Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Was (Not Was)

Was (Not Was) was a thinking man's disco/funk outfit in the early eighties. They fell off the radar after serving as an opening for the ... wait fot it ... Dire Straits in 1992. Keeping in line when the reunion fever they are back with their first new album since 1990. It's called Boo! and it proves that they are still capable of pulling it off: danceable tunes with lyrics that actually have a story line, which is pretty rare in the club scene.

Was (Not Was): Boo!

Most noteworthy tracks: Green Pills In The Dressera, a psychedelic ditty with a spoken word performance by Kris Kristofferson, and Mr. Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, a track the Was brothers wrote with Bob Dylan 20 years ago.

Tracks:
  1. Semi Interesting Week
  2. It's A Miracle
  3. Your Luck Won't Last
  4. From The Head To The Heart
  5. Big Black Hole
  6. Needletooth
  7. Forget Everything
  8. Crazy Water
  9. Mr. Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore
  10. Green Pills In The Dresser
Tour dates:
  • 04/22 Later With Jools Holland, BBC-TV
  • 04/24 Carling Academy, Oxford, UK
  • 04/25 Later With Jools Holland, BBC-TV
  • 04/26 Islington Academy, London, UK
  • 04/30 Johnny D's, Boston, Mass
  • 05/01 Blender Theater, New York, Ny & Conan o'Brian Show, NBC-TV
  • 05/02 World Cafe Live-Philadelphia, PA
  • 05/03 Rams Head, Anapolis, MD
  • 05/06 Birchmere Theater, Alexandria, VA (Washington Dc)
  • 05/07 Rex Theater, Pittsburg, PA
  • 05/08 Lifestyle Communities Pavillion, Columbus, OH
  • 05/09 Majestic Theater, Detroit, MI
  • 05/10 Abbey Pub, Chicago Ill
  • 05/12 Pabst Theater, Milwaukee Wisconsin
  • 05/13 Cabooze, Minneapolis, Minn
  • 05/15 The Gothic Theater, Denver, CO
  • 05/17 Wonderland Ballroom, Portland, OR
  • 05/18 Tractor Tavern, Seattle, Washington

Boo! is released on Rykodisc.

MP3: Was (Not Was) - Green Pills In The Dresser

» worldwidewas.com (pretty good fan site)

posted @ 1:53 PM | Feedback (2)

The La's: The La's (Deluxe Edition)

UK band The La's were like a shooting star. Led by frontman Lee Mavers they made just one album after which Mavers kinda disappeared, presumably to write new material that never has materialized. After a one-off single Why Out in 1987 the band began recording their album in 1989, but the sessions were shelved. They tried again in 1990 with a new guitarist and drummer. There She Goes was a minor but highly influential success. Mavers had a bag full of great melodies and his lyrics were just weird enough to add a touch of mystery.

The Deluxe Edition has both the original album and the complete version they recorded in 1989, which sounds a little rougher (the tracks were remastered form cassette, the original recordings tapes are long lost). The La's were a great pop band and it makes you wonder were they could have ended up if they had continued. Apparently Lee Mavers felt that he had said it all, and feeling dissatisfied with the results, simple gave up. Included in this set is a great version of Buddy Holly's That'll Be The Day, which was a smash in The La's hometown Liverpool back in the day.

The La's is released on Universal.

Disc 1
  1. Son Of A Gun
  2. I Can't Sleep
  3. Timeless Melody
  4. Liberty Ship
  5. There She Goes
  6. Doledrum
  7. Feelin'
  8. Way Out
  9. I.O.U.
  10. Freedom Song
  11. Failure
  12. Looking Glass
  13. Son Of A Gun - Gary Crowley, GLR Session Dec '88
  14. Doledrum - Gary Crowley, GLR Session Dec '88
  15. I Can't Sleep - Gary Crowley, GLR Session Dec '88
  16. Way Out - Key 103, Jan '89
  17. I Am The Key - Key 103, Jan '89
  18. That'll Be The Day - BBC2 'The Late Show' 2/2/89
Disc 2
  1. I.O.U. - Mike Hedges Version
  2. I Can't Sleep - Mike Hedges Version
  3. Knock Me Down - Mike Hedges Version
  4. Way Out - Mike Hedges Version
  5. Doledrum - Mike Hedges Version
  6. There She Goes - Mike Hedges Version
  7. Feelin' - Mike Hedges Version
  8. Timeless Melody - Mike Hedges Version
  9. Son Of A Gun - Mike Hedges Version
  10. Clean Prophet - Mike Hedges Version
  11. Come In Come Out - Mike Hedges Version
  12. Failure - Mike Hedges Version
  13. Looking Glass - Mike Hedges Version
  14. Doledrum - John Porter Mix Version
  15. Way Out - Andy MacDonald Version
  16. There She Goes - John Leckie Version
  17. Man I'm Only Human - John Leckie Version
  18. Feelin' - Bob Andrews Version
  19. Clean Prophet - Bob Andrews Version
  20. Can't Sleep - Jeremy Allom Version

MP3: The La's - Doledrum (Gary Crowley, GLR Session, Nov. 1988)
MP3: The La's - There She Goes (John Leckie Mix)

» en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_La's

posted @ 9:33 AM | Feedback (1)