The Hamiltones - Live at the Jungle Gym 2/22/2014 Cassette

Big Neck / Primitive Screwhead

I've been saving this tape for last.  Here we are at tape number eight of eight from the Big Neck/Primitive Screwhead package, The Hamiltones.  I have been lucky enough to have been following The Hamiltones since I got their first cassette on More Power Tapes back in 2015.  That label sent me a lot of stuff (it looks like they've gone dormant since about 2018), but The Hamiltones were far and away my favorite thing that they ever sent.

This live tape is from a show in 2014 and it mostly features songs from that first More Power demo tape.  The recording quality is OK for what it is.  As they're an instrumental bands, there's no vocals to worry about balancing so that's good.  It gets a little muffled here and there when the band really kicks it into high gear, but it's a perfectly serviceable recording.  

To me, what it really shows is how great of a live band The Hamiltones must be.  This was recorded in 2014, before their first tape even came out, and the crowd is hot and totally up for everything they're doing.  Now that they have some proper releases under their belt, I can only imagine how they'd be able to engage a crowd that really knows their songs.  This is a fun tape and there's a reason I wrote it up last.  I'm the sort of person that tends to save the best for last.

The Hamiltones - Live at the Jungle Gym 2/22/2014:
https://bigneckrecords1.bandcamp.com/album/the-hamiltones-live-at-the-jungle-gym-2-22-2014

Ebirah, Horror of the Deep LP - From Godzilla: The Showa Era Soundtracks, 1954-1975 Box Set

Waxwork (2021) 

For the next several Fridays I'll be writing about an LP from the fantastic Godzilla Show Era soundtrack box set. Godzilla was such an important part of my childhood and the music was such a vital piece of that puzzle. Thrilled to finally have these on vinyl.

Next up in Godzilla land is Ebirah, Horror of the Deep - or as it was called in the US - Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster.  The Sea Monster being Ebirah of course.  This was one of those Godzilla movies that I did like as a kid, but not quite as much as the ones that came before it, though I'm somewhat unsure if I was full cognizant of the order that the Godzilla movies had come out as a youngster.  

To me, the biggest thing missing was the city crushing destruction.  As this movie was set on an island, they didn't really need to construct the elaborate sets that they had done for previous films.  But the plot is fun and I do dig the island motif more now than I did when I was 10.  I've also always enjoyed the bit during a fight scene where Godzilla and Ebirah bat a large rock back and forth at each other.  It's wacky, but a good kind of wacky.

The soundtrack is one of the Show Godzilla scores not done by Akira Ifukube.  This one has Masaru Sato back again and I think he hit this one out of the park.  The island/tropical orchestral themes that he weaves in and out mixed with the rousing 60s instrumental rock that creeps up from time to time is a blast.  As I've repeated every time so far, Waxwork did a great job with this LP just as they have with all of the others.  Sounds great and looks great, what more could I ask for?

Ebirah, Horror of the Deep - "Main Title":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ttd17rPuIUQ&ab_

Exploding Eyes - Live at Bello Bar Cassette

Big Neck / Primitive Screwhead (2021)

Exploding Eyes is the third Robert O'Braidaigh band that's had a live tape recently released on Big Neck/Primitive Screwhead.  I wrote about The Things a few weeks ago and just last week I tackled Cheap Freaks.  This week, we have the second to last cassette from Big neck; Exploding Eyes.

One thing I will say about the three Robert O'Braidaigh bands is that I'm not positive I would know they had the same front person had I not been told.  While the bands all have that sonic garage sound, the music varies quite a bit,  Exploding Eyes appear to be the most recent of the three bands with this show's recording having taken place on February 27th, 2015.  There's definitely some psych rock influences here with the repeating bass lines that allow for some lead guitar noodling and plenty of instances where the music drops out completely for moments of solo vocals only.

The fidelity of this record is totally solid.  Levels are nice and even and everything is pretty clear.  The band sounds like they're having a blast and I can only imagine that it was a pretty high energy show.  I have one more tape to go from this batch, it's been the one I've been saving for last I was already an existing fan of the band.  But that'll be next Monday.

Exploding Eyes - Live at Bello Bar:
https://bigneckrecords1.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-bello-bar-february-27-2017

Invasion Of Astro-Monster LP - From Godzilla: The Showa Era Soundtracks, 1954-1975 Box Set

Waxwork (2021) 

For the next several Fridays I'll be writing about an LP from the fantastic Godzilla Show Era soundtrack box set. Godzilla was such an important part of my childhood and the music was such a vital piece of that puzzle. Thrilled to finally have these on vinyl.

Me, I'll probably always call this movie Monster Zero even if that's not it's proper Japanese name.  Monster Zero was one of the earlier Gidzilla VHS tapes I had in my collection as a kid so I have watched it a ton over the years.  It's definitely one of the ones I'm most familiar with, though admittedly I've probably watched the dubbed version twenty times more than the subtitled Japanese one.  

It's mostly built around Godzilla and Rodan against King Ghidorah who is now controlled by spacemen from Planet X.  In particular I love the alien invader plot, which quickly became a staple in Godzilla movies, and I think the Planet X denizens are probably the coolest batch of marauding space people. 

