Wax of the Week #62...Rein Sanction: “Creel” 7” (1991)

 

Out-of-nowhere Florida oddball band (for Sub Pop at the time), sounding a little like Dinosaur Jr., with laconic vocals that fade in and out, and dripping syrup guitar. Don’t remember liking their other records, but the a-side here is cool.

Wax of the Week #61...AC/DC: Fly on the Wall (1985)

Haven’t heard this since it came out, but I remember a couple of good songs from the local Metal Shop radio show of the time, so couldn’t resist picking up a cheap copy recently (come to find out it was cheap cause it’s full of skips!). “Sink the Pink” still sounds great, flashing me back to rockin’ summer kegger parties in the woods, or driving to a big concert, doing things we shouldn’t. “Shake Your Foundations” is pretty good, but no other songs really stand out. Can’t say I’m familiar with any complete LPs after this one, except for The Razor's Edge and Ballbreaker, neither of which did anything for me. Cover art by Todd Schorr, later a well-known underground painter. (The videos for these songs are terrible.)

Wax of the Week #60...Al Caiola: Theme From the "Magnificent 7 Ride" 73 (1973)

 Cool little easy listening record with some light crime/spy themes.

Wax of the Week #59...Aerosmith: Get Your Wings (1974)

 Contains “Lord of the Thighs,” one of their best songs, along with “Seasons of Wither,” later covered by Die Kreuzen. Has a couple other decent tunes, but was really just a tee up for their next two records. I was surprised to later read that Steve Hunter and Dick Wagner played some (uncredited) lead guitar on this, and the second half of “Train Kept a Rollin’” is not actually live, but mixed with audience noise from the Concert for Bangladesh (!) to sound that way.

Wax of the Week #58...Killdozer: “Short Eyes” 7” (1990)

 

One of my all-time favorite singles. Distills all the cool traits of the band into two songs, and not even with their original guitarist. Crazy Haze drops his deranged Helios Creed spew over the top of the lumbering rhythm section (wish they did a whole LP together). Heaviness meets dry Midwestern absurdity.