Il Clan Dei Morricone

Last week a sexy heap of Ennio Morricone film soundtracks were added to Rhapsody. The one that's gotten the most play here at R&S labs is Il Clan Dei Siciliani. It's the perfect blend of heavy mood, shuffling beat, and "boing" noises.

You may recognize the main theme from the version on the Naked City album. In a bizarre twist of fate, that is the one track out of twenty six on Naked City that is pay only.

The entire album's only thirty one minutes long, so I'll just link to it in toto:

Il Clan Dei Siciliani

Hayseed Dixie Sampler

Hayseed Dixie got started with an album of bluegrass arrangements of selected nuggets from the AC/DC canon. Mighty chops and a modicum of comic restraint kept it from being a ridiculous one-off joke. So they followed it up with two more albums so far: one of classic rock love songs and one of KISS songs.

Looks like they're in the midst of an extensive summer tour in Europe right now. I've heard a live Hayseed Dixie show, and they don't skimp on the show length or the enthusiasm.

Here's a sampler of some of the choicest nuggets fer yer ass:

Hayseed Dixie Sampler

Money Talks
Big Balls
Centerfold
Fat Bottomed Girls
Calling Dr. Love
Lick It Up
Christine Sixteen

Hard-Boiled Haiku Playlist

Hard-Boiled Haiku

french fries with pepper
ride with your daddy tonight
dead finks don't talk

(Sources: Morphine, Duster Bennett, Brian Eno)

The Fresh Catch Batch Habit

The sweltering swelties are back, and the heat's had me just trolling around Rhapsody playing jukebox. So today another fresh batch of catch and release tracks with a slight summery bent.

All New Fresh Catch Batch

Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter - Billy Strange
Hot Child In The City - Nick Gilder
Boston Beans - Peggy Lee
The Rockford Files - Mike Post
Them A Fe Get A Beaten - Peter Tosh
The Trolley Song - Judy Garland
The Surrey With The Fringe On Top - Marlene Dietrich
Ice Cream Man - Jonathan Richman
African - Peter Tosh

NOW It's Friday

Oh baby. It's Friday now. I just got around to browsing the Just Added list, and the day I groveled for a few weeks ago is here.

The Rhapsodists have finally tripped their gag and opened the floodgates on the Melvins Ipecac catalog. 26 Songs, Hostile Ambient Takeover, The Bootlicker, and The Maggot are up for aural perusal.

Particularly of note, hot on the heels of my Melvins covers source material post, do yourself a favor and listen to their version of The Green Manalishi.

Here's a sampler of one song from each of those four albums:

Tripping the Gag Friday

The Green Manalishi (With The Two Pronged Crown)
Snake Appeal
The Fool, The Meddling Idiot
Let It All Be

In other news, I guess it's time to add another body to the Melvins bassist morgue. According to the always well-documented themelvins.net, Kevin Rutmanis is no longer with the band.

Friday Out To Lunch

Today's supposed to usher in another sweltering, sweaty weekend here in New England. A fine day to break out another Cantonese Opera track. Find a table at a shaded outdoor patio, order the big San Miguel, and pretend you can hear this song blaring from an open window across the street.

The Pipa Touches The Han Emperor - Chen Lingyu

The Bucket Reflex

I can't be the only person this happens to. There are certain song snippets that have become permanently and involuntarily triggered by certain words whenever I hear or see them. Sometimes I have no idea how or why it happened. Case in point today: the word 'bucket.'

Every time I see a bucket or hear or see the word bucket there's Ice-T in my head with "It was a bucket, but fuck it, it had to do." Why?! Will it ever stop? I hadn't heard the song "Midnight" more than a couple times when this line became a reflexive part of my brain chemistry. A condition that has now persisted over ten years with no signs of stopping.

I'll try to note other snippet-trigger words as they come up to help further document this affliction. For now, see if your mind can resist: the BUCKET.

Midnight

Extra bits: The samples of Black Sabbath and Boogie Down Productions were easily identified, but why does that woman screaming in the chorus sound so familiar? It's eluded me until this very day. It is of course the woman responding to the pepperoni in "Hey Margaret" by Cheech & Chong. Case closed.

Splashing With Julio Barreto

I first heard the drum playing of Julio Barreto on the Gonzalo Rubalcaba album Diz. It's an album of songs that Dizzy Gillespie wrote or otherwise made his own over the years. The dynamics vary widely. On the uptempo numbers it sounds like the band taped the song chart to the wall and fired a musical shotgun at it. But believe me, it works. Rubalcaba and Barreto are equally out there on the ballads, but in a delightfully sedated, two bottles of Robitussin DM kind of way. Ron Carter stands in the middle with his bass, trying to hold the axes from spinning apart.

