THE SIGNAL from David Katznelson
"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known"-Carl Sagan
After these past few weeks of treating news channels as one long binge-watch of some golden age television show complete with a few great seasons, some bad ones, and some horrible plot elements, it feels good…freeing almost…to go back to the usual reading (not politics), listening (the records are calling) and watching (ok, still some political stuff…John Oliver was genius last night) and even some writing and dreaming.
Oh, and still sheltering. Can never forget that gift that keeps giving.
And so for those who know me, you know that I take deep dives into the field of recorded sound. Usually alone these days, and usually late at night. And if you are not into rants about something potentially unimportant, you can skip down to the other parts of the newsletter.
For those still here: today is Larry Hardy’s birthday. My dear friend, owner of legendary In The Red Records, who while an A&R guy at Warner Bros., I gave a first-look deal to (can explain later). He was even the head of my own record label for a time. But most of all, he is the best person to go record shopping with and a great person to sit and listen to records you bought while shopping with.
We both share a love for The Heartbreakers. NOT Tom Petty, mind you—The Heartbreakers with x-New York Doll, Johnny Thunders. The Heartbreakers (who pre-dated Tom Petty’s group) recorded one sole record, LAMF (which stands for “Like A Motherfucker”—sorry Mom). They, the Ramones, The Voidoids…these are the New York bands of the period that ushered in punk rock. In fact Johnny, who while an amazing rocker was a pathetic drug addict who should not be idolized, went to the UK with the Dolls and inspired that scene as it was taking off, in some good ways and many bad.
Anyway, LAMF is known for a few things. The first, the performances by the band were incredible. Second, the mix was horrible. Legendarily horrible in fact. People, like Larry, returned the record when it first came out thinking it was just defective.
Larry and I spoke recently, and he had found out that when Track Records first sent the record to all of its international distributors, they thought the mix was horrible too. And many of them hired engineers to remix the record using what I believe to be the original tapes. And no one seemed to get it right….except (and this was the big recent reveal): Italy. Larry told me that he had JUST found a copy in Italy and it was like a new record. Brazen, more powerful…it was like listening for the first time.
So while the vote counts were happening around the country, and millions of nails were being bitten down, my copy of LAMF that I scored from discogs arrived. LARRY WAS RIGHT. The record is incredible. The guitars are not only blazing, there is a boogie-element now that shines through because of the way the instruments were mixed. There is glorious distortion on Johnny’s voice at times that cuts trough the tracks like razors. The drums and bass are louder in the mix and so much more punchy, just driving the whole record home. It feels like you are right next to them playing, in New York, during a revolutionary time in music. Amen.
It goes to show you that a mix is so important to the record making process. Just ask (if you could) Captain Beefheart about Bob Krasnow’s mix of STRICTLY PERSONAL or any of the mixers who aped Van Halen’s drum sound during the 80s hair band onslaught. Or just ask Brian Wilson, Phil Spector, Lenny Waronker and on and on.
Wanna hear LAMF, at least the version I have been listening to for over 30 years? Right here (be warned…many mixes are present here…none sound as good as the Italian pressing). Wanna hear the Italian version? After Covid is clear, c’mon over. Or do some deep Internet searching with your wallet out….it will come to you.
Wanna even hear MORE about mixing? Jeff Tweedy’s son and brilliant designer Lawrence Azerrad have just released a book all about home recording…interviewing some of the greatest artists of our time about how they go about doing it. Intro by Portlandia’s Carrie Brownstein and featuring Emitt Rhodes (RIP), Dan Deacon, Sadie Dupuis, Yuka Honda, Sharon Van Etten and many others, it is worth a gander.
Comprehensive van Gogh Database Launched by Dutch Museums
On-line art databases have been popping up during the pandemic and I must say this seems to be one of the best so far. Yes, I am a huge Van Gough fan and this rabbit-hole of a website offers incredible access to so much of his work.
Jerry Harrison turned me on to The Alta, an incredible quarterly published by a Hearst heir (who did not, it seems, inherit the evil aspect of his grandfather) about all things California (the state that would have been the first to secede if Trump was reelected). This article, published a few months ago, looks into the world of real private eyes…and it is a page turner in the noir sense of the word.
The Narragansett People in the Rhode Island Folklife Project
Another incredible Library of Congress project: Tom Burns’ chronicling of the Narragansett people in the late 70s. Burns’ work occurred right after the Narragansetts got some of their land back from the government and were wondering how they would preserve their heritage during ever changing times. Showcases the importance of the work of the field archivist….and of course the greatness and power of the Library of Congress.
SWEET DARKNESS
by David Whyte
When your eyes are tired
the world is tired also.
When your vision has gone,
no part of the world can find you.
Time to go into the dark
where the night has eyes
to recognize its own.
There you can be sure
you are not beyond love.
The dark will be your home
tonight.
The night will give you a horizon
further than you can see.
You must learn one thing.
The world was made to be free in.
Give up all the other worlds
except the one to which you belong.
Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet
confinement of your aloneness
to learn
anything or anyone
that does not bring you alive
is too small for you.