An Appreciation: THE LAST

An Appreciation:

THE LAST

NOTE: As with my other entries in my An Appreciation series, this is not a history of The Last.  It is written from the perspective of a fan, not an insider.  So, if you are wanting to find out more in depth info on The Last, please visit their website HERE!

In August of 1979, The Last literally changed the way I listened to music. Before then, I would not give a second glance to anything released on an independent label. But then I bought The Last's debut album, L.A. Explosion the very week it was released... and my view of the music world changed....

At the time, I was 15 years old and heavily into New Wave, Punk and Power Pop music. Growing up, I had been an avid fan of The Beatles, Glen Campbell, Badfinger, The Monkees, Queen, Neil Diamond, The Osmonds and many other '60s and '70s acts that I had encountered on the radio and TV. But when I first saw The Jam on TV in '77, they blew my mind and I started following this new kind of music.   But being a pre-internet young teen, I didn't know much about independent labels.  I just assumed that they were pretty much the same thing as private press albums you'd find eccentric multi-instrumentalists like Bobby Brown selling at the swap meet on Sunday mornings. 

And no, I'm not referring to the same Bobby Brown that led Whitney down her self-destructive path... I'm referring to this psychedelic folkie who played crazy instruments and sang crazy songs... well, at least that was my impression when I first saw him when I was in my early teens. Nowadays, I love this stuff:

Bobby Brown

Anyway, I would take my weekly allowance and head over to Licorice Pizza (on Brookhurst and Chapman in Garden Grove) and buy things that were released via major labels.  This is in the days when I'd buy albums from The Records, The Cars, Yachts, Bram Tchaikovsky, The Jam, The Clash and any other band of that ilk signed to a major label.  Most of the time, I bought things based on album covers, labels, etc. I had never heard of most of the bands and I was always searching for something that would excite me. If the band members looked cool and they were signed to Polydor (for example), then I'd buy it.  I would even buy things based solely on who produced it! Anything on and indie label was avoided.  Funny thing is, many of the albums I bought were actually on indie labels in the UK (Stiff, Radar, Chiswick, etc) but were being distributed by majors in the U.S.  I was not aware of this fact at the time. 

So, one day in August of '79, I made my mid-week trek to Licorice Pizza and started going through the bins like I usually did time and time again. I was always in search of anything new that had arrived in stock. In the 'Miscellaneous L" section, there was an LP that I had not seen there before: an album called L.A. Explosion by a band called The Last.  I was vaguely familiar with the name by seeing a 7" single or two, but had not heard them, let alone knew that they were a 'local' (ie: LA.) band. Remember, I was 15 and unable to attend many gigs because of age and transportation, so I never bothered to look at gig guides to see who was in town.  Maybe in the Calendar section of the L.A. Times, but that was about it...   

But let me tell you, for some reason, the album covered grabbed me.  Their logo... the shadowed photo of the band members on the front cover.... the lyrics printed on the back... it all hit me as being really cool. When I saw it was on Bomp! Records, I was surprised.  "How could a band that looks this cool be on an independent label?", I probably said to myself.  The Bomp! name and logo were cool, too. Regardless, it wasn't in my budget for the day (which was zero) but I figured I'd think about it and MAYBE consider buying it when I got my allowance the following weekend. 

THE LAST-L.A. EXPLOSION (1979)

  

By the time I had walked out of Licorice Pizza that day, my mind was made up: I was going to buy L.A. Explosion!  The next few days were torture to be honest: I couldn't wait to get my allowance and go buy this album with the cover that had become permanently tattooed in my brain. What would they sound like?  Would it be Punk?  Power Pop?  New Wave?  I had no clue, but I was hoping it'd be a melodic delight. So, I went down the following Saturday, plunked down my money and bought L.A. Explosion. Fuck, yeah!

L.A. Explosion contained everything I love about music: great melodies, a nice variety of styles (Power Pop, Punk, Baroque, Psychedelic, etc) and songs that did not overstay their welcome. I knew then and there that Joe Nolte was a songwriting genius. He took his '60s influences, mixed them up, added a shot of Punk and then wrote from the heart. But there was more to The Last than his amazing songs. Here's what I had to say some 25 years later about the album on All Music Guide: 

"Perhaps the least known of the late-'70s L.A. pop acts, the Last rose from the ashes of the Los Angeles club scene alongside bands like 20/20, the Knack, the Nerves, the Plimsouls, et al. Releasing their debut album on a small, albeit influential, indie label didn't help them gain exposure outside of California, but the music contained on this platter is as brilliant as anything that came from that era. Led by Joe Nolte and featuring his brothers Mike and David amongst its members, the Last's secret weapon was the keyboard/flute-playing Vitus Matare, who added extra texture and flair to Joe's engaging songs. Heavily influenced by '60s pop, this album has it all: pure pop ("This Kind of Feeling," "Someone's Laughing"), sunny beach pop ("Every Summer Day"), punk-pop ("I Don't Wanna Be In Love," "Slavedriver"), psych-pop ("She Don't Know Why I'm Here"), etc. Thinly produced, this album has a charm and innocence to it that not many other artists have been able to match."

It wasn't until later that I found out that folks were unhappy with the production of the album. Live, the band were a melodic Punk band for the most part, but the album smoothed out all the edges and made them sound a lot more polished than they actually were. I've read in other places that the thin production put some listeners off. Whatever. L.A. Explosion remains one of the finest albums of it's era... and there were a lot of great albums released during the late '70s. I can assure you that almost every mix tape I made for friends back in the '80s contained a song by The Last.

It was another three years before we heard from The Last again when Bomp! released the four track Fade To Black 12" EP in 1982. The title track was written, but not used, for the motion picture Fade To Black starring Dennis Christopher, which had been released in 1980. While "Fade To Black" was a good song,  the other three tracks blew me away: "That's Just Life", "Obsession" and "Subway Song" were incredible slices of '60s influenced Pop with the added bonus of Joe Nolte's distinctive spin on things.

THE LAST-FADE TO BLACK EP (1982)

Years later, I discovered that the band had recorded, but never released a complete second album in 1980 called Look Again! And lo and behold, "That's Just Life", "Obsession" and "Subway Song" were taken from that album while the rest of Look Again's tracks languished in a vault somewhere.  Actually, the tapes probably languished in shoe box, but 'vault' sounds more dramatic.  When I finally heard Look Again some 25 years after it was recorded, I was devastated as I listened to it: not because it was bad... far from it.  It was amazing! I was devastated because it could have been the album that brought the band to the attention of a much wider audience.  It's everything I've already said about The Last and more.  Sadly, it still remains unreleased.

