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Cosmic Debris 1996 03
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MARCH 1996 - ISSUE # 10
============================================================================
- The Specialists -
DJ Johnson.................That %@#&!$* of an editor
Louise Johnson.............Hunter of poems & other &#%!
Jim Andrews................#*!@ing HTML genius!
coLeSLaw...................In&#%!@$&credible Artist
- The Cosmik Writers -
Jim Andrews..................Urbania (On loan to Cosmo)
coLeSLAw.....................Record Reviews
Shaun Dale...................Politics & Record Reviews
Drew Feinberg................Drew's Views (MIA)
David Fenigsohn..............Music & Film
Steven Leith.................Political & Between Zero & One
Steve Marshall...............Music & Record Reviews
The Platterpuss..............Record Reviews
T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S
MARCH 1996 - ISSUE # 10
EDITOR'S NOTES: Deej welcomes a new writer to the staff.
* MUSIC *
A QUICKIE WITH PETE SHELLEY: The Buzzcocks' busy guitarist managed to get
away for a few minutes to talk with us about the absurdity of record
charts and the reasons why he isn't much of a music fan.
THE GLORIOUS LETHAL SOUND OF THE MERMEN: Instro's most intense trio takes
a time out from their tour to BS with us a bit.
ROUNDER TURNS 25: Rounder Records is more than a label. It's a library.
A vault filled with historically important music. To celebrate their
first quarter century, they've released an astounding and affordable
box set of their best folk, blues, bluegrass and cajun music.
* POLITICS *
PAT PAULSEN FOR PRESIDENT! AN AUDIENCE WITH HIS EMINANCE: He's at it again.
And let's face it, the President might just as well be a REAL comedian!
Why should you jump on Pat's bandwagon? Well check out this interview
and see.
POLITICAL PLAYBOOK - A PRIMARY PRIMER: Forbes, Dole, Alexander and the
lovely and talented Pat Buchanan participate in that great nation-wide
scavenger hunt we call Primary Season. Shaun Dale puts the whole nutty
process under a microscope for your perusal.
DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE FOR CYBERSPACE: Read this! Copy it! Post it!
This is a declaration to the governments that aspire to string razor
wire fences in Cyberspace.
* REVIEWS *
FILM - TAXI DRIVER RIDES AGAIN: While a new generation of movie buffs takes
its first peek at this re-released classic, David Fenigsohn examines the
reasons why this film is even better today than it was 20 years ago.
BOOK - "TO BE LOVED": It's Berry Gordy's autobiography, and of course that
means it's also the history of one of the greatest record labels of all
time - Motown!
RECORDINGS: Stacks of wax and CDs, plus our first review of a demo tape!
* COLUMNS *
BETWEEN ZERO & ONE - (Steven Leith): What does your vote count for? You
think the answer is "1," doncha!?
DJ RANTS - (DJ Johnson): This month's tantrum was inspired by the Grammys.
* MISC STUFF *
THE DEBRIS FIELD: Quotes, Poems, Lyrics and whatever else falls in there.
HOW TO CONTACT US: We're a'waitin' to hear from you.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
EDITOR'S NOTES
By DJ Johnson
Welcome to issue # 10 of Cosmik Debris. You'll notice right off the bat
that this issue has more political content than the last few did. As you
may remember, I had sent out a cry for help (more writers) a few months
ago. Today I'm very happy to introduce Shaun Dale, a political writer
with tons of experience inside the Democratic party. And we get a two-fer
with Shaun, because he also happens to know jazz music inside and out, so
we'll be seeing some reviews in that genre soon. Check out Shaun's
"Political Playbook: A Primary Primer" in this issue.
Last month we took another step toward our goal of "covering a little bit
of everything" in the record review section. I had expected a lot of
nasty e-mail resulting from the "Cattle Call" cowboy music review and even
from the Neil Young country record review. Oddly enough, I only received
a few dozen comments, and only one of those was a cancellation request.
That particular message DID, however, contain some revolutionary ideas for
alternate CD storage that might have made the guy a mint if moisture
wasn't so hard on discs. Anatomy lessons aside, the response was very
good. I have long believed that there are a lot of people out there who
are into several genres of music, and lo and behold, several of them took
the time to write in support. Made my month. Look for some reggae
reviews to start creepin' in soon, mon.
That's about it for now. We have a killer lineup of interviews and
articles for you this month. Enjoy.
DJ Johnson
Editor
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A QUICKIE WITH PETE SHELLEY
(Interviewed by DJ Johnson)
Punk and powerpop fans already know who Pete Shelley is. His band, The
Buzzcocks, emerged from Manchester, England, as punk rock royalty during
the first wave in the mid 70s. Later, as a solo artist, he pushed the
sexual barriers with an outstanding record called "Homosapien." In recent
years, Shelley and his old mates have reunited for several Buzzcocks albums
and tours, and another of each was in the works when he gave this interview
in February.
* * * * *
Cosmik: What influences would you say had the most effect on your writing
style?
Shelley: That's always a hard one to answer. You can either recite a list
of songwriters and groups or be enigmatic and say "Life".
Cosmik: You've been called "a master of the 3 minute pop song." Are you
comfortable with that assessment?
Shelley: By the time you've sung a couple of verses, drummed the chorus
into peoples minds, twanged a solo and then fade out, you look at your
watch and find you've just had enough time to boil an egg.
Cosmik: When you listen to the bands that people say are Buzzcocks
influenced, like Green Day, for instance, do you hear it? Are you
able to hear something and say "Oh yeah, they must have heard me do"
such and such?
Shelley: I usually find that other people notice these things more than I
do. I can see what they mean but I can tell the difference between
horses and cows even if they both have four feet.
Cosmik: Is it ever mortifying? Do you ever say "Oh no, you're ruining
it?"
Shelley: If they were to get it right then I'd be out of a job.
Cosmik: Good point. There's at least one single from 1974 on Bell records
that would have to be considered BubbleGum..."I'm In Love Again" is
the single and the flip is called "Gee Baby..." Are you THAT Pete
Shelley?
Shelley: No. He's the one who wrote Alvin Stardust's hits.
Cosmik: Damn. Well, we can throw away these five questions then...Okay,
moving along...It's general knowledge that punk was a reaction to
stuff like glam, bubblegum, disco...that it was brought forth to slay
the dragons...Did you ever feel like that was part of what you were
doing?
Shelley: Punk was more against the dinosaur rock than anything else.
Cosmik: So much of it was anger and attitude...Did you get into the whole
"punk ethic" scene?
Shelley: The "Punk Ethic" was a catalogue of what we were at the time.
Cosmik: Do you see much similarity between what was "punk ethic" in the
70s and what is "punk ethic" today?
Shelley: I see people buying into the lifestyle by ordering from the
catalogue. I distrust both lifestyles and styles of music. The only
way to get a life is to start living.
Cosmik: How difficult was it, for you and anyone else playing and writing
music that is decidedly anti-establishment, to reconcile signing with
a major label...a symbol of establishment?
Shelley: It was never an issue. The Pistols signed to EMI, A&M and
Virgin. The Clash signed to CBS. Buzzcocks signed to United Artists
after releasing "Spiral Scratch" on their own label.
Cosmik: How much meddling did your label do or try to do in your music?
Shelley: I remember very few battles. I think we were lucky.
Cosmik: Not even when "Ever Fallen In Love" became a chart hit?
Shelley: No, in fact less if at all.
Cosmik: I've read quotes by you where you've flatly stated that sales
didn't interest you as much as making music you liked. Did that
change at all when that song charted? Was there more of an inner
drive to get back on the charts, at least initially?
Shelley: It's all a big game really with all the fun of a lottery draw.
Cosmik: So does that mean you were actually turned off by the whole chart
mentality?
Shelley: In the UK the charts are list of the best selling records that
week. (A) sells 10,000 copies in a week and has a higher chart
position than (B) that sells 7,500. If after the first week (A) sells
5,000 copies and (B) sells again 7,500 then (B) will have a higher
position than (A). Both have sold 15,000 after two weeks but the first
has had a higher chart position. So the first trick is to sell your
records as fast as you can. The public are given the idea that in the
first week that (A) is better than (B). In what way better? Not a
better record. Not a better song. The only thing the chart has told
us is which record sold the most in one week. The only people who need
to know this kind of information are salesmen. Both records sold to
the same number of 'fans'. Yet when you compare the two records what
do you see? Record (A) got higher in the charts than (B). So the
popular myth is that (A) is better than (B).
Cosmik: Very manipulative. So the whole thing's just a joke.
Shelley: The American system is even funnier. The charts are based less on
sales than on airplay. So the charts are based on airplay. Who decides
that? Do you get a vote?
Cosmik: Of all the earlier Buzzcocks catalog, what stands out as being the
best, to your ears?
Shelley: I love it all.
Cosmik: Were you a fan of any of the other bands in the original punk
scene?
Shelley: Yes, all the bands that we worked with became friends.
Cosmik: How about now? In fact, what do you think of the punk scene, in
general, as it exists now?
Shelley: I am not aware of any existing.
Cosmik: Do you hear much independant label music these days?
Shelley: I don't usually read the labels.
Cosmik: Well then regardless of labels, who do you listen to?
Shelley: Not a lot. I don't really like music.
Cosmik: That's hard to believe. Do you still enjoy MAKING music?
Shelley: If I didn't then I wouldn't. I suppose that my relationship with
music is different than other people. Most people know nothing about
music but like the noise it makes. I am often asked where the music
comes from. At first I found this an odd question. I used to think
that everyone thought as I did. By being asked this I became aware
that they don't. If I wish or need to express a thought I can use
words or music or a song. Of course if I'm buying a beer then words
are more efficient. But if I wish to say something I feel then a
'three minute pop song' can convey more than mere words.
Cosmik: Are you working on any solo projects?
Shelley: Only in my head at the moment.
Cosmik: Do you prefer the solo work, or the Buzzcocks? Not the material,
but the process.
Shelley: I like and try to do both.
Cosmik: The Tom Waits tribute album has a Pete Shelley track...How did
that all come about?
Shelley: A friend phoned me and asked if was interested. She brought
around a tape of songs to choose from.
Cosmik: Have you heard most of the Buzzcocks bootlegs? There must be a
million of them...
Shelley: I can only think of four different recordings that they are all
spawned from.
Cosmik: Well, how do you feel about bootlegs, especially bootlegs of The
Buzzcocks?
Shelley: I think that if I am not to be paid then they are too expensive.
Cosmik: The Buzzcocks last played as a unit last year, correct?
Shelley: Yes, and every year since '89.
Cosmik: Are there plans to continue?
Shelley: Yes, the new album is due out in April and a world tour is being
put together.
Cosmik: Well, we'll be looking forward to it. Thanks for taking time to
talk to us.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
A GLORIOUS LETHAL SOUND - Interview With The Mermen
Interview by DJ Johnson
The Mermen have arrived. Jim Thomas, Allen Whitman and Martyn Jones have
been playing a very original brand of instrumental music in the Bay Area
of California for quite a while, but the secret is officially out.
Possessive Californians have to share them with the world now. Thomas
has captured the ears and accolades of his fellow guitarists and the surf
community, though as you will see, the band is a bit reluctant to accept
the "surf" label. Their most recent album, "A Glorious Lethal Euphoria,"
offers proof that they are no fluke. Thomas' playing raises goosebumps
and defies description. The closest I've been able to come is to say -
take Santana's soaring beauty, Hendrix's understanding of feedback as
turbulant emotion, Dick Dale's grasp of melody and mix it all in with the
sound of the sea. Whitman's flowing bass lines and Jones' powerful
drumming are tailor-made for the emotional outbursts of Thomas' guitar.
The Mermen are currently in the middle of a US tour. Back in December, as
they were on the first leg of that tour, they gave this interview.
* * * * *
COSMIK DEBRIS: How long have you been playing together?
All: 7 years
Cosmik: The rumor is that this is Jim's first band. True?
Allen: It's totally true.
Cosmik: So you had to learn how to interact with a band when the band you
were in was playing at this level? Was that a major challenge?
