I love the Alice Cooper album, but was talking about the BAND Easy Action... Somehow nobody knows who they are... 

John Battles said:

"Easy Action" (Alice Cooper Group) was mentioned , somewhere....I agree , it's a great , overlooked album , but , like "mAN wHO sOLD tHE wORLD" , it had the unlikeable position of preceding the big breakthrough album , "Love It To Death". Still , my personal favorite of the first two A.C. albums would be "Pretties For You". Not even as coherent as "Easy Action", it's a motherfuckin' mindfuck. Everything California Psych should have been , but seldom ever was (The fact that the band played their first show as Alice Cooper , supporting Blue Cheer , speaks volumes...get it? volumes? Is this thing on?).

"Easy Action" (Alice Cooper Group) was mentioned , somewhere....I agree , it's a great , overlooked album , but , like "mAN wHO sOLD tHE wORLD" , it had the unlikeable position of preceding the big breakthrough album , "Love It To Death". Still , my personal favorite of the first two A.C. albums would be "Pretties For You". Not even as coherent as "Easy Action", it's a motherfuckin' mindfuck. Everything California Psych should have been , but seldom ever was (The fact that the band played their first show as Alice Cooper , supporting Blue Cheer , speaks volumes...get it? volumes? Is this thing on?).

dave , if I knew how , I would. It's a wonder I can do this much , as I'm self - taught.

"Little Willy" was the first 45 I bought with my own money. Still , it was about 6 years until Sweet had another major U.S. hit , and that's a long time when you're a kid.....I was'nt really into them for a long time , but , when I did some investigating , I discovered  that this was a fucking ace band , as their peeps would say.....Every facet of their career (Except maybe the post - Brian Connolly era. Even some of that is OK. NOT ESSENTIAL.), including  the very early Psych and Bubblegum stuff , has it's charms. I saw the reformed group in , I think , '89.It was Andy Scott and Mick Tucker , both of whom had my jaw on the floor , and , subbing  for Brian Connolly was Mel McNulty of very early Iron Maiden , and later , Slade II , now known as "Slade" . And even THAT has'nt got Noddy out of his easy chair to take back what's his. Oh , well. It's his affair , he does'nt have to prove he sounds like Bikini Atoll.

They came back a couple of times , sand Mick Tucker. Bet your ass I went to all three shows . We don't get this stuff handed down to us on a platter. Slade's last US tour , in '83 , was cancelled due to medical issues.  Our own Suzi Quatro (S'cuse me , I mean , wor Suzi...) has'nt toured the states , to my knowledge , since 1979 (I could have seen her , then , at an all ages festival , but I only knew her thru "Happy Days" , and thought it was OK at the time.) ..... Then , a pre - scandal Gary Glitter sang a total of two songs in the whole of his U.S. performing career , when the World Cup was held in Chicago. It was a $40 ticket , and an otherwise abhorral bill (Yes , James , Scorpions , Fleetwood Mac with only Mick and John , and probably not even Billy Burnette....ugh.). I knew , I sensed it , they'd only give him two songs. I was right. I also learned , later , that they were letting people in free , because no one bought advance tickets. I STILL don't know where the Hell the venue is , though.

So , yeah , I saw Andy Scott's Sweet three times. D'jer wanna make something of it ?

BRIAN WAS UP FOR HIS OLD JOB, WHEN THE SWEET WERE DISCUSSING A REUNION , BUT , his drinking HAD LEFT HIM , SADLY , A WRECK . Reportedly , he'd cleaned up by then , but an English guy told me , when he was living , Brian was lovingly called "Shakes". tHERE'S A DOCUMENTARY on Brian , now on You Tube , made about a year before he died. You will not find it easy to get thru.
 dave said:

Ha, Slade, alright, ya sold me, I'll be looking up their stuff! Hey, I do like the Sweet now, tho' it took years. You might think about putting those 2 cassettes on youtube, sound screamin' (and no Meteors, thank Christ! Ugh, psycho-billy, non, just gimme Cramps)

John Battles said:

There's so many.....But , since I was just talking about 'em-

Lithium Xmas "Aneurysm" (Cassette only. Some of the same material turned up on a CD , "Bad Karma" (?) , years later. ). Total mindfuck Hard Psych. Covers of Beefheart , Ultimate Spinach , Alice Cooper Group , Nilsson , Red Krayola , Lemon Pipers , George Harrison and the cast of "Godspell". No mere Psych Replacements , they made every song their own , with room for songs of their own.....But , what they could do with "The Iron Butterfly Theme" , now that , you should hear (It appears on "Helldorado" , a collection of then - new originals and covers from the early days.).

