As a young lad, I liked 70's novelty tunes like Convoy and Disco Duck almost to a fault - I played those quirky ditties endlessly on 45 rpm singles. As a teen and 20-something, I enjoyed a smattering of the Weird Al Yankovic songs that littered the radio airwaves for a couple of decades... from his early tracks My Bologna and Another One Rides the Bus to Eat It, Like a Surgeon, Fat, and I Want a New Duck.
Never too cool for school - Devo, just too weird for the sub-humans
My current CD collection includes some strange albums, or at least ones that probably aren't on many other folks' music shelves. Sometimes I hear something bizarre and find it unbelievably beautiful... maybe in a funny way, or perhaps it simply speaks to me and it gropes at my brain stem or plucks at my heartstrings. The originality of oddities can jump right out at me.... like I cannot believe how uncool and yet wonderful that is! Sure, I could name Devo as one of those types of bands, but hey, after all these years, I think we all now agree that they are definitely cool. Fave tunes are Working in a Coal Mine and Through Being Cool.
I suppose the most unusual thing on my shelves right now would be the Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass collection, featuring his brilliantly melodic and fun Lonely Bull, Spanish Flea, Love Potion No. 9, Whipped Cream and more. These 60's "hits" have found their way into popular culture in one way or another, either in movies or TV commercials or even re-mixed into other artists' songs. Spanish Flea must be the best known of Alpert's tunes.
There was a fellow name Scott Walker who made vital yet mostly unknown musical masterpieces from the 60's through the 70's. He sort of re-invented himself a few times, yet carried on an admirable career that spans until this day. Very different and unusual, his earlier material was amazingly approachable, but his later, very experimental music was quite challenging and even off-putting. I struggle with some of his later stuff, but I absolutely love his early solo work. I like his band work with the Walker Brothers, but it's his own personal music that really knocks me out. Very brave and adventurous forays into new realms of expression. I highly recommend his first four solo albums.
Glammy, gothy, heavy, poppy... Gene Loves Jezebel
Then there are these Gene Loves Jezebel albums from the late 80's and early 90's on my shelf. I sort of missed this music (I must have seen their videos back then, but dismissed them) as I focused on heavy metal, but a little after the fact, I discovered I liked the band's work. GLJ sort of fell within the goth movement when they launched their career in 1980, and found some commercial success even with their dark alternative sound. Strong, emotive vocals and engaging songwriting backed by very able instrumentals gave the band a distinctive sound that I've long admired. Tasteful guitar solos fit nicely with the moody, heavy vibe. Heartache, Desire (Come and Get It), and Jealous are among their best tracks.
And now for something completely different: Ani Lorak is a Ukrainian pop singer who is idolized in her home country, yet has barely made a splash overseas. A friend introduced me to Lorak's music several years ago, and while I really like a few songs, I can't say I love it all. But I did invest in an import compilation that included Shady Lady, my favourite track by the stunning singer.
And she sings! Ani Lorak, Ukrainian dance-pop star
Best of the Beat Generation contains a selection of tracks from a more comprehensive three-disc set and follows up that set with many additional notable pieces. The title says it all.... legendary Beat artists Jack Kerouac, Lenny Bruce, Allen Ginsberg, and William S. Burroughs are among those who appear here. It's been a long time since I've given this a hard listen, but I do remember the wonderful ambiance here.... a smoky lounge, tinkling jazzy piano, and spoken word (which inspired rap, I'd say). Mind expanding without any risk.
I've got a CD by Alma Tadema and JPS Scorpio which I bought backstage after a show they played at the Ottawa International Jazz Festival back in the 90's. I was initially a bit jarred by the stripped-down and unusual use of electric bass with voice. But as the show progressed (and other audience members filtered out... dummies!), I found myself entranced by the mystical droning strings and unconventional vocals. The CD package describes its contents as "Neo Gothic Noise". Today, I can find virtually nothing on the internet about this highly experimental act; maybe the duo vanished into a creative vortex after I saw them perform. It's a good thing I went backstage, met them, and picked up this album. A rarity?
The 30 Rock Original Television Soundtrack is one of my most prized possessions... a double-CD set loaded with original songs and incidental music from the Emmy Award-winning TV comedy series. The light and whimsical pieces make me smile and even feel a bit wistful at times. The music drifts deftly from silly to sad and back again. Jeff Richmond was the Modern Mozart responsible for the super-catchy theme song and for the creation of everything else that appeared on the show. Prominent wacky tracks are Muffintop and Werewolf Bar Mitzvah. I bought this as a special edition with a hardcover book about 30 Rock, which may rise in value in a future world ruled by Jewish werewolves.
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