DEE DEE AND THE DETROIT COBRAS

Two new platters, well new to me anyway, that are on deck for review.

DEE DEE RAMONE-ZONKED
A post- Ramones effort here from Dee Dee who many consider to be the best songwriter of the Ramones. In actuality you have Marky Ramone doing the drum chores so you really have one half of the Ramones here. On this platter Dee Dee switches from bass to guitar and some vocals. Linning out the rest of the line up is Daniel Ray on guitar and Barbara Ramone on bass.

If you like the Ramones (and why wouldn't you) then you would probably like this although it isn't completely Ramones soundalike. I think that this album has pretty strong stuff on it. The thing starts of with "I'm Zonked Los Hombres" and it is basically the perfect tune to start hits off. Great guitar riff, kind of tough sounding, makes you want to move around the room. The song "Fix Yourself Up" bounces around like a bunch of sugered up six year olds on a trampoline.
Joey Ramone shows up to do the vocals on "I Am Seeing UFO'S". So here you've got 3/4's of the Ramones. The song is good pop/punk definitely in a Ramones vein. Joey wrapping his vocal style around the dumbhead, lyrics (not an insult here) fit perfectly. I am seeing ufos/I guess it's because/I had a hard time out with you last night. Joeys vocals fit like the proverbial glove. And if the words don't make sense to you, the sentiment, feeling, and emotion of this song hit home. You have felt like this before and this song will bring a smile to your face when the connection is made. I can't explain it, just trust me.
Lux Interior even steps up to the mik for the song "Bad Horoscope". Lux was a good choice as this could easily have been a Cramps tune Or maybe Iggy Pop in one of his finer post-Stooges moments.
Barbara Ramone does vocals on a few tunes. Her vocals exude a great tough chick attitude and she looks extremely cute in the band photo.

This album is one of those that had I known about it, or in the case of this album, had it existed back in my high school era, would have been played on a regular basis. It would have been taped onto a cheap cassette, and blasted it from my car tape deck while cruising around trying to evade the blues and boredom of high school existence.


THE DETROIT COBRAS-MINK RAT OR RABBIT
This album seems to be comprised of all covers and the band does do a great job of making these songs there own. The singer Rachel Nagy's vocals combine both a subtle sexuality and toughness that work very well for me.
There version of "Putty In Your Hands)" is great. Driving riff and perfect vocals(at least from a male or lesbian point of view). The first version of this song I ever heard was by the Yardbirds. These guys do a different take, and dare I commit blasphemy and say that I like this version better. At least at this moment in time.
"Easier to Cry" is a nicely executed ballad with some very nice guitar work provided by Steve Shaw and Maribel Restrepo.

"Bad Girl" a great piece of pop rock 'n' roll. This is a song written by the Oblivions, another band that I would recommend checking out. Other songs like "Summer(The Slum)" have great frenetic energy to them, and the riff of this song is like a wave of .heart punches from whatever bad ass pro wrestler you care to name. The song "Chumbawa" is a tasty instrumental with a definite south of the border feel. This could be great background music for partying on the beach, getting drunk on tequila. The song makes me want nachos and Margaritas.

Overall the music on this thing slithers and slides around, yet at the same time is tight and controlled. Imagine being in a closet with a heavily oiled up, nymphomaniac that is expert in extracting all the right reactions. The more I play this thing the better I like it. If you are cool and have any taste at all I think you'll feel the same way.

ROKY ERICKSON MOVIE

I heard some news that there are plans in the works to make a biopic about Roky Erickson. The story I have heard so far is that the plan is for Jack Black to play Roky, and that he is interested in doing this.
I don't have any more info than this at the moment and as far as I know this may just be rumor, but I hope it's true. Hopefully this will be more of a small studio or indepedent film. It seems unlikely that any of the Hollywood big wheels would want to touch something like this, and if they deemed to do so they would very likely ruin something that could end up being very cool.

If you don't know anything about Roky Erickson I feel sorry for you because you have been missing out on some very good music. He and his band the Spades got a hit in Texas which got him noticed enough to get into the 13th Floor Elevators. Many people consider this to be the band that actually started the psychedelic movement. The story is that these Texans toured around San Francisco in the early days and all of those bands from the area were influenced by the Elevators. True or not, I would think that many die hard Roky fans would shudder to think that he was possibly instrumental in the birth of bands like the GRATEFUL DEAD, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE, or any other of the frisco hippie bands, since most Roky fans that I hear of are from the garage/punk side of the street and thus many would be sworn enemies of anything those filthy hippies hath wrought. But I am getting off topic now, and I normally like to go off on tangents that lead to who knows where, let's get back to the Rock.

