When I received the reminder email (I’m still on the list even tho I didnt participate last year) and impulsively clicked the link to sign up for this year’s Summer Burn, I already had a concept in mind for my mix.  An image of an outdoor concert, at sunset, in July.   I was thinking of Redrocks specifically.  We go about once a year to see a show.  We sit in the cheap seats. The acoustics arnt as good but you’re closer to th bar.   And I just aint payin $150 to sit in the sweet spot, tho I’m sure it’s great.  I imagined relaxing in the bleachers, a pint or 2 of Dale’s in me stomach, lights starting to come on in Denver skyscrapers far away below me, as the band breaks into a leisurely opening number.  It’s maybe 8:30, the clouds have been turning pink for the last hour and a half, and now the sun finally starting to sink to the horizon.  Immediately sevral tunes came to mind that fit this feeling well.

Here’s what I wound up with.  I had to change the song order many times to make it work.   In the process it expanded to almost the whole length of an 80-minute CDR.  I didnt want it to be quite that long, but that’s the way it playd out.  I don’t like to use the very end of a disk, as that part is most likely to get damaged.  Also I like to leave some room to burn a second disk image where I can store a cutlist and little extras like that, but, cdnt do it this time around.   I think later I’ll post some instructions on how to make a dual-image CD (enhanced ceedeez they uset to call them).

Copies are now on their way to a couple of gals in New York, and hopefully theirs are on route to me.  I’ll be passing out some more copies to friends this summer.   As always, if you’re not already on my list, drop me a line.

Sunset
Rolled by M. E. Hiebert
For Summer Burn 2009
TRT: 1h18m12s

1. Neil Young’s “My My, Hey Hey (Out Of The Blue)”
   (Young/Jeff Blackburn)
   From Live Rust (Warners 1979)

   Decided it’d be good to start with an acoustic song, and I finally thought of Neil Young’s perennial concert opener.  I remember this tune ringing thru the air at a summer festival and running down the hill to the main stage to hear Neil Young & Crazy Horse put on one of the best live sets I’ve ever seen.

2. Taj Mahal’s “Ain’t Gwine To Whistle Dixie (Any Mo’)”
   (T. Mahal/J. Davis/G. Gilmore/C. Blackwell)
   From The Real Thing (Columbia 1972)

   This 9-minit celebration of life from Taj Mahal was the very first song I thot uv.  Whistling thru a piece of cane, Taj leads a big old band outfitted with much weighty brass.  He punctuates the instrumental enthusiasticly shouting the names of the soloists—Howard Johnson! (screeching, joyous tenor) John Hall! (piercingly loud guitar wail) John Simon! (rockin piano), and in between he encourages the players and the audience.  The song follows the basic form of straight-ahead, theme – solo section – return to the theme; but it’s sensibility is not that of jazz.  Decompresst soul, more like.

3. Cee-lo Green’s “My Kind Of People”
   (Thomas Calloway/Headley Bennett/Fitzroy Simpson/Huford Brown/Donat Mittoo/Leroy Sibblies/Lloyd Ferguson/Robert Lyn)
   From Cee-Lo Green…Is The Soul Machine (Arista 2004)

   Cool good time party anthem.  A little Rock n Roll – Whole lotta soul – You’re my kind of people.

   Somebody put good green in the air
   (Ain’t nothin better than some real good music)
   And there’s a lot – of fine-ass women evrywhere
   (Ooh close your eyes and just let ‘Lo do it)
   Ain’t nothin wrong – with dancin and drinkin and havin fun
   (Get on the floor, put your back in to it)
   Why don’t you take your dead ass home if you ain’t havin none
   (Don’t just stand around and watch us do it)

   By the way thanks to Funktual for turning me on to Mr. Green’s solo albums.  Funktual is so unselfconsciously enthusiastic about the artists and the records he loves.  And he loves the music he loves and plays the music he loves, whether it’s hip or not.  (And it’s usually the right music.)  Even tho I’m not a deejay and I’m not nearly as knowledgeable, I almost want to steal his schtick and make some internet videos where I put on a record, dance around, sing along, and talk about how great it is and how evryone needs to buy it.  I love how he holds up his ceedeez and records like trophies, like, see this? remember it.  Find it, get it!  It reminds me of those pages and pages of photos of records in Wax Poetics.  They always said to me, These records exist!  You can find them!   It might be very difficult but you can! They are out there!

