T. Rex- Electric Warrior!
1. Mambo Sun
Sir Jon (afterwards SJ): this song is so striking
the "ahhhhhssss" in the background just get me
just funky, kinda simple, great guitar.
The Josh (afterwards TJ): what a lumbering beat
perfect kickoff to the album
and great lyrics
El Chriz (afterwards EC): It's a slowed down version of Born To Be Wild
TJ: beneath the big ballooon a howl and a croooon for yoooou
EC: great album opener.
SJ: I love the croooon for you
I've got wide knees for you
they have great innuendos for sex
awesome lyrics
TJ: yea completely
just oozing songs
SJ: and maybe born to be wild, but much better
TJ: yea, much better
EC: It has that driving sound of Born To Be Wild... a 60s vibe...
SJ: no, I get what you are going at
but yeah, mambo sun is one of my faves on the album, funky
TJ: very funky
great percussion
2. Cosmic Dancer
TJ: this track has some of the best lyrics on the album
and when the drums and strings kick in
wowee
EC: As I was confiding to Jon earlier, this is a hard album for me to really ramble on about. It's pretty new to me and I don't know much about it's history.
But every song on this sucker is amazing.
EC: Electric Warrior is without a doubt an unsung classic. People into glam rock embrace this stuff, but most kids getting down with the 70s...
wearing their Pink Floyd shirts and grooving to the pink lava lamp they bought at The Blue Turtle head shop...probably don't know shit about T.Rex. This album needs more recognition.
I am a perfect example of that. Why did it take me 30 years to listen to this?
TJ: and Marc Bolan was great buddies with Ringo
EC: Who didn't like Ringo?
Did Ringo have enemies?
Other than that guy that tried cutting off his fingers in Help!?
TJ: true, but Ringo and Bolan went around together a lot, and Ringo is in T.Rex's weird little film thing they did
SJ: on cosmic dancer I can them in ziggy makeup just twisting and jiving
great great lyrics and what a transition from mambo sun
danced myself right out the womb, wow!
great drums on this, nice lil snares
3. Jeepster
EC: First of all, great fucking title.
can we use the f-word?
Can't remember if we banned it
TJ: oh hell yes, and i have no idea what it means "girl i'm just a jeepster for your love"
no we love the f-word
EC: So, a Jeepster…
TJ: i bet that marc bolan got so much tang
EC: is that an explorer? A rugged, backwoods safari kind of guy?
Who will drive to the depths of hell to get the good stuff?
And has Jeep ever used this song in a commercial?
TJ: if they haven't they're morons
EC: Because they should be knocking on Bolan's door for the rights to this song.
TJ: i know 20th century boy was in a car commercial
and a song from The Slider was in a coke commercial
so i'm sure he'd give the rights
and great handclaps in there at the end
EC: Was Electric Warrior their first big splash?
TJ: as far as I know, yea
SJ: jeepster is so so stud, joshs' favorite line of I'm a vampire for your love, adn I'm gonna suck ya!
I think there is a good lil r&b vibe here
and yes, what the hell is a jeepster?
not that it matters, b/c I almost want to do the sex twist to this
TJ: yea i looked it up and all they talked about is the Jeep Jeepster car
SJ: syrupy sweet vocals by bolan on jeepster
EC: Do you know where Jeep took it's name from?
SJ: uh yeah, something in ww2 right?
EC: named after the character in Popeye
TJ: there’s a popeye character named jeep?
SJ: are you sure about this el chriz? I’ve heard differently.
4. Monolith
EC: One of my favorite songs from this album.
TJ: the background vocals are great
