Heart of a Punk Soul of a Rasta

TURN ON - TUNE IN - FALL OUT

Now someone told me the other day that there are people at large in the UK today, who have left school and are working, that weren't even born when Supergrass were formed. No it can't be I said! Well it's true and if you are one of these mature upright citizens and you've just bought "Turn Ons" by The Hot Rats but you've no idea who the bands are that they've covered, then listen to us and we'll steer you down the path of the righteous and divert you from the road to Rouen.

Because when all is said and done one man's TURN ON is another man's TURN OFF and sometimes a band might want to turn you on, but you the punter ain't for turning. This happened with the mighty Moz on the Ringleader of the Tormentors Tour back in 2006. There I was packed in with the other sardines at the North Wales Conference Centre in Llandudno, dripping wet and fatigued, midway through the Morrissey set, when all of a sudden Boz and the boys struck up a version of "Song from Under the Floorboards" by Magazine. Hey it had been a long time since I'd heard anything by Magazine played live so I began to oscillate wildly. A few bars in though I realised that no other bugger was doing the same, I checked to the left of me, I checked to the right, I checked in front and I checked behind, nope, I was surrounded by stock still, confused, under whelmed, confused, catatonic and confused people shaking their collective heads saying "What the f**k is this!". Yes, except for one poor sad old bald tosser the crowd was motionless. One mans turn on is another mans turn off, so be warned and, here goes:

Velvet Underground's "I Can't Stand it" can be found on "VU" a compilation album recorded in the sixties and released in the '80's if you like The Hot Rats COVER start there if you really have to. We at HOAP SOAR aren't going to push anything we don't love and we don't love Velvet Underground and we ain't going to bore you with the whys and the wherefores. Personally I've only ever owned two Lou Reed albums and they were "Transformer" and "New York". Transformer I bought before I knew any better and because I wanted a copy of "Walk on the Wild Side" and the "New York" album I bought in 1989 when, let's be frank there was very little else going on. Go and buy these two albums first - tell them Ian McCulloch sent you.

OK I know there is no Zappa on the Hot Rats record but I've had a bit of Zappa experience - all of it was against my wishes - so here's what I know. A dark distant mate of mine (we'll call John because that was his name) invested a lot of time trying to Zapperise me with his meticulously collected Zappa collection, this indoctrination even entailed dragging me to see Frank play live - sleep I could of. I've long since lost touch with John and I've also attended an intensive Zappa deprogramming programme but I do have a slight remembrance of a live album called "Sheik Yerbouti", laugh? yes I bloody well did - go there you'll get the idea. But beware if you like this record there is another 7,254 Zappa albums waiting for you.

I got turned on to the Doors long after the Carnival had left town by way of The Stranglers - someone had to tell me though. It was 1977 I was 14 and I thought I knew it all. Then some old geezer (probably 17 years of age) looked at the punk badges on my jacket and says "You like the Stranglers do you, they ain't a punk band, that Greenfield bloke he's just Ray Manzarek" I'd like to think now that I told him to piss off but I probably just sculked away, and then found out who Ray Manzarek was.

A couple of years passed and the film "Apocalypse Now" came out using "The End" by the Doors as the intro. I went out the next day and bought "The Doors" and "L.A. Woman" - no home should be without all three "Apocalypse Now" "The Doors" and "L.A. Woman" - believe!

The puerile Beastie Boys and the massively overrated (they were the only art house thing around at the time get over it) Roxy (shitehouse) Music are definitely TURN OFF'S - Please don't get me started with RM - fox hunting - Lennon grave robbing - ooh I could have been a painter tossers. Just remember people "Love is the Drug" reached No. 2 in the charts in 1975, it came out in between Rod Stewart's "Sailing" that was No.1 for 22 weeks (it f**kin felt like it) and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" that was number one for 31 weeks (ditto). You may think that's why RM didn't get to no.1. Wrong, it was held off the top spot by "Hold Me Close" by David Essex - well that's the way I remember it anyway.

