12 July 2013 (Day 193) – Great One Offs

Ordinarily, I look forward to Friday as it marks the start of the weekend.  However, tomorrow I’ll be presenting a couple of presentations at an all day seminar as well as sitting on a panel of experts.  I spend part of the day putting the finishing touches on these presentations, proof reading, sending a personal biography/introduction to the organiser, etc.   I leave work at the end of the day wishing I didn’t have to do this, or that I could view this as a one off, but I know it is an essential and part of my job.  Fortunately “M” understands, and suggests we spend a night on the town, or at the very least, dine out and we do just that.

The hope that Saturday would be a one off was not a thought that had occurred to me in isolation.  It had, in fact, provided me with the theme for today’s listening.  By this I mean albums produced by acts that produced just the single – great – album.  Interestingly this definition encompasses four definition situations starting with:

(# 526) Thunderclap Newman – Hollywood Dream (1970)

Thunderclap Newman were a band initially put together by The Who’s Pete Townshend to showcase some tunes written by the band’s former chauffeur John ‘Speedy” Keen.  The band also included jazz pianist Andy “Thunderclap” Newman and 15 year old guitarist Jimmy McCullough who would eventually play with Paul McCartney in Wings.  Townshend, who produced the album, also was their bass player under the alias Bijou Drains. 

This is a tremendous album full of brilliant late 60’s/early 70’s pop/rock.  The centrepiece is the magnificent hit single Something In The Air, a tune that has been endlessly recycled in soundtracks and commercials.  Wild Country, with a Townshend sound alike vocal, should have been a massive hit as well and Hollywood, a track about aspiring to a successful and excessive Californian lifestyle, is so good that two versions were produced.  The band make a cover Dylan’s Open The Door Homer their own, bettering the original with The Band that was eventually released on The Basement Tapes and the title track is a solid instrumental that closed the original album on a memorable note. (The album has since been reissued with bonus tracks.) Unfortunately the band never released another album and is regarded today as a one hit wonder, but that shouldn’t distract you from the fine music on offer here.

(# 527) Jello Biafra With D.O.A – Last Scream Of The Missing Neigbours (1990)

An inspired, though obvious, paring this was the one off that was to eventually result in another one off.  On this, former Dead Kennedys vocalist Biafra and veteran Canadian band D.O.A produced a magnificent collection of raging instant punk classics.  As the case on any album where Biafra is involved, the lyrics contain a fierce political outlook that matches the music perfectly as heard in opening tracks That’s Progress, Attack Of The Peacekeepers and Wish I Was In El Salvador.  But it is the final two tracks that really set this album apart.  The first is a cover of that old warhorse We Gotta Get Out Of This Place, which is so ferociously rendered that even it can be taken as a political statement. Even better, and even more ferocious, is the 14 minute closer Full Metal Jackoff, a Biafra state of the union address about the degeneration of urban life that leaves people with little alternative but to turn to a life of crime or serve in the army, each option replete with dubious moral choices.

(# 528) The No WTO Combo – Live From The Battle In Seattle (2000)

This live album was recorded during the 1999 World Trade Organisation Meeting in Seattle which was the venue for much violence.  The contains Jello Biafra on lead vocals, then former Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil on guitar, former Nirvana bassist Kirst Novoselic and his bandmate in his band of the time Sweet ’75, Gina Mainwal.  How well you regard the album depends on your reaction to the polemics of Battle In Seattle, a 15 minute introductory Biafra spoken word piece in which his charisma, humour and political commitment are showcased in equal measure. On the remaining tracks, the band kicks up an almighty din; New Feudalism and Electronic Plantation were new songs and the others were covers.  These are the Dead Kennedys’ Let’s Lynch The Landlord and a shorter, but no less ferocious, version of Full Metal Jackoff.

(# 529) Danny & Dusty – The Lost Weekend (1985)

This wonderful album is the result of a 36 hour session involving members from three of the key bands of LA’s “Paisley Underground”.  The album was the brainchild of Steve Wynn (The Dream Syndicate) and Dan Stuart (Green On Red) who also roped in members of The Long Ryders (Sid Griffin, Stephen McCarthy and Tom Stevens) as well as others.  Naturally the music has a loose feel to it which suits these roots rockers perfectly.  It opens with a couple of absolute gems, The Word Is Out and Song For The Dreamers , incorporates darker lyrical fare in Down To The Bone and Baby We All Gotta Go Down and a cover of Dylan’s Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.   Naturally as I sat to write this I discovered the album was no long a one off, with the band having released a couple of albums in 2007.