Bradley's Buzz

7 Random CDs

It's that time of the week again - frickin' Friiiiidaaaaay! Woo hoo, not only does that mean I don't have to deal with crabby rich people and their endless pursuit of fine furnishings, I also get to hang out in my house record music, make bubbatunes, update websites and of course listen to music. So let's take a look at what I listened to this week and what you can run out and buy to spend your weekend...

BILLY JOEL - Glass Houses (1980)
Like I posted yesterday, my pal Lisa sent me this CD for either Christmas or my birthday, I'm not sure which one exactly but I am glad I got it on CD. For some reason 1980 saw the onslaught of pop royalty releasing the new wave punky album - Linda Ronstadt had Mad Love, Carly Simon did Come Upstairs and Billy, longing to shed the critic's image of him as a balladeer made Glass Houses - a romping rock album with elements of new wave and punk - of course the new wave and punk just like in the case of Linda and Carly is glossed over by the professional production and the fact that the anger of the genre isn't necessarily convincing in this element. However, that doesn't mean the albums aren't good, and of the three this is by far my favorite. As a kid I had this cassette and because side one was so frickin' fun I would just rewind and play it over and so I never heard the last five songs until I got this CD yesterday. First let me tell you, those first five songs are completely infectious which to me is the essence of new wave rock - opening with glass smashing (of course) "You May Be Right" begins with its chunky guitar and a Billy Joel growl as he angrily plows through to the next - my favorite - "Sometimes A Fantasy" ('oh, oh, oh'), then a Beatle ish/Spector ish "Don't Ask Me Why" which is so sing alongy I usually end up playing it twice, before the hit single - new waveish Billy on "It's Still Rock & Roll To Me" and then a rocker of bitterness "All For Leyla." Then I was finally able to move to the next set and though not completely forgettable, they aren't quite as great as those first five - though I really like "I Don't Want To Be Alone" & "Sleeping With The Television On" and though I hate to say it, had some real new wave band done the songs they could've been brilliant and fun - I think, like other critics have said - Billy just wasn't all that convincing in his this new bitter world of his. But they are infectious songs and of the three Billy albums I got (The Stranger, 52nd Street, Glass Houses), this is by far my favorite.

HOLE - Celebrity Skin (1998)
As emotionally drained as any Courtney Love shenanigans can make us, she is foremost a musician and this is her and thus her band's greatest achievement in a relatively short list of recorded music. Ditching the complete garage grunge angst of Pretty On The Inside and Live Through This, Courtney and company brought Billy Corgan in for a couple things and went to California for inspiration. Conjuring up images of the 70s California rock scene, Courtney left a lot her angst in the Northwest and went for more melody. I love every single song on this disc and when it came out I played it over and over - from the beginning guitar crunch and Courtney's vocal "oh make me over/ I'm all I want to be" the title cut breaks into the catchy yet dramatic "Awful" followed by "Hit So Hard" and it goes on and on with a radio friendly tune thrown in before crunching into the pain grunge we love from our Courts... so much better than her ill fated (and I wanted to love it) solo album from a few years ago - for those unsure of Hole's reasons for success and with an ear more for melody than angst, this is the CD to go to.

CYNDI LAUPER - Hat Full Of Stars (1993)
One of those overlooked CDs of her releases, this is to me is Cyndi's crowned achievement in music. She's So Unusual is of course fun from start to finish and though it has moments of honesty and angst like the brilliant "Time After Time", it was mostly an album to launch a career with tongue firmly planted in cheek, her next album True Colors was supposed to be a more mature approach and definitely achieved that with the equally brilliant "True Colors", "Change Of Heart" and some very good album cuts, then came 1989's A Night To Remember which other than another brilliant single "I Drove All Night" (damn Celine Dion, damn her!) the album was mostly forgotten. A few years later Cyndi said critics be damned and made the album she wanted to make - Hat Full Of Stars is full of everything you come to expect from my favorite Cupie Betty Boop girl - the emotional ballads "Who Let In The Rain?" (can I just keep using brilliant as an adjective?), "Hat Full Of Stars" which tells the story of a love affair gone which was all the better when all they had was a hat full of stars and nothing else, then "Sally's Pigeons" a woeful tale of an old friend who seemed to have bad luck with a lot of her life, but then Cyndi brings on fun and bouncy music "That's What I Think", and for the first time some real urban plight / world affairs songs like "A Part Hate" and the abuse tale "Shattered Glass" - every single song is worth hearing over and over and though it didn't sell well, and Cyndi would next record Sisters Of Avalon, an album closer to heart since she seemed to have complete control, that album is a little too overly dramatic while Hat Full Of Stars is a perfect combo of fun, cynicism, heartache and of course the great vocal chops of Cyndi - who if the world was a better place would hold the throne as the queen of pop instead of that other woman who can't sing that Cyndi used to compete with.

