing up he was influenced by 1950s rock and roll and country music. Two of the artists that influenced him were Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison. You can hear those two artists in his work, especially Orbison. He developed a unique singing style and he can be called a crooner. He released his first album, Silvertone, in 1985. He did get some critical acclaim but not much commercial success. That all changed with this third album Heart Shaped World with the single Wicked Game which was featured in the David Lynch film Wild At Heart.

Chris Isaak on making San Francisco Days: “I kind of set out to make this one a little bit different, People did say that the other albums were very similar. But I’ve always felt like I had something legitimate to say with that style. Otherwise, it would be like a painter saying, ‘I already used blue in my early paintings, so I’m not using it anymore.’ Still, I always want to learn some new tricks.”

Round ‘n’ Round

Here we go round & round.
State your case and then sit down.
Tell me why you want to go,
I don’t love you anymore.

Here you go mad again.
Tell me that your just a friend.
Tell me something I don’t know.
I don’t love you anymore, I don’t love you anymore, yeah.

When I do go, I’ll let you know.
It might hurt you, but I don’t think so.

Here we go round & round.
State your case and then sit down.
Tell me why you want to go,
I don’t love you anymore, I don’t love you anymore, I don’t love you anymore.

…

Katmen – When The Drinks Dried Up

The band’s name is either Kat Men or Katmen. I’ve seen it listed both ways.

CB mentioned this band in an email and I had to check it out. Pure rockabilly heaven for me. I’ve also checked out Darrel Higham’s guitar playing…he is excellent. He worked with and married Imelda May… his sound can be heard in much of her music.

The band was formed when Slim Jim Phantom and Darrel Higham decided to join forces, they were inspired by a shared love of classic rockabilly music. Phantom’s drumming style is well known for his stint in The Stray Cats, while Higham contributed his incredible guitar skills and an appreciation for rockabilly. Their music has vintage rockabilly vibes with a modern sound.

They formed in 2006 when former Stray Cats drummer Slim Jim Phantom and Imelda May guitarist Darrel Higham met during a jam session at the Oneida Casino, in Wisconsin. In 2012 they hired bassist Al Gare. This guy plays a mean standup bass like no one else I’ve seen.

Higham developed an early interest in rockabilly and 1950s rock ‘n’ roll, his influences were artists like Elvis Presley, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, and guitarist Cliff Gallup. Higham started his professional music career in the late 1980s, performing with various rockabilly and roots bands in the UK.

This song is on their 2013 album The Katmen Cometh. Another song on that album is “We Need Elvis Back.” I HAD to include that song as well in this! Both songs are credited to the band.

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Art Bergmann – Bound for Vegas

I’m learning more about Canadian musicians as the years go by and I love what I’m finding. I have some Canadian followers and I appreciate all of your insights. CB suggested Bergmann and I’ve been listening to him this week. He is all over the map and gives you a great variety and he rocks. The more I heard the more I think of Paul Westerberg.

He has some quirky and deep lyrics throughout his songs. He also doesn’t always play by the music business rules. One band he formed was called the f**k band which turned into Los Popularos for a short time.

Art Bergmann is a Canadian singer/songwriter and a pioneer of punk rock in the country. Born in Vancouver…he was in the punk scene in the late ’70s, playing with bands like the Young Canadians (originally The K-Tels). Their track “Hawaii” (I love this surf punk song) became locally popular and set the stage for Bergmann’s career.

In the 1980s, Bergmann went solo, and his music started to change, blending his punk roots with elements of rock, folk, rockabilly, and even country. His debut solo album, “Crawl with Me” (1988), produced by none other than John Cale of The Velvet Underground, put him on the map. His songwriting kept getting edgier with albums like “Sexual Roulette” and “Art Bergmann” in the early ’90s. He has recorded a total of 12 albums with his last one coming in 2023 with the name of ShadowWalk: Legacy of Love.

Bound for Vegas is off the 1990 album Sexual Roulette. One critic wrote that the album is“Art Bergmann in Paul Westerbergish form” and then he described The Replacement’s new album All Shook Down as “Paul Westerberg in Art Bergmannish form.” I do get a heavy Paul Westerberg vibe or is it the other way around? Either way, he is good…listen.