Oddly, I picked up this album at the same time I first learned what a splash cymbal was. So let me say some of Barreto's splash work on this record can make a grown man squeal.

Interestingly, most of Mister Barreto's recorded work the last six or seven years has been as a background vocalist. Since I have no idea what his voice sounds like, I haven't attempted to include any of those songs in this playlist.

Julio Barreto appears on five Gonzalo Rubalcaba albums. Only one of these (Diz) is currently Rhapvailable (but they're all on Blue Note: hint to the Rhapsodists). That'll do for today's purposes:

Splashing With Julio Barreto

Woody 'N' You
Bouncing With Bud
Smooch
A Night In Tunisia

Willie In 3

One of my favorite Willie Nelson songs is Summer Of Roses from Tougher Than Leather. It's in 3/4 time, and got me to thinking about a playlist of other Willie songs on the three. I quickly learned that Willie is a certified 3/4 time maniac. There's a fistful of triangular tunes on every album containing primarily originals. I listened through, and sifted down the following equilateral playlist:

Willie In 3

1. Summer Of Roses
2. Sad Songs And Waltzes
3. Slow Down Old World
4. Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys
5. So Much To Do
6. Time Of The Preacher
7. Blue Rock Montana / Red Headed Stranger
8. Red Headed Stranger
9. O'er The Waves
10. Hands On The Wheel
11. Thanks Again
12. I'd Have To Be Crazy
13. The Sound In Your Mind
14. If You Can Touch Her At All
15. A Couple More Years
16. Mom And Dad's Waltz
17. Railroad Girl
18. You Were It

Monday Fresh Catch Batch

Today another catchall playlist for a fistful of great songs I came across last week that don't fit a particular theme other than kicking ass.

Of note, I guess I didn't know Leon Russell wrote Song For You. I went on a bit of a Leon Russell bender last week, and this recording has absolutely nothing wrong with it that I can hear.

Monday Catchall

Regress No Way - 7 Seconds
The Spanish Flea - Allan Sherman
Bloody Well Right - Supertramp
Dr. Who - Ron Grainer
Will It Go Round In Circles - Billy Preston
A Song For You - Leon Russell

... and One For The Fathers

Today a Happy Father's Day to all the daddies out there, Ribaldry & Schmaltz style:

Don't Make Fun Of Daddy's Voice - Morrissey

Melvins Covers Source Material

There's been a steady parade of watered-down, soulless covers on the airwaves the last few years. If you had told me a band could make me hate a song as bulletproof as Big Yellow Taxi, I would have thought it inconceivable. But this is the world we live in.

As an antitoxidote, I offer up an example of a band who has impeccable taste and execution in covers: the Melvins. First off, they're educational. I learned something about rock history from all of these songs. Before hearing the Melvins versions of these songs I had never heard the Peter Green Fleetwood Mac or explored Alice Cooper's albums beyond the radio hits. Second, they have a way of arranging a cover that preserves the soul of the song and emphasizes the elements that kick you right in the ass. Love it.

Here's a playlist of the source versions of some of my favorite Melvins covers. The only Melvins version Rhapvailable is Goin' Blind.

Melvins Source Material

Ballad of Dwight Fry (Alice Cooper) - appears on Lysol
This song has it all: first-person conversation with an insane self, tribute to the actor who played Renfield in the 1931 Dracula, and multi-part mini rock opera.

Goin' Blind (Kiss) - appears on Houdini
Out of the dozens of Kiss butt rock numbers, leave it to the Melvins to pick out this byzantine sludge-walk tale of the doomed relationship between a ninety three year old man and a sixteen year old girl.

The Green Manalishi (Fleetwood Mac) - appears on The Maggot
Feverish pleading to the recurring demon of your nightmares, or internal struggle with the lust for wealth? You make the call.

Halo of Flies (Alice Cooper) - doesn't appear on any Melvins album, but is played frequently live
Epic tale, vivid original imagery, and the perfect balance of bombast and restraint. It don't get no better than Halo Of Flies.

Keep On Rocking, Robert

Certainly the most prolific Rhapsody playlist bloggernaut, Robert of the Radish shut down his fine Rhapsody Radish site last week.

In tribute, I'll just offer up a lovely song by someone I never would have heard if it wasn't for one of Robert's playlists: A Parasitic Love Song by Doctor Chordate.