Washington Dead Cats (Same?)  Also cassette only. French Psych/Psycho/Horror Rock , with Pere Ubu embellishments. They're still around . These hommes did not suck The Meteors' tit. They were into something different , altogether.

David Bowie "The Man Who Sold The World" - Maybe not underrated , so much as overlooked , it has the unfortunate disctinction of preceding "Ziggy Stardust", and , largely , only remembered , today , because Nirvana covered the title track. T. Tex Edwards' version of "Black Country Rock" is so much better , it's not funny. This album reeks of nihilism and paranoia . and it's as heavy , or moreso , as the first two Sabs' records.Marc Bolan's on it , too !

Slade on Stage  - I know it's quite likely no one will back me on this , but , of their three official live LPs , I've always thought this one was hands down , no contest , the best.

It's 1982 ,the band is just getting on their feet again . Two years prior to their one good - sized American hit , and more than 5 years since a real chart single in The UK (Barring Re- appearances of "Merry Christmas , Everybody.") , the band had just recently set Reading ABLAZE with a surprise appearance , and they were'nt looking back.

Faster than a speeding Punk record , Heavier than The New Wave of British Heavy Metal , capable of turning England over to The Geordies with one detonation of the atom bomb blast that is Noddy Holder...... LOOK ! UP ON STAGE !!! fuck me , IT's SLAAAAAAAAAAADE !!!!!!

 

One of my personal favorites is Easy Action.  I have never heard anyone who is not me bring them up.

Blue Dirge is a GREAT album!  I have spent many many hours with it.

I love The Spears... I used to go see them when I lived in St Pete... I had a 7" until my ex wife threw out my entire record collection... Great fucking band! Miss seeing them & I miss the Emerald Bar.

Dave said:

I may be a bit biased on this one. Full disclosure, my label released this..

 

Anyway it's a band called The Spears, has the singer from Pink Lincolns, bass player Hated Youth, Down By Law guitarist, and the drummer from Black Flag.

We put it out about a year before the band "OFF" came out. It's strikingly similar. We spent a ton of money promoting this thing, and it got about 30 rave reviews, but for some reason it never caught on.

I was trying to find a download link somewhere. Amazingly, seems like all the illegal download links are broken

Here is one track though

http://www.jailhouserecords.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/05-...

 

If anyone can find a mediafire link or anything, feel free to post it.

Ha, Slade, alright, ya sold me, I'll be looking up their stuff! Hey, I do like the Sweet now, tho' it took years. You might think about putting those 2 cassettes on youtube, sound screamin' (and no Meteors, thank Christ! Ugh, psycho-billy, non, just gimme Cramps)

John Battles said:

There's so many.....But , since I was just talking about 'em-

Lithium Xmas "Aneurysm" (Cassette only. Some of the same material turned up on a CD , "Bad Karma" (?) , years later. ). Total mindfuck Hard Psych. Covers of Beefheart , Ultimate Spinach , Alice Cooper Group , Nilsson , Red Krayola , Lemon Pipers , George Harrison and the cast of "Godspell". No mere Psych Replacements , they made every song their own , with room for songs of their own.....But , what they could do with "The Iron Butterfly Theme" , now that , you should hear (It appears on "Helldorado" , a collection of then - new originals and covers from the early days.).

Washington Dead Cats (Same?)  Also cassette only. French Psych/Psycho/Horror Rock , with Pere Ubu embellishments. They're still around . These hommes did not suck The Meteors' tit. They were into something different , altogether.

David Bowie "The Man Who Sold The World" - Maybe not underrated , so much as overlooked , it has the unfortunate disctinction of preceding "Ziggy Stardust", and , largely , only remembered , today , because Nirvana covered the title track. T. Tex Edwards' version of "Black Country Rock" is so much better , it's not funny. This album reeks of nihilism and paranoia . and it's as heavy , or moreso , as the first two Sabs' records.Marc Bolan's on it , too !

Slade on Stage  - I know it's quite likely no one will back me on this , but , of their three official live LPs , I've always thought this one was hands down , no contest , the best.

It's 1982 ,the band is just getting on their feet again . Two years prior to their one good - sized American hit , and more than 5 years since a real chart single in The UK (Barring Re- appearances of "Merry Christmas , Everybody.") , the band had just recently set Reading ABLAZE with a surprise appearance , and they were'nt looking back.