Bergmann was made a member of the Order of Canada in 2021. He said this about it: I just thought it was a joke by maybe some friends that have grown up through the years and now work … at the Governor General’s office. I have been toiling in the underground for years, and awards like this are kind of anathema. So, you know, this would be the ultimate leg-pulling, I would think.

Art Bergmann: “People always say, ‘You’re so angry, and your words are so dangerous.’ And I say, ‘Does everybody forget Jimi Hendrix and the Stones and the Who and all the great rock and roll stuff?’ Everybody forgets what it is, you know.”

Art Bergmann: “I sort of grew up with music all around, my parents were heavy into classical —my dad thinks music died after Beethoven, so there was a lot of that around the house. And I had to sing in church; that’s where I got to know harmony from, I guess, and melody. And then my older brothers were greaseballs, and they had all the great stuff like Eddie Cochran and Elvis and Buddy Holly.”

Below is another song I was going to pick…Unfaithfully Yours.

Bound For Vegas

Load up the trucks
Don’t forget the make-up
We’ve got the six semis
For the money
None for the show
We’ve got our costumes ready
Got to go go go

Bound for Vegas
Bound for Vegas

Who’s got the map
Who’s gonna navigate
We’ve got six shows
On the strip
It’s a sellout
Wayne Newton doesn’t
Want us to be late

It’s in my heart
I’m making a financial start

They call me the performer
I guess they always will
Call me the entertainer
Don’t retire me yet
I ain’t over the hill
I ain’t had my fill

It’s in my heart
I’m making a financial start
I’m a never was
Trying to be a has-been
A has-been on the come-back trail
Come-back to me
On the Vegas scene
By the age of fifty

Good-bye Vancouver, Good-bye Toronto
Good-bye New York
Even the St. Louis blues
I said buy Detroit, buy New York
Ain’t going Route 66
Give me I-85

Bound for Vegas
Bound for Vegas

…

Big Star – You Get What You Deserve

This song was on Radio City, their second album. Some say it is a response to the Chris Bell song off the first album called My Life Is Right…or a message to his girlfriend Diane that he was leaving her at the time. The chorus is perfect to me by the way he sings it.

Big Star was formed out of a shared love for British Invasion bands like The Beatles, The Kinks, and The Byrds. Alex Chilton had already been successful as the teenage lead singer of the Box Tops, while Chris Bell had been active in local Memphis bands. They wanted to become the next Lennon-McCartney and for this fan…they were in song quality. The Ballad of El Goodo and Thirteen were as about as top shelf as you can get.

After the failure of their first album, singer/songwriter guitar player Chris Bell quit Big Star. Alex Chilton didn’t know if Big Star was going to make another album. He continued making demos because he could always do a solo album. The two other members, drummer Jody Stephens and bass player Andy Hummel weren’t sure either what was going to happen. They had talked about ending the band.

Their record company Ardent was under the Stax umbrella. They sent out invitations to all of the major rock journalists of the day in 1973. They invited them to Memphis to see Ardent’s roster of bands but most of all Big Star. The rock writers loved Big Star. Many legendary writers were there including Lester Bangs. The critics loved them but when your records don’t get to the record store because of distribution and promotional problems…nothing is going to happen. September Gurls should have got a nationwide audience.

You Get What You Deserve

Try to understand what I’m going through
Don’t blame me for what folks will do
For some of us it’s not a good time
But you’ve gotta to get used to it
And you’d better resign yourself

You get what you deserve
You ought to find out what it’s worth
And you’ve gotta have a lot of nerve

You just do what pleases you
Go on and sigh out every move
You’re gonna get a place in the scene
All God’s orphans get face in the dream

You get what you deserve
You ought to find out what it’s worth
And you’ve gotta have a lot of nerve

Too bad
Such a drag
So much pain
Down the drain
A lot of us ain’t got many friends

Try to understand what I’m going through
Don’t blame me for what folks will do
For some of us it’s not a good time
But you’ve gotta to get used to it
And you’d better resign yourself

You get what you deserve
You ought to find out what it’s worth
And you’ve gotta have a lot of nerve
You get what you deserve

Del Amitri – Not Where It’s At

I first heard Del Amitri in the 90s. I remember hanging out in West End of Nashville at that time. It’s near Vanderbilt University and was a really hip place to be. I was looking for some Roger McGuinn glasses. Those small rectangle glasses that were very popular in the ’60s. I searched shop after shop and could not find them. I finally found them around closing time. Anyway…boy that was a long story but I remember that is when I heard Del Amitri for the first time…hey it stuck with me!