THE LAST-PAINTING SMILES ON A DEAD MAN (1983)

In 1983, a year after the Fade To Black EP was released, I was shopping at Aaron's Records on Melrose when I stumbled upon an import pressing of an album by The Last called Painting Smiles On A Dead Man. What? A NEW album from The Last?  I think I shat my pants then and there!  For the rest of the night, I barely thought of anything else but getting home and putting that album on. And, boy, was I pleased with what I heard. The band had continued in the same direction as the Fade To Black EP, but everything was much more raw and exciting.  Perhaps the production was not as clean as earlier releases, but the band made up for it in their energetic and passionate performances.  Joe Nolte and mates were on fire at this point.  It was such a shame that the band was getting better yet their future prospects were dimming. This was the final album from The Last before they disintegrated.

(By the way, according to The Last's official website, Joe Nolte has a completely different opinion of Painting Smiles... pretty much the opposite of mine!)

Since I didn't have an inside scoop on the band, I was not aware that they had split after Painting Smiles...  If I had known that, I would have tattooed at least two tears on my cheek in honor of the band... or not. A year or so after Painting Smiles... was released, I attended a party in Redondo Beach where my brother Mike Schnee and his band, The Leeks, were playing. The party was at the house of Leeks keyboardist Bob Mest. Bob knew I was a huge Last fan and told me that Joe Nolte was thinking of stopping by (somehow, either Bob or a roomate knew Joe).  Later in the evening, Bob took me aside and pointed to the corner of the room and said "Look, there's Joe Nolte!"  For the second time in my Last-loving life, I shat my pants!  I was far too nervous to go up to him and and say "Hi". Bah.

THE LAST-CONFESSION (1988)

In 1988, The Last suddenly reappeared with a new album called Confession on SST Records. From the original line-up, only Joe and Mike Nolte remained.  The album was well-produced by Bill Stevenson (All) and contained some great songs, but Vitus' keyboards and musical input was sorely missing.  Still, Joe proved that he was a great songwriter and passionate performer. It may have been a different Last, but under Joe's control and with Mike taking a bigger role, it was still The Last and this album reintroduced their talent to their old fans and a new generation who missed them first time around.  Sure, it was only five years since their last album, but music years are like dog years and it certainly seemed like a lifetime since Painting Smiles....

THE LAST-AWAKENING (1989)

The band returned pretty quickly the following year with Awakening, which continued on in the same tradition as Confession. The album had a load of great songs, production by Bill Stevenson and appearances from original members Vitus Matare and David Nolte. Once again, a fantastic album but missing that spark that made The Last so unique. No fault to the songs, by the way, but the band didn't seem to interested in progressing from their previous album. For any other band, Awakening would have been an effin' great album but for The Last, it was just a really, really, really, really good one. 

THE LAST-GIN & INNUENDOES (1996)

Seven years passed before a new album from The Last appeared.  Gin & Innuendoes was the musical step forward that the band should have taken after Confession. The songs, although darker, were superb and there was plenty of the old Last to be had here, at least musically.  The album was produced by the legendary Earle Mankey and his work behind the boards helped flesh out Joe's great batch of new tunes.  Oddly enough, the album had been finished since '94 but remained unreleased for two years.  That seemed to be a classic case of The Last's (bad) luck.

Since the album's release, the band has been active but has not officially released any material in the 17 years since Gin & Innuendoes hit the shops.  There was a great acoustic album from Joe and Mike Nolte (Joe 'n' Mike) that might still be available through the band's website, but that remains the final release to date.

A new version of The Last did head into the studio in the early part of the millennium and recorded an album called Shank, which remains unreleased.  One track, "I Know", was released on the Of Hands & Hearts benefit CD that I put together back in 2005. I caught them live during this period and all of their new songs were shining examples of the Joe Nolte magic.  By the way, the bill that I saw them on also featured 20/20 and John Wicks & The Records!

A few years back, most of the original line-up (including Vitus) reformed and played a series of live gigs over the span of a few years.  Most recently, Joe and Mike have been fronting a new version of the band.  

One can only hope that The Last release a new album... or at least finally issue the unreleased Look Again album from 1980 or the Shank recordings. Or maybe if I beg, they could at least send a copy of their unreleased stuff to ME!??  I promise not to shit myself again!

Oh, and I totally forgot to tell you WHY The Last changed my outlook on music: from that point on, I started buying indie albums and supporting indie labels.  There was a whole new world of music available to me once The Last showed me that it was OK to be on an independent label! L.A. Explosion was a revelation for me and remains one of my fave albums of all-time.  

Peace, love and pancakes, 

Stephen SPAZ Schnee

An Appreciation: RAY MASON

An Appreciation:

RAY MASON

The fact that many of you have never heard of Ray Mason, let alone heard his music, is an absolute shame. If his music could only be heard by a wider audience, he would be embraced and beloved by tens of thousands of new fans.  Perhaps that day will come, but if it does, I want Ray to be alive for a long, long time so he can enjoy the well-deserved adulation. I hope that happens sooner than later.

Ray Mason turns 63 this year and has been a musician for roughly 45 of those years. He's not flashy, although he certainly has the talent.  His instrument of choice is a '65 Silvertone guitar. Yes, as in the Silvertone guitar made exclusively for Sears.  If you don't think that's cool, there are musicians such as Jack White who use Silvertone equipment. Beck plays a Silvertone guitar.  Chris Isaak named his debut album Silvertone.  Other musicians who have used Silvertone equipment include  Jerry Garcia, Rudy Sarzo, Chet Atkins, Bob Dylan, David Lindley, Garry Nutt, John Fogerty, Tom Fogerty, Joan Jett, James Hetfield, Dave Grohl, Mark Knopfler, Brad Paisley, and many more.

But back to Ray Mason.  An unassuming but enormously talented musician, Ray has been a staple on the East Coast for many years.  Based in Massachusetts, he has pretty much built up a great reputation as a guitarist and all around performer, but he hasn't really broken out of the 'most under appreciated' category since he started releasing solo albums in the '90s.

So, what does Ray Mason sound like?  He has a very unique style that sounds like the perfect mix of Neil Young, David Lindley and NRBQ with a little dash of Rockpile (Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds) and some of Ric Ocasek thrown in for good measure. The Ocasek reference may not be immediately apparent, but if you listen to The Cars, you'll notice that Ric had a tendency to recycle old Rock 'n' Roll ideas and create something new out of them.  Like Ric, Ray simply takes a bit of Rock's tapestry and sews together a new quilt!

Is he a Blues musician?  Well, some of his songs are informed by the Blues, but his songs are far too melodic for him to be classified as such. Some could say he's Americana/Y'Alternative/Roots Rock, but the best way to describe him is Rock 'n' Roll.  His influences seem to encompass the best of '50s and '60s Rock music yet everything comes out sounding like Ray Mason!