I'm certainly no expert on the story of Roky Erickson and a movie that told a fairly factual story might be nice. But you have to ask, wouldn't a movie about the myth be more fun? Probably, I don't know. I mean I,liked the Doors movie that Oliver Stone did but lets face it, that movie was a work of fiction. At least if you can believe a lot of the people who were around for the events, who say the film ain't the way a lot of the shit happened.
Anyway, I hop this project will see the light of day, or I guess maybe more fitting, the dark of night.

If you are not familiar with Roky Erickson then you need to rectify that situation and you need to do it now. There is a lot of stuff actually available and your better music stores should be able to hook you up with something from the 13th Floor Elevators and/or his post-Elevators career. If not you can always check out the internet.
I would recommend the stuff to start with to be something like THE EVIL ONE or GREMLINS HAVE PICTURES. Then get into the live stuff, the album ROKY ERICKSON and the EXPLOSIVES-CASTING THE RUNES will obliterate.
Maybe I'll review some Roky stuff here in the coming days, and I'll hopefully have some more info about the movie.
I also hear that he has been appearing at places and doing two or three songs live. I think that his mental health has kept him from doing a lot of stuff for the past several years but I hope that all is going to be well.
GOD BLESS ROKY ERICKSON!!

LITERATURE REVIEWS

Here's a few literary items that you really probably can't live without.

ESSENTIAL SUPER-VILLAIN TEAM UP VOL.I

Marvel comics have been reprinting a lot of their great stuff from the 60's and 70's in these Essential books and I for one think a lot of this stuff is simply kick ass. I've gotten a number of these over some time and I always enjoy reading this stuff. The 60's and 70's were simply the greatest era for comic books. You usually get about 24 or so issues of the title as well as some annuals or giant size editions that Marvel was putting out in those halycon days of comic book coolness. The stuff is printed in black and white, and although I love the color of the comics there is something to be said for the black and white format. It gives the artwork a stark look that seems to go over well with me and gives a new dimension to the look of the books.

All that being said I guess I should talk about this particular title. Super-villain Team Up was a book dedicated to telling us the story of megalomaniac Doctor Doom and his never ending bids at world conquest. The comics would have him teaming up with other various super bad guys. Most of the issues have him teamed up with the Sub-Mariner (although I would say that he technically isn't a villain as much as a guy who has some trouble handling his anger. He's more in the character vein of the Hulk or someone like that). There are also stories that team Doom with the Red Skull and Magneto. The stories are classic Marvel stuff, full of over the top, egomaniacal dialog, lots of fights, back stabbing, betrayals, sci-fi weapons and machines, and lots of massive destruction. It's cool. You should check this out as well as any of the other Essential books out there. This stuff is really good.
You can pick these things up at most book stores,or at your favorite comic book shop. The comic shops will obviously have better selections but of course you run the risk of running in to all of those comic geeks. I suppose that I could even be considered one on some levels but allow me to point out some of the glaring differences.
One: I shower daily.
Two:I don't live in my Mom's basement.
Three:I have actually experienced sex.

I don't want to offend all people who read and enjoy comics, because there are a lot of cool people, but honest to God there are those stereotypical nerds out there and they are numerous. They are easy to spot however and you'll most likely know them when you see them. Definitely when you smell 'em.

BLACK TO COMM
This zine is great. It completely hits the spot in as far as gulcher culture is concerned. It's spreading the gospel of the rock'n' roll. Not just as a form of music but as a kind of lifestyle. The guy who puts it out has a great writing style and he seems to be attuned to a lot of the coolness that makes life worth living. The last several issues of this thing have been big. You get 100 plus pages of interviews, record, cd, movie, book and zine reviews, as well as other assorted articles on things you really do want to read about. The last issue (no.25) had a cool article on the New York Scene, an excellent look at fanzines, cool reviews, and a cd that you ain't likely to get anywhere else.
If you are into cool rock 'n' roll, movies and tv shows that matter, and one of the most entertaining reads you can get, you really do have to get this zine.
Send $12.00 to:
Christopher Stigliano
714 Shady Ave.
Sharon, PA 16146-3149

GET THIS.

UGLY THINGS
Here's another zine that is involved in the garage/punk side of life. This thing is put out by Mike Stax who is the lead singer for the Loons. He's also been a member of a few other bands that champion the big beat. This thing is definitely a labor of love. The thing is extensive and well researched. I've read articles in hear that are more comprehensive than some books. Again you get a large number of pages devoted to reviews of music and books, interviews, and assorted things that make for a completely satisfying literary experience.
The last issue that I got had a great piece on the Jimmy Page era Yardbirds, The Misunderstood, and so much more that you can't read the thing in one day. Again you get nearly 200 pages of absolute coolness. There are no subscriptions but you can check them out on the web www.ugly-things.com or write 'en a letter at 3707 fifth Ave#145, San Diego, CA 92103.