KELLY OSBOURNE - Sleeping In The Nothing (2004)
Another completely overlooked career and I can not state enough what a misfortune it is that so many people just pushed Miss O to the side for various reasons. The fact is she is full of spunk and fun and both of her albums are not just good and "able to pass" they are excellent little records that should've seen a much greater sales rate and/or critical praise. In fact, from what I've read there was never really any terrible reviews for either of her albums, instead the world just decided they'd buy fake punk Avril Lavigne than a real life punk princess who had just as much gusto as those Green Day boys on her debut Shut Up, and then for some reason when this album came out with its infectious 80s electronic bounce and ooze, the world opted for shit like Ashlee Simpson and her act alike little girls who 1. can't frickin' sing and 2. don't even talk about anything in their songs that are worthy of my earphones. I mean let's face it without the overdubs and overhauls of the producers most of these girls would've been shelved before they ever put on their bustier and hit the dance floor. But Kelly, who opted to sit out on writing most of the material on Sleeping In The Nothing, went to Linda Perry (4 Non Blondes and super producer) for this little nugget chock full of pleasure. The single "One Word" with its opening French speak and its soothing driving electro beat should've been a huge hit, "Uh Oh" with clever lines like, "Uh Oh I better go before I turn this love into a crime" speaks to my frickin' heart. "Suburbia" with its back up "uh uh uh" and the synth running through could've been a Pet Shop Boys, and there are other 80s electro influences on here. In fact, if you didn't know better you would think you were listening to some lost female led synth band from 1983. The songs all come fast and furious with its obvious 80s influence, this is the album Kelly apparently always wanted to make and I for one am greatly appreciated. If you guys take anything from my blogs at all, take this - run to the store and buy one of the dozens of discounted Kelly CDs in the bin, you will not be disappointed you spent that $5 in fact, you will most likely find yourself with a new favorite punk/pop CD (Shut Up) and a new fav 80s electronic CD (Sleeping In The Nothing).. I mean it, buy it!

MELISSA ETHERIDGE - Never Enough (1992)
From the overlooked we go to the overhyped, now I'm not saying Melissa doesn't deserve the kudos she is bestowed, in fact I was on that lesbian bandwagon way before anyone outside of the music critic's circles knew she existed. The prob is Melissa's first four albums (Melissa Etheridge, Brave & Crazy, Never Enough, Yes, I Am)were great - spirited, spunky, thought provoking, sad and happy all at once. But after that she decided to stick the formula on Yes, I Am and milk it for all its worth. Sure she had some great hits post Yes I Am, but to me it was always her album tracks that really shined and its on those first albums where she was saying something new. I tend to go back and forth between this album and Brave & Crazy as my favorite Melissa albums, but since I wanted a little more rocking in my ears, I opted to dust off this CD and play it for all its worth - featuring one of my fav singles "Ain't It Heavy" (Sometimes it's never enough/ survival is fine but satisfaction is rough) Melissa goes for a feminist approach before crunching into one of her most experimental songs "2001" which now that its 2006 doesn't pull the punch so much anymore ("wake me up when we hit 2001") but it's still a good song. Most of the songs incorporate her old school rock roots with some twang thrown in here and there, and of course songs of sex - though Miss E was pretty clever in these early days never giving the songs' characters a real gender thus making the song one anyone straight or gay could sing along with and of course there's the little over the top ballads she would later be known for but like most of Melissa's work, it's her lyrics that have always pulled me in, and Never Enough really pulls you in from beginning to the end.

ROSEANNE CASH - 1979-1989 (1989)
A greatest hits package of a singer a lot of people forget about but one you should all go back and discover. I always loved the song "Seven Year Ache" (1981) so when I found this cassette at a used bin one day in Couer d'Alene, I picked it up. At the time I was working at this school for mentally challenged adults and one class I was teaching was music, which amounted mostly to giving the 'tards (I say this with the most affection ever so don't yell at me.. I mean it lovingly) a microphone and letting them go to town on a little karaoke machine. Well, I figured Roseanne Cash would be a good one to throw into the mix so I brought the tape and when "Seven Year Ache" started this woman named Rhonda, who did not speak, did not walk, did not really do much at all, took her cane, walked to the front of the room and mumbled her way through the song. It was the crowning achievement in my academic teaching career. I decided when I moved to LA, Rhonda should have that tape so she could sing anytime she felt the urge.
Finally, I found a discounted version of the album on CD as I had become quite fond of this little hits package - obviously including Roseanne's signature classic, it also contains "My Baby Thinks He's A Train," "Tennessee Flat Top Box", an acoustic guitar driven version of the Beatles' "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party", the pop influence "I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me" and "Hold On" - these are all classic songs and after reviewing some information on Miss Cash (if you didn't know she is the daughter of Johnny), I found she is and for most of her career has been a critic's darling. Now I'm on a rampage to pick up five of her best reviewed albums - Seven Year Ache, Interiors, King's Record Shop, Rhythm & Romance and this year's apparently brilliant beyond belief Black Cadillac - which could've been a bit of a downer as it talks about death since she lost her step mother, father and mother all in the same year but is instead pretty damn good apparently. As for the avid listener who just wants to check out what the fuss may be about I suggest this greatest hits. Full of her biggest hits in the first decade of her career, you'll figure out why she was a pioneer, pushing the Nashville boundaries before most of today's pop country stars were even born.

GREEN DAY - Warning (2000)
I am in love with Billie Joe and always have been. From the first moment he sang to me about being a slacker whose only real motivation came from jerking off, well let me say he had me at "Longview." After numerous albums, all equally fun and brilliant Green Day released Warning: in 1998. I haven't really stopped listening to this CD since. I put songs from it on everyone's mixers, I put it in my car stereo and jam as I run the streets of LA, it has not lost one single iota of power for me. The singles "Warning", "Minority" and "Macy's Day Parade" are brilliant. The album cuts are just as powerful - from the first song to the end, all I can do is sing, sing, pound my fists, sing, sing. I love it! Now to the naysayers i realize that perhaps Green Day isn't doing anything those other power punk pop bands are doing but they were doing it first and they do it better. With Warning: they were really saying something and doing it with such fervor I almost have to do a longview on my self .. Excellent album - buy it! Billy needs your love and support, not as much as I want to give him MY love and support but whatever.

posted by swivek @ 10:30 AM 2 comments

Just Another Manic Day

Well, I'm a little tired this morning having spent last night at the last Amy Cissell Happy Hour - as my beloved Miss Cissell is running off to Portland to start a Northwest kind of life. For five years, we've been hanging out in West Hollywood drinking, laughing, talking about our writing. Amy and I joined this November writing challenge last year where you were supposed to write 1oo some pages of your novel in a month, Amy did it and went on to finish her first novel while I opted to go back to Carlton Heights, and now I won't have her to drink with anymore....

