Punk Rock Love Song Set List

Yesterday I was confronted with a punk love song set list that included Oasis from the 90s. I think I vaguely remember Oasis coming out with a good power pop song or two back then. But it wasn't punk.

I have to say I'm a purist when it comes to naming things in general. Punk is 1950s rock n' roll played much faster and much drunker, with a whole lot of attitude. And it wants to be loved or hated. The most insulting thing you can say about a punk rock band or song was "eh, it was alright, a little schmaltzy." If the music is anything else, it should be called something else. Emo, screamo, power pop, no wave, new wave and hardcore are all great things to be, but they are not really punk rock--perhaps nephews or cousins of the genre.

Here is my punk rock love set:

Johnny Thunders "I love you"


The Ramones "I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend"


The Clash "Janie Jones"
Is there love in a rock n' roll world? Is there love in a Janie Jones world?


The Buzzcocks "Love You More"
It's in my blood to always love you more


The Cramps "Like a Bad Girl Should" risque video
I love your ass for bad or worse (now that's love!)


Motorhead "Love Me Like a Reptile"
You know I've got my eyes on you,
You're petrified, gonna stick like glue,
Love Me Like A Reptile, shock you like an electric eel

MC5 "Borderline"
I'm at my borderline/ I love you girl but I don't know why/ I have to love you so


Stiff Little Fingers "Barbed Wire Love"


The Senders "My Baby Glows in the Dark"


New Rose
I got a feelin' inside o' me/ It's kinda strange like a stormy sea....

Your Fortune for October. From The Rock N' Roll Singer's Survival Manual

Biblioscopes are the union of bibliomancy, divination through opening books to random pages and pondering the meaning of the phrases, and horoscopes, in that each sign does share certain commonalities, including planetary transits. Once a month I ask the Universe to lead my hands in opening the book to the right page for a month’s worth of good advice for each sun sign. My comments are in italics.

This month I am using "The Rock N' Roll Singer's Survival Manual," written and illustrated by Mark Baxter.

Aries (Mar. 22- April 21)
You should make your voice louder by  thinking volume instead of push. Your larynx has  reflexes to respond to the thought.
Fame: Being positive will draw people to you.
Money: Ask for some.
Love: Attract rather than chase.
General: Intention creates events.


Taurus (April 22-May 21)
It's not a good idea to use the type of sprays that numb the throat or drink syrup type liquors. You need to remain sensitive to the irritation to know if you're causing damage.
Fame: You will probably need more alone time than usual.

Money: A good time to monitor your habits. If you go drinking, spend cash, and don't bring your atm/credit card with you.
Love: Take it easy.
General: Your feelings are your guide this month. Do not run from them. Listen to their messages, and act accordingly.



Gemini (May 22- June 21)
Pendulum: A swing is a pendulum. a sound wave or vibration that has the same characteristics as that of a pendulum.
Fame: It comes and goes. If you pay too much attention to it, you may get overly stressed.
Money: Binge-spending on payday anyone? Anyone?
Love: It's only a rollercoaster if you want it to be. (see general)
General: That running to/running from swing you go on is about one thing: fear. If you can't conquer it, at least be aware.


Cancer (June 22-July 21)
Before you fix something, it helps to know how it works. In this section, I have simplified the process of breathing as much as possible.
Fame: No one really knows how this works. Meditate.
Money: Re-evaluate your spending.
Love: Look at what you are doing on your side of the relationship. Is it working?
General: You may meet someone who tries to teach you something you already think you do well. Pay attention, even if this person annoys you at first.



Leo (July 22-August 21)
"Belting": Forcing your voice to extend the chest register higher than it should be  by singing loud. (You are vulnerable to vocal damage by doing this.)
Fame: Yes, but it is exhausting.
Money:Maybe.
Love: If you have to make someone show up, do you really want them to there?
General: Forcing issues will harm yourself and others.





Virgo (August 22-Sept 21)
Goals, both long and short term, are vital. You can get in a car and drive as fast as you want, but it doesn't mean anything until you know where you're headed.
Fame: Once you know what you want, talk it up. It'll come.
Money: Attainable.
Love: Talk about what you want out of your relationship, if you are in one. If not, talk about what you are looking for in a relationship, someone may know the right person for you.
General:'Nuff said.


