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Please visit the page
that DrSeuss created for this. It even has links to his tracks.
drseuss01 |
Tower of Power |
Fanfare/You Know It |
drseuss02 |
Ruben Blades |
The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul |
drseuss03 |
Glenda Faye |
Orange Blossom Special |
drseuss04 |
Game Theory |
Sleeping Through Heaven |
drseuss05 |
John Gorka |
BB King Was Wrong |
drseuss06 |
David Bowie |
Love You Till Tuesday |
drseuss07 |
Nick Cave |
The Alta Virago or The Vargus
Barking Spider |
drseuss08 |
Tom Waits |
On the Nickel |
drseuss09 |
Never the Bride |
Going to California |
drseuss10 |
World Entertainment War |
In a Crisis |
drseuss11 |
Malcolm McClaren |
World's Famous |
DRSEUSS
- Volume 1
Ok...so
it's a weird collection. I'll admit
that ahead of time, and save you the trouble.
It
comes as a result of trying to find obscure songs I like, versus finding songs I
like that are obscure. It's a subtle
difference, but worth noting.
Track
listing:
1)
Fanfare/You Know It - Tower of Power. Album:
"Prime Cuts".
Most
of my best sampler albums came from the Logos Earthquake Emporium, (where I had
many chances to buy (but didn't) "Y Kant Tori Read)" and this album is
one of them. Sheffield Labs records
everything live to two-track tape, with no overdubs or any fancy recording
tricks. Just musicians performing
together, creating a live-ish album in the studio.
I like the exuberance of the song, and it's no coincidince that both I
and Sheffield Labs led off with this song.
2)
The Man Who Sailed Around His Soul - Ruben Blades.
Album: "A Testimonial
Dinner".
This
album is an XTC tribute album. I'm a
sucker for tribute albums for artists I know, generally enjoying other
interpretations of songs I know. This
version of the song is in English, but still has an unmistakable Latin beat.
3)
Orange Blossom Special - Glenda Faye. Album:
"All-Ears Review, Vol 5".
The
song is a bluegrass standard, and it's one of those songs where, if you can play
it, you're playing it well, and she plays it well.
All-Ears Review tried to be a CD magazine of obscure music.
I have volumes 2-5, and, no surprise, picked these up at Logos, at the
old location.
4)
Sleeping Through Heaven - Game Theory. Album:
"Distortion of Glory".
Game
Theory is one of my favorite groups. This
is a fun little song, reasonably reflective of the rest of their material.
Describing their sound as "jangly guitar-pop" probably wouldn't
be inaccurate. This song is from a
compilation album of the original EP's, and was recorded in Scott Miller's
bedroom. A more cleaned up version
can be found on the album "Tinkers to Evers to Chance", which is a
best-of album. I chose this version
simply for obscurity.
5)
BB King Was Wrong - John Gorka. Album:
"All-Ears Review, Vol 3".
I
just like this song. A nice
"dig" at a classic song, with good energy.
6)
Love You Till Tuesday - David Bowie. Album:
"Alterno-Daze".
The
title track to a Bowie album I never heard of, it's a song I'd never heard
before I found it on a sampler album I picked up at half price at a Longs.
To me this song is David Bowie imitating Ray Davies.
Research shows this was originally a video, released in 1969, which
accounts for it's obscurity and style. In
any case, it's a fun Bowie tune that only the hardcore fans are familiar with.
7)
The Alta Virago, or Vargus Barking Spider - Nick Cave.
Album: "Smack
My
Crack".
Nick
Cave reading from _And the Ass Saw the Angel_.
A nice, if eerie track, from an album compiled by John Giorno.
The album was released in England, and is another Logos find for me.
I originally picked it up for the Tom Waits track on it, with all the
other tracks being gravy.
8)
On the Nickel - Tom Waits. Album:
"Heartattack and Vine".
A
fantastic song from my favorite artist. I
thought I had a bootleg version of the song somewhere, but was only able to find
the studio version of any length - the one bootleg I found was considerably
condensed. To be "On the
Nickel" is to be on skid row; living under I-5 in Los Angeles.
Or so the story I couldn't find goes.
9)
Going to California - Never the Bride. Album:
"Encomium".
"Encomium"
is a Led Zeppelin tribute album that I've had, but never really listened to.
I found this track and fell in love with it.
A discovery for me, as well as probably many other people.
A pity that Never the Bride only made one album in 1995 and then
disappeared.
10)
In a Crisis - World Entertainment War. Album:
"World Entertainment War".
Rob
Breszny, before he became famous for his Freewill Astrology became
famous in the Santa Cruz area for his band World Entertainment War.
They eventually released an album, and then a CD, and then, almost
inevitably, broke up. There is,
apparently, a new album out, available on his web site, but it seems to feature
most material on this album from 1990. Probably worth seeking out.
11)
World's Famous - Malcolm McClaren. Album:
"Duck Rock".
Malcolm McClaren and Trevor Horn's (producer) look at and interpretation of African music, combined with one of the first instances of rap/scratchin' music on a major album. This track features the World's Famous Supreme Team,and could only come at the end of the album.
Hope
you enoy the songs.
David
(or Dave), aka Dr. Seuss