'Nuggets'
Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era 1965-68 (Rhino 75466)
In 1972, Elektra Records released a double-LP set called "Nuggets." Compiled by critic and guitarist Lenny Kaye (who would later rise to fame as Patti Smith's principal collaborator), the set offered 27 "Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era" - that is, singles ranging from the Count Five's "Psychotic Reaction" to "Don't Look Back" by the Remains.
At the time, the notion behind "Nuggets" was pretty radical. Most critics saw the rock canon as being a matter of great albums, with an emphasis on arty, ambitious efforts like "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and "Tommy." That an important part of the rock aesthetic could be encoded in a handful of amateurish, half-forgotten singles seemed unthinkable to them; wasn't rock on its way to becoming serious art?
Well, no. If anything, it was headed in the opposite direction, moving to the visceral primitivism of punk, and "Nuggets" became the road map for thousands of musicians and fans. By 1976, when the set was re-issued (this time by Sire, home of the Ramones), fledgling punk rockers were scouring record stores for singles by the Sonics, the Standells and other "Nuggets" of rock and roll gold.
Among those rummaging through the oldies bins were Gary Stewart and Bill Inglot, two of the producers who helped Kaye expand his original album into a four-CD boxed set. Both men were clearly inspired by the original, because the expanded "Nuggets" not only conveys all the excitement of the original, but manages to be just as enlightening.
Augmenting Kaye's classic 27 with an additional 91 singles, this new "Nuggets" is a veritable treasure trove of garage-rock gold. Even better, its presentation is a rock archivist's dream. Not only are the bulk of the tracks offered in the original mono, but there are extensive liner notes, including the producer, personnel (when known) and release date for each single. The set is almost an education in itself.
Then, of course, there's the music. "Nuggets" isn't about hits, and though there are a smattering of classics included - "Woolly Bully" by Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs, "Louie Louie" by the Kingsmen, "She's About a Mover" by the Sir Douglas Quintet - most of the bands are utterly obscure. Who but fanatics would be familiar with the likes of the Litter, the Daily Flash, Unrelated Segments or Harbinger Complex?
Yet each of these acts had something to say and an interesting way of saying it. Some tracks, such as "I Want Candy" by the Strangeloves or "Mr. Pharmacist" by the Other Half, inspired memorable remakes (by Bow Wow Wow and the Fall, respectively); others, like "Can't Seem To Make You Mine" by the Seeds or "Run, Run, Run" by the Gestures just deserve to be remade. But all are worth hearing, and the care with which they were collected makes this new "Nuggets" worth its weight in gold. **** Timeless Tales (For Changing Times) (Warner Bros. 47052)
Usually, jazzmen are drawn to standards by the musical possibilities the songs contain - the ways their melodic and harmonic structures inspire improvisation. But Joshua Redman was attracted to the standards anchoring "Timeless Tales (For Changing Times)" for different reasons. "Summertime," "Love for Sale" and "Yesterdays" aren't just great tunes; they've also accumulated a certain cultural weight, and it's to Redman's credit that he is able to respect these songs' importance while bringing fresh perspective to their interpretation. Redman and his quartet (especially pianist Brad Mehldau) invariably avoid the obvious, offering solos so fresh that each piece seems cast in an original voice. That's especially true of "The Times They Are A-Changin'," which serves as a launching pad for an impassioned modal improvisation. **1/2
J.D. Considine
Pop/rock
Hootie & the Blowfish
Musical Chairs (Atlantic 83136)
