We Hardly Knew Ye: Scott Asheton

Dead at 64.
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My Favorite Pop Culture of 2013!

Movies
Of the 32 movies I watched this year, only six were 2013 releases: Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me, Don Jon, Jackass Presents Bad Grandpa, This Is the End, Sound City and Star Trek Into Darkness. The Big Star documentary was great; the others ranged from pretty good to meh... I still wanna see Anchorman 2, Frances Ha, Inside Llewyn Davis, Nebraska, The Punk Singer and some others... As for older movies, I rediscovered Blade Runner, and watched its myriad versions multiple times.

TV
Bob's Burgers became a new favorite. I plowed through all five seasons of Parks and Recreation in a few weeks, and kept current with the latest seasons of Louie and Mad Men. I watched Breaking Bad all the way up through its finale, and while I saw some of the final-season episodes of Eastbound & Down, I haven't yet caught the end. I still watch Saturday Night Live fairly religiously, as I have for the last 25-odd years, mostly out of habit. It's still topical and unpredictable, if not consistently funny.

Rock 'n' Roll
The only 2013 album I regularly played start to finish was David Bowie's The Next Day (unless you count Best Coast's seven-song EP/mini-album thing Fade Away). This led me to revisit all of Bowie's back catalog, which I listened to pretty extensively for much of the year (I played "Station to Station" dozens of times in the car)... Disappointing were new releases by the Pixies, the Strokes, the Replacements and Iggy & the Stooges... However, the 'Mats and the Stooges kicked ass at the Toronto Riot Fest; the only other show I went to this year was a Mudhoney in-store on April Fool's Day... As for older stuff, I sprang for Bob Dylan's 47-disc Complete Album Collection: Vol. One ($197 on Amazon -- that's $4.19 per disc!)... The one album I listened to far more than any other was 1980's Pleasure by Girls at Our Best!. Since I couldn't find the lyrics anyplace, I took a shot at transcribing them here... Other 2013 albums/songs I like:
Camera Obscura -- "Do It Again"
Neko Case -- "Madonna of the Wasps"
Dead Ghosts -- "B.A.D."
Grant Hart -- "Morningstar"
Melvins -- Everybody Loves Sausages, Tres Cabrones
Mudhoney -- Vanishing Point
Thee Oh Sees -- Floating Coffin
Those Darlins -- "Optimist"
Wooden Shjips -- "Ruins"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs -- Mosquito

Books
Jeez, did I only read two books this year? Yep. Those would be Bebe Day by Day by Pamela Druckerman and Jim Gaffigan's Dad is Fat. Both are related to parenting, which makes sense -- in January I became a first-time dad to twin girls (which also explains why I've been even further out of the pop-culture loop this year)... The Replacements: Waxed-Up Hair and Painted Shoes: The Photographic History looks terrific, though I haven't actually read the text yet. Same with Fan Interference, which is also gathering dust on my nightstand.

Comics
Didn't read many comics either, other than Peter Bagge's Reset, Allie Brosh's Hyperbole and a Half, and A Matter of Life by Jeffrey Brown. All good.

For those keeping score, here are my favorites from 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, and 2006 (movies and music).
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Toronto, Part 1: Rock 'n' Roll

Just returned from six days in Toronto, a city I'd never been to before, as part of my ongoing quest to see all 30 MLB teams play in their current homes. I chose an August Blue Jays/Yankees series, mainly so I could see Ichiro. Shortly after booking the trip -- holy shit! -- the Replacements announced they'd play their first show in 22 years, in Toronto, the very day I'd be traveling there! So, for $200, I moved my flight up a day and got myself a concert ticket. Altogether a bit costly, but the Riot Fest would also include supporting acts Iggy and the Stooges, Dinosaur Jr., Rocket from the Crypt and Best Coast. I don't like big, daylong, outdoor festivals, what with the crowds, the elements, lots of waiting around, the abbreviated sets, and so forth. But still!

Here are some shitty iPhone pics along with my take on the various sets...

Best Coast (above) was okay -- I really dig their albums, but after seeing them in Seattle last year, I didn't feel the need to ever see 'em again.

I also saw Dinosaur once before, in 1993, without Lou Barlow. It was great to finally catch their original lineup in action. They played a solid career-spanning set, though I wish it included “Little Furry Things.” I wore earplugs.

Also in ’93 was the only previous time I’d seen Rocket from the Crypt, in their hometown of San Diego where I was living at the time. They’re the kind of band I tried getting into but never really could, and their Toronto set didn’t change that. Though I did appreciate that they played “Born in ’69,” because I was.

The earplugs went back in for Iggy and company. I’d seen Iggy solo a couple times in the ‘90s, and then in the reformed Stooges in 2005, with brothers Ron and Scott Asheton, plus Mike Watt on bass. Ron has since died, and due to a stroke, Scott was replaced by some guy named Toby Dammit on drums. Watt still played with them, along Funhouse-era saxman Steve Mackay. Best of all, Raw Power-era guitarist James Williamson was in the lineup, killing it on the title track, “Search and Destroy,” “Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell,” plus some tunes from the Iggy/ Williamson album Kill City. My favorite song of the set, which I never expected to hear, was “Cock in My Pocket.” On the other hand, they wasted precious time with three relative stinkers from their mediocre new album.

