Alright.

I've been on a big Janet Jackson kick all week. It all started when the Design of a Decade video collection came my way via Netflix. Many of the videos I hadn't seen in quite some time, and the full clip for "Control" was especially great to see (featuring not only Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, but Jerome Benton too!). Curiously, the video for "Miss You Much" was cut short, which always bothered me when MTV or VH1 did the same thing. However, one clip that happily did not receive such edits was "Alright."

I have not seen this video in its entirety since it was still running high on the MTV Top 25 Countdown with Adam Curry.



Do they even have a weekly countdown on MTV anymore? Anytime I happen upon the channel it's always Room Raidersor that ridiculous sweet 16 show.

I digress. Watching the dvd also made me realize how much they milked pop albums for singles in those days. Rhythm Nation for example had 7 singles/videos. Control had 6. That just doesn't happen any more (although the Gwen Stefani solo records come close, clocking at 5 each).

I've also settled an ongoing internal debate. For a few years, I've toiled over which I like better - Control or Rhythm Nation. In asking like-minded friends, they scoffed as if it was even a question that Control wins every time. The conclusion I've come to on this is that Control is in fact a better album - it's the classic Flyte Tyme sound, it's more consistent and it has that breakout album energy. However, I think that I have more sentimental attachment to Rhythm Nation for whatever reason. Perhaps by that time I was a little more engulfed by pop music, taping things off of the radio and MTV (I so wish I still had those tapes), etc. They're both great though. I do love how each totally represents the two main sounds of Jam and Lewis (i.e. Control still sounds VERY Minneapolis sound, while Rhythm Nation sounds very much like The Time's Pandemonium album.

But again,
I digress. Enjoy Janet, Cab Calloway and Heavy D. getting down together.

Janet Jackson - Alright
Uploaded by jpdc11

PS-is it just me, or is YouTube being horribly slow/nonfunctional as of late?

"the weather's fine."

This has always been my "spring song," and given the great weather in Iowa City the last few days, it's been running through my head. Great song, one of my favorites from the boys. Ties only with "She Said, She Said" as Ringo's best drum line.

Friday Funk

Here's something to get your weekend started. The mix served two purposes. First, a challenge: only pre-1984 material (aside from a few associated tracks). This made for a very interesting mix. I ended up including songs that I don't think have ever made the cut on previous mixes of mine, including those solely dedicated to the purple one. Secondly, I was playing around with Cool Edit Pro. Nothing incredibly fancy in the mix, but it's seamless, and I'll be curious if anyone can spot the two substantial edits that I made.

I'm pretty pleased with how this turned out, I hope that you are too. If you're having peeps over this weekend, throw it on for good measure. Else, let this be your "getting ready to go out" music. It will do the trick, I promise.

Happy weekend!

(link expired)

forthcoming doc: "I Need that Record!"

"somebody put me together."

Faith No More's The Real Thing ended up being the soundtrack to my run today. Great album. I always mean to buy more of their albums (the only other one I have is Angel Dust), but somehow I never get around to it.

At any rate, here's a gem:

Friday Funk

Just grab him in the biscuits!
One of the most underrated hip hip groups of all time.
Happy Friday all - keep it funky!

"This ain't no party, this ain't no disco."

I've often said that my favorite music "scene" is likely New York City in the late 1970s. You had The Ramones, Blondie, Television, Patti Smith and the Talking Heads - often sharing bills at CBGB, the Mudd Club, Max's Kansas City...I can only imagine catching some of those shows. In the spirit of the lat 1970s NYC scene, I bring you an aural snapshot.



First up is a 4-song collection of Blondie demos from 1975. The highlight for me is a cover of the Shangri-Las' classic "Out in the Streets." Tight!

Blondie- Demo EP
1. Out in the Streets
2. Thin Line
3. Platinum Blonde
4. Puerto Rico



Following that line of thought, here are a collection of demos that the Talking Heads presented to CBS Records, also from 1975. Most of these songs were re-recorded for the band's first two albums, and the demo versions definitely exhibit the energy of those discs. The others wound up on the Sand in the Vaseline collection, and later as bonus cuts on the glorious Brick boxed set, which I **highly** recommend. I actually owned all of the albums previously, but was still blown away by the revamped collection. Well worth the money.

Talking Heads - CBS Demos

01 Psycho Killer
02 Sugar On My Tongue
03 Thank You For Sending Me An Angel
04 I Want To Live
05 I Wish You Wouldn't Say That
06 The Girls Want To Be With The Girls
07 Who Is It?
08 With Our Love
09 Stay Hungry
10 Tentative Decisions
11 Warning Sign
12 I'm Not In Love
13 The Book I Read
14 Love Goes To Building On Fire
15 No Compassion