4. Joe Bataan’s “Es Tu Cosa”
   (Bataan Nitollano)
   From Mr. New York And The East Side Kids (Fania 1971)

   Quotes extensively the lyrics of the Isley Bros’ “It’s Your Thing” in English and Spanish, but it isnt the same song at all.  I put Bataan’s “Chili Beans” from this same album on my naught-7 Summer Burn mix, and it never fails to make me smile.  I wanted to repeat it this year, but it became clear I needed a mellower song and this was a good choice.

5. Tower Of Power’s “This Time It’s Real”
   (Stephen Kupka/Emilio Castillo/D. Bartlett)
   From Tower Of Power (Warners 1973)

   Happy song by Oakland’s finest.

6. The Band’s “Share Your Love With Me”
   (Alfred Braggs/Deadric Malone)
   From Before The Flood (Asylum 1974)

   A live one from the Band, courtesy my brother A.

7. Soul Coughing’s “Soft Serve”
   (music by Soul Coughing/lyrics by M. Doughty)
   From Irresistible Bliss

   From Soul Coughing’s 2nd album, my faverit of th 3.  It took me a while to warm up to this band but I wuz hookt by the time this one arrived.

8. Laurie Anderson’s “Sharkey’s Night”
   (Anderson)
   From Mister Heartbreak (Warners 1984)

   When I was a kid sometimes after dinner in the summertime, th family would drive to the next town over for ice cream, cause our town wasnt big enuf to have a Dairy Queen.  Six or more of us packt in the car. I remember a big red sun low in th sky and my uncle quoting the first line of this song, “Sun went down like a big bald head.”

   Wm. Burroughs performs a routine over a bass riff, some rough guitar skronk, and a distant echo of the “Sharky’s Day” theme.  The backing trak all shiny and electric and 80s futuristic.

9. Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers’ “Moanin’”
   (Bobby Timmons)
   From the eponymously-titled album sometimes known as Moanin’ (Blue Note 1958)

   Kuh-lassic kuh-hut.

10. Joe Jackson’s “Soul Kiss”
    (Jackson)
    From Big World (A&M 1986) A nerdy note: this album may be unique, or at least rare, in that it is a double elpee with no fourth side.

    Could this be my one bad song?   (I like to have at least one bad song on each mix.)  Th wife hates it.  It’s dated now, fer sher.  But when Jackson sang this song on Saturday Night Live in his pinstriped suit, April 12, 1986, my 8-year-old self knew of few things cooler.

    In my school years SNL was a frequent source of music that seemed new and exciting.  When I saw the Sugarcubes, I just sat there going What. the Fuck. was That?! The Michael Jordan/Public Enemy episode?  I was like, Holy shit! I can’t believe they let Public Enemy go on Saturday Night Live.  Oh my God, Michael Jordan made them have Public Enemy on!   Michael Jordan is even cooler than I thought.  The first time Pearl Jam were on and they did “Alive”, it felt like a moment.  I don’t know why but it felt like something was happening.  Pearl Jam, when they started out, was something my generation could point to and go (in our snottiest voices), This is our music!  It’s one of those stupid things teenagers love to do.

    

    Look at ‘im in ‘is checked shirt, his diagonal striped tie, his pinstripe suit.  Funny, this shot wz taken in 1979, but that’s exactly what th hep cats were wearin last week.

11. They Might Be Giants’ “Dirt Bike”
    From John Henry (Elektra 1994)

    Smoove trumpet-driven Flansburgh tune about a magical dirt bike.

12. Bob Kimbell and Jack Logan’s “220 Volts”
    (Kimbell/Logan)
    From Little Private Angel (Parasol 1998)

    A very happy pairing of 2 nice-guy rockers.  This happy little ode to direct current has graced many a mixtape before.

13. Belle & Sebastian’s “If She Wants Me”
    From Dear Catastrophe Waitress (Rough Trade 2003)

    I like that jangly guitar.

14. Isaac Hayes’s “Let’s Stay Together” (Enterprise 1972)
    (Al Green/Al Jackson/Willie Mitchell)

    Hayes’s lush elevator-music version of the Al Green hit.

15. Oliver Nelson’s “Stolen Moments”
    (Nelson)
    From The Blues And The Abstract Truth (¡mpulse! 1961)

    When it comes to the straight ahead, it doesnt get much better than this.  Tip o the hat to bru’r A fer suggesting this cut.