Faster than a speeding Punk record , Heavier than The New Wave of British Heavy Metal , capable of turning England over to The Geordies with one detonation of the atom bomb blast that is Noddy Holder...... LOOK ! UP ON STAGE !!! fuck me , IT's SLAAAAAAAAAAADE !!!!!!

 

"We didn't have a positive song until we wrote 'Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue.'" - Dee Dee Ramone

''you created the monster,not me''--John Lydon

 " If you say Punk is not Rock 'n' Roll ,  well , that's wrong. And , if you say Punk is not a form of Rock'n'Roll , well , that's wrong. Punk , to me , is the art of cramming into one second what it used to take all night for us to do. When The Elevators would play with , say , The Conqueroo , at the end of the show, when we'd both played our sets , you HAD to jam. Don't even think of what kind of Hell they'd raise if you did'nt jam.".

"I like The Sex Pistols , sure. They remind me a lot of Fiorello La Guardia. My favorite Sex Pistols song? Hmmmmm. I have it. The First Sex Pistols Song I ever heard? I guess "Hot Cars".

"Somebody sent me a Talking Heads tape.   It's hard to listen to !". 

Roky Erickson.

"You've got to decide, then, whether you want to just keep repeating yourself, in the hope that you keep those first people interested, or whether you want to be true to yourself. Which in some sense is more Punk Rock than anything."

-Elvis Costello

"Punk can be a mental ghetto.  People get into it and make all these rules and pretty soon they’re worse than born again Christians and have stupid three hour conversation about things like, which band is a sellout and is straight edge cool or un-cool and it’s just completely idiotic.  So punk has taught me the aesthetic of the outsider, which is great, but it’s also taught me not to get involved in petty little cults." - Jesse Michaels

Somewhere , I said Dave Hill was the sax man for The Treniers. It was Don Hill.

Well , I lived there for 12 years. The ones that mess you up the most. I did'nt see Really Red , but , I liked the "Suburban Disease" EP , and their much earlier stuff , now that I've heard it. Never bought their LP , tho' I thought it was cool they did Red Krayola's "War Sucks"....I wanted to see them , heard they were really good , live , but , all the Hardcore violence was putting me off my food , y'know. I liked SOME H.C. - Bad Brains , Fear , D.O.A., stuff like that.   Butthole Surfers were terrible , that first time I saw them at the Dead Kennedys gig , but , I guess MDC , and certainly , Stickmen , made them look that much better. Paul Leary told me , later , even he felt it was a very bad night.  Scott Edgerton , that name is very familiar...He MIGHT have been Lithium Xmas ' first Drummer , who was , as I recall , also the Drummer from a group called Spazbot , whom I did a lot of shows with , usually on weeknights , when we were'nt a threat - HA HA HA HA . But , their founding Drummer was quickly replaced by Gitiim Chackamoi , who's from Nigeria , originally. She was the best drummer in town.Everyone wanted  her in their band , and she freelanced a lot , but mainly played in LXmas and The Howling Dervishes , which was also my Brother , Tom , Chuck Rose , from Ft. Worth Punk band , Cringe , and  , later , he was Johnny Carroll's last Bass player. He and myBrother still play in bands together, today.  BUT , the guy from EARLY LITHIUM AND SPAZBOT WAS ALSO A VERY GOOD DRUMMER. I think the late Reagan Eskridge (Could that be who you meant ?) from Quad Pi also played a few gigs before they arrived at Gitiim.

I talked about this , elsewhere , but , Bobby Soxx did'nt seem like such a threat at the time , just starved for attention. When I first met him , he  seemed pretty mellow. We had some very tame verbal disagreements , I guess because maybe he thought I was somebody he couldtalk down to , but , I really was'nt impressed. I heard some rumors and some thingsthat were probably true , but , I think , when Hardcore took over (Even tho' there were no Hardcore bands of note in Dallas . Some , like NOTA , and Stinky Shits , did'nt last long.), he sort of got left behind , though you could'nt call what he was doing "Punk" anyway , it was just slow death. The Butthole Surfers liked them a lot , tho. I could'nt stand 'em. I was'nt alone. But , years later , when I heard Bobby was going to jail for the attempted murder of his Girlfriend (Who lived to testify against him.), I was kind of thrown back. Most of the things I'd heard about him did'nt concern violence at all. I never really saw him in a violent situation at all , and I saw him around a lot , even in the daytime (Rule #1 , back then , was , it's not Punk to be seen in the daytime . Complain about being prejudged by society , but , don't  go out IN society.) . So , I knew him , in passing , but , I don't think that many people were really terrified by him. Maybe scared enough to not want to hang out with him , but , not like they thought he'd hurt them or anything. I did'nt really start going to see The Butthole Surfers , in earnest , until early '84  , after I bought their first EP ,and decided I liked them. They were different every time , never did the same set , twice , and got increasingly theatrical (And Gibby got increasingly nekkid.), and more Psychedelic.