these songs are martian like to me, like they're very floating out in the cosmos
EC: This whole song is fantastic.
And crap, Josh...
I was about to write about how Sci-Fi this song feels
TJ: it really is
EC: I have a stack of Heavy Metal comics from the 70s...
this song reminds me of those.
SJ: onto monolith, the background vocals do send you off
TJ: wow yea
and the way he hits the hi hat when he hits the snare too
SJ: the guitar effects are very psychedelic as well, they fit perfectly
TJ: makes a nice splash sound
SJ: very true, I'm listening to it right now, awesomeness
5. Lean Woman Blues
TJ: dirty
dirty
dirty
blues
like you could lather a woman in syrup and gyrate to this
SJ: yeah, get me a friggin bottle of jack and let me pour it all over ya baby!
1,2 buckle my shoe!!!!
this is down in the gutter kinda blues!
TJ: totally, just filthy blues
it's so slow and sloppy
i love it
SJ: I'm making a scrunched up face while grinding to it, uh!
TJ: and great solo
SJ: they can pop back and forth between things so well
good point
EC: very original sound though.
TJ: very very original
bowie loved t.rex, he ended up using tony visconti because of them as i understand
SJ: that makes total sense, you can hear some things from trex with bowie
6. Get It On
EC: Classic
TJ: overplayed, but who the fuck cares, this is one of the greatest rock songs ever
it is the epitome of rock n roll
SJ: and wow, okay, I've been waiting for this, but yeah, this is like top ten song of all time
TJ: "you're durty sweet and you're my gurl"
SJ: absolutely, its got everything
EC: And, as Josh and I have discussed, The Stones totally rip off this song with "It's Only Rock and Roll (But I like It)"
SJ: great girl lyrics
so true
and its got back up singers
horns,
great guitar
and the "ohs" and "ahs"
TJ: Get It On Bang A Gong Get It On
anyone can feel cool singing that
SJ: perfect, and if I made a video of this, I would have a dark room with bolan playing and singing and then when the chorus came on a spotlight would show a curvy stripper on a pole on a stage behind him going at it, possibly on a car
and then the spotlight would stop and go back to him
and then when chorus comes back, there comes our stripper
TJ: I like it!
SJ: my dream video of get it on!
EC: oh man, this would be a great stripper song
TJ: completely
EC: Get It On, Shake That Thong, Get IT On
TJ: you can gyrate like a sumbitch to this
SJ: I know, how do you not have them doing it all the time to this?
EC: This sax solo…
TJ: cuz they dance to stuff like lil jon and horrible korn
at least in tennessee strip clubs, that's all they dance to
EC: brief but cool. not enough sax in rock and roll
TJ: fits so well, the sax, and sax is hard to pull off
SJ: hard to pull off well, it can be very cheesy
TAKE ME!
7. Planet Queen
TJ: like a cousin to Mambo Sun
the breakdown in this song is fantastic
"well it's alriiiiighttttt"
Bolan worshipped him some bongos
SJ: good point, this does have a similar groove, and I just love background singing
EC: Something has to be said with the way each melody seems to borrow from the previous song... but become completely it's own
It's what makes this album flawless and unified.
TJ: on that Born To Boogie DVD concert film thing, he has a bongo player on stage who just goes nuts, some hippie
SJ: the production is beautiful, they flow to each other and then become their own
TJ: the production is amazing
EC: who produced again?
SJ: the bongos do their own thing while the drums fit in there as well
TJ: I read Tony Visconti saying that they started adding strings and weird horns and stuff to T.Rex songs because of Eleanor Rigby
