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Monthly Archives: February 2010

#69: Elvis Presley – The Sun Sessions (1976) Vinyl Download: Or, A King is Born

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The story of Elvis’ earliest musical inklings is pretty quaint – just a small town boy, living in a Southern world, recording an LP as a present for his mammy one hot summer day in 1953. What if he had decided to pick up a Hallmark card instead and hadn’t strolled on into Sun Records?

Who would we be impersonating? Johnny Cash? God rest your soul, Mr. Cash, but dressing up in a simple black suit isn’t nearly as fun as a shiny turquoise onesie.

"Hello, I'm not Johnny Cash."

It’s humbling to think that the King of Rock of Roll’s legend was born in a little rink-a-dink R&B studio in Memphis. Most pop stars today were run through child slavery rings that are Disney and Nickelodeon. Big money and big production creating overprocessed pap.

But Elvis was just a poor hillbilly from Tupelo, Mississippi who was too dumb to know he wasn’t supposed to become the most influential American musician of all time. Then again, Jesus was birthed in a manger full of goats, pigs, and bed bugs so I guess the greats all have to start somewhere. Yes, I’m comparing Elvis to Jesus. After all, Elvis had much better hair.

Check out this excerpt on the King’s beginnings from the LP sleeve:

Though Sam C. Phillips had been producing local R&B hit records since 1950,he used to boast to his competitors that, if he could find a young white singer who could sound and feel like a negro, he would make a billion dollars.

In 1954 Phillips discovered such a singer but, the most that he ever made was $35,000 when he sold both Elvis Presley’s recording contract and the tapes that constitute this album to RCA-Victor.

In Terms of commerciality, these 16 sides may not have been the most successful rock ‘n’ roll records ever releases but, beyond any doubt, they proved to be the most innovative. Other artists may lay claim to having cut the first bona fide rock single (Jackie Brenston’s Rocket 88 Chess 1458), but truly, this is where it all began.

Phillips’ ultimate ambition may have been to become a millionaire, but when Elvis Presley parked his Ford Pick-up truck outside the memphis Recording Service at 706, Union Avenue one hot summer’s afternoon in 1953, his only desire was to own the snazziest car in town. Within two short years, Presley was to take delivery of the first, of what was to quickly become, a fleet of Cadillacs. The events that let up to Prsley being signed to the Sun label may have all the basic cornball ingredients of a low-budget rock ‘n’ roll B-movie, but these are the facts as we know them.

Sun Records wa a local label which used to either sell or lease independently produced R & B masters to major companies at a very small profit. To boost its economy, the Memphis Recording Service was a lucrative subsidiary which specialised in recording weddings, club meetings, and anyone who wanted to preserve their amateur talent on wax.

Running the Memphis recording Service was Marion Keisker who, had quite recently abdicated her position as Miss Radio of Memphis, in order to collect the four dollar Service charged to cut a double-sided 10-inch acetate. Business was always brisk, and so when Elvis Presley – who was still employed as a $42 a week truck driver for the Crown Electric Company – stopped by one Saturday afternoon he was obliged to join the queue of local starstruck hilljacks and precocious pubescents waiting their moment of glory in the studio.

>>>Click here to download The Sun Sessions from vinyl to MP3

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A1 That’s All Right 1:54
A2 Blue Moon Of Kentucky 1:59
A3 I Don’t Care If The Sun Don’t Shine 2:23
A4 Good Rockin’ Tonight 2:10
A5 Milkcow Blues Boogie 2:32
A6 You’re A Heartbreaker 2:08
A7 I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone 2:34
A8 Baby Let’s Play House 2:13
B1 Mystery Train 2:24
B2 I Forgot To Remember To Forget 2:24
B3 I’ll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin’) 2:18
B4 I Love You Because (1st Version) 2:38
B5 Trying To Get To You 2:28
B6 Blue Moon 2:39
B7 Just Because 2:29
B8 I Love You Because (2nd Version) 3:21

#68: M83 – Digital Shades Vol. 1 (2009) Vinyl Download

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No, click here!

Fine, click there…jerk.

Sweeet

Cincinnati Metro was blanketed with 5 inches of fluffy snow this morning and afternoon. The doomsday-loving weathermen told me it’s supposed to snow shower again this evening. So, I figured I’d post this album because it’s a perfect soundtrack for watching the birth of a wintry mix.
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Get comfy, turn up the warmly glowing McIntosh Tube Amp-driven system I assume you all own and behold the beautiful dance of tiny, frozen ballerinas outside of your listening room window to the soothing sounds of M83.
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#67: Blackalicious – Blazing Arrow (2002) Vinyl Download

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This past Saturday I went to the RJD2 show at Southgate House in Newport, KY. It’s my favorite venue for a number of reasons: it’s a big converted creepy mansion reminiscent of The Munster’s crib, it usually has three shows playing at a time on various levels and it has the best quality sound system within a 100 mile radius. Also, by sheer coincidence they were playing Ray Charles on the patio’s PA system the night he passed so it will always hold a special place in my heart.

Anyway between sets filled with nose-tickling bass the title track from Blackalicious’ Blazing Arrow came on over the PA in the ballroom. Instantly it took me back to 2002 when I was heavy into the underground hip hop scene. Back when I was gobbling up anything coming out of Anticon Records, attending Scribble Jam in the summers and wearing Puma knit caps. I think it went hand in hand with attempting to become one with the decrepit urban landscape of Cincinnati. Wanting to become grittier…more legit if you will.