The Cure and "Love Cats"; I bought this one the day it came out from a record shop (can't remember the name of it) just down from where the NT Back to Back properties are in Birmingham. You know directly over the road from where Rusty Lee's restaurant used to be - what d'you mean you don't know who Rusty Lee is? Anyway many years ago they built The Glee Club on that record shop so make up your own punch line.

There's a lot of Cure to be turned on to, but I must confess coming after the singles "Hanging Garden" and "Let's go to Bed" (later disowned by Smith), "Love Cats" was almost too much pop for me to stomach. If I had to turn you on to a single single by the Cure it would be either "Primary", "Charlotte Sometimes" or "A Forest", and album wise it would have to be "Pornography". You see I like my Cure how they should be, miserable, but if you want jolly (and sometimes I do) the album "Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me" is all a mind and body needs.

It's a no brainer as far as Gang of Four and The Sex Pistols are concerned if you haven't yet heard "Entertainment" or "Never Mind the Bollocks" then I envy you, go and fill your boots up, if you don't love these albums you're past saving.

Now I couldn't possibly turn anyone on to Pink Floyd, not even Syd Barret's Pink Floyd, it would be asking too much, I'm just not that evil. Back at school in the early seventies some Hobbit reading Herbert leant me "Relics" and "Dark Side of the Moon" - err it could have put me off music for life, but hey what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. So leave the Floyd alone! Instead go straight to "Dub Side of the Moon" by Easy Star All Stars - now we're talking!

Back in the day I hated Squeeze with a passion (yeah they never liked like me either). On hearing "Take Me I'm Yours" for the first time in '78 it was hate at first hear. Thankfully I was able to keep out of their way until the 26th July 1980 when it became impossible to side step them. I was standing in a field near Milton Keynes waiting for The Police to stop by and shit Squeeze were on the bill.

OK I confess after seeing them play live my loathing of all things Squeeze was down graded to tacit abhorrence, due in part to the southern nasal banter of Jools Master of Ceremonies Holland (whatever happened to him). But still the NME knob heads continued to get to me, pratting on saying that Difford and Tilbrook were the new Lennon and McCartney - bollo boys, as always, bollo!

Join the Squeeze Fan Club?
Well that'll just never happen!

As I've said already I only do Ray Davies and the Kinks by proxy, I have a lot of his songs dotted around my record collection but nothing by the original geezer himself. But what I do know is Ray Davies released a choral album last year which included a version of "Big Sky" - yes I did say CHORAL - yes that does mean with a CHOIR - you don't believe me do you? Well in this instance you should because I've just been off and had a listen to "The Kinks Choral Collection" on that last.fm thing, and ok it's not to my personal taste but strangely it works - go listen it might turn you on.

Finally "Pump it Up" by Elvis Costello I bought from Sundown Records in Wolverhampton on the day it came out, and I saw Elvis Costello and the Attractions play this track live probably far too many between 1978 and 1984. If I had to turn you on to a Costello album it would have to be "Trust" from 1981, simply because it's the one I play the most. It came out between the "Get Happy" LP which was partial voyage into R&B and "Almost Blue" that was a wholehearted foray into Country. "Trust" employs a scatter gun approach flitting from Pop, Latin, Country, Rock N Roll and 40's Crooners, but it works. EC is at his most wordily asinine while the Attractions musicality and Nick Lowe's production is as accurate as it is unfussy. The vinyl is out there and can be yours for £5 from your local Record Shop or Ebay or somewhere. The CD can be purloined from the likes of Play.com for the same amount. "Trust" can be your for less than a pack of fags, so if you haven't got it what you waiting for?

Declan Costello has had his songs covered by a multitude of musos, but the one he holds most dear is "Almost Blue" from the "Imperial Bedroom" LP which was covered to perfection by the Jazz "leg end" Chet Baker.

On the 13th May 1988 Chet Baker died after falling from a window at the Prins Hendrik Hotel in Amsterdam. On 31 August 2007 Mick Quinn (the Supergrass bass man) broke two vertebrae after falling from the window of a rented villa near Toulouse. Mr Quinn you're a very lucky man to be alive - conspiracy theorists start your work.