Ray covers a lot of musical ground on his albums. For example, the glorious "I Own The Ending" (from the album When The Clown's Work Is Over) sounds like it cold have come straight out of the Brian Wilson songbook yet it still manages to sound like no one else but Ray Mason. "We Don't Get Along Anymore" (from the album Between Blue And Okay) is a Power Pop delight that is distinctly Ray Mason.  This is pretty much the case for a lot of Ray's catalog.  There are no Rock pastiches in his ouvre, but there are subtle tributes to the music that inspired him.

Ray's music is far from pretentious. It is pure and it is real.  For an artist with a dozen full length albums to his name, there's not a weak one among them.  Even his most recent release, 2009's Like Bugs Chewing On Paper, sounds as fresh and inspired as his debut, the aforementioned Between Blue And Okay (1994).  When trying to decide which titles to start with, go ahead and listen to some of the samples provided on CDBaby.com

You can access the Ray Mason albums HERE 
Or you can access the Ray Mason Band albums HERE

There are a few albums on Spotify, so I've thrown together a mini sampler for you to listen to HERE

I've been a Ray Mason fan for nearly 20 years.  He sent a copy of his debut to the POPsided offices back when I was a co-editor there and I was hooked.  I'm a lifer.  Ray is the man.  Don't you forget it!

Oh, that reminds me.  I have to start tracking down albums by The Lonesome Brothers, which Ray is a member of. They have seven albums out.... and I have a lot of catching up to do!

SELECTED TITLES FROM RAY MASON'S CATALOG: 

LIKE BUGS CHEWING ON PAPER

OLD SCHOOL

WHEN THE CLOWN'S WORK IS OVER

IDIOT WISDOM

THREE DOLLAR MAN

An Appreciation: NEW MUSIK

An Appreciation:

NEW MUSIK

While I love 'new music' as much as any other music geek, that's not what this blog post is about: this is actually about a band called NEW MUSIK! For anyone into semi-obscure '80s bands, New Musik were one of the most over-looked and under-appreciated bands of their era (late '70s and early '80s). While little was written about them at the time, they still have an internet presence (albeit small) and their albums have been reissued on CD several times.

While they may not be one of those bands that you always see listed as 'influential', New Musik were the only band to successfully mix acoustic and electric guitars with Electronica, creating a sound like nobody else before or since. Part Power Pop and part Synthpop, New Musik built a bridge between the two genres and no other band has been able to cross that bridge as successfully as they did.

FROM A TO B (1980)

Led by singer, songwriter and producer Tony Mansfield, the band released their debut album, From A To B, on GTO Records in 1980. Featuring the hit singles "Straight Lines" (from 1979) and "This World Of Water", it seemed that the band actually had a chance at sustaining a career with hit singles galore but, while they were actually deserving of that success, it didn't come easy for the band.  Perhaps it was their lack of image?  Maybe it was the fact that the band members appeared to be a bit older than their contemporaries? Could it have been that the band looked more like college professors than bona-fide pop stars? Whatever the reason, Mansfield, along with keyboardist Clive Gates, bassist Tony Hibbert (sporting a beard 30 years before it became the hipster thing to do) and drummer Phil Towner, recorded some of the finest Pop tunes of their era. Mansfield's imaginative production really made the band sound unique while not interfering with the delicious tunes on display. 

The band inked a deal with Epic Records in the U.S. and while the label tried to figure out whether to release the album in the U.S., they chose instead to release the band's first two singles, "Straight Lines" and "Living By Numbers" (and their respective b-sides) on a 10 inch single as part of the Nu-Disc series.  While the gimmick may have earned the band some attention in the States, it wasn't enough and Epic chose not to release the album in the U.S.

ANYWHERE (1981)

In 1981, the band released their second album, Anywhere, which saw them moving away from guitars and embracing the electronic side of their sound.  While guitars were still a part of New Musik's approach to Pop, it was Mansfield's innovative and atmospheric production that made the album stand out.  The album contains many of the band's greatest musical moments including the lead track "They All Run After The Carving Knife", which earned the band important U.S. airplay although it was not a single. "Luxury" and "While You Wait" were the album's singles, but, because the tracks were far more mature than the usual Synthpop fodder that filled the charts, they didn't earn the band much airplay in the UK.

SANCTUARY (1981)

Again, Epic chose not to release the album in the U.S.  Instead, they compiled the singles and key LP tracks from both of their full lengths and issued Sanctuary. Essentially a 'best of' collection, Sanctuary earned the band more airplay in the States on progressive radio stations like KROQ (Los Angeles), but it wasn't enough to raise their profile and, after pushing a few singles with little to no commercial success, Epic dropped the band.

WARP (1982)

With their commercial momentum gone, Hibbert and Towner left the band and Mansfield and Gates carried on as New Musik, bringing in Cliff Venner as the band's newest member.  With GTO Records out of the picture as well,  the band signed with Epic in the UK and released their third album, Warp, in 1982.   Experimental in nature, the album explored the Electronic side of the band almost exclusively and, while extremely melodic, Warp was far from a commercial musical venture.  The band embraced the most modern technology available and chose to record a set of songs that would challenge and enhance the listener's audio experience.  Interestingly enough, they recorded a cover of The Beatles' "All You Need is Love" and placed it on the album right next to their own original song of the same name. Unfortunately, the album failed to garner much interest and the band split up. 

Mansfield went on to produce the first two Captain Sensible solo albums, which used a lot of the innovative sounds from his New Musik recordings.  From there, he also went on to produce the first two Naked Eyes albums, the debut album from a-Ha (Hunting High & Low) and many other albums that still managed to retain his unique production flourishes.  

New Musik remain one of Rock and Pop's greatest 'lost' bands, but it's never too late to enjoy their music with recent reissues of their output. Lemon Records, a subsidiary of Cherry Red, reissued their first two albums, From A To B and Anywhere as a 2CD set including bonus tracks.  Warp was released individually along with plenty of bonus material as well. Don't hesitate to pick up either release!

Peace, love and Synthpop,

Stephen SPAZ Schnee

AN APPRECIATION: Mixtapes

AN APPRECIATION:

Mixtapes

For as long as I've been a music fan, mixtapes have been part of my means of sharing my love of music. No, make that my PASSION for music! While I don't think any of the original mixtapes I handed out to friends over the last 30 years have survived, I do believe that they made an impact in some way. And why do I think  this?  Because my friends have gone out to buy singles, LPs, cassettes and CDs by bands that I first introduced them to on those mixtapes, which is the main reason I made them!

You see, when I make a mixtape, it's never about ME ("Oh, look at how diverse my musical tastes are!"):  it's always been about the music.  When I hear something I really like or really love, I NEED to share it with as many folks as possible.  I feel COMPELLED to spread the word around about this new (or old) song/artist that I'm feeling really passionate about.  I want to play it for as many people as possible and see their reaction.  I want to INSPIRE them to go out and BUY that single or album right then and there!

