"Shake Your Rump": THE WEEKEND MIX

 

I've learned a few things over the last 17 years of blogging. I've kept notes on which artists elicit the most activity, as well as which artists are met with near silence. I can tell you, there aren't very many Burning Wood readers who are fans of the Beastie Boys. The Beastie Boys, not to mention hip-hop in general, actually make a few of you angry. 

I have been a fan of the Beastie Boys since day one, and I believe their first four records are true works of art, especially "Paul's Boutique," which by the way, is another example of a second record that is better than the first.

While listening to "Paul's Boutique" this week, and once again getting blown away by the genius use of sampling, an idea came to me. In the second song alone, which is "Shake Your Rump," there are no less than 15 songs sampled. And while you can holler all you want about how this isn't songwriting, or even take it as far as saying it isn't "music," I would say that it is absolutely music, and there is definitely room for this kind of music among all of the "junes" and "moons" and the "jealouses" and "as well ases."

(Sorry, didn't mean to spray the screen.) 

What the Beasties and their producers The Dust Brothers do on this record is not the same thing as your pop star du jour singing an entire song over the sample of a Marvin Gaye tune. This record is an intricate puzzle, with occasionally breathtaking cutting and pasting. It's not only knowing when and where to place a beat or a phrase, it also takes a deep knowledge of music so that you have all of your pieces right there at your disposal. Furthermore, it's a whole lotta fun!

But I digress. 

Do I love all hip-hop? To quote Ralph Kramden, "No sir sir sir!" But I do love what I love. I respect the purpose of the genre and how the tracks are put together. I'll take the brilliant silliness of the Beasties over the often ham-handed, profanity-laced, misogynistic freestyling while the same single note beeps away to a cheap drum track for four minutes anyday.

That being said, I am not here to cause a stir or to attempt to change your minds about the Beasties or the genre. I get it. Hip-hop is not for everyone. But I am here to share a mix that features all of the songs that were sampled in "Shake Your Rump." And if you make it through the mix, and find that you enjoyed what you heard, you can listen to the Beastie Boys' "Shake Your Rump," the song that inspired the idea, right below. Maybe you'll have some fun listening for the Beasties dazzling placement of the songs you just heard.

Or, I can just go fuck myself again.

:) 

I hope this interests at least a few of you.

 

TRACKLIST
Funky Snakefoot- Alphonse Mouzon
Super Mellow- Louis Bellson, Shelly Manne, Willie Bobo & Paul Humphrey
Tell Me Something Good- Ronnie Laws
6 O'Clock DJ (Let's Rock)- Rose Royce
Born To Love You- Rose Royce
Jazz Sensation (Bronx Version)- Afrika Bambaataa & The Jazzy 5
Yo Yo- Rose Royce
Dancing Room Only- Harvey Scales
That's The Joint- Funky 4+1
Get Off- Foxy
8th Wonder- Sugarhill Gang
Unity Pt. 2 - Afrika Bambaataa & James Brown
Rock The House- The B-Boys
One Score & Four Drummers Ago- Louis Bellson, Shelly Manne, Willie Bobo & Paul Humphrey
Put The Boogie In Your Body- The Treacherous Three

zip

 

 

 

Get Low Down With Over Night Low

 

From 1972, please dig the funky and spunky creepy sounds of Over Night Low, once called the Ohio Majestics, and featuring both Chet Willis and "Diamond" Williams of the Ohio Players. Like yesterday's deep soul dive, I first heard this on a 2000 U.K. compilation titled "King Funk." Unfortunately, I don't have that CD any more, so I can't share more than this track at the moment.

I have a vivid snapshot from the personal slideshow in my head of listening to this comp on a busy Saturday at NYCD, and watching a number of happy shoppers dancing in the aisle while "The Witch Doctor" played. We only had two or three copies of "King Funk" in stock, but we sold them all during the three minutes this song was on.

They just don't make records like this anymore. 

Oz, aka Ozz

 

Please enjoy, from 1966, three minutes of badass. This is Jesse Osborne recording as Oz & The Sperlings and an original tune with a familiar title.

I first heard this on a 2004 U.K. compilation titled "Moanin', Groanin', Cryin': A Galaxy Of Soul & R&B." There are a number of winners on that CD, but this one stayed with me, and it should put a much needed pep in your step.