But there's one more visit coming up as the Leivas and I are going to Amy's apartment on Sunday to help her and her BRAD move out of LA and go to the great green way...

but on top of having a fabulous night with Amy and Brad, I also received my Christmas box from Lisa Glassford; that's right apparently Christmas comes very late to Spencer, Wisconsin and it takes a while to get your gifts. But she bought me three Billy Joel CD's I asked for, as I really wanted to own them but figured I'd never actually buy them for myself and alas I don't have to - and of course look out for Billy to show up on the Random CD list sometime soon. She also bought the Leivas a really cool camo green (eggplant according to the label) dress shirt - we love the Leivas in dress clothes.

In other news, while I soak my head in cold water just for effect, I have finally found some lyrics that work with a new song I'm working on. As promised Patrick from Orange Television wrote me some music and I was having some probs with lyrics but I believe the song is going to manifest itself tonight - working title "Need" - a sex song, but would you really expect anything less from me?

And tonight it's the elimination night of So You Think You Can Dance? As always, my Leivas and I will sit down and watch yesterday's show and then today's elimination, it's getting so sad when these dreams are shattered and now we're down to 8 dancers which means they are all really good, but I have a feeling Benji is going to win the thing - everyone loves that little HoMo but I have a good feeling for some others including Benji's old dance partner Donyelle, who can do anything - and Benji's cousin Heidi does anything those people throw at her including this heartbreaking little contemporary dance she did last week with Spike. It had both Nygel the judge and Alfred the Leivas in tears - but alas some must go - last week Legs and sexy Russian Dimitri got the boot but don't feel bad for Dimitri can surely make a living ripping open his shirt and Legs is only 19 years old so she's far from washed up...

and this past week brought a special little treat to the world of Bradley as my cousin Timmy and his girlfriend Erin were in town. They drove from Wisconsin and were staying in Santa Monica so on Saturday, Alf and I took them out to dinner at my favorite Micelli's in Hollywood and then we walked around Hollywood Boulevard and ended up at the Frolic Room, this crazy itty bitty little Hollywood bar - then had a few more drinks at our house - it was a fleeting visit but fun none the less.

and in the most important news of the day - today a very special woman was born, a woman who gave you the Bradley - that's right it's My Momma's Birthday - Happy Birthday Mom!

Alright, I'm off to find something really greasy and grimy to munch on and perhaps the taste of Corona and cheap Tequila Margarittas will leave me, but the longing for endless Cissell Happy Hours will never go away....

posted by swivek @ 11:30 AM 1 comments

Mr. Jacobson, if you're nasty

Well I did it, Bradley Project #175,645 has been completed...

In my quest, to do every single thing possible in the entertainment industry from my own room, I entered a contest to design the new Janet Jackson CD "20 Years Old." Janet announced earlier this month that she was inspired by fan art and decided to start a contest where her fans could design her next album cover. So all you had to do was download a selection of photos pre-approved by the record company and Ms. Nasty herself, and then design the cover.

Hopefully, with all my experience making Bubbatunes compilations and Swivek CDs, I may get noticed for my artistic work on CD covers. After all, if I do have to work how cool would it be to get paid to design CD covers?

But now that my job is done, it's time for you guys to do yours! That's right, you can go to the Janet Jackson website and rate the album covers that her fans came up and of course you're all going to vote for me! In the end, a panel of judges moves the best covers over to Janet who makes the final decision and then the first million copies of the CD bear your design.
So without too much prodding click here and my cover will be the one that shows up. Then vote, vote, vote and give me all the kudos you know I deserve!

P.S. I was going to post a picture of my cover but I think I sold it to J's record company and I don't want to cause any problems, I'd hate to have one of her nips come flying at me.

posted by swivek @ 10:06 AM 1 comments

New Bubbatunes

It's been awhile since our latest Bubbatune addition, but this week we have two brand new compilations to add to that endless list of glorious music forgotten and left behind, so let's take a look at what I came up with this time...

CARLY SIMON - With A Vengeance (bub61)
You knew this was coming, I've been talking about her for the past three weeks and with the addition of Spy and Playing Possum finally in my CD collection, I was able to come up with the Carly Simon compilation I wanted. From her very first hit to the early 90s, I have all my favorites and what I think should be yours too.

Compiled in a mish mash of song order, I decided I might get weary by the end if I went in chronological order - so instead we begin with one of her biggest hits "Anticipation" - a little ditty she wrote while waiting for Cat Stevens to pick her up for a date ("these are the good old days"), then the 1990 single "Better Not Tell Her" which shows even in her late 40s Carly could still keep a sexy edge about her; then a new ditty I discovered from 1975 "More & More" featuring harmonies by the likes of Carole King & James Taylor and Dr. John on piano.. onto the biggest hit of her career, the still obscure (as in who is it really about) "You're So Vain" and my Leivas' favorite Carly song "Jesse" from 1980 and onto her late 80s comeback pop stuff with "Give Me All Night" which I have suddenly fell in love with, as she tells her man she won't take half of anything, in fact if you can't give me all of you, give it to me anyways.. I love that.

One of her best songs from the early 70s, "Legend In Your Own Time" follows, full of bitchy commentary, it's sort of a precuror to "You're So Vain" which came out a year later, the song tells the tale of a boy who was bound for big things but got lost when he heard the radio and sang with the singer in the band, and though he's a legend in his own time, he's just a lonely boy when he goes home alone.