As a young kid, that's what the radio did for me: it made me want to OWN a certain piece of music, whether it was a single or album.  Even if it was in constant rotation, that wasn't enough for me because I wasn't always going to be in front of a radio. I wanted to listen to it when I wanted to listen to it: not when the DJ decided to play it! Initially, I listened to everything that they radio offered, but when I hit my mid-teens, I figured that it was time to break away from the crowd and start diversifying my tastes a little bit.  I actually started searching for new music and not letting the radio or TV tell me what to buy.  I think that must have been 1977 or so...

Once I started finding new stuff to listen to, I was eager to show it to friends.  I'd sometimes lend an album to someone, but those LPs usually came back with a scratch or two that weren't there before.  Other times, I'd bring records over to people's houses (or invite them over) and we'd sit in front of a record player until everything was listened to. Obviously, this was in the days before mp3s, the internet, YouTube, Spotify, iTunes, etc., so I'd actually spend a lot of time with friends back in those days. And that is how true life-long friendships were born.  I'm sure that some of these same people I spent time with 'back in the day' are going to be reading this once I post the link to my Facebook page....

But there are many people out there who share similar experiences to mine, which is why I chose to write about this subject.  I'm not the only music geek in the world... and there are bigger geeks than me. I don't know everything about music, but I'm always on the search for new info and tunes.  You really aren't a true music fan unless you keep the mind open to new things, whether you think you'll like them or not.  Keeping yourself open to new things keeps things interesting. And best of all, you may discover something that enhances your life!

So, by the time I got a cassette deck, the idea of mixtapes became a reality.  I would never record an album straight, from start to finish, for one of my friends.  I thought that was cheating in a way.  Even back then, before the whole 'home taping is killing music' campaign, I felt that there was something inherently wrong about it.  While I knew that the artist wouldn't see a dime from someone taping my copy of the LP, my reasoning was also very selfish: why should I spend my hard earned cash just to have someone record it for free and use their money for something else?  That is around the time I stopped loaning albums to friends.  And believe it or not, there were a few folks that go really angry at me because I wouldn't let them tape something that I paid my hard earned $5 for!  Its not like they used the money they saved to buy some other album, which I would have kinda been OK with...  

So, instead, I would gather up my latest vinyl purchases and my personal fave albums, stack them up next to the tape deck/turntable and decide which songs off of each album would make it to a compilation tape that I was going to make. Now, bear in mind that each cassette mixtape that I made was created for a specific individual in mind.  Did that person deserve all the pre-production and hours spent making them a 90 minute mixtape?  Maybe not... but the music deserved to be heard so I would spend all that time and energy in creating this 'thing' that would hopefully turn someone on to a few good tunes and INSPIRE them to go out and buy some records. Why?  Because I believed in the whole grass roots/'word of mouth' scenario: you turn two of your friends onto a band, they turn two of their friends onto them, etc.

Bands that always seemed to make it onto my mixtapes included BLANKET OF SECRECY, SPLIT ENZ, SQUEEZE, A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS, THE LAMBRETTAS, MENTAL AS ANYTHING, NICK LOWE, YACHTS, THE UNDERTONES, MADNESS, 20/20, THE JAM, THE BLUEBELLS, THE ENGLISH BEAT, ULTRAVOX, THE LOTUS EATERS, RED BOX, FREUR, THE VAPORS, NEW MUSIK, THE LAUGHING DOGS, QUINCY, HAWKS, THE ELEKTRICS, GREAT BUILDINGS, THE BUSBOYS, DEAR ENEMY, JOBOXERS, WIDE BOY AWAKE, SHOES and many others. There was never a shortage of good music to introduce people to...

So, if someone was a big fan of Big Country and U2, then I certainly wouldn't focus on Synthpop bands on their mixtape: I'd concentrate on more anthemic guitar-based bands like The Alarm, The Armoury Show, The Skids and perhaps some of the less electronic recordings by Ultravox or A Flock Of Seagulls.  But the core of my mixtapes were bands that didn't get airplay on KROQ or MTV (which was new-ish at the time). I wanted to share these new discoveries of mine with as many people as possible. I would certainly throw a few hits on there in order to make the listener feel comfortable but I'd feature tons of new or obscure bands that needed more exposure.  It was like creating a radio broadcast for an audience of one.  And, as I stated before, every single mixtape was created for an individual, so every one of them was unique.  Even when CD-Rs became the platform of choice, I would never make more than one copy of any mix.  Well, unless it was really good and I wanted a copy myself!

Man, I was a geek.  

So, in the pre-digital days, how did you perfectly time a mixtape? I mean, how did you manage to fit as much music as possible onto a cassette without having a song cut off at the end of the tape?  I would NEVER allow that to happen on my mixtapes!  If I was putting a 3 minute song on a cassette and the last 30 seconds were cut off, then I'd rewind the tape, find a song that was 2 minutes and 25 seconds and record that one instead. It was always easier when i got to side two of the tape, though.  If I was down to the last song on side two, then I'd turn the tape over to side one and hit play: I could judge how much time I had left based on how much time had elapsed on the first (and possibly second) song. Yeah, it wasn't rocket science, but it worked!

Once that i felt that I 'understood' what someone wanted to listen to, I started really mastering the art of the mixtape.  I started creating what I felt was a great set list: start strong with at least five upbeat tracks before introducing a mid-tempo song and then tossing in a ballad, then another mid-tempo tune and finally back to more upbeat tracks again.  My thinking was this: if I can keep the listener interested, then they'd pay more attention to the mix and not lose interest.  Trust me, I've received mixtapes that had too many slow songs in a row and my attention would start wavering.  But not MY mixtapes, no!  They were always well thought out and perfectly timed.

There was never any real 'theme' to my mixtapes.  I just wanted to feature all the great songs that I was loving at the moment, no matter what style.  But that did cause a few problems with friends who didn't quite 'get' my eclectic tastes. I remember one of my friends, Carlos, saying he was embarrassed cuz he was playing a mixtape out by the pool at his complex and everyone around him was totally digging it... that is, until Tom Jones' "Help Yourself" came on amidst all the hip '80s sounds and his neighbors started giving him strange looks.  What they didn't realize is that Tom Jones' classic '60s recordings were cool in any era.  It wasn't until a few years later that Tom Jones became 'hip' again when he recorded Prince's "Kiss" with The Art Of Noise.  Was I ahead of my time?  No.  It's just that Carlos' neighbors weren't hip to the jive, so to speak.

