Who doesn't want to be a Flinstone?

The Screaming Blue Messiahs - Bikini Red

I was introduced to this album when it came out by a friend in school. The first song I heard was, "I Wanna Be A Flinstone", which immediately became my favourite song. I bought the tape and that was how I listened to the album. It wasn't until years later that I finally picked up the vinyl and it has since become a frequent spin at home. Not just the Flinstone track, but songs like the title track, "Jesus Chrysler Drives A Dodge", "Lie Detector", "All Shook Down" and my favourite, the opening song, "Sweet Water Pools". 

They sound like the Clash meets the Violent Femmes, British punk energy with smart, tongue in cheek songs. The best example being, "I Can Speak American", especially considering the band is British. Plus, Bill Carter is unlike any singer/guitar player you've ever seen. He's bald, he's a maniac and doesn't play his guitar so much, more like he flicks it around.

The band actually made an appearance on Top Of The Pops and opened for David Bowie on a couple of dates on the Glass Spider tour in 1987. But, they never really caught on and broke up in 1990. 

The album is a little hard to find now, but definitely worth picking up if you ever come across it in the bargain bin. Check out this TV performance from 1987 and dig the suit!

No more La Bamba for Los Lobos.

Los Lobos – The Neighborhood

1992’s “Kiko” has often been regarded as Los Lobos’ finest moments. The album that takes the tejano folk/rock band and morphs them into the seasoned, Tex-mex rock band hitting their songwriting stride. But for me, "The Neighborhood" is that album. 

It was released in 1990 and when I first heard ‘Down By The Riverside” I couldn’t believe it was Los Lobos. It didn’t sound anything like the La Bamba band we’d all come to know over the past few years. The production was light years beyond the 80’s sound they’d suffered from on the earlier records. It was a grittier and more soulful than anything they’d done before and those songs!

The songwriting is fantastic and you can tell the band is really getting into it. The 50’s sound is gone and the album sounds modern, yet very familiar at the same time. From the funky blues of “Down On The Riverbed” to the soulful lullaby of “Little John Of God they cover it all. But they pull them all off perfectly and no else but David Hidalgo can make a lyric like, “A red tailed hawk circles overheard” sound so cool. This is also where they turn into a kick ass rock band!

David Hidalgo is also one of my favorite guitar players and this is the first album where he really starts to shine. His recorded sound finally caught up with his playing. He's got some killer riffs in songs like, "I Walk Alone" and "Deep Dark Hole" and the guitar solo in the title track is one of the finest on record. 

No question “Kiko” is a great album, but for my money “The Neighborhood” is even better!

A true lost classic.

White Mansions: A tale from the American Civil War 1861-1865

This is a hidden gem and definitely something we never saw enough of, a country concept album. The premise is simple, it’s the tale of several characters as they live through the American Civil War. The characters are played by Jessie Colter, Waylon Jennings, John Dillon and Steve Cash. I didn’t know until I looked it up, but Steve Cash is a founding member of the Ozark Mountain Daredevils. Waylon and Jessie I know, but I still don’t know who John Dillon is. Bernie Leadon and Eric Clapton are also part of the band and it was written by some dude named Paul Kennerley. 

Regardless, the album is fantastic! Some of the songs would sound out of sorts on their own, but as a cohesive album, they work great. There are some great songs as well, “Dixie: Hold On”, “The Union Mare and Confederate Grey”, “The Last Dance & Kentucky Racehorse” and a song that you wish would last forever, “Story To Tell”. 

Not only the music, but the package is incredible, including a 27 page book with photos that tell the story. They’re great photos with full sets in mansions, on the battlefields and plantations where the music takes place. All of the characters look the part and everything looks incredibly authentic. The story is laid out perfectly too, with the circumstances surrounding the Civil War explained to help give the album context. Then the story is explained before the lyrics, you couldn’t for a better way to listen to a concept album. 

Unfortunately, not an easy album to find, you have to look for it. But, it is definitely worth a search, even if you have to pay the shipping on ebay.