You're probably asking yourself right now how can you live without this stuff. Well bub, you can't, so throw away your copies of SPIN and ROLLINGSTONE and get this stuff instead. It's better than Shakespeare, and it's even been found that reading this stuff cures the plague, so what have you got to lose. You need this stuff, you really, really, do.

HERE'S TO GOOD HEALTH!

I am finally feeling better after my bout with whatever it was that was dragging me down. It feels good to feel good again. I feel like I've been in a fog for the last week or so. Now that I think of it that happens with some frequency. I have been watching a lot of tv lately and I have to say that for the most part television sucks.

I sat and watched some of that show the Bachelor the other day. My God, that show is completely and utterly retarded. The thing reeks of down syndrome. I really hate this stuff. My wife who usually likes the more sappy type of thing made the comment afterwards "I can't believe I spent an hour and a half watching this." Amen baby, I can't believe that I did either. Just goes to show how miserable it can be when your sick and not in full possession of your senses.

The thing about television is that it used to be pretty cool. I mean when I was a kid there was all kinds of great gulcher on the airwaves. Looney Tunes, Ultraman, Combat, Starsky& Hutch, and remember the Creature Features with all of the cheesy yet way cool hosts? Whatever happened to that kind of stuff?

Damn I'm sounding old again, but hell, I don't care what anybody says, tv ain't as cool as it used to be. Reality tv is absolute unadulterated crap. Sports are really the only kind of reality tv that's worth watching. Oh well.

It's the day before the latest installment of the Star Wars movies is unleashed upon the public and there are actually people that have been in line all morning to get tickets. I realize that this is not uncommon but in my town. Hey, if I didn't have a bunch of this to do maybe I'd be out there too, sitting in the rain. Maybe not.

Keep watching as some movie and music reviews will be coming post haste, so tell all your friends and family. Over and out.

A NEW DRUG

I went to the doctor the other day due to an incredibly painful sore throat. If you are like me, then long waits at the doctor are a source of major irritation. I have discovered that the way to avoid such things are to have your appointment about ten minutes before 5:oo. The doctors and nurses are already thinking about being home and opening up a cold and frosty beverage, and you the patient are very possibly the last thing that they are concerned about at this time.
Hell, you'll be lucky if they check your vital signs. I have never seen a doctor so quickly. The second the nurse shut the examining room door it was opening again. The diagnosis was quick and I didn't have to go through a lot of tests and stuff that I might have had to endure had my appointment been aroun 3:00. I got a prescription and went home feeling pretty happy about my drive through doctors office visit.

The only problem that I can come up with is that, not only am I not better, but have steadily been getting worse. Now I have a cough that will not quit and I haven't really slept in about three days because of it. I am also keeping my wife up.

As if feeling like crap isn't bad enough, I have had to hear from family and friends about how they know somebody who was having the same exact problems and they died. I don't know that I'm that sick yet, but I would say that another sleepless night of this hacking cough and death is going to come as a cold and comforting friend.

Anyway, I've now gotten a high powered cough syrup from my doctor (he was not the guy that I saw on Friday) and it says it's a narcotic antitussive and I should avoid driving and all that stuff. After I post this I'm running to the store to buy a 12 pack and then I'm going home and watching something weird like the Monkees movie HEAD, and then it's out to check out the bars. Heh, heh, I'm only kidding. I do not advocate that sort of reckless behavior. Someone will be driving me to the bar.

PREDICTIONS

I predicted that the movie HITCHHIKERS GUIDE TO THE GALAXY was going to suck. I've heard that it was the number one movie over the weekend. That doesn't mean that it doesn't suck. I will know for myself in a couple of days. I still think it's going to be crap, but it will give me something to write about.

I watched the documentary END OF THE CENTURY last night. I thought this was really very good. I was surprised that PBS had something this cool on. Every member of the band was interviewed, even the forgotten Ritchie Ramone. The guy looks like he's gone on to be a business exec or something. As a Ramones fan I found this movie to be pretty satisfying. It seemed like it was a pretty honest picture of the band. It really is a mystery why the Ramones never had a hit. The film said, and I agree, The Ramones played classic American Rock 'n' Roll. Lots of other bands have gotten radio airplay copping the sound of the Ramones, yet the innovators never had much commercial success. It just goes to show that the music business makes no sense.

All things Ramone rule. Well, except for Dee Dee's rap stuff. I guess heroin is bad for you.