Some songs I hear and I think…I wish so much I would have written this song. This is one of those songs because it’s catchy without being too sweet. Not a profound lyric (teenage angst) in this one but clever and it’s the overall sound…right up my cobbled power pop alley. The crunchy and jangly guitars mesh with each other. This wasn’t as big as their other song Roll To Me but I always favored this one by a long shot.

I would have never guessed this wasn’t an American band. They formed in Glasgow, Scotland in 1980. The band was larger in the UK than here. This song is from the album Some Other Sucker’s Parade which peaked at #6 in the UK and #160 on the Billboard 100 in 1997. This song was played on our main rock station and got quite a bit of alternative play…if it came out today I would buy it.

The band was started by Justin Currie (vocals, bass) and a group of schoolmates. Currie became the constant band member over time. When they started they were influenced by Joy Division and The Cure. They switched to power pop and released their self-titled debut album in 1985. Waking Hours (1989) was their commercial breakthrough, featuring the hit single “Nothing Ever Happens”, which became a chart success and fan favorite. They have had 5 top-ten albums in the UK. They also had an astounding 15 top 40 hits in the UK. A shout out to CB who sent me a few of their songs and I’ve been happily getting reacquainted with this band.

It’s funny how some bands can get back on your radar. The Replacements are one of those bands that I rediscovered because of blogs. When I hear Del Amitri I think of a modern Badfinger because of the crunch and jangle of the guitar that feeds my inner power pop soul.

They took a break in 2002 but reunited in 2014 for a series of live shows. They continued to tour periodically in the following years. In 2021, they released Fatal Mistakes, their first studio album in nearly two decades, which was well-received by critics and fans alike.

Justin Currie: We’ve never pretended we didn’t want to be in the mainstream. I don’t mean in terms of sales, but in terms of everybody should be able to get our music. To me, that’s one of the functions of pop music. You bring everybody together in a room to sing along to a catchy tune.

Rhythm Guitar player Iain Harvie: “Probably about 80 per cent of the songs on this record don’t have overdubs, apart from the vocals obviously, with all the harmonies, and maybe the guitar solo if there was a really dreadful mistake in the middle that we just couldn’t live with. Wherever possible, we recorded with our live format of bass, drums, two guitars and keyboards for most of the songs.”

Not Where I’m At

With some girls it don’t matter who you hang withWith some girls it don’t matter how you talkAnd some girls they are easy to be yourself withBut the one girl that I wantAin’t easy to please with what I’ve got

With some girls it don’t matter where you’re aimingWith some girls it don’t matter how you actAnd some girls they don’t care what car you came inBut the one girl that I wantShe wants that one bit of geography I lack

Yeah, she don’t want me‘Cause I’m not where it’s atYeah I’m not where it’s at

And some girls they will worry about reactionsAnd some girls they don’t give a damn for thatBut somehow I ain’t ever in on the action‘Cause the one girl that I wantShe wants that one little quality I lack

Yeah she don’t want me‘Cause I’m not where it’s atYeah I’m not where it’s at

I don’t have my finger on the pulse of my generationI just got my hand on my heart I know no better location

Yeah she don’t want me‘Cause I’m not where it’sI’m not where it’sI’m not where it’s atYeah I’m not where it’s at

…

Sloan – Keep Your Name Alive

Sometimes I forget that my blogs name is powerpop…well today I’m picking two excellent Power Pop songs.

I want to thank Christian for including this in his Chris & Max picks from 2022. I listened to this album when it was released and I loved it. Deke is the first person to get me into them. Between Deke, Dave, Randy, and CB… my Canadian music love has spread. They are a modern-day power pop band that started out as grunge. In my humble opinion, they made the right choice of switching.

They do put the power into their pop. Melodic but loud guitars along with catchy harmonies and a throwback band presence. Bands like Sloan, Tragically Hip, Blue Rodeo, and others just couldn’t get traction in America for some reason.

