Let Them Brush Their Rock N Roll Hair

Greetings Listeners

I’ve moved some things around and am focusing more on the music side this week. Along with the regular hits of the past, I will also be highlighting some classic albums, debuts and in this issue a spotlight on independent artist Kid Lightbulbs new album, Step into the Ocean.

I’m still in the growing process so if there is something you’d like to see more of, let me know in the comment below.

There is always new music to find and enjoy.

Trivia Time!

What was the first video to sell one million copies?
(See below for answer) 

The Great Debut Debate - The Cars - Self Titled

This week I asked on threads what debut album ranks up there with The Cars self-titled album. While not every song on the album was released as a single or charted at the time of release, 7 of the 9 have received heavy radio airplay for decades. Good Time Roll, Best Friend’s Girl, Just What I Needed, You’re All I Got Tonight, Bye Bye Love, Moving In Stereo and All Mixed Up.

Last month it was inducted into the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant". One of the things that strike this debut unique among the others is the use of two lead singers for different tracks. One of the all-time greatest lyrics is “Let them brush, their rock n’ roll hair...”.

There were three albums that came up more than others in the discussion. Guns N’ Roses Appetite for Destruction, Boston’s self-titled album and Van Halen I. I suppose I should mention Please Please Me although the others were mention noticeably more.

Several others received less discussion, I counted about 64 different debuts that people had mentioned.

That’s New To Me! - The Ventures in Space

There are so many albums out there that even having listened to music our entire lives it is impossible not to miss some albums. Here I will highlight some albums that are new to me proving there is always great new (to you) music to be found today.

Surf rock pioneers The Ventures get psychedelic on their trip to the outer worlds. Released in 1964 it stands out to what was going on at the time. Out of Limits, the leadoff song really sets the mood for the album building to a searing solo peak. Fear, a fittingly named song is so eerie it could be played on Halloween. The War of the Satellites reminds me of War of the Worlds music. The Bat is another favorite that includes eerie sounds built for a Batman scene, sirens and darkness abound. The Fourth Dimension brings a haunting sound reminiscent of early Pink Floyd, tribal rhythmic drums and Syd styles of guitar.

A rendition of The Twilight Zone is a perfect way to end this fun little gem of an album. I’m not sure how it escaped me all these years but I’m glad to have found it now. There’s always great new (to you) music out there just waiting for you.

1964 Hits - Love Me Do - The Beatles

Love Me Do moved to number 1 on May 30th. It remained there for an astounding one week. On the Please Please Me release, studio drummer Andy White played drums while Ringo played the tambourine. Ringo recorded drums on the single version. There is no tambourine on that one so if you hear a tambourine on Love Me Do, Ringo is not on the drums.

The Beatles also dominated the Top 10 album chart with 3 entries, The Beatles Second Album being number 1. A silly title considering it was their third album released in the U.S.

1974 Hits - The Streak - Ray Stevens

In its second week as the number 1 song Ray Stevens continued to run naked throughout the supermarket scaring children and the elderly.

The Sting soundtrack was number 1 on the album charts. The infamous movie with Paul Newman and Robert Redford featured ragtime piano songs by Scott Joplin. Marvin Hamlisch, one of the few holders of the EGOT, scored the Joplin songs for the movie. The popularity of the film and soundtrack caused renewed interest in ragtime music.
Buddha and the Chocolate Box by Cat Stevens was number 2 on the album charts. I wonder why Ray and Cat Stevens never collaborated. Ray and the Cat.

1984 Hits - Let’s Hear It for the Boy - Deniece Williams

Let’s Hear It for the Boy was another number 1 song from the Footloose soundtrack. I suppose that means ‘the Boy’ was Kevin Bacon and yes, we should be hearin’ it for him. The first song that was a hit from the soundtrack was Footloose by Kenny Loggins which spend three weeks on top before Phil Collin’s Against All Odds took its place. Soundtracks were hot! Before Footloose, Van Halen had Jump at the top of the charts for five weeks, which came from the album 1984, the self-proclaimed soundtrack of the entire year. Might as well…

I remember the video for Say Say Say by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson being pretty cool at the time, early in the MTV Video days. It was during the making of this song that Paul supposedly gave Jackson the idea to buy publishing rights to songs, which he’d later buy that of The Beatles, starting a feud of sorts between them.

Owner of a Lonely Heart was another hit we missed from January. Yes’s only number one hit in the US. After they had broken up in 1981, a few of the members had been playing as Cinema but invited Jon Anderson to sing on the song and they became the new lineup of Yes. Culture Club’s Karma Chameleon also spent time on the charts in February for three weeks, a song I still sing about commas. “Comma, comma, comma…”.

1994 Hits - Selling the Drama - Live

Still sitting on top of the charts this week in 1994 was Live’s hit Selling the Drama.

