Here, hair, here

I was up at my parents the weekend before last. Sitting on the sofa in the morning, going through the papers with them I became aware that my mum, sat at my side, was studying my head. "Have you had your hair cut?", she asked. I nodded. "Hmm...it's not as good as usual" was her verdict. I had to smile.

Mermen we should turn to be

Listening to a Jason Pierce interview I was interested to hear his view that Slippin' And Slidin' by Buddy Holly is the most psychedelic recording ever made. It seemed unlikely, but I checked it out and sure enough 30 seconds in thought to myself "What the fuck is he on about?". It might be a contender for one of the catchiest songs ever perhaps and, after the quick Everly Bros intro, certainly goes into a very Thirteenth Floor Elevators descending riff. But no, not what I would deem psychedelic.

Slippin' And Slidin'

But then quite recently I heard this version and, of course, the desiccated one knows his eggs.

Slippin' And Slidin'

So just what is it that makes a track psychedelic? I've grappled briefly with the question before, the last time it cropped up here was in reference to the guitar solo in Tame Impala's It Is Not Meant To Be, which, if you remember, I dubbed sub-aquatic. And that, in a nutshell, covers many aspects of the psychedelic experience: the air seems denser, the pressure seems higher, vision may be susceptible to wave-like, shimmering distortion. Stuff like that.

Oh, and this can be U.S.A. part 2. You know, in the around the world thing.

Astro-zombies do furnish a room

When fitting out their studies some people go in for busts of Napoleon or Caesar. Those of a more playful nature might opt instead for Mozart or Shakespeare. When I acquire a study I'm thinking more along the lines of Astro-Zombie.  He's not cheap but then I spent nearly that much on a wardrobe the other day. 

You don't have to be a decaying spaceman to get into my aesthetic good books, but clearly it helps.

Miserable bastards

Living as I do in xxxxxxxxxx I do spot the odd minor celebrity every now and again. Just the other day the woman who played xxxxxx xxxxxx'x xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxx in Eastenders was behind me in the queue at the bank. That's the kind of calibre I'm talking about. A few years ago I lived in the same block of flats as the woman who played xxxxxxx in Eastenders. On the day I moved in she helpfully declined to open the gate for me and my brother in law. She just stood there, puffing away on a fag. And remember the bloke who played the xxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx'x xxxxxx xx xxxxxxx in Allo Allo? I once saw him put on a most petulant display in the local video shop when charged for three late items. Oh, and I saw xxxxx xxxxxx the other month, he looked bloody miserable.

Knock knock

These are the doors on a church down the road. When I build my dream home I'll either buy these off the church or have some made exactly the same. Unless the dream home swings away again from subterranean hobbit dwelling back to space age pod cluster. 

U.S.A.

There are a few countries that begin with U, mainly due to the popularity and importance of the word United in this matter. Perhaps a bit predictably it was always going to be the USA that occupied this alphabetical slot. Obviously I hate America's imperialistic warmongering and brutal promotion of free market fundamentalism as much as the next whining commie limey, but it would be foolish to deny that the Great Satan has produced most of the greatest music of the twentieth century.

Rather than rack my brains for hours and hours over the hundreds of bands/songs I was going to go for the first band that popped into my head when I thought: American Band! And that was The Velvet Underground, but who needs that? I'll probably post a few tracks, but I'll start with Margo Guryan.

Her album kept popping up a few years ago and I had a listen but it didn't really grab me. Then the other day I heard her album of demos (25 Demos) and it was the most wonderful music ever. Strange isn't it, how that happens.

Anyway, according to wikipedia, Margo was totally into Max Roach etc. and then Bam!! someone played her Pet Sounds and she packed in that jazz noise and took effortlessly to pop.  I find the story refreshing. As is the fact that the winsome Margo was once married to a trombonist. There's hope for us all.

Margo Guryan The 8:17 Northbound Success Merry Go Round