Secret History 1981: Shelter from the Storm

Super Secret, Secret History:

Despite the awful events of the prior year, this may be my personal favorite musical year. (Okay, maybe 1967 was better.) It was when I met Mrs. Jaybee, so there was a kind of magic in the air. 

And the music was good, too.  Maybe even better, because of that magic.

So I'll depart momentarily from my usual method of just listing music released in 1981 to convey what else was in the air.

Always trying to impress people with music, I wanted to play stuff the future Mrs. Jaybee would like.

And of course, I'd take to real romantic places like J&R Music World.

Probably the first song I ever played for her was “I Love You” (talk about moving fast!) by the Steve Miller Band. I'd had Anthology for several years already but every few months I'd have the urge to put it on. And there was really no better time than now.

Then I calmed down and played the avalanche of music that I'd acquired recently: 

• Elvis Costello: Trust, Get Happy, Taking Liberties
• Eno - Another Green World, Before and After Science
• David Bowie - Low and Heroes
• And many, many others

And just as George Michael asked of us, she listened without prejudice. Otherwise, things could've ended right there. She would eventually draw the line at Pere Ubu and Captain Beefheart but I came out way ahead on the deal. In so many ways.

Plain Ol' Secret History:

But all that came later. Now I'll get back to my usual method. I'd be lying if I pretended my take on the music wasn't colored by the magic of that year.

Elvis Costello: Trust

With its effortless tunes, most varied arrangements, and great production, this may be his best record.

And this after the previous year's Get Happy (20 songs) and Taking Liberties (20 songs)! The man is a machine!

A

"White Knuckles"

The Psychedelic Furs Talk Talk Talk

Their second, and even better than their first.

This is my idea of great hard rock, with the original and far more powerful "Pretty in Pink". And lots more where that came from.

A 

"No Tears"

X: Wild Gift

Don't let the cramped sound get you down. This is one of the all-time great punk rock records. And an American one at that. Quite the relief after all those Brits.

Led by then couple John Doe (vocals and bass) and Exene Cervenka (vocals) who, in a very strange way, remind me of Paul Kantner and Grace Slick on the Airplane's live stuff.

And they are TIGHT. With actual musical ability, Billy Zoom (guitar, of course!) and DJ Bonebrake (whaddaya think?) make it go, and it GOES!

Discovered and produced by Ray Manzarek (whose organ sorta marred their first record) they avoid that mistake but nonetheless end with the words:

We're waiting for the sun,

For any sun to come.

A

"White Girl"

The English Beat’s - Wha'ppen?

Not as catchy as the relentless I Just Can’t Stop It, but it’s a real grower. It trades forward motion in for texture, as though it's intending to give you time to think after you've done all that dancing.

A

"Get a Job"

David Byrne: The Catherine Wheel

Before Twyla Tharp choreographed Billy Joel, she collaborated with David Byrne, who wrote and performed all new songs and instrumentals, with contributions from Brian Eno, Bernie Worrell, and others.

Never one for/to dance, I didn't see the show and don't care. It’s not as bracing as Talking Heads and not quite as heady as great Eno, but it’s the sweet spot between them. 

A

"Big Blue Plymouth (Eyes Wide Open)"

Tom Verlaine’s Dreamtime

The former guiding light of Television, Verlaine makes another album filled with furious but beautiful guitar sounds. He'd done it with his first solo record, but now erases any remaining doubts by singing - never his strong suit - less.

A-

"There's A Reason"

Yoko Ono’s Season of Glass

Yep, her.

The Beatle-killer's been making music for a long time – longer than the Beatles, actually.  The early stuff was - as you’d expect - "experimental".  But she got more pop as she went along.

I was torn about including this because I still don't know what to make of her as a human. There are just too many... stories.

But there are some excellent songs here, and I will pay this possible devil her due.

A-

"Nobody Sees Me Like You Do"

Secret History - 1980, or I've Got Some Good News and Some Bad News

Now:

Although I got a lot out of my system last time, I'm still stuck between Luciano Pavarotti, the Drive-By Truckers, Dvorak, Lou F*cking Reed, and Sonic Youth. They go together surprisingly well, but because I kept bouncing back and forth between them, I didn't quite connect with any of them.

So, what to do when faced with such musical constipation? Well, the doctors say don't force it. So while we're waiting why not look back?

Greek Chorus: Oh Jesus, another World History Project post? What is it this time, Jaybee? Music by Dinosaurs?

