They're Just Words... and there's no understanding in words - January 19th, 2007

It seems like I missed a good time at Governor Perry's Inauguration the other night:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/18/texas.nugent.ap/index.html

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Hours after Gov. Rick Perry kicked off his second full term in office, Ted Nugent helped him celebrate at a black-tie gala, but not all attendees were pleased by the rocker's performance.

Using machine guns as props, Nugent, 58, appeared onstage as the final act of the inaugural ball wearing a cutoff T-shirt emblazoned with the Confederate flag and shouting offensive remarks about non-English speakers, according to people who were in attendance.

Perry's spokesman, Robert Black, downplayed the Tuesday-night incident.

"Ted Nugent is a good friend of the governor's. He asked him if he would play at the inaugural. He didn't put any stipulation of what he would play," Black said.

Well, it sure is a good thing the Governor's spokesman distanced the freshly elected administration from this arguably racist display! Oh, wait... nope, he didn't. Well, you know, they probably didn't realize that Nugent was like that.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4478848.html

Shocking people is nothing new for Nugent, and he's done it before in Texas. In 2000, he was banned from performing in The Woodlands after he let loose an expletive-filled tirade about illegal immigrants.

Okay, well, you know, um, you know, um, well.

It's a good thing I don't have class today, because I was up late last night watching a classic concert film, Urgh! A Music War on VH1C. If you have any interest in late-70s/early-80s punk/ska/pop/rock, you really should check it out. [Sadly, it is unavailable on DVD. See the Wikipedia entry for some reasons.]

There's some crazy shit from bands never heard from again, but mostly really good performances from great bands when they were just getting going. VH1C edited out some bits I really wanted to see, e.g. Surf Punks' My Beach, but also some bits I never want to see again, e.g. Invisible Sex's Valium.

[Heartfelt plea: I had the CD for this, but somehow lost it in the last year. Replacements are available on eBay, but since they're going for around $120, I don't think I will be getting it any time soon. If anyone happens to have the CD, I'd love to borrow it.]

To give you a taste of the music and the movie, I've linked to some YouTube clips on the Track List below:

1. Opening credits
2. The Police – "Driven to Tears" - This was an Ian and Miles Copeland production, so little brother's band shows up for 3 songs.
3. Wall of Voodoo – "Back in Flesh" - Can you beat these guys? Really.
4. Toyah Willcox – "Dance"
5. John Cooper Clarke – "Health Fanatic" - An early bit from the punk poet.
6. Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark – "Enola Gay" - Okay, although I must confess to once having been an OMD fan, I could do without ever hearing this song again.
7. Chelsea – "I’m on Fire" - Brilliant song. Gene October is still at it, you know. New album in 2005.
8. Oingo Boingo – "Ain’t This the Life" - Much more energy here than in the EP version.
9. Echo & the Bunnymen – "The Puppet" - At the end of the song Ian McC. says, "Thanks, that was a new one."
10. Jools Holland – "Foolish I Know" - I love this short song from the Squeeze keyboardist.
11. XTC – "Respectable Street" - Again, we hear, "This is a new song for you..."
12. Klaus Nomi – "Total Eclipse" - Words cannot do justice to the genius of Klaus Nomi. Make sure you listen through the chorus...
13. Athletico Spizz 80 – "Where’s Captain Kirk?"
14. The Go-Go's – "We Got the Beat" - Again, a song I could happily never hear again. Belinda looking particularly unattractive.
15. Dead Kennedys – "Bleed for Me" - Biafra at his best. I sometimes wish I could pull off wearing gloves like that to class everyday.
16. Steel Pulse – "Ku Klux Klan" - Not sure about the pants, but I love this song.
17. Gary Numan – "Down in the Park" - Again, no words to describe...
18. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts – "Bad Reputation" - Joan Jett rocks this song. I particularly like the 1-note solo.
19. Magazine – "Model Worker"
20. Surf Punks – "My Beach" - I think the reason this song got cut from the VH1C broadcast instead of, say, the horrific "Offshore Banking Business" was because this girl gets on stage toward the end of the song and the bassist pulls her swim suit top off.
21. The Members – "Offshore Banking Business" - For musicians, these guys are terrible dancers.
22. Au Pairs – "Come Again" - The female singer looks like a 70s British housewife in a leotard... no, that's not a compliment.
23. The Cramps – "Tear It Up" - A Freaking good song.
24. Invisible Sex – "Valium" - Frankly, I am horrified that someone saw fit to post this clip and no one has put up Pere Ubu.
25. Pere Ubu – "Birdies" - No YouTube clip available, but I really dig this song. I just bought it on iTunes.
26. Devo – "Uncontrollable Urge" - What more do I need to say? It's Devo.
27. The Alley Cats – "Nothing Means Nothing Anymore"
28. John Otway – "Cheryl’s Going Home" - There's a YouTube clip of Otway performing this song, but not from the movie. He's much crazier and wilder on Urgh! Truly out there.
29. Gang of Four – "He’d Send in the Army"
30. 999 – "Homicide"
31. The Fleshtones – "Shadowline"
32. X – "Beyond and Back" - Most excellent.
33. Skafish – "Sign of the Cross" - Again, I doubt the judgment of the YouTube posters for this one.
34. Splodgeness abounds – "Two Little Boys"
35. UB40 – "Madame Medusa"
36. The Police – "Roxanne"
37. The Police – "So Lonely" - Their classic take-it-home song turns into a joint number with UB40, Jools Holland, and the other bands at this gig.