And then there's "Vengeance" - my new fav and old fav once I remembered it. I won't go into every song on the compilation but will tell you this is probably the best compilation of her work as it's the songs I deem her best including the James Bond theme "Nobody Does It Better" where Carly really rises to the occasion and a new found classic "You Belong To Me" from 1978 which I remember but never really cared for until I listened in the head phones and really listened to her lyrics.

Of course Carly's brilliance is in her lyrics and the talent is loud and clear on songs like her first single "That's The Way I've Always Thought It Should Be" where her man wants to marry our girl and love her forever but she sees the heartache and turmoil of marriage through her parents silent marriage, her college friends who are all married with kids who hate them for what they're not while they hate themselves for what they are. In the end, Carly kicking and screaming the whole way gives in and marries the man, for that is the way she always heard it should be.

The great lyrics continue on "We Have No Secrets" from 1972, where Carly and her man share everything but with every open honest relationship there are often times she wishes she didn't know some of those secrets of his, including a beach fling, as "you answer all my questions but they don't always answer my prayers."

There's also the two singles from 1985's Spoiled Girl album which never appear on any Carly compilations - "Tired Of Being Blonde" and "My New Boyfriend" two synthesized rockers with similar tones - in "Blonde" a sex goddess leaves her kept life not because she's angry but because she's tired of playing the role, so she leaves her man's credit cards on the counter, the keys to the Porsche in the den and she takes off in the old Dodge that drove her in; it's a tad interesting to find out Carly didn't write "Tired Of Being Blonde" but the whole concept and the lyrics are so her vein, I'm not surprised to see she recorded it - in "My New Boyfriend" Carly goes through synth heaven telling all about her new boyfriend who isn't just some baby and isn't just some kid, in fact he loves her more than "you ever did."
Like I've been saying I am now totally in love with Carly and think she's brilliant...

Full Track List:

1. Anticipation
2. Better Not Tell Her
3. More And More
4. You're So Vain
5. Jesse
6. Give Me All Night
7. Legend In Your Own Time
8. Vengeance
9. Haven't Got Time For The Pain
10. Coming Around Again
11. Attitude Dancing
12. The Right Thing To Do
13. Let The River Run
14. That's The Way I've Always Heard It Should Be
15. Mockingbird (w/ James Taylor)
16. Tired Of Being Blonde
17. Nobody Does It Better
18. We Have No Secrets
19. You Belong To Me
20. My New Boyfriend
    
    
    SHEENA EASTON - So Far So Good (bub62)
    She was a modern girl who would take the morning train to work 9 to 5 so she could strut her sugar walls for our eyes only. Yes, the diva in training who turned into a funk goddess Miss Sheena Easton and a little comp I call So Far So Good.

For some reason, Sheena seems to be one of those artists who appears to be a balladeer but when you look through her hits you realize most of her songs are upbeat pop numbers and then moved onto the funky dance diva she became around 1984 with songs like Strut, Sugar Walls, Swear, The Lover In Me - excellant little ditties you have to remember and then listen to again and again.

Since this is a bubbatunes compilation, this is a comp of MY favorite Sheena songs and though most of her singles are here there are a few obscurities like "Hard To Say It's Over" a little ballad from her A Private Heaven (1984) album that is sweet and sing songy and a really sad little ballad called "Summer's Over" which was only a B-side to 1981's single "Modern Girl." The song tells the sad tale of a woman who spends her days looking out at the water dreaming of those hot boys of summer since "Nobody told her that the summer's over"

Since we are on the topic of ballads, most of her really great ballad singles are here "You Could Have Been With Me", "I Wouldn't Beg For Water" (but I'd get down on my knees for you..I love it!), "Almost Over You" and the James Bond "For Your Eyes Only" but for me it's the great fast songs that get me in an Easton mood -

The pop fun began with her first single "Morning Train", then "Modern Girl" , "Just Another Broken Heart" (completely overlooked single only released in UK) then an awesome little ditty called "Machinery" with a strange little sax blowing through and even stranger lyrics, it's her most overlooked single I think, "Telefone", "Devil In A Fast Car", and then she moved on from her silky sweet image to go all funk on our ass with "Strut", the Prince penned "Sugar Walls", a great funky number half spoken, half sung "Swear" (Put five fingers to your heart, S-W-E-A-R, don't lie!), and then she hooked up with Nile Rodgers for "Do It For Love" and the unique pop funky style of Narada Michael (Whitney's "How Will I Know", Aretha's "Freeway Of Love") Walden for "So Far So Good" from the film About Last Night .. and then became full on dance diva with "The Lover In Me."

I didn't have room for everything that would incorporate a full on Sheena career compilation but I think I did fairly well, and I know I enjoy the walk through Sheena's sugar walls quite a bit.

Track List

1. Just Another Broken Heart
2. Modern Girl
3. For Your Eyes Only
4. Do It For Love
5. Summer's Over
6. Machinery
7. Swear
8. Almost Over You
9. So Far So Good
10. Devil In A Fast Car
11. We've Got Tonight (w/ Kenny Rogers)
12. Strut
13. I Wouldn't Beg For Water
14. Telefone (Long Distance Love Affair)
15. Jimmy Mack
16. The Lover In Me
17. You Could Have Been With Me
18. Sugar Walls
19. Morning Train (9 To 5)
20. Hard To Say It's Over

posted by swivek @ 8:57 AM 2 comments

Retro Hottie

BASTARD IN THE NIGHT #2
For every bastard in the night, there is bound to be one or two really good guys and today's story tells the tale of one such boy. Of course, things didn't work out so alas he became a bastard in the night but until the end, I found my Christopher Atkins, if even for one fleeting summer.

