Pat Metheny Group The Falcon and the Snowman Original Motion Picture Soundtrack EMI America 1985

Pat Metheny Group The Falcon and the Snowman Original Motion Picture Soundtrack EMI America 1985 CAT #SV-517150

Lee's Summit's Pat Metheny scored this entire soundtrack and of note, it featured the single, "This Is Not America" which featured David Bowie on vocals. That's pretty amazing.

The movie was a spy drama loosely based on the true story of two American spys who sold secrets to Russia in the Cold War. The movie was well-received, although, it's nothing that has stood the test of time. However, under the current political landscape, movies like this are occasionally mentioned and newly remembered. It also starred Sean Penn, so it's a footnote in his career.

As an album, it's like most of Metheny's work. Noodles around jazz-fusion and guitar driven landscapes. It's well-done and if you're a fan, I'm sure it's great. From my point of view, it's a little broader than his albums and incorporates a lot of touches you'd expect in a film score, mor orchestration, moodiness, and again, Bowie's vocal track to center around.

Official Trailer

City Light Orchestra "Tain't What Cha Do City Light Records 1985

City Light Orchestra "Tain't What Cha Do City Light Records 1985 CAT# CL102

I thought I had discussed multiple City Light Orchestra releases by this point, but apparently, only just one (Light Orchestra). Looking at that release, appears they were using the moniker the Light Orchestra, but by this release, changed to City Light Records.

Like the prior, this is surprisingly good. I dig the vocalist, David Basse, who has a rough delivery. He's not a perfect singer, but his gimmick works. He's likely trying to channel some Louis Armstrong, but sometimes he has enough gravel in his voice to remind you of a cleaned up Tom Waits.

The album does suffer from some stylized production typical of the 1980's. When it goes that direction, it's loses it's appeal, becomes more about style than it does jazz. Oddly, the group traveled to Cerrillos, New Mexico to record the album, for a Kansas City based jazz group, but whatever floats their boat. Also, the cover would never give anyone the idea this is a jazz LP, cover makes you think terrible new-wave.

David Basse, still making the rounds, apparently

David Bowie and the Pat Metheny Group This Is Not America Single EMI 1985

David Bowie and the Pat Metheny Group This Is Not America Single EMI 1985 CAT# 8251

Further proof that Pat Metheny's skills are not to be scoffed at. He collaborated with one of the most admired pop-stars of all time, David Bowie. Metheny did soundtrack work for the 1985 John Schlesinger film, The Falcon and the Snowman. I don't have the album, yet, but I do have this single featuring David Bowie on vocals.

The song is cool, it's got Bowie's signature vocals and Metheny noodling around on guitars and synths. When I finally got around to this release, I had grandiose plans to discuss how cool Kansas City can be. Here's this jazz guitarist from Lee's Summit with enough clout to get the most stylish rock star of a generation (lifetime) to work with him. Then Bowie died, and now I just want to talk about how much I love David Bowie.

I've always been really attached to music, it's something that always brought a smile to my face, it's always helped me through tough times and helped make the good times better. My earliest memories are of me sitting in the back seat of the family station wagon and notifying my parents whenever a Beatles track came on the radio. I was proud of being right, at least they always told me I was. As I got older, the love for music just became stronger, I started to notice that sometimes (often) my enthusiasm for it wasn't the same as everyone else's. To this day, my closest friends are those who share the same enthusiasm for music.

Somewhere around 3rd or 4th Grade, I think my mom started to realize I was seeking out things that were different. Challenging myself to seek out music that wasn't on the radio, the deep cuts. I started digging through my parent's LP collection trying to find something new for me to get into. My mom pulled out a beat up copy (all my parents' albums were beat up) of David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and pointed out the backside liner note which stated, "TO BE PLAYED AT MAXIMUM VOLUME."

So I did. That album opened me up. Before it, the strangest tracks I was digging on were "I Am the Walrus" by the Beatles or Doors albums. Here's this album that tells a story about an interstellar rock star, an androgynous one, and the music isn't backwards, but it's from another planet when compared to the Appetite For Destruction cassette I was fond of. It opened things up for me. I had to seek out more albums like this. I bought Rykodisc reissues of Bowie's catalog. Then it was finding more of the glam rock Bowie championed in the 70's. And that sent me down the path I'm at today....this rabbit hole of continually seeking out another album, seeking out another genre or style. That's how Bowie opened me up, I mean the guy touched almost every genre throughout his catalog, how could it not.

For a long time, there was a full-fledged Bowie obsession. While it's cooled down since high school and college, I'm still very much a fan of his music. In college, I wrote a paper about Bowie's androgynous Ziggy character and how, in a way, it made gay cool. Of course, I embellished the point for the purpose of my paper (the professor pointed this out, not me), but what is important about the story is that it made gay acceptable for me. Obviously, in 4th grade, I wan't comprehending what Ziggy was about. Ziggy, to 4th grade me was asexual, which was odd, but I wasn't old enough to understand sexuality.

As a young adult reading about it, it became a bit more clear. Bowie's sexuality was up in the air, probably bisexual, but pretty clear, not a straight laced heterosexual. And, I want to be careful here, because I've never had it in me to hate, but as a heterosexual teenager, the idea of homosexuality is well, queer, for lack of a better term. Even my aunt is gay, I knew that before Bowie, but I just kind of choose to ignore it to avoid confusion. At that age, it's easier to question things that are different from you rather than accept them. And sometimes, you just don't bother to come to terms with it. But, here is this guy, this hero of mine, who was different than me, who was gay. I had to accept that. So, beyond the music, I credit Bowie for making me a better person.