 I used to get so many excited responses to my mixes.  My friends would ask me which album a particular song was on and then, when some of us would go out record shopping, they'd buy that album.  It seemed to happen quite a bit.  I'm sure some of my friends will tell you just how much music they were turned onto via one of my cassettes.  But that's not because of me: its because the music was so good.  I was merely the guy that introduced them to the song/artist.  Over time, I'd have friends telling me that they heard this or that song on KROQ... weeks after they heard it on my mixtape!  Madness' "Our House" was a prime example.  I remember working late one night with co-workers and one of the gals I worked with threw on one of my mixtapes on the boombox and was blown away by "Our House".  She asked me if she could borrow the 7" single to show to her husband and kids since they didn't have a tape deck at home.  They all loved it and had me buy the single for them next time I saw a copy.  Then, a month or so later, KROQ picked up on "Our House" and it became a huge hit.

The height of my 'mixtape days' lasted through most of the '80s but by the time the '90s rolled around, people weren't asking for them as much. They'd grown up and moved on and I was trying to do the same... but music still held its spell over me.  I was still collecting as much new music as I could but the age of CDs dawned and my friends started turning their backs on LPs and cassettes and were replacing their car stereos with CD players.  Needless to say, my cassettes became dinosaurs in the digital age.  I did make the occasional mix (especially the on-going Skib Dob series for my brother Mike) but, for my friends, my services had become obsolete...

By the end of the '90s, CD burners became the next big thing.  I, of course, jumped on that bandwagon the moment I could afford one.  Back then, they were only burning at 2 times the speed so one 70 minute CD-R would take 35 minutes to burn, but that was OK by me.  I started making 'mixtapes' again, but this time, I burned them on CD-R!  Even though it was nearly 20 years since I first started making them, I was able to start creating new ones again... and they sounded better than I could possibly imagine.  I was a happy camper... again.

While the demand was never high, I'd still go out of my way to make one if someone asked.  At that time, i was extremely limited as to what I could put on my mixes because not everything I loved was available on CD yet. But I soldiered on and began introducing new music to friends again.  While it was not as exciting as they '80s, there was still PASSION behind each and every mix I made.

I finally gave up my frantic mixtape making when I'd hear friends telling me that I 'had too much time on my hands' or they stopped saying anything at all about them. Even when folks would ask for them, they'd seldom take the time to listen to them.  Like a waning TV series, my mixtape days quietly got canceled.

I still make mixtapes on occasion, usually just to play in the office... or the occasional Skib Dob mix for my brother, but most people don't really seem to care anymore. I do find it kind of funny that its easier than ever to make a mixtape (on CD-R, of course) yet nobody really wants them anymore. I mean, there are tons of college kids making them these days and sharing them with friends, girlfriends, etc. But in this post-Napster  generation, it seems more about sharing illegally downloaded tracks than sharing a PASSION for music. (Which gets me thinking: music sales would go up across the board if girls would tell guys that if they are going to make them a 'romantic' mixtape, then all tracks must be legally purchased through approved sources!)

So, the only way I get to share new music these days is posting a video link on FB, which sometimes gets people interested, and writing about stuff here on the blog.  Sure, I can make mixes on Spotify, but it's not quite the same.  Somehow, I have to figure out a way to share so much amazing music with people and actually get them interested enough to listen!  In an age when people treat music as 'disposable' art, that is not going to be easy...

Is there anyone out there that is still interested in listening to mixtapes?  I honestly think so... and I'm determined to find all eight of you!

Peace, love and pancakes,
Stephen SPAZ Schnee

An Appreciation: RECORD STORES

An Appreciation:

RECORD STORES

Ever since I was a child, record stores have fascinated me.  Being raised on many types of music (The Beatles, The Monkees, Neil Diamond and Glen Campbell to name a few), I was always excited about songs that really struck a chord with me... long before I even knew what a chord was!

In the beginning, mom and dad satisfied my musical appetite by handing down copies of Beatles albums or buying me albums on my birthday and Christmas.  Every note was magical, every melody was an audio dream that unfolded in my tiny little mind...

I was so excited when I finally started getting an allowance.  OK, maybe the first year or so, I spent all the money on candy and comic books, but when I was old enough to walk to any local record store (Licorice Pizza), my allowance was spent on seven inch singles and LPs in the cut-out bins.  At that time, I couldn't afford a full priced album and if I wanted a new album, I had to add it to my want list for future gift-recieving holidays.

But then, when my allowance went up a little or when I'd get money from grandma and grandpa (or other relatives), it was straight to Licorice Pizza I'd go.  While my tastes may have been limited at that exact moment, there was still so much to choose from.

But in 1977, when I was 14, I saw The Jam and The Clash on TV and my limited view was shaken to it's core and broken wide open.  "There IS a musical world outside of my transistor radio!", I thought to myself.  Little did I know that, 33 years later I'd still be excited and inspired by music, both new and old.  In fact, I think I've only gotten worse!

Anyway, as I came to my awkward teens, music became a way to communicate with people.  If I had friends that were going through hard times, a mixtape could surely cheer up their day.  If I had a girlfriend and couldn't find the right words to say, a Paul McCartney album would always do the trick.  If I couldn't think of the perfect gift for a family member's birthday, why not buy 'em The Eagles' Greatest Hits or Hotel California?

People who know me know that I am never short on words, so if I was handing out mixtapes or albums to people, that meant that those particular albums or songs meant something to ME and I wanted them to mean just as much to THEM.  I would head up to Licorice Pizza and spend my own money just to try to add a little bit of sunshine into their day.  To be honest, sometimes it worked sometimes it didn't... but at least I tried.

I spent so much time at Licorice Pizza during the late '70s that I could have actually worked there.  Then, as I got older and had friends that could drive, it was on to Tower Records, Beggar's Banquet, Music Plus, The Wherehouse and any other record store within a 5 mile radius.  Almost every day.  Definitely every weekend.  We just wanted to experience the sights, sounds, smells and vibes of any record store that stocked a good amount of LPs and singles.  Sometimes we had money, sometimes we didn't... but we ALWAYS heard good tunes and had a great time.

While I did OK at school and had a great family, music spoke to me louder and clearer than any book or teacher.  In fact, some of the most influential people in my young life were those record store employees who would introduce me to new music, either suggesting something or just by playing it in the store.  I didn't read the music rags of the day because I wanted to spend every penny on something new and exciting.  After all these years, it's still the same.

Many of my long-lasting friendships have been made in a record store.  Apart from my school buddies, I'd meet new folks with similar musical tastes and we'd make suggestions back and forth.  I still talk to many of these folks today and I'm still sharing my latest musical passions with them. 

My life would not have been the same were it not for the record stores (and CD stores) that I would frequent during this very important time in my life.  It pains me to no end when I think that the youth of today don't bother with experiencing the joys of seeking out new music in their local record stores.

