Friday, May 22, 2009

Funky Friday - Funkenstein


It's a bank holiday special today with a guest blogger onboard - blogger my neighbour, you could say - as choosing the tunes is Agent Cooper,who, lives just a few doors away from Cloudbase Mondo. When he's not DJing,making his own artwork or collecting somethingorother, Coop's busies himself with his latest creation the Patchwork Of Flesh blog - artwork submissions inspired by Frankenstein - why not pop on over and have peep

Let's start things off with a prime slice of western bop from one of rock 'n' roll's most influencial guitar swingers Link Wray.

"The Swag" was the flip side to Link's classic "Rumble" released in 1958 and in my humble opinion a much better tune than the a-side.
I first came across "The Swag" as the opening theme to John Waters trash masterpiece "Pink Flamingos" on a ropey old VHS from my local video shop in Romford.

Link Wray - The Swag




"Zig Zag News" is a storming mid-'60s workout from L.A's The Sound Sandwich originally released on Viva Records. It starts out pretty mellow before freaking out and speeding up at about the minute mark into something completely different. You can find it on Sundazed's brilliant "Ain't It Hard" comp.

The Sound Sandwich - Zig Zag News




A slab of 1980's garage rifferama next from The Fuzztones, "She's Wicked" has a brilliant intro and one of the greatest dumb-ass riffs ever put on wax with a hint of early B52s in the keyboard sound at times. I bought this on 12" in 1986 and it sounds as good today as it did the first time I played it. A stone cold classic, this is the John Peel session version and not the original release.

The Fuzztones - She's Wicked




Some artists stay fairly underground and never get the success they deserve, perhaps they are happier that way - it didn't do Kurt Cobain any favours.
Greg Cartwright has been in three absolutely fantastic bands: Compulsive Gamblers, Oblivians and Reigning Sound and has written songs that would have made him a household name in the sixties when songwriting and passion got you a long way. It's a pretty big statement to make but I reckon he is making the best music on the planet right now, a soulful blend of garage, R&B and country. It's not easy to chose one song so what you've got is one of Reigning Sound's very best in two versions.
"If You Can't Give Me Anything" was first released on the "Too Much Guitar" LP on In The Red in 2004 as a ragged, stomping garage number with pleading yelped vocals and a wailing mouth organ.

Reigning Sound - If You Can't Give Me Everything (Too Much Guitar version)




A much more Gram Parsons sounding country rock/ soul verion was released a year later on "Home For Orphans" on Sympathy For The Record Industry.
Two very different interpretations of the same song show just how good Greg's songs are.

Reigning Sound - If You Can't Give Me Everything (Home For Orphans version)



Thanks to the Mondo man for the letting me share a few tunes with you. If you are of an artistic bent or like monster movies, pop over to my Frankenstein art project blog A Patchwork of Flesh - check out the gallery and then follow the lead of Mr Mondo and create a piece of monstrous art yourself.

9 comments:

Coop said...

Dave's punk rockin' Bride Of Frankenstein is featured in today's gallery at http://apatchworkofflesh.blogspot.com/

Mondo said...

And in piece of shameless self promo my other entry 'Frankilyn' is here..

The Link Wray and Zig Zag tracks are proper rockers - you might catch the sound of me practicing them, echoing around the SS0 postal area later

Keith said...

Those are so cool. I really enjoyed them. Great post. Hope you all have a fantastic weekend. Cheers!

Gabbi said...

It's great that you have guest bloggers on dear Mondo! :) Genius idea. Also I'm a fan of your neighbors artwork, that was the same one you had in your kitchen right (from a previous post)? I loved The Swag and Reigning Sound...

Piley said...

It's been timed to perfection!

Just one week ago I posted my '19 question' with Ben Nicholls from Dennis Hopper Choppers. In the interview I ask Ben who he would most like to play in a band with (dead or alive)... Link Wray. That name again... In one of the replies to the post someone likens DHC to Link Wray... It's a name i've heard of but never heard... I decide just this very week to find out more... Funky Friday, job done! Nice one Coop!

The Fuzztones! Had completely forgotten about them - great band, and a great toon posted too.

Will get me thinking cap on and see if I can musta a monsta!

Top work

P

Mondo said...

Almost Gabbi the Kitchen pic is by Paul from Oddsock (he live a few miles up the road

The Frankenstein art is Paul Coop's from a few doors up the road - but I've got art from both in the house There's more guest blog-bits here if you fancy a peep

I must check more Link Wray myself P

this wheel's on fire said...

i love your blog! thanks for swaping with me...gotta love rod :D

Mondo said...

Rod's the kiddie, I'll forgive him everything for his early solo and Faces work (fingers crossed that those whispers about a Faces reuni, will actually come to something this time)

Coop said...

Sorry, you can't have a Faces reunion without Plonk.