Week In Music July 6 - 12th

Morricone. What can I say? A tremendous loss.

Wrote the most beautiful song I know, one of my favourites of all-time. Mina's 'Se Telefonando'. And he wrote it for a television show! So great he could just rattle stuff off like this for whatever. I love how the tune has no real tonal center, and of course the emotion behind it - what words cannot express - is why there is music in the first place.





And another gorgeous slice of pop is his 'Deep Down' from the Danger: Diabolik soundtrack. Sung by Christy, who I wish did more.




I discovered both of these one rainy night in 2005 when, having recently returned to my hometown in the States from my beloved London, I put on the Canto Morricone Vol. 1 - The 60's compilation that had just arrived in the post. I was driving back from picking up some takeout for my family from one of our favourite Italian restaurants when Mina came on track 3 and I was completely floored. I can still remember where I was as I realized just how amazing what was coming through my speakers was. The stoplight turning green, the hill to the golf course on my right, the factory to my left, the rain lightly drumming down on the windscreen.

My big discovery this week is Hedvig Mollestad. Liam from the Pynchon In Public podcast sent me that link and I started listening. And just kept going. Had her on for hours that first day. And have started buying the albums. One at a time in order to savour. She's a phenomenal guitarist and her work combines jazz, rock, and groove in a rather excellent way. I've been digging these:

Hedvig Mollestad Trio · All Them Witches

Loved the Eurovision movie and have been getting 'Jaja Ding Dong' stuck in my head a lot. I feel a certain affinity for the man who kept calling out for it.





Relistening to The In-Kraut Vol. 1 compilation, which has Marianne Mendt's fantastic 'Wie A Glock'n', I was also way into 'Molotow Cocktail Party'. This tune is wild. And packs the phrase 'cocktail party' in to the limits of how many times you can say it in a two-and-a-half minute pop song.




Had a great conversation with David Ryder Prangley about his new solo album for my Etcetera ETC With Young Southpaw podcast. We talked a lot about KISS and Van Halen of course, which had me revisit Paul's 1978 solo album. Some really good songs on there! Hadn't heard it in decades. Love the glam pop/rock of 'It's Alright' and 'Wouldn't You Like To Know Me'. Reminds me of the early glammy Mötley Crüe stuff that I wish they'd done more of.

Gene Simmons - Radioactive...

Radioactive, the first song on Gene Simmons' 1978 solo album was always my favourite of all the KISS solo records (I remember being very disappointed by them as a child, only ever listening to this and Ace's version of New York Groove, but perhaps it's time to revisit them).  Aerosmith's Joe Perry played guitar on this and Tunnel Of Love and Bob Seger sang backing vocals!  It's a really good pop song.




On the 1979 Dynasty Tour (also known as "The Return Of Kiss") they performed a song from each of the four members' solo records (makes sense) though it looks like Radioactive (and Peter Criss' Tossing And Turning) was dropped after only a few gigs.  A shame.  A live version from Largo, MD 1979:




I was chatting with David Ryder Prangley the other night and he reminded me that not only did Gene Simmons produce Van Halen's 1976 "Zero" Demo, he also roped in Eddie and Alex to play on some KISS demos for him.  The Van Halen brothers played on early versions of Christine Sixteen, Got Love For Sale (originally entitled Have Love With Travel when the VH bros. played on it), and Tunnel Of Love (which ended up on Gene's solo record with Joe Perry on guitar).  How I would LOVE to hear these!  But this is one of those rare occasions that always makes one frustrated with technology, that even with all we have now, there's still no way to hear them.  There's been some conjecture about them being released and fingers crossed one day it will happen. Gene apparently states in the KISS box set that they wanted to use Christine Sixteen and Got Love For Sale but couldn't track Eddie down to get his permission.  He needs permission from both brothers in order to release them.

Kiss - Tomorrow...

When I was 11 and 12, I was a HUGE Kiss fan, obsessed with them.  It was a transition from Van Halen to Punk Rock.  I sought out The Elder (which in 1988 was almost impossible to find), got the comic book, every album, etc.  Unmasked I've always felt was highly underrated, and it's been my favourite record of theirs for as long as I can remember. Some really good pop on there.  Tomorrow is my favourite song of theirs and has been for decades now.  I just think it's a great Pop song.