Soundtrack wise, it's another Ifukube masterpiece.  The main title and battle scene scores are impeccable, not only calling on some past themes, but really bringing in new, atmospheric pieces that really set the stage.  I don't know that it's my favorite score, but it's definitely way up there.  As per the rest of this set, Waxwork did great with this LP.  Sounds great, looks great and is happily part of my collection.

Invasion Of Astro-Monster: "Main Title Theme":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smnWKHVNw-g&ab_

Naughty By Nature - Naughty By Nature 2xLP - Blue/Yellow Splatter Vinyl

Tommy Boy (2021, Reissue)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for twenty-five plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

Naughty By Nature is a group that I think deserves significantly more respect than they're given.  When you have a song that's as big a hit as "O.P.P." was, it's easy to try to write them off as a pop leaning, one hit wonder.  Here's the thing though, Naughty By Nature's first album is a pretty incredible slice of golden era hip hop.

The beats are pretty impeccable all the way through.  Upbeat bass line, snare drum cracks and keyboard flourishes lay down a canvas for the vocals, and that's where Naughty By Nature really shines.  Trech is probably one of the most underrated MCs from this time period in hip hop.  He can rhyme fast, slow, complicated, straightforward...there's really not a flow that he can't hit out of the park.  And it's consistent on song after song on their debut.

Then we have the song everyone knows, "O.P.P."  You know, there's plenty of people who would dismiss it as it was so omnipresent in 1991.  I'm not sure how recently most people have heard it, but it's really a hell of a song.  The samples picked, the lyrical flow, any way you slice it's so ridiculously catchy and you'll never convince me that it's anything other than a very deserving hit.  But ultimately, it's still only one great song on an album full of them.  I'm glad this was finally reissued and am hopeful that Nineteen Naughty III gets its own rerelease in the near future as well.  Though maybe they could pick a slightly less garish vinyl color for that one.

Naughty By Nature - Naughty By Nature:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_k9FgeoABJzT3y2VQWdZfk1sQ3IcPuDdzo

Cheap Freaks - Live at the Olympia Cassette

Big Neck / Primitive Screwhead (2021)

We're at tape six of eight from the Big Neck/Primitive Screwhead folks and this time out we have a 2013 set from Cheap Freaks.  This is another great sounding recording.  The levels are all nice and balanced, you can hear the vocals clearly without them overpowering everything else and in particular, the keyboards sound great.

Cheap Freaks are trading in the sort of stomping 60s-ish sounding rock and roll that makes me think of bands like The Sonics.  There are hooks all over the place, but they never soften the kinetic tempo that the band is churning out.  The show itself sounds like it was probably a blast as the band is just humming along and full of energy.  The drumming stands out as being particularly excellent.

After six tapes of live recordings, I don't know that I'm changing my opinion of live albums as a whole (typically never been a huge fan), but I'm warming up to the idea that it is possible to capture some exceptional performances that are definitely worth preserving.

Cheap Freaks - Live at the Olympia:
https://bigneckrecords1.bandcamp.com/album/live-at-the-olympia

Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster LP - From Godzilla: The Showa Era Soundtracks, 1954-1975 Box Set

Waxwork (2021) 

For the next several Fridays I'll be writing about an LP from the fantastic Godzilla Show Era soundtrack box set. Godzilla was such an important part of my childhood and the music was such a vital piece of that puzzle. Thrilled to finally have these on vinyl.

When I am ranking Godzilla movies, Ghidorah The Three Headed Monster is usually pretty high on my list.  As a kid, I had the VHS tape of it's sequel, Monster Zero, longer so I've seen that one many more times and have a more nostalgic affinity for it.  But Ghidorah is quite incredible and judging them as an adult is probably the better of the two, even if I like Monster Zero more.  If any of that makes any sense.  I can telly you that the blu ray version of this movie in the Criterion box set has an annoying white line that flashes during each camera cut for the length of the film which can be infuriating at times.

The soundtrack is another Akira Ifukube special and one where he really starts to tie together past themes from other films.  You have 3 monsters that already have a history of their own movies in Godzilla, Mothra and Rodan.  So there are elements of past scores here and there.  The music feels especially menacing and does give some extra weight to the danger of Ghidorah in the movie.

I love the shiny gold Ghidorah colored vinyl and it pops even more in person than it does in the picture above.  The artwork is stellar as it is for everything in this box set and I'll just keep saying how impressed I am with how great these records sound.  Waxwork has done a stellar job with this box set and the Ghidorah soundtrack is another home run.

Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster: "Main Title Theme":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bjv4hFCseY&ab_

Souls Of Mischief - 93 'til Infinity 2xLP - Blue Vinyl (/2000)

Get On Down (2022, Reissue)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for twenty-five plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

Yeah, I have this on vinyl already.  I actually wrote about it during the first few weeks of starting up Ed Lover Dance Day around here.  But as it is one of my top three hip hop albums of all time, I just couldn't resist picking up this colored vinyl variant with the obi strip.  It was also an easier decision since I had a Get On Down gift certificate kicking around from Christmas.

