Jan. 28th, 2008

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Well, I finally got it, Nash the Slash's "American BandAges" on CD. I think the last time I bought some Nash CDs, they were sold out or something.

Nash it currently having a sale on CDs on his website, Nash's Gravesite, and for $12 CDN, you can pick up any of a bunch of this CDs. I also picked up "Lost in Space" to replace the copy I can't find. But first, the album review:

Artist: Nash the Slash
Album: American BandAges
Original Release: 1984
CD Release: 2002

Now, first of all, this is in many ways a defacto FM album, as Cam Hawkins does keyboards and background volcals on a a number of the songs, and Marty Deller adds his drums to a few of them. Also along to add depth to the album is Terry O'Brien playing guitar (formerly of Nightwinds, a band with some connections with Klaatu).

I remember a summer where I listened to this album on vinyl quite a bit. it's just one of those albums where you can just listen and listen to and not get sick of...at least for me. Other albums like that for me are Deee-lite's first and third albums, and the KLF album "The White Room".

This is an album of covers that Nash has reworked, and what I call "Nashionalizations". He owns the songs he covers, and remakes them in a way that is interesting and engrosing. They have a harder edge than the originals, and a...bounce to them. Nashionalizations tend to get people up and dancing. This is actually the first album of all covers that he released, but many of his others would have covers on them, and they were popular parts of his live shows.

The first song is "Bandstand Boogie/American Band", and it rocks! The song intros with the "American Band Stand" TV show theme, and then with three whacks on a cowbell, goes into raunched out version of Grand Funk Railroad "(We're an) American Band".

Next comes "Born to be Wild" by Steppenwolf is lead by Canadian Johnny Kay. There is some wonderful bass playing by Cam Hawkins on this one! When Nash/FM played this in concert, it was usually one of the highlights of the show.

"Who Do You Love", a song done by The Yardbirds, Bo Diddly, and George Thorogood & The Destroyers, and this version rates with all of them. It's got its own groove that will get your head bobbing, and is strangely uplifting, despite the lyrics.

One of the best songs on this album is "1984". I've never heard the original, but it's by the band Spirit. I'll have to track down the original some time, but Nash's version is very danceable...so much so that a "club" version was released, and was fairly popular.

Hendrix's "Hey Joe" is a dark tune....but Nash is a Dark artist...and that sort of cancels each other out...it is almost, playful. Wierd...but that's Nash.

"Psychotic Reaction" is another song I have never heard the original of, but I am sure that Nash's version is fairly different from the original, in that it gets an almost cinematic makeover. In the spaces between the verses are readings from letters that John W. Hinkley, the guy who tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan, wrote to his main obession, Jodie Foster. It is a very creepy song. The guy who produced the album, Michael Waite, does the readings

The next song is the "dance" version of 1984. More beats, less lyrics.

This was the end of the original album, on the CD, there are three more tracks...

"Dead Man's Curve", a classic Nash cover, and huge international hit for him.

"King Bee". It was recorded for the album, but never made it on, but appears now. It's been covered by a diverse number of artists ranging from Muddy Waters to Pink Floyd, from the Rolling Stones, to The Doors. This song definitely swings! Some excellent slide done on this by Nash.

"Who Do You Dub (Club Mix)" again, more beats, less lyrics!

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