Art of the Cover - Yo la Tengo's "Fakebook" (1990)

Gorgeous art adorns this mighty LP from YLT.

A wonderful collection comprising eleven eclectic cover songs as well as five originals.

They also reinterpret two of their own songs here .... "Barnaby, Hardly Working" is a new version of the song featured in the previous album President Yo La Tengo, while "Did I Tell You" is a new version of the song featured in the 1987 album New Wave Hot Dogs.

Fresh off celebrating their 30th anniversary as one of the most beloved and adventurous bands in rock history, Yo La Tengojust released the fine LP Stuff Like That There - a sequel of sorts to this 1990 album.

Again, Stuff Like That There features an eclectic mix of covers as well as re-workings of older songs. 

Tracklisting

"Can't Forget" – 2:13
"Griselda" – 1:54 (Antonia)
"Here Comes My Baby" – 2:26 (Cat Stevens)
"Barnaby, Hardly Working" – 4:12
"Yellow Sarong" – 1:37 (The Scene is Now)
"You Tore Me Down" – 2:54 (The Flamin' Groovies)
"Emulsified" – 2:46 (Rex Garvin & The Mighty Cravers)
"Speeding Motorcycle" – 3:16 (Daniel Johnston)
"Tried So Hard" – 2:13 (Gene Clark)
"The Summer" – 2:40
"Oklahoma, U.S.A." – 2:18 (Ray Davies)
"What Comes Next" – 3:11
"The One to Cry" – 1:47 (The Escorts)
"Andalucia" – 3:33 (John Cale)
"Did I Tell You" – 3:21
"What Can I Say" – 2:03 (Joey Spampinato)

  

Home Art Babes Cartoons Dylan Music Videos Other

Art of the Cover - The Kinks' "Percy" (1971)

A wonderful oddity, this!

After their success with the fascinating concept album “Lola Versus Powerman”, The Kinks composed this rock baroque soundtrack for the smash British sex-comedy "Percy."

Yap, the flick about a bloke who damages his penis and gets a huge cock transplanted in its stead, only to find that hot chicks now are gagging to get him in the sack!

The songs were written by Ray Davies and include both standard rock / pop songs and instrumental numbers.

This was the Kinks' last release with Pye while they were still under contract.

Despite never being released in the US, this album was by the far the most commonly imported to the US of all of The Kinks' Pye albums.

A great expanded and remastered version of "Percy" appears on the  Deluxe Edition of Lola Versus Powerman and the Money-Go-Round, Pt. 1 + Percy (Deluxe Edition) 

Tracklisting
 
Side one  

1.     "God's Children"       3:16
2.     "Lola"      4:46
3.     "The Way Love Used to Be"       2:15
4.     "Completely"     3:41
5.     "Running Round Town"   1:06
6.     "Moments"       2:57

Side two      

1.     "Animals In The Zoo"       2:22
2.     "Just Friends"       2:38
3.     "Whip Lady"      1:20
4.     "Dreams"       3:45
5.     "Helga"      1:57
6.     "Willesden Green"       2:27
7.     "God's Children - End"     0:29

   
Home Art Babes Cartoons Dylan Music Videos Other

The Song - The Kinks' 'Tired of Waiting For You'

I was a lonely soul. I had nobody till I met you. But you keep me waiting all of the time.

Written by Ray Davies, it's another Kinks classic; the beautiful, subtle, enigmatic love lament 'Tired of Waiting For You.' All built upon a glorious Dave Davies riff.

Please don't keep me waiting .. indeed.

Following the mighty "All Day and All of the Night", this smasheroo single reached the top the UK Charts and hit number 6 in the USA Billboard Charts back in January 1965.

The song, a few months later, later appeared on the band's sophomore album Kinda Kinks.

  

Home Art Babes Cartoons Dylan Music Videos Other

The Video - The Kinks' "Sunny Afternoon"

Save me, save me, save me from this squeeze. I got a big fat mama trying to break me. And I love to live so pleasantly, live this life of luxury, lazing on a sunny afternoon, in the summertime.

From the Face to Face 'concept album', a languid, satirical, stylised classic from the great Ray Davies. The song was a number 1 hit in the UK back in 1966.

This song was bizarrely belted out during half-time of the Newcastle v Spurs match Saturday. Odd, because the Kinks catalogue is so distinctly London/southern and thus far more associated with Spurs than the Toon. And also the little fact that the weather in the wilds of Newcastle is never "blazing on a sunny afternoon" and indeed likely, even in August, to be winterish when the song was blasted out!

Written during a period of great personal turmoil for Ray and also turmoil within the band, the song, framed around the high levels of tax enforced by the British Labour government of Harold Wilson ("The tax man's taken all my dough and left me in my stately home") has a dig at the oh so difficult life of the nouveau riche ("I can't sail my yacht").

A commentary too perhaps on Davies' own personal problems ("My girlfriend's run off with my car and gone back to her ma and pa, telling tales of drunkenness and cruelty") and dark moments ("help me sail away, well give me two good reasons why I ought to stay.")

There's a wonderful promo for the song too. Who knew the Kinks invented the music video?! One - with typical humour and irony - set in the snowy throes of some winter wasteland!

Mail us: stupidand@gmail.com

Home Art Babes Cartoons Dylan Music Videos Other

The Music: The Kinks - You Really Got Me (Live! - 1964)

See, don’t ever set me free. I always wanna be by your side. Girl, you really got me now. You got me so I cant sleep at night. You really got me. You really got me.

A wonderful clip of Ray and Dave and the Kinks making a great din live on TV ... that means really f*cking live baby! ... Yap, no lip-synching bullshit or singing over pre-recorded backing.

The jiving audience are really getting into it! Especially that black cat in the chef's uniform and hat!!

Yap, it's the timeless, minimalist, powerful, proto garage-rock of "You Really Got Me", a song built on a glorious Dave riff. Wild and radical for its time, a song that would be a huge influence on a load of great bands (and indeed certain music genres .. not all of 'em good!) that would come after.

Mail us: stupidand@gmail.com

Home Art Babes Cartoons Dylan Music Videos Other

All Night under Electric Candlelight

Well we drank champagne and danced all night under electric candlelight. She picked me up and sat me on her knee and said "Dear boy, won't you come home with me?" Well I'm not the world's most passionate guy, but when I looked in her eyes, well I almost fell for my Lola.

Mail us: stupidand@gmail.com

Home Art Babes Cartoons Dylan Music Videos Other