I don't really have anything to say about the album that I didn't already say here.  But to summarize quickly, it's just one of the greatest things I've heard in my entire life with absolutely killer production and stellar lyrics all the way through.

Sound quality wise, it's good.  Just as good as the old 2021 2xLP pressing that Traffic put out.  In fact, the liner notes on the gatefold are exactly the same, making reference to it being nearly twenty years since its initial release even though we're now only a year away from the thirtieth anniversary.  If you don't have this album yet, that criminal.  This is a great version to pick up.  If you only have a single LP version, it's also worth the upgrade.  But if you already have the 2xLP version, it's probably only worth grabbing if you're a bit obsessive like I am.

Souls Of Mischief - 93 'til Infinity:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_k3iPJ9cBB9c_y9oSCOexs9-75aYImFmEg

The Hot Pockets - Live in Koln 10/18/2001 Cassette

Big Neck / Primitive Screwhead (2021)

Tape number five from the Big Neck/Screwhead pile.  This time we've got a band that I have at least heard of, likely because of their excellent band name and the fact that they put out a record on Alien Snatch.  The Hot Pockets existed in the late 90s and early 2000s and cranked out a few 7"s and one LP.

This live show from 2001 is a fun and energetic set, though it's probably the first of these live tapes that does have one of the trappings you find in some live albums.  The vocals are too loud in comparison to the instruments.  This is an issue with live albums probably going back to the beginning of time and the fact that this is the first one of these Big Neck/Screwhead tapes that has this really shows the quality of recordings they've been working with for the most part.

For the most part, the bands original material is pretty fun and I wonder what would have happened if they were around during that 2008-2012 stretch where I feel like garagey rock and roll really took over the punk underground for a spell.  Another solid tape, but probably sits right in the middle if I'm ranking them. I also could have done without the Guns N Roses cover, but that's probably just me.

The Hot Pockets - Live in Koln  10/18/2001:
https://bigneckrecords1.bandcamp.com/album/the-hot-pockets-live-in-koln

Mothra vs. Godzilla 2xLP - From Godzilla: The Showa Era Soundtracks, 1954-1975 Box Set

Waxwork (2021) 

For the next several Fridays I'll be writing about an LP from the fantastic Godzilla Show Era soundtrack box set. Godzilla was such an important part of my childhood and the music was such a vital piece of that puzzle. Thrilled to finally have these on vinyl.

The fourth Godzilla movie of the Showa era was Mothra vs. Godzilla.  This was another one that I loved as a kid and man it sure holds up well.  It also has my absolute favorite Godzilla suit of the series.  My wife actually bought me a statue of it back when we first started dating.  The fact that she not only didn't mind that I liked Godzilla but also managed to zero in on the specific suit I liked the best still astounds me all of these years later.

I had the VHS of this one as a kid and played it pretty often.  I love the general pace of the movie and the battle Godzilla has with Mothra both in her full adult form, but also against the two larvae.  Great stuff.  The soundtrack is also top notch with Akira Ifukube once again at the helm.  There are passages of this soundtrack that are so iconic and would reappear in other movies over the years.

The LP in this box set is another home run.  It sounds outstanding, just like the rest of the albums in the set and I love the artwork.  As I go through the other albums over the next few weeks, things might get a little repetitive as the quality of this box set is so wonderful and I am forever grateful that Waxwork took a chance and not only released this, but obviously put so much effort into it.

Mothra vs. Godzilla - "Main Title Theme":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gn9PiU6UW_k&ab_

KRS-One - Return of the Boom Bap 2xLP

Music On Vinyl (2017)

Every Wednesday, in honor of Ed Lover Dance Day from Yo! MTV Raps, I take a break from rock and roll to write a little bit about hip hop. In the late 80s and early 90s hip hop ruled my musical life. During this often called 'Golden Era' I discovered so much incredible music. As I am slowly replacing the CDs I've had for twenty-five plus years with vinyl copies, I'm going to talk about some albums that had a really important impact on me during some very formative years.

Boogie Down Productions was the first favorite hip hop group that I had.  I came across them on Yo! MTV Raps and proceeded to stock up on their back catalog through BMG Music Club and/or Columbia House.  When 1993 rolled around, KRS-One dropped the BDP name and released his first record under his own name.  I never really understood why he did that, especially because pretty much everyone knew Boogie Down Productions was essentially KRS-One and whoever else was helping him out that week.

It's very obvious listening to this record that it was intended to be a BDP album.  On many of the songs he raps about being in Boogie Down Productions, most notably on my favorite track on the album "Outta Here."  I'm not sure exactly what prompted him to have this not come out under the BDP umbrella, but whatever it's called, it still feels like classic BDP to me.

 

That said, I think I do like this album more now than I did in 1993.  In 93, hip hop was getting so innovative and the sort of stripped down, old school vibes on Return of the Boom Bap felt a little dated.  But with thirty years of hindsight really just puts this album on the same level as a lot of the classic Boogie Down Production releases.  I still don't like the hook on "Sound of da Police," but aside from that, this is a really great album.

KRS-One - Return of the Boom Bap:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_lUCdV5_sH-qjI9JP1-O5j818A9jrJaDD0