Jim: The challenge was for them to play with me. Crystallographic.
Cosmik: But Allen and Martyn, you two played in a lot of bands before?
Were any of them surf or instro bands?
Allen: Well my first two bands in school were instrumental. We played
all kinds of popular music of the day but we didn't sing because we
were too embarrassed. The first record I ever bought was the Surfaris
"Wipe Out", when I was eleven. It was in a supermarket, I think, and
I don't know why I got it.
Martyn: There was Scrod, which means "uncircumsised penis." English term.
I played synthesiser and various percussion and we did one show at
which there were ten people or so making random noise as loud as they
could. Two prominent members of the band were the Nudel Brothers...
Aaron Nudelman, now of The Men's Club and Dave Nudelman, living legend.
Cosmik: Who were your influences?
Allen: Choral music, sacred and secular, Yes, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Joni
Mitchell, Philadelphia soul radio throughout the seventies.
Martyn: The Who, Jethro Tull, bluegrass and banjo music, McCoy Tyner,
Mick Fleetwood, Keith Moon, Greek and various middle-eastern folk
musics, Kate Bush...
Jim: Clarence White, Wes Montgomery, Jimi Hendrix, Django Reinhardt...
Cosmik: How did the band get together?
Allen: We all found ourselves at the San Mateo County Cat Show in the
medical tent awaiting shots for our debilitating feline allergies.
Ok, ok...Jim and Allen met while working in a music store and Jim
wrote a bunch of music and Allen asked him to let him put some
bass tracks on it and, with the aid of a want ad saying "surfin'
bongos" we found Martyn and made a demo record called: "Krill Slippin'"
Cosmik: These days, you're one of the bay area's top attractions. Has
that been easy to adjust to? Suddenly everyone wants to know about you.
Allen: There's been nothing to adjust to, really, because the change has
been so gradual. We have a lot of friends in the Bay Area.
Cosmik: You're labelled as a surf band, of course...almost automatic
these days for any instro band that uses reverb. Do you think that's
a fair label?
Allen: Labels are convenient crutches for thems that don't want to think
for themselves. It's music. That's what it is, and that's all it is.
Cosmik: You've had a great deal of verbal support from Phil Dirt, as well
as airplay on his show. High praise in itself.
Allen: We sent Phil Dirt a copy of our first demo cassette and he sent us
back a very polite letter detailing what was wrong with it. Now we're
one of his favorite bands! Phil is man of extremely high integrity and
compassion.
Cosmik: Now that you're with a major label, how has life changed?
Allen: Any time that another person or entity is added into the chain of
communication between artist and listener mis-communications increase.
These people don't speak for us. They speak for their own interests
using our name. Hopefully, given the way the system is set up, they
have integrity and chutzpah. We always call 'em up and send 'em little
presents and reminders saying: "Do good work for us...we know where you
live!"
Cosmik: A lot of people complain about lost creative freedom and pressure
for new releases when they go to a major. Have you run into that?
Allen: To Mesa's credit, they have realized that, while they like the music,
and believe in it, they don't understand it. So, too, they realize that
they can't try to control it. So they release little bits of money to
us and expect us to deliver the goods in a music world dominated by six
figure budgets. But at least they leave us alone. We actually present
THEM with ideas for marketing and promoting us in the real world. I hope
we are a pain in their ass!
Cosmik: Jim, I heard something about a ten thousand dollar effects rack
of yours falling off a loading dock, and according to the person who
told me, you just weren't too freaked out. Then there's the picture
of you laying on your back underwater, holding a strat. Most players
would be pretty anal about that kind of thing. Is that stuff pretty
unimportant to you?
Jim: Well, first of all, the rack is $20,000...easy. I'm strictly into
the functionality of things...and I am an utterly physical person. I
have no concern for how things appear and I am not materialistic. Does
that answer your question?
Cosmik: No, but while we're kinda sorta near the subject, what are the
chances of you giving us a rundown of your setup? Or is that a secret
guarded by Pinkertons?
Jim: It's really no secret...all very standard, off the shelf stuff.
JBL speakers, Fender Dual Showman heads, Lexicons, Mackie, Oberheim
Echoplex, Digitech, Boss, midi-switching pedals, Fender American made
strats. GHS strings. There's more...stop by a show and ask!
Cosmik: I think there are ten new Mermen rumors popping up every day.
One of them says that Jim and Allen have exclusive deals with Fender.
Anything to that one?
Allen: Nope.
Cosmik: Another is that it's hard to arrange tours because Jim is like
a mad scientist wanting to stay near the studio and Martyn just plain
hates the road.
Allen: Touring is sometimes a necessary evil. But it remains the most
immediate and intimate way to connect with real human beings who like
the music. The other night, in Orlando, an entire band showed up. Ten
Penny Heroes, an instrumental band, sat right in front and were extremely
enthustiastic. Also, in L.A., the immortal Nokie Edwards of The Ventures
sat front row center for our entire set.
Cosmik: What's the funniest Mermen rumor you've heard?
Allen: That we were an all-girl punk band, in Jacksonville, FL, at The Milk
Bar.
Cosmik: Okay, supposing that "surf" is a legit label...a lot of surf fans
are very snobbish about the use of effects, like it destroys a player's
credibility if he uses anything more than an A/B switch and a tank.
How do you all feel about that?
Allen: It just doesn't matter...music is music.
Cosmik: But there ARE a huge number of people that use labels, and yet
there is an almost universal approval among them of Jim's use of effects.
The same people that bitch about other surf players using pedals and
racks fall all over themselves praising The Mermen.
Jim: True art has no bounds.
Cosmik: Your control of feedback improves dramatically with each new record.
There were a few examples on "Food For Other Fish," but on the new record
it's to the point where feedback almost seems to be your second guitarist
at times. How did your technique evolve?
Jim: I don't understand what I'm doing.
Cosmik: Accidental Guitar God. Okay, the focus in a band like this is
obviously going to be the guitar player, since he's basically the
vocalist, in a way. But the bass and drum work on your records is
incredible. How do you guys view your roles within the band, beyond
the obvious?
Allen: Jim can't exist without us.
Cosmik: The titles of your songs...So many instro bands have fun
little joke titles, but I don't think ANYONE has titles like yours.
And so many of them seem to fit the feel of the music. I'm curious
about some of them. For starters, what's the story behind "The
Drowning Man Knows His God?"
Allen: Right after some deep-tissue physical therapy the phrase popped
into my head. I was in a lot of pain at the time.
Cosmik: Mmm. Maybe I'd better not ask about "Scalp Salad." How about "The
Silly Elephant Who Stomped To Tea?" I've kinda pegged that as a childrens
book title that I never happened to see.
Jim: The titles of the songs are solutions to problems that have not yet
happened to me. I understand the title sometimes years later...I am a
member of the psychic network. The best things about the titles are what
other people receive from them.
Cosmik: "With No Definite Future And No Purpose Other Than To Prevail
Somehow?"
Allen: Jim got it from Lauren Bacall's autobiography.
Cosmik: What's the translation of "Quo Me Cunque Rapit Tempestas, Deforor
Hospes?"
Allen: (laughs) That's for us to know and you Latin scholars to find out!
We have this intense desire for people to go to libraries and engage in
research. This is a good way for people to stop watching tv and start
learning. (laughs again)
Cosmik: What would you say the main differences are between your last two
studio albums, "Food For Other Fish" and "A Glorious Lethal Euphoria?"
Allen:"Food For Other Fish" is made of songs that we had been playing for
awhile. It was recorded direct to DAT with no overdubs, in three days.
"A Glorious Lethal Euphoria" is mostly made up of songs written at that
moment in the studio and was recorded on 24 track. ADAT.
Cosmik: I live a long way from San Francisco, so I've never seen one of
your beach concerts, but I've heard they're pretty amazing spectacles.
What's the story behind those shows?
Allen: Our friend Ranger John Cantwell of Alcatraz Island asked us to
perform there.
Cosmik: On the 16th of this month (December) you played the Humunga
Cowabunga show with Brazil 2001 and The Woodies. How did that go?
Allen: Swimmingly! I had the most uncanny feeling of being at a high-school
talent show. Very friendly, very relaxed.
Cosmik: I understand Martyn did some reading during the show. What were
you reading from?
Martyn: A book on the handling of livestock for veterinary students.
Cosmik: What's the scoop on the new album?
Jim: On Feb 13th, '96 we released "Songs Of The Cows", a 33 minute EP of
5 new songs and 13 minutes of ambient guitar. This is 24 track analog
with some overdubs. It was also recorded in about three days.
Cosmik: "Euphoria" has a slightly rawer sound than "Food" did. Is that a
concious direction that will be followed on the next record?
Allen: Nothing The Mermen do is concious.
Cosmik: Do you have any set-in-stone goals for the band?
Allen: Well, I do, but I'm not telling. Yet.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
ROUNDER AT 25
By DJ Johnson
To call Rounder a record label would be like calling Elvis Presley a
singer or Monet a painter. Rounder is an archive -- a library of
important folk music that may have been lost in time had Rounder not come
along to preserve it.
The term "folk music" is often misused. It's most commonly associated
with the late 50s/early 60s music by artists like The Limeliters, Kingston
Trio, Brothers Four or Peter, Paul & Mary. The term actually means music
from a particular region or played by a particular ethnic group. Acoustic
blues can be said to be Mississippi Delta folk music. Zydeco is South
Louisiana folk music. There are more types of folk music than there are
countries, and Rounder has done a phenomenal job of documenting as many of
them as possible.
The first twenty five years of this amazing archive/label is celebrated in
a 9-CD boxed set, which is sold in 4 separate pairs and one single CD, or
all together in one box. The 174 tracks are an impressive collection, but
even that many tracks can only scratch the surface, since Rounder has
released over 1,400 albums.
Twenty five years ago, Ken Irwin, Marian Leighton Levy and Bill Nowlin
were Boston area college students who shared a love of music, as well as
an apartment. They started Rounder in 1970 and ran it out of the
apartment, along with a distribution company and a mail order operation.
Tireless workaholics, they quickly made Rounder a force in several
genres, most notably bluegrass. Today Rounder is considered THE bluegrass
label by fans of the genre. The boxed set's first pair of CDs, "Hand
Picked: 25 Years Of Bluegrass On Rounder Records" is kicked off by J.D.
Crowe & the New South's "The Old Home Place," 2:47 of fantastic vocal
harmonies and a sound that can float you away. The next two and a half
hours are filled with the music of Hazel Dickens, Dry Branch Firing Squad,
Bela Fleck, Warrior River Boys, The Cox Family, Tasty Licks, Wilma Lee
Cooper, Country Cooking and several others, some obscure, some not, all
outstanding. Like all the CDs in this set, "Hand Picked" educates as it
goes with the help of excellent liner notes, which do an outstanding job of
explaining what you are hearing and why it was important to the form. The
notes in the bluegrass set were written by Frank Godbey, and they're
clearly the best notes in the entire set. It appears that different
people did the notes for each pair of discs, and they range from Godbey's
excellent descriptive work to the frustrating minimalism of those in the
Louisiana discs. This is the only chink in the armor of this amazing set.
The line between bluegrass and what Rounder calls "folk" (at least for the
purposes of this set) is sometimes a little hazy, and indeed a few of the
artists presented on the bluegrass discs are also present on the folk
discs, but the music on "Hills Of Home: 25 Years Of Folk Music On Rounder"
is generally more of a storytelling style, a little less countrified and
quite a bit more "down home cozy." The set begins, appropriately enough,
with "Do-Re-Mi," by one of the greatest storytellers of all time, the
legendary Woody Guthrie. This set also contains songs from Ledbelly, Etta
Baker, Ricky Skaggs, Mississippi Fred McDowell & Johnny Woods, Nashville
Jug Band, David Bromberg, Norman Blake, Johnson Mountain Boys and many
others. Some of these artists inspired some of the others, so the more
you listen, the more you are able to trace roots and thoughts from player
to player. This music takes you back to a time when the players would
perform on their front porches, their front yards filled with appreciative
neighbors. Folk music, see?
