Monthly Archives: July 2010

WTF Album Covers: Fleetwood Mac Mystery To Me

WTF?, , , ,

Fleetwood Mac Bad Album Covers

The real mystery behind this bad album cover is why anyone thought it would be a good idea to market the music on the album using THIS IMAGE. Since a plenty of Fleetwood Mac albums in the catalog featured members of the band on the cover, one can only assume that aesthetic is also represented here somehow. But which band member is depicted here?

Could it be a snide jab at Stevie Nicks? Or maybe that this gorilla looks a little tiny bit like Mick Fleetwood isn’t a coincidence. Regardless, file this one under “What were they thinking?” or maybe even, “We have an artist friend.” Friends don’t let friends design album covers for friend bands.

DJ Paisley Babylon Exotic Jet Set Mix

DJ mix, , , ,

Exotic Music DJ Paisley Babylonby Joe Wallace

DJing isn’t a new thing for me–I’ve been behind the decks in one form or another since the late 80s. I’ve spun events, radio and parties in Japan, Korea and Iceland, up and down the midwest, you name it. But these tracks are atypical for DJing–it takes a special type of party or event coordinator to come after these sounds, at least today–once upon a time they were all the rage if the party scenes of 60s and 70s cinema are to be believed…

This DJ mix, The Exotic World of DJ Paisley Babylon, isn’t exotica per se–it’s more complicated than that. This is about a specific type of vibe you might associate with those great party scenes from Italian exploitation movies of the 60s and 70s, or the mental picture you get when thinking about Andy Warhol’s parties at the Silver Factory if you forget about the Velvet Underground and Bob Dylan for a few minutes. This is, for lack of a better phrase for a collection of tracks crossing several genres while staying within a certain groove, Mid-Century Modern music.

I’m available for hire once again to spin these sounds and many others–I’ve got a few other mixes coming to show the range of styles I’m into (see the DJ mix category for more sounds). If you’re intrigued after hearing this and want to get in touch for a booking, please feel free to drop me a line or call:

(312) 504-1264 jwallace (at) turntabling dot net

I travel for gigs, so if you’re based outside Chicago, no problem. In the meantime, have a listen to The Exotic World of DJ Paisley Babylon and get ready to be transported…

Satan, Rock Music, and Born Again Christians

WTF?, , , ,

In the 1980s, America was gripped in such a wave of conservative nonsense that any idiot could write a book about Satan, rock music, and witchcraft and it would somehow sell. Brain-dead religious right charlatans and/or nutters like Bob Larson, Jacob Aranza, and the infamous Peters Brothers were doing a brisk business in books about Satanic messages hidden in that evil rock and roll music.

The Devils Disciples The Truth About Rock

The best part about all of these books–and the most telling–are their sections about “backwards masking”. This delightfully hysterical non-crisis was generated by preachers who spent a good deal of time turning records backwards on their turntables, listening for the Devil’s messages.

Satan Music Peters Brothers Why Knock Rock

Even better-the right wing hysteria made bands get into the act and perpetrate their own actual, for-real backwards masking messages. Did they do it just to screw with the Christies? ELO not once, but TWICE threw a bone to the Bob Larsons of the world with the albums Eldorado and Secret Messages. Kiss’s Gene Simmons–then seemingly eager to bait Christians into some new madness– recorded some backwards messages on his solo record. There were plenty of others, to be sure.

Backwards Masking UnmaskedWell, now that I’ve purchased an Audio-Technica AT LP 120 USB turntable, I’ve taken to revisiting some of these hilariously wrong-headed books. (I was all about them when I was in high school for vastly different reasons–caught up in my own small town religious kookiness–don’t worry, I got better).

See, the Audio Technica AT LP120 turntable has a delightful function–it plays in reverse, no finger-turning needed to uncover those Satanic messages. I plan to go through the whole of my catalog to listen for the Devil’s commands…I thought I’d start off by listening to Eno’s Music For Airports and work my way to the first Air LP.

Yeah, those records are all instrumentals. But Satan is a TRICKSTER, you see. He could have hidden messages in there backwards ANYWAY. And that’s the same kind of logic you’ll find waiting for you in ANY of those book titles displayed here.

If you’ve never read these books, I strongly urge you to do so…if for no other reason than to see the minds at work behind yesterday’s goofy right wing thinking. Which is pretty much the SAME thinking at work in TODAY’S goofy right wing thinking.

Don’t believe me? Check THIS crap out:

This website is called Dial-the-Truth Ministries. In addition to being grossed out by their anti-Obama hysteria and general Bronze Age fire and brimstone stupidity, can I REALLY be the only person who sees the disconnect in a WEBSITE called DIAL the Truth? I think not. But it never occurred to THEM, apparently.

Here’s a total howler of a site with a page called Satan’s Music. Prince, Queen, and apparently for some reason the Dixie Chicks are all apparently in service of Our Dark Lord Lucifer. Even the cute one.

Did you know that Emo is unethical for born againers to listen to? Oh yes, kiddies. You are all going to kill yourselves now.

Those are only three examples. Share your own in the comments section, and don’t forget kids…YANKEE ROSE.

Chicago Record Stores: Groovin High

Record Shops, vinyl road rage,

Groovin High Inc Chicago Record Stores

Having been inside this Chicago record store at 1047 W Belmont Avenue in Chicago, it’s possible to write up a decent review of a place even when you go out of your way to give the shop a proper once-over only to be confronted with this:

Groovin High Records Chicago Illinois Record Store

Frustrating, to say the least. But what can you do? Since I’ve already been inside, I can relate that this shop features a good mix of the vintage stuff with new releases. There’s the requisite (and ever-shrinking, it seems from shop to shop) island of CDs, but vinyl is the name of the game here.

My experience at the shop was OK–a friendly presence behind the counter, a lot of records to peer over–especially in the modern rock department. The frustrating thing for me was the massive pile of albums and other items positioned directly in front of the Soundtracks section for MONTHS ON END.

I visited the shop several times hoping this towering monolith of stuff would be gone so I could have a proper browse, but no luck. The detritus has been there for what seems like half a year now. I finally gave in and made a pretzel out of my spine so I could have a look.

Those into music books–not tablature but biographies and such–will do well to give Groovin High a look as there are a  lot of titles positioned in easy reach (thank you) and plenty to browse. In fact, I’d say my liking of this shop is a 50/50 split between the modern rock selection and the books. If only the hours were a bit more dependable! My advice–check this store out, but phone first for best results.