Weezer’s debut album was released in May 1994. Rivers Cuomo re-recorded all the other guitar parts after firing the second guitarist who was acting erratically after finding out his girlfriend was pregnant. Ric Ocasek of The Cars was the notorious producer for Weezer’s Blue Album.

May was also the month that The Eagles decided that Hell had frozen over which somehow meant it was time to tour again. It was the first concert tickets to be sold for over $100. Only three weeks after Pearl Jam sued Ticketmaster.

One of the great albums of 1994, Alice in Chain’s Jar of Flies was the first EP to debut at number one on the album charts in January of 1994. AiC recently rereleased the album on vinyl and cassette. Limited editions included flies pressed into the vinyl and cassette. The flies are loose inside the vinyl. 150 were pressed and as you’d expect, they are all over eBay for the ridiculous price of $2000.

Independent Spotlight - Kid Lightbulbs

Kid Lightbulbs, the solo project from Brandon Lucas Green, released a new album Step into the Ocean this past week.

The album starts off serene airy qualities of soft piano and vocals, slowing building layers over the first few tracks until hitting an aggressive electronic peak in Belly, the fifth track.

Curiosity brings us back to the beach in a sense, as we hear light piano touches over the sound of hand drums and children playing that build towards a peak of chanting vocals

Two tracks feature Mary Esther Carther. Trendsetter with intertwining vocals as it progresses and builds into a heavenly space ride of swirling sounds. A transcendent track.

In St. Alphonsus, Mary and Brandon sing along with a low growling organ sound and staccato like stabbing leads that play well off each other creating a funky experimental vibe.

The album finishes off with a third act build on the album theme of ‘too good for me’ to the final crescendo of Forget Everything.

Step into the Ocean is a great listen bringing together the beauty of solid compositions and interesting sounds and instrumentations. A mix of progressive and piano rock styles with experimental attitudes.

Check out Kid Lightbulbs new album here
▶︎ STEP INTO THE OCEAN | Kid Lightbulbs (bandcamp.com)

Stone Cold Eyes

In 2009 my band Sons of Confusion released our first CD. One of the first songs we wrote was the gem, Stone Cold Eyes. It features a three-part harmony ‘woohoo’ while reminding us all that “Time is the Healer”.

You can stream or download it for free at:
▶︎ Stone Cold Eyes | Sons of Confusion (bandcamp.com)

The Fishing Hole

I am not a doctor but I did play one in a high school play so I do have authority to let everyone know that eels should not be used as a remedy for any orifice maintenance no matter how embarrassing a trip to the doctor may be. Apparently this is more common than one would think. I would have thought one was too many.

"Unfortunately for both eels and anuses alike, this is not an isolated incident."

The People’s Quote

“Wing Ding!”
- Bret Michaels, The anti-antidote

“Well, Jimi was Mitch’s guitarist.”
-Stewart Copeland, man on drums

“It’s all part of my rock n’ roll grandpa scene.”
- Paul Rodgers, Bad Company

Short Bits

• 'Feels like the third time' was when I knew Foreigner jumped the shark. 

• I don't mind that Pepperidge Farms remembers everything, but do they have to keep bringing up when I wore parachute pants and candy necklaces? 

• 'You Make Me Sick I Make Music' was Chris Cornell's publishing company. 

• Hal Blaine is said to have played drums in 35,000 recording sessions. If he played in one per day, that would be over 85 years. 

• Kids today will never know what it's like to live in the 14th century.

Creative Opportunities

Music Compilation:

Winstrumental
I would like to work on a compilation album of Winter Instrumentals of various artists to distribute and spread awareness of great instrumental music. I have published physical CDs in the past and would like to do so again. If you are interested in this project, visit the project page. Note, this does require purchase of some CDs to help the project.
Quarterly Music Compilation | Canvas, Chords, Comedy

Limited Edition Art Cards by DB Gatchell

Last chance to pre-order The Gatch Pack vol. 1 before they begin shipping in June.

Each pack will contain 3 prints of limited original artwork featuring Centipede, Dog Day Afternoon, Duality of Sun.

Each card: 
- Original Art Print on front gloss side 
- Information and a poem on back side
- 4x6” and printed on 14pt card stock. 
- Only 250 of each will be printed.  

$15 – pack containing all three card prints. 
$30 – all three card prints + an original 4x6” artwork 
(shipping $3 US / $5 World) 
 
You can find more information at:
Art Cards - Gatch Pack 01 - May 2024 – Gatchman's Gallery

Trivia Answer: 

Dirty Dancing was the first movie to sell one million copies. Patrick Swayze played Riff in West Side Story before he made it in hollywood. Here you can see an ad for the production from 1977 in an episode of Bowling For Dollars.

Corn Dog!

Thanks for listening. I appreciate you all and have a great week. Please feel free to email back any feedback.

Rock on!

DB ‘Gatch’ Gatchell

contact at canvaschordscomedy dot com