Over time I strayed from the heart of the hip hop scene. For a long time I thought that I was just growing up but on Saturday night, standing there in the middle of the ballroom of Southgate House amidst the odd mix of hipsters, hippies and oafish frat dudes, I began to reassess my hip hop position throughout the bubbling jaunt that is “Blazing Arrow.” Had I been wrong about hiding this double LP away in the bottom of my crates?

Well, after cleaning off the layers of resin that had accumulated on these discs from my days non-stop bong ripping, I took a listen and can tell you that I was so very wrong for letting this vinyl fester. This is one of the most completely balanced albums that I own. Usually with hip hop from earlier in the decade you get one mood. With Jurassic Five you got fun old school lyrically-driven hip hop. With Talib Kweli you got the real deep shit that made you contemplate the direction of your soul. Sage Francis just creeped you out, like being inside a musty old sleeping bag as a stranger tickles you from within the darkness. Each artist chose to go their own way and we were ok with that.

But with Blazing Arrow you got a little bit of everything. And surprisingly all corners of their musically mansion were tastefully adorned…exquisitely even. There’s never a point in this album where you don’t believe the artist’s ability to work this or that particular flow. It also helps that Blackalicious collaborates with Chali 2NA, Lateef The Truth Speaker, Chief Xcel, DJ Shadow, Hi-Tek, Ben Harper, Cut Chemist, DJ Babu, Zack de La Rocha, Saul Williams, Lyrics Born and plenty of others on this disc.

As I stated before the title track is just a poppin’ and skippin’ number that you can’t help to bob your head to. If you listen to it and your head ain’t moving, and your head ain’t in traction, then you’ve got serious groove problems. Then you go to tracks like “Chemical Calisthenics” where the word conveyor belt goes haywire at the lyric plant and verbs, adjectives, solubles, and isotopes flood the boiler room. On side 4 Blackalicious takes you real, real deep down into your subconscious with the psyche-shattering “Release Part 1, 2, & 3″.

It skips all of the touristy section of the city and hits up the hottest club, the holiest mosque and the dirtiest whore house. It takes you everywhere you need to go to become a true citizen of the Hip Hop Nation, even if aren’t comfortable with your new surroundings at first. Don’t worry, you’ll eventually settle right in.

It makes me sad that I neglected this masterpiece for such a long time. Luckily my ears are still working and I can make up for the lost time. Just don’t make the same mistake I did.

Click here to download Blazing Arrow from vinyl to MP3

#66: Stravinsky – The Rite of Spring – Erich Leinsdorf conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra (1974) Decca SPC 21114 Vinyl Download

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Traditional history tells that this ballet is something of a rabble rouser. Apparently when Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring premiered on May 29, 1913 at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris it incited a full-blown riot. As the story goes, early 20th century Europeans simply weren’t ready for such radical orchestral debauchery. The syncopation, the amelodic jaunts through the underbrush, the virgins performing fatal pirouettes to the tune of violently stabbing strings were all too much.

Stravinsky’s own description of the piece sums up why everyone was so riled: ” I saw in imagination a solemn pagan rite: sage elders, seated in a circle, watched a young girl dance herself to death. They were sacrificing here to propitiate the god of Spring.” I mean these people were expecting Swan Lake and they got Mad Max and the Thunderdome. The French still hold Mel Gibson responsible to this day.

Dancing pleases dragon. Spring comes again.

Reportedly all hell broke loose at the theatre almost immediately. Men were fist fighting in the aisles, Dandies were slapping each other with soft leather gloves…giggling wildly upon each blow, and full-figured women in corsets fainted in their seats, only to be revived by comically large Chinese fans. It was an eruption of pissed off Parisians that lasted until World War I began over a year later.

Ok, so not really. It only lasted one night at the premiere. And no one really knows the exact reason why it ruffled so many feathers. Some say it was because Stravinsky’s movement was too avant garde for the simple minds of the time. Others say it’s a reflection of the contentious atmosphere that permeated every level of European society in the days leading up to The Great War.

Violin and Bassoon Proof Masks

However, I believe that the real catalyst could have been something really stupid. If you get enough drunk assholes together in one location a single spark can fuel an inferno. All it takes is for a college team from Michigan to win or lose a title game and half of the Midwest goes aflame. Similarly, one butt rock douchebag can have a sore throat and downtown Montreal will turn into a pile of broken glass and broken French Canadians. Yes, I’m talking about you Axel Rose. I hate your guts.

People just love burning couches and throwing ‘bos for little or no reason.

That car was a Buckeyes fan.

So I’m thinking that the Rites of Spring Riot really wasn’t the significant social turning point that historians want it to be. What probably happened is that the concession stands didn’t serve vodka, only merlot, and Stravinsky completely flipped his wig. In typical Russian alcoholic fashion he proceeded to insult the general dress and physical appearance of everyone in line around him.

This incensed a few French fellows quite intensely. One guy in particular totally starting raging because he just had his mustache waxed and it looked so badass. I mean it was totally curled and everything like Captain Hook in the movie Hook, starring Robin Williams and Dustin Hoffman, but like ten, no a hundred times cooler. Consequently he started to roll up his sleeves and in his haste one cuff link went flying.

This little bugger flew approximately 15 yards out toward the lobby and into some poor sap’s wine glass which caused red wine to spill on Baron Du Champ’s mistress’s new powder blue evening dress and boom, the shit hit the fan.

So Stravinsky really did cause the riot but not because he moved the audience musically…he was just a real big jerk with a drinking problem.

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Click to download The Rite of Spring to 320 kbps MP3

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