Their gigs in Dallas became events , but , the one time I saw them , here , I was'nt feeling it , anymore.         I guess I felt I had to make the rounds , I was underage and without a car thru the heyday of Dallas Punk , and when better touring bands came thru on a regular basis. When I was a little older , I had to go out and find out for myself what I did and did'nt like. Looking back , most people agree it was a good time , peaking at or around 1986.

Shit, you're from Texas? Cool, did you ever see Really Red (I always missed 'em)? Yeah, regarding Lithium Xmas, my friend Scott Edgerton had a younger brother who was (I think) and original member. Small world... Stickmen w/ Rayguns, everyone I know was scared shitless of Bobby Sox. When I visited Dallas, tho', he seemed like a nice guy to me. Wish I'd seen the Surfers when they were at their most chaotic. I met Gibby and Paul, very cool folks, but that was years later. You made the rounds!
 
John Battles said:

First show ever - KISS , July , 1976 , with Bob Seger (Still kicking ass - check out "Live Bullet" , if it sets you back over a dollar , you was robbed.)  , and the now - popular Power Pop cult heroes , Artful Dodger. I was 11 years old (Before it was the norm to be a preteen at a KISS concert.) , so , of course , I loved it. I thought everyone on the bill was really good , actually.

This show got me out of a potential hazing when I started Jr. High. Some uptight older kid was giving me a lot of shit , when another one said , "Hey. Leave that guy alone. He was at The KISS concert.".

First Punk show ? uhhhhhh....Some people would say "That's not Punk , that's New Wave" , to which I'd say , "That's not I don't give a shit , that's I really don't give a shit."

But , the first show of note , for me , was at a house party in Denton , Texas , 1980 . My Brother's band at the time , The Jetsons (Feat. The future MC 900Ft. Jesus , Mark Griffin.)were playing with Chef Physique and Brave Combo , who used to be GREAT , no World Music , just Garge Rock Polka.). That was when I realized , like Leo Sayer put it "Hmmm...now waitaminnit ...I CAN DAAAAAANCE!!!". I was on the fence about a lot of the new music , but , that show turned my head around (Tho' we had to miss Brave Combo.).

Useless trivia : Mark Griffin went on to become a founding member of Lithium XMas , the still underrated Heavy Psych outfit. Several years later , my Brother , Tom Battles , joined the band , as well , and , in between , the Husband and Wife team that led Chef Physique briefly joined Lithium Xmas ( Who had NINE members at the time. Plan 9 only had eight .). 

Until I had an ID stating that I was 19 , tho' (All the cool kids had believable fake IDs , they tell me.), I did'nt see a lot of bands besides The Jetsons , The Telefones , 10 minutes of Chron Gen , Plimsouls ('81) , Robin Lane and The Chartbusters (same) , The Clash (82) The Stray Cats (same) and The Dead Kennedys w/MDC , Hugh Beaumont Experience , Butthole Surfers and Stickmen With Rayguns, also in '82 . DKs WERE VERY GOOD , I WAS STILL REALLY INTO 'EM. Hugh Beaumont Experience had their moments , they were pretty funny. They were all younger than me , which was encouraging.

Here's a few:

Sonny Vincent - Semper Fidelis 30 years anthology 1972-2002 (Rocking Bones)

Tongan Death Grip - Chula Vista (P-Trash)

Dead German -Vicious Repent (Dead Beat Records)

Age can only be a barrier if you let it.

You can't be TOO old to Rock , a fact which 76 y.o. Jerry Lee Lewis , who just did a phenomenal show in Chicago , drove home . I would have been just as happy with an all - Country set ,but he complemented the minority portion of the show, The Honky Tonk killers , with full throttle , too fast for The Autobahn , Rockers. And , he played piano like he just shot Arthur , backstage.   Arthur Itis.