The third pair, "Deep Blue: 25 Years Of Blues On Rounder Records,"
presents 30 outstanding tracks from all across America. Robert Nighthawk's
"Mr. Bell's Shuffle," recorded in 1964, is a killer example of distorted
harmonica jamming, Chicago style. Acoustic bottleneck slide playing, as
well as storytelling blues, is demonstrated in style with Frank
Hovington's "Mean Old Frisco." Fans of tale-spinners like Big Bill
Broonzy will be knocked out by Hovington's easy manner, and they will
probably also enjoy Ted Hawkins' "Peace and Happiness." Booker T.
Laurey's "Blues With A Feeling" combines great solo piano work with one of
the gutsiest voices you'll ever hear. By now you've noticed that this
set, like the others, was well programmed to present various styles and
methods of playing. Luther "Guitar Junior" Johnson's "You Ain't Treatin'
Me Right" is a stunner. Just under 3 minutes of solo distorted electric
guitar and streetwise vocals with a bit of reverse-reverb (similar to
slapback echo) that give him a chilling and angry sound. That song raises
goosebumps! There isn't a moment of filler on this set. Songs by Roomful
Of Blues, Champion Jack Dupree, Marcia Bell, Ronnie Earl, Smokey Wilson,
Gatemouth Brown and others prove that Rounder has done right by the blues.
Blues buffs will want to continue on to "Louisiana Spice: 25 Years Of
Louisiana Music On Rounder Records," which is split into two parts.
The first disc is "city," the second is "country." New Orleans blues is a
saltier brand than what you find in most of the country, colored by the
influence of dixiland and trad jazz. Horns are far more prominent in
"Loosiana blues" than in other forms. The City disc starts off with a
jumpin' track called "Mardi Gras In New Orleans," by The Dirty Dozen Brass
Band, which features one of the hottest horn sections in the business.
Piano and horn section. That's the blend of sound that typifies this
genre. Not to say there aren't any great guitarists in New Orleans blues
-- there are -- it's just not like Chicago, where guitar is king. Here,
guitar is definitely a rhythm instrument. Some of the greatest piano
players in the world are on this disc, like Tuts Washington ("Tee Nah
Nah") Professor Longhair ("Tipitina") and James Booker ("Three Keys," an
incredible solo instrumental.) Louisiana blues is also traditionally
happier and more upbeat, and that feeling radiates from this disc.
The "Country" disc is filled with Cajun and Zydeco music so authentic you
can smell the catfish cooking. This is the real stuff, not the corporate
homogenized version that made a small splash a while back. This is folk
music in cajun country. Acoustic guitars, fiddles, accordions, washboards
and fiddlesticks. Songs sung in French! More than any of the others,
this CD transports you to a particular place, or at least makes you yearn
to transport yourself there. If you've never really listened to this type
of music before and you'd like to get an overview, I can't recommend this
disc enough. Standout tracks by Boozoo Chavis, David Doucet, The Bafla
Brothers, Li'l Brian & the Zydeco Travelers, Zachary Richard and several
others should win you over in no time flat. Overall, this is probably the
most "feel good" disc in a boxed set full of good vibes.
In the course of the last 25 years, Rounder has spread out to encompass an
incredible number of styles, from blues to jazz to cajun to soukas and
beyond. When Nowlin wanted to bring reggae into the fold, they started an
imprint label, Heartbeat Records. The first order of business was to
re-release many of the most important reggae and ska albums of the 60s and
70s. Since then, Heartbeat has put out albums by some of the best
contemporary bands, such as Burning Spear and Big Youth. Today it is
considered one of the truly important reggae labels. Rounder wouldn't
have it any other way. Every genre they touch is made stronger from the
association. The final disc in the set, which comes in a single jewel
box, is a hodge-podge representing some of those other genres, from honest
to goodness cowboy music to the hard electric blues-rock of George
Thorogood & the Destroyers, Rounder's surprise hit band of the late 70s.
This set of CDs can only outline the importance of Rounder Records as an
historical archive. With 1400 albums in their catalog, there's no way to
do a definitive boxed set that anyone not named Gates can afford. What
this set can do, however, is provide a solid starting point for anyone
who wants to investigate the many forms of folk music that Rounder
preserves and nurtures. The three founders of the label don't show any
sign of slowing down, and they have built a first-rate organization around
them, so we can look forward to the next 25 years with confidence. The
music is in good hands.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
AN AUDIENCE WITH HIS EMINENCE - Pat Paulsen Eyes The Oval Office
Interview by DJ Johnson
A serious and solemn individual is standing on the stage patiently
explaining to the audience that he needs absolute quiet in order to
perform the miracle they are about to see. He climbs several steps
and stands above a large glass tank filled with water. Kneeling, he
meditates for what seems like a very long time in the silent auditorium.
Finally, he rises and prepares to walk across the water. A drum roll
shatters his concentration and breaks the spell. He explains to the
drummer that a drum roll is a bad idea at that moment. "This isn't a
circus," he says with measured patience. Again, he kneels and meditates
for a much shorter time, then rises and steps off the platform...KERSPLASH
...right into the drink. The audience explodes with laughter as he pulls
himself out of the water and explains that he thought he heard a sound
way in the back. The entire process is repeated. Silence, meditation,
concentration, KERSPLASH! And again the audience loses it. You saw it
coming from a mile away, but seeing this serious man in suit and tie put
so much calm faith in his ability to walk on water only to end up wet and
humiliated -- twice -- probably made that beer you were drinking come out
of your nose. You've just been "gotcha'd" by one of the greatest deadpan
comedians of all time, Patrick L. Paulsen.
A regular on the legendary Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, Paulsen (or as
his friends call him, "His Eminence,") poked fun at all the hot topics of
the day, from sex education to fluoridation to politics. Not content to
make fun of politicians from outside the circle, Paulsen ran for President
in 1968 in a TV campaign that will always be remembered as a high water
mark in both political and comedy history. Now, 28 years after his first
run for the oval office, he's still at it. And, after his surprising finish
in the New Hampshire primary, some people are beginning to think maybe he
really can walk on water.
* * * * *
Cosmik: Was "Hollywood Talent Scouts" your TV debut?
Paulsen: No, Steve Allen's Talk Show was the first appearance I made on TV.
Cosmik: What year was that?
Paulsen: 1965, I think.
Cosmik: Tom Smothers helped you get on that show, didn't he?
Paulsen: Tom got me on Steve Allen's Show and Hollywood Talent Scouts.
Cosmik: Had you and the Brothers worked together before that?
Paulsen: No, they bought a couple of my songs, that's how I got to know
them.
Cosmik: Was there a different kind of excitement working on The Smothers
Brothers Comedy Hour than on other shows because it was on the cutting
edge and controversial?
Paulsen: It was the only show I had worked, but I felt, in fact we all
felt, a great deal of pressure to do well - to be funny - to score
every week!
Cosmik: Did the nature of your comedy add to that pressure? You took more
chances than most comics. Walking on water, for instance, was a great
bit that could have failed big.
Paulsen: I don't think so. By the way, I didn't do the water walk on the
Smothers Show, I believe it was first done on the Phyllis Diller Show.
I knew it wouldn't fail, because I had done it in Vancouver many years
before, not on TV, but live, before 3,000 people and it went over great.
In fact the press picked it up internationally.
Cosmik: The Smothers Brothers actually convinced you to run for President,
correct?
Paulsen: Correct.
Cosmik: Do you remember the actual conversation?
Paulsen: Not really, but Mason Williams and Tom told me they were going
to run me for President on the show and I replied, "might as well, I
can't dance".
Cosmik: Did you think at the time that it would go over as well as it did?
Paulsen: Not in a million years.
Cosmik: Did you know right away that it had been a success because of
audience reaction, or did you find out from the fan mail?
Paulsen: Both, but it was the volume of requests for printed copies of my
doubletalk editorials that told CBS they had something here. It began
with more than 10,000 letters the first week and by the 15th editorial,
the letters climbed to over 15,000.
Cosmik: How many votes did you get in that election?
Paulsen: Nobody knows as the Secretary of States would not count my
votes. But Hubert Humphrey once told me that I put Nixon in the White
House. All the votes that went to me probably would have gone to him.
Cosmik: Humphrey was on the first telecast of The Pat Paulsen Half A Comedy
Hour, wasn't he?
Paulsen: Yes.
Cosmik: Were the two of you friends?
Paulsen: He was not a personal friend, but he was a good sport and we
enjoyed having him.
Cosmik: What did he think of your Presidential bids?
Paulsen: He seemed to enjoy it.
Cosmik: Do you still have as much trouble getting cooperation from the
Secretary of States as you did in 1968?
Paulsen: More so. In 1968 I was a write-in candidate. Although most of
the Secretary of State would not count my votes, I didn't have much
contact with them. This time, for the most part, they will not recognize
me as a serious candidate, thereby refusing access to their printed
ballots.
Cosmik: In fact, you're suing Michigan's Secretary Of State for not giving
you proper recognition. Is that about right?
Paulsen: I have withdrawn the suit. We were informed in court that Clinton
had withdrawn his name from the primary ballot, as he thought was
unopposed. I decided I didn't want to win by default, and besides, if
I run against myself, I might lose.
Cosmik: Did filing that suit have any real effect on other Secretary of
States? Are the roads any less closed?
Paulsen: No. We got a lot of publicity from the suit, but by that time,
most of the other states had already been decided.
Cosmik: You were the first Presidential candidate with a World Wide Web
homepage. Can't those guys do anything without you showing them how?
Paulsen: I guess not. Even the White House copied one of my pages. We
know this to be a fact, because my wife was on the phone with our
webmaster in Arizona one evening as he was viewing the stats. While
they were talking, he noticed an unusual address entering the site and
asked my wife if she knew who www.whitehouse.gov was. "Of course", she
replied, "Bill Clinton". Well, it probably wasn't Clinton himself, but
somebody from the organization was in our site for 45 minutes. One week
later, Al Gore's cartoon page showed up on their site, laid out exactly
like ours was at the time. We subsequently changed ours.
Cosmik: Has the WWW site been working out well for you?
Paulsen: Absolutely. We've gotten a great number of volunteers and support.
I'm sure the fact that I came in 2nd in a field of 21 democrats in New
Hampshire was due in a large part to my Internet presence.
Cosmik: ...as opposed to having to go to New Hampshire and shake a million
hands. And you got 921 votes there, which was 126 more than the 3rd
place finisher. Were you surprised?
Paulsen: Not really. I knew I would do well because most of the other
candidates are not very well known, although many spent a lot of time,
effort and money there. I think head to head, I could beat Buchanan in
most states.
Cosmik: Has there been more media attention since New Hampshire?
Paulsen: Yes. I've been doing lots more print and radio interviews everyday.
Rush Limbaugh mentioned that I came in 2nd, right behind Clinton on both
his radio and TV shows. He's got a huge audience, as you know.
Cosmik: Does your showing in New Hampshire change your game plan at all?
Paulsen: It has encouraged me to keep on. We are going to have to get the
word out for people to write-in my name in states where I do not appear
on their printed ballots.
Cosmik: How long have you been involved in the Internet scene?
Paulsen: We launched the campaign site in February of last year. Prior
to that I didn't even know how to spell it.
Cosmik: You've invited the visitors of your website to send you, as you
say, "relevant questions" via e-mail. What kind of messages do you
get, in general?
Paulsen: Actually, most messages are "Like your site" stuff. I do get
some specific questions relating to my stands on the issues. If they
want serious answers, I usually direct them to Project Vote Smart where
I participated in their National Political Awareness Test.
Cosmik: What are the two extreme ends of the question spectrum?
Paulsen: I've had a number of people volunteer to be my running mate, and
a couple of people who just wish I would go away.
Cosmik: You also invite opposing candidates to contact you through e-mail.
Any bites?
Paulsen: A few of the "fringe " candidates in New Hampshire have contacted
me, but none of the front-runners.
Cosmik: Do you keep an eye on how the other candidates use the Net?
Paulsen: I check into their sites from time to time. Pretty boring, for
the most part, don't you think?
