Consuming the Tangible

Happy Saturday! We’re back with another round of (Un)Focused Definition, a weekly series where I put together a playlist of tunes around a theme of my choosing. This time around we’re checking out older bands that were recent discoveries. As much as I try to keep up with newer music, I find myself constantly being drawn to the past, to older, analog sounds that spread over a wide space of genres. There are some loose groupings below, so let’s cut the chatter, grab a cup of hot coffee, and get to it, shall we?

• The Damned – “Love Song”
• Johnny Thunders & the Hearbreakers – “Chinese Rocks”
• Roky Erikson – “I Think of Demons”

No better way to kick this week off than with the opening track from my favorite album from my favorite punk band. The Damned have consistently reinvented themselves while maintaining a consistent identify, thanks to the singular voice of Dave Vanian and the visual and aural delight that is Captain Sensible… I became slightly obsessed with L.A.M.F., the sole album from former New York Dolls guitarist Johnny Thunders and his band The Heartbreakers. “Chinese Rocks” is a killer, hook-filled track, this version taken from the Lost Masters version… They may never make another quite like Roky Erikson. His is a tragic story, but he left us with som much great music. The Evil One is an essential album for anyone, and “I Think of Demons” is a diamond in a sea of gems on that album. I think the demons are you, indeed…

• Suicide – “Ghost Rider”
• Wishbone Ash – “Time Was”
• The Feelies – “Let’s Go”

Thank Henry Rollins for getting me deeper into the unique, post-punk sound of Alan Vega and Martin Rev, aka Suicide. For those who only know the debut, the band is so much more, so I would recommend the recent Surrender compilation (with notes from Rollins), but for anyone not familiar, welcome to the lo-fi confection that is “Ghost Rider”… I have no idea why I never gave Wishbone Ash a listen until about a year ago – their mix of twin guitars and classic, slightly progressive rock is so up my alley it’s almost silly. The opening track from 1972’s Argus might be one of my favorite songs of all time… I discovered the music of The Feelies in the best possible way: live, accompanied by my buddy and music discovery way station Erik Highter, who has turned me on to too many bands and albums to count, including another one on this week’s playlist. It’s a crime The Good Earth wasn’t a massive hit when it came out in the 80s. It’s a crime now if you sleep on the incredible music of this band.

• Frank Zappa – “Funky Nothingness”
• Frank Zappa – “Tommy/Vincent Duo I”
• Frank Zappa – “Love Will Make Your Mind Go Wild”

Okay, hear me out: Yes, there are three Frank Zappa tracks in a row. And yes, he’s not a “new discovery” for me. But I’ve decided every single playlist will have a Zappa track, and the three songs combined only total about five minutes, and they’re all from Funky Nothingness, a “lost” record that came out in 2023, so it’s technically new to everyone, right? You get a little of everything here, from bassy blues to a drum freakout to a taste of of his love for 60s R&B, all sprinkled with his unmistakable “eyebrows” (those who know, know…)

• Bill Withers – “Grandma’s Hands (Live at Carnegie Hall)”
• George Duke – “That’s What She Said”
• Cleveland Eaton – “Moe, Let’s Have a Party”

Even though I’m largely known as a metal guy owing to my music and my other writing, and I guess a prog nerd for a lot of my focus over here, I can’t stress enough how important 60s and 70s soul/funk is to my life. I’ve been a fan of Bill Withers for a while, and my copy of Still Bill has seen some action – it might be the first vinyl I need to replace for wearing out. But live albums has never been a huge thing for me – that why I have friends like Erik who pointed out how incredible the live version of “Grandma’s Hands” is, and that I could find a box set of all Withers’s studio albums for $11. Best $11 I ever spent… Beyond the obvious Zappa connection, George Duke straddles all my favorite genres of music. 1975’s I Love the Blues, She Heard Me Cry features a ton of Zappa alumni, and if the track I selected has more than a passing familiarity to Zappa’s sound well… I actually reviewed Plenty Good Eaton, the second album from bassist, composer and arranger Cleveland Eaton as a leader here when I got turned onto the Black Jazz label, and it’s still a great go-to record when I want some laid back fun. Let’s have a party, y’all…

• Banco del Mutuo Soccorso – “La città sottile”
• NEU! – “Hallogallo”

In the last two a years a LOT of content on Consuming the Tangible has been dedicated to my recent progressive rock journey, particularly Italian progressive rock. Banco del Mutuo Soccorso are one of the giants of the genre, and they’re one of the bands I keep coming back to when I want that flavor in my brain… Finally we end with “Hallogallo” which ironically opens – not closes – the debut from the influential German krautrock band NEU!. I absolutely love that driving, motorik rhythm, and it’s a perfect comedown for this week’s music.

Be safe, and see you next week.