Author Archives: tomvox1

What we’re listening to today — Wherever You Go by Built to Spill

First let me say that I think Doug Martsch of Built to Spill is a certified rock guitar genius and if you do not know of his work, you really should. While the facile comparison to Neil Young is frequently deployed because of his singing style (and encouraged by the epic cover of “Cortez the Killer” on 2000’s Live, which clocks in at a massive but fantastic 20+ minutes), his playing also displays flashes of Jeff Beck, Hendrix and Tom Verlaine.

“Wherever You Go” from 2006’s You In Reverse shows BTS and Martsch at their tightest and is a fine representation of their style: slow-winding buildups to intense peaks; swirling multilayered production; cryptic and knowing lyrics; and that searing guitar soaring and punching through it all. With legendarily difficult and technical arrangements, BTS comes across as a jam band with a major difference: there is no noodling. There is only precision and ambition, even when the songs are long and circular. While they may never release another album as Built to Spill and they were never a huge commercial success, I feel strongly that Martsch and his mates will be looked back upon as a high water mark for real instrument Alternative rock in the 90s and early 2000s. Listening to them certainly proves that one well constructed and original song–and even more so, an album of them–is infinitely more satisfying than an iPod full of the pap produced by the latest interchangeable artificially manufactured bands and network karaoke winners. They may not be telegenic but they sure do kick ass. And their heart will wear you down.

What we’re listening to today–Mambo Sun by T. Rex

Let’s kick Friday off with this slinky ditty from T. Rex:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koFM5paYEmM

Now, one can carp that T. Rex really only made one song throughout their long career. “(Bang a Gong) Get It On”, “Children of the Revolution”, “Jeepster”, etc are all variations on a theme with a little instrumental variety here, a little tempo change there. But there is something surely sweet sounding about the Marc Bolan groove and his childishly simple lyrics. Nobody else sounds like T. Rex, glam or otherwise (although this Grant Lee Phillips song, “Johnny Guitar“, is a pretty good homage). But when you hear them, they always tickle the ear and the tunes never sound stale 40+ years on.

Mambo Sun is primo Rex, all attitude, fuzzy guitars, low key reverbed vocals and female worship, not to mention a great first track for 1971’s seminal Electric Warrior. Plus, Bolan helped make it cool for rock guys to look a little like chicks–he arguably inspired Bowie to go glam–so there’s another lasting contribution. On second thought, that kind of led to Poison so maybe that wasn’t such a great thing. Whatever we think about that, put on your top hat and feather boa and get ready to rock out this weekend!

I personally think Electric Warrior belongs in every rock fan’s collection and you can get it at Amazon and iTunes, of course.

What we’re listening to today– Riders on the Storm by The Doors

Somehow long car trips make me think of this morose tune from the last gasp of the genius that was Jim Morrison and the Doors. Plus it’s been raining and thundering all day, so it fits the mood…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYE1S6r3bkg

It’s also interesting that what used to be a time-honored mode of transport on the cheap since the advent of he car, which arguably reached its romantic apotheosis with the hitchhiking-friendly On the Road by Kerouac, quickly morphed into No fucking way am I picking up some straggly looking kid in the space of about 15 years or so.

Here are some cool articles on why that happened, with the gist of it being that horror stories and a general hostility to drifting free spirits by local and federal law enforcement conspired to give hitching a bad and dangerous name:

What Killed Hitchhiking? from NBC News

Hitchhiking’s Time Has Come Again from the New York Times

But the final nails in hitchhiking’s coffin might really have been the fallout from the Manson Family murders and the creepy but awesome (and almost certainly related) “Riders on the Storm” here. Rutger Hauer didn’t help with any potential revival in the 80s either:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKV2a9Le0Sc

And with that: Drive safe, kids!

You can find “Riders On the Storm” on The Doors last studio album, L.A. Woman, available for download at Amazon.com.

Blog of the day– Jake’s Rolex World Magazine

If you want to get heavy into Rolex ephemera, pop culture and the wonderful personalities who wore Rolex throughout history, Jake’s Rolex World Magazine is a fine place to while away the hours. From the brand’s founder Hans Wilsdorf to the ultra cool ambassadors like James Bond, Jackie Stewart, Steve McQueen and (believe it or not) Martin Luther King, Jr., Jake has a passion for rooting out the many tales in Rolex’s storied history and the pivotal players who wore the watches. We’re not sure where he gets the time or the energy for such a massive amount of well done posts but our hat’s off to him–way to go, Jake, you’ve got a real cool blog!