16. Talking Heads’ “Heaven”
    (David Byrne)
    From Stop Making Sense (1984)

    Oh the way Tina plays those 2 notes on the bass rocking back and forth from one foot to the other.

17. Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released”
    (Dylan)
    From Live 1975 (Rolling Thunder Revue) (Columbia 2002)

    No one can duet with Bob Dylan like Joan Baez can.  Dylan’s phrasing is so good and so idiosyncratic that it’s next to impossible to sing along with him, but Baez does it effortlessly.  She doesnt even have to look at him; she’s just right there.  Their voices are opposites in so many ways—and they are both utterly unique—but they blend so well.

18. Coda:
    The Electric Flag’s “Easy Rider” 
    (Mike Bloomfield)
    From A Long Time Comin’ (Columbia 1968)

    45 seconds or so of a ghostly little guitar riff to close it out.

Segue I am proudest of: “This Time It’s Real” into “Share Your Love With Me”.
Segue I am most unsure of: “Dirt Bike” into “220 Volts”.
Song I wish I c’d’ve used: anything by Buena Vista, like something from the Carnegie Hall concert maybe.

Now that school is out and spring has all but officially turned into summer, I have finally finished my spring mixtape.  Listen to it next year when th crabapple trees bloom.  Inspired by @kellydeal’s call for FUCK YEAH SPRING mixes.  So thank you.  Her playlist is here, tho I havnt a clue how to make that “lala” thing play.

No download. Buzz me for a plastic copy.  Or leave yr address in the comments.

Spring Roll
Rolled by M. Elias Hiebert
May 09 
TRT: 1h13m59s

1. Gilberto Gil’s “Frevo Rasgado”
   (Gil/Bruno Ferreira)
   From Gilberto Gil (1968)
   First cut from that one album where he’s dressd up like Sgt. Pepper.  (Also the one with Os Mutantes.)

   Fanfare.  Oh so bright.  Carnivale music.

2. Talking Heads’ “And She Was”
   (David Byrne/arr. by Talking Heads)
   From Little Creatures (Sire 1985)


3. The Magnetic Fields’ “When My Boy Walks Down The Street”
   (Stephin Merritt)
   From 69 Love Songs (Merge 1999)

   Grand pianos crash together … Everyone sings hallelujah … Butterflies turn into people …when my boy walks down the street.
   I’ve never been crazy about the b-section, but this song needs a b-section.  (Without, it w’d just be a badass 4-chord gay rocksong.)

4. Stereolab’s “Sparkplug”
   (Laetitia Sadier/Tim Gane)
   From Emperor Tomato Ketchup (Elektra 1996)


5. France Gall’s “Laisse Tomber Les Filles”
   (Serge Gainsbourg)
   Stolen from the internet

   My first encounter with this song was the English-language version by April March “Chick Habit”) featured in Tarantino’s Death Proof.  (If nothin else, a Tarantino flick will have a kig azz soundtrack.)  March’s version is undeniable fun, rocks a bit harder; but I felt like going with the sophisticated, skinny cigarette French cafe version.

6. The Kinks’ “She’s Got Everything”
   (Ray Davies)
   The flipside of “Days” (Pye 1968), I took it from the Kink Kronicles collection (Reprise 1972).  (Lot of sweet b-sides on there.)

   One of my long time fave rit Kinks tunes.  I like th rockers.  Beatlesque.  Trash guitar solo.  Can’t not feel good.

   Do do-do do do do-do

7. Willie Mitchell’s “20-75” (Hi 1964)
   (Mitchell)
   Collected on The Hi Records Story (Hi 1989)

   The Hi Records Story is a cool little collection, especially for the early (like, pre-Al Green) stuff—organ tunes and horn instrumentals like this one.

8. Ray Charles’s “Hallelujah I Love her So” (Atlantic 1955)
   (Charles)
   Collected on The Birth Of Soul: The Complete Atlantic Rhythm & Blues Recordings 1952-1959 (Of course, the “complete” part is a lie.  Aint no complete Ray Charles collections!)


9. Van Morrison’s “Blue Money”
   (Morrison)
   From His Band And The Street Choir (Warners 1970)

   One of my faverit Van Morrison songs.  I love it when Van sings nonsense words along with the horn part. Even tho it was a single, this feels like the perfect throwaway track.  The whole album has a “We’re just having fun and we don’t give a fuck” feel to it.  My dad loves this album so much I gave him th cee dee I had and bought th vinyl fr myself.