Well, one dinosaur, but it's just the newest Secret History. This is when I look at a year in the past (as opposed to the future, which is much harder) and try to identify some great records released that year that flew under people's radar. This is a different approach than my usual one, which is to write about records when I'm hearing them for the first time, no matter when released.  But don't worry! I will try to make it about me somehow.

Then:

The last Secret History I did was for 1979, which I posted in May of 2018. I paused there because - get this: I thought I was going at too fast a pace. The lesson here, of course, is that I don't procrastinate enough.

I also was hesitant to proceed because it was such a weird year. Great in some ways. Awful in others. Here are some, good to bad, more or less:

1. I became "single" again.
2. I got a new job.
3. I got really into Neil Young.
4. I got my first Clash record.
5. I heard a tremendous amount of good current music.
6. I had a fantastic record store trip, which - after the small steps I took in 1978 and 1979 - was my first major foray into punk/new wave/alternative whatever you want to call it with my first Brian Eno, Bryan Ferry, David Bowie records.
7. Me and Roommate Mike hosted a couple of Swedish hitchhikers who shared a lot of our musical tastes. We hung with them, me taking sick-day here and there. Ah, youth!
8. After a long "uneventful" summer, realized that being single wasn't all that great.
9. We got a new president
10. John Lennon got shot

A couple of notes:

• Nine and ten are kind of a tie. Lennon's death was a reminder that - if you didn't know already - the sixties were quite literally dead. St. Ronnie came in to rein in the "excesses" of the seventies, making things immeasurably worse in the process. The seventies were certainly messy, but they were vibrant, too. 
• I cheated a bit. I found a new girl, but that came at the end, chronologically.

Musically, 1980 strikes me as an "obvious" year. In other words, there were certain major records released then that we can all agree are well, major. London Calling, Remain in Light, and The River all come to mind. And to my misanthropic ears, each is ever so slightly overrated. But it's okay. Things could have been - and would be - much worse.

So here are the ones that matter to me:

The Specials: The Specials

This actually came out in 1979, but I somehow missed that. So I'm cheating to make up for it.

It is, however, one of the best ska revival albums out there. Very spare, almost spectral arrangements. A nice piercing guitar, though.

Gotten in '90 when we were moving from an apartment into our first house. It reminds me of pulling up old carpeting. At the time I thought it was one of the great albums ever, but I was covered in dust at the time.

Highly recommended, nonetheless.

A-

"Little Bitch"

Elvis Costello: Get Happy

I got this in early '81 while getting to know that new girl, so it's got all kinds of romantic memories attached to it that have nothing to do with the music itself.

You know how Elton John kept pumping out albums in the seventies, not all of which were great?

Well, Elvis 2.0, cranked out dozens and dozens of songs from 1980 - 82, twenty of which he put here - not all of which were great. So it's quantity over quality, but a lot of quality anyway. "King Horse", "New Amsterdam", and "Clown Time Is Over" are classics. A bunch more are not far behind. A few are negligible but you'd hardly notice.

Just like Elton.

And for some very odd reason, I play "Side Two" first.

A-

"New Amsterdam"

Pete Townsend: Empty Glass

Gotten in the summer of '80 after the recommendation of our new Swedish friends. We had agreed on Exile on Mainstreet, after all.

By this time I should have been done with this classic rock dinosaur, but Pete really brings it on this record. A bit overdone, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

And he gave me some lyrics to raise my spirits, whose default setting is depressed:

Don't worry smile and dance

You just can't work life out

Don't let down moods entrance you

Take the wine and shout

A-

"Broken Glass"

The Psychedelic Furs: The Psychedelic Furs

Gotten maybe in the mid-80s, after having already gotten their second one - one of the great hard rock albums of that decade.  This one is almost as good.

Richard Butler snarls Johnny Rotten-ish-ly but the band eases off the gas pedal more than the Sex Pistols - who would proceed to drive off a cliff - ever would. The Furs were in it for the long haul. And made more good music.

And when Butler snarls, he's not full of shyte.

A-

"We Love You"

Peter Gabriel: Peter Gabriel

After he left Genesis but before he hit it big, Peter Gabriel put out a few solo records. This one is his third and is generally considered the best before the commercial breakthrough of So.

This one is very serious, and I wish he'd crack a joke occasionally. But "Biko" is so great, all is forgiven.

A-

"Biko"

Crazy Rhythms - The Feelies

Weird, jittery, almost frantic rhythm guitars, resulting in robotic voices because they're trying to keep up. 

But oh so tight.

