Monday, October 6, 2008


Side B

“…I got blisters on my fingers!!!”

“Kiss of Death” Jus Primae Noctis

This seemed like a fitting track to follow blistered fingers, and if you heard it you probably would agree. Built around a scathing loop by Jon Failes, this song is actually rather chill. I have had this single for about two or three years, but never threw it on. Seeing is how I am exercising some songs that I have actually paid very little attention to, I decided to spin this one. It ends on a heartbeat like thudding, then fades out. The way it faded was so familiar, the tone. It was like an itch, I had to know what that song was. Then it hit me…

“Keep the Hope Alive” by The Crystal Method

Here is a golden oldie, straight from Crystal Method’s debut (and only good) album. The beat fucking drops, I mean fucking drops in. It’s a genuinely danceable song and doesn’t let up. The beats and production are a little to canned and plastic for my taste, but this song transcends that by being as heavy as all hell. The one problem I ran into while recording was the track got stuck on a stratch in the middle of the final buildup, the CD is pretty old my Brother bought in 97 when it came out. But the scratch was serendipitous because it skipped in beat in the middle of the buildup. So I counted off the beats and stopped it a point. Then I threw on…

“Hangin' Round” by Lou Reed

This is my favorite off of Transformer, and yes I know “wild side” is on there. Its such a clever song, infectious lyrics with some swingin’ rock thrown in for good measure. This is my kind of rock n’ roll! As I am listening to this I am digging and I find the best of U2 1990-2000. I had no idea I had this, I mean do not recall buying this… maybe I borrowed it. Who the fuck knows, but that’s definitely going on right…

“Even Better than the Real Thing” by U2

now. Track one, and what a fucking track it is. This somehow crystalized everything that U2 progressed to be, or at least what I have heard. I don’t really know too much past zoo tv. All you leave behind was pretty much an inescapable album, at the least the singles were. And the new one where Bono counted incorrectly in Spanish didn’t interest me at all. But enough of that, I am going to give this album some attention a little later on.

“Find me somebody to love” by Queen

I have never had any qualms with this band, I mean how could you? Freddy Mercury’s range and diction are insane, the instrumentation and the song writing are equally next. The songs are always catchy, even the lame duck ones, and you can’t beat that. Anytime I throw this album on I smile, because I can never not be in the mood for it. And after all grandiosity of this track, the next logical pick must be…

“Girls” by The Prodigy

This is the second track off of that album that came out after sessions from the dirt chamber. I was so pissed off that I pulled it out of the player and stuck it in my CD suitcase never to be heard again until the year 2007. That’s when I found there are some salvageable tracks on it, and this is one of the few. Liam Howlett even said that he thinks he could do way better than that and he was very disappointed that he had to release it so soon. And it shows, the album is very half-baked and overly long with way too much guitar and “scary noises”. I think it’s high time to get back to the jilted generation, which still remains a high point in the late nineties dance scene. After the track ends in psychotic whir, I knew what had to be done…

“Village People” by the Village People

Didn’t see that shit coming did ya! Here is a rather nice song from the posse of gay stereotypes (except the Indian, never saw where that figured in). I won’t go into much detail because these guys honestly don’t warrant it. I own the best of and believe me that’s all you need. They existed in singles and their beats & song construction doesn’t vary much from song to song. But who cares their GAY and PROUD! And quite catchy to boot. Here is their supposed anthem, a rare slower number of theirs, which will fit nicely with the next pick…

“In Heaven” by Fatboy Slim

This album has been missing something, but what could it be? Why the F-bomb of course. And why have it just once, let’s have it on loop and build more loops around it. Genius, pure genius. This is one of the many reasons why Fatboy Slim is near and dear to my heart and this album will always be perfect.

“Suzanne” by Nina Simone

This song was the second Nina Simone song that really got me, the first of course being “Sinnerman”. Originally by Leonard Cohen, this is a much spryer rendition, with her really feeling every word. That’s what is great about this woman, she had this sincerity in everything she did, and in my opinion (puts his cred-hat on) is one of the most soulful singers ever. But how to follow this, why with…

“the heart of Saturday night” by Tom Waits

of course. Told you I couldn’t stop. Here is the lowest key song on the album, and this album is rather low key already. I can’t go into much detail because like every song on this damn album, they’re over before they really sink in, forcing you to put them on repeat and to examine over and over again. That’s fine, it’s not an album that totally reveals itself on the first listen. Maybe after a while I will arrive at a more evolved opinion other than “nice bass” and “gin-soaked chain smoking”. Jesus Christ I should work for Blender with language like that. Well now its now time to close this shit out…

“Intro to the Swordfish Soundtrack” by Paul Oakenfold feat. John Travolta

I remember when I first saw this movie in theaters. My Dad and I loved it! Especially this opening monologue, where Travolta (a total badass) expounds on how movies rarely push the envelope. The shot would then proceed to pull out on a bank robbery where he has the hostages wired with claymore mines. There are so many things that suck about this movie, but I will forgive them based on the fact that my first viewing of it was golden. Here is a taste of the opening monologue to segue way into…

“Magic Doors” by Portishead

I remember sitting at the Guy’s house watching them perform this live, and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. After a long hiatus, Portishead was back! And this time they were taking no prisoners, and here is a perfect example of this. The song construction is so exact, everything little glitch and tick has its place, which makes repeated listening to it all the more interesting because you pick up on things that you didn’t think about or listen to before. The only albums that have done this to me before are OK Computer and Pet Sounds.

“Lady Grinning Soul” by David Bowie

Aladdin Sane is my least favorite of all the Bowie that I have heard. The Guitars and Drums are too heavy and muddled. I also, god help me, somehow have a developed an allergy to “Blues Rock”. This sounds like bullshit, but very few bands can pull it off and make it tolerable, and unfortunately Bowie didn’t. That’s okay because there is one track on there is so remarkably beautiful, a piano number at the end that merits the adjective “Shimmers”. And this is some shimmering shit my friends, a wonderful fucking chune…

“Crème Caramel” by Catherine Wheel

I am a huge fan of symmetry, and well were getting close to the end, so I guess its time for the old CW. This track is dense, and makes a good companion to the previous track. The beat and the bass have this round and round feel to it, which the Hammond builds upon to a climax with wailing guitars and smooth crooning. I am on my way to being a big fan of these guys.

“Something in the way” by Nirvana

How should I end the Comp? This is how. What can I say that hasn’t been said over and over about this band. They were amazing, and every time I hear this song I will always remember how it sounded through my sister’s door. Those were some amazing times to be alive now that I think of it, I mean I watched the live feed of the Unplugged concert! I also for some reason equate this album with Real World Seattle. The answers to that seem almost too obvious, but really I think it’s because I will always associate the youth staples of the early nineties with my sister. So I guess I dedicate this to her.

This concludes the making of the no-frills comp.
If you want a copy drop me a line and I will make you a copy.(note some tracks have some minor skips and glitches, keep in mind I mined my collection to get them. the majority of them sustained some major abuse and love over the years and it’s a miracle they played as intact as they did)

2 comments:

Shane Guy said...

GIVE ME THAT TAPE. NOW.

Jessica said...

i DEMAND a copy as well... ship it up here with mom on friday if you must.... or else i'll get a pitchfork and gather some townspeople.

and thanks for dedicating the early 90's to me? or maybe you were just dedicating the song... either way, it's nice to know you were hanging around outside my door...