August 16, 2005
The R. Crumb Handbook
I'll buy any book that has anything to do with Robert Crumb, because he's in my triumvirate of cartoon gods (the other two are Carl Barks and Jack Kirby). I can't get enough of his comics or his music. I also love reading interviews with him.
I don't think this book is a good introduction to Crumb. If you're not familiar with his work, I suggest you start out with Vol 4 of The Complete Crumb Comics. But if you are a Crumb fan, you'll love this fat (440 pages!) book filled with Crumb art and text. As a bonus, the book comes with a 20-song CD of Crumb's music, which ranges from old timey novelty jazz to turn of the last century European folk music. Considering that a music CD typically costs more than this book-and-CD combo, The R. Crumb Handbook is a great deal. Link
March 09, 2004
Music to Make Models By, by The Silly Surfers
In the mid-60s, Weird-Ohs were the cool toys for boys. These freaky monster men, with hanging tongues and bloodshot eyes, rode surfboards and drove cars with gearshifts that stuck way out of the car. You could buy Weird-Ohs as ready-made toys, or as glue-together models. 
I remember the older brothers of my friends having shelves full of assembled Weird-Oh models. I wonder how many of them had this album from 1964, called "Music to Make Models By." This collection of innocuous novelty surf and drag racing songs would certainly be good accompaniment to model making. It's also great for review writing. Free MP3s Link
March 07, 2004
Two Zombies Later
Two Zombies Later is a 2-CD set of a modern "oddio" music, a genre that encompasses all sorts of oddball music -- lounge novelty tunes, obscure soundtracks, exotica, space age pop, moog music, etc. The selection here, by various artists, is great, and best of all, you can download all 30+ songs plus the beautiful art for the discs and covers for free. And it's even legal, so the RIAA won't be able to sue the pants off you. Link
February 18, 2004
No Thanks: 70s Punk Rebellion
I discovered punk in 1978, during my senior year in high school. Before that, I didn't really like music very much, except for the Beatles and bands like Paul Revere and the Raiders. Punk woke me up to the power of music. This 4-CD set has 100 songs from the the '70s and '80s so listening to it caused powerful flashbacks.
A friend told me he thought the selection in No Thanks! was "too predictable" but I think it's a perfect introduction to the era. The things that stands out to me, after listening to all the songs, is how strong the first punk bands were -- Richard Hell, The Ramones, The New York Dolls, Iggy Pop & The Stooges, Blondie. They were all from the USA, and started out before The Clash and The Sex Pistols (which aren't represented in this collection, thanks to Johnny Rotten's refusal to participate. Rhino probably didn't offer him enough money). The 100-page book that comes with the collection has some nice color pictures and commentary, but if you want to read the best history of punk, get a copy of Please Kill Me, the Uncensored Oral History of Punk. You can read it while listening to No Thanks!
February 14, 2004
The Unexpected, by The Secret 7
There's a new Raymond Scott album! If you don't know Scott, here's a quick bio: he was a bandleader in the 40s, well-known for quirky, whimsical songs (many were used in Looney Tunes). In the 1950s he became interested in electronic music, and composed amazing pre-Moog marvels, including two albums designed to soothe babies. The Secret 7 is a group of jazz players headed by Scott and the 1959 album they recorded is called "The Unexpected." You can hear a Real Audio sample on the site. Be sure to look at the rest of Basta Music's offerings. They're a wonderful label out of Holland. Link
ABOUT MAD PROFESSOR
Mark Frauenfelder's Mad Professor Bizarre Science Experiments Book.
RECENT ENTRIES
The R. Crumb Handbook
Music to Make Models By, by The Silly Surfers
Two Zombies Later
No Thanks: 70s Punk Rebellion
The Unexpected, by The Secret 7