A Parasitic Love Song

Lord Rompington

Today, I can't resist another delightful romp of a number, Sonnet To Hank Cinq by Duke Ellington. The entire Such Sweet Thunder suite consists of songs inspired by the works of William Shakespeare. While the words "delightful" and "Henry V" are indeed an odd coupling, the liner notes posit: "Duke notes that 'the changes of tempo have to do with the changes of pace and the map as a result of wars.'" Whatever you say, Duke. I'll buy it.

Sonnet To Hank Cinq

In other news, the title track provides one of the most bombastic, portentous openings of any album.

Amarcord Soundtrack

Here at Ribaldry & Schmaltz I don't just throw around phrases like "delightful romp of a playlist." But it's high time I started.

There were a fistful of Nino Rota soundtracks for Fellini movies on the Just Added list last week. I haven't gotten through them all, mainly because I can't seem to get Amarcord out of my Play tab. With its lilting cadences, mutating repeated theme, and rampant accordion, it's the very definition of delightful romp. Perfect accompaniment for working through this sultry late spring weather that's been going around these parts.

The entire soundtrack tops off at just over twenty seven minutes, so this playlist just links to the whole album.

Amarcord Soundtrack

Robert's Birthday Playlist, AKA Birth Of The Schmaltz

Robert at the Radish issued a birthday playlist challenge earlier this week. Here's how I interpreted the challenge: starting in the year you were born, add one song from an album released that year. For an extra twist, I limited selections to songs I actually listened to alot in that year, or may have been playing in the house for the years up to 1976.

1977 was the year the shit really hit the fan. My brother and I pooled our allowance for weeks to go to Sears and buy our first album, Love Gun by KISS. But, it was also the year of Animals, Bat Out Of Hell, KISS Alive II, Draw The Line, Point Of No Return, the unstoppable Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, and the foldout album cover that altered my brain chemistry irreversibly: Queen's News Of The World. Not to mention the albums that were far from my radar but would come into play in good time: The Clash, Never Mind The Bollocks, Exodus, Let There Be Rock, Talking Heads '77, My Aim Is True, and Leave Home AND Rocket To Russia.

Anyway, it's all downhill from there...

Playlist in comments.

Robert's Birthday Playlist

Male Vocal Spectrum Playlist

Here's another fever dream of a playlist. A little Roy G Biv for the ears. A very subjective, likely imperfect, but fun nevertheless, male vocal spectrum playlist.

I was inspired driving around yesterday listening to a 1974 Elvis live recording (Event #8). Right at that point in "Amen" when Elvis says "Go get it, JD" and bass singer JD Sumner reaches right down to the Earth's core for a low note that rattled my windshield. This playlist should answer the question "How do we get to the vocal yang to Mister Sumner's yin?"

Male Vocal Spectrum

(R) Swing Low - JD Sumner & The Stamps Quartet
(O) I Cover The Waterfront - Johnny Hartman
(Y) Let It Be Me - Bob Dylan
(G) Dedicated Follower Of Fashion - The Kinks
(B) Popsicle Toes - Michael Franks
(I) Hewlett's Daughter - Grandaddy
(V) Feel All My Love Inside - Marvin Gaye
(Ultra-Violet) Over The Rainbow - Tiny Tim

Keith Richards Lead Vocals Playlist

When the mercury climbs above ninety-five strange notions enter the mind. Yesterday in a fever I was compelled to assemble a playlist of all the Rolling Stones songs with Keith Richards lead vocals. Research proceeded slowly until I finally crafted the magic search spell. I'm indebted to one Jan Wolfer from a German Rolling Stones message board for providing an annotated, chronological list of Sir Keef's lead vocal contributions. [looks that list is since been toasted. ed.]

Song quality pretty closely parallels the rise and slow gradual decline of the Rolling Stones recorded output. See how deep into the list you can make it!

Gee-whiz thought for the day: This August the Rolling Stones will play two highly publicized shows at Fenway Park. My non-guaranteed research shows the band first played in Boston at the Gardens in November 1965, nearly forty years ago. In the summer of 1966 they played the Manning Bowl in lovely Lynn, MA (thanks to frayed.org for the tour dates).

Keith Richards Lead Vocal

01 You Got The Silver - Let It Bleed
02 Happy - Exile On Main Street
03 Coming Down Again - Goats Head Soup
04 Before They Make Me Run - Some Girls
05 All About You - Emotional Rescue
06 Little T&A - Tattoo You
07 Wanna Hold You - Undercover
08 Too Rude - Dirty Work
09 Sleep Tonight - Dirty Work
10 Can't Be Seen - Steel Wheels
11 Slipping Away - Steel Wheels
12 The Worst - Voodoo Lounge
13 Thru And Thru - Voodoo Lounge
14 You Don't Have To Mean It - Bridges to Babylon
15 Thief In The Night - Bridges to Babylon
16 How Can I Stop - Bridges To Babylon - Wayne Shorter sax coda
17 Losing My Touch - Forty Licks

Kick This Ass, For A Man

In over five decades as a leader, Woody Herman continually reinvented what it meant to be a big band, and maintained a high level of musical excellence throughout.