When I lived in Couer d'Alene I lived life as a free single boy, yes perhaps some may say I was a bit of a whore, but to me I was just more popular and for those who don't know, just because I dated a lot didn't mean I slept with every Tom, Dick, Harry and Christopher Atkins looking boy that came along - okay maybe a lot of them, but hey they did buy me dinner and you have to thank them somehow...

anyhoos its, through all of those boys that came and went and went and came only a few ever had a very lasting shot with me, and one was a guy named Jonathon, who though he wasn't necessarily the spitting image of Christopher Atkins, he did have those blonde curly locks and as I stared at him night after night through drunken goggles, I really felt like Kristy McNichol in The Pirate Movie and not because there was pumpin' and blowin' going on.


Jonathon, on top of being somewhat cute was actually a lot of fun. I met him under what some might call suspicious - okay it was at a bar in Spokane one crazy weekend when I drove my uncles' car over to see whether or not the Spokane boys would notice me. Well, they did! and one was Jonathon, who I actually noticed first since I had been eavesdropping on a couple of queens who talked about a curly haired blonde boy with a weapon of mass destruction - it was up to me to find out if the rumours were true.

After our first meeting, he would come to Couer d'Alene every weekend, pick me up and we'd head to his apartment in Spokane. He was a lot of fun, he had great taste in music, he let me smoke my cigs out his apartment window, he would buy us dinner, he was hopping in the old sackerooni and he was always willing to come up with some new adventure. One night he would say, "Let's drive to Seattle" and off we'd go, or "Let's go to the nude beach" and off we'd go, it was just what I needed. Unfortunetly, for Jonathon I bored easily then and after a few weeks of weekends, things sort of fizzled out, but I'll always have those memories and in my mind eye's I see it as the month I spent dating Christopher Atkins. Good times indeed...

posted by swivek @ 2:04 PM 2 comments

7 Random CDs

well here we are for another week's worth of CDs - we have a boss, a pioneer, a socialite, a soundtrack, a hot hot hottie and all are classics:

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - Born In The USA (1984)
Okay, he may be the Boss, but I was never a huge fan, but a few weeks ago my pal Jen and I went to my other pal Tommy's house and we listened to song after song from the 70s to the 80s playing a game where Tommy would play the top singles of the year and Jen and I would try to guess what they were. Needless to say we were excellent at said game but what I noticed as we hit the 84/85 years was how much I really liked all the singles from this album. I knew I loved "I'm On Fire" which always had some sort of exciting sexiness to it, which actually would then conjure up this album cover (helloooo!), but then singles like "Dancing In The Dark," "Cover Me," "Glory Days", "I'm Going Down" endless good old fashioned rock & roll. Sure, his every working man schtick would probably get boring if I were to have a Springsteen marathon but 12 fairly fun songs keeps me feeling slightly patriotic, if only to stand up and salute that album cover.

CARLY SIMON - Spy (1979)
Yes, I'm still on the Simon kick and there aren't any plans of slowing down yet. When I decided to make a Carly bubbatunes compilation I realized there were two songs I was missing so I had to buy the albums which contained them - the first song "Attitude Dancing" was on last week's Playing Possum album and with it I found a whole slew of awesome Simon tracks and the other song missing from my collection was 1979's single "Vengeance" - a song I remember loving but couldn't for the life of me remember how it went. Well, the minute I got the parent album Spy, I put on the song and not only remembered why I loved it but remembered singing it when I was a very little tyke - running around to neighbors "It's Vengeance he saaaaid, that's the law..." how frickin' cute I must've been. In the here and now, I was excited to hear the album not only because of the single (with backing vocals by Tim Curry!) but because the whole Spy album was a concept of sorts based on the novel A Spy In The House Of Love, I knew there'd be mystique and sex and that Simon wit, and I was not disappointed - in a song called "Pure Sin" set to a Rolling Stones-esque back drop and once again featuring Curry, she sings to her lover - a painter painting her portrait that he is getting paint all over the floor and she wonders why he doesn't just get to the point and "splatter it all over my face." Oooh goodness, there's a strange ending cut that lasts for over 8 minutes called "Memorial Day" that is a tad on the pretentious side and a strange ditty called "I'm Coming To Get You" which is filled with strange lyrics about her man being caught in Arkansas with her in-laws, but somehow the woman makes it work. The hightlight to me besides the sheer brilliance of "Vengeance" is a very sad little cut called "We're So Close" where her man passes off the distance, lack of words of love etc. as the result of them being so close, "we're so close, we don't need love at all," it brings a tear to the eye as does a superb ballad (and I'm not one on ballads) called "Never Been Gone" complete with a beginning chorus as she heads home to the island beach. Excellent, once again and be on the look out for more Carly Simon as I think I may have to get all of her albums.

CAMP - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2002)
When Lisa was in town, we watched this movie and immediately had to grab the soundtrack to listen to on one of our many jaunts. Filled with all the songs in the clever movie - a comedy about a group of teens who go to theater camp for the summer - including renditions of songs from Broadway shows like Company ("The Ladies Who Lunch"), Jesus Christ Superstar ("Want Of A Nail"), Promises, Promises ("Turkey Lurkey Time") and renditions of Rolling Stones' Wild Horses and other clever little songs plus some contemporary stuff by real bands, its a very fun album and even The Leivas plays it all on his own. Now it just reminds me how much I love that Glassford girl!

ROBBIE WILLIAMS - Intensive Care (2005) Oh, how I love my hottie Robbie, for some insane reason this man can chalk up hit after hit in the UK but he has never found any real success in the US - other than my impassioned love for his hotness. None the less, Intensive Care is his latest in superb albums. It's not quite as good as some of his previous stuff and for some reason I'm beginning to fear that my boy may be repeating his albums - they're starting to resemble each other in sound, but that's not necessarily bad. I mean this album contains "Trippin'" which has a very unique sound but then there's the standard ballads "Sin, Sin, Sin" and my fav ballad "Pure" ("oh lord, please make me pure but not yet.") and the cheeky lyrics we expect from the hotness that is Robbie. No matter what, I'll still buy all his albums and posters and snatch his wet towel from the stage, but that's just how I am.