Watch Collector’s Notebook: A golden dream

It won’t happen often but every once in a while as a watch collector you will run into something genuinely rare and special. I’ve been fortunate in my relatively brief years in the hobby to have more than my fair share of these moments. But the one watch that arguably stands out for pure Wow! factor is this early solid 18k gold reference 1680 Rolex Submariner:

1680-med-2Now there is nothing particularly uber-rare about an acrylic crystal “Nipple” dial gold Submariner, although they are not all that easy to come by. But what made this example really special and drew me to it is that the dial was meters-first, which is very uncommon in a Gold Sub. Rolex manufactured the Submariner line for 15 years before they decided to make a version in gold. (This despite the fact that they had always produced a GMT-Master in solid gold from the beginning of that reference in 1955. Who knows with Rolex?) But from it’s introduction at the Basel watch fair in 1954, the Submariner was only available in stainless steel. Also notable is that their dials had always had the proud depth rating with the metric measurement of 200 meters first. Furthermore, no Submariner had ever been produced with a date complication. But in 1969, Rolex was about to change all of these things.  Continue reading →

What we’re listening to today–Walking in the Rain by the Ronettes

If Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound is a sledgehammer of beautiful bombast, then “Walking in the Rain” is its velvet hammer:

Yeah, there are a lot of shitty covers of this tune (including one by the Partridge Family –don’t click if you have a weak stomach). And sure the June-moon-swoon lyrics are not exactly John Lennon. Yet, as has been well documented, the Beatles learned a lot of their songcraft from the great girl groups of the early 60s… they had to write “I Want to Hold your Hand” before they got to “Revolution”, my friends, and the driving beat and optimistic love talk of the Crystals, Marvelettes and Ronettes helped get them on their merry way.

More to the point, the Ronettes original version of “Walking in the Rain”, with Ronnie Spector (née Veronica Bennett) and her little girl-cum-Broadway belter delivery powering through the storm effects, sleigh bells and endlessly layered background vocals, is just about as pure a pop song experience as you can find. Check your hard earned cynicism and anti-romanticism at the door. Hell, she hasn’t even met the guy she’s singing about yet! But damn if she doesn’t make you wish you could live up to that dream lover.

RonnieSpector

Hearing this great song again is also a good reminder that Phil Spector was not always a homicidal hermit freak but, in fact, one of the geniuses who kept Rock alive when Elvis was in the Army and the Beatles had not yet come along. I definitely recommend picking up Back to Mono to get some perspective on his prodigious pre-murder achievements.

Download this classic tune at Amazon.

What we’re listening to today–All the Way From Memphis by Mott the Hoople

Here’s a little bon Mott to spice up the afternoon, straight from live video back in the 70s:

Sometimes you just gotta go glam, man. So put on that velvet blazer and pick up your six-string razor.

And BTW, I wonder who taught who how to sing like that: did Bowie teach Mott or did Mott teach Bowie? Hmmm… the eternal riddles of Rock ‘n Roll.

Download the classic studio version at iTunes or Amazon.

What we’re drinking this summer–Grüner Veltliner (and plenty of it)

Summer may be winding down but there are still plenty of BBQs, camping trips and picnics to be had. So if you’re getting a bit tired of beer (I know, for some it might be heresy to even suggest that) but are having a hard time finding a wine to pair with the unique flavors of cookouts and cold potato salad, we’ve got the grape for you. It’s a white primarily Austrian varietal called Grüner Veltliner and its tart-sweet green apple notes make it ideal for sticky sweet barbecue, jerk chicken, grilled pork and even hot dogs.

Austrian Grüner from Paul Direder

Austrian Grüner from Paul Direder

Less sweet and leaner that most Rieslings or Gewürztraminers (which I’m also a big fan of during the warm months) and with a distinctly new-wine nose, the green-gold Grüner should be served nice & cold and can be sipped on its own as an aparatif or served throughout the evening from a smoked fish starter to the cherry pie for dessert. Not only that but most are inexpensive at under $15 and they usually come in liter bottles for a little extra bang for the buck. In short, it’s a perfect summer wine and we like it so much we’re probably going to keep drinking it in the Fall…and then on vacation somewhere warm…and next Spring…

We get the very tasty Paul D. in Brooklyn at the outstanding South Williamsburg wine shop, D.O.C. But ask your local wine store if they stock it or another Grüner. If they don’t, they really should–you can’t beat it with a stick!

What we’re listening to today– Kathy’s Song by Simon & Garfunkel

Not the happiest song, I know, but it’s pouring down rain here, summer is winding down and there is melancholy in the air.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q60YKfPKdjQ

A lyric like this sums it up, I reckon:

And as I watch the drops of rain
Weave their weary paths and die
I know that I am like the rain
There but for the grace of you go I.

A lotta laughs it’s not but sometimes you gotta go with the day and not fight the vibe. We all need somebody sometimes to pick up our slack. We all need a “Kathy” in our lives to get through some days. This one’s for my “Kathy.”

Download it at iTunes or Amazon, natch.