   What kind of money, honey?  Loose money, juice money.  Blue money.

10. Fontella Bass’s “Rescue Me” (Checker 1965)
    (Raynard Miner/Carl Smith)
    Found on Soul Spectacular! (Rhino 2002)

    A classic.

11. The Flaming Lips’ “Race For The Prize”
    From The Soft Bulletin (Warners 1999)

    On a spring-themed mixtape, I couldnt get away with not using something from Soft Bulletin.  The synth wail, the John Bonham drums, the overly-earnest singin, the thinly veiled Christ imagery.

12. Hüsker Dü’s “Sunshine Superman”
    (Donovan Leitch)
    From Everything Falls Apart (SST 1982) reïssued with supplementary material as Everything Falls Apart And More (Rhino 1993)

    Always smile at this cover tune from the early days of one of the greatest rock and roll bands of the 80s.  At the beginning of their career when their evry song was fast, loud, and angry.

13. The Archies’ “Sugar Sugar”
    (Andy Kim/Jeff Barry)
    Found on squillions of 45s and collections, but this particular copy comes from a very beat edition of Everything’s Archie (Kirshner 1969; cat. # KES-103).  This thick old platter has taken a lickin and kept on groovin.  They don’t make em like this anymore.  Don’t remember where I got it, but I remember it was $1.

    Don’t fight it.

    One thing about the Archies is THEY HAVE BEATS.  DJs, take note of th drum hits during the fade out.  (My faverits tho are the drum breaks in “Feelin’ So Good (S.K.O.O.B.Y.D.O.O)”.  That tune (found on this same elpee), and my pause mix of it, is found on my tape called Fly Yer Kite.)  That Jughead can bang some skins all right.

    The mindfuck-y cover of this album curiously depicts not the fictional members of this fictional band but rather real people wearing t-shirts that depict the fictional band.  It always kind of destroyed the illusion for me.

    By th way, how sexy is Toni Wine—uh, I mean Betty and/or Veronica—singing “I’m gonna make your life so sweet”?

14. Big Bill Broonzy’s “How You Want It Done?” (Oriole 1932)
    Collected on Down In The Basement: Joe Bussard’s Treasure Trove Of Vintage 78s 1926-1937 (Old Hat 2002) – This is about the greatest collection of old records you can buy.

    Tell me lovin’ mama how you want your rollin done.

15. The Magnetic Fields’ “Three-way”
    (Merritt)
    From Distortion (Nonesuch 2008)

    The surface noise from the previous record blends into the fuzz that drenches this peppy opening number from the appropriately-named album Distortion.  Th feedback is downright tuneful.

16. Tom Tom Club’s “Genius Of Love”
    (Tom Tom Club)
    From Tom Tom Club (Sire 1981)

    I did a little editing on the album version.

17. Men Without Hats’ “The Real World”
    (Men Without Hats)
    From Pop Goes The World (Polygram 1987)

    I always put one bad song (heh…at least) on a tape. Here you go.  I’ve had a tumultuous relationship with this album fr twenny years or more.  I oscillate between sincerely appreciating a good pop song and gagging on the smell of mouldy cheese.  It makes me crazy.  It makes me miserable.  I keep coming back.  One night at the bar we were comparing our musical “guilty pleasures.”  I submitted Men Without Hats.  I think I won.

18. Belle & Sebastian’s “I’m A Cuckoo”
    (Stuart Murdoch)
    From Dear Catastrophe Waitress (Rough Trade 2003)

    Cheesey 60s elevator music arrangement. Bright horns, bright guitars, poppy chord progression, backup vocals in just the right places.  A melody I love to sing, joyously.

19. The Dixie Cups’ “Ain’t That Nice”
    (Earl King Johnson)
    The flipside of “Chapel Of Love” (Red Bird 1964)

    The b-side wins again!!  A delicious slab of Phil Spectoresque girl-group pop.

20. The Banana Splits’ “I Enjoy Being A Boy”
    (Joey Levine)
    Stolen from the internet

    Incredible bubblegum psychedelia.  This is from a kids’ show??!

21. Yo La Tengo’s “Mr Tough” (Matador 2006)
    (Yo La Tengo)

    Swoon for Ira’s falsetto!  This tune was on th last mix I made, and it’ll probly be on th next one too.  My song of the year sevral years running.

