2.28.13

On February 28th I listened to Curtis Mayfield Curtis, Public Image Ltd Album, and The Vaccines What Did You Expect From The Vaccines.

I used to work with a woman that claimed to have given Curtis Mayfield a blowjob once. She said and I quote, "his pubic hair was like barbed wire." I was thinking about that the whole time I was listening to Curtis. All true.

Needless to say, I wasn't paying too much attention to this album while visions of Mayfield's sharp crotch follicles where dancing in my head and poking out the eye of a former co-worker.

"(Don't Worry) If There's A Hell Below We Are All Going To Go" really sets a tone for your debut album, huh? I do like the race roll call at the beginning. I said "present," when Curtis called out for "whiteys" and "crackers." 

There's a lot of harp on this record, which is weird. "The Other Side Of Town" practically starts off with a minute long harp solo. I gotta talk to my friend that felated Curtis for some recommendations for other albums to listen to from him.

"Move On Up," is a soul staple! I must have heard this song a million times in the 70's and wish I heard it in more places other than when I put it on nowadays. Just like in stores, or restaurants, bars, the mall, radio, TV, anywhere! Except a fucking mop commercial. Really Isley Brothers?

I wrote up this record 10 years ago when I worked for some shitty music rag. We were doing a year-long salute to classic albums. Just because I’m lazy here is what I wrote:

Johnny Rotten was the kind of asshole that would spit in your face. John Lydon, on the other hand, was the kind of asshole that would spit in your hair when he thought you weren’t looking. Then they’d both call you stupid – and you’d love them for it. Post-Pistols, Lydon was still pissed off, but on Album, he was spitting in a whole new direction; perhaps not the best received PIL record, it’s certainly the most perplexing. What the fuck is “Rise” trying to say? Why the fuck is Steve Vai on this record? How the fuck did Lydon get drumming legend Ginger Baker to play here? Because, in 1986, Celtic-tinged tunes, over-the-top fretwork and anybody associated with Cream were definitely not hip, Lydon, however assembled them all with a rotten grin and had them do his bidding. And lurking behind the generic artwork, this seven-song offering was the true emergence of the band’s post-punk sound. As the man said, “anger is an energy,” people – and Lydon was, is, and will always be like the fucking sun.

See! I was always a hacky little dick! 

I really liked the second Vaccines record when I listened to it in January  I only really liked “If You Wanna,” from this one. I’m pretty sure I only liked that one track when I first heard this album, whenever it came out. I like this band, but today I wasn't into their sound. That's all I got.

And that concludes Black History Month. I’m glad I decided to observe the month and honor some great African American musicians by listening to their work. I think Al Green and Nas were my favorites, but what a solid month of music! I'll definitely get to a lot more great black musicians, that I couldn't squeeze in this month, as the year progresses!