Well, I guess all my wedding plans are out the window. Your Slowcore Monger #2 was delivered, along with that Bicycle Thief album and Mott the JAILPLE, but it was delivered by a joint ABI/Interpol Task Force, to Femgar's house.

She was innocently trying to check the mail, and the next thing she knows she's hemmed-up Lecter style in the back of a plastic paddy wagon on the way to that prison they threw Roky Erickson in.

(I haven't listened yet, but am eagerly awaiting the soothing sounds of epic mongertude washing over me)

No idea what you said.

Babelfish translation doesn't appear to be working. But they don't have a 'from tardspeak' option.

I think he said, "the wife opened your package before I did, and it drove her insane, so I think the wedding's off -- still looking forward to listening to it".

shweet.

I'm looking forward to your reactions to 'em all. Particularly that Mott comp - I kept it on the monger side of things rather than the glammery most people know them for. That first song has got one of my fave opening build-ups ever.

And the Slowcore mix takes a while to get going. I left the truly epic ugliness for the last half.

Shouldn't you be busy updating your "Symbolism and Etymology of My Lame Username" site?

totally fucking jealous.

So, I listened to this maybe 3 or 4 times now, and it is slowly inching its way under my skin and into my brain pan...

Funnily enough, Derris asked me about the Deadskin Brothers or whomever the other day, and that song is just as advertised: Stonesy/Parsony influenced jail rock.

Oh, and The Bicycle Thief knocked my dick in the dirt. Whole album is supreme qual, and I can't figure why this dude doesn't get more props. Oh yeah I can: morons conrol the universe.

Don't bogart that comp my friend...

So, I finally made the mistake of putting this Mott comp on.

I am forwarding you a dry cleaning bill worth $18 (american) and a car detaling bill worth $150, because these were the steps I had to take to get the VOMIT off of my clothes and out of my car.

HOLY SHIT THIS IS JAIL. I mean, choogle blues with barrelhouse piana, and all the monger you can stand. Veddy good, kind sir.

Which Bicycle Thief album? There may be only one, but I have one and haven't listened for a while. May be time to revisit.

On my listening schedule today:

Don't tell him Ian Hunter is British.

I just got my mix in the mail. I haven't put either cd on yet and may wait until tomorrow to do so. I'm seriously thinking of playing hooky and not going into school because it's supposed to be -30 C tomorrow (-40 with the wind). I figure I'll work from home and give these a proper listen then.

Many thanks again, Rads.

Yep. Most people only know them for "All The Young Dudes", which is a pretty cool but subdued bit of glam melodrama written by Bowie. But Mott without Bowie was a much wilder (and dangerously schizophrenic) beast. Ian Hunter wanted to be both Jerry Lee Lewis and Bob Dylan, and the rest of the band wanted to be the Stones (just listen to the way "Jumpin' Jack Flash" weasels its way into the coda of "Walkin' With A Mountain"). Back in 1970 these guys were considered a bunch of no-talent street toughs, and were best known for inciting a riot at the Royal Albert Hall. Their '69 debut contained covers of songs by Doug Sahm and Sonny fuckin' Bono, ferchrissakes. Their second had a snippet of a song called "Wrath And Roll" that was buzzsaw punk half a decade before the Ramones.Their third was an alt.country thing. Their fourth was the chaotic Brain Capers. They were managed and produced by the equally insane Guy Stevens, who went on to produce London Calling.

In the original edition of Rolling Stone Record Guide, co-editor John Swenson wrote this description that has always stuck with me: "As lead singer and songwriter for Mott the Hoople, Ian Hunter mined rock history for influences, looking for some mythic connection between Bob Dylan, the Kinks, Doug Sahm, and Lou Reed. It turns out that Mott the Hoople was that connection..."

Anyway, as your kindly old uncle monger, I advise you to CRANK DAT SHIT UP.

They *own* "Crossroads". Up there with SAHB's "I Just Want To Make Love To You" as the best, most over-the-top covers ever.

Zodiac Mindwarp is a whole lot of fun. I've listened to it three times and is a worthy recommendation for those who like The Four Horsemen, Cult and bands of that ilk. I hear the Dolls or at least Johannson in here as well. Of course it's hard not to hear them in any of these glammy metal bands. I think the only song I could do without is that cover of 'Born to Be Wild'. I don't think anyone needs to hear that again. But that's a minor issue, I even like that power ballad at the end. I'm gonna burn a copy for my brother-in-law as this fits him perfectly.

Thanks for this, I likely would have never heard them otherwise.

Yeh, I'm not sure what kind of drugs they must have been on to think a cover of "Born To Be Wild" would be anything other than redundant.

But "Prime Mover" makes up for everything. And the lyrics parody male-centric cock rock a thousand times better than anything those illiterate dorks in the Darkness could dream up.

I took your advice and CRANKED that Mott.

WOW. Perfect music to drive fast to with the windows down.
I can guarantee that FEMGAR will be PISSED at how loud me and Bloor have that bugger "JUST AROUND MIDNITE!!"

You can't beat Mott. Fantastic stuff, man.

Hey, here's a pretty interesting article on Mott the Hoople from some rag in Buffalo.

It mentions a '73 concert with a line-up of Aerosmith and the New York Dolls as openers and Mott as headliners. I'm sure everyone who attended has since been hunted down and killed, imprisoned, or - at the very least - placed in an institution for those suffering the debillitating effects of electroshock therapy. Rock, as they say, and roll.

Having listened to the mix Radcliffe sent me, I also believe he should be imprisoned.

That is too funny.

And, the fact that they even have a record of that stuff is frightening.

Yeah, but it's no where near as cool as The Leather Nun's "Prime Mover" which was out at about the same time.

I haven't played that Zodiac album in years--if I ever get home tonight I'll have to throw it on.