Nothin' to Lose: The Making of KISS (1972-1975) - Ken Sharp, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley

I'm not the biggest KISS fan, but this book was great.  It's a very detailed account of the band's early years with some Stooges content if you are looking for the real.  The message from the band is to work hard and be nice to people.  You see, it worked for them. 

An American Demon - Jack Grisham

At some point early on in the book, Jack Grisham says that if you are looking for a band biography, you've got the wrong book.  He was right about that.  Not a ton about TSOL in this book or any of the other Southern California punk bands that were TSOL's contemporaries.  Just a lot violence and deviant behavior.  Consider this the West Coast equivalent of John Joseph's book but it's darker, more horrifying and, unlike Joseph's book where Joseph was more a product of his circumstances and upbringing, it seems like everything that happened to Jack Grisham was largely of Jack Grisham's doing.  He doesn't spend a lot of time playing the blame game.  It's his life.  And that's it.

Set List - January 27, 2014

Timmons, Bobby - Soul Time - Moanin' - Milestone

Timmons, Bobby - So Tired - Moanin' - Milestone

Timmons, Bobby - Moanin' - Moanin' - Milestone

Jarrett, Keith - Birth - Birth - Atlantic

The Art Ensemble of Chicago - "Do What They Wanna" - Certain Blacks - Inner City

Hubbard, Freddie - Red Clay - Extended - Phoenix10

James, Bob - Nautilus - Rhodes Scholar: Jazz-Funk Classics 1974-1982 - Tappan Zee

Smith, Lonnie Liston - Voodoo Woman - Expansions - Flying Dutchman

Smith, Lonnie Liston - Beautiful Woman - Reflections Of A Golden Dream - Flying Dutchman

The Jimmy Castor Bunch - Hey Leroy, Your Mama's Calling You - Hey Leroy, Your Mama's Callin You - Smash

The Jimmy Castor Bunch - Space Age - E-man Groovin' - Atlantic

War - Galaxy - Galaxy - MCA

Silver Connection - Get Up and Boogie - 7" - Midland International

Set List - January 20, 2014

Shepp, Archie - Things Have Got to Change - Things Have Got to Change - Impulse
Brother Ah - Transcendental March (Creation Song) - Move Ever Onward - Divine
Shahid Quintet - Invititation to Black Power (Parts 1 & 2) - VA - Listen, Whitey!: The Sounds of Black Power 1965-1975  - Light in the Attic

Adderley, Cannonball - The Black Messiah - The Black Messiah - Capitol
Jamal, Ahmad - The World is a Ghetto - Ahmad Jamal '73 - 20th Century
Henderson, Joe - Power to the People - Power to the People - Milestone
Johnson, Syl - Is it Because I'm Black? - Is it Because I'm Black? - Twinight
Scott-Heron, Gil - A Sign of the Ages - The Revolution Begins: The Flying Dutchman Masters - BGP
S.O.U.L. - Message from a Black Man - What is It - Musicor
Mayfield, Curtis and the Impressions - Keep On Pushing - People Get Ready: the Curtis Mayfield Story - Rhino
Mayfield, Curtis - Move On Up - People Get Ready: the Curtis Mayfield Story - Rhino
Brown, James - Say It Loud - I'm Black And I'm Proud - The Singles Vol. 5: 1967-1969 - Hip-O Select
Brown, James - Get Up, Get Into It, Get Involved - The Singles Vol. 7: 1970-1972 - Hip-O Select

Big Day Coming: Yo La Tengo and the Rise of Indie Rock

“The Massachusetts-born singer had seen the Velvet Underground at the Tea Party in Boston, launching the Modern Lovers in 1970 to dish out ecstatic, Velvet-loving wryness.  In Cleveland, high school students Peter Laughner and Jaime Klimek were regulars at the post-John Cale VU’s appearances at La Cave, hanging out with Lou Reed between sets.  Within a year, there was a small Ohio Underground of bands like Klimek’s Mirrors and Laughner’s Rocket from the Tombs.

Much of what Richman, Laughner, Klimek, and others felt was Maureen Tucker’s Bo Diddley-by-Babatunde Olatunji drums, thumped on a minimal kit, kick drum upturned, cymbal crashes almost entirely absent.  Her simplicity created a language that supported skiffle twangs, gentle folk, classic R&B, Reed’s tender pop, Nico’s Nordic moans, and John Cale’s fueled drone.”

p. 28-29

Set List - January 13, 2014

Braxton, Anthony - The Light on the Delta - Anthony Braxton - BYG

Tyner, McCoy - May Street - Time for Tyner - Blue Note

Ellis, Don - New Horizons - Electric Bath - Columbia
Silver, Horace - Moon Rays - Further Explorations by the Horace Silver Quintet - Blue Note
Sebesky, Don - Fly/Circles - Giant Box - CTI
Benson, George - One Rock Don't Make No Boulder - Good King Bad - CTI
Hubbard, Freddie - Baraka Sasa - High Energy - Columbia
Notorious B.I.G. - Gimme One More Chance - Ready to Die - Bad Boy
Meco - Star Wars - VA - The Best of Euro Disco - Disco Nights Vol. 3 - Rebound
Duke, George - The Followers - The Inner Source - MPS/BASF
Wilson, Gerald - Bluesnee - Eternal Equinox - World Pacific Jazz
Criss, Sonny - El Tiante - Out of Nowhere - Muse

Set List - January 6, 2014

Lateef, Yusef - Take the "A" Train - The Sounds of Yusef Lateef - Prestige

Lateef, Yusef - O'Blues - Morning: the Savoy Sessions - Savoy
Lateef, Yusef - Yusef's Moods - Morning: the Savoy Sessions - Savoy

Lateef, Yusef - The Dreamer - The Last Savoy Sessions - Savoy
Lateef, Yusef - Check Blues - The Last Savoy Sessions - Savoy
Lateef, Yusef - SNAFU - Eastern Sounds - Prestige
Lateef, Yusef - Purple Flower - Eastern Sounds - Prestige
Lateef, Yusef - Minor Mood - Other Sounds - Prestige
Lateef, Yusef - Outside Blues - Lost in Sound - Charlie Parker
Lateef, Yusef - Raisins and Almonds - Reevaluation: the Impulse Years - Impulse!
Lateef, Yusef - Number 7 - Reevaluation: the Impulse Years - Impulse!
Lateef, Yusef - Stay With Me - The Complete Yusef Lateef - Atlantic
Lateef, Yusef - Sunset - Hush 'n' Thunder - Atlantic
Lateef, Yusef - The Improvisers - The Doctor is In . . . and Out - Atlantic

And Party Every Day: The Inside Story of Casablanca Records - Larry Harris

If there is a business today that is run like the record industry of the 1970's, let me know.  I want in.