Although the phenomenal success of Hootie & the Blowfish's "Cracked Rear View" may have been unexpected, it's no fluke that the band rose to prominence. "Musical Chairs," the group's third major-label album, is strong, smart and tuneful, confirming the band's continued growth. Although "Musical Chairs" opens with "I Will Wait," a dramatic, melancholy ballad that evokes the sound of "Let Her Cry," the album's most interesting songs are those that go beyond the group's signature strengths. There's more in the way of rock aggression, for one thing, with "Answer Man" and the R.E.M.-ish "Wishing" providing more than their share of air-guitar fodder. But the most charming moments are country-ish, acoustic numbers like "Desert Mountain Showdown." ***
J.D. Considine
They Might Be Giants
Severe Tire Damage (Restless 01877 72965)
Those comfortable with the musically surreal twists and turns of ultranasal, academic alternarockers "They Might Be Giants" should pull right up to "Severe Tire Damage." This mostly live compilation features genre-bending versions of songs that were sufficiently weird to begin with from all six previous albums. The CD bursts with John Linnell and John Flansburgh's comically conspiratorial rapport. A clunky, discordant "Ana Ng" underscores the song's ambiguous fury. "She's Actual Size" gets lounge-ified. A hard rock makeover makes "Why Does The Sun Shine?" brighter than ever, and "Particle Man" is a polka blast. "She's an Angel," which explodes from an expressive whisper into a joltingly sweet, whiny chorus, is an eccentric masterpiece. Don't worry if you're not sure where TMBG is taking you next. They know exactly where they're going. ***1/2
Tamara Ikenberg
Fantastic Plastic Machine
The Fantastic Plastic Machine (Emperor Norton 7008)
One of the pleasures of cocktail culture is the way the lounge music scene has recognized the treasures hidden away in the tacky, bachelor-pad albums of the '50s and '60s. But the Japanese duo Fantastic Plastic Machine has taken that a step further, by incorporating such sonic detritus into bright, engaging electronic pop. On some levels, "The Fantastic Plastic Machine" recalls the coy, stylish wit of the Pizzicato Five, particularly on "Dear Mr. Salesman," which boasts a guest vocal by P-5's Maki Nomiya. But the Fantastic Plastic sound is more wide-ranging than that, capable of absorbing anything from the synth-spiked house beat of "L'Aventure Fantastique" to the cool, Stereolab-style pulse of "Bachelor Pad." **1/2
J.D. Considine
Bette Midler
Bathhouse Betty (Warner Bros. 47078)
If there's one thing Bette Midler knows, it's shtick. She began her musical career by creating a campy, extravagant persona for herself and has been working it ever since. But it has been a while since she delivered an album as uniformly enjoyable as "Bathhouse Betty." It helps, of course, that she goes back to all the gimmicks that have made her live shows such a hoot. She mocks vanity and her own image in the raucous, rap-flavored "I'm Beautiful," takes us back to Hawaii with the tongue-trippingly silly "Ukelele Lady," and gets giddy on oldies with "One Monkey Don't Stop No Show." True, the album also includes its share of maudlin balladry, with "My One True Friend" serving as the designated hit, but give her a break - the girl's gotta pay the bills somehow, right? **1/2
J.D. Considine
Geno Delafose and French Rockin' Boogie
La Chanson Perdue (Rounder 2151)
Be it Los Lobos or Beausoleil, any number of roots bands are stretching beyond tradition for a healthy and transforming dash of blues, jazz and rock. Not Geno Delafose and French Rockin' Boogie on "La Chanson Perdue" ("The Lost Song"). With the estimable likes of Christine Balfa, Dirk Powell and Steve Riley, Delafose sticks like honey to his roots: authentic zydeco, once heard in the homes of Creole farmers in rural, early 20th-century Louisiana. In Creole and Cajun French, accordionist Delafose pines away for lost love, launches lilting waltzes and kicks back with an irresistible dance beat, much as his late father, musician John Delafose, did before him. Delafose is not a total stickler for tradition, as demonstrated by a sweet reworking of "Save the Last Dance for Me" and a couple of other standards. But left to his own instincts, Delafose composes songs like "Double D Two Step" and "I'll Never See her Again," works that hark back pristinely to a time when zydeco and Cajun were much closer cousins. ***1/2
Stephanie Shapiro
* = poor
** = fair
*** = good
**** = excellent
Pub Date: 9/17/98