The Crossfires - "Out Of Control" (Sundazed, 1995)

I fuckin' hate the Turtles! I can't stand the hippies anyway - so imagine if these hippies were fat stoned singing altogether with "pom-pom-poms" and shit,  "So haaaaappy togeeetheeeerrrr!"... Grrrrrrr!!! I need an uzi and a clip of bullets!
Ain't life full of contradictions? The Crossfires were one of these repugnant things. I mean, take a serious look on these photos here. OK, did you check them carefully? Awright, then give a listen to these fuckers recordings. I tell you people and before you can take a judge for yourself, the Crossfires were a bunch of strolling savage teenagers! One of the USA's most killer surf-instro combos! And actually were the first incarnation of the...Turtles for fuck's sake. As a one track mind i am there was no chance to give a shot on this CD if i knew first who got involved. I know, I'm a sucker but at least respect my honesty. That's another out of print compilation and don't know why these good folks at Sundazed HQ didn't re-reissue yet, gems like this one (preferable format this time, vinyl).  From the known surf hymns of "Fiberglass Jungle", 'Chunky","Inferno" and "Silver Bullet" to inspired rockenrollers like Buddy Holly's "That 'll be the Day", "Justine" and the mean lean "One potato two potato", the 'fires just sets dance-halls on (what else?) fire! All these sides along with the Flo & Eddie produced DMZ Sire LP, gives you some reasons to respect something of the Turtles history and proves that none was born a square, he becomes one later! 
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Fiberglass Jungle! 

Los Saicos - "Wild Teen-Punk from Peru 1965" (Electro Harmonix, 1999)

Much hype lately for the psychos from Peru under the same name due to the great compilation got out by Munster. And not without a reason. They were a killer punk combo, probably the best 'round the world in its era (leave outside for obvious reasons, US and England). Of course they never came close to monsters like the Sonics or the Trashmen, and please don't bite the bate I've seen often lately that they were equal of the above, but... They sure were A grade ass kickers!
I bought this some years ago from Norton. I saw it on their catalog and when you're reading something like this,
"Title tells the whole loco tale! Mere words cannot begin to describe the sheer insanity of the 12 brutal bashings on this ten inch LP!" you just can't help yourself to not place an order! Their cult hit 'Demolicion" it's the evil twin of the Trashmen's "Surfin Bird"! Yes, that good! On rave-ups like "Intensamente", "Fugitivo de Alcatraz"or "Salvaje", Los Saicos sound like a street gang menacing people on the hood's corner and even when they "mellow" a little a bit on tracks like "Te Amo" or "Ana", their love words sounds like threats and not like promises! Their guitars snarling at every turn, and the drums have a pure deep and evil cannibalistic tribalism that makes most surf combos sound like fags!
Don't be fooled, if you're looking for real 60s Punk don't try find it on the Seeds or the Music Machine... Here's the real deal!
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TATATA...YA,YA,YA!

The Kingsmen - "In Person" (Originally on Wand 1964, reissue by Sundazed, 1993)

So, here’s an ancient math equalization.

Small kids + full time job = no personal time at all

I’m trying to read three books at the same time. I’m trying to listen to every new record I bought (that’s why i-pods exists, God bless their little digital heart!) and when this little devil goes to sleep, I remember my undergraduate years writing words like these, in the late hours. Of course my wife’s moaning constantly, but hey, I’ve got a life too!

So, one of these books is Dave Marsh’s “Louie Louie” and I tell you, it’s a good one. Until now has a good structure and even though dealing with the most popular rock & roll tune ever, has lotsa more to tell you than the song’s history. Anyway, I maybe own about a hundred different “Louie Louie” versions but I’m sure I heard already more than 500 (at least). If anyone’s interested, my faves are by Motorhead, the Troggs (actually I strongly believe Lemmy had as blueprint Troggs’ version), the Sonics, Black Flag…gosh it’s endless. If you’re in a real rock & roll act, simply you can’t fail with a song like this. Everybody knows that “Louie” was a Richard Berry’s song. The first that adopted it and transformed it into a protopunk hymn were the Sonics’ fathers and idols, the Wailers. Rockin’ Robin Roberts was a key figure on this for sure and turn out of turn this Wailers’ version was the landmark for the Kingsmen.

Ahhh, the Kingsmen! OK, I think that even my mother knows them. Landis’ “Animal House” carried the torch to the younger generations and at the time Kingsmen recorded this menace, got a big hit (no 2 – November 1963). The youngsters got crazy, the parents got scared and the cops tried to understand if this two and a half chords, hided communism behind. The picture lower down is one of the many by the FBI files on rebellious "Louie"! How much stupid these @#$^$# were they?!

“In Person” was the LP (originally by Wand) that included “Louie Louie”. It also has "Ben Scepter", a Don Gallucci composition that got it with him after leaving the Kingsmen and forming the magnificent Don & the Goodtimes, which is a crude R&B stomper perfectly designed for garage and mods hops! I don’t like that much the other Kingsmen’s platters (too clean-cut frat for my tastes), but this one for sure a must have. Tough and dirty R&B punkers on a pre-Beatles era and with a strong NW influence all over it! Not bad at all, right?!

The many R&B and Soul covers in it via their garage aspect makes “In Person” a sure shot and a protopunk classic, that has all the important elements to be on the White Trash Soul’s pantheon! And remember this, for this blogger any primitive record that makes people wanna go insane and get drunk, is an ESSENTIAL. 

