Center of The Universe #13

Giant Sand, “Center Of The Universe”

Welcome to the Center Of The Universe, the Universe being all the music I’ve ever heard, with the Center what’s on my mind and worth sharing. We’re going to start things a little wistful this week, with a slice of the winsome, weary drift of Low’s Double Negative. Then the Avalanches and Blood Orange give “Hammond Song” by the Roches a psychedelic spin in 2020. After that a legendary Replacements heartbreak that somehow might be underrated. Or at least I want to ask my elders what the sound signified to them at the time. A power ballad from former hardcore brats on Twin/Tone? What was a power ballad in 1984? It came out within a year of “Sister Christian”! Right now "Unsatisfied" hits me like the missing link between the New York Dolls’ “Subway Train” and Cinderella’s “Don’t Know What You’ve Got Til Its Gone.” But then I first heard it after Soul Asylum’s “Runaway Train.” Guess I should dig up some takes from 39 years ago.

Low, “Dancing And Fire”
Avalanches, “We Will Always Love You (featuring Blood Orange)”
Replacements, “Unsatisfied”

Up next, the Crystals pay tribute to a boyfriend putting up with racist bullshit on a Top 20 hit from 1962. Janet Jackson euphorically pledges fidelity to her friends in the lowest charting of Rhythm Nation 1914’s first seven singles (peaking at #4 instead of #2 or #1). And Kelly Osbourne just wants to be alone on a song from her new wave Linda Perry collaboration, Sleeping In The Nothing.

The Crystals, “Uptown”
Janet Jackson, “Alright”
Kelly Osbourne, “I Can’t Wait”

J.J. Cale, slyly skipping along as only J.J. can on a track from 1974’s Okie that he re-recorded with Eric Clapton in 2006 for some reason. Then we’re off to the sixties for The Springfields (yes, featuring Dusty) covering a Wanda Jackson B-side and achieving the first US Top 20 by a British group. Alan Wilson and Canned Heat covering Charlie Patton less than a year before Wilson’s death. And Gary U.S. Bonds following up his Top 10 hit “School Is Out” with a Top 30 plea for a “Seven Day Weekend.” Covered by the New York Dolls, which we only know because people will release every demo those guys did.

J.J. Cale, “Anyway The Wind Blows”
The Springfields, “Silver Threads And Golden Needles”
Canned Heat, “Shake It And Break It”
Gary U.S. Bonds, “Seven Day Weekend”

Let’s get our mood swing on! First we’ll hear Archers Of Loaf indignantly groan “a hundred million people could be wrong” into a vocoder or some such on 1998’s White Trash Heroes, their last album for over 20 years. Then comic hipster jazz pianist Slim Galliard will confidently assert he and his lady know what to do - in a variety of contexts - circa 1952. Jonathan Richman and his Modern Lovers assert that he still knows what to do, but unfortunately “She Cracked” twenty years later (the track wasn't officially released until 1976, though). Then Eef Barzelay of Clem Snide will second-guess everyone and everything on his 2006 solo debut, Bitter Honey. “N.M.A.” standing for “Nothing Means Anything.”

Archers Of Loaf, “One Slight Wrong Move”
Slim Gaillard, “I Know What To Do”
Modern Lovers, “She Cracked”
Eef Barzelay, “N.M.A.”

A.R.E. Weapons, possibly reaching the apex of their snide New York rich kid cheek on “Let’s Go To Times Square” in 2007. Lefty Frizzell promising what fidelity he could in a 1951 country chart-topper. Then Ne-Yo, also from 2007, saying sayonara to a girl who can’t keep her mind on one man. For the record, Ne-Yo had the assistance of two Norwegian songwriting duos in crafting his send-off. Aretha Franklin’s “I Can’t See Myself Leaving You” was the last song on 1968’s fantastic Aretha Now. Not sure why, but it was released as a single after both the Soul ’69 album and her cover of “The Weight.” None of this stopped the song from reaching the R&B top 5.

A.R.E. Weapons, “Let’s Go To Times Square”
Lefty Frizzell, “I Want To Be With You Always”
Ne-Yo, “Go On Girl”
Aretha Franklin, “I Can’t See Myself Leaving You”

You might have forgotten that Damon Albarn produced the opener of Amadou & Mariam’s 2008 album Welcome To Mali, but goddamn does it still sound great. I almost feel bad mentioning Albarn's input, as you might have otherwise connected it with Giorgio Moroder rather than Gorillaz. If you think George McCrae was a one-hit wonder with “Rock Your Baby,” you either never heard the #37 smash “I Get Lifted” or somehow forgot about it. Mary Margaret O’Hara giving voice to her neurosis about songwriting, from the only album she managed in the 20th century, 1988's Miss America. And Johnny Thunders, sounding like he could stand to be more neurotic, covering Marianne Faithfull and/or the Rolling Stones on stage somewhere, probably not too long before his death in 1991.

Amadou & Mariam, “Sabali”
George McCrae, “I Get Lifted”
Mary Margaret O’Hara, “Year In Song”
Johnny Thunders, “As Tears Go By”

Can’t stop, won’t stop genre-hopping. The Pharcyde over an early J Dilla track on their sophomore album Lacabincalifornia. Bruce Springsteen taking dad-rock to cold new places on a deep-cut from his 1988 classic Tunnel Of Love. Mariah Carey showing considerably more faith in romance on a 1993 number one. The Verlaines transcending such piddling concerns with the help of drink and drunks on 1990’s Some Disenchanted Evening.

The Pharcyde, “Somethin' That Means Somethin'”
Bruce Springsteen, “When You’re Alone”
Mariah Carey, “Dreamlover”
The Verlaines, “We’re All Gonna Die”

I genuinely can’t decide if I like Captain Beefheart or not, but I know I like the Magic Band. Which might be why the Mirror Man Sessions CD is my favorite of theirs at the moment, heavy on the jagged jazz-rock jamming and low on the horny Howlin’ Wolf poetry. And what better sardonic, psychedelic soundtrack to send us out of the Center Of The Universe and back to the rest of space. Thanks for your time!

Captain Beefheart, “Kandy Korn”