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June 18, 2008
Retrohump: Boston
For certain, MerrySwankster.com is a decidedly music-oriented website, yet we are not without our sporting allegiances. In fact, this is perhaps the one forum where Mets and Phillies fans interact with one another without spilling beer and mustard on themselves. Perhaps most surprisingly, Jeff Klingman is the most diehard Portland Trailblazers fan you’ll ever meet. For that matter, he’s maybe the only Blazers fan you’ll ever meet. Most of this stems from the Rip City days of his youth, just as my Boston Celtics fandom was cultivated during my formative youth. While I was (am?) much too young to remember much of anything pre the 1986 title, I’ve heard more than my fair share of stories and seen enough videos to keep me dedicated even through the worst moments of the twenty or so years that followed.
Arguably the highlight of those lean years was Celtics’ TV color man (and eight time NBA Champion) Tom Heinsohn’s, shall we say, less than objective perspective. Tommy’s favorite player during the ‘90s was career role-player Walter McCarty, whom Heinsohn would serenade with shouts of “I LOVE WALTAH!” whenever the captivating Number 0 would grab a loose defensive rebound or unexpectedly nail an ill-advised three-pointer. But don’t think for a minute that Walter was some was ever the unreciprocal lover.
Just as Walter McCarty was a multi-dimensional baller, he is now a multifaceted slow-jammer. He’s capable of velvety smooth, like on “Moment For Love”, the title track of his 2003 solo debut, and he can do the Al Green-inspired sex-jam, such as “Freaky Wit Me”. In both cases, you’ll notice that McCarty employs the same reckless abandon for grammar that he usually reserves for the playbook.
Walter McCarty - "Moment For Love"
Walter McCarty - "Freaky Wit Me"
But back to our Retro focus. The ‘80s weren’t just the glory days of Celtics basketball in my lifetime; it was also the high water mark for music in Boston, which played an integral role in developing what was once known as "college rock" and would later become known as “alternative rock”.
Any self-respecting Hub-centric Retro post needs to begin where the Boston music conversation begins: Pixies. Here's the video of the lead track off of my all time favorite album, 1989's Doolittle:
Pixies – “Debaser”
Before reaching Buzzbin success with the unstoppable "Cannonball", the Breeders, which at this point you surely know was fronted by ex-Pixie Kim Deal and her twin sister Kelley, released Pod, from where we get "Safari". This album saw Kim expand upon the more harmonious aspects of her former band's repertoire.
Breeders – “Safari”
The development of J. Mascis is a long and Uma'd one, and his legacy as a guitar player remains as lauded as it is well-deserved. Although most of Dinosaur Jr's commercial success came during the '90s. Fans know that their better years were when Lou Barlow was still a part of the band and Mascis was intermittently screaming his lungs out.
Dinosaur Jr – “Furry Little Things”
Next on our list of the "all good things must come to an end" role call is Galaxie 500. For those of you unfamiliar with Dean Wareham's (of Luna) first band, this is what music critics are talking about when they claim that an artist sounds "atmospheric".
Galaxie 500 – “Blue Thunder”
The recently reformed Mission of Burma recorded some absolutely integral post-punk in the scant four years they were together during the early '80s. "This is Not a Photograph" comes from their debut EP, Signals, Calls, and Marches, which, thanks to Matador, recently received a splendid reissue treatment. The following video was recorded at that staple of the local Boston music scene, the Paradise.
Mission of Burma – “This is Not a Photograph (live at the Paradise, 1980)”
Make sure you turn this last one WAY up.
Scotch & Sirloin
Posted by Randall Monty at June 18, 2008 01:31 PM
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Comments
Ms Deal spent some serious time in Boston, for sure, but I feel like the Breeders are at least as much an Ohio band as they are a Mass band, no? What's the standard? Where you were living when you put out your first record?
Posted by: Jeff K at June 18, 2008 07:48 PM
Well, when the Cavs win the championship, we'll put the Breeders on that post, too.
I used the Breeders here because they are the best of the spin-offs of those '80s Boston bands. Also, the Breeders were college radio favorites in New England that managed to get mainstream radio play, which is noteworthy.
Posted by: Randall Monty at June 19, 2008 08:24 AM
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