Cosmik: Mind numbing, actually. It's still early, I realize, but at this
point which would you say is the better organized party in terms of
online information?
Paulsen: The Republicans seem to have much more presence on the Internet,
but then there are so many of them.
Cosmik: Do you think the Internet will revolutionize politics like TV did?
Paulsen: Absolutely. More and more people everyday are tuning in and of
course it is a very cost efficient way to reach the voters.
Cosmik: Let's talk about your CD-ROM, because...as far as I know, anyway,
you're the only candidate that put one out. Was that something you
came up with, or were you approached by a software company?
Paulsen: We decided to do it after seeing some work that the producers had
done. They are extremely creative and were a lot of fun to work with.
Grover, Kevin and Brian (Start2Finish Publishing) are, in my opinion, the
best in the Country. And you're right, I'm the only candidate with a
CD-ROM. It will be interesting to see if anyone else tries to do one.
Our guys promised not to help out, so I'm sure any others wouldn't be
half the fun.
Cosmik: Did you design everything, including the Oval Office?
Paulsen: Of course I had a lot of input as to how the Oval Office will look
after I'm elected, but I did not do the graphics. Kevin Nichols did all
the artwork. He has a homepage where he displays a new cartoon everyday.
(ed note: His homepage is at http://www.cris.com/~Mppa/s2f/kevin.shtml)
Cosmik: You have an online opinion poll, and I was surprised that it was
so straight forward and serious. Real issues. What do you do with the
information you gather from that?
Paulsen: We're in the process of tabulating that right now. We've had a
lot of response, and the results will be posted soon. I think you'll be
surprised at some of the percentages.
Cosmik: Away from the campaigns and the comedy, how politically oriented
are you? Are you a C-SPAN kind of guy?
Paulsen: I'm not one to sit and vegetate in front of the TV. I read
everything there is to read, including 4 newspapers a day and all the
weekly news magazines, plus lots of historical books. I particularly
enjoy biographies of all different kinds of people - I am a history buff.
Cosmik: You won an Emmy in 1968 for "Outstanding Individual Achievement."
What was that award for, specifically?
Paulsen: All of the work I had done so far on the Smothers Brothers Comedy
Hour.
Cosmik: Where does that rank among the highs of your career?
Paulsen: Ranks pretty high, but also spending an afternoon with Bobby
Kennedy.
Cosmik: Wow, that must have been something! Tell us about that experience.
Paulsen: It was very special. I liked Bobby a lot, he seemed to care very
much. I don't remember a specific conversation to quote - after all, it
was 28 years ago.
Cosmik: Do you feel comfortable saying what you really feel about the
political climate in this country at this moment?
Paulsen: Sure.
Cosmik: Well, fire away. What do you really think of the political goings
on in America right now? Whitewater, Gingrich, the Contract...What do
you think the state of the union is?
Paulsen: How the hell do I know? I'm just a common, ordinary, simple
savior of America's destiny.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
(End of part one of this interview. Popcorn is available in the lobby.
Please stay tuned for part two which follows...right about now.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
And now for a special treat, we present an exclusive interview with the
next President of the United States of America, Patrick L. Paulsen.
Join us now as His Eminence discusses the issues that you truly care
about in this segment that we call...
THE CANDID CANDIDATE SPEAKS
(Interview by DJ Johnson)
Cosmik: You're the only current candidate who has lost more Presidential
elections than Bob Dole. What keeps you going?
Paulsen: First of all, William Stassen lost more elections than I have.
I think people want me to run. For example, I'm always asked if I'm
running this year. When they ask me that on an off year, I feel like
saying "no, you moron, this is not an election year." Of course I don't
say it.
Cosmik: You once chose yourself as your running mate. Who are you
considering for this go around?
Paulsen: I'm planning on asking Colin Powell to change parties just like I
did. This will help me with the rich white vote.
Cosmik: You run as a Democrat, but some of your plans sound...well, even
Pat Buchanan doesn't advocate complete abolishment of free speech.
How do you respond to your critics who say "Paulsen could be the first
US President to be overthrown rather than voted out?"
Paulsen: I love the idea.
Cosmik: What is your stand on the NRA, gun control and the gun lobby?
Paulsen: As a sportsman, I have always felt guns should only be used for
fishing.
Cosmik: Now that the "war on drugs" is being questioned so seriously, and
people like William F. Buckley are advocating legalization of drugs,
what side of the fence are you coming down on?
Paulsen: I am against legalizing drugs because I feel there would be too
many traffic mishaps, but then who the hell would care?
Cosmik: Did you ever inhale?
Paulsen: I started to inhale when I was a very young baby, and have been
inhaling ever since. Seriously though, one could not go through the
sixties without experimenting with pot.
Cosmik: Do you think Bill inhaled?
Paulsen: You can bet the farm on that and have your children thrown in, to
boot!
Cosmik: What kind of marks do you give President Clinton for the way he's
handled the opposition during the government shutdowns?
Paulsen: Bill Clinton will expeditiously do what is needed to serve himself.
Cosmik: How about in general? What grade would you give the President
for his entire term?
Paulsen: Obviously not high since I'm running against him. How about a
35? Every time I go to an IHOP I think of him.
Cosmik: He's had a hostile congress to deal with. How would President
Paulsen have handled the 104th congress?
Paulsen: He didn't deal with a hostile congress the first two years. The
104th congress wouldn't be hostile to me - they would be awe struck.
Cosmik: Do you have any creative ideas for ways to snub Newt that haven't
been tried yet?
Paulsen: I'd get him on my side.
Cosmik: Let's talk foreign policy. First of all, where do you stand on
the NATO issue?
Paulsen: Pretty soon Russia and China will be in NATO and we can all go down
under and beat up on the Australians.
Cosmik: How would you have handled the Bosnian situation?
Paulsen: I said we shouldn't go in. If it works, I'm wrong - if it
doesn't, I'm right, as usual.
Cosmik: What other countries do you think need a stern talking-to?
Paulsen: IBM and General Motors and all the other countries who are
laying off workers. Am I making myself unclear?
Cosmik: Perfectly. How do you feel about NAFTA at this point?
Paulsen: If it works, I'm wrong. If it doesn't, I'm right again.
Cosmik: There's a brand new international crisis developing, and that's the
attempts to censor the Internet. As a candidate with a World Wide Web
site that dishes out what some might call radical ideas, how do you feel
about this?
Paulsen: I don't believe in censorship and I will never use the f word.
Cosmik: While we're talking about things that you can't say on the Net
these days, what do you have to say about the abortion issue?
Paulsen: My mother was adamantly opposed to abortion. Later on, she
changed her mind.
Cosmik: Ralph Reed and company have been making a lot of waves. What
should the Christian Coalition expect from a Paulsen administration?
Paulsen: One question. Who made God?
Cosmik: Every candidate is expected to have a plan for balancing the
budget. What's yours?
Paulsen: I will turn the deficit into a government program. Then I will
start cutting back, then eliminate it entirely.
Cosmik: Power corrupts. Does this worry you at all?
Paulsen: Absolutely.
Cosmik: Is there anything you'd like to say to your critics before we wrap
this up?
Paulsen: Picky, picky, picky.
Cosmik: Boil it all down for us. Why should Americans vote for Pat
Paulsen?
Paulsen: Because I'm here.
Cosmik: And there you have it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
FINAL NOTES - Pat Paulsen's homepage is located at
http://www.amdest.com/PAT/pat.html. E-mail sent to
pp4pres@primenet.com will surely reach him.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
POLITICAL PLAYBOOK: A Primary Primer
by Shaun Dale
The President is late.
That's not so surprising. Bill Clinton is notorious for getting off
schedule. He seems unable to pass up the chance to linger, to schmooze,
to shake one more hand.
No, what's surprising, at least to many in the crowd around me, is his
appearance in a community college gymnasium in a small city just north of
Seattle. Unless, of course, they check their calendars and notice that
we're just 10 days away from the Washington Presidential Caucuses.
That's our contribution to the quadrennial insanity that produces
Presidential candidates in the USA. Starting in Iowa with the first
caucus and New Hampshire with the first primary, we're in the middle
of a process that seems designed more for high employment in the pundit
classes than rational selection of leadership of the free world.
Clinton, of course, has it pretty soft this time around. As the first
Democratic President since Franklin Roosevelt to not have a serious
primary challenge (with all due respect to Paulsen, LaRouche, et al) he
can focus on a series of quick trips to feel good rallies like the one I
attended and rally the faithful for the battle this fall. Meanwhile, the
Republican field is engaged in a slug fest that rivals of the best
Democratic battles of days past.
*IS THIS ANY WAY TO PICK A PRESIDENT?*
Of course, the current dogfight isn't to pick the President at all, but
to figure out which Republican gets to go after the big dog in the White
House.
And that's part of the problem. These are intra-party struggles, and the
rules are different in every state. Primary elections seem pretty simple
on the surface - you go to your polling place, pick up a ballot and vote
pretty much as usual.
Except.
Some states have closed primaries, where only registered members of a
party can vote for that party's candidates. Some allow you to choose a
party at the polls. Some use a ballot with all the parties listed, so you
can skip back and forth as you move down the ballot. Some states don't
have primary elections at all, choosing delegates at caucuses, basically
town hall type meetings held on the precinct level. And some, like
mine, choose some delegates at a caucus and the remainder in the
primary.
Fifty states, fifty sets of rules.
*THEM THAT'S GOT SHALL GET, THEM THAT'S NOT SHALL LOSE*
Ballot access, that is.
Not only are there separate selection processes in every state,but each
state sets its own rules about who even gets considered. Right now it's
generally agreed that there are four "first tier" Republicans. Only
three of those - Dole, Forbes and Buchanan - though, will appear on
the New York primary ballot, and only Dole and Forbes will appear on
*every* New York ballot. That's because New York requires candidates to
submit petitions with a minimum number of signatures from each
Congressional District in order for that candidates name to appear. Dole,
with the early support of the state Party apparatus, started early and
got on all 31 ballots. Buchanan started later and made it on 23. Malcom
Stevenson Forbes, Jr. (Mal2) handled New York the same way he's handled
everything else in his campaign - he bought it. When his paid signature
gatherers failed to get the job done in some districts, he hired some
lawyers and sued to get on in those he'd missed.
Meanwhile, Lamar! Alexander didn't even try. He passed up the chance to
compete for New York's 102 delegates, the third largest prize in the
primary sweepstakes.
Of course, I'm calling Lamar! as the next man out of this thing - maybe by
the time you see this.
The complications of getting on the ballot in New York are compounded
fifty times by arcane or arbitrary requirements. Kansas has actually
cancelled their primary, giving the automatic nod to favorite son Dole and
the unchallenged President.
*BALLOTS OR BOSSES?*
It hasn't always been this way. The process has been democratized since
the days of the proverbial smoke filled rooms. There was a time when the
tickets were hashed out by party leaders with enough clout to tell
someone to drop out and make it stick. Today, with federal matching
funds available even for candidates who are considered marginal early in
the race, the dependence on the party structure to fuel a campaign
financially is reduced. A variety of interest groups - the gun lobby,
religious conservatives, etc, - can provide the ground troops needed
for an underfunded effort like Pat Buchanan's. As civil service reform
has replaced patronage in the cities, the influence of the "bosses" and
their machines declined as well.
Is this a good thing? Should the nominating process be more democratic?
I suppose that depends on how you feel about the spectacle that's
unfolding before us now.
This isn't a general election campaign, after all. Nobody's being chosen
to hold any office, merely to represent the parties in the quest for
office. So why shouldn't the party leaders have more control?
Dwight Eisenhower was probably the last President elevated by a party
establishment to the top of the ticket, following Harry Truman, a product
of Tom Pendergast's Kansas City machine. Since then candidates have been
self starters, running on personal ambition rather than a party push.
