MICHAEL NESMITH - INFINITE RIDER ON THE BIG DOGMA @ 45

Released 45 years ago this month, in May of 1979, is Michael Nesmith's capstone LP for his 1970s musical career, Infinite Rider on the Big Dogma. After spending the decade attempting to establish himself as a solo musical artist in the shadow of his 1960s fame with The Monkees, Nesmith's focus was rapidly shifting into another medium, with his Pacific Arts media production and distribution company quickly moving into the realm of home video, with ambitions towards feature film production.

While Nesmith's releases during the first half of the decade had gone for a laid-back, country tinged coolness, his two albums in the latter half of the decade began to skew back into the more energetic realms of rock 'n' roll and upbeat pop music. With his previous album, From A Radio Engine to a Photon Wing (1976), its single, Rio, had inadvertently invented a new format for the presentation of music in video form, becoming the first music video to include a coherent narrative, effectively functioning as what Nesmith termed a "mini-movie". Rather than simply performing the song in front of the cameras, Nesmith had conceived of the idea that you could tell a story with the music, complete with character development and a narrative arc. This approach would become the blueprint for the explosion of music videos that was looming on the horizon for the coming decade, something he also had a hand in by helping to create MTV.

Building on the foundations laid by Rio, Nesmith's original plan for this album was that it would be a full video album, with videos produced for all the songs. That plan never quite managed to come to fruition for these songs, however the concept did end up leading to the production of the Grammy winning video release Elephant Parts (1981), an hour long assemblage of comedy sketches, fake commercials and musical interludes. Several of the songs used for that production were taken from Infinite Rider.

Ultimately, the draw of the video distribution market and film making would distract Nesmith from music making throughout the 1980s as Pacific arts focused on building a massive library of VHS titles it would market and sell, as well as producing a few feature films such as Timerider, Repo Man and Tapeheads. As a result, Nesmith didn't release any albums of new music throughout the decade, with his next collection of new music not coming along until 1992 with his acclaimed Tropical Campfires album. As such, Infinite Rider stands as a capstone to Nesmith's musical output for the 1970s, book-ending a decade that had begun with The First National Band, leaving an under appreciated legacy of music that continues to find new fans as the years roll on, with this album being a prime example of Nesmith's skill at crafting a catchy pop song. 

THE GOASTT - MIDNIGHT SUN @ 10

 

Celebrating its 10th anniversary today is the sophomore LP from The Ghost of a Sabre Tooth Tiger (GOASTT), Midnight Sun, which was released on April 28th, 2014. The band, fronted by "nepo-baby", Sean Ono Lennon, and his girlfriend, Charlotte Kemp Muhl, took a sincere deep dive into the realm of psychedelic acid rock and came out with what can only be described as a completely legitimate monster of an album.

When it comes to the children of certain celebrities, I've come to expect very little in terms of actual talent, so before the release of this album, Sean Lennon was completely off my radar as a serious artist. Beatles kids were, in my experience, too deep in the shadows of their iconic parents to ever stand on their own merits. But then one day, a friend of mine insisted I watch the video for The GOASTT's single from this album, Animals, and it sent me into a tailspin of ecstasy. Not only was the music incredibly on point for the genre, but the video was the best music video I'd seen since the 1990s, pulling in references from some very obscure sources, like Kenneth Anger, Alejandro Jodorowsky, Stan Brakhage and a variety of cult and occult culture from the 1970s. It was a fucking TRIP, and it was enough to turn me into a solid fan of the band, and later Sean's work in general.

There's clearly no mistaking the echo of John Lennon's voice in Sean, but the latter owns it and doesn't let that stop him from creating his own distinct presence. Even his appearance is very much akin to his daddy's long-haired hippy freak days, but again, not a problem, at least not for me. The reason is simply because the music kicks ass. It's some of the best psyche-rock I've ever encountered, vintage era or otherwise. And I'm not overlooking his partner here as Charlotte is clearly an accomplished player and performer, and also an amazing film maker to boot, as can be clearly seen from the aforementioned video. She deftly pays homage to the styles of Anger and Jodorowsky with meticulous attention to detail, giving the video an uncanny sense of authenticity.

If you're in need of a fix of some absolutely bang-on acid rock, this album unabashedly delivers the goods from start to finish. I'd certainly rank it as one of the essential listens of the genre. It's just a shame that this project hasn't really been back in the studio since this was released, albeit Lennon has certainly been busy with a plethora of other projects of similar merit.

