December 3, 2008 Playlist

A Lester Bangs
Audio Companion
 
Lester Bangs (1948-1982)
      
     
"The Velvet Underground & Nico" (1967)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
The Velvet Underground & Nico  1967 (USA/Germany)
The notorious gonzo "rock critic" Lester Bangs championed a lot of obscure and obnoxious records during his career, but arguably none benefited from his tireless praise more than this now-considered-classic New York avant-punk album from 1967.  At times beautiful and at other times downright hideous, this is "human music" that inspires "feelings" in the listener -- which was always Lester's ultimate test for what constitutes "good" music.
Rather than video clips, this week here is a selection of reviews and articles by the late Lester Bangs:
Raves: "Lick My Decals Off Baby", "Plastic Ono Band", "Blue Oyster Cult".
Pans: "Pictures At An Exhibition", "Islands", "Burning Love", "Pieces Of Eight".
Rants: "The White Noise Supremacists" , "Easter".
And don't forget to check out the two posthumous anthologies of Lester's writing Psychotic Reactions & Carburetor Dung (1988) and Mainlines, Blood Feasts & Bad Taste (2003).
   
Artist Song Album Year Country
The Count Five Psychotic Reaction Psychotic Reaction 1966 USA
The Yardbirds I'm A Man (Bo Diddley) Having A Rave Up (US version)
1965 UK
? and the Mysterians 96 Tears 96 Tears 1966 USA
Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs Wooly Bully Pharoahization! (compilation) 1965 USA
The Velvet Underground White Light / White Heat White Light / White Heat 1967 USA
The Stooges Real Cool Time The Stooges 1969 USA
Lester Bangs & the Delinquents I'm In Love With My Walls Jook Savages On The Brazos 1981 USA
 
 
Hapshash & The Coloured Coat H-O-P-P-Why? Hapshash & The Coloured Coat Featuring The Human Host & The Heavy Metal Kids 1967 UK
The Godz Turn On Contact High Wit Da Godz 1966 USA
The Fugs New Amphetamine Shriek Virgin Fugs 1966 USA
The Shaggs My Pal Foot-Foot Philosophy Of The World 1969 USA
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band Ella Guru Trout Mask Replica 1969 USA
 
   
MC5 I Want You Right Now Kick Out The Jams 1969 USA
The Troggs I Want You B-side 7" single 1966 UK
The Troggs Come Now B-side 7" single 1970 UK
The Stooges TV Eye Funhouse 1970 USA
Black Sabbath Electric Funeral Paranoid 1970 UK
Slade Mama Weer All Crazee Now Slayed? 1972 UK
   
 
Patti Smith Gloria (Van Morrison) Horses 1975 USA
Sex Pistols Bodies Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols 1977 UK
The Ramones Teenage Lobotomy Rocket To Russia 1977 USA
Teenage Jesus & The Jerks
(Lydia Lunch)
Red Alert / Orphans Teenage Jesus & The Jerks 1979 USA
M/A/R/S Tunnel No New York (various artists) 1978 USA
DNA Not Moving No New York (various artists) 1978 USA
Public Image Ltd Memories Metal Box (aka Second Edition) 1979 UK
Rocket From The Tombs Life Stinks The Day The Earth Met The Rocket From The Tombs (compilation) rec. 1975 USA
Richard Hell & The Voidoids Shattered (live - Rolling Stones) Time (compilation) rec. 1978 USA
Lester Bangs & the Delinquents Nuclear War Jook Savages On The Brazos 1981 USA
 
 
White Witch Parabrahm Greeting / Dwellers Of The Threshold White Witch 1972 USA
Black Oak Arkansas Keep The Faith Keep The Faith 1972 USA
The Guess Who American Woman / Truckin' Off Across The Sky (live) Live At The Paramount 1972 Canada
 
 
Van Morrison Astral Weeks Astral Weeks 1968 Ireland
Brian Eno Everything Merges With The Night Another Green World 1975 UK
The Velvet Underground & Nico All Tomorrow's Parties The Velvet Underground & Nico
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
1967 USA/Germany
 
 
Lester Bangs & the Delinquents Life Is Not Worth Living (But Suicide Is A Waste Of Time) Jook Savages On The Brazos 1981 USA
      
     
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