Honestly though, while all those other bands played, I was looking ahead in anticipation of the Replacements.

Finally, the 'Mats took the stage right on time for a kickass 23-song, 75-minute set. Paul Westerberg and Tommy Stinson were the only original members -- Josh Freese (who I’d last seen as Devo’s drummer in 2011) replaced Chris Mars, and some other guy filled in for guitarist Slim Dunlap (who, like Scott Asheton, also suffered a debilitating stroke). For those keeping score, Dunlap replaced original member Bob Stinson, Tommy's older brother, who was kicked out of the band in 1986 and died nine years later.

Well what about the tunes? They opened with "Takin' a Ride," covered Chuck Berry’s “Maybelline” and Sham 69’s “Borstal Breakout," and played three songs from my favorite-ever album Pleased to Meet Me, including album opener/show closer “I.O.U.” (Before the song, Paul said that he once asked Iggy Pop for an autograph, and Iggy wrote down what became the song’s chorus: “I.O.U. nothing.”) Plus lots of other faves: "Color Me Impressed," "I Will Dare," "Bastards of Young," etc. For the encore, Paul came out wearing a Montreal Canadiens sweater, getting some good-natured boos from the Toronto crowd. Two songs later and they were gone, leaving me thrilled by what I just witnessed.

But that wasn't the end of it. By coincidence, the next morning I took a shortcut through the lobby of the Royal York Hotel on my way to the Hockey Hall of Fame, only to discover Tommy Stinson waiting around with his bags, looking like he just checked out. I went up to him and said, “Hey, Tommy, great show last night!” He thanked me, we shook hands, and he agreed to a photo...

Cool! Then he walked outside. I sat for a minute, and it occurred to me that Paul must be nearby, so I went outside too. Sure enough, there he was with Tommy and some roadies, looking like they were all waiting for a lift to the airport. I repeated the scene with Paul: great show, handshake, photo...

I added that I got choked up the when they played “Alex Chilton” the previous night, seeing as how Paul's idol died in 2010. During the song, I noticed Paul glimpse skyward as he sang the line “If he died in Memphis, wouldn’t that be cool?”, though Chilton actually died in New Orleans. (Paul's touching New York Times memorial to Alex appeared shortly afterward.) Then, as a sort of tossed-off "see ya," I wished Paul good luck, and continued on to the Hall of Fame. It quickly occurred to me that it was kinda like the line in "Alex Chilton" where Paul describes his first meeting with Alex in New York: "Feeling like a million bucks, exchanging good lucks, face to face." Maybe it was a subconscious thing on my part.

Anyway, my Toronto trip peaked early, but the rest of it was good too. I'll post the other highlights soon.
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Happy 40th, Raw Power!

The Iggy and the Stooges classic hit the big four-oh this month -- February 7, to be exact.

This occurred to me today, upon reading that "Iggy and the Stooges" will be releasing a follow-up record in April. The new album apparently shouldn't be confused with The Weirdness, which "The Stooges" released in 2007 as a follow-up to 1970's Fun House. (I was too kind to The Weirdness here -- it totally sucked.)

Anyway, here's hoping Ready to Die -- featuring Raw Power guitar ace James Williamson -- doesn't totally suck.
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A Tale of Two Reissues: The Stones & the Stooges

I've never bought that line about how punk was a reaction to the supposedly lame music of the early '70s. At the time I was barely out of my diapers and hardly hip to the sounds of the day, but the era is generally regarded as the peak of lotsa killer acts: Zeppelin, Bowie, T-Rex, and especially the Stones and the Stooges. The past month has seen reissues of two of the best, most influential records of the era, the Stones' Exile on Main St. (1972) and the Stooges' Raw Power (1973). Both of 'em are among my faves, and of course, both of 'em I bought. Let's start with the Stones.

Though Exile is widely considered only the Stones' greatest album, and usually ranks in the top ten of most "best album ever" surveys, my personal fave is 1978's Some Girls, followed by 1971's Sticky Fingers. In any case, "Rocks Off," "Rip This Joint" and "All Down the Line" are totally killer, while "Tumbling Dice" and "Happy" are secondary faves. The rest is great too, though I gotta admit the set as a whole has never blown me away. Maybe it will, after a few more spins of this reissue.

Thinking back, this is the fourth time I've bought Exile -- a cassette and then a CD in the '80s, another CD in the '00s, and now this new Deluxe Edition, retailing for $22.99 on Amazon. Had I shelled out $136.89 for the King Shit Super Deluxe Edition, I'd also get two vinyl LPs (it was originally issued as a double album, which now can be bought separately from this package), a 30-minute making-of documentary (also to be sold separately), a 50-page hardcover book, and reprints of the postcards included in the original album. But the biggest selling point for both editions are the ten previously unreleased bonus songs. Supposedly Mick Jagger recently recorded his vocals over the "missing" 37 year-old instrumental tracks, most of which are pretty good, while "Plundered My Soul" is great. But what would've really knocked my socks off would be some live numbers from their legendary 1972 tour. At least the Stones are finally digging into their presumably deep archives to release unheard nuggets from the past.