It's reached the point today that many see Bob Dole's widespread support
from Republican Senators, Representatives and Governors as being one of
his chief liabilities. Everybody wants to run from the outside. Of
course, Buchanan is a veteran of three White House staff posts with three
Republican administrations. Lamar! is a former Cabinet Secretary. "Steve"
Forbes is the closest thing to an outsider with a chance - he's just a
multi-millionaire heir to a publishing dynasty. Meanwhile, candidates
like Dick Lugar, Alan Keyes and Morry Taylor hang on, dividing the vote
even further, and there's no one left with the clout to tell them to step
down.
*BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH*
By the middle of March, the Republican field should have settled a bit.
New York, Florida and Texas will have voted and only California's winner
take all contest on March 26 will have a bigger delegation. It looks
like a possible three way race to the end for the Republicans, though.
Dole should pull ahead at some point on the strength of his organization,
unless he stumbles terribly in the south. Whatever else you may think
about Pat Buchanan, don't think for a minute that he's a quitter. Mal2
has plenty of money to see this thing through and I'm sure he's reserved
the last chapter of the campaign book he's writing for convention
stories.
So what will the nomination cost the G.O.P. victor? Months of gruelling
travel. Millions of dollars. Thousands of negative TV spots run against
him in states all across the country. All for the opportunity to meet a
rested, confident Bill Clinton, who will have spent the same months
pursuing a high road strategy of laying out the accomplishments and goals
of his administration for supportive audiences.
What a deal.
Shaun's Scenario: So what's likely to transpire between now and next
month? Well, as I've said, I expect Lamar! to drop soon. Dole will start
to pull ahead, probably with the New York results. Buchanan will keep
getting 25 to 30% everywhere he competes.
The thing to watch out for? If Mal2 can pull enough votes to hold Dole
just under 50% of the delegates chosen by the end of March, the threat of
a brokered convention will loom large. Look for big pressure on Forbes to
withdraw. If he does, it will be because he has received assurances that
Jack Kemp will get the number two spot on the ticket. If he doesn't
pull, the April primaries should be a political bloodbath.
Either way, right now I'm calling 4 more years...
(By the way, some of the best daily reporting of the campaign is showing
up on the Hotwired website. Point to http://www.hotwired.com to read
Brock Meeks, John Heilemann and Jon Katz in the Netizen section.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SHAUN DALE is a Democratic political consultant and speechwriter making
his first foray into web punditry for Cosmik Debris. Contact him by email
at stdale@well.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
A DECLARATION OF THE INDEPENDENCE OF CYBERSPACE
By John Perry Barlowe
Governments of the Industrial World, you weary giants of flesh and steel, I
come from Cyberspace, the new home of Mind. On behalf of the future, I ask
you of the past to leave us alone. You are not welcome among us. You have
no sovereignty where we gather.
We have no elected government, nor are we likely to have one, so I address
you with no greater authority than that with which liberty itself always
speaks. I declare the global social space we are building to be naturally
independent of the tyrannies you seek to impose on us. You have no moral
right to rule us nor do you possess any methods of enforcement we have true
reason to fear.
Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. You
have neither solicited nor received ours. We did not invite you. You do not
know us, nor do you know our world. Cyberspace does not lie within your
borders. Do not think that you can build it, as though it were a public
construction project. You cannot. It is an act of nature and it grows
itself through our collective actions.
You have not engaged in our great and gathering
conversation, nor did you
create the wealth of our marketplaces. You do not know our culture, our
ethics, or the unwritten codes that already provide our society more order
than could be obtained by any of your impositions.
You claim there are problems among us that you need to solve. You use this
claim as an excuse to invade our precincts. Many of these problems don't
exist. Where there are real conflicts, where there are wrongs, we will
identify them and address them by our means. We are forming our own Social
Contract . This governance will arise according to the conditions of our
world, not yours. Our world is different.
Cyberspace consists of transactions, relationships, and thought itself,
arrayed like a standing wave in the web of our communications. Ours is a
world that is both everywhere and nowhere, but it is not where bodies live.
We are creating a world that all may enter without privilege or prejudice
accorded by race, economic power, military force, or station of birth.
We are creating a world where anyone, anywhere may express his or her
beliefs, no matter how singular, without fear of being coerced into silence
or conformity.
Your legal concepts of property, expression, identity, movement, and
context do not apply to us. They are based on matter, There is no matter
here.
Our identities have no bodies, so, unlike you, we cannot obtain order by
physical coercion. We believe that from ethics, enlightened self-interest,
and the commonwealth, our governance will emerge . Our identities may be
distributed across many of your jurisdictions. The only law that all our
constituent cultures would generally recognize is the Golden Rule. We hope
we will be able to build our particular solutions on that basis. But we
cannot accept the solutions you are attempting to impose.
In the United States, you have today created a law, the Telecommunications
Reform Act, which repudiates your own Constitution and insults the dreams
of Jefferson, Washington, Mill, Madison, DeToqueville, and Brandeis. These
dreams must now be born anew in us.
You are terrified of your own children, since they are natives in a world
where you will always be immigrants. Because you fear them, you entrust
your bureaucracies with the parental responsibilities you are too cowardly
to confront yourselves. In our world, all the sentiments and expressions of
humanity, from the debasing to the angelic, are parts of a seamless whole,
the global conversation of bits. We cannot separate the air that chokes
from the air upon which wings beat.
In China, Germany, France, Russia, Singapore, Italy and the United States,
you are trying to ward off the virus of liberty by erecting guard posts at
the frontiers of Cyberspace. These may keep out the contagion for a small
time, but they will not work in a world that will soon be blanketed in
bit-bearing media.
Your increasingly obsolete information industries would perpetuate
themselves by proposing laws, in America and elsewhere, that claim to own
speech itself throughout the world. These laws would declare ideas to be
another industrial product, no more noble than pig iron. In our world,
whatever the human mind may create can be reproduced and distributed
infinitely at no cost. The global conveyance of thought no longer requires
your factories to accomplish.
These increasingly hostile and colonial measures place us in the same
position as those previous lovers of freedom and self-determination who had
to reject the authorities of distant, uninformed powers. We must declare
our virtual selves immune to your sovereignty, even as we continue to
consent to your rule over our bodies. We will spread ourselves across the
Planet so that no one can arrest our thoughts.
We will create a civilization of the Mind in Cyberspace. May it be more
humane and fair than the world your governments have made before.
Davos, Switzerland
February 8, 1996
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John Perry Barlow, Cognitive Dissident
Co-Founder, Electronic Frontier Foundation
Home(stead) Page: http://www.eff.org/~barlow
Message Service: 800/634-3542
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FILM REVIEW
"TAXI DRIVER" RIDES AGAIN
BY DAVID FENIGSOHN
Brace yourselves. Martin Scorsese's "Taxi Driver" is being re-issued to
honor the film's 20th anniversary. The re-release, done from the original
camera negative, includes a remix of the soundtrack, marking the first time
the score has been available in stereo at the theater. Undeniably a
cinematic tour-de-force and arguably Scorcese's best work, "Taxi Driver"
has much to gain from the re-issue. Over the past two decades, many of a
new generation of viewers has had a chance to view titles that, while rarely
matching "Taxi Driver"s vision or power, at least tried to capture the same
themes and use similar methods.
Brian DePalma's lovingly choreographed violence, Quentin Tarintino's hip
nihilism, and Abel Ferrara's religious imagery are just a few of the
examples of those who have explored Scorcese's concepts on film. A wide-
spread theatrical release stands to put these later works in perspective.
While it may well be an overstatement to call "Taxi Driver" the best film
of the past 20 years, it stands alongside "Apocalypse Now" as modern cinema
at its most emotionally punishing.
Even Scorcese's own more recent films, while still often brilliant, lack
the devastating emotional toll that "Taxi Driver" takes on the viewer. But
a re-release of "Taxi Driver" will do more than just allow a new audience
to appreciate a genuine masterpiece. Viewed 20 years later, the film has
established itself as timeless. In fact, the story of urban decay and
isolation has, if anything, increased its relevance and accuracy. That
after two decades a film is more effective than at its original release
is the making of a true classic.
"Taxi Driver" is the story of Vietnam veteran Travis Bickle, played by
Robert De Niro. Travis dominates the film--for the entire duration of the
film, Travis is either on camera or allowing the audience to see the world
through his eyes. An isolated insomniac, Travis drives a cab, ferrying an
assortment of junkies, pimps and cons through the seediest sections of New
York. Alienated to the point where friendship is an impossibility, he spends
his days in porno theaters or his hovel of an apartment. In the midst of
developing an all encompassing hatred for his clientele and surroundings,
Travis spies the beautiful Betsy (Cybill Shepherd.) Betsy, an aloof but
sensual young woman, is working as a campaign volunteer. Believing she
offers a hope of redemption from the evil surrounding him, Travis approaches
her and asks her to go out for coffee. Though frightened by his obvious
intensity, he has a certain magnetism which she finds intriguing. But on
their first real date, Travis, unable to escape the confines of his own
world, takes her to a porno theater. Her subsequent rejection of him
triggers his descent into madness.
After fellow cabbie (Albert Brooks) is unable to comfort or understand him,
he transforms himself into another being. He purchases a small arsenal,
shaves his head, and becomes even more marginalized. He stalks Betsy's boss,
an ambitious Presidential candidate with whom he had a chance encounter. But
he is a failure as a political assassin--such a definitive action seems
beyond him even in his new state. He befriends a 12 year old prostitute,
(Jodie Foster) and seeks to free her, only to learn she is in love with her
pimp and captor (Harvey Keitel.) It is her fate, and acceptance of her
circumstance, that finally spurs Travis to action. The result is a bloodbath,
a painfully gruesome scene of carnage that ends the film before the ironic
epilogue adds the final twist. There is one element that makes "Taxi
Driver" so effective. De Niro is masterful. He completely dissolves any
boundary between character and actor, effectively becoming the twisted
antihero. Bernard Herrman's haunting score is a perfect accompaniment to
screenwriter Paul Schrader's twisted vision.
Still, as well executed as all the individual components of the film are,
its reach goes beyond these to something greater. "Taxi Driver" is a film
of vision. That vision is what gives the film its power, and what makes
it so difficult to watch. The accuracy and clarity of the film's vision may
well stand more true today than it did at the time of its release, making
it a more effective film now than 20 years earlier. As effective as similar
works may be, it is unlikely that they could be better appreciated than they
are now. Given the film's subject matter, this is deeply disturbing.
Conversely, other films from the era seem dated, not necessarily from a
technical aspect, but from their mood. "Taxi Driver" was released the year
Sylvester Stallone's "Rocky" won an Academy Award for Best Picture. Clearly,
the films are in very different genres, with very different aims. A direct
comparison would be unjust. But film, or popular culture as a whole, can be
a legitimate gauge of the mood of the nation. Twenty years ago, "Rocky"
better captured the heart, minds and wallets of the nation. To do so,
presumably viewers have to empathize, if not identify, with the protagonist.
They chose Rocky over Travis. Surely, people would rather identify with a
motivated underachieving sports hero than with a deranged psychopath.
Ideally, people should be able to better identify with Rocky. In 1976, they
were. However, viewed two decades later, the optimism and sense of
opportunity in "Rocky" fails to ring true, while the alienation and pain
of Travis strikes a chord much too accurately to be comfortable.
A re-release of "Taxi Driver" is likely to further cement the reputations of
many of those involved as legends. Those who saw the film long ago will be
able to do so again with new eyes, and many others will be able to
appreciate one of the cinema's great works for the first time. For fans of
the genre, the re-release of "Taxi Driver" is a cause for celebration. But
that the film's portrait of society seems so dead on is a cause for alarm
for us all.
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BOOK REVIEW
Title: To Be Loved
Author: Berry Gordy
Reviewed by DJ Johnson
How many Berry Gordy rumors have you heard over the years? Being a Motown
fan, I've read a few of those tell-all books written by people who were
so far out on the fringe that they needed safety lines just to stay in the
picture. One of them was written by a guy who was basically a gofer for
Flo Ballard of The Supremes. Flo was a great singer but she had her
problems, paranoia being one of them. She was convinced Berry Gordy was
out to get her. Here's my advice. Don't read books by the brother of
the woman who did so and so's dry cleaning. Read Smokey Robinson's book,
in which you'll find that Berry Gordy is a "what you see is what you get"
kind of guy, honest and straight forward. Ask Stevie Wonder. Ask...well,
you can't ask Marvin Gaye, but he would have told you too. Then read "To
Be Loved," Gordy's autobiography.