Two and a half decades ago, there was so much on offer here in OC in regards to record stores: Music Market, Camel Records, Music Plus, Licorice Pizza, Record Trading Center, Pepperland, The Wherehouse, Beggars Banquet, Up Another Octave, Tower Records and many others that are swimming around in my memory banks. Of all those great spots, only Pepperland remains. The others disappeared over the years (and many of them long before downloading began replacing the shopping experience).

In a perfect world, I'd be shopping in one of them now.  But, I really don't mind taking a long drive to L.A. to hit Amoeba every now and then.

Now, I'm not one who is against the idea of legal downloading (I've done the odd track here and there myself), but at the end of the day, after you've paid your money, what do you have? NOTHING! There are files in your computer that seemingly play the music for you, but is that really enough? Can you hold it? Can you feel it? Can you smell it? Can you see it? You didn't buy anything tangible: there are nothing but files on your hard drive made up of numbers, letters and codes. Where is the fun in that? What kind of memories will that leave behind?

An imperfect (and slightly offensive) analogy would be: does internet porn REPLACE an intimate physical relationship with someone? I think not. Same with music: how can someone possibly be satisfied with a download of an entire album when they can actually own a physical piece of product? As I stated before, I am NOT anti-downloading; I am pro-record store! I must admit that the internet IS a great place to LISTEN to new stuff and make your purchasing decisions, though.

In terms of buying your item, the ideal situation is to go to your local indie record store and buy it. If it's not in stock, then have them special order it. It may not be instant gratification, but within a few days, you'll have what you need and you will enjoy the heck out of it. You'll be able to hold it, look at it, listen to it, read the liner notes, etc. You can then load it into your computer and enjoy listening to it that way as well, but the important thing is that you own it. It is yours. It is something you can show to your friends. It is something physical... something REAL.

For many of us, music is more than just a hobby... it was an emotional experience that is hard to describe. There are those of us who LIVE for music. It's not just something that is played in the background: it is the soundtrack to our lives!

About a decade ago, I came up with a motto that fits me to a T: "Some of my best friends are three minutes long"! And that still rings true.

Even today at the age of 49, I listen to music in the morning, afternoon and evening. I write about music all day long. I still get together with friends on a regular basis and discuss music, play music and hear new music that they share with me. I'm not the only one like this: there are others! Perhaps even YOU! But are there places for all of us to meet anymore? The record store was (and is) more than just a place to spend money: it was a place to spend time, meet like-minded people and learn about new music (or even older releases you may have missed first time around).

There are still plenty of sports bars around for all the sports fans to gather and enjoy a game together and that is awesome. There are upscale coffee shops everywhere where folks can get together and be arty and pretentious, and that, too, is awesome. But all the record stores I remember from my youth have closed down.

It is up to US to support the ones that are still left standing. And if you visit one of them as often as possible, then THANK YOU. Visit them again tomorrow... and next weekend, too! Perhaps the kids of today and tomorrow will one day realize that the record store experience is amazing indeed. It is up to US to show them the way.

Appreciating the record stores I used to shop at...

I used to spend so much time record shopping in Orange County that I rarely did anything else apart from go to school. I never went camping, never went bowling, never went dancing and didn't get into a whole lotta trouble. But, there were records to be bought, music to be heard and mixtapes to be made.

When I went to record stores, it was always with the people that I loved the most: friends and family. Mostly friends, though. My family didn't seem to share the same passion that I had for music. Sure, I'd go to Beggars Banquet on Beach and Ball with my brother Michael and I'd walk to Licorice Pizza on Brookhurst and Chapman with my little sister Kristin, but most of my record shopping was spent with very cool friends.

Below, I've listed a few of my favorite destinations, all of them gone now (apart from Pepperland). So many memories attached to the music, the friends and the stores we used to spend so much time in......

All but one are gone....

MUSIC MARKET: 

Costa Mesa

I'd go to Music Market (on Harbor and Adams) with Jeff George, Chuck Reddick, Jannette Arnold, Bill Damron, Dana Gohs, Fred Grindle, Matthew Cibellis and many others. We always had a great time sharing our newly purchased treasures.

Memorable purchases at Music Market include an import copy of Badfinger's Straight Up LP plus hundreds of import and domestic albums by the new wave bands I loved like Four Out Of Five Doctors, The Farmer's Boys, Dexys Midnight Runners, Icehouse, The Keys, Hawks, The Elektrics, Naked Eyes, The Fixx, A Flock Of Seagulls, Fischer Z and many other bands you either don't remember or don't know! Horizontal Brian, anyone?

CAMEL RECORDS:
Huntington Beach

I'd go to Camel Records on Beach Boulevard with Jeff, Jannette, Chuck, Matthew and others. I even went to a Fixx instore there with my sister Kristin, I believe? I also remember a Split Enz instore that was cancelled!

Memorable purchases at Camel include China Crisis singles, the XTC/Three Wise Men Christmas single, Wang Chung 12" singles, The Fixx "Saved By Zero" 12" single and much more!

(P.S. During our trip to Camel, we'd always stop by the Mad Greek over on Chapman and Beach. )

LICORICE PIZZA: 
Garden Grove, Anaheim, Fountain Valley

I would also hit each of the Licorice Pizza's in town on different occasions with Jeff, Jannette, Matthew, Chuck, Fred, David Wilcox, Gerardo Marti and whoever else felt like coming along. I remember skipping school ONCE in my senior year and going to the Licorice Pizza in Hollywood with Chuck and his friend Lisa. Didn't have $$, but saw some cool things there. I ended up working at the one on Brookhurst and Chapman.

At the LP in Garden Grove, I remember buying an import copy of the Jam's "Going Underground" double seven inch single when it first came out. And albums from Yachts, Bram Tchaikovsky, The Records, the Clash, The Jam, and many others. At the Fountain Valley location, I bought albums by The Nits, Captain Sensible and more.

RECORD TRADING CENTER (RTC): 
Orange

Record Trading Center on Tustin was always a favorite, but I'd usually forget how to get there since I never drove in those days! So, I'd usually tag along with a friend of they were going!

Don't remember too much that I bought there cuz they were often times too expensive, but I do remember finding the import copy of Secret Affair's Glory Boys album with a totally different cover (glossy, too) and tracklisting. Oh, and I bought the first Breathe and Black albums on one of my last visits there.

MUSIC PLUS:
Garden Grove, Westminster and ?

There were a few Music Plus stores we'd go to: Harbor Ave in Garden Grove, the one near Goldenwest College and a few others that slip my mind. Music Plus was almost always good, but it was never an important stop for us. We'd usually go when we'd already hit every other store that week. I remember times with Chuck, Jeff G. and others.

I do remember buying Depeche Mode's A Broken Frame import when it first came out. And The Jam's "Start" seven inch vinyl when that first came out. Both of those were purchased at the Goldenwest one. And I remember a Music Plus on Brookhurst, where I bought the 2nd Laughing Dogs album

TOWER RECORDS: 
Buena Park

The Tower Records in Buena Park was the place I'd go to before even knowing about all these other record stores (bar Beggars Banquet). Sometimes, I'd even walk there from Garden Grove with a friend or two (namely Fred Grindle, who got egged once while we were walking back from a trek to Tower and Beggars). Tower was the bomb.

