0:00:01) All Aboard! by The Ford Theatre Reunion off of Calavera Catrina
0:04:40 (Rev’s interruption background music 1: The Magic Flute: Theme & Variations Op.9: II. Var.5 and Coda by Georgi Moravsky off of 66 Must-Have Spanish Guitar Masterpieces)
Now that; ladies, gentleman, and all points in-between, is a perfect way to start this show. And not just because those are some really fun and interesting musicians, who know how to slap the hell out of their instruments, but also because that song was called All Aboard, and this, the third Sunday in November is World Day of Remembrance of Road Traffic Victims. That was The Ford Theatre Reunion. I’m Rev. You are you, and we are Aurally Fixated.
When I was little I asked my mother why there were so many old songs about car crashes. She said cars used to be much less safe and thusly everyone knew at least one person who died in wreck. What started that conversation was this next tune, my very first “favorite song.” A depressing number with a bouncy melody. This is J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers telling us all about their Last Kiss.
0:05:05) Last Kiss by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers off of Last Kiss-the Definitive Collection.
0:08:25) Leader Of The Pack by The Shangri-Las off of The ’60s Hits.
0:11:10) One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) by Etta James off of The Chess Box.
0:14:30) (Rev’s interruption background music 2: Star Seed by Kristoff Krane off of Kairos – Part Two)
Naturally what my mother didn’t tell be about the car crashes of her youth, was things like that last song by the incomparable Etta James. That heartbreaker was called, One For My Baby (And One More For The Road) Back in the day “One for the road” was a common saying used when leaving a bar, restaurant, or friend’s house. It meant you’d need one more alcoholic beverage before getting behind the wheel, just to make sure there was no chance of you sobering up before you got to your destination – and having your nightcap. Yes, it was a crazy lawless time and if you survived relatively unscathed, you didn’t live it properly.
Anyway, before the flawless Ms. James we had the very dramatic classic Leader Of The Pack by The Shangri-Las. And of course we kicked it all off with the original version of Last Kiss.
Cars today handle better, stop better, and have all sorts of safety features the average person doesn’t have the first clue about. And that they crumple like old pieces of paper means the automobiles now take the damage the drivers and passengers used to, No, today we die on the roads for a-whole-nother reason.
0:15:55) Drive By Shooting by Henrietta Collins and the Wife Beating Child Haters off of Drive By Shooting.
0:17:55) Blow ‘Em Away by David Wilcox off of East Asheville Hardware [Live].
0:20:45) Behind The Wheel by Louis C.K. off of Oh My God.
0:23:30) Road Rage by HillBilly HellCats off of Our Brand.
0:25:40 (Rev’s interruption background music 3: Tsu Der Khupe by Budowitz off of The Rough Guide To Klezmer Revival.
There’s a chance you recognized the voice that kicked that chunk of music off as the great Henry Rollins.That was from an EP he did in his time in limbo after leaving Black Flag and before starting Rollins Band. The record was named Drive By Shooting, and the band was Henrietta Collins and the Wife Beating Child Haters.
After that we heard a fun and folky little ditty about highway-murder by David Wilcox called Blow ‘Em Away off his great live album East Asheville Hardware. Then we had something else. And we topped it all off with another fun song about about, “Road Rage” from the HillBilly HellCats off Our Brand.
Tension behind the wheel can be dangerous. Whenever I get frustrated I remind myself I’m in a comfy, climate-controlled environment, with all my favorite music at my fingertips. And sometimes a friend or 2 to help me pass the time. I just lean back and pretend we’ve, No Particular Place to Go.
0:27:00) No Particular Place to Go by Chuck Berry off of St. Louis to Liverpool.
0:29:40) Honk If You Are Horny by DJ Bomba off of So What?
0:34:25) Highway Delight by Ron White off of You Can’t Fix Stupid.
0:35:00) Passenger by Deftones off of White Pony.
