KDKB Radio “Arizona Sounds – Volume Two”

Still stranded (vacationing) in the North Woods cabin, no internet, but an ancient hi-fi that’s fine. Here’s an odd one—the cover looks like the result of LSD and colored pencils. It’s actually very cool. It’s a variety-pak of AZ bands, c. 1978. Starts out with the florid acoustic guitar you’d expect from “Arizona Sounds – Volume One” – but here it’s on “Two,” as well. Nothing changes. It’s folksy and serious, but still a pretty good song called “City Talkin’” by The Freeze Band. “Banana King” by The Clones is great, as catchy as a whimsical song about bananas can be. The Banana Man! Beggs ‘n Aitken start out with some slide guitar but then get too jaunty/humorous for Mr. Dour. The song, “I Found Love in Front of My Face,” no doubt about oral sex—but a positive, light, take, as it should be. Mark Murdock & Matt Niskern serious things up with some electronic jazz fusion, not bad either. The song, “Seacloud,” may as well be subtitled “diaphanous fusion song with no singing.” Can you imagine trying to write lyrics to a song called “Seacloud?” “On My Mind,” however, almost demands that we listen for the verbal poetry—it’s by Tom Previte and Keny Francis—I thought Keny might be a woman singer, but apparently he just forgot the second “n”—well, I don’t know which one is singing, etc. – oh, liner notes… Tom. The crucial thing is that that lead guitar part, through an annoying effect, could use the “Euthn’zation” pedal up to “11.” Lightnin’ Stock then hands us “Fly Me Back to Tucson”—sounds as country as you’d expect for someone who lets the ‘g’ outta their name. A bullseye for fans of the relentless, jaunty, G-rated fiddle. The reason I liberated this disc from the milkcrate by the woodstove is because the name of the band that starts out the second side is: Trout Fishing in America—which is of course the name of everyone’s favorite Richard Brautigan book. It takes a lot of confidence to saddle yourself with that responsibility—kind of like calling your band The Holy Bible. Liner notes say they’re “everything the name implies, whatever that is.” So I guess we’re not getting to the bottom of that mystery, just yet. The song, “High in the Highlands,” is about getting highlanded, whether it be a natural high, or a natural high. Arizona indeed has some highlands, and the first time I visited the state I nearly got stranded and perished in a snowstorm in some lofty mountain pass! We take it down a little with Valley Fever, who “Can’t Let Go”—we’ve all been there. By the way, I’m hearing a thread running through some of these songs—lead guitarists who can shred, but play like they’re getting paid by the word—i.e., non-stop from beginning to end. Could that be the “Arizona Style”—lets hope not! Next, a song called “Cynthia” by Wolfgang, which is a little harder than what we’ve heard so far, but also has a psych/bubblegum flavor—nice. Faux Päs serves us “Whiskey”—I like the simplicity— not “Bad Whiskey” or “Single Barrel” or “Sour Mash Fizz” or “On-the-Rocks” or “Sippin’” —it’s just whiskey! They then name-check a few other intoxicants in the odd chorus—I can’t say I understand this song (and I understand whiskey)! At this point, the mellow love song, “Can’t Hold Back,” by Barbara Hinck, is really welcome—it might not be as weird as some of this stuff, but it sounds retro in a nice way. Wait, this is 1978, and I’d say the song sounds late-Sixties—it’s a little pop, a little soul, and melodic, and she’s an excellent singer. Reed Garner’s “The Sticker Song” is a novelty/humor number, referring to the radio station that put out this record, KDKB 93FM—did I forget to mention that? Liner notes mention that it wasn’t written just for the record, but who’s gonna believe that? It closes out with some harmonica—musta known I’d be listening… 48 years later.

9.11.26