David Cousins, 1945-2025

 

I have had a strange relationship with the band Strawbs for many years now. I came into them late, around 1977, and the first song I heard and liked a bit, sounded nothing like anything before it. Over the years, there always seemed to be Strawbs records in the collections I'd purchase and I'd usually pull out the "Nomadness" album since it was the record that introduced me to the band. And while I didn't mind it, I never loved it enough to dig deeper. That song I liked, "Little Sleepy," does nothing for me now. 

As time went on, more collections came through with more Strawbs records, and it was the earlier folkier stuff that intrigued me. I especially loved the album with Sandy Denny, "All Our Own Work," as well as "Hero & Heroine" and "From The Witchwood." The Sandy Denny record is pure British folk, but then the band started to dip their toes into the prog world and the fact that they didn't go all in, at least to my ears, kept their records far more interesting than say a full blown prog epic from bands like E.L.P. or P.F.M..

 

 

Yesterday, I read a short tribute written by Rick Wakeman for his friend David Cousins, the leader of Strawbs who had just passed away. It was time for me to pull out those Strawbs records again. Both "All Our Own Work" and "From The Witchwood" hit the spot.

I don't have a serious attachment to the band or to Cousins, the way I do with other artists, so I won't attempt to write a heartfelt obit, or one of those social media bandwagon tributes that always begin with "I was lucky enough to..." and have an accompanying blurry pic of the writer and the recently deceased standing outside a concert hall holding an album cover and a Sharpie. I will simply say that the first five or six Strawbs records are filled with some truly lovely music and most of it was courtesy of Dave Cousins.

 

 

 

 

Wetter & Better Legs

 

When exactly did the term "sophomore slump" originate? I ask because I was leading today's post with "it's rare when a smash debut is followed by an even better record," until I started thinking about it. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Led Zeppelin, The Beach Boys, David Bowie, The Kinks, Prince, Lou Reed,  Roxy Music & Simon & Garfunkel all made better second records, and that's just off the top of my head.

That said, Wet Leg's debut was huge and many loved it. Listeners who don't usually go for this brand of offbeat rock and roll fell hard as well. It pushed a lot of buttons people didn't know they had. Now after three years of what seemed like relentless touring, Wet Leg is back with "moisturizer" and it's not just better, it feels like a different band. There's more singing, more music, different instrumentation, so much so that to my ears, that debut sounds like a collection of demos in comparison.

The leap isn't as jarring as say, Elvis Costello going from "Trust" to "Almost Blue," but "moisturizer" sounds more like a band on their fourth or fifth record. Maybe that's because I just expected the "sophomore slump" and this is far from it.

Am I wrong in thinking that Hester Chambers is singing more on this than on the first? I don't recall her taking the lead on the debut. If memory serves, it was all Rhian Teasdale. I'll have to pay attention next time I give it a spin.

I'm three plays into "moisturizer" and I still want to hear more. That's always a good sign. Songs like "CPR," "mangetout," "jennifer's body" and "pokemon" kept me on my toes. The album is more musical than the first and the band did not skimp on the hooks. "moisturizer" is a very happy surprise. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Songs Of The Week, 2025: 7/5-7/11

 

Little Bit of Love- Free
Down Home Girl- Alvin Robinson
I'm Into Something Good- Sugar 'N' Dandy
The Wheel- Jerry Garcia
Brother Louie (Instrumental)- Matumbi
Cannonball- The Darkness
Endlessly Jealous- Lou Reed

zip 

Little Bit of Love- Free
(Great single that feels like the template for Bad Company's "Good Lovin' Gone Bad.")

Down Home Girl- Alvin Robinson
(I first heard this on a Rolling Stones' record. I bet many of you did, too. Good cover, but Robinson's is greasier.)

I'm Into Something Good- Sugar 'N' Dandy
(The first of two new favorite reggae covers I discovered this week.)

The Wheel- Jerry Garcia
(Dead haters don't be afraid. I think you might dig this track.)

Brother Louie (Instrumental)- Matumbi
(Here's my second new fave reggae cover.)

Cannonball- The Darkness
(Just read a story of Justin Hawkins asking Ian Anderson to play an extended flute solo on this track and Anderson agreed! Then, no one else in the band wanted it on the "Hot Cakes" album, so it was relegated to bonus track status, leaving Dale Hawkins to wonder if Ian would ever talk to them again.)

Endlessly Jealous- Lou Reed 
("New Sensations" has really aged well. I play this album more now than I did then. Actually, my friend Tim Vega hated "I Love You Suzanne" because his sister was convinced Lou had written it for her. We'll never know.)

BW's Saturday #58