that after they did that song with just strings and singing, everyone started using strings
Tony Visconti is the producer.
SJ: Then to bowie oh yeah!
8. Girl
TJ: nice acoustic strumming
SJ: lil acoustic pleader
this is a good transition and place holder between planet queen and motivator
EC: Seriously, how many albums have such a flawless flow?
This sucker is sequenced to perfection.
SJ: you don't really have a song that you are like "this is out of place"
TJ: just guitar and horn, wow.
EC: Even my "favorite" albums have filler tracks
SJ: yeah, usually. but this while simple, and full of little "doo doos" is very enjoyable
EC: again, little trumpet in there...
nice!
This really makes me want to have record player and vinyl collection.
SJ: very true, that is a cool thought, but I love my remasters!
9. The Motivator
SJ; love the guitar in this, and the choral singing
"love your broken crown"
and what is more motivating indeed than a hot chick?
so true.
EC: How does Bolan's other work stand up to this?
TJ: great bongoes in this one again
The Slider is fantastic
but other than that i think it's hit or miss.
SJ: yeah, doesn't t. rex the album have a few good ones, but otherwise up and down?
I'm trying to remember.
TJ: and small sidenote, what a kickass album cover for Electric Warrior
not to mention album title.
EC: yeah, I agree on both counts
the simplistic art and title really sells this sucker.
SJ: oh man, if I was younger(hint, hint josh) I would have a huge ass poster of this up.
and yeah, electric warrior describes bolan!!!
TJ: i totally want a poster of that, framed tho
i'm past putting posters up.
SJ: you would just see this in a store and be like, god, that kicks ass.
EC: Jon, you have a huge ass basement and no good excuses.
TJ: if they're framed, most def, SNAP, you just got served a slice of life Sir Jon, courtesy of El Chriz.
SJ: Oh, that hurts, humble pie, please!
10. Life’s A Gas
SJ: great, great song.
TJ: fantastic.
SJ: and the solo in this rocks my cock!
and what a great message, and you know life was a gas for him.
TJ: i love the kind of sleepy lumbering of this song.
SJ: yeah, he is just like fuck it, I can take my time.
TJ: oh the soloing is amazing in this. Too short tho.
11. Rip Off
EC; what a scorcher!
TJ: what an album closer.
SJ: seriously, leaves you wanting more!
EC: Another song that Mick decided to steal ("Shattered")
SJ: the drums are powerful here!!!
maybe
that's more of a stretch.
EC: yeah, that could be a stretch.
SJ; but the stones were renowned pirates, ry cooder anyone?
TJ: mmmm hmmm, gram parsons anybody? Man, this song is flaming!
SJ: his scatting and juking here on this song is awesome
TJ: they’re on fire.
SJ: I know, sounds almost iggy-ish here
TJ: yea, it really does, and great use of horns in here too.
SJ: production, so great!
TJ: yea and just how it all fades out with the soloing and the strings
SJ: great conclusion to a great album
TJ: completely
EC: brilliant ending!
SJ: this album is put together really well, I think the only thing I could say is that as great as get it on is, i feel sometimes that it is kinda out of place.
TJ: everything about this album screams rock n roll
SJ: maybe that is because I've heard it so often on classic rock radio and such
TJ: Bolan was just extremely badass
oh i hear ya on that
Get It On is wildly overplayed
SJ: oh, bolan is a monster, he is an electric warrior!
EC: What’s next, Josh? Sir Jon picked this one.
SJ: yes, josh, what’s next?
TJ: next will be The Kinks
(drumroll pleeeeease)
SJ: drumrolling the desk!
TJ: ARTHUR!!!!