A-

"Crazy Rhythms"

Albert Hunter: Amtrak Blues

Just a little old lady singing the blues, a piano player, and an audience. 

A joy from start to finish.

A-

"My Handy Man Ain't Handy No More"

Public Image - Second Edition

Also known as Metal Box in England because it came in one there.

Perfect for depression, assuming you want to stay depressed.

I got it in June of '80, but it was so odd, offputting, and flat-out noisy, that I had to put away Johnny Rotten's new band for almost six months. I guess Lennon and Reagan put me in the mood.

Then one cold, dark day, I felt like hearing it. And it hit, hard.  The dub-heavy bass and beats, the most expressive - of horror, that is - electric guitar I have ever heard. And Johnny Rotten proves that he wasn't just a one-trick pony. Of course, he eventually proved to be too clever by one and a half.

The Sex Pistols would hit you over the head but this one gets into it and never leaves.

A

"Poptones"

The English Beat: I Just Can't Stop It 

Maybe the greatest ska revival album. And just like the Specials, two-toned, as they used to say.

So propulsive. So tuneful. And the arrangements are more varied than on the Specials record. And slightly less political, too, which allows the songwriting to be more universal and personal.

A

"Best Friend"

Ahhh, now THAT works better than prune juice. 

Geezer Goes to Rock Show, Gets Money’s Worth

When we last left off, Old Geezer Jaybee (a doubly redundant appellation if ever there was one) had a less than great time at a rock show. Less than great is still very good but Old Geezer Jaybee (heretofore labeled OGJ) spent good money on those seats and, dammit, he’s going to get his money’s worth. Every. Single. Dollar.

And woe be it to him or her that gets in his way, like that couple who were sort of necking (is that what the young folk call it these days?) and thus theoretically blocking Mrs. Jaybee’s view. Mrs. Jaybee was fine with it but that’s not the point! “Money’s worth” encompasses any and all members of the attending party. Luckily Mrs. Jaybee persuaded OGJ that she had an unobstructed view, thus preventing a scene.

The main problem, of course, was that OGJ hadn’t (notice how I’m talking about me like it’s some other loser?) familiarized himself sufficiently with the artist’s latest release. Plus, he had a beer, which, at his age means he’s going to fall asleep shortly. or get very cranky.

Even though he’d already spilt half of it on the brand new carpet at the beautifully restored Kings Theatre (even without going there you can tell it’s nice by the fancy way they spell theater) trying to navigate those elongated steps that no one can walk down gracefully to begin with,

This time around, he got water, and navigated those steps by avoiding them altogether. And most importantly, getting sufficiently familiar with Yo La Tengo’s latest album, as well as the earlier record it commemorates, and another one from 2000 for good measure.

And Yo La Tengo didn’t let him down.

But first, let’s talk about opener Nick Lowe.

It’s been about thirty five years since Nick first burst upon the scene. Oh, he’d been around far longer than that as part of Brinsley Schwarz. That’s when he wrote “What’s So Funny About Peace Love and Understanding”.  He made some classic solo records, like Pure Pop for Now People
and Labour of Lust, play with Rockpile and produce several Elvis Costello albums.

But since that time, he’s moved away from the fast, witty pop music he’s known for, opting for a slower, more acoustic sound.

And although his new music is less compelling than the old, Nick was always a charmer and could have gotten by on that alone. Luckily he mixed in new versions of some old songs, and was more than good enough. He was the perfect opener, actually.

And how about Yo La Tengo?

They were wonderful.

I was afraid that going acoustic might mean that everyone would be sitting down in a circle. It sounds nice and intimate, but it gets boring real fast.

But there they all were, standing right at the front of the stage. Even drummer Georgia Hubley, with the simplest drum kit possible - a la Maureen Tucker of the Velvet Underground. But unlike Tucker, tonight Georgia would be using brushes more than sticks, and singing.

I’m beginning to think Ira Kaplan only owns one T-shirt, since he seemed to be wearing the same one from the release party and the bio picture on allmusic.com. His noise guitar was totally absent this night. He was content to stick to acoustic and let Dave Schramm do the electric heavy lifting

And Dave Schramm - the prodigal son returning - was brilliant, providing the touch that would give these acoustic songs reach depth and punch.

Bassist James McNew - like he told me at the release party - played stand up bass and managed to sing fantastically while doing so. He was worried about doing both. You did great, James!

You don’t expect such great music from such down to earth people, but the band was totally committed to both the sound and spirit of the new record, About 75% of the show came from either Fakebook  or Stuff Like That There. I wasn’t familiar with the other 25% but it all sounded really good.

