Plimfan I am! Got my copy on pre-order my local shop. Can't wait!

A version of this was published in The Santa Fe New Mexican
March 5, 2010

The Plimsouls are one of those rock ’n’ roll bands that never quite achieved mega-success at the commercial level. But nearly 30 years after they broke up, their adherents claim that they were one of the most vital groups of all time.

Those who believe that — and I’m one who has slowly been drifting to that conclusion — have some fresh new evidence for that argument, a newly released concert album titled Live! Beg, Borrow & Steal. Recorded Halloween night in 1981 at the Whiskey a Go Go in Los Angeles, it captures the band at the height of their considerable powers.

So who were these guys?

The Plimsouls were a quartet led by singer Peter Case, who had previously played with a punk-rock unit called The Nerves. (And before that, he was a street busker in San Francisco, where, Case told me several years ago, none other than Dan Hicks used to harass and harangue him as he tried to sing for tips on the streets of North Beach.) Case has since gone on to establish himself as a respected singer/songwriter and contemporary folk singer.

In the fertile L.A. punk/New Wave scene of the late ’70s and early ’80s, The Plimsouls became major contenders. With Eddie Muñoz on guitar, Dave Pahoa on bass, and drummer Louie Ramirez, the Plims created a sound with the chaotic energy of punk rock but featuring hook-heavy melodies with nods to mid-’60s folk-rock and soul (their first EP, 1980’s Zero Hour, had a cover of Otis Reddings’ “I Can’t Turn You Loose”). Rodney Bingenheimer championed their signature tune “A Million Miles Away” on his KROQ radio show (the song was later included in the cinematic classic Valley Girl). And somehow it got tagged with the label “power pop” — which might put off some potential listeners wary of anything pop.

After their maiden album on the independent Planet Records, the Plimsouls got snatched up by Geffen Records. Their one-and-only major-label outing, Everywhere at Once, contained some of their classic songs. But I found it way overproduced in a glitzy, ’80s kind of way.

The band broke up soon after the release of Everywhere at Once. Case was becoming more and more interested in his folk and blues roots and less and less enthralled at the prospect of leading a rock band.

Every decade or so, The Plimsouls reunite. They recorded an album of new songs in the mid-1990s — the criminally neglected Kool Trash. Though I never got to see them in the ’80s, I’ve been fortunate to see them in 1996 and 2006 at the South by Southwest Festival. The latter show was held in perhaps the most jam-packed bar I’ve ever been in. Both shows are among the most high-charged and energetic I’ve ever seen.

For my money, the best Plimsouls albums are the live ones — this new record, and 1988’s excellent One Night in America. While listening to their albums is not the same as seeing them live, you still can hear the sweat.

If you’re a Plimfan, chances are your favorite song by the group is on Live! Beg, Borrow & Steal. “Million Miles” is here, of course, as well as perhaps the finest version of “Zero Hour” I’ve ever heard and a not-too-shabby “Lost Time.” The set starts out with “Hush Hush” and moves straight to “Shaky City,” which sounds like some unknown old Yardbirds tune mutated with some unexpected chord changes.

One of the standouts is “I Want You Back.” No, it’s not the Jackson 5 hit. It’s a Case original and perhaps as closes to rockabilly as the Plimsouls ever sounded.

In addition to their original tunes, the Plimsouls honor their forefathers with several hopped-up covers of early rock ’n’ roll classics. Bo Diddley’s “Who Do You Love” sneaks in on a medley. The group pays tribute to the early L.A. Chicano rockers Thee Midnighters with a frenzied take on “Jump, Jive, and Harmonize.” There’s Larry Williams’ “Dizzy Miss Lizzy,” which was most famously done by the Beatles (this one also appeared on One Night in America).

And there’s a real treat. The Plimsouls are joined by The Fleshtones, who apparently were the opening act that night, on spirited covers of Gary “U.S.” Bonds’ “New Orleans” and Little Richards’ “Hey Hey Hey.” There’s an uncredited sax player who seems to come out of nowhere on “New Orleans.” Is it the late Gordon Spaeth, who frequently played with The Fleshtones? I hope this live album will spark enough interest to bring about a new Plimsouls reunion. This music is timeless and welcome in any decade.

Check out The Plimsouls at Alive Records. And there are songs and videos at their MySpace page, even though nobody’s updated the site in two or three years.

Boots box set...3 or 4 LP's by The Boots and have never seen it since.

There's lots of others, but i can't think of them right now.