I think  Little Richard turns 80 next year , Chuck Berry is , what, 86? And , I hear he still does great gigs in St. Louis . He was terrible , here , but I saw him 10 years ago in St. Louis , and he destroyed ! Marvin Rainwater is also a Rocktagenarian , Link Wray was well into his 70's when he passed (His birthdate is in dispute ,but , he was at least 75.). Claude Trenier Rocked it well into his 80's , his 81 y.o. Brother , Milt , still performs (Tho' a lot of people , especially my UK bRETHEREN , WOULD SAY IT'S NOT rOCK'N'rOLL. It's damn fine showmanship , tho.). Fats Domino retired some time back , but my Dad and my Grandpa were younger when they retired. Wanda Jackson turned 70 a year or so ago. There's a lot of others ....But ,  Sky Saxon was rumored to be 70 or 71 at the time of his ascension (His widow , Sabrina , would'nt reveal his date of birth.), The Wailers had members in their 70's , as , I guess , The Sonics do , now , too. Mike and The Ravens were probably all in their early 70's when they made 3 great , REAL Garage Punk CDs. The Trashmen have got to be pushing 70 , and , well , there's more....

As far as guys older than The Downliners Sect or The Pretty Things (BTW , is'nt Dick Taylor , bless his sweet heart , 70 by now ?) who listen to them , still. There's got to be some.

There are quite a number of bands from the '60s still performing. There was a post here just the other day about an upcoming festival with The Trashmen and a couple others. The Sonics have played recently, too, and Chuck Berry still plays monthly in St. Louis!

I just hung out with Doug Moody (of R&B and later Mystic Records fame) and he's in his 80s and still coming out to shows and recording bands in their twenties.

My Grandma was 12 in 1955 and she's still playing rocknroll records into her late 60s 

I'm 53 and probably one of the oldest Hideout members.  This started me thinking.  Here in the UK you would have first heard Elvis in 1955.  If you were 16 then you'd be 72 now.  Does anyone know of senior citizens out there who are still rocking?  By rocking I don't mean listening to Oldie stations on a Sunday drive.  I mean actively listening to the Chocolate Watchband, Beefheart, Downliners Sect or whoever.  Or even seeking new and wild sounds.  Can you be too old to rock?

Sonics

Bobby said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-it0GAZ9JZI&feature=related

andre Williams

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZnZ5EEOWSM

I'm trying to avoid Xmas songs , if I like 'em or not. But , my favorites are "Christmas in The Congo" by Teddy and The Tall Tops ( The band, recently reformed , has been based in both Dallas and Austin. The original , Dallas - based group - then consisting of Ted Roddy (A distant Cousin to Elvis Presley.) , Jim Heath (The Reverend Horton Heat.) , Phil Bennison (Homer Henderson.) and Jas Stephens (Of The Ft. Worth 60's Teen Garage band , The Neurotic Sheep.- released this in 1983.)..... It's got a Bo Diddley beat , Ted's Elvisian croon , Jim's cutting Rockabilly/R'n'B guitar lines , and cool lyrics. A Christmas song you don't have to wait til Christmas for.

Bob Seger "Sock it To Me , Santa" Foot - in - ass Garage Rock'n'Soul shouter that Mitch Ryder was probably envious of. A hit all year 'round !

Slade - Merry Christmas , Everybody.

Sonics - Santa Claus.

Elvis - Two way tie - "Merry Christmas , Baby" and "Santa Claus is Back in Town".

OK , now , I'm starting to remember it's almost Xmas. L'chaim , y'all.

That's just at this second. It might be different in a few.

The Business- Step intoChristmas or Reigning Sound- If Christmas Can't Bring You Home.

I'd love to be a spunky male groupie :):):)

John Battles said:

There definitely ARE Male Groupies , but , how they go about it is very different , at least , most of the time.... I've met Female rockers who were very sexy and very friendly , but , I was'nt trying to make them uncomfortable , just make conversation , and , they understood that. Whether it went beyond that , I'm pleadin' the fifth. Maybe some of them want to have Male Groupies. You have to understand , we Men are generally clueless on such matters.

Any guy with sense does'nt want to step over the line , or be out of line....

Maybe some Lady Rockers are'nt making their interest clear , because they don't want to be percieved a certain way , or they forget , WE'RE GUYS. We're the ones who need to be hit in the head once in a while , to know the other in interested.

 

I saw The Pandoras in '86 , and , while they had a lot of Male fans in attendance. Most of them were terrified by their sexual confidence and aggression. Not this boy.