The highlight was “Deeper into Movies” - a rouser from I Can Hear the Heart Beating As One - done with quiet intensity. I could tell they were loving what they were doing. The crowd was loving it too.

I spent the whole time grinning like an idiot. I even knew it, but didn’t care.

The show ended with Nick Lowe joining YLT for a two-song encore. Nick picked one, and YLT the other. Ira dared the crowd to guess which was which but that was easy.

First came a slow mournful “Walk Away Renee”, which had to be Nick’s pick. Modest to a fault, of course he’d do someone else’s song. One that fit his current style well.

And the closer, picked by YLT?  Why, a Nick Lowe song, of course. “The Rollers Show”. Not done in the ebullient style of the original. It was slower, but joyful nonetheless. It was like a great big thank you to Nick for all the inspiration he’s given over his career.

The crowd walked away very satisfied.

And Old Geezer Jaybee, for once, was one with the crowd.



“The Roller Show”

Old Man Attends Concert, Nearly Has A Good Time

I could go on Facebook and say it was the greatest concert ever, but that wouldn't be true. I could have said we had a wonderful time, but I didn't.

It was just another concert, and it turned out the way concerts generally turn out for me. Okay, but frustrating as hell.

Why does this always happen? Well, it could be my impossibly high standards, but circumstances do enter into it.

We had tickets to Sufjan Stevens at the newly - and awesomely - refurbished Kings Theatre, and there was no reason to think we'd have anything but a wonderful time. Except all of my prior concert experiences.

Unlike my fellow near 58 year olds, I won't lie to you and tell you about all the concerts I've been to. When I was younger I DIDN'T go to a lot of concerts. I didn’t see Dylan, the Beatles, the Stones. So when I did get to go to a show, I’d invest so much emotional capital into it, it would be almost impossible for the show to satisfy me.

Other folks would come to have a good time, by dancing, standing and talking to friends. But I must have been starved for entertainment, because. I’d sit there leaning forward, never taking my eyes off the stage, making sure I was taking in every sliver of the experience.  And heaven help anyone who came between me and that experience.

I'd be there hoping for a PERFECT show, which would comprise the following:

1. Great seats.
2. Nobody's fat f*cking head in front of me.
3. A great song selection. A corollary to this is that there’s a good mix of old and new.  Too much old is playing it safe, too much new is not fair to the audience, and reeks of hawking new product, like a 1978 Dave Mason concert that my friends and I would later refer to as the “Here’s another one from the new record…” show. 
4. Faithful but enthusiastic renditions of the songs. Not robotic note for note replications of the record, but also not drastically different arrangements of them, a la Dylan.
5. If you’re a solo act, a good band
6. A good sound system.
7. No assholes. which means nobody talking throughout the show, and nobody screaming out during quiet songs.
8. A three hour show.  Okay, this isn’t as important as it used to be. I’d have to hit the bathroom during such a marathon.  And I saw a pretty short Elvis Costello show in 1979 that was nonetheless one of the more intense concerts I’ve ever seen, and so I didn’t leave feeling gypped, like that other EC, whose 1974 show was the epitome of the bad concert. I’d waited months for that show (and years for him to come out of hiding) and it sucked, striking out on virtually all of the above criteria.

As you can see, I tend to place a lot of expectation on an event involving a multitude of factors and thousands of people out of my control. And I usually was disappointed.

Would Sufjan do any better, I wondered? It’s funny how things change, though. I’d set my expectations so low I’d almost forgotten we’d even gotten the tickets.

When we entered the theater, we couldn’t believe our eyes. It had been closed for a long time, but had just been refurbished, and was absolutely beautiful.

And the opening act - Moses Sumney - started at eight sharp! - was really very good. A perfect start.

So Sufjan comes on and starts off great, playing songs from his new record. And playing them. And playing them. About seven in a row, actually.

Now, given my inability to appreciate music the first time I hear it, I try to prepare for a show by listening to the new album a few times ahead of time. Arcade Fire didn’t give us much of a chance releasing The Suburbs the day before we saw them in 2010. Sufjan had a little more consideration. But I still felt rushed, and only got a few grudging listens in.

A good, but solemn, record. And while you can definitely put it on when you're in that mood, you may not want to remain in that mood for the length of an entire concert, which should be a little more, uh, fun. And given how I’d been feeling in general, more solemnity was the last thing I needed.

He did play some other songs, but they seemed few and far between. And it took him almost half the show before he even talked to the audience.  So it was a little too much like going to mass.

