PUSH - ISSUE 11

The latest edition of Joe England’s energetic literary zine comes up with the goods again with another bumper issue. I like the widening of content these days with the usual underground fiction (yes, don’t fret, Michael Keenaghan is still here)  and poetry supplemented  by artwork, an interview with Keith Levene of Public Image Limited and a vivid account of the recent East London Renaissance evening which launched Joseph Ridgwell's latest book. Yours truly is featured in that piece (“legendary cool hipster,” no less) where I’m implicated in a debate about the ownership of a funky bra with holes in. I’m saying no more, you’ll have to buy it.

Steve Finbow’s trial as a kid for Brentford FC compensates for having to read a poem about snooker.

PUSH Issue 11, 60 x A5 pages, limited edition. £3 includes P&P from Joe England Books. 

AUGUST PLAYLIST

1.  Woody Guthrie – “Talkin’ Fishing Blues” (1944)

Young Bob Dylan’s song writing pencil was low on lead after studying songs like this.  

2.  Roland Kirk – “The Monkey Thing” (1963)

This comes courtesy of Monkey Snr and is suitably bonkers. Recorded live in Copenhagen, Kirk’s party piece was to play many instruments at once; here he sings and moans, lays waste to a flute, some saxophones, blows a nose flute (really), whilst still finding time to trades riffs with Sonny Boy Williamson who joins on harmonica. Awesome.

3.  The Martinis – “Holiday Cheer” (1966)

After hard partying Charles “Packy” Axton left the Mar-Keys and his mum and uncle’s Stax label he cut a bunch of similarly tough instrumentals for a variety of companies including this doorbell-ringin’, glass-clinkin’, boozy swinger for USA Records up in Chicago.  

4.  The Electric Prunes – “Long Day’s Flight” (1967)

The psychedelic hubble and bubble which closes their Underground LP sounds as much Elevators as Prunes, which is no bad thing.

5.  Frank Beverly and the Butlers – “Love (Your Pain Goes Deep)” (1968)

From the first soul nights I attended, right up until this month’s 100 Club allnighter, I’ve danced to Beverly’s “If That’s What You Wanted”, completely unaware of this beauty – reminiscent of the Temptations’ “(I Know) I’m Losing You” with extra breakbeats - tucked away on the flipside.

6.  Rodriguez – “Cause” (1971)

Second playlist in a row for my latest obsession. The string arrangement is like Nick Drake’s Bryter Layter but the voice and lyrics are pure Rodriguez.

7.  Ann Peebles – “(You Keep Me) Hangin’ On” (1974)

From the I Can’t Stand The Rain LP with that unmistakeable Willie Mitchell production and Ann’s, as always, beautiful vocal.  

8.  Public Image Ltd – “Chant” (1979)

Yesterday, for the first time, I managed to play Metal Box (or to be strictly accurate, Second Edition) all the way through in one sitting. It felt like an achievement, like triumphing in a Man Versus Food challenge. Wouldn't want to do it every day though. 

9.  Munly and the Lee Lewis Harlots – “Cassius Castrato The She-Male Of The Men’s Prison” (2004)

Er...    

10.  Brain Washington – “LSD” (2012)

One could take LSD to gently conjure dazzling visions of ancient Aztec temples or, alternatively, like Brain Washington, to set yourself on fire and ride a Harley at top whack into a brick wall laughing like a maniac. 

JUNE PLAYLIST

Some stuff that has taken my mind off the football…

1. Ernie Tucker – “Can She Give You Fever” (1960)
Thumping R&B throat ripper out of New York City. Fifteen quid well spent.

2. The Ones – “You Haven’t Seen My Love” (1967)
Tucked between the smashes Motown was having in ’67 was this curious blue-eyed soul release from Midwestern teenagers The Ones. An organ led ballad that both The Tempts and The Zombies would’ve been proud of.

3. James Carr – “I Sowed Love and Reaped A Heartache” (1968)
Look, it’s James Carr and a song called “I Sowed Love and Reaped A Heartache”. Marriages are seldom as perfect.

4. Public Image Ltd. – “Banging The Door” (1981)
The Flowers of Romance is one of the more challenging records in the collection. There’s a very fine line being trod here.

5. The Prisoners – “I Am The Fisherman” (1985)
I spent most of 1985 hunched over a ZX Spectrum playing countless games of Chuckie Egg and Manic Miner whilst listening repeatedly to The Last Fourfathers. Computer games have come on somewhat but there have been few better albums.

6. The Field Mice – “September’s Not So Far Away” (1991)
The Field Mice didn’t jingle-jangle as frequently as their reputation suggests which is a shame because when they did, they did it well.

7. Harlem – “Psychedelic Tits” (2008)
Not the best track from their Free Drugs ;-) album but how can you resist that title? Bit like an early White Stripes with the miserable blues shit replaced with fun pop hooks recorded in a biscuit tin by a bunch of doolally druggie slackers.

8. Teenage Fanclub – “Sometimes I Don’t Need to Believe In Anything” (2010)
Two albums in ten years. What do Teenage Fanclub do with their time? Sit around the house twiddling their thumbs? Serve pints of McEwan’s in their local boozer? It doesn’t sound like they spend time honing their craft - which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

9. Pete Molinari – “Minus Me” (2010)
Molinari borrows more from Presley than Dylan on his new album but “Minus Me” is close enough to “You’re A Big Girl Now” to make up for it (but it doesn't forgive his cheesy videos that almost makes me never want to listen to him again).

10. Frankie & the Heartstrings – “Tender” (2010)
Looking for a new indie hope to hang your straw trilby on? Then you’ll do worse than get behind this Sunderland quintet drawing from the white poppy, vaguely northern soul spirit of Dexys, Aztec Camera and even The Housemartins. Nice video too.