A CANDIDATE WE CAN ALL FEEL GOOD ABOUT!

DIO FOR AMERICA

And here I was going to give up on voting.

MORE BLACK TO COMM!

I just got a couple of back issues of this fine magazine in my mailbox the other day. I've reviewed the last issue a while ago and it goes without saying that if you really are one of those rock 'n' roll freaks who lives for the blast and blair of kick ass, bone crunching music, then you really ought to be buying this magazine.
This magazine is devoted to the Velvets/Stooges/MC5/New York Dolls/Dictators worship that is really the standard for rock 'n' roll. If your one of those new heavy metal types you probably don't want to bother with this mag, because you ain't gonna see much you'll like, and would most likely be better off sticking with your subscription to Hit Parader and Metal Edge. If your a politically correct type who wants to save the Spotted owl, thinks the "Summer of Love' had any real relevance to anything, and believe in the Meat is Murder line of thinking, then this magazine is probably even less for you. These types should stick to Rolling Stone or Spin.

However if you really get your rocks off by experiencing "High Energy" music, and enjoy trash culture and all of the greatness that it had, and has to offer then you really need to be plunking down the money to own some issues of this beloved rag.

I just received issues #17 and #19. As expected these mags live up the the standard that I've come to expect from this zine. Miriam Lina is interviewed in #19. She, an ex-member of the Cramps, and she currently drums for the A-Bones, a band that everybody should be playing their records at their next beer bash.
#17 does a feature on the Scott Morgan Group, formerly of the Rationals. Drummer for the Scott Morgan Group was none other than "Rock Action" himself Scott Ashton, formerly of you know what group (and if you don't, then you really should be reading Black To Comm).

The articles, interviews, reviews are all top notch as far as I'm concerned. I read these things cover to cover when I get them and they stand up to repeated readings and they don't get dated. I certainly can't say I feel the same way about most of the issues of Rolling Stone that I have.( there's only a couple of issues that have an interview that I may reread and still find it entertaining, provided, I found it that way in the first place). I don't even thumb through Rolling stone in the store anymore. That thing has become such a corporate shill sheet. The last straw for me was in their list of 500 greatest songs; John Lennon's "Imagine" came in at number three. That song is one of the most boring, weak ass, pieces of shit ever, and they rate it at number three. Did the Stooges have a song on their list? Probably not.

Anyway, my point is that Black To Comm really hits the spot in as far as gulcher is concerned. I'm interested in almost every thing I read on every page in this thing. It's good I'm tellin' ya. So unless you're a hippy you should buy this total rock 'n' roll blast of a mag. If you are a hippy, you probably don't want the people involved with this magazine to have your address.
Look up the address on the old post where I previously talked about this mag, or ask for the address and I'll get it to those interested. Later friends.

p.s. I have nothing against the Spotted Owl, but as far as I'm concerned. those guys are on their own.

PERUVIAN PUNK

The Mangazoids-Sobredosis de Horror just made it's way to my doorstep. This is a nice slab of garage punk with a lot of surf sound to season it up. The first song "El Condor Pasta" is a surf instrumental that really reminds me of The Shadows.
"Mujer Boa" has a nice power punch riff and a beat to send you bouncing around the room. The song "Estoy a 5 Anos de Aca" is the Third Bardo tune "Five Years Ahead of my Time" .
Al the songs are in Spanish, or Portuguese, or whatever the language is that they speak in Peru. I was too lazy to look it up before posting this review.
This platter is really tasty heavy garage/punk with a number of good surf type tunes thrown in for good measure.
This stuff is soaked in booze, sweat, and dirt and is a great soundtrack for drinking lot's of beer, whiskey, tequila, and running wild like a pack of wolves. (A typical Friday and/or Saturday night for many).
They also have a song on here called "Lluvia de Fuzztones" which I'm assuming is a tribute to the legendary band. It certainly sounds like a Fuzztones type of song.
This CD has a lot of grit and power and is just plain good shit. And if you happen to be one of those people who just can't get into this because you can't understand the words, then I feel sorry for ya. I have had people tell me this before when I've played them some tasty selection of something from a German, or Japanese band that don't sing in english. I don not get it. Kick ass rockin' music is Kick ass rockin' music no matter what language it's sung in. If it rocks, then it's good enough for me.

Keep your eyes peeled for my next post when I just may decide to rant and rave, and go off on all kinds of tangents about the true Southern Rock. Or maybe I'll write an essay on Punk Rock vs. Heavy Metal. Or maybe something equally as meaningful and profound to us gulcher types.

MC5-KICK OUT THE JAMS DVD

I got this thing in the mail a couple of days ago with my subscription to SCRAM magazine. The DVD was apparently some kind of merchandise that you could get from the newly resurrected CREEM magazine, since the mags logo is on the thing. First off this isn't exactly what I had thought it was going to be. It definitely is footage of the 5 in their hey day and the music is live; however, it is actually more of a video collage, rather than being an actual live concert.
That being said I still think this is pretty cool. The music is still live(some of it being almost impossible to hear the songs through the muddy quality) and seeing the band rockin' their nuts off is truly there stuff of legend.

This thing being put together by Carey Loren, it does have that psychedelic, late 60's art damage kind of look, which is what his other video stuff sorta looks like. (See Grow Live Monsters, a video art project from his band DESTROY ALL MONSTERS. That same group to consist of an ex-MC5 member, as well as an ex- Stooge later on.)

The real complaint that I have about this thing is that a number of the songs are cut in the middle of them. I'm not sure why. But some of the songs are completely there, at least enough of the song for me not to completely notice.

The footage of the band , as I've already said is great too see. They were in no uncertain terms, a band to be reckoned with. They were noted for on occasions, having the headline act refuse to go on after them, being unable too match the power, energy, and frenzy laid down by those motor city bad asses.
Greatness indeed. Now if there was some actual concert footage out there; which there is at least something. I know because I remember seeing a vidoe of KICK OUT THE JAMS before on some show like RADIO 1990 or NIGHT FLIGHT. Shows that were on the USA Network back in the early 80's. That channel was very cool back then, I loved NIGHT FLIGHT, and who could hate something like MARTIAL ARTS THEATER. Uh oh, now I'm longing for the good ole days again. In fact it's hard to think, considering all the shit that passed for pop culture in the 80's that I would be reminiscing about it fondly. Oh well, there was some cool stuff going on in the 80's, not much, but some. (The great garage rock revival comes to mind.)

The thing that this DVD did after I watched was get me in to a big MC5 binge. I dug out all my records and CD's and got cought up in all the energy and sound once again. And it felt almost as good as when I first heard the MC5. I had gotten KICK OUT THE JAMS from a used record store after hearing about it from some friends older brother, and reading about it referenced in some rock mag. This thing really blew my mind and was immediately on a pedestal equal to, if not higher than almost everything I had been listening too previously. It was one of those watershed albums in my life that changed my perceptions of rock 'n' roll and led me on the greater listening pleasures of the stuff I currently love and obsess over. Hell, who knows if not for hearing the MC5,the STOOGES, and others of that ilk, I might have turned out to be a Motley Crue fan. I shudder to think.