Rest in peace David Bowie and thank you.

This Is Not America

Dogs? Self-Titled Dogs? Records 1985

Dogs? Self-Titled Dogs? Records  1985 CAT# SRK 15117

This is pretty lame. 5 dudes with fancy hair and glamour shots doing some pomp-rock. Giving it a nod towards new-wave or power-pop would be generous. It's produced well and the sound quality is fantastic for a private LP, the songs are just boring and swamped in 80's trends. The fact that it's only 5 songs is the best part as you don't have to suffer through much.

As a band, they all seem pretty capable. Most of the members did other things around town. Stan Hartman the drummer is notable for being in Parlor Frogs who appeared on a Fresh Sounds Live in Lawrence comp. The link below indicates the singer, Jerry Sumner, was in the marginally cool band Clocks. But, what this appears to be is a bunch of fairly talented locals putting together a cash-in attempt. Super slick production, the handsome photos on the backside, the roller rink panty-dropper tunes... I imagine they put this together with hopes of signing onto a major, doesn't look like it worked, but good on the Dogs? for trying.

Substitute

James Brown Dead On Heavy Funk 74-76 Polydor 1985

James Brown Dead On Heavy Funk 74-76 Polydor 1985 CAT# 827439-1

If you haven't been reading, which, well, no one has been, I've mentioned a number of times how according to James Brown himself, he resided in KC for a year. After his childhood arrest, apparently he was shipped off to KC to live with his father who worked at possibly the AC Delco plant in North Olathe. Which, since it's James Brown, the Godfather of Funk, makes him local for the purposes of this blog.

This is a solid comp collecting 8 extended Brown funk workouts from the mid-70s. Since it's release in 1985, there's far better comps out there, but considering it's from the 80's, if you possibly find it, it might not be in terrible shape. The major highlight is "Hot (I Need to be Loved, Loved, Loved, Loved)" which features a guitar riff created by Carlos Alomar and is the same here as it was used in the song "Fame" by David Bowie.

One truth about the awesomeness of James Brown records, when you find them they are almost always beat to shit. They might have a bunch of needle marks, because people were dancing to these records, causing the needle to jump and come down hard. Or they're scratched severely because they were a favorite of DJs who were more focused about getting the next track on rather than properly putting the LP away. So, it usually got thrown into the crate, un-sleeved and then got other records stacked upon it. Or, and possibly worse, the grooves are just worn out. Groove wear fucking sucks. Distorts on highs and lows, always sounds like your needle is just running over salt...It's not surface noise, it's the grooves being worn out. This feature was usually do to a crappy record player or just playing the crap out of the record.

As far as groove wear, I'm going to go with the later. The records are just too damn good and enjoyable. People played the crap out of James Brown. If you see something minty in a used bin, it should be a guaranteed purchase.

James Brown Future Shock t-shirt ad
Hot (I Need To Be Loved, Loved, Loved, Loved)

Micronotz The Beast that Devoured Itself Fresh Sounds, Inc 1985

Micronotz The Beast that Devoured Itself Fresh Sounds, Inc 1985 CAT# FS-211

Released 3 years after the debut album, The Beast that Devoured Itself, finds the band all grown up.  Well, to the extent they aren't high school students anymore and have probably been laid a more than a couple times.  This album also finds Jay Hauptil replacing vocalist Dean Lubensky.  It's not necessarily a bad thing, but it certainly created two different versions of the band.  Lubensky had an endearing teenage squall, his strained vocals complimented the youth of the band.  Hauptil comes with a more gruff, adult, punk rock scream.  It beefs the band up substantially, making them comparable to college rock punk like Husker Du.  Hell like Husker Du, the band even attempts some pop tunes, the song "War" is enjoyable and it's followed by "Decide Tomorrow" which is a clear attempt to crack college rock scene in Replacements-esque fashion.  Problem being, Hauptil can't sing like Westerberg and the band can't write as good pop tunes as that band.  And, we won't talk about "Polyester Slave," that song really had no reason to exist.

No fault there though, not many bands could write as a pop tune as good as the Replacements.  And, the Micronotz were far more consistent than the 'Mats (seriously, people gloat about the Replacements like they were fucking geniuses and wrote nothing but hits.  Do they forget songs like "Gary Got a Boner" and the fact that they were a joke of an actual punk band?) .  It is a shame the Micronotz couldn't figure out pop tunes on this one, otherwise it's as classic as their debut.  Overall, they sound like a punk band dying to get into pop territory.  And admittedly, the track "Whatcha Trying To Do" is close to finding a good balance between their punk damaged outlook and pop sensibilities.  It manages to stay mid-tempo and bridge the gap between failed attempts at slowing down and crunchy guitars.

The album does excel when it sticks to the straight ahead riff-driven punk rock.  More so than the band's previous albums, The Beast that Devoured Itself, just wants to break your face with huge riffs.  Screw melody when you got big chunky riffs and straight ahead tunes.  It's far too drenched in garage rock and punk to be an called aural assault or "sonic", but it's not far off.  They would explore the sound further on the following LP, Forty Fingers, sounding more and more like Husker Du.

Run My Life