Sloan got its start in Halifax during the early ‘90s. The band played around the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design before moving to Toronto. They got their name from a pot-smoking musician they knew in Halifax. He worked in a restaurant as a busboy and used to be known as “the slow one.”

The band made their recording debut on the Halifax, Canada CD compilation “Hear & Now” with the song “Underwhelmed” before releasing their debut EP “Peppermint” in 1991 on their own label Murderecords. In 1992 Sloan signed with Geffen Records and released their full-length debut “Smeared”. The album had somewhat of a grunge style. They soon switched to power pop and they have some fantastic songs.

This song is on their album Steady released on October 21, 2022. This song was written by Jay Ferguson plays rhythm guitar but like his band mates…can play bass and drums as well.

Keep Your Name Alive

I cannot lieI should have thought it overThere was a timeI opened with a closerI flew away, away, awayKept my composureAs she wavedDid I become another castaway?

If I simply turned aroundOr counted one to fiveDo you have to leave your homeTo keep your name alive?

Well, I guess I had to find out for myselfThe house remained dividedLocked the doorAre mirrors all one-sided?But the day went after dayAnd still no furtherBreaking wavesRendered me another castaway

If I simply turned aroundOr counted one to fiveDo you have to leave your homeTo keep your name alive?Whether you float far awayWhere it’s too deep to diveFailing further mention ofKeep your name aliveKeep your name alive

La-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la(I flew away, away, away)La-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la

If I simply turned aroundOr counted one to fiveIs there need to travel farIn order to arrive?Whether you float far awayWhere it’s too deep to dive(It’s too deep to dive)You don’t have to leave your homeTo keep your name alive

Keep your name aliveKeep your name alive (keep your name alive)Keep your name alive

…

Matthew Sweet – Girlfriend

When I first heard this song I thought of Jimi Hendrix a little with the intro and then it dissolved into one of the best power pop songs of the 1990s. The song has a little of everything… noisy guitar, loud drums but with a pop melody. Just like I thought with Lone Justice and some others…I just knew he would be cranking out hits for the rest of his career. He has cranked out some great songs but not many hits…but that is ok.

Great power pop song by Matthew Sweet. The song reached #4 on the US Alternative Chart in 1991. This was the title cut-off of his 3rd album…it was Sweet’s breakthrough album.

The song and the album were written during a bad period in Sweet’s life, following his divorce. The themes of longing, heartache, and new beginnings pervade the lyrics, reflecting his personal struggles and growth.

The video featured scenes from the 1980s anime Space Adventure Cobra, which caught viewers’ attention and became famous in its own right. The success of Girlfriend helped establish Matthew Sweet as a power pop alternative figure in the 1990s.

A trivia question…who is that girl on the album cover? I know it because I watched a certain older show recently.

Here is some sad news about Sweet right now from https://variety.com/2024/music/news/matthew-sweet-stroke-tour-gofundme-1236187225/

Singer-songwriter Matthew Sweet suffered a debilitating stroke while on tour in mid-October, it was revealed on Tuesday, when a representative for his management company posted a fundraising appeal on GoFundMe to support his recovery.

Sweet had been out on tour opening for the group Hanson when he was stricken in Toronto Oct. 12, in advance of a date that was to have taken place there the following night.

Catherine Lyons, who represents Sweet at Russell Carter Artist Management, posted the GoFundMe on Tuesday afternoon, with a stated goal of raising $250,000 for the rocker’s medical care. The effort got off to a good start. As of 6 p.m. PT Tuesday, about 770 individuals had contributed almost $50,000, and by 8 p.m., it was up to $85,000 from 1,400 donors.