We've all had that record(s) we saw and didn't buy, only to regret it later.  What were some of your greatest misses?

Here's a few of mine:

The Monks- Black Monk Time
This Is Boston, Not LA (hardcore comp)

I'm using a Fender Blues De-Ville circa 1996 for live playing, I run a two by 12 J-Bin under it. When I'm at home I've got a Epiphone Valve Jnr. Great lil amp for the bucks.

Those prices are amazing. Looks like the vintage Japanese price bubble has burst.

CHECK OUT THIS LINK FOR COOL OLD CHEAP GUITARS

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.fatdawg.com/1mutant.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.fatdawg.com/kookie.html&usg=__ELrvi9QieOeNsXjJH1JS4trIqgs=&h=511&w=248&sz=65&hl=en&start=16&sig2=GNSXjSGsdBfjRb5_CXPCrA&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=s8c4HqVq4z3MjM:&tbnh=131&t

ow ow

Once I heard 70s power pop (like in 1991 or something) I totally forgot that it once applied to groups like the Who and the Easybeats.

Definitely my favorite. I don't know why anybody would ever think of covering such a horrible song. Makes me laugh. ixnayray said:

HA HA!!!

I must admit, I only got this album recently. Its absolutely genius!

At the moment m fave would have to be... The Final Countdown. Although right now i'm diggin' the whole thing!

We could really be onto something here!!! Mina a.k.a. psycho -a said:

Well perhaps it's time to learn some foreign languages! :O
Oh and also: try to improvise, it doesn't matter what lyrics you use. Maybe you should try to take a whole 'nother lyric from a completely different song :D

Well i'm afraid i don't speak any other language... i can barely speak my own! Hey... maybe i'll just try singing along with a foreign accent! ;) Mina a.k.a. psycho -a said:

You know what's even more fun? Sing it in a different language.. :D I always sing a long in Dutch :O

Yeah i can see me listening to this for a long time. Very addictive and i don't think there's a bad song on there! I will take your advice and crank up the volume next time i wash the dishes! "I found my blue... on blueberry blue..." HA HA! Mina a.k.a. psycho -a said:

The more you listen to it, the more you will like every song on it ;-)
I don't know if you ever do the dishes or do some housecleaning... excellent record! :O

HA HA!!!

I must admit, I only got this album recently. Its absolutely genius!

At the moment m fave would have to be... The Final Countdown. Although right now i'm diggin' the whole thing!

For those who have no clue who, what or when Die Zorros is or was --> http://bit.ly/9ITHPa

YEAH! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

I was kidding... and having a little fun myself. I thought i was just answering your question. :S Personally i go out of my way to check out cover versions. I love the individual touch a band/artist can add to a song. I think the Die Zorros album is a perfect example of this - I don't think any other band could make me think that Europes "Final Countdown" was such a cool song! OOPS - i guess i may be sending this topic off on a tangent... sorry! ;) Mina a.k.a. psycho -a said:

Does it matter who "the man" was/is..? ;-)
Sometimes humor and having fun with friends is more important than being 'the man'... ;P

Like the version by the Blue Crystals on Garage Punk Unknowns for instance. It's guys having fun. Like the version of Hanky Panky by the Sonics...why bother when Tommy James is pretty cool. Well the Sonics were goofing and having fun and I laughed. That's why.

Yeah i'm a fan of the Die Zorros version BUT... c'mon, Gene Vincent was the man. Mina a.k.a. psycho -a said:

Actually the version of Die Zorros is pretty good too :-)

The original of course ....it's one of those songs that is just pointless to cover ...you could not possibly better Gene's version . ?;0)

Ah ha....well...there was a Cliff Simmons who was in the Blue Caps during the Be Bop A Lula days (found that out when I googled Gene Simmons and Be Bop A Lula in the same search). Also kept getting info about Gene Simmons and Vinnie Vincent(one of those later Kiss guys after they unmasked).

Well I just looked at the trailer at indb http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1266029/ and it already looks like I prefer the NBC movie that came out sometime in the last ten years. The guy playing Lennon looks more like Pete Best. Have no idea if they embellished so I'd actually like to see this if it comes out on DVD. But the choice of actors already turns me off.

Anyone know anything about the Lennon ( early years ) bio pic ' Nowhere Boy ' ?

I just saw the soundtrack cd in ameoba , haven't heard anything about this one ?

I would like to hear other people's stuff. I dont use it that often, but its a cool idea. http://blip.fm/CivilWarSyndrome