Bought albums from A Flock Of Seagulls, Haircut 100, Badfinger, The Rutles, The Residents and so many more. Hell, yeah. I bought TONS of stuff there!

BEGGARS BANQUET: 
Buena Park

Located on Beach and Ball, Beggars Banquet was the real first 'collectors' store I'd frequent. Obviously, I used to buy Beatles, Elvis and Badfinger stuff there, but then I'd scour the bins for the latest Punk and Power Pop/New Wave releases. I later worked there once a week for about a year (my day off from the bank!)

Totally remember buying the very first Plimsouls EP, Zero Hour. Heard them on Rodney On The Roq and never thought I'd be able to find their record. Lo and behold, there it was up on the wall rack, just waiting for me to buy it

PEPPERLAND: 
Anaheim

Pepperland was always a fun stop for oldies and such, but I didn't buy many 'new' music there until the CD age, which is not what I'm focusing on in this article.  But, boy, did I end up buying a lot there as there years rolled by! Thankfully, they are still around but located in Orange.

Then there was always the great Zed Records in Long Beach, but I don't really consider them part of the area we'd always travel in....

There's so much more to talk about, but I can see that you're getting a tad bit bored, so I'll stop there.

Nowadays, heading out to Amoeba in Hollywood is an amazing trek. It's like combining all my favorite elements from the above record stores into one.  And I never remember how to get to the great Fingerprints in Long Beach, but it's a great store.  As is Rhino Records in Claremont...

Peace, love and records galore,

Stephen SPAZ Schnee

The views and opinions expressed in this posting are strictly those of the author. And possibly of other people as well.  But I can't name names.  You know who you are.

An Appreciation: MADNESS Part One

An Appreciation:

MADNESS
(Part One)

Graham "Suggs" McPherson
Chris "Chrissy Boy" Foreman
Mike "Monsieur Barso" Barson
Lee "El Thommo/Kix" Thompson
Cathal "Chas Smash" Smyth
Daniel "Woody" Woodgate
Mark "Bedders" Bedford

Madness may be best known in the U.S. for their 1983 hit single "Our House", but they had quite a history before and after that hit.  Now known as one of the UK's greatest singles band of all time, Madness also recorded some of the greatest albums of the '80s and achieved success far beyond what anyone could have predicted.  They have become a musical institution in their homeland and their music is synonymous with London.  They 

I first became aware of Madness in 1979 by seeing their debut album, One Step Beyond, in the record bins. Being musically curious, the cover struck me immediately: these guys looked like they'd be fun to listen to.  I was vaguely aware of the Ska movement in the UK but I wasn't drawn to the band because of their musical style.  In fact, when I plopped down my allowance and bought the album, I had not yet heard a single note by them.  I was buying it based on the album cover alone (which I did a lot in my younger days).

"Hey, you!  Don't watch that, watch this!  This is the heavy, heavy monster sound.  The nuttiest sound around...."

When I laid the needle on my newest purchase, those immortal words from the mouth of Chas Smash came leaping from my turntable like an atomic explosion.

"So, if you've come in off the street and you're beginning to feel the heat, well, listen buster, you better start to move your feet to the rockinest, rock-steady beat of Madness!   Oooooone Step Beyooooond!"

And then the music started... my 16 year old ears were floored by this circus-like music that was immediately joyful and energetic.  The rinky-dink keyboards, the blarring sax, the revved-up Reggae beat... so this was Ska?  I was an instant Madness fan and I'd only heard the first 45 seconds or so of the first track on the album! What followed excited me right down to my core: these guys played music that may have had Punk's energy but mixed Pop, Rock, Reggae, Ska and classic music hall into one amazing wall of sound.  The production by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley was flawless and I would buy practically anything they produced from this point on...

ONE STEP BEYOND...

(The Salvo two CD reissue adds loads of non album tracks.)

Lyrically, Madness were very British.  Being a young American, I wasn't able to relate to some of the lyrics, but that didn't stop me from loving what they had to say.  How many other bands at the time had a song about someone who stole underwear ("In The Middle Of The Night")?  I could definitely relate to songs about relationship strife ("My Girl") and I really dug the Ska'd out version of "Swan Lake' as well.

One Step Beyond contains many of Madness' most popular tracks including "My Girl", "Night Boat To Cairo", "Madness", "Bed & Breakfast Man" and many others.  While the title track and a few other songs were covers, most of the album was written by various band members and they were just as great!  Shortly after I purchased the album, L.A.'s great alternative radio station, KROQ, picked up on the songs "One Step Beyond", "Night Boat...." and a few of the other album tracks, turning Madness into the first Ska band to gain a huge following in SoCal (followed closely by The Specials, English Beat and Bad Manners). 

I bought every single from the album including "Un Paso Adelante" the Spanish version of the album's title track. Each of the singles had non-album b-sides that were absolutely fantastic.  This was a band that seemed too good to be true.  And at such a young age (they were all in their early 20s), they shouldn't have been this good.  But sometimes, the right musicians come together to create something special and these six gents (plus Chas, who would become an official member after the debut album was recorded) were certainly the right men for the job.

The following year, amidst the break-up of my first real teenage relationship, Madness were there to ease the pain with their first 'new' single of '80, "Baggy Trousers", a track that would be the lead-in for their second album.  I bought the 7" vinyl at Licorice Pizza and it solidified my love for this band.  In my mind, they could do no wrong.  Alongside The Jam, Squeeze and Split Enz, Madness were MY band throughout high school.

And as expected, KROQ picked up on "Baggy Trousers" around the time of the U.S. release of their sophomore album, Absolutely, in October of 1980. I remember how awesome it was to hear while driving in a friends car on one of our many record shopping treks.  Being young never sounded so fun.

I remember being stuck in Driver's Ed class after school on October 10th, just waiting for the moment that I could leave and head over to Licorice Pizza.  I had started working at Jack In The Box and had set aside money to buy the album.  My birthday was only a few days away, but I made sure NOT to ask for the album because I didn't want to wait that extra three days to listen to it!  So, when Driver's Ed let out, I hopped on my bike and headed straight for Licorice Pizza and bought Absolutely...