Here are two wildly swinging tracks from the Thundering Herd of the early seventies that jumped out and kicked my ass last week (followed by the originals for a look at what artful arranging can do).

I Can't Get Next To You was written by Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield and first recorded by the Temptations in 1964.

America Drinks And Goes Home was written by Frank Zappa and appeared on Absolutely Free! in 1967.

Woody Herman Tuesday

I Can't Get Next To You
America Drinks And Goes Home

Never Get Out Of The Boat Playlist

Part the second of this two-part foray into oddball movie soundtracks is the Apocalypse Now Sessions by the Rhythm Devils. No tricks here: just a mad orchestra of percussion assembled to enhance the soundscape of Apocalypse Now.

Francis Ford Coppola recruited Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzman, and Phil Lesh of the Grateful Dead for the task. The one-time ensemble also includes percussive alchemist Airto Moreira.

The sound that starts at about 2:15 into Napalm For Breakfast is one of my favorite recorded noises. As Henry Rollins once said "I'd like to bottle it and douse whole towns with it."

Rhythm Devils Sampler

Compound
Trenches
Steps
Tar
Cave
Napalm For Breakfast

I Guess It's About Time For Our William Tell Routine

The next two or three days I'm going to feature a couple of my favorite offbeat movie soundtrack albums. This is no countdown, though, so let's get right to the best: the indomitable Naked Lunch soundtrack by Howard Shore and Ornette Coleman.

The 1991 release of the Naked Lunch movie hit me like a typewriter from the sky. It had everything a curious young man could ask for. Explorations of the space between perception, hallucination, and reality. Young travelers navigating the intentions of demented and decadent expatriates. Apt portrayals of some of the greatest bits from William S. Burroughs works. Roy Scheider with breasts. And bug powder. Lots and lots of bug powder.

The soundtrack serves the film perfectly, and is a stupendous document all on its own. The idea of Ornette Coleman blowing over an orchestra could easily have gone awry. Instead it burrows into your imagination, hollows out a little nest, and issues out a brood of dark, enticing, larval thoughts.

You'll have to excuse me. I have to go finish typing my report...

Naked Lunch Soundtrack

( This playlist is the whole soundtrack. When I tried to create a sampler of this record, I only ended up shaving off three out of eighteen songs. Happy Friday.)

A Playlist Vaguely

Soon after I woke today, Making Plans For Nigel jumped out and promptly began running around in circles through my mind. So it's decided, today's playlist is a sampler from the Nouvelle Vague album.

Guns of Brixton from this record appeared on Amanda's Sunday News playlist from last week. It stood far out from the other tracks. In brief, Nouvelle Vague is a record of new wave songs put to a bossa nova beat and sung by a crop of chanteuses too young to have ever heard the originals. What's not to like? There's plenty of background and an illuminating video on the web site.

Gee whiz factoid from the site: Making Plans For Nigel was XTC's biggest hit, but was written by bass player Colin Moulding, not Andy Partridge.

Nouvelle Vague Sampler

Making Plans For Nigel
Love Will Tear Us Apart
Teenage Kicks
Guns of Brixton
Too Drunk To F**k
A Forest

Pork Butt Playlist

In fulfillment of local prophecy, I successfully barbecued a good-sized pork butt on Monday. In other news, a pork butt is actually a cut from the shoulder of a pig.

Last Memorial Day I had my maiden voyage in real charcoal grilling. It didn't go so well. I made hungry friends wait forty minutes past the designated eat time, then served up some slightly raw split chicken breasts. Oh, the shame. I vowed to never repeat that error of salmonellic proportions.

I proceeded to study hard (Alton Brown's "I'm Only Here For The Food" provided invaluable insight into what makes a grill tick) all summer and fall. I instituted a dry rub think tank. Things got better. Over the winter I began to ponder my Memorial Day comeback. The fact I'm not typing this from a hospital bed means my gambit worked. Here's a short but tasty playlist in honor of that noble butt:

Pork Butt Playlist

Pork Chop - Jimmy Smith
Smokin' - Boston
Barbecue Any Old Time - Brownie McGhee


(photo from the California Barbecue Association)