Alright, jerks. You know what it’s time for. Oh, you don’t? Then, get the fuck out . . . It’s time for Sock Rockin’ Beats, our tribute to ringing ears and sprained necks. This is the sixth time we’ve done it. And by done it we mean play all the songs that will have the neighbors reaching for brooms to pound the ceiling. Or the phone to call the cops. Enjoy, everybody. ‘Cept that guy. We told you to get the fuck out.
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Not every bloodline is gold. For every Frank Sinatra, we have a Frank Sinatra, Jr.; for every John Lennon, a Sean Lennon. But, every once in a while . . . talent is in the genes. In Lesson 83 of the 101 Series we keep it in the family and feature bands made up of brothers, sisters, and cousins. You know, the people you first make noise with. Join us for two hours of jams by groups who must have had interesting times on the road. (Seriously, who wants to catch their brother doing blow off a groupie’s ass with two roadies? Not us.)
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Once again, we wonder off into the smokey world of shellac . . . For the sixth time we drop the needle in the groove in our vinyl-only show, Off The Wall. In this episode we focus on one 3-record set called The Music People. It’s a collection of artists that were on the Columbia label and various subsidies from 1970-1975. But it’s all vinyl and it all rocks. Don’t mind the gaps, scratches, hisses and bumps. Keep your fingers on the sides of the record . . . look, man, you smudged it. Great.
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Few places on earth are and were worth making a pilgrimage to . . . Mecca . . . the pyramids . . . the Great Wall . . . One of them, probably the most important, is no longer a place you can physically travel to: CBGB. In Lesson 82 of the 101 Series we take your ears back to the tiniest, loudest, smelliest, anti-hipsterish rock club the world will ever know. Put on your boots and stick the safety pin through your cheek, it’s time to release the punx.
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You know who really loves long songs? The DJ. The overnight guy puts on “Hotel California” or “The End” or “Stairway” because that gives him enough time to go take a leak and smoke a j. We at The Balcony want to continue said tradition. Here’s our sixth testament to songs over ten minutes, Long Song Silver. In this episode we play some fucking opuses, man. Opuses!
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There are so many things you can say about radio. The sound of static and a mis-dialed station can’t be replicated on a DSL line. Also, someone once said “Radio is a heartbreak.” That same someone then got the idea to write a song or two about it. And so did a lot of other people. On Lesson 81 of the 101 Series we assemble the best songs about Radio – the medium the builds and destroys. You can take some wild rides in radio. Listen in as we try to de-magnetize the static.
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Sunday nights from 1949 to 1971 there was only one place on the dial to watch live music . . . and everyone showed up. From Doris Day to the Jackson 5. The man who hosted this shindig: America’s uncool uncle, Mr. Ed Sullivan. Tune in and heat up that frozen TV dinner in the range, here’s episode 6 of I Remember That. In this episode we go from black and white to glorious technicolor. Put the clicker down. Take your shoes off and put on your houseslippers. You can walk the dog later.
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Yeah, it’s the dead of freaking winter, but we don’t hate to admit it . . . we miss baseball. Football? Eh. Basketball? So-so. College football? Go fuck yourself. Here in Lesson 80 of the 101 Series we go full the nine innings with the best tunes about the Pastime you’ll ever hear. Start the oven, we brought hot dogs. You better have mustard.¡BÉISBOL!
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Only one of the Beatles achieved the state of pure bliss known as Nirvana. It wasn’t Ringo. In episode six of our tribute to Los Beatles, we let the Quiet One take center stage for more than two tracks an album . . . Enjoy the George Show. Pull up a hash cloud and listen to a couple of hours worth of GH’s solo material and try to stay in this dimension. Om.
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Getting somewhere is half the journey of going somewhere. But, your choice of transportation can be worth writing a song about . . . for better or worse. With Lesson 79 of the 101 Series we concentrate on three important modes of travel – planes, trains and automobiles – and try to understand if there is something worth leaving home for. We at The Balcony, who started on a couch, are total couch people.
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