On the other hand, it seems that every Stooges demo/outtake/live track they've ever puked up has appeared on one fairly accessible, quasi-official release or other, so this reissue, padded with lotsa similar bonus stuff, largely amounts to more Stooges slag to throw on the heap. Which ain't a bad thing.

I fucking love Raw Power, much more than Exile and, for that matter, damn near anything else. I passed over the $12.99 Legacy Edition for the $59.99 King Shit Deluxe Edition, which, besides David Bowie's original mix of the album and a disc of outtakes, includes another iffy live recording, a softcover book, some new postcards (like the Shepard Fairey one above), a 7" single, and a making-of DVD. It's funny how most fans griped about Bowie's shitty 1973 mix, but when Iggy remixed the album himself for a 1997 reissue, many fans complained that the original shouldn't have been tampered with. While I'm generally a purist about such stuff, I strongly prefer Iggy's '97 remix.

I'm stoked that the reunited Stooges will be touring with Raw Power guitar man James Williamson in tow. Too bad the band flamed out in '74 before they were able to record a follow-up, since those post-Raw Power demo/outtake/live tracks were absolute monsters: "Cock in My Pocket," "Wet My Bed," "Rubber Legs," "Heavy Liquid," "Open Up and Bleed," "I Got a Right," "Head On"...

As with Exile, this is also the fourth time I've bought Raw Power -- sheesh. An LP in the '80s, a CD in the early '90s, Iggy's remixed reissue in 1997, and now this...

Raw Power, honey, just won't quit. Neither does Exile on Main St.
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Cool Connections #3: Iggy and Evel

In Robert Matheu's new book, The Stooges: The Authorized and Illustrated Story, Iggy Pop describes the above image, taken from a 1969 photo shoot for the band's first album cover...

I didn't want to just be posed there, because we were a band that moved. So I got the other guys on the floor all huddled together, and I decided that I'd jump up over them like Evel Knievel going over the fountain at Caesars -- and just like Evel, I crashed down on Scottie [drummer Scott Asheton, the guy in the middle] and went face first into the cement floor. Scottie was always cool about those things, 'cause I crashed into him a lot over the years. So I went to the hospital to get stitched up and came back the next day.

On a similar Evel/Iggy note, I wrote in Evel Incarnate...

In the 1993 book, Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana, Michael Azerrad wrote that Evel was Kurt Cobain’s “childhood hero,” and that “two of Kurt’s favorite stuntmen” were Evel and Iggy Pop... The Stooges may not have had any direct connection to Evel, yet Cobain’s admiration of both Evel and Iggy Pop was rather astute. In the early 1970s, Iggy was rock 'n' roll's closest equivalent to Evel, as their respective pioneering acts and reckless, search-and-destroy nihilism curiously paralleled one another.

Also from the Stooges book is this cool mini- connection: guitarist Ron Asheton vandalized Bob Newhart's face on the cover of a 1983 TV Guide.















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My Nine Favorite Concerts of the '00s!

1. The Dirtbombs/ The Detroit Cobras, Crocodile Cafe, October 4, 2002
2. Young Fresh Fellows/ Girl Trouble/ New Original Sonic Sound, Crocodile Cafe, July 14, 2000
3. The Rolling Stones, Tacoma Dome, November 6, 2002
4. Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Key Arena, March 29, 2008
5. The White Stripes/ Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Seahawks Stadium Exhibition Center, September 16, 2003
6. Melvins/ Mudhoney, The Showbox, March 7, 2004
7. Kiss, Key Arena, November 15, 2009
8. Iggy & the Stooges/ Mudhoney, Memorial Stadium, September 5, 2005
9. Bob Dylan, Key Arena, October 13, 2006
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My 17 Favorite Albums of the '00s!

1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Fever to Tell (2003)
2. Paul Westerberg, Come Feel Me Tremble (2003)
3. Detroit Cobras, Life, Love and Leaving (2001)
4. The Strokes, Is This It (2001)
5. The New Pornographers, Mass Romantic (2000)
6. The Rolling Stones, A Bigger Bang (2005)
7. The Dirtbombs, Ultraglide in Black (2001)
8. Komeda, Kokomemedada (2003)
9. Black Lips, Good Bad Not Evil (2007)
10. Danger Doom, The Mouse and the Mask (2005)
11. Bob Dylan, Modern Times (2006)
12. White Stripes, White Blood Cells (2001)
13. Bruce Springsteen, Magic (2007)
14. Iggy Pop, Skull Ring (2003)
15. Melvins, (A) Senile Animal (2006)
16. The Baseball Project, Vol. 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails (2008)
17. Nirvana, Live at Reading (2009)

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