Shuffle my muffle- Lets start this shuffle off right, who wins for the week? Sir Jon launches the salvo!
1. Right Right Now Now- Beastie Boys
From the truly underwhelming To the 5 boroughs, this is one of the better tracks, but shadrach meshach and abednego sound like they are sleepwalking their way through right now. Truly, this ain’t going on!

2. Prophet 15- Supergrass
A slower jam for Gaz and the boys, man, I had forgotten about this one, and I wanna slap my own wrist over it, how could I do this??? Shout outs to famous folk galore, what cads these chaps are!

3. (I Don’t Want To Go To) Chelsea- Elvis Costello
A sincere classic, this is a perfect song! Elvis almost raps his lyrics, great kinda reggae beat, awesome drums and organ! The lyrics themselves are brilliant and so bitter, I could listen to this over and over.

4. The Old Man Down The Road- John Fogerty
Must just be a Johnny fog’s kinda day. His picking is beautiful, and then he rips up the slide halfway through, and just goes off. The guy is a brilliant guitarplayer, there is no doubt about that. Solid lyrics, not a top ten fogerty, but still awesome.

5. His Majesty Rides- Josh Rouse
I know el chriz loves him some Rouse. I’m not as familiar with him, but this is a nice lil bouncy number. Singer/songwriter who sounds in the mayer vein maybe, this is good comfort music.

6. Tornado- The Black Crowes
Another one of them unreleased Crowes numbers. This is just Crob and an acoustic geetar, a slow weeper, not bad, but then again its easy to see why this one didn’t make a studio album. More like a passing rain storm, not a twister.

7. Once Upon A Time- Air
Wow, nobody makes beautifully ambient music like these electronic mothers! This is one of the best tracks off their latest and it just makes you wanna relax in a massage chair and have some Swedish hottie go at your back! Not really sure how guys can make this music, but I ain’t hatin!

8. Pressure, ft. Jay-Z- Lupe Fiasco
Sloppy lyrics, but very bouncy beats and good hook, tho I don’t have any earthly idea why an eagle keeps screaming in my ear. Uh oh, who dis be, it’s the mighty Hova!!! Always bringing the pain and stealing others songs, that’s what the Jiggaman do.

9. Here We Come- Boot Camp Clik, prod. by 9th wonder
Wow, this is a mahfuggin rap march, grab yo fatigues, yo big ol’ boots, yo gold teef in yo grill and blunts and start rolling! Great production and rapping back and forth between such a catchy chorus rapping back and forth, so cool!

10. Jorgy ft. Waajeed- Dabrye
Very cool just beat track from Dabrye, who is climbing my list, good the Josh find. Just makes you bob your head. This is a close one El Chriz, maybe I’ll give, maybe I won’t?

Any luck for The Josh?
1. Why?-Crossed Bones

Very cool album. This album is when Why? really expanded his sound with a live band. This guy is immensely influenced by Beck, especially his lyrics.

2. John Fahey-The Yellow Princess

What can I say about Fahey that hasn't been said. The guy is just simply amazing on the guitar, and wildly influential on a lot of the popular folk guys of today like M. Ward and Devendra Banhart. When I make my movie this song is going to be in it, it would be terrific in a film.

3. The Hives-A Get Together To Tear It Apart

Oh baby, Howlin' Pelle and the Hives boys. This song is fantastic. This album is great, and to toot my own horn for a minute I turned a slew of people on to the Hives. I had this album on import and I kept playing it for everyone. Go Hives!

4. Linda Serbu-If You Rescue Me(Acapella)

This is a woman singing the Velvet Underground song from the Science Of Sleep soundtrack. The song has a small running theme through the film and so there's about three or four versions of it on the soundtrack. Nothing will ever touch the original though, with the sweet Mo Tucker vocals. This version here is not that good, though.

5. Buddy Holly-Ting A Ling

Horrible name for a song, but I love me some Buddy Holly. This song has some great classic Buddy vocals on it too. He hiccups all throughout it, which is great. Nice little short rocker with some great strumming from Holly.

6. The Knife-Neverland

People are going nuts over The Knife, but I haven't gotten super into them. This track is very cool though. They're a swedish electro group, and they got a lot of notoriety from Jose Gonzalez covering their song Heartbeats. Solid electro stuff.

7. Bert Jansch-It Don't Bother Me

My fellow crusader, Sir Jon, gave me an iTunes gift card for my Birthday, and I used part of it to purchase the two-disc Bert Jansch anthology. Bert Jansch is great old British folk music, mostly just guitar, the occasional strings or drums. This song is similiar to a lot of his stuff, but still great. Some nice fingerpicking and moaning singing. I can dig it.

8. Tenacious D-Double Team

JABLES AND RAGE KAGE!!! This song is all about the two of them double teaming a lady, fantastic. Why the fuck didn't I see their movie when it was out?!? When this song gets going I just want to laugh. Gotta love the D. I love how this ends with 'HAIL SATAN!'.