Libra (Sept. 22-Oct 21)
Play around with different length phrases in the same manner. Whatever the length, if you move your finger along the gauge while singing, your finger should pass zero when your [sic] half way through the line.
Fame: You have a long way to go.
Money: Balance your checkbook, then decide.
Love: Do not take anything too seriously for a little while.
General: This month is going to be a lot about experimenting with things and finding out what their value is to you in your life. If you can, put off committing to new projects until you feel more settled.

Scorpio (Oct 22-Nov. 21)

Each muscle, when isolated, has a simple function.  However, activated simultaneously, they begin to work against each other.Control is lost to a battle of tensions once you can no longer separate one muscle's job from another's.

Fame:Do not tell every single person your plans. Too many people may try to "help" at cross purposes.
Money: Keep your money close till things sort out.
Love: Sex. Perhaps some intimacy.
General:You will have to be very organized when delegating work or working with others, or there will be chaos.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Usually singers smoke a little pot to get loose and uninhibited. I think there is a better way to deal with your nerves than placing such a burden on the larynx...

Fame: Don't worry about it. Honest.
Money: Peace, my brothers and sisters.
Love: Rose colored glasses look good on you.
General: Your fun can end up being a burden for yourself and others. Not that I'd want to stop you.

Capicorn (Dec. 22- Jan 21)

There's nothing more powerful than your opinion of yourself. In the end that statement makes or breaks every singer.

Fame: October will be a prime month for working on your image. If you need help, definitely ask a professional. It will be worth it.
Money: Eh.
Love: In love, water seeks its own level...meaning the people we love are the same emotional age as we are, who feel as good about themselves as we do. Fortune-wise, if you have someone and you want to criticize, you probably have the same issues. If you are looking for someone new, think about the best qualities in yourself, and start your search there.
General: To repeat--your self-esteem will make you or break you this month.

Aquarius (Jan. 22-Feb. 21)

With an "oo" vowel, vocalize a continuous sound, starting in a middle range and sliding down gradually to your lowest note. This will sound like an old siren winding down or a bomb dropping.
Fame: Definitely go for Halloween all the way this year.
Money: Don't invest.
Love: Unlikely. Go for laughs.
General:You are going to scare some people create some chaos, just by being yourself. But you know, you are special that way. Boo!

Pisces (Feb.22-Mar 21)

Any sport you can think of that combines quick blasts of energy with stretching, jumping, bending and balance becomes a good cross trainer for singers. They build your endurance and lung capacity and sharpen your reflexes which are all pluses.

Fame: You have to go out and find more people to follow you.
Money: If you have money sitting in a savings account, look into investments.
Love: Go for the sex.
General:Being active is crucial for you right now. If you are just starting out, start slow and encourage yourself.

Black Betty Is Blues, Punk, Disco, Pop and Industrial Metal

One thing I love about having a blog about music is I have to type so little. The music says it all.

Black Betty was originally a  powerful song of rhythmic singing and handclaps, with misty beginnings in black folk/work song. Black betty could be booze, or a flintlock gun, or a hot girl depending on how far back you go. It was made popular by Ledbelly in 1939, and remade popular as a southernrock/disco tune in 1977.

Black Betty is so simple and powerful, the musicians can easily take it and play themselves right into it. I wish I could put them here left to right, so you could easily choose your favorite genre. I have my favorites. Scroll down and find yours.

Blues By Leadbelly


In 1977 Ram Jam combines disco drums with southern rock guitars to make a one-hit wonder


Raw punk by Nick Cave. Here it is live. It gives me chills.



If light rock is more your thing, the heavy rhythm from the original song gives Tom Jones an edge:



 Black Betty, by industrial metal band, Ministry. Interesting!


I had hoped to find a very different DJ remix of Black Betty, but they are all very stuck on the Ram Jam version, with added redundant drum beats. The main obvious versions I could not find online were a Black Betty rap, and Black Betty very simply played, where the singer sang the lines, but left the ram-a-lam sound to the electric guitar player.

Coming soon: Your Biblioscope for October.

so, what happens to young punks?

Well, if they don't die of drugs, disease or exposure to the elements...
they turn into old punks...angry, middle-aged people who are either healing from their emotional wounds of their youth or pouring salt on them.
It sounds like a lot of people I know, even people who were ahem, square as all get out when I was a kid,  would really identify with The Victims latest album "Take It As It Comes," featuring songs with titles like, "Wasted Youth," "Just Another Yesterday" and "Behind the Times."