Girlfriend

I wanna love somebody
I hear you need somebody to love
Oh, I wanna love somebody
I hear you’re looking for someone to love

‘Cause you need to
Be back in the arms of a good friend
And I need to
Be back in the arms of a girlfriend

I didn’t know nobody
And then I saw you coming my way
Oh, I didn’t know nobody
And then I saw you coming my way

Don’t you need to
Be back in the arms of a good friend?
Oh, ’cause, honey, believe me
I’d sure love to call you my girlfriend

Alright

Don’t you need to
Be back in the arms of a good friend?
Oh, ’cause, honey, believe me
I’d sure love to call you my girlfriend

‘Cause you got a good thing going, baby
You only need somebody to love
Oh, you got a good thing going
You’re only looking for someone to love

‘Cause you need to
Get back in the arms of a good friend

And I’m never gonna set you free
No, I’m never gonna set you free

Nick Lowe – So It Goes

I always liked Nick Lowe and his brand of power pop. I first heard of him with Cruel To Be Kind and then Rockpile who I wish would have made more albums as Rockpile. When I started to blog, Brinsley Schwarz came on my radar and I really then realized how talented this guy is.

This was Lowe’s first solo single following the split of the pub rock band, Brinsley Schwarz. It was also the first single released on Stiff Records, a label formed by the music managers, Dave Robinson and Andrew Jakeman. The single bore the catalog number BUY 1, establishing Stiff Records as a pioneering label in the UK punk and new wave scenes.

Although So It Goes failed to chart, it still earned a profit for the young Stiff Records. It was on the American album Pure Pop For Now People. The album in the UK was called Jesus of Cool. It peaked at #127 on the Billboard 100 in 1978.

Lowe got the title from a recurring line (So It Goes) in Kurt Vonnegut’s 1969 novel, The Slaughterhouse-Five. It is used every time a death occurs in the book. Steve Goulding (drums) and Nick Lowe were the only two musicians on this song. Lowe and Jake Riviera produced the album.

Nick Lowe: “It’s not my favorite, it’s a bit too much like Steely Dan. I think I must have got it from something they’d done.”

So It Goes

Remember on night the kid cut off his right arm
In a fit to save a bit of power
He got fifty thousand watts
In a big acoustic tower
Security’s so tight tonight
Oh they’re ready for a tussle
Gotta keep your backstage passes
‘Cause your promoter had the muscle

And so it goes and so it goes
And so it goes and so it goes
But where it’s goin’ no one knows
And so it goes and so it goes
And so it goes and so it goes
But where it’s goin’ no one knows

In the tall buildings
Sit the head of our nations
Worthy men from Spain and Siam
All day discussions with the Russians
But they still went ahead
And vetoed the plan
Now up jumped the U.S. representative
He’s the one with the tired eyes
747 for the midnight condition
Flyin’ back from a peace keepin’ mission

And so it goes and so it goes
And so it goes and so it goes
But where it’s goin’ no one knows
And so it goes and so it goes
And so it goes and so it goes
But where it’s goin’ no one knows

In the air there’s absolution
In the wake of a snaky Persian
On his arm there’s a skin tight vision
Wonder why she admires she is hissin’

And so it goes and so it goes
And so it goes and so it goes
But where it’s goin’ no one knows
And so it goes and so it goes
And so it goes and so it goes
But where it’s goin’ no one knows

But where it’s goin’ no one knows
But where it’s goin’ no one knows
But where it’s goin’ no one knows

…

Detroit Cobras – Ain’t It A Shame

CB sent this band to me and they are raw and powerful with a unique singer. I really love garage type bands. Bands like this were big in the sixties and turned toward punk in the 70s. They made a comeback in the 80s against the synth based mainstream at the time. The alternative rock scene was born which I liked more than the then top 40 with The Replacements, REM, The Dead Kennedys, and more.

The hardest part about this post was picking out which song to highlight. The album I’ve listened to is The Detroit Cobras: The Original Recordings which rocks. All of their covers are loud raw and catchy like garage rock is. I loved how they picked the songs they covered. Songs that went under the radar when they were originally released.

This song…not to be confused with Ain’t That A Shame was originally recorded by Question Mark and The Mysterians. The song was written by their drummer Robert Martinez and released in 1969.

The Detroit Cobras were known for their reinterpretations of classic R&B, rock, and soul songs. Guess where they are from? They emerged in the mid-1990s and added to the garage rock revival movement of that era. They came out of the same Detroit scene as the White Stripes did.

The band was formed in 1994 by guitarist Steve Shaw and drummer Jeff Meier but lead vocalist Rachel Nagy and guitarist Mary Ramirez would become the core of the band. The Cobras set themselves apart by reimagining lesser-known songs from the 1950s and 1960s rather than writing their own original material.

