The Clash in Tokyo

I saw this article, and the video in it, over on my news feed.

The Clash Storm Tokyo in 1982

A couple of my favorite things together - The Clash, and Japan.

Superchunk doing Devo's "Girl U Want"

I love this cover of Devo's "Girl U Want" by Superchunk:




It's not as good, in my mind, as the original - but it's still excellent.

I Like the Cover Better: Summertime Blues

I like the original song, "Summertime Blues" by Eddie Cochran.

I even like the Rush cover from Feedback. And this excellent Kyoushirou version in Japanese. And The Who. And The Stray Cats. The Beach Boys (one my hands-down favorite bands). Even Marc Bolan and TRex! It's a can't-miss song.

But nothing compares, in my mind, to Blue Cheer:



It's oddly a cover that doesn't work as well without your brain knowing the original, but it takes that meta-song knowledge and spins it somewhere amazing. It's Quentin Tarantino-like in its ability to show you what's awesome about the original by going someone the original never, ever, could.

If you know any Summertime Blues covers I didn't mention, please add them in the comments.

Fun, Fun, Fun (Single Version)

The other day, I was out around lunchtime. 75 degrees. Windows rolled down. And The Beach Boy's Fun, Fun Fun - the Single Version - blasting from my radio.



It's a simple joy, but it's joy. Joy does not demand complexity.

My favorite lines?

"Well the girls can't stand her because she walks, looks, and drive like an ace, now.
She makes the Indy 500 look like a Roman chariot race now."

I had fun, fun, fun for 2:21.

Motorhead on The Young Ones

Without a doubt, the finest musical moment on The Young Ones.

Except, perhaps, the non-singing bits done by Madness.



That's from Bambi, probably the finest episode.

Alone Again, Or

I keep hearing this song on the radio that reminds me of Love, especially of "Alone Again Or."



A great track, and if you're a fan of the movie Bottle Rocket, a song with multiple layers of memories.

This is the song - Calexico, Falling From The Sky.



Turns out they did a cover of Alone Again Or.



Looking into covers of Alone Again Or, The Damnned - yes, The Damnned - did a cover of Alone Again Or. That Captain Sensible, he's a wanker, but he's got taste. Or so I say. Maybe Dave Vanian picked that one.



I'm about as shocked as if I'd found Motorhead covered this song. Which they haven't, unless my Google Fu has failed me.

Love was quite the influential band.

Rancid, "Killing Zone"

Last post, I mentioned my friend Roxanne had used "Happy Up Here" as fight walk-out music.

I only got to walk out to music once in a fight - most of my matches were in a competitive system that didn't do that kind of stuff until you turned pro.

I didn't have a lot to pick from, because I needed a CD and I didn't have a burner. But what I did have was Rancid's B Sides & C Sides.

So I picked something rousing - in the end, it was a toss-up between "That's Entertainment" and "Killing Zone."

I went with Killing Zone:



To this day, I can't listen to the song. I love it, but I have to skip it when it comes up on the CD. As soon as it comes on, I feel all of the pre-fight tension. The nerves, the crowd noise, the tightness of the tape on the gloves the way I chew on my mouthguard, everything. It comes back in a rush and my heart beats faster and I feel my blood pressure rise. It's become a fight-or-flight cue. I can watch the fight without a lot of tension, but I can't hear the intro music. I tried when I wrote this post. But no, still not, more than 7 years out from the day I walked out to it.

Music is like that - it gets into you so deep that it becomes inextricably linked with what was around when you heard it, or the events you went through while listening to it.

It's a good song, though. B-Side quality at worst. I'd listen if I could.