9. Jay Dee-Beat 11

AKA J Dilla, this is just an unused Beat from one of his Beat CDs. Nice little thumping drums and airy keys, Dilla style. One of my top two favorite producers, Dilla Dawg always shows up on my hiphop mixes, he's the GOD of beats.

10. The Smiths-Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me

I love this song. I first downloaded it because I read Andre 3000 talking about it in an interview. The song is really cool, it talks about when you have a great dream and wake up and are hit with reality where the person that was in your dream might not be a part of your life. There's a really long intro to this song, but when it kicks in, it's great. Pretty fitting end to the shuffle too.

And the winner and still champ, El Chriz, enjoy this victory Crusader!

1. The Breeders - Cannonball: A great way to kick off this shuffle. The Breeders had so much potential to pick up where The Pixies left off.... but alas, Kim Deal and/or her sister loved drugs too much. The alternative explosion in the early 90s was an exciting time for music. It wasn't the late 60s, mind you, but it was still pretty cool. Glad I was there for it.

2. U2 - Beautiful Day: The second best track from All That You Can't Leave Behind. This one reminds me of my Dutch friend who came to see me in California in December of 2000 (after five years of not seeing one another). It was a nice moment for El Chriz... who was, for a brief time, very much in love with a girl who to this day remains a very good friend. A beautiful day indeed.

3. Frank Black - Eighty Five Weeks: From an album called Pistolero. Great title, huh? I think the ChrizPod called forth Frank Black to challenge Kim Deal. As mentioned in a previous IPod shuffle, Frank is at times too prolific for his own good. But among the copious filler are a lot of diamonds. This is one of them. This is a rather new song for me. Maybe the second time I've heard it... and it's very, very good.

4. U.N.K.L.E. - Invasion: From an album given to me by The Josh. One I only listened to once and don't remember. But this is a cool track. Sounds like Depeche Mode meets Daniel Ash (Love & Rockets)... or maybe even The Church. Cool stuff. Kudos to The Josh!

5. Steve Earle - The Gringo's Tale: From The Revolution Starts Now, a wonderful little protest album that kind of went unnoticed. Great strings on this. Recently, he was booed off of a stage in Deadwood, South Dakota, for talking about how evil the white man was for taking the land from the indians. That'd be like him coming to UVA and reminding everyone that Jefferson was a slave-owning bigot. You have to know when and where to protest, Steve. But damn, you write a good song.

6. The Cure - Just One Kiss: A cool little Cure track that was originally a B-side but was then gathered for The Japanese Whispers album (kind of like the Cure's version of The Magical Mystery Tour, an album comprised of singles and b-sides). This is a good song with some nice instrumentation.

7. Nirvana - The Downer: From Incestiside. Nirvana kicks so much ass it's not funny. I'm glad they destroyed hair metal. This track is really different... kind of sounds like something from Bleach, their first album.

8. Tesla - Heaven's Trail (No Way Out): It wouldn't be an El Chriz playlist without some Tesla! And this isn't cheesy boys, this is good acoustic metal blues. There is nothing more I can say about Tesla that I haven't already shoved down your throats: ¡Viva Tesla!.

9. The Band - The Rocking Chair: Just yesterday, JW handed me The Band's first album and asked if I had it. I gave Josh credit and said "yep." JW claims that he first heard this album on acid. I first heard this album working for JW while wishing I wish I was on acid. The Whitehead clan has really turned me onto The Band.

10. Busdriver & Radioinactive with Daedelus - Carl Weathers: I have a friend who loves hip hop as much as The Josh. And like The Josh, he likes good hip hop. He sent me this album to try out. I liked it the first time I heard it but never gave it another chance. Shame on me. This is good stuff.

I end by saying this is the must successful shuffle of my IPod's career. Kudos to the ChrizPod.