Here's Wasted Youth live:




Live concert footage usually has muffled vocals. At the beginning of the song, the singer is telling his own story...

Kid is gone without a trace
Look in the mirror--
don't know my face
In '68 turned 17,
the year I first got laid
Turn the page, another day, 
another hair turning gray

...

another song another  lie another day I didn't die
another mother breathes a sigh

but by the end of the song...
he's singing about those kids today

Three kids are sittin' on the fence
Three I can't find in present tense
don't feel compelled to go out lookin' for the  truth
Another case of wasted youth

The rest of the song is just as fast, fun and relevant. I recommend this album.

Velvet Underground Under Review & The Yardbirds Documentary

The Yardbirds: Jim McCarty, Chris Dreja, Keith Relf,
Jimmy Page, & Jeff Beck

My giant, 5' wide canvas is desperately seeking a subject. I had decided to find my reference for paintings from video. I am concerned that a lot of other people may have painted from the same photo, and also about copyright issues.

I wasn't sure what I wanted to work on. It depends on the reference available. What I want to get at is the relationship between musician and instrument--and hopefully, what is going on inside the musician.

So I upped my Netflix to three at a time and got out The Velvet Underground Under Review and The Yardbirds Documentary aka The Story of the Yardbirds. That may sound a little mixed up, but I have tattoos about The Velvet Underground on my arms (Though they have a double meaning. You may as well call one Wild Bill Thompson. And the other 03-20-10.) and a picture of the Yardbirds--Clapton--on inside of my apartment door.

The Velvet Underground
with Nico and Andy

The Velvet Underground Under Review claimed to have lots of rare footage. It was mostly footage of the band hanging around. I wanted to see them playing. There was also lots of stock footage. What I thought was really interesting was the interview with a young guitar player who explained the construction of the Velvets songs. There was also extensive interviews with Billy Name, who made some of the record covers.  Another big negative was that John Cale and Lou Reed did not participate in the making of this documentary, not even in interviews.


The Story of the Yardbirds had a great deal more footage of the band actually playing. There were extensive interviews with everyone in the band, including Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. There was a lot more footage of Beck than Page, but I think Beck had been in the band longer. It's less than an hour long, but gives a good picture of the shortlived band and its scene. There were also interviews with some band management.  I got a lot of images from this, mostly of Jeff Beck. I highly recommend this video.

I am still not sure who will get the first big canvas. I have some Led Zeppelin documentaries next on my Netflix queue. If I paint a giant Jimmy Page from those, it can't be like the standard. And in about 5 minutes I am going to run The Story of the Yardbirds again. I am hoping I missed some pre-slut Page images in there.
Update: I didn't check out the bonus tracks before. I am always cynical about "bonus" anything. It was great! 15 minutes of the the Jimmy Page Yardbirds playing on Germany's Beat Beat Beat tv show. High quality footage. Double recommend!

Wah Wah Wild

The first master of the Wah Wah guitar sound was Earl Hooker--before the Wah Wah pedal was invented. He used the volume control on his guitar:



The Wah Wah pedal was invented by accident while making a new kind of amplifier at Vox/Thomas Organ Co. in 1966. If you like stories about circuit boards, click here.

Some of the first guitarists to use it were Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. Here' s Clapton in  Cream's White Room:



It quickly moved to Motown and became associated with funk (and cop show music). Here is Isaac Hayes live with the Theme from Shaft:


 Wah wah guitar also made its way into Boogaloo. Here is Dave Cortes:



Well, I don't know about you, but I feel all psychedelic after all the wah wah guitar. There is such a thing as too much wah wah, but I am not going to torture you and me  with bad examples (esp. not me, because I have to find the examples). Let's just say you know there's too much wah wah when the music starts to sound really cheap--vinyl leather jacket cheap. And the audience starts to leave.

If you can think of any more very different examples of wah wah and how it's used--please comment or email and let me know. I'm always lookin', lookin' lookin' for somethin' I haven't heard before...

Howlin' Wolf

I painted this from a frame from "The Howlin'Wolf Story: The Secret History of Rock and Roll" movie.