The book is written as a fond reminiscence of the Motown that was, and the
story is being told as Gordy reluctantly prepares to sell the label in
1988. Gordy is a multi-talented guy, and for a while he balanced pro
boxing and songwriting. Eventually, he came to the healthy conclusion that
songwriting hurt a hell of a lot less. He left the fight game to
concentrate on music. Luckily, he was pretty good at it, selling songs
to established artists. He wrote Jackie Wilson's "Reet Petite," and he
was on his way.
Starting Motown with money borrowed from his family's special fund (after
having to go through a family vote and much scrutiny), Gordy quickly
discovered that he had excellent instincts for that business. He took
several friends along for the ride. Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Marv
Johnson, Mary Wells...these are all people Gordy knew and believed in,
and his instincts were correct.
"To Be Loved" gives you a long look inside one of the greatest companies
of all time where some of the greatest songs were written and recorded.
The whole process is described in great detail. The producers would write
the songs, record demos with the artists, and then the fun would begin.
Every Friday there would be a meeting in Gordy's office. All the producers
would be there, along with many of the other employees. Each would play
his demo and everyone would vote as to whether they thought it was a top
10 hit or not. This is how they decided which records to push each week.
Being inside these meetings is great fun because some of them got a bit
passionate. This is just one of the Motown traditions you learn about.
One of the main things you'll notice when reading this book is that Berry
hasn't got many bad words to say about anyone. Even the artists who
bolted from his label for more money in the early 70s are discussed with
affection. Diana Ross, for example, was just one voice in a four-woman
vocal group when she came to Motown. Gordy insisted that the girls finish
high school before he signed them. They did, one quit the band, and the
rest became The Supremes. For two years they were unable to get anything
resembling a hit record. Most labels would have dropped them, but Gordy
was a fighter and he kept at it until he found the right producer, the
right songs and the right promotion. The Supremes, as you know, became
the hottest "girl group" of all time, and Diana Ross became a mega-star.
Gordy put her in the movie "Lady Sings The Blues," and suddenly she was
considered a legit actress as well. But she jumped labels for more money.
Despite the sting of that slap, Gordy still talks about her as if she were
royalty.
That same kind of affection permeates this entire book without ever
suffocating it. Musical history buffs will love it because there is
more than a little inside information about artists, songs and sessions.
People who just love a good success story will not be able to put it down.
I honestly didn't want this book to end. I came away from it with a real
appreciation for the man. His accomplishments were achieved against
ridiculously long odds. Hey, he started that label on a 1,000 dollar
investment and turned it into the most amazing hit machine in the history
of music. He had his failures along the way, and he tells you so in self
critical terms, but he always learned from them. This is an inspirational
story of a man who made it to the top and stuck by his friends all the way.
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TORI AMOS -- Boys For Pele (Atlantic)
Tori Amos' new CD, "Boys For Pele," is one of those CDs that require
several listens before you can really begin to appreciate it. When you
first hear it, its not an easy listen. But if you keep listening to it -
you'll be rewarded with one of the most riveting and intense albums
released so far this year.
Boys for Pele was named after the Hawaiian goddess of destruction. The
songs on the CD run the gamut from tender and compassionate to
invigorating to alarming and just plain angry. There's a wide range of
emotions flying here.
Most of the songs on the new CD deal with the men in her life. On the
first single, "Caught a Lite Sneeze", Amos sings about her "pretty hate
machine". She makes some not so kind remarks toward her father in
"Professional Widow". Sandman creator, Neil Gaiman gets mentioned in
"Horses".
Musically, Tori and her Bosendorfer have never sounded better. There's a
lot more harpsichord on the new CD than on her previous efforts (Amos
learned to play the instrument specifically for the new album). It really
adds to the feel of the new songs. Boys For Pele marks Tori's producing
debut, giving her the freedom to really push the limits and do things the
way she wanted. The result is a compelling piece of work from one of
today's most creative artists. - (Steve Marshall)
TOMMY BOLIN -- From the Archives, Vol. 1 (Rhino)
Almost twenty years after his death, Rhino has just released a new
collection of unreleased material from guitar great Tommy Bolin. The
CD includes rare demos, acoustic & live performances from various stages
in Bolin's brief career. Even with his awe-inspiring guitar work, Bolin's
first band, Zephyr, wasn't exactly a commercial success. In 1972, he left
the band to forge out on his own.
He started branching out into the jazz-rock realm, and began working with
the likes of Jan Hammer & Billy Cobham. Probably the most well known of
these collaborations was on Cobham's 1973 album, Spectrum. Soon after that,
Tommy joined The James Gang (at the suggestion of original member Joe
Walsh), replacing guitarist Domenic Troiano (who in turn went on to join
The Guess Who).
When Ritchie Blackmore left Deep Purple in 1975, the band picked Bolin as
his replacement. The band only recorded one studio album together, Come
Taste the Band, which contained seven of Bolin's songs. A live album,
recorded in Japan before the group disbanded, featured a killer version
of one of Tommy's solo tunes - "Wild Dogs". The song appears twice on the
new CD - once in acoustic demo form, and another early version with Bolin's
band in L.A.
Bolin's talent encompassed several musical genres, and it shows in the 13
tracks on the new CD. Highlights include the experimental, avant-garde jazz
sound of "Crazed Fandango", the two versions of "Wild Dogs", and the demo
of "Teaser". It's not hard to imagine smoke coming off the fretboard on
"Red Skies". The acoustic demo, "Evening Rain" shows off his masterful
acoustic ability as well.
From the Archives Vol. 1 takes an interesting look at one of rock's most
versatile guitarists. - (Steve Marshall)
THE ELEMENT 79 - Upstairs + 2 EP (360 Twist)
Lovers of super snarly, snotty 60s influenced garage punk will
absolutely love the A-side of this hot little platter; easily one of the
best garage recordings of '95. The 2 songs on the flip don't disappoint
either, making this a 3 for 3 winner for sure, If these guys ever play
New York City, you better believe I'm gonna be first in line to see 'em
if Blair B (Buscareno, editor of Teen Scene) doesn't beat me there. (749 S.
Lemay, Suite A3-237, Ft. Collins, CO. 80524) - (The Platterpuss)
IMPALA - Square Jungle (Estrus)
John Stivers and crew are back at it with Square Jungle, their excellent
follow-up to Kings Of The Strip. This collection of tunes is a little
less surfy, overall, leaning a little further toward Spy than the before.
Stivers' guitar sound is as haunting as ever, and the band is tighter.
The biggest change here is in Justin Thompson's sax playing, which seems
to have matured, going from excellent to outstanding in the last year.
His smokey playing is moving and memorable, whether it's the short
lightning-quick runs "Herculanium," the Bobby Keys-inspired blues solo in
"Big Noise From The Jungle" or gritty reverb-drenched solo in "Another
Day, Another Man." Surf fans won't be left out in the cold on this one,
though. (Actually, I think most true surf fans appreciate Spy nearly as
much anyway). There's a faithful cover of The Ventures' "Diamond Head,"
and originals "Choctaw" and "Square Jungle" kick up more than enough foam
for everyone. There's even something for fans of dark and salty blues.
"St. James Infirmary" is given the sultry treatment it deserves, and the
closer, "Night Full Of Sirens," is classic detective-on-stakeout-in-fog
music.
I have only one complaint with this record. Kings Of The Strip had an
ethereal atmosphere that was warm and sultry. "Warm" is the key word.
Square Jungle seems colder somehow, though not because of the
performances. I'm guessing that this might have been recorded digitally.
Whatever the reason, the sound is a bit thin, and I hope they remedy that
for the next go-around, because that "Kings" sound was reeeeeal sweet. _
(DJ Johnson)
THE INHALANTS - self titled (Estrus)
This is the full-length debut of one of the coolest bands in the well
stocked rawk pond known as Austin, Texas. Like their label-mates The
Makers, this is a band that kicks out slammin' garage fuzz-fests. They
recorded this at Seattle's Egg Studio, which is another thing this CD
has in common with The Makers' latest release. Conrad Uno handled the
engineering chores, and it's good and jagged, as you'd expect. Standout
tracks like "It Was Hyperreal" and "Shrunken Head" seem to reach into
your brain and yank on the lobe that causes moshing, which can be a bit
embarassing, depending on where you are and who you're with when you
listen to it. On "Kill You," bassist Lisa Rickenberg's snarling
declaration may remind you too much of scary relationships past, but then
the whole CD/LP is a fuzzy smack in the face, so it won't seem out of
place by the time you get to it. What might seem out of place, or at
least unexpected, is the mind trippin' guitar work on "Clean Slate,"
which is the closing number. It really is different from anything else
on the album, showing that they aren't one dimensional. So add another
name to the list of Austin's best bands. How many pages long IS that
damned list by now? - (DJ Johnson)
JERUNGDU - 2/96 (Self-produced demo)
DAMN, this is a fun tape! A demo tape, yet. These guys from Minnesota
may wear their influences on their collective sleeve, but they have so
much fun with the music that you just don't care about that part.
"Electric Love Lizards" sounds like a track that Zappa forgot to release,
but it's the work of Michael Donahue, and it's a riot! Imagine a string
quartet in the depths of a speed binge at 7 in the morning and getting
pissed at one another, using their instruments to communicate their
attitude problems. The fact that no traditional rock instruments ever
come crashing into this recital from hell makes it all the more perfect.
The violins are never exactly in tune, either, which adds to the mayhem.
The word "Edgy" requires two more "g's" to correctly convey that sound.
"Electric love lizards shining down. Electric love lizards all over town.
Electric love lizards killing for fun. Electric love lizards. You can
never be one." There are some questions raised about the romantic
lifestyles of certain 17 year old girls in these lyrics somewhere, among
other twisted images. I love this song. Newt and "the right" will hate
it.
My pick for runner-up on this tape is "Dan Electro," in which one calm
voice and one high-pitched hysterical voice sing the following...
"Can't afford a shrink
So I'm gonna buy me an electric guitar
And if nobody listens to me
I'm gonna turn it up real far."
Raise your volume if you can relate. Even the more serious songs (written
by Mark Kauffman) are fun to listen to. "Judgement Day" has elements of
David Gilmore and The Moody Blues and...I dunno what...rolled together
with what sounds like a dentist's drill (though I'm pretty sure it's a
synth) in a bizarre mash of sound that I seem to be listening to a lot
this week.
Zappa and Tubes fans will get a fix from the final track, too. "The
Jerungdu Ritual" is nearly as much of a kick in the ass as "Electric Love
Lizards," and is almost as far over the left field wall, too. If Jerungdu
keeps writing songs that are this much fun to listen to, they'll have it
made. Somebody's going to notice. - (DJ Johnson)
(Send e-mail to jerungdu@aol.com for info on snagging a copy of this
el-cool-oh demo thing.)
THE KING NORMALS - Big Beat in Panicsville EP (Hillsdale)
Fans of The Milkshakes will really love this as these guys play the
same kind of rough-edged and dirty style of Merseybeat. Personally, I dig
this so much I wish it were a whole album instead of just a 3-song EP.
I can only imagine what a blast these guys must be onstage.
(PO Box 641592, San Francisco CA 94164) - (The Platterpuss)
THE LOONEY TUNES BAND - Modern Sounds Of... (Gee Dee)
This is the second CD by Germany's The Looney Tunes Band, and since I
never heard the first one, I can't compare the two. Sebastian Hartmann
is a damned fine guitar slinger in the traditional mold and his bandmates,
Thomas Ritter (bass), Kay Garbrecht (rhythm guitar) and Chara Ganotis
(drums) create a cool wave of sound for his chops to ride.
There are several great covers here, including a pair from The Ventures,
but Sebastian's original tunes are just as good. "Searchlight" measures
up very well with classic 60s instro tunes. Where did these German
guys find their Californian surf muse? When you listen to other European
instro bands, such as Laika and the Cosmonauts, you hear a European sound.
