Frankenstein and the All-Star Monster Band (1984)

I know, I know... I've allowed this blog to slip into oblivion once again, this time for nearly 5 months. But - in the spirit of Halloween - I'd like to say that this blog isn't dead. It's undead.

That being said, I am excited to present you all with a very special Halloween post (one which I made several failed attempts to share last Halloween, and which I've waited all year to try sharing again, because I love being topical). This very special album is the self-titled release by Frankenstein and the All-Star Monster Band, a high concept piece of weirdo Halloween pop brewed up by Rock 'n Roll mad scientist Kim Fowley (manager of the Runaways and much, much more)!

According to the borderline insane liner notes, the album is dedicated to "all the ugly, stupid and misunderstood people of the world," a sympathy not unfamiliar to the irreverent, rebellious underdog nature of Punk Rock and New Wave which this album is very much a part of. The difference here is that these songs tackle this subject matter through the lens of B-movie monsters shunned by society - monsters trying to survive in a modern world full of artificial beauty, high unemployment, dwindling individuality, and damsels who won't accept a casual date with the likes of vampires or werewolves.

The band consists of Kim Fowley (appearing here as Doctor Dog, in the role of Frankenstein), whose vocals sound sometimes like Billy Idol, Jim Morrison, David Bowie or Bob Dylan, and a bunch of mystery players using names such as Larry Lizard, Jumbo Frog, Video Pig, Dorothy Dinosaur and Empress of the Underworld (each with their own character role... it gets a bit convoluted). The songs are fun, catchy, witty pop music with a brain - the brain might be floating in a jar in some Transylvanian laboratory, but it is definitely pulsing with life.

This is essential weird pop music, and a must for any Halloween dance party.

ENJOY

Bo-Dacious - "Bass" 12" (1991)

Hey, long time no share. After months of technical issues keeping me from sharing a lot of great music and music history, I've finally found a solution that will allow me to get back into full swing. I hope I haven't lost any of you readers in the interim. 

This song "Bass" is a late-era Electro track by a mysterious artist named Bo-Dacious who only released one other song - these two tracks making up the entirety of Rhythm & Blues Records' catalog. "Bass" is pretty funky, and a bit on the unusual side, which places it pretty much right up my alley. The lyrics warn of both the allure and the destructive nature of cocaine, and I'd like to think of this as the weird offspring of Alan Vega and Melle Mel.

Purple People - Paisley Punk Promo (1998)

First off, yesterday was Record Store Day, and it is safe to say that I have acquired plenty of interesting gems to keep this blog awesome for many months to come. This song was not one of my finds - I have actually had this for several years. This is a white label 12", meaning that there is absolutely no information about the song or artist on the sleeve or on the record itself, besides a small, round purple sticker with the words "Purple People Paisley Punk Promo" in bold white letters. These words (and the color of the sticker), sent one clear subliminal message to my brain: "This has something to do with Prince." And I was right.

This is the only song that turns up on Discogs for the person/group Purple People, but if it is a trusted source, then this was released in 1998 in the UK. What "Paisley Punk" turned out to be, is a fairly standard-sounding 90's House remix of Prince's song "1999." This started several debates in my brain, bouncing back and forth between 'What's the point? "1999" was already a perfect dance song, why did they have to dumb it down into some 4-on-the-floor club fodder? This is offensive.' and 'Ooh! Prince done up to sound like a 90's Fatboy Slim song!!' 

At the end of the day, both of my brains were right. This song does a solid job of dumbing down a really great dance song that everyone is already familiar with, but it's also kind of cool how the Purple People, whoever they may be, used Prince's cool drum rolls, kept the mix really lo-fi and muddy, and threw in a thick-as-pea-soup bass line that nearly wipes out the rest of the track. Okay, so it's not amazing, but it's a lot of fun just for the novelty of hearing Prince, Lord and Master of Copyright Law, being remixed in such an unambitious crowd-pleasing manner. Enjoy.

5/31/09 MP3! plus full playlist..

hey yall.. i've got another 80 min mp3 of the beginning of my last set. this one's a good one. besides one scratchy old record, there was no errors, and audio levels were consistent throughout. also all the records i brought were new purchases, so thats always exciting.. and they were good ones.

here's the setlist of the mp3, followed by the link to the download:

Mandre - "Solar Flight (Opus I)"
Dan Deacon - "Moses vs Predator"
Fingers, Inc. - "You're Mine"
Otto Von Schirach - "Alligator Waltz"
The Electric Indian - "Heard It Through The Grapevine" (here's the scratchy record)
Csokolom - "Fi Barbat (Fast Transylvanian Song)"
James Brown - "It's Too Funky In Here"
Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso UFO - "I Wanna Be Your Bicycle Saddle"
Rick James - "Love Gun"
Vern & Ray - "Orange Blossom Special" & "The Touch Of God's Hand"
The Sugarcubes - "Birthday"
The Legendary Pink Dots - "Peace Of Mind"
Ray Parker Jr - "Ghostbusters"
Captain Ahab - "Malibu Beach Party"
The Time - "Jungle Love"
Kid Koala - "Slew Test 2"

here's the mp3 of that portion.. i'm pretty happy with it:

Download Me!

here's the rest of the day's playlist (not included on the mp3):

Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes - "My Love"
Crystal Castles - "Black Panther"
Barry White - "Of All The Guys In The World"
Hair Police - "Freezing Alone" (stopped it early cuz it scared the crap outta me)
Ants'Hillvania - "Ants'Hillvania Theme"
The Handsome Family - "Little Sparrows"
Stevie Wonder - "Visions" & "Too High"
Herbie Hancock - "Chameleon"
Frankie Knuckles - "You Can't Hide"
Ogogo - "Connect With OGOGO"
Barry White - "Honey Please, Can't Ya See"

so yea.. overall pretty proud of this one.. please do enjoy the mp3 version, it is much much much better than the last one I uploaded.