Entry date: 10-26-2024 – Saturdays are for Saturdaying – Letters to My Friends

Dear Friends,

67 of these to go.

I’m so sick of my daily babbling that you, dear reader, must be more than ready to tell me to shut the proverbial fuck up. I’m ready to retire the ol’ Ergonomic Mischief. It’s time.

Today also marks the 300th record I have written about this year. Fucking hell. 300 records in a year. I’m an idiot.

I am definitely feeling tired at the moment. I have to write some New Times stuff this weekend so I really don’t want to write anything else, but I can’t let this drop on a random day. I’ve come this far. I’ve got to get to the end.

***** 

Today should be okay, though. Club Placebo should be pretty neat tonight. The J’s are having their Halloween bash, too, so I will be hitting their house after Club Placebo. I can get some writing done and some laundry first. Banner Saturday!

*****

At some point during my sophomore year in high school, I got turned on to Specimen.

They were exotic looking, at least on the cover of the excellent mini-LP, Batastrophe, and they had this huge sound that I fell in love with right away. For a long time, it seemed like almost every party I went to was playing this record. It was one of the redeeming qualities of a Deer Valley High School party in those days.

As I look back, I never really knew a whole lot about the band. I bought the record pretty early on after hearing it, but I think part of myself wanted them to remain a mystery. I remember that they played a show in Phoenix in late 1985, I think, but I didn’t have the money to get in and just hung outside of Impulse where they played. I was so bummed.

There was something so fun about Batastrophe. “The Beauty of Poisin” is big and bouncy and fun. It just sort of oozes the feeling of joy and dares the listener to sit still. I don’t think I could ever sit still when listening to this record if I still have a pulse. “The Beauty of Poisin” is a big reason why.

As I sit here, I’m trying to think of who I could compare Specimen to that would do it justice. There is a little bit of Cure in Specimen, but not in an obvious way. There is also a hint of Broadway-style pomp and circumstance and a dash of David Bowie. The band was top notch when they put out Batastrophe.  

“The Beauty of Poisin” just oozes the 80s when I listen to it now. “Syria” is the second song and I have always been highly entertained by it. There is something quite syrupy about the way the song begins, but then the part come where they sing, “turn it up, up – turn it up, up” that just blows me away. It is so catchy.

Sure, I might not exactly love the way Olli Wisdom sang the word, “Syria” but who cares. The rest of the song is great and super fun. Besides, the next song is total stomper.

“Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” is probably the band’s best song. There is this super flanged out, funky bass line that starts it off then it starts vamping. Totally perfect. Kevin Mills plays his ass off on the bass on this one.

The lyrics are delivered in a fully dramatic way. There is even this little breakdown towards the end of the song where the instruments drop out and Wisdom kind of talk/sings in a really cool manner. I sometimes forget how much I like the song until I hear it again.

Side two of the record is not as compelling as side one, but it doesn’t suck. “Returning From a Journey” has some lush guitars and it kind of reminds me of The Vapors’ “Turning Japanese” in a weird way. It’s very much an early 80s new wave song.

“Tell Tail” is probably the best song on side two. It has a good drum beat and I like how Wisdom sings the song. It’s not nearly as memorable as the songs on side one, though.

‘Lovers” kind of sounds like a Flesh For Lulu song. That makes sense because one of the Specimen guys went on to play in Flesh For Lulu, I think. It’s okay, I suppose, too, but not my favorite.

Truth be told, I probably won’t ever listen to side two very often. Side one is a total keeper, though, and it brings back some fond memories of being 15 or 16. I thought I was quite the cool guy for having this record. Sometimes you need something like that.

***** 

See you tomorrow.

AI says Hi.