…

Jayhawks – Quiet Corners & Empty Spaces

I first found out about The Jayhawks in 2000 or so with a song called I’m Gonna Make You Love Me and the song Blue.

The Jayhawks formed in Minneapolis–Saint Paul in 1985 and played alternative country rock. They have released 11 studio albums and are worth checking out. The band went on hiatus in the early 2000s but soon reformed and returned in 2003 with a highly regarded album Rainy Day Music and has stayed together ever since.

This song was written by Gary Louris. The song did reasonably well when released. I would hear it on our alternative channel in Nashville. They are one of those bands that never could get over the hump to a mass audience. I always think of them, Wilco, and Big Star coming from some of the same musical territory. The Jayhawks have had a few successful albums but never became household names.

The album peaked at #75 on the Billboard Album Charts and #51 in the UK in 2016. The single peaked at #26 on the Alternative Album Charts.

Since our Kinks Weeks are coming up I thought I would mention this. They have a Kinks tie… They backed Ray Davies on his albums Americana and Our Country – Americana Act II. T

Gary Louris: Quiet Corners & Empty Spaces” started with the idea that I wanted to write a big, soaring, old-school pop song. With lyrics, I either tend to do a stream-of-consciousness or a cut-and-paste kind of thing. This one was something out of a newspaper that I cut out. I just have piles of stuff.

For me, it’s a spark to kind of throw some things together, along with other methods, like mumbling. A lot of times, when I’m writing, I sing and play and whatever comes out comes out, and these words are inferred by sounds and half-words. Then I come around and get the meaning out of that, and it’s usually coming from some place inside that is kind of revelatory in a way. It’s almost like therapy.

So, from there, I wrote a song about running away from certain things. Again, in a Proust kind of way, finding a spot where you can be introspective, away from the noise, and get your head together.

Quiet Corners & Empty Spaces

Aside the wandering eye has openedA stare all the way bare and brokenThe start of a brand new adventure

Hey nowCatch me quick before I walk awayTell me if there’s something I should sayI’ll find the quiet corners and the empty spaces

Not far a blue guitar is playingIt drew me like it knewAnd it’s saying

Hey nowCatch me quick before I walk awayTell me if there’s something I should sayI’ll find the quiet corners and the empty spaces

We drown in ups and downsNeglectingThe beauty of my sun is setting

In the end there’s no way in redemptionHey nowCatch me quick before I walk awayTell me if there’s something I should sayI’ll find the quiet corners and the empty spacesHey nowCatch me quick before I walk awayTell me if there’s something I should say

…

That Petrol Emotion – It’s a Good Thing

This song was released in 1986…it sounds more like 1966. This intro reminds me of the intro to CCR’s Up Around The Bend with that searing guitar riff. I missed a lot of this music in the 1980s and I regret it but I’m making up for lost time now.

That Petrol Emotion was formed in Derry, Northern Ireland, after the disbandment of The Undertones. Damian and John O’Neill left the Undertones to form That Petrol Emotion. The band was formed in 1984 and consisted of Steve Mack (vocals), John O’Neill (guitar, vocals), Raymond O’Gorman (guitar), Damian O’Neill (bass), and Ciaran McLaughlin (drums).

It was featured on their debut album Manic Pop Thrill, which was released the same year. It’s a Good Thing received positive reviews from critics and helped establish the band’s reputation in the Indie college rock scene. The song was praised for its catchy hooks and jangly guitars.

The band continued to release albums throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, including End of the Millennium Psychosis Blues (1988), Chemicrazy (1990), and Fireproof (1993). They called it quits in 1994.

The band has reunited several times for live performances, including a notable reunion in 2008 where they did a short tour and some festivals.

It’s A Good Thing

Senses fail
And we know why
Indifference slides
From every corner
But I just want
To be with you
The silent screams
Above each other

It`s a good thing
Such a good thing
To do
To do

While governments gain
All money can buy
Trash means cash
In any country
But I just want
To be with you
Our flesh feels fresh
And that`s the beauty

It`s a good thing
Such a good thing
We do
We do

It`s a good thing
Such a good thing
We do

…