ABSOLUTELY

(The Salvo two CD reissue of the album adds all the non album tracks plus a full concert from the Absolutely tour)

Regardless of how passionate I felt about One Step Beyond, I loved Absolutely even more.  The band's Ska beat was still there, but they had matured and more influences had begun to creep into their sound.  Every song was an absolute gem: "E.R.N.I.E.", "Embarrassment", "Disappear", "In The Rain" (which had been a b-side of an earlier single), "The Return Of The Los Palmas 7" and many more.  The album was so great that it nearly brought tears to my eyes. I still have so many fond memories of listening to the album under the headphones and soaking it all in.  The album received more plays in that first month than One Step Beyond did over the course of the entire year.  I don't think I listened to anything else for quite awhile.

Again, I bought each of the singles that were released and slobbered over the b-sides. I bought UK magazines just to find out info on the band.  Even though they had made quite a splash, there wasn't a lot printed about Madness in American music magazines, which I found downright unforgivable. But in the end, it was all about the music... and that is what mattered most.

When 1981 dawned, I'd heard rumblings of a Madness movie.  A movie?  While I didn't quite know ALL the details, I was intrigued. The movie that finally emerged, Take It Or Leave It, had the boys in the band recreating their early days when the band was just coming together. Of course, I didn't see the movie until a decade later when someone lent me their VHS copy (which may or may not have been a bootleg...). The movie was funny, a bit awkward (was there a script?) and filled to the brim with pure Madness. While it may not have been A Hard Day's Night, it remains a great snapshot in time when the band were still filled with youthful energy...

Take It Or Leave It (Complete)

In April of '81, the band released "Grey Day", a new single that continued their move towards a mature Pop sound. The single broke the band's ties with their Ska past while still managing to retain their unique sound.  Though not a ballad, "Grey Day" was a more relaxed affair with darker lyrics and a Dub vibe.  In essence, it was almost a shock to the system after the two rambunctious and energetic albums that preceded it.  Did this mark the end of their jovial youth and their first steps into adulthood?  In a sense, yes. It also showed that Madness were unafraid to move forward, which many bands are hesitant to do once they hit a winning formula.

Around this time, I read that Madness were on tour in the U.S. and were making a stop in Reseda at a venue called the Country Club.  Being 17 and not having a driver's license, I asked my friends if they wanted to go. Of course, nobody wanted to make that drive so I had to deal with the disappointment of not seeing one of my fave bands play live. When the gig got closer, I found out that they had been sold out and second show had been added two nights later.  I think that sold out quickly as well.  I was bumming big time....

In May of '81, I managed to tag along with my brother Mike and our friend Rick Intveld to go see  Rockabilly favorite Robert Gordon live at the Roxy in L.A.  While we were waiting in line outside of the Roxy, Rick says "Hey, that guy looks like Suggs from Madness".  I turned to see this guy walking past us and froze: was that Suggs? I looked at Rick and my bro and wondered if I should call out his name to see for sure.... so I did.  Immediately, this tall chap turns around and scans the crowd, trying to see who called his name. Yes, it was Suggs!  I didn't fess up then and there, but I followed him to the front of the line and who did I manage to see?  Along with Suggs, there was Bedders, Chrissy Boy and perhaps Monsieur Barso (I can't believe I can't remember all the members in attendance standing there in front of me).  I went up and spoke with them, all of whom seemed extremely nice and either surprised or annoyed that someone recognized them.  They were in town for their Country Club gigs and were checking out Robert Gordon since they had the night off.

While I'm chatting with the guys, Suggs points me in the direction of sax player Lee El Thommo Thompson, who I then go and chat with for awhile. He was a top bloke.  He asked if I was going to the show at the Country Club and I said 'no' cuz it was sold out.  We chatted a bit more and then the doors of the Roxy opened and we went inside.  About 30 minutes later, I passed him on the way to the restroom and he leans over and says to me "Steve plus one".  I wasn't sure what he meant.  He repeated "Steve plus one" and told me I'd be on the guest list for the Sunday night show at the Country Club!  And lo and behold, when  Rick and I showed up on Sunday, there I was: on Madness' guest list.  So, May of '81 is when I saw Madness live for the first time and they blew me away. They did stuff from the first two albums plus tracks that were yet to be released including the song "Pac-A-Mac", which really stood out for me.

(Of course, three years later at an in-store autograph signing, Lee Thompson had no recollection of our meeting at the Roxy or getting me on the guest list, but that was OK.  The fact that he did it was pretty damn cool.... and the memory has remained an extremely fond one for 30+ years...)

Later that year, out comes the album 7, which showed the band moving even further away from the Ska sound, but it seemed more like a natural, organic shift rather than a conscious decision.  With two years of touring behind them, the band were better players and they were now being influenced by music and cultures outside of jolly old England.  Madness had matured very quickly and were practically seasoned pros at such an early stage in their career.  The songs on 7 still had charm, wit and delicious melodies but the band were becoming masters at their game: fantastic arrangements, more introspective lyrics (without being pretentious) and a more spacious production, which really allowed each member's musical contributions to shine.  From the aforementioned "Grey Day" and "Pac-A-Mac" to the singles "Shut Up" and "Cardiac Arrest", 7 was an amazing album from start to finish.  It may not have been as 'nutty' as their previous albums, but it was every bit as fun-tastic. While I think Absolutely and One Step Beyond might be considered better albums, 7 remains my favorite Madness full length platter.

7 (SEVEN)

 (The Salvo two CD reissue adds a plethora of non-album tracks) 

A funny thing happened in late '81 when the band released "It Must Be Love" as a single in between "Shut Up" and "Cardiac Arrest".  Why was it funny?  Well, the single was a track NOT on the album!  While it sounded like it could have been recorded during the 7 sessions, "It Must Be Love" was a stand-alone single and earned the band major airplay all around the world but there wasn't an album to support it until the following year when it appeared on the band's 1982 compilation Complete Madness. I always thought that it was a bold move to release this single and it paid off for the band, becoming one of their best loved songs. While it was not an original (it was penned by singer/songwriter Labi Siffre, who appeared in the video), most folks in the U.S. think of this track alongside "Our House" and "One Step Beyond" as the most popular Madness songs.

To coincide with the release of the Complete Madness collection, the band released a new single in '82 called "House Of Fun", which became their first (and, so far, only) UK #1 single. The song combined the more mature arrangements of 7 with a jaunty tune that could have fit on Absolutely.  It was both 'nutty' and 'mature' at the same time with the subject matter dealing with the attempted purchase of condoms by a young man coming of age.  As the title suggests, it was definitely one of their most 'fun' singles to date. 

Later that same year, the band released the non-album single "Driving In My Car", another fun tune that may not have reached the heights of their previous seven inchers but was a slice of Pop genius, especially when El Thommo's sax break would pop in and out of the recording.  In a way, the song was a link between their earlier nutty sound and a more serious direction that they would follow on their next album.

The band's last release of '82 was a song that would eventually become their biggest U.S. hit and the song that has become their most well-known song: "Our House". It cemented their reputation not just in Britain but all over the world.

My appreciation of MADNESS will be continued in Part Two