From: owner-avalon-digest@smoe.org (avalon-digest) To: avalon-digest@smoe.org Subject: avalon-digest V3 #168 Reply-To: avalon@smoe.org Sender: owner-avalon-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-avalon-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk avalon-digest Thursday, July 9 1998 Volume 03 : Number 168 Today's Subjects: ----------------- Re: [AVALON] Phantom Players (was: Allan Schwartzberg) ["Decophile" Subject: Re: [AVALON] Phantom Players (was: Allan Schwartzberg) - -----Original Message----- From: KissNTime@aol.com To: avalon@smoe.org Date: Tuesday, July 07, 1998 10:58 PM Subject: Re: [AVALON] Allan Schwartzberg >I think he played on some Alice Cooper LPs, as well as the >Richard Wagner solo LP and a few other Bob (Kiss producer) Ezrin-produced >projects. > IMO, when it comes to phantom session players, there are none better than Richard "Dick" Wagner and Steve Hunter along with Pentii Glan (bass) and John Prankish (drums). They`ve always been Ezrin`s top pick when it came to filling in the holes and were usually paid to give up being credited. Perhaps their best known work is on Lou Reed`s early solo albums (also produced by Ezrin), especially Reed`s Rock N Roll Animal/Lou Reed Live (parts 1 & 2 of the same live show). Wagner`s Intro to Sweet Jane on R&R Animal is considered a masterpiece as is their (Hunter/Wagner`s) dueling guitar solo on "Oh Jim". They became so popular that Reed dumped them mid tour because he felt they were stealing all his glory. Audiences would chant "Where`s Dick and Steve?" which really pissed Lou off and resulted in a Lou Reed boot called, what else, "Where`s Dick and Steve?" They were also phantom players on most early Alice Cooper albums to the point that they were doing most of the playing on the Billion Dollar Babies album. The guitar work on this album is phenomenal and clearly explains why the real band sounded so bad live. It`s no wonder Cooper dumped them for the Wagner/Hunter/Glan/Prankish line up for the Welcome To My Nightmare album. These guys are definitely Rock`s best kept secret. As far as Ezrin goes, I think he`s produced some of the best albums of the 70`s but seems to use the same formula for every band he`s involved with and it always includes kids, usually his own. (Cooper`s School`s Out/Dept. of Youth, Kiss`s God Of Thunder(?), Pink Floyd`s Another Brick In The Wall pt.1 etc.) He`s also responsible for, IMO, hands down, the most depressing, gut retching song EVER written, bar none. Lou Reed`s "The Kids" from the Berlin album. It`s about social workers taking children away from an unfit mother. For the recording, Ezrin coaxed his own kids into screaming and crying to emulate they`re being physically dragged away. Sheesh! Even Ezrin admits he`s never been able to sit through the whole song. I did once then slipped into a funk only a 4 day drunk could remedy. It`s a great song to put on for getting rid of unwanted guest. Gene ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 8 Jul 98 18:49:41 PDT From: tfagan Subject: Re: [AVALON] Which came 1st: the Bowie or the Ferry? AND WASN'T IT THAT FAB "BLUE JEAN" VIDEO THAT HAD AN ACTOR PLAYING BRYAN FERRY???I THAT WAS A HOOT! - --THERESA YES I KNOW IT'S ALL CAPITAL LETTERS -- SO SHOOT ME. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1998 21:23:25 EDT From: ASchulberg@aol.com Subject: Re: [AVALON] Which came 1st: the Bowie or the Ferry? In a message dated 98-07-07 19:47:24 EDT, you write: << This is a serious song, from a serious artist. I can't stop laughing as I type this but it's true. If you're curious (and, as a Crimson fan, you must be) then get Tilt. If you're weirded out, get a Greatest Hits collection first. >> Uhh, thanks, I guess. Suppose it's no weirder than "Cat's foot, iron claw, neurosurgeon screams for more, at paranoia's iron door, twentyfirst century schizoid man". Still, I'm getting to be an old guy and I think Greatest Hits is the way to go for a looksee. Arnie ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1998 20:24:15 -0400 (EDT) From: Roberto Galvez Subject: Re: [AVALON] Which came 1st: the Bowie or the Ferry? At 17:01 7/07/98 PDT, you wrote: > >Greetings, i just had to add my one and a half cents to the discussion: >if anyone doubts at least the tiniest bit of influence of ferry on bowie >see the "loving the alien" video, though musically not similar, some of >bowie's mannerism's and facial expressions are very very >ferryesque(almost spooky :-) It's curious .When I first listened to that song I found it very Roxy , indeed I think it would be a 'More Than This' or 'Take a Chance with Me' kind of song . Actually Ferry was really angry with 'China Girl' .He thought it was a copy after'Tokio Joe' (but who came first :Bryan's song or Iggy/Bowie one? ).However I think Bowie's 'Red Sails' is a copy of 'Tokio Joe'. It would be interesting to hear some Eno's comments about this thread. cheers Roberto. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1998 20:28:01 -0400 (EDT) From: Roberto Galvez Subject: Re: [AVALON] Phantom Players (was: Allan Schwartzberg) >As far as Ezrin goes, I think he`s produced some of the best albums of the >70`s but seems to use the same formula for every band he`s involved with and >it always includes kids, usually his own. (Cooper`s School`s Out/Dept. of >Youth, Kiss`s God Of Thunder(?), Pink Floyd`s Another Brick In The Wall pt.1 >etc.) >He`s also responsible for, IMO, hands down, the most depressing, gut >retching song EVER written, bar none. Lou Reed`s "The Kids" from the >Berlin album. Don't forget Peter Gabriel's first solo album. Here we have Ezrin ,Wagner, Hunter,Fripp,etc. Roberto. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 8 Jul 1998 21:43:31 EDT From: ASchulberg@aol.com Subject: [AVALON] Scott Walker Okay, my fellow AVALONIANS, or at least those of you who recommended Scott Walker. Went to Borders today and purchased "Looking Back With Scott Walker" which I assume is a retrospective. Bought the "regular" version; there was another version with 13 additional early and rare tracks (27 tracks in all) but I didn't want to get in over my head. Won't be able to listen to it til this weekend when I get home but, based on what I read here, I took the plunge. Sorry, Bahi. I had "Tilt" in my hand, thought hard about it but couldn't bring myself to buy it first. Arnie ------------------------------ End of avalon-digest V3 #168 **************************** ======================================================================== Please send any questions or comments about the list to avalon-digest-owner@smoe.org