This band could have been playing in a Frankie and Annette flick in '63!
So add Sebastian Hartmann to your list of great trad guitarists, and add
The Looney Tunes Band to the A list of trad bands along with The Bomboras,
The Halibuts and Susan & the Surf Tones. This is authentic surf cuisine.
MACH KUNG FU - 3-song EP (Giant Claw)
More wild and sleazy trash from the folks at Giant Claw, this time
by a new (at least to me) trio from Osaka. "The Spider" is a really cool
instrumental while "Stormy" is in more of a garage vein, flavored with a
healthy dose of their own brand of general wierdness and the last track
"Teenage Zombie" is even crazier. Of course that means that all 3 tracks
here are absolute total gems that I can't recommend highly enough.
(GPO Box 642d,, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, AUSTRALIA) - (The Platterpuss)
NY LOOSE - Pretty Suicide/Spit (Fiction)
This is the third single by this fine combo and it finds them starting
to explore different song textures and ideas while continuing to stay
true to thier roots as a late-70's/early 80's influenced punk band. Lead
singer Brigette West has one of the most dynamic and expressive set of
pipes I've ever heard, one minute cooing softly and the next spitting and
snarling with venomous fury. This is definitely a band to keep an eye
on and this is certainly one single worth scouring the shops or writing
away for. (PO Box 2264, Stuyvesant Sq. Sta., NYC NY 10009) - (The
Platterpuss)
PAL JOEY - Tennessee Angels (Green Pepper Records)
This is a band from Edmonton, Alberta in Canada, and while the music they
play is essentially powerpop, they infuse it with a countrified spirit that
feels as honest as Steve Earle's best crossover stuff from the mid 80s.
The highest moments of this album happen when guitarists Trent Buhler and
Jamie Larson harmonize, and they do so constantly. Their voices are made
for one another. Shauna Hosegood and Tom Murray (listed as Tommy Rocket
on the inner sleeve) play solid drums and bass, respectively. The guitars
carry some of the hooks, but most of those are provided by vocal melodies
and even a few of the lyrics themselves. "Crowd Of Losers" has a great
repeating part at the end that goes "Halloween comes once a year, so -
time to recycle your ego." I doubt that translates well in print, but
pick up "Tennessee Angels" and you'll see. It's an excellent collection of
intimate tunes and outstanding harmonies. - (DJ Johnson)
THE READYMEN - Get Ready!! (Norton)
Their totally over-the-top version of the old standard "Shortnin'
Bread" is a frat-rock party classic and it starts off this 19-song disc
with a great big bang. After that, things kinda settle down and the band
shows themselves to be your basic, mostly instrumental, mid-60s surf combo
as they run through such wel1-known chestnts as "Wipe Out", "Miserlou",
"Pipeline", "Moon Dawg", "Wine Wine Wine", "Baja" and "Walk Don't Run".
While I like all these songs and their renditions of them are all quite
fine, there's nothing else on here that excited me the way "Shortnin'
Bread" did. So, if you're a fan of surf music I have no problem telling you
to buy this but, if you just wanna hear "Shortnin' Bread" along with one
other track, I'd say your best bet is to get the split EP by The Readymen
and The Yetti-Men (also on Norton) which I definitely recommend to one and
all (Box 646, Cooper Station, NYC NY 10003) - (The Platterpuss)
THE ROLLING STONES -- Stripped (Virgin Enhanced CD)
It seems like every time The Rolling Stones go out on tour, we get a new
live album from the band. Sometimes that's good (like Get Your Ya-Ya's Out),
sometimes not so good (Love You Live!). This time out, they sound great.
Stripped features songs recorded all around the world, from small club
appearances to rehearsals during the Voodoo Lounge tour.
Songs like "Sweet Virginia", "Dead Flowers" and "Wild Horses" really
benefit from the new arrangements. One of the coolest things about Stripped,
though, is the cover of Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone". You can really
tell the band is enjoying themselves when you listen to the song.
Several songs had seldom (if ever) been performed live. "Shine a Light" had
only been played live once before. It had been almost 25 years since "Let it
Bleed" was performed onstage. "The Spider and the Fly" had never been
performed live. For Keith's song this time, they chose the poignant closing
track from Steel Wheels, "Slipping Away".
Stripped also has multimedia capabilities - including interviews with the
band, lyrics to all the songs, custom graphics, and over six minutes of
video. It's compatible with both IBM and Macintosh CD-ROM formats. All this,
plus almost 75 minutes of music, makes Stripped a CD well worth your money.
Great performances, and the multimedia stuff to boot. - (Steve Marshall)
VARIOUS ARTISTS - From The Ladle To The Gravy: An Alberta Covers Compilation
(Green Pepper Records - 10414 125th St. Edmonton AB Canada T5N IT2)
I had never heard of any of these bands or this label until a few days ago,
and now I can honestly say I'm a new follower of the Alberta music scene.
This CD contains 12 covers performed by some of Canada's best new talents.
FIELD DAY kicks it off with a powerhouse punking of the Beatles' "Help"
that will probably end up on a few dozen of your homemade punk comps.
KING LETUS' version of Billy Joel's "It's Still Rock and Roll To Me" is
surprisingly close to the original, but it has enough edge to be acceptable.
The third track is one of my faves. THE PIEMYN have taken Paul Simon's "50
Ways To Leave Your Lover" and turned it every which way, even venturing
into jazz noodling at one point.
CONE OF SILENCE turns in a cool version of XTC's "No Thugs In Our House"
that I haven't been able to get out of my head for two days now. I've
never heard the original and I was never an XTC fan, but these guys have
made me curious now, so I suspect a trip to the CD store is on the near
horizon. MOLLY'S REACH gives you a version of Tommy Tutone's
"867-5309/Jenny" that makes it finally okay to admit to liking that song.
FURNACE MAINTENANCE covers AC/DC's "That's The Way I Want My Rock and Roll,"
and while they don't really break any new ground on the tune, they show
that they play with a shitload of power. I'm keeping an eye on these guys.
PAL JOEY covers "I Didn't Know," by Channel 3. This is another great band
you should watch for. They have a very distinct sound that is a little bit
like Paul Westerberg meets Steve Earle.
There are a few so-so tracks, but none of them really fall flat. All in
all, this is probably the coolest covers comp I've ever heard. - (DJ
Johnson) (Green Pepper Records - 10414 125th St, Edmonton, AB, Canada,
TSN IT2)
VARIOUS ARTISTS - Capital Crisis: The D.C. Underground (Cyclops Records)
I don't know how "underground" most of this stuff is, since I'd consider
a lot of it to be fairly mainstream hard rock. Bands like Back Alley
Gators and Black Market Baby fall into that category without much of
a struggle. Adam West's "Love Like A Stone" is a cool rocker with a
monster of a bass tone powering it along, and they're probably the
most impressive of the hard rockers on this collection. My pick for
coolest band name has got to be Bark At The Carpet, but their "I Watched
Your Flight" opens with a riff that sounds like it came right off any
"metal" album in the 80s.
The other side of this street is populated by bands that are almost punk
but still love Aerosmith a whole lot. Factory's "Puerto Rican Street
Fight" flirts with a mid-70s New York Punk sound. Albert Strange's "Grab
My Cock And Cry" sounds like he wants to sing punk ala Lou Reed but his
band wants to sail the mainstream. But this side of the street has some
gems, like 9353's "Redneck Funhouse," which is the most underground of
these tracks by virtue of its totally twisted arrangement. You can't even
GET to the mainstream from that track. Somewhere down that same stretch
of backwater is The Reprobates' "Drugs."
There were a few tracks that bored me stiff. There were also a few that
confused the hell out of me. For example, I'd love to know what Alyce
Read's "All I Want" is doing on this disc. I suppose it's not bad, but
it seems a little like sticking Wynonna Judd on a collection of Satriani
tracks. Blue Balls Deluxe's "Two Bullets and a Rose" is country rock.
Very very GOOD country rock, though. In fact, it's one of the reasons
I'd recommend this CD. Another oddity is Three Bean Soup's combination
of garage pop guitar and vocals with slap bass on "Feelin' Filthy." It
just seems strange... Oh well, trying to figure all this out will get me
nowhere. Fuck coherency. If you like edgy mainstream hard rock, there
are some interesting tracks for you here. If your deal is quirky punk,
there are still some interesting tracks. The people who will like this
the most are the ones who like a little of everything. But don't buy this
CD based on the title. I just don't think this is what's going on in the
D.C. underground. - (DJ Johnson) (Cyclops Records - 1508 South Randolph
St. Arlington VA 22204)
VARIOUS ARTISTS - The Idiot's Guide To Classical Music (RCA)
99 classical tracks on the wall... On the disc, actually. This is a sales
gimmick, but it's kinda sorta fun at parties. I picked this thing up at
Tower for 99 cents. It has 99 tracks in just under 73 minutes. Now, if
you're as good at math as I am, you've figured out that these classical
pieces are either played by the Amsterdam Amphetamine Symphony Orchestra,
or they are presented as "clips."
It's the second one...clips. Really short clips. Sound nibbles,
basically. Lots and lots of 30-second clips, a few longer, a few shorter.
What the hell good is this CD, then? The LINER notes, of course! They
list the composer, title, time of track (by the time you've read this much
it's moved on to the next track, though), places you might have heard the
melody before (movies, pop songs, etc), and which RCA CD you can find the
entire performance on. Good salesmen they got down there at RCA. The fun
of this CD is in reading the "you might have heard this in..." column,
finding something that sounds familiar and having a listen. Some examples
of items in this column are "Bugs Bunny Cartoons," "Alfred Hitchcock
Presents" and "Grey Poupon Commercial." You'll find yourself watching
Looney Tunes to see if it's true. Betcha. - (DJ Johnson)
VARIOUS ARTISTS - Mondo Frat Dance Bash A Go Go (Arf Arf)
The title of this fabulous silver slab definitely says it all. Here
are 31 garagey frat-rock tracks, all recorded in the mid-60's that sound
as if they could be the soundtrack for a hipper "Animal House", with not
a dud to be found anywhere in the bunch. Alhough I really love it all,
some personal favorites include the leadoff track by Prince & The Paupers,
the Farfisa-fueled instro "Exit", "Humpty Dumpty Was Making Out" by The
Malibus, Gregory Dee & The Avanties manic take on Eddie Cochran's "Nervous
Breakdown", the utterly moronic (and I mean that in only the most compli-
mentary of ways) "Jelly Belly" by The Druids and "Linda" by The Starfires.
If this isn't the wildest lampshade-wearin', butt-shakin' drunken party
party disc ever then I just don't know what is. (Avail. thru Norton or Get
Hip) - (The Platterpuss)
FRANK ZAPPA -- Baby Snakes (Rykodisc)
Without a doubt, this has got to be the most underrated title in the Zappa
catalog. The album was originally only available by mail order on a 12"
picture disc. Recorded on 10/31/77 at the Palladium in New York in front of
a crowd of costumed Zappa fans, Baby Snakes contains live versions of
"Titties & Beer," "Disco Boy," and possibly the best version of "Dinah Moe
Humm" commercially available. Plus, as if the material alone wasn't enough,
the CD sounds great.
There are a few differences between the reissue & the original Barking
Pumpkin release - all for the better. You can hear the percussion much more
clearly now. The whistling during the first instrumental break in "Punky's
Whips" is much clearer as well. The booklet is identical to the Barking
Pumpkin version (the lyrics in "Titties & Beer" are still wrong), only Ryko
added the artwork from the B-side of the picture disc for the reissue.
Baby Snakes is a great album that should be a part of every Zappa
collection. Run, don't walk, to the store and buy this CD! - (Steve Marshall)
FRANK ZAPPA & THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION -- One Size Fits All (Rykodisc)
One Size Fits All was the final studio album released by The Mothers of
Invention. Several tracks included here were recorded during the filming
of the infamous TV special, A Token of His Extreme. Originally released in
1975, this CD is one of the rare cases in the Ryko series where the original
vinyl actually sounds better than the new CD. The CD has better separation
than the album at times. Like the new Over-Nite Sensation CD, the guitar is
pushed up in the mix a bit also.