PS: I did this rip from the Sundazed's CD reissue of 1993 with the bonus singles cuts of "Haunted Castle", "the Krunch" and "the Gamma Goochee" . As i checked on their site it's sadly an out of print item. I can't wait for a big fat vinyl reissue of this and i promise to get rid of this digital copy!

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In Person 

The Fleshtones - "Forever Fleshtones" (Danceteria Records, 1994)

The Fleshtones often counted by many as a garage band. Musically speaking, this designation seems to be at least limitating. This NYC legendary party outfit, always were and always be a genius mixture of all cool things hapenned in rock & roll the last 50 years! I guess that's why they call their-selves 'Super Rock', right? Of course had (and still have) fuzz in their sound and of course they use a Farfisa organ, but... They always chose to cover R&B or Soul obscurities instead of 60s punk classics like all the other "80s garage bands" did. And of course their own material was equal in terms of quality and in comparison with the covers. 
Many of the Fleshtones fanatics have one thing in common with the so-called 'rock journalists'. They all agree to the fact that "Roman Gods" and "Hexbreaker!" were the best outputs the 'tones offered to the world in their long time career (almost 3 decades and counting!). Well, I'm one of the possible exceptions. Sure i adore both aforementioned albums, but what it's closer to my heart is "Forever Fleshtones" A.K.A. "Beautiful Light". As you already able to see for yourself, we Europeans got the Danceteria edition as "Forever Fleshtones". I did a quick google search for "Beautiful Light" and came to conclusion that the only differences the two albums had were the covers (the one's front sleeve the others back) plus a sepia coloration on the US edition ("Beautiful Light"). This masterpiece had as producer the R.E.M. axeman, Peter Buck and recorded in Athens Georgia with outstanding results! To tell you the truth, this thing alone made look R.E.M. with more sympathy. Anyway, that's a deeply soulful recording. Rootsy as usual but with a hoodoo voodoo vibe all over it. "Take a walk with the Fleshtones" it's the best ever Kinks rip off and "Whistling Past the Grave" picks not so secretly eyebeams on an another 60s British band, the Yardbirds, while "Beatiful Light" seems to have a southern soul warmness.  "Pickin' Pickin'" and "Push on Through" are the Soul stompers of the record and future participatings on comps like 2050's "Land of 1000 Dances Vol.56". The album's closing number, it's a psychedelic (yes psychedelic! - in the unique Fleshtones way, though) masterpiece ("Mushroom Cloud") and has an organ that sounding if it's sampled by a Human Expression or a Seeds old 45 single. All these and more can be found inside this record's heart. If there's one disc by the Fleshtones that needs to be immediately back in stock, that's "Forever Fleshtones" (or "Beautiful Light").
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Take a walk with the Fleshtones!

 

Reverend Charlie Jackson - "God's Got It/Fix It Jesus" (Booker 07) & "Wrapped Up and Tangled Up in Jesus/Morning Train" (Booker 434 - Sometime in the early 70s)

OK, I’m no religious person at all.

I’m not sure if God exists or not and in general my whole attitude on this ancient debate it’s a bit anarchic or at least skeptic.

Anyway, I always liked the gospels. I never got deep into this genre, so I’m a little bit scared to touch my hands into and tell something on subjects that surely don’t know well. As it always happens with Jim Marshall (or The Hound for those in the ploy) when he put on on something, I’m takin’ lessons and holding notes. As far now for gospels, I finally found a place to start my journey cravenly and slowly. Jim's post on gospel and guitar evangelists still remains my favorite and you know what I mean when I use the word “favorite” on a Hound’s piece, right? You should check it swiftly (here)!

So, I got a question. Could it ever be a gospel song (or album) in a state of devilry ablaze? 

Fuck YES! If we are talking 'bout the case of Reverend Charlie Jackson, well - something’s “wrong” going on here obviously. This is the “punk rock” of the gospels. He had a filthy strong voice, just like if Bunker Hill was a preacher (hmmm, as a matter of fact I think I read somewhere that Bunker Hill did sang the gospels actually) and he played the guitar just like Skip James or Willie Dixon. No shit! The man created mayhem with these two weapons and definitely no spiritual music! At first, Booker label got him on and released through it 6 or 7 singles. For some reason unknown to me at this moment and in a pure D.I.Y. manner, got formed his own label - named what else, Jackson, and continued to cut sides there. Most of 'em given to the pilgrims of his church and I'm quite sure all these now are collector's items. Don't bother try find them. Crypt and Casequarter gathered most of 'em if not all (don't know yet - sorry for the misunderstandings here, this piece written without my LP copy on my hands) and released 'em on LP and CD in correspondence.

I ripped this two Booker singles from a CD-R that's written and send it to me from an unknown friend in Germany (thanks a million!) and as you might guess, instantly i did two things. First to order an LP copy and 2nd, to write this piece. Hear for your self and judge, but personally i don't believe that exists a "gospel" record or artist more fuzzed out and primitive than this or better these! 

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God's Got It!
 

PS1: For more Reverend Charlie Jackson and a different "Wrapped Up in Jesus" version, later recuted on his own Jackson label, go to excellent Kogar's Jungle Juice blog and read/hear this.

PS2: The Black Crowes on their last album, covered "God's Got It" with decency. Extra kudos for this, even though i already dug them. 

PS3: Did they ever heard some of these records if not all, The White Stripes or the Black Keys? I hope not, cause if they did, they already know that never gonna get a sound like this, not even in a hundred years!