STEVIE NICKS - Trouble In Shangri-La (2001)
God bless this crazy witchy woman - I have loved every single thing this woman has ever done and I'm not alone. Along with legions of fans, Courtney Love, Billy Corgan, Natalie Maines, Sheryl Crow have all talked about her influence and in most cases recorded versions of her songs. Trouble In Shangri-La was her "comeback" album if you will, her first since 1994's ill fated Street Angel, which though it had all the mystique of Stevie was lacking some passion we have come to expect from Stevie. Well, that wasn't the case with this album which included Crow singing on "Sorcerer", Maines singing on one of my favs - the country twinged "Too Far From Texas", plus beautiful and poignant lyrics of the first single "Everyday." This is one album I can listen to (and did when it came out) over and over and over....

PATTI SMITH - Land 1975-2002 (2002)
When I was a wee tyke my uncle let me borrow his Patti Smith Group Easter album, I had loved the song "Because The Night" and thought for sure I would like the album. I must confess I was not impressed with the rough looking Patti and her pit hair on the cover but I figured I could get over it. I was aghast in my small age to hear some of the vulgarities she was using and the bouncing drums and strange riff of the guitars had me intrigued - the balls to call a song "Rock & Roll Nigger" and to say something about it was very peculiar to me - in fact, I still have a bit of a problem with the song but it's only one or two lines. Essentially I gave the album back to my uncle and never thought much of Miss Smith other than the single (co-written by Springsteen by the way) until I got older and began reading about the history of punk, the history of the rock and roll woman etc and discovered I had apparently misjudged the hairy pitted girl for she was in a league of her own. Well, finally after all these years she has a 2 disc set of her "greatest hits" if you will and a ton of extras. I got it for a mere $10 (I love Amazon) and now I love Miss Smith. Like I said, "Because The Night" was always a favorite and then years later when U2 did a cover of "Dancing Barefoot" I was bound and determined to hear Patti's original - well, now I got it, now I love it. I also love "Frederick" from her 1979 album Wave - though it's remarkably similar to "Because The Night" it's just as good and fresh. Other highlights include "Ghost Dance" (which was on that damn album I gave back to my uncle), "People Have The Power", "Summer Cannibals," and an interesting cover of Prince's "When Doves Cry." Oh, how I should've ignored those hairy pits and played that album for everyone. Luckily, her albums have all been remastered so don't be too surprised to find Easter and Wave coming up on the random CDs list.

CONCRETE BLONDE (1986)
Speaking of remastered masterpieces, Concrete Blonde is one of my all time favorite bands and will forever be played on the Bradley Buzz. I just recently came up with the cash to buy the first CD in its new remastered version and can't believe I didn't pick it up earlier. Featuring my ultimate fav CB song "True" plus their classic "Still In Hollywood", the moody and sassy "Dance Along The Edge", the hard rock chill of "Over Your Shoulder", the moody and sad (Makes my sister cry) "Little Sister" ('you're only half a heart away'), this is one of those albums that everyone in the world should own - so go buy it!

posted by swivek @ 2:19 PM 1 comments

Boobies, Boobies, Boobies

Well, what a frickin' week - thanx to that crazy ass Global Warming, everyone in the country seems to be frying and imagine even LA is feeling it. That's right, every day I wake up, drink coffee, take a cold shower and immediately start to sweat. Then I go to work where the air conditioning blows and blows and yet I still can't get comfortable. With all this heat it's been one loooong week of doing almost nothing. Every time I try to record new vocals, I end up losing my voice by the end of the song due to the air conditioner by day and the hot sweltering heat of being locked up in the Hancock Studio with windows closed, doors shut and etc. So I opted to sit in the air conditioned living room and veg with some DVDs ...

and today's big celebrated DVD is the camp classic Valley Of The Dolls from 1967. Just released as a two disc collection this DVD has a ton and ton of extras plus the 2 hour movie featuring Patty Duke as the over the top Neely O'Hara, Barbara Parkins as Anne Welles, and beautiful Sharon Tate as Jennifer North - the gal with no talent but a body to get her ahead. Why I've never seen this is beyond me - oh wait, I know why, because in 1981 there was a TV version of the film and in it Lisa Hartman played Neely; and to me that is the Valley I remember.



However, knowing this original film released shortly after the infamous book spent umpteen months at #1 on the Bestseller list, I was curious to know what the fuss was all about. Let me tell you, it is great. The songs are pretty sucky, the dialogue fairly cliched, and Patty's performance so over the top I'm surprised the scenery didn't come crashing down. Boobies, boobies, boobies! is just one classic line shooting forth from La Duke's pouty lips. I mean, she totally makes the movie, and mixed in with Barbara's classy Anne and Sharon's very subtle Jennifer, this is one classic flick.

Patty, up until just recently has complete disdain for this movie and hardly talks about it, but I am here to tell you that she rocks it. Screaming and p0uting, laughing, crying and taking those dolls she has the meatiest role in the film.

I've met Patty a few times when I lived in Idaho and she was always really cool and pleasant but to see her on the screen in this film gives me a whole new kudos for her. My pal just did her website and I can't wait to tell him to run and run until he finds his copy of this film because he's going to love it.

Now I have to go back and watch my 1981 version again and see if Lisa's Neely is anywhere near as over the top as Duke's. I hope so, I really can't remember. I do know that the 1981 version is supposedly closer to the original book than the movie (which Jacqueline Susann walked out of declaring, "You've ruined my book!") but the ending scene of the original with Patty and pretty much every scene with Neely is a complete riot. I'll have to get back to you on how it compares with my girl - if anything I can say that Lisa's songs are much more interesting than Patty's but what can you do.