PSYCHIC TV - THEMES 3 @ 40

Recorded at a pair of performances staged on April 22 & 23rd of 1984, Psychic TV's Themes 3 turns 40 years old today. The album was originally released on Temple Records in April of 1987 as part of the label's History series, but it is not part of the "23 Live" LP series that was being issued at the time. As the third volume in the "Themes" series, it continues the group's exploration of sound as a functional element, rather than mere entertainment. The first volume in the series, was originally included with the debut PTV album, Force the Hand of Chance, as a bonus disc. The second volume was issued by Temple Records as a stand-alone limited edition. Both were created in the studio using various experimental recording processes in order to create a kind of interactive listening experience. This third volume, however, was recorded at a live presentation, though this particular configuration was not a "band" performance. Rather, it was conceived and executed as a multimedia presentation, with various pre-recorded audio and video elements being live-mixed during the performance, incorporating visual projections and multi-monitor installations. Those involved in the presentation were behind the scenes, operating equipment and real-time editing source materials together.

I got a chance to see one of these presentations in Seattle at the Showbox Theater in 1988. This particular manifestation of this configuration was called "Stations Ov Thee Cross", and involved a setup featuring a giant Psychic Cross in the middle of the stage that was built from large CRT monitors, and was flanked by two large projection screens. At the time we were unaware that the performance would not involve a live band, so most of our party were rather disappointed to have made the trip down from Vancouver to see this. Personally, I thought it was an interesting concept, though the venue didn't really make it particularly comfortable for viewing something that was more contemplative, as opposed to seeing a bunch of people bounding about a stage with instruments. Still, in retrospect, it's something I'm extremely happy I got a chance to see, and I did eventually get a chance to see PTV as a full band in 1990 when they brought their 3 hour Acid House rave-up show to Vancouver's Town Pump.

 

THE ROLLING STONES (England's Newest Hit Makers) @ 60

Celebrating its 60th anniversary today is the eponymous debut LP from the legendary Rolling Stones, which was released in the UK on this day, April 17th, 1964. The slightly altered US edition came out on May 29th. While The Beatles were selling a relatively wholesome "mop top" version of the looming "British invasion", The Rolling Stones were digging deep into the grit and grime of American blues & R&B to fashion their "bad boy" counterpoint.

With roots that go back as far as 1950, when Keith Richards & Mick Jagger first became classmates and friends, the real genesis of the band would come in 1961 when the pair would reacquaint themselves on the platform of the Dartford railway station. Jagger was carrying records by Chuck Berry and Muddy Waters, which revealed to Richards a shared interest. A musical partnership began shortly afterwards, a relationship that was solidified when the pair responded to an ad in the music press from Brian Jones, who was looking to put together a new band after having split from his previous group.

For the next two years, the band would build their following, taking their cue from The Beatles, but self-consciously crafting their image so as to contrast against the "fab four". While they initially dabbled with the whole "matching suit" look, their manager quickly abandoned that approach and realized that the Stones could benefit by cultivating a style and aesthetic that was counter to The Beatles more approachable & family friendly vibe. Instead, the Stones would go for a messy, unkempt and raunchier look and feel, coming off as the kind of lads parents would definitely NOT want their daughters bringing home for dinner!

For their first LP, recording was completed in only five days scattered across January and February of 1964. At this point, the songwriting prowess of the Jagger/Richards duo was barely starting to take root, so only one of their compositions was included, and that was only on the UK version of the LP. There were also a couple of songs from these sessions credited to "Nanker Phelge", which was a pseudonym used by the band from 1963 to 1965 to designate songs they'd collectively written. The selection of covers reflects the group's focus on American blues & R&B classics. The US version had a slightly different track list, plus the subtitle, "England's Newest Hit Makers", which eventually became adopted as the official title for the album on later reissues.

While the group's sense of originality and identity were still developing, their debut LP still manages to stand as one of the best examples of the British blues scene of that era, full of vitality, rawness and edge. It became one of the UK's biggest selling albums that year, holding the #1 LP slot for no less than 12 weeks. And while it lacks the iconic hit singles that would soon define the band, it still represents the group in their early prime, poised to become one of the most important rock bands of all time. 

JAPAN - LIFE IN TOKYO @ 45

Released on April 13th, 1979, Japan's Life In Tokyo single turns 45 years old today. While it marked an abrupt course change for the group, it would need to be released two more times before it would become a proper chart hit.

With two albums under their belt, both released the previous year, Japan were in the midst of something of an identity crisis. They'd started out as a kind of patchwork of glam-rock, punk and funk, sporting teased-up, garish died hair & makeup, and looking like a slightly more put-together version of New York Dolls. But this approach had left them with little more than a burgeoning cult following in the country of Japan, based on their use of its name for their band. The group were quickly maturing and realizing that they'd miscalculated their stance and were looking to enact a major glow-up in order to set their house in order.

The first step along that path was getting connected with acclaimed and wildly successful electronic disco producer, Giorgio Moroder, who'd made his name working with the likes of Donna Summer, virtually inventing techno dance music with the breakout single, I Feel Love, in 1977. The arpeggio-pulse of his synth bass in that track had become a blueprint for dance floor domination and Mordor set about applying that trademark to the music of Japan, a move that would firmly inform the development of their next album, Quiet Life, recorded later that year.