But how did we do overall?

1. Seats? Row S. Excellent. A-
2. Fat F*cking Heads?  Not bad - I had a great view but there was the young lady who insisted on resting her head on her girlfriend’s shoulder, blocking my wife's view. But then she'd lift it again. And then put it down again. I was outraged by proxy, but Mrs. Jaybee said she didn’t mind. B+
3. Song Selection? As I said, too many new ones. B
4. Faithful but enthusiastic....?  A
5. The Band? Excellent! Stripped down, and mixed gender, too! A
6. Sound System? Usually excellent, but sometimes the guitar was too loud and Sufjan also tried - in the wrong way - to expand the tone of the material. B+
7. Assholes? Surprisingly, sensitive Sufjan draws assholes just like any other artist. Despite threats to the contrary, talking during the show was pretty minimal, but there were the douche bags who screamed out during the quiet parts of songs. What are these people thinking? That they're adding to the experience?  And a new phenomenon. People showing up late for the show! Like an hour late. Really? Is this just one stop in your wonderful evening? Who are these people who buy tickets to shows and come in when it’s more than half over?  That’s like buying a pizza and throwing away four slices on the way home. B
8. A three hour show. Not even close, but I don’t care anymore. A-  

Overall, the show gets a strong B+, with the song selection being the biggest problem. Which is a damned shame since I’d find out later how great, and how durable, these new songs were.

But it's like deciding when to eat dinner. At my age, I spend a lot of time not being hungry, only to immediately follow that with that nice hungry feeling, but only for about five minutes. It’s immediately superseded by nausea, thus making the timing of a meal challenging, to say the least.

And with new songs, if you overplay them you get sick of them songs before the show. You need to play them just enough to want to look forward to hearing them again. And then stop until the show.

So I went into the show  thinking I’d gotten to the essence of these songs - thinking I was ready to really enjoy them. But I was wrong. It was too soon. I’d only skimmed the surface. But I’ll talk about that at another time.

So it wasn’t a great show, but I’d only blame Sufjan for the abrupt end to “Chicago”, which should have gone out on a fading choir of angelic voices. See?

We’ll go back to the Kings Theater in October to catch Yo La Tengo and I’ll report back on my narrow comfort zone and the potential attendant assholes. Let’s see if I, or they, learn anything.

Secret History: 1978

Although 1977 is more important for music, 1978 is more important for me (although I had to get 1977 out of my system first), because this was when I began to notice.

It all started with Talking Heads More Songs About Buildings and Food. Not the first punk album ever. Just my first. When I first heard the spare “Take Me to the River” (Stupid me, not knowing much about Al Green, I thought they wrote it) on the radio, it was such a relief from all the overproduced crud clogging up the airwaves at the time. And I thought the name was kind of cool, too.

My first listen consisted of me holding onto four little islands of brilliance - “Thank You For Sending Me An Angel” (one of the all time great album openers), “Good Thing”, “Take Me” and “The Big Country” - amid a sea of weirdness. “Found a Job” was the strangest of all, sitting there at the end of side one as if to say well what did you think of that? and You ain’t seen nothing yet! .  

On each new listen another gem would reveal itself. It took about a week for it all to kick in.. By then, “Found a Job” had gotten into my DNA..

More Songs... was the only one of these records I’d actually get that year.  The rest would have to come later.  I guess I needed a rest.

Remember when Elvis Costello was so angry? This Year's Model captures it perfectly. His shortest, bitterest and maybe best album.

“You Belong to Me”

Parallel Lines by Blondie is THE pop album of the era.  

“Pretty Baby”

The Vibrators Pure Mania doesn’t hold up as well as some other records, but it’s got a lot of vroom still in it.

“Into the Future”

The Ramones Road to Ruin is the perfect balance of the Ramones punk style and tuneful accessibility.

“You Don’t Come Close”

Give Em Enough Rope is no one's favorite Clash album, but that doesn't make it bad, does it?

"Last Gang in Town"

Neil Young - Comes A Time

Hands down the most beautiful Neil Young album (Harvest? Please!), coming out at a point when people weren’t sure he was up to it anymore.  Well, the first time they thought that.

“Already One”

Looking at my list, I don’t see anything very surprising or original. So maybe it’s not much of a secret history, is it?  These are the obvious new wave albums for the time.  What worries me is what I’m forgetting from the non punk side of the road.  

But by then, I’d made a decisive turn and, unlike Neil Young, for me there was no going back.

Well, for a while anyway."