In short, rent it, buy it, love it and laugh!

In other news,

• Benji and Donyelle made it through last week's So You Think You Can Dance and though so did Spike and Legs, my girl Legs got a little bad news from Nigel who feels she lost her "magic." And poor Irene Cara, Dimitri's latest partner was given the boot. But in all fairness, of the last three ladies left to "dance for their life" she was just outshined by Natalie's crazy pop dance and Legs, well, legs. So tonight is our weekly look at the show, where we watch yesterday's performances and tonight's "who gets the boot" part. Unfortunetly, the show has changed now and the only votes that matter are the votes of the American public and not the judges, plus they all get new partners. I'm not sure how I'll feel, but I'll of course let you know.
• The Swivek album is still working working, with about 9 songs fully completed and a few more in the works. Some stuff from Patrick of Orange Television should be on its way any day now as well, so it's looking good. I think a September release seems to be a realistic drop date.
• Janet Jackson is calling to her fans to create the cover art for her new album and you bet your rhythm nation I'm entering the contest. I'll let you all know as soon as I have my entry up. You can vote on your favorites, which of course will be mine but ultimately it's up to Janet to pick it. This could be my big CD cover break.
• and of course all my other projects are still going strong - the notes on the final three Carlton Heights episodes are taking up more paper than the original scripts, My pal Luther is going to shoot the cover to the Swivek CD very soon, I'm working on new bubbatunes compilations and I'm watching the final two discs of Police Woman - Season One. Oh, how I love the Hollywood life.

posted by swivek @ 10:20 AM 1 comments

Oh So Flexible

Flexible Records has just released a new promo compilation this month entitled Furniture Fire which includes a brand new remix by Orange Television of "Everything's Fine" from Swivek's last album Army Fatigue.

Meanwhile, the new songs are coming fast and furious and there's even an announcement on the Flexible Records website, so check out the ad announcing two brand new CDs from the bands The Murders and Ungleich and then boot yourself over to Flexible Records where you can hear an advance of "Auto 54" - one of the new Swivek songs!

posted by swivek @ 12:19 PM 2 comments

7 Random CDs

A vacation isn't complete unless it involves at least 3 stops to Ameoba Music and so was the vacation my gal Lisa and I had last week; for some reason I've been on a strange kick reflecting old music so this week's list of 7 CDs (one for every day of the week you see) includes a few I used to own on tape and have only recently bought on CD and some old gems I just add an itch to get on CD -

Carly Simon - Playing Possum (1975)
I just love the cover of this little album; for some reason I've been on a Carly Simon kick. I found I had a bunch of her songs on my computer and started making a compilation when I decided to research a little into the world of the girl and found there were some albums I wanted to have including this one. Now as a kid I knew her singles and though I had a few albums handed down from aunts, I never got into her; but now that I'm older and understand her whole lyrical sexual and sophisticated world I'm all in a tither. This album includes the hit "Attitude Dancing" and "More and More" but also some interesting ditties like "Look Me In The Eyes" (when you're above me loving me do me a favor and look me in the eyes), and a whole song about watching some sexual antics out of her dirty hotel bathroom window ("Love Out In The Street") and with guest stars like Carole King and then husband James Taylor, its a true 1975 gem and I was completely surprised at how experimental she is with the music chosen. I know it sounds strange but this girl was not the typical folksy singer I thought she was. Now I can't wait to hear the other album I had to have 1979's Spy which is a whole concept album based around the erotic novel A Spy In The House Of Love.

REO Speedwagon - Hi Infidelity (1980)
I love this album. My cousin Paula had the vinyl, my aunt Sarah had the album I bought the tape and everyone around the municipal swimming pool in 1981 was singing the praises of this album - Its rare that a whole album would be great but such is the case. There isn't a song on here I don't love and immediately start singing along with. "Keep On Loving You", "Tough Guys" which starts out with a Little Rascals sample and has the line "she thinks they've got brains down where they sit/ they think they're full of fire/ she thinks they're full of shit" plus "In Your Letter," "Take It On The Run", "Don't Let Him Go" and the album cuts are just as good as the singles. "Follow Your Heart" to mention but one. I decided if I ever found it on CD I would grab it and thanx to those Amoeba gods, it was only $5. Now if only I could find the CD version of ex-Eagles Randy Meisner's 1980 album that is the perfect company with this I'd be in Heaven.


Led Zeppelin IV (1971)
Everyone I knew had this album when I was a teenage stoner and it's not only because it's what all the other stoners expected you to have - it's just a damn good album and thanks to all those Zep heads out there, it's now been remastered with a little help by some of the members. So I get "Rock & Roll", "Stairway To Heaven" and all the others in full glory. Makes me wanna smoke up, but maybe I'll just pour myself some wine and go back to the Carly Simon album - age sucks.

Samantha Fox - Touch Me (1986)
Now before judging me, you have to know I didn't like this album because I wanted to stick my face in between those enormous Fox knitters - all my friends did but they were, oh what's that word, freaky people - oh yeah heterosexual; anyhoos, what I found then and what I still find is this is a really fun pop album. It's not quite as 80s dated sounding as her later albums or as dancy, (I Wanna Have Some Fun) this is more 80s pop rock but still has enough of that late 80s schtick to be sweet and a lot of fun. The songs are all enormously catchy and as I used to do with the tape I skip right over the hit song and go to the bones of those boobs - there are some damn fine ditties on here "Do Ya Do Ya (Wanna Please Me)" with it's little break down in the middle, metal guitars and bouncy sex is fun to sing along with and my ultimate favorite "I Want You To Want Me", the sexy and fun "Suzie Don't Leave Me With Your Boyfriend" where Miss Fox begs her pal Susie not to leave her alone with Susie's boyfriend since he was last seen hitting on Samantha, well by the end of the song Suzie's pissed, Samantha's shagging the boyfriend and we're all left with a dance ditty. Personally I never felt sorry for Susie, I mean in Samantha's defense she did warn her pal; on top of pop/rock, there's also a little rockabilly number called "Hold On Tight" which I find myself turning up everytime it comes on. I love this album and so will you if you find it cause like a tramp in the night I'm begging you to buy a copy (and I've seen it for a mere $3) It will take you back and realize not all porn sluts (Paris Hilton) are only talented on their knees.