Its initial release failed to garner much attention, however, but as Japan's prominence began to increase with the release of their subsequent albums: Quiet Life, Gentlemen Take Polaroids, and Tin Drum, the single was remixed and reissued two more times, once in 1981, and again in 1982. This last edition, propelled by the success of the Tin Drum album and Ghosts single, finally clicked on the charts, where it peaked at #28 in the UK.

Within the band's canon of work, Life In Tokyo remains as a critical linchpin between their early glam-punk beginnings and their shift into a sleekly sophisticated outfit that would become a major influence on the New Romantics scene beginning to evolve in the wake of punk.

Released on April 6th, 1984, the debut and final LP by Tones on Tail, Pop, is marking its 40th anniversary today. Though it was a short-lived bridge between Bauhaus and Love and Rockets, it remains a hypnotically enigmatic diversion within that musical continuum.

Tones on Tail originated in 1982 as a side project for Daniel Ash while he was still a member of Bauhaus. It began as a duo with Ash collaborating with Glenn Campling, an art school friend & flatmate who'd also worked as a roadie for Bauhaus. The band name came from the calibration tones traditionally recorded on the "tail" ends of reel to reel audio tapes. The pair released an eponymous EP in March of 1982, but by 1983, with the demise of Bauhaus, they were joined by drummer Kevin Haskins, making the group now a full-time project for the trio, who issued another EP, Burning Skies, in May of 1983.

With the release of the Pop album in 1984, the group scored a surprise club hit with a non-album single B-Side, Go!, which was on the Lions single. The group then embarked on a brief tour of the US before releasing a final single, Christian Says, in November of 1984.

By 1985, there were rumblings about a possible reunion of Bauhaus, which managed to get to the point of a water-testing jam session being scheduled, but when Peter Murphy failed to turn up for the session, and the other three members went ahead without him, they realized their chemistry was still quite strong, so they regrouped as Love and Rockets instead, putting an end to Tones on Tail as a functional unit.

The legacy of Tones on Tail may be somewhat dwarfed by that of the bands that bookend its existence, but that doesn't mean the music they created is any less worthy of attention. I have great memories of dancing to GO! in the clubs of the mid 1980s, and the sound of Tones on Tail has a distinctly eerie atmosphere, even in comparison to Bauhaus or Love and Rockets. In 1998, a double CD compilation, Everything, compiled their entire catalogue into one convenient package.

J.J. BURNEL - EUROMAN COMETH @ 45

Marking its 45th anniversary today is the debut solo album from Stranglers bassist, J..J. Burnel, with Euroman Cometh being released on April 6th, 1979. While it was only a modest success at the time of its release, it has become something of a cult favourite over the years for its distinctive combination of electronics and rock & roll.

The album started to take shape in 1978 while The Stranglers were working on their third LP, Black and White. At the time, Burnel was homeless, and ended up sleeping at the studio most nights. To pass the time after the band had packed it in for the day, he'd spend the evenings futzing about in the studio. There was a basic, preset rhythm box on hand, which allowed Burnel to set a groove to build on, adding bass, vocals, guitar and synths, mostly on his own. As his sketches began to accumulate into something that seemed substantial enough to play for other people, an album concept started to emerge to the point where he was able to get a green light from Stranglers' label, United Artists, for an album release. Burnel then brought in a few guest musicians to help flesh out a few details. These included drummers Peter Howells & Carey Fortune, guitarist Brian James & harmonica player Lew Lewis.

The album came together conceptually as something of a manifesto from Burnel on the potential and dangers of a European economic union. It was a concept that was becoming a legitimate and seemingly inevitable political possibility at the time. The album mostly contains songs both celebrating European culture as a whole, while offering cautionary admonitions against American style cultural imperialism.

The album cover shows Burnel standing, dwarfed, in front of the the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, which houses the Bibliothèque publique d'information (Public Information Library), a vast public library; the Musée National d'Art Moderne, which is the largest museum for modern art in Europe; and IRCAM, a centre for music and acoustic research. Its modernist, high-tech styling, with its complex layering of massive external pipes and scaffolding, provided an appropriately grandiose and imposing backdrop for the album and it's sweeping themes of uniting the European continent.

I've always been a big fan of this record because it is so idiosyncratic in its styling, with the frequent drum machine backdrop sounding somewhat brutal and crude along with Burnel's signature snarling baselines. The odd guitar and synth slashes and affected & processed lead vocals all create an obtuse, angular kind of edginess that had echoes in the work of DEVO and Bill Nelson's short-lived post Be Bop Deluxe project, Red Noise. It's decidedly distinctive, displaying very little resemblance to anything done by The Stranglers at the time, owing more to Kraftwerk and CAN. It's also been cited by Joy Division & New Order bassist, Peter Hook, as a major influence, which makes perfect sense to me.