22. Nina Simone’s “Some Say”
    (Chas. Reuben)
    From Silk & Soul (RCA 1967)

    Ah-I SAY there is nothing in the WORLD like lu-huuu-uv
    O-oh, it’s PROOven day by day that it’s what this world needs plenTY O-OF
    Zooby dooby dooby dooby da da-DUM BA!

    I always love Nina Simone, but when she rocks I love her the most. Silk & Soul is one of her rockenest albums.  You like you some late-60s rockin soul? Get it! I recommend skipping cut 8 tho (that’s cut 3 on side 2 if you’ve somehow got hold of the elpee—it’s too dear for me; besides, the cee dee has a couple pretty good bonus trax, tho it is a bit compresst…), and you might want to skip “Cherish” too.

23. Björk’s “Venus As A Boy”
    (Björk Guðmundsdóttir)
    From Debut (Elektra 1993)

    A leisurely song to roll us downhill to the end.  Remember th video, where she burns the eggs cuz she’s daydreaming? Yeah.…

24. Nick Drake’s “Bryter Layter”
    (Drake)
    From Bryter Layter (Island 1970)

    As usual we cap off with a quiet number.  On the album it’s the introduction to the second side, but here I say it makes a fine closer.

    When I was little and my mom took me shopping, muzak-type services wernt so popular; most stores we went to just played elevator music on a tape loop.  I became intimately familiar with the elevator music at Carson Pirie Scott.  I don’t know how long the loop was, but if I heard the same song 3 or more times in one trip, I despaired of ever getting out of the store alive.  What a horror shopping is for a small boy, interminable crushing boredom interrupted only by white-knuckle fear of the escalator.  Today of course I am nostalgic for that torture.  This soft little flute & violin-led instrumental is exactly how I remember that music sounding.

25. 22 seconds of silence

END.

Segue I am most proud of: “Three-way” into “Sparkplug”.
Segue I am most apprehensive about: “Rescue Me” into “Race For The Prize”.
I’m also a bit surprised how well “How You Want It Done?” into “Three-way” works.
Stuff I wish I c’d’ve included: “Money Hair” by Looper.  Anything by the Jackson5.  And, oh, so much more. I’ll have to do another one of these next year.

Catch up.

The springometer hasnt jumped into the red yet. There’s some green on the trees, I saw an ant; but we’re still waiting for the other shoe to drop in the form of a late snowstorm. I’m not ready to say, FUCK YEAH SPRING! quite yet. Wait til th crab apple trees are blooming. Meantime tho, I have ideas.…

Monroe Brothers’ “Nine Pound Hammer”  ?
Björk’s “Venus As A Boy” (Maybe “Big Time Sensuality” too)
Big Bill Broonzy’s “How You Want It Done?”
The Kinks’ “You’re Lookin’ Fine”
John Hammond’s “Nobody But You”
The Magnetic Fields’ “When My Boy Walks Down The Street” (Fuck yeah.)
Bo Diddley’s “Pretty Thing”
Something by Reinhardt & Grappelli, surely
“Here Comes Your Man” maybe, by the Pixies? Havnt put that on a mixtape in a while.
Something by the Suburbs?
Big Bill Broonzy’s “The Real World” by Men Without Hats
St Etienne?
Definily defnilly defnly Stereolab! “Miss Modular” it might have to be…even tho sometimes I think I play that one to death.
Bird
Ray Charles’s “Hallelujah I Just Love Her So”
Bessie Smith?
Nina Simone’s “C Line Woman”
CC (EZ) Rider oh you rider
Oh, shit! The Talking Heads’ “And She Was”
Maybe Jerry Lee
Maybe Woody Guthrie (to follow the Magnetic Fields no doubt)
How bowt T. Rex’s “Jeepster”, huh? huh?
Laisse tomber les filles, laaaaaisse tomber les filles!
Ellington?
Hot Fives??
Belle And Sebastians’ “I’m A Cuckoo”

I’m running out of steam and I better not force it. We’ll see how this falls together…when it’s time.

The idea of a FUCK YEAH SPRING mix, suggested by @kellydeal (she didn’t suggest it to me; I just overheard it), intreegs me, but I don’t think I’d be capable of making one until it is spring for real. That won’t happen here for a little while yet. (It’s just fake spring now.) And it don’t last long here either. Nothing gold can stay, as Mom reminds me evry year.) If I wait till it actually happens, th spring might be done before i finish up th mixtape. But, I could always listen to it next year.

Anyway… ah’m thinkin Flaming Lips.

(Ms Deal has now compiled her results.)