Lyle Lovett - The Road To Ensanada (1996)
When I lived in Couer d'Alene, my uncle and I would play this album all the time. In fact he had almost all of Lyle's music and I instantly became a fan and once again Amoeba came through as I bought two of his CDs for a total of $10 but it's this album with its cool sarcastic wit and little guitar twang that gets me. I put it on for Lisa and she thought I had lost my mind but by the end she was loving it - a duet with Randy Newman on "Long Tall Texan" ("ooh lordy is you the law?") and the hilarious yet serious "Don't Touch My Hat" ("you can have my girl but don't touch my hat); this album proves why he has had a revered career beyond just the average country performer.


Elvis Costello - My Aim Is True (1977)
The debut album of my so nerdy he's cool man. Not surprisingly, this is the place to start with when going back to the early genius that was Mr. Costello. "Allison", "Watching The Detectives", "Red Shoes", "Welcome To The Work Week" - all the cool tunes are here in their two minute punky new wave glory. Plus it's the remastered version complete with a ton of liner notes and a whole separate disc of rarities. Now I've got to my hands on a copy of all his other CDs as I am in Elvis Heaven these days.


Boston - Boston (1976)
Another great rock album from the 70s that has just received the remastered treatment - but being the cheap ass I am I bought a used copy of the original issue but in my defense I couldn't find a copy of the new remastered version under $10 so there you go. Meanwhile, I have ventured back down the road of teenage boozing and smoking with these songs "More Than A Feeling", "Piece Of Mind", "Long Time" - I love them all and now thanks to CD I have finally listened to all the songs that were on side 2 of my cassette - it was too much hassle to get off my stoned ass to turn the tape around after listening to Zeppelin.

with these little trips back to my younger days (why were we still listening to these albums in high school? they were already decades old) it's no wonder the new music I'm doing has all these reflective lyrics including a new one called "Johnny Misunderstood" about all those pot boys I was in love with.

posted by swivek @ 3:35 PM 0 comments

Just Like Candie

Perusing through blogs yesterday I found some very interesting news - at least to me - it seems my gal Pat Benatar is going to be in a new ad this fall - one for Candie's. Not only will it be print ads but TV spots as well where Ms. Attitude will be singing "Heartbreaker" on stage when she is joined by some new singer named Cheyenne who will sing with her while wearing vintage Candie's clothes and accessories. Now I'm not too keen on this new chick being there but to see Pat in a TV ad is exciting enough. Although I also wonder if these are the same Candie's as I recall? Apparantly it's the 25th anniversary of the shoe with the heel and the open toe but they are now somehow affiliated with Kohl's. Perhaps they always were and I never knew it.

Anyhoos, it seems in the ads Pat even talks about how Candie's have been such a big part of her life; now not to diss one of my girls but if any singer has put Candie's on the map it would actually be my other gal Debbie - she lives in those shoes as far as I can tell, but whatever I'll take either one of those fantastic gals to sell articles of clothing I can recommend to my gal pals.

Oh and to boot they are launching a new fragrance as well, aptly named "heartbreaker" - I bet all my gal pals know what's going to be under their Christmas tree this year!

posted by swivek @ 12:33 PM 0 comments

That's The Way To Blog

A guy named Kyle McDonald from Canada has just made me very jealous, let me tell you why.. about a year ago this Kyle dude put a big giant red paperclip on craigslist.org in hopes he could trade it up for something bigger and better and continue the trend until he ended up with a house - I thought it was hilarious and though I didn't follow his blog continually, I did look over the articles every now and then. Well, can you believe the bastard pulled it off? He's moving into a house in some small town in Canada who gave him the house for the publicity. Incidentally some of the things pawned and traded include a recording contract!, a night with Alice Cooper, a role in a new Corbin Bernsen produced movie (actually there's going to be an auction for who will get this role) and of course a red paperclip and a house.

Now I wonder how many people are going to attempt the same thing... I have a pack of sealed Testaments I'd be willing to shell out in order to get that recording contract this dude gave up... let me know

posted by swivek @ 2:03 PM 0 comments

Vacation....All I Ever Wanted

Well it was an exhausting week as the winds of Wisconsin rippled and brought in my bestest friend in the entire world - practically my twin sister - Lisa Glassford. We laughed, we drank, we ran to the beach where I tried to spread eagle myself across two cliffs and I almost had it until the lifeguard yelled at us, we ran to Hollywood - we did it all.

We even headed to Harbor City so she could meet the parents that brought us the Leivas. Of course, they like everyone else loved her. Juanita even told her to come back anytime as she was now part of the family, while Alf's sister who went with us to the beach so we could hit Redondo Beach Pier and drink like the fishes off shore, told us she felt like she knew Lisa her entire life!

and of course we headed down to Santa Monica Boulevard and the Fiesta Cantina for some happy hour margaritas with Amy Cissell, who is also leaving us soon! sob, sob...

So as I go back to work and that daily grind known as life, I ponder over how great it was to sit around and do nothing for a week - if only I could get paid to do that!

posted by swivek @ 8:45 AM 2 comments