0:40:40 (Rev’s interruption background music 4: Luv Dirge #2 by Viva Le Vox off of Luv Hungry Part 1)
We started that chunk of music off with Chuck Berry and a ballad of driving-angsts with, No Particular Place to Go. Then we followed that up with Honk If You Are Horny by Andrew Galea under the nom-de-plume DJ Bomba off So What?. Following that we had a little bit from Ron White entitled Highway Delight. And we wrapped it all up with a duet, a love song, between Maynard and Chino. When the question of cash, grass, or ass came, we know exactly which they chose. That was Passenger off of the Deftones album White Pony.
Dearest listener remember, staying awake and alert is essential to not wind up a road traffic victim remembered on this day. In my younger days I’d drive no matter how long, far, or dangerous – for reasons I can’t even remember why now. I’d just keep going until I’d start hallucinating and see Shadows On The Road like Tech N9ne does,
0:42:20) Shadows On The Road by Tech N9ne off of K.O.D.
0:46:20) Tonight Is the Night I Fell Asleep at the Wheel by Barenaked Ladies off of Maroon (Bonus Track)
0:50;05) Asleep at the Wheel by BloodHound Gang off of One Fierce Beer Coaster.
0:54:00 (Rev’s interruption background music 5: Alanson, Crooked River by Sufjan Stevens off of Michigan)
Whenever I hear the BloodHound Gang shout “Get up you’re Asleep at the Wheel” I panic and a part of me wonders if I’m dreaming whatever I’m doing, and that’s a friend’s yelling from the passenger seat trying to rouse me. Anyway, before that we had Tech N9ne telling us about his fear of the Shadows On The Road. He seemed a little more mystified by them than I was, I just chalked it up to seep dep and sped on. Nowadays though I always pull off to a rest stop or something, maybe even, if I can find one, a RoadHouse.
0:55:20) RoadHouse Blues by John Lee Hooker & Jim Morrison off of Stoned Immaculate: The Music of the Doors.
1:01:55) Pit Stop (Take Me Home) by Lovage off of Music To Make Love To Your Old Lady By.
1:05:45 (Rev’s interruption background music 6: Interlude Two by Cunninlynguists off of Southernunderground [Deluxe Edition])
Again we heard a tune or a voice that you almost recognized. RoadHouse Blues, although a little different version. That’s from a compilation of Doors; covers, outtakes, and remixes called Stoned Immaculate: The Music of the Doors. It has some real gems, like hearing John Lee Hooker and Jim Morrison singing together. And following that was my personal patron Saint of Music, Mr. Mike Patton with one of his countless side-projects. This one was with Jennifer Charles and Dan the Automator, called Lovage. The album? Music To Make Love To Your Old Lady By. The song, another silly little love song called Pit Stop (Take Me Home).
It’s said that America has a love-affair with the car, that becomes clear listing to all these songs intermingling intimacies and automobiles. Ms. Rosetta Howard was even doing it 80 years ago, and she didn’t even have a car to compare her relationships to, so she made the observation that, ”Men Are Like Street Cars.”
1:07:15) Men Are Like Street Cars by Rosetta Howard off of Those Dirty Blues Volume 1.
1:09:35) Crosstown Traffic by The Jimi Hendrix Experience off of Electric Ladyland.
1:12:00) Ignition by Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and Matt Sweeney – Superwolf Live 10 Oct, 2004.
1:16:30 (Rev’s interruption background music 7: Inter-lude by Leftover Crack off of Mediocre Gererica
I haven’t the foggiest notion of where I got that version of Ignition by Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and Matt Sweeney. One day there was just a Superwolf bootleg on my computer, and I’m glad for it. The Superwolf album is a heavy one so it’s nice to hear to him bounce his way through that cover. And immediately before that was The Jimi Hendrix Experience with Crosstown Traffic report. And Ms. Rosetta Howard got the ball rolling with a song off a fun compilation of old songs I was lucky enough to come across called Those Dirty Blues Volume 1.
Now our time together had just about to come to an end. We’ve one final song to leave you with. Off their album Necio Nights, and I believe Necio means foolish? Here is Piñata Protest with DUI.
1:17:50) D.U.I. by Piñata Protest off of Necio Nights
Too Drunk to Drive Drunk by Joe Louis Walker off of Blues’n Booze