Zappa's fourth album in a row to reach the US Top 50, One Size Fits All
contains some brilliant performances from several members of the Zappa
alumni - George Duke (keyboards & lead vocals on Andy and Inca Roads),
Napoleon Murphy Brock (vocals, flute & tenor sax on several tracks), and
the ubiquitous Ruth Underwood on percussion. One of the coolest things
about the new CD is the addition of the Zappafrank asteroid (named in
Frank's honor in July of 1994) to the constellation chart. There's an
enlarged picture of the asteroid itself under the CD tray too. A stellar
tribute to a great musician. - (Steve Marshall)
*
FRANK ZAPPA -- Over-Nite Sensation (Rykodisc)
Over-Nite Sensation was originally released on CD in a "two-fer" package
with Apostrophe(') back in 1986. However, when they reissued Zappa's
catalog last year using the FZ-approved master tapes, Rykodisc decided to
make the albums available individually. Over-Nite Sensation has long been
a favorite among fans, and contains some of Zappa's most popular material.
"Montana", "Dirty Love", and the classic "Dinah Moe Humm" - they're all
here.
The new CD sounds much warmer than the original. Zappa's guitar and vocals
are pushed up in the mix on a few songs (such as I'm the Slime and
Fifty-Fifty). Another interesting note is that the CD's output level is
much higher than the original CD. Aside from minor tape hiss between tracks,
the CD sounds great. The album's original artwork remained intact on the
reissue. There are some new photos under the inlay tray as well. Over-Nite
Sensation is essential material for any Zappa collection. - (Steve Marshall)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
01001101001110101000110100110011001001001110010011010100110010110010100101
1001
BETWEEN ZERO & ONE
By Steven Leith
VOTING: RIGHT OR RUSE?
How often have you wondered if voting was a pointless exercise? I bet you
have a few friends who proudly proclaim they never vote. Maybe you yourself
are a militant anti-voter.
We are exposed to the concept of voting at a very early age. They teach
about voting by example when they make us vote for class officers or hall
monitor. The upshot of all this political socialization is that we are
taught that we have a duty to vote.
The logic goes that if we don't like one candidate we will vote for another.
The logic rather hinges on the assumption that in any political contest
there will be distinctly different candidates and that one of them will best
represent your views. The myth of this choice is reinforced, in the U.S.,
by a two party system.
The two party system is essential for blunting real differences and
propagating a homogeneous political scene. The purpose of that scene is
to set the debate. It is not designed to reflect what the voters want.
Part of the two party system is an economy of votes. People buy and sell
votes on the open market. Sometimes the transaction is a barter, like
property rights groups trading their votes for the right to destroy public
lands. Sometimes it is cash spent on mass media to confuse and bewilder
the average voter (cash that came from someone who wants something). In
some Senate races your vote can be worth up to a dollar or more. But what
is your vote worth to you?
Unfortunately you can not sell it. The people who make money on your vote
don't share the wealth with you. Pollsters, Political analysts, Media
Gurus and the like grow fat from the hard work of the average voter.
No, you can't sell it. You can only loan it to someone. In theory you
loan it to a candidate and he promises to repay that loan with interest.
That "interest" is representing your interests in some greater arena of
political combat. The theory is that if he defaults on the loan you call
in the debt and you don't vote for him again. Think again.
Not voting is a major benefit to the cost effective campaign. If one
person doesn't vote he is, in effect, casting a vote for both candidates.
Voting is not a zero sum game. The fewer voters in the game the less a
candidate has to spend to buy a vote and the less diverse the group needing
representation.
Does one vote really count when so many are purchased by slick TV ads and
clever sound bites? Not really. Only blocks of votes can enter in to the
economy of voting with any hope of getting representation. That is why so
much energy is spent trying to break up the other candidate's voting blocks.
If the block is solid then you just have to find ways to mitigate the impact
of the votes by gerrymandering or poll taxes or other obstacles to voting.
If you belong to a voting block you are loaning your vote to a group that is
going to try to represent you. It is like a credit union for votes. One
vote may not do much, but hundreds or thousands can. The candidate might
actually agree to do something useful for a loan from a voter's credit union.
Do you belong to a voting block? I don't mean one of the major parties. I
mean a group that has an agenda and can deliver votes in return for
representation. If you do then you know how to play the game and can feel
smug that you are helping make this government work. If you don't, well
at least sell your vote for more than a TV ad with a waving flag and a broad
smile.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
DJ RANTS
By DJ Johnson
COSMIK GOES TO THE GRAMMYS (Well, Not Really)
Much as it pained me to do so, I sat through the Grammy Awards tonight.
Not exactly my idea of an exciting evening, considering almost all the
awards that you actually see being presented are for acts so mainstream
that even MTV execs make faces and hand gestures at them. Of course that
isn't true...MTV execs feast on these acts like sharks on seals, but let's
face facts here. Bloatie and the WhoFish were the most exhilirating
performers on this entire dog show. That says it all. Nap time, folks.
Listening to the music clips they played for each nominee, it occured to
me that by the year 2004 they will probably hand the Best New Artist award
to a drum machine. The upside is that it will be state-of-the-art. The
downside is that it will be a stinkin' machine. Producers were thanked
tonight, as they always are, but with one difference -- many of them were
companies, not individuals. Many of these companies are really made up of
one or more computer whiz kid that uses all kinds of electronic tricks to
simulate music. Ever read any interviews with Shep Pettibone about the
process of recording a Madonna album? He's not a producer so much as a
collection of algorithms.
One of the silliest moments of the evening came when the members of KISS
took the stage to present the award for Best Duo Or Pop Group With Vocal
or some such nonsense. There they stood, in full 70's era KISS makeup and
clothing, reading the names of performers so gutless they couldn't even
shine Gene Simmons' 14-inch clogs, trying in vain to act as if they were
big fans of each and every one. Seeing the Princes Of Powder 'n Pancake
yipping and hollering for the likes of All-4-One and the aforementioned
Floatie & The Deadfish was more than I could take. It was just too
humiliating. And I say this as the only person of my generation who
always thought KISS was the lamest of the lame.
But the silliest moment of the evening belonged to Pearl Jam's singer and
resident pinhead Eddie Vedder. Somewhere along the way, this little boy
got the impression that he was much too cool for this world, and CERTAINLY
too cool for this award system. When they won the award for Best Hard
Rock Recording, Vedder stepped up to the mike and announced to the world
in a bored voice that the award was meaningless. He said they just came
to the show "to relax." YEAH RIGHT! They got their hair done, put on
their wildest poverty duds and sunglasses and came out to the show,
sitting as close to the stage as possible, because they thought it would
be a good time. Hey, if he's so disgusted with the concept of the awards,
why would he consider it a good time watching other people win them? The
truth is he went there hoping he'd win so he could go on TV and let the
entire world know that he's cooler than Morrison, Dean and the younger
leaner Brando put together. It reminds me of hearing Kurt Cobain saying
he loathed the people who bought his records because they were taking away
his credibility. Course, the fucking phony was saying this from the
comfort of his expensive lakefront home (just before he re-did the
wallpaper).
I dunno...maybe there really is a place for people like Eddie Vedder. I'm
sure 13 year olds all over the world thought that was a cool move tonight.
"Duuude, Eddie's the shit!" Yeah, that about sums it up. I think the
Grammy's a joke too, Eddie. Nothing more than a sales tool for the labels,
a bargaining chip for the performers and a photo-op for all concerned, but
that doesn't make you any less of a poser for accepting that award and
then using it to promote your oh-so-important image before you even got it
off the stage. You didn't fool anyone.
Well, let's take a look at the brighter moments of this year's show.
To sum up, I wanted to award sharp pointed sticks to Eddie Vedder (for
obvious reasons) and Ellen Degeneris (for the career-crippling performance
as host), but I decided Eddie would enjoy the stick and Ellen didn't write
that crap she was forced to read. So I'm giving the award to KISS for
allowing themselves to look even sillier than they usually do. And that's
some trick. They didn't write the script either, but they could have
turned this gig down. I say we should all turn it down next year.
============================================================================
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Random stuff for your entertainment. Happy scrolling!
A tree's a tree. How many more do you need to look at?
-- Ronald Reagan
I started off rapping for people just like myself, people who were in awe
of wealth and flash. It was a conversation between me and them. But now
most of those who buy my records are listening in on others' conversation.
They are the aural equivalent of voyeurs, thrilled at this crazy world
that has nothing to do with their experience.
-- Ice-T [Tracy Marrow]
THE MARTYR
He sculpts to shape his specter
whisper pray but fingers fracture
sustain a feeling of object made
the form of souls with face of hate
pushing yank in wood cake clay
with oil blood lipstick idol say
vitality hot white and rain impure
straitleg bentback false demure
toil in night tranced when waken
by a mob alone, balance forsaken
abstract purple no not yet there
is it accurate or justice unfair
form life's material into mold
the meaning-- that not to be sold
rage punch cry strip the face
swell smooth broke blister base
thin lime dim lavender gone
no pause thought transient wrong
final incomplete sighing matter
victim create parasite endeavor
body pyre cell torch flame in vain
rapture dread deceit covet pain
at last in sleep to fall below
found naked smutty blue gringo
postured dun at window, bird shatter
image massless inflexible creator
slam wham decay derelict integrity
spirit dismissed whorish actuality
-- Sarah Jordan
At its best New Wave/punk represents a fundamental and age-old Utopian
dream: that if you give people the license to be as outrageous as they
want in absolutely any fashion they can dream up, they'll be creative
about it, and do something good besides.
-- Lester Bangs
Rock 'n' roll is a combination of good ideas dried up by fads, terrible
junk, hideous failings in taste and judgment, gullibility and
manipulation, moments of unbelievable clarity and invention, pleasure,
fun, vulgarity, excess, novelty and utter enervation.
-- Greil Marcus
Andy passes through things, but so do we. He sat down and had a talk with
me. "You gotta decide what you want to do. Do you want to keep just
playing museums from now on and the art festivals? Or do you want to start
moving into other areas? Lou, don't you think you should think about it?"
So I thought about it, and I fired him.
-- Lou Reed (talking about Andy Warhol)
Censors tend to do what only psychotics do: they confuse reality with
illusion.
-- David Cronenberg (Canadian filmmaker)
I have looked on a lot of women with lust. I've committed adultery in my
heart many times. God recognizes I will do this and forgives me.
-- Jimmy Carter
a note
the night rain
and Chopin
fall onto
my comforter
and smell
good
so good
the street light
explores my eyes
searches for my brain
but my brain
is dead
so dead
-- H.Texas
1992-06-02
If you attack the establishment long enough and hard enough, they will
make you a member of it.
-- Art Buchwald
You slam a politician, you make out he's the devil, with horns and hoofs.
But his wife loves him, and so did all his mistresses.
-- Pamela Hansford Johnson (British author, critic)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-MAIL ADDRESSES FOR CONTACTING COSMIK DEBRIS' WRITERS
DJ Johnson (Editor)......moonbaby@serv.net
James Andrews............jimndrws@serv.net
Cai Campbell.............vex@serv.net
coLeSLAw.................coleslaw@greatgig.com
Shaun Dale...............stdale@well.com
Andrew Ian Feinberg......afeinber@panix.com
David Fenigsohn..........a-davef@microsoft.com
Louise Johnson...........aquaria@serv.net
Steven Leith.............leith@serv.net
Steve Marshall...........MHND71F@prodigy.com
The Platterpuss..........Plattrpuss@aol.com
DEBRIS FIELD POETS -
"a note," by H. California..........everest@netcom.com
"The Martyr," by Sarah K. Jordan....sarahj@trib.com
Cosmik Debris' WWW site..http://www.greatgig.com/cosmikdebris
Subscription requests....moonbaby@serv.net
Cai Campbell's BBS (Great Gig In The Sky)..206-935-8486
