Ron Asheton - Sail On You Genius Bastard!

Shit. Ron Asheton died. Dead in his house for days before they found him. Sitting in a chair. No Maltese crosses or guitars in his hands. Sunglasses on? I would hope so. Is there something about getting into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame that causes the geniuses to die off just before playing the damn thing? Joe Strummer, I'm thinking of you. Ron Asheton...

The first time I heard The Stooges, I mean the first time I really heard The Stooges, was at Rocko's House of Mirrors. The first Stooges album was blaring from the speakers. Just incendiary! We were all roaming around on some kind of paper. Cooper holding court like a turd holding vinyl. I just sat in front of the speaker and had my mind literally blown. Shot. Exploded into a new way of thinking about the music I loved and a better way to consider the music I would hear in the future. Iggy howling, mad. Scott Asheton, pounding and hurling. The late Dave Alexander rolling a steady bass line. Ron Asheton playing guitar like no one before him. Proto-punk. Bolder MC5. Balls to the fucking walls. Sold!

But enough of this palaver, watch an old Stooges video and remember Asheton.



ap - 2009

Isaac Hayes - Sail On You Soul Bastard!

I'm still bummed about Black Moses. This guy, who the thumbs are pointing to, is a big fucking Stax fan. Huge. I have Stax people I love and people I really love. Black Moses is one of them. Issac was Soul Brother number 1.5.

Can I just say that his version of "Walk On By," is way soul heaven to me. While I really love Bacharach era Dionne Warwick, Hayes' spooky ass arrangement and killer chick backing vocals took this song places that old Burt wouldn't have ever imagined; bedrooms around the world.

I went to see Eartha Kitt once in the East Bay. Eartha was in the middle of a song in French, or Turkish, or Kitty Kat, and she was wailing away like she does when all of a sudden, in my right ear, comes this silky soapy baritone saying "Man, Eartha really sounds good tonight." I turned around and in the booth behind me was one bad mother. Eartha's alright but this was Isaac! I kept looking around because he wouldn't stop talking and then when he wouldn't stop talking I wanted him to shut his mouth, so I could dig Eartha. I think it was a show that actually cost me money and I didn't want it ruined by anyone, especially Isaac Hayes.

I could give a shit about Scientology or Chef and as far as Shaft is concerned, I'm more thankful for the sequel because it's responsible for one of the baddest motherfucking soul performances of all time and it gives me an excuse to post the video. Just watch the sister dance in this performance from Wattstax. No one dances like that anymore and no band looked or sounded like they were coming straight outta the funk box to devastate more than The Bar-Kays (who were the band that backed Hayes on Shaft ) in this live version of "Son of Shaft."



Righteous.

ap - 2008

Scott Murphy - Sail On You Punk Bastard!

My old friend Scott died this week. Drugs took him in the Pacific Northwest. He was easy for drugs to find, difficult for friends. I'd only seen Scott once in 20 years. He roamed into the Outland in the middle of a set I was doing in 1999. He gave me a wave and was gone. I had so much catching up to do.

Scott was punk rock. He was the "get your ass kicked for just being a punk" punk. Only, Scott fought back. We skated ditches, parking garages, ramps. We wrestled over issues of Maximum Rock and Roll. We wore old man bermudas. Swapped decks and folded pizza the proper way, down the middle. We stayed up late with Tony, Andy, and Kellett watching URGH! A Music War. We took punk rock to the roller skating rink and busted our asses doing DEVO flips in the back. We worshipped the The Jam. We lived together. We stole food. Shared girlfriends. Scott and I took a trip to see Die Kreuzen, skated all over Kansas City, did an interview with The Star. We dropped acid for the first time together. Thanks be to DEVO for getting that party started.

Murphy and I were mates. Thick as fucking thieves. Scott took all the English Punk Rock shit he could take, blended it with really early and cutting edge American Hardcore, and turned himself into a one man wrecking crew. Crass, Husker Du, Throbbing Gristle, Black Flag, The Jam, Minor Threat, Bad Brains, J.F.A., Bauhaus, Youth Brigade, were just a few of the bands that passed from his wide eyes and fast talking mouth into my record collection. Scott moved at a speed that none can imagine. He was firmly electric.

After Scott moved back to the Queen City from Tulsa, where we had moved to further ourselves, I moved towards Modism and we lost touch. Scott became a father of two and ventured towards Seattle. And there he stayed.



His Glendale yearbook featured a blurb about Scott and his punky new wave ways. This nifty skate ditch photo purports to show Murphy in action. The QCR staff is not sure about the short shorts and safety gear. They may have been needed to teach good, responsible boarding. I can't make out the deck but I think it's mine. The yearbook staff asked Scott what he thought about society…

"I think people are too caught up with other people's standards. Society suppresses people and strips them of their individuality. Individualism is my main idea on what I really stand for."

That sounds a lot like Paul Weller and like Weller, Scott made the standards and he made the rules. I'll miss him.

Take care brother.

AP - 2008