Dear Friends,
I was saddened yesterday to hear about Teri Garr dying.
It’s not like I knew her personally or anything, but I had a massive crush on her for years. She was one of the coolest actors out there and I loved so many of her roles from the time I was old enough to notice her in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. That film was one of my favorites as a kid and I still love it. She was so great as Ronnie Neary.
She was also great in Oh, God! which I also loved as a kid. I was around eight years old when those came out, but it didn’t take me long to start having some pretty romantic thoughts about this funny, quirky, blond lady. She just seemed so cool and nice.
I’m not sure exactly how old I was when I began to appreciate Young Frankenstein, but I was still what I would consider “little” now. That movie is fucking sublime and while Garr is in a supporting role like the previous two that I mentioned, she shines. Even as a pre-teen, I knew Gene Wilder’s “Dr. Frannkenstein” (that’s Frahhhhkensteen) character was correct to choose “Inga” over Madeline Kahn’s “Elizabeth” and I love Madeline Kahn, too.
When I watch Young Frankenstein now, I just marvel at so many things about the film, but Garr’s “Inga” can still rev my heart up a little bit. It’s weird, too, because I’m not usually a huge fan of blond women. Garr was just about 30, though, when they made the movie and in her prime.
As I got older, I fell in love with her again when I saw Tootsie in 1982. It’s another movie that is just about perfect and Garr’s portrayal of “Sandy” was spot on. I watch that movie whenever it is on and love every minute of it. She’s so tragic but funny in it. It was a role that only she could have done.
Her small role in After Hours is a favorite, too. That is another favorite of mine and then there is Mr. Mom. Holy cow, that is a great movie. It’s another one that I can get into at any point and just feel any stress or worry leaves my body. Sure, Michael Keaton is a big reason for that, but Garr is his equal in making that film purr.
I was bummed that she kind of faded out of the picture, but health issues are a big reason why. I hope she didn’t have too difficult a time over the years, but MS can be a real motherfucker. I’ll be watching for her, for sure, for the rest of my days.
*****
Say what you want about The Fuzztones, but Lysergic Emanations is a truly wonderful record. For a short while I had a copy of their next record, In Heat, but it paled in comparison, so I traded it in or gave it away. Lysergic Emanations, though, would never see that fate. I will always have a copy of this record.
It’s another one that I must give a nod to my good pal, Dorothy, for sharing it with me back in 1986. We were big fans of dropping a little LSD on the weekends and The Fuzztones and Lysergic Emanations were part of the soundtrack for many, if not all, of those occasions. The two things go together like wine and cheese.
Lysergic Emanations is a groovy record. It’s got fuzz and the cool organ sounds. Rudi Protrudi has the great vocals and rhythm guitar that really set The Fuzztones up there for me as one of the coolest garage rock bands. Little did I know back in 1986 that one day, I would be friends with a guy named Orin, too, whose brother played on this record. Elan Portnoy plays a killer lead guitar on the record, too.
There is another link to the record, as well, in my life. Ira Elliot, who plays drums on Lysergic Emanations is the drummer in Nada Surf, who is a favorite of my buddy, Bobby, and his family. This record is an important document in American musical history.
Okay, that may be a stretch, but it’s important to me. “1-2-5” starts it off and it hooks me every time. The song itself is a cover of a song by a band called The Haunted. Apparently they were a big deal Canadian garage band from the mid-60s.
There is a verse in the song where it goes: “Now if I had a car I would go for a drive/I had no car but I had my five/I walked on over to her, I said, "what's your name?"/"My name's Mary Jane and I live down the lane." I’ve always loved that verse. I have to assume they were talking about buying weed here, but I could be totally wrong. That’s the way I always heard it, though, back in the 80s.
‘Gotta Get Some” is up next and it is a quick hitter that sets up track 3, “Journey to Tyme” really well. All three of the first songs are covers, as is most of side one. The only Fuzztones original is “Ward 81” and that one has a great bassline from Michael Jay that has Deb O’Nair’s cool keyboard line weaving in and out of it. Portnoy’s guitar is pretty damn slick, too.
“Ward 81” is pretty damn epic, to be honest. As I listen to it more closely, it may be the best song on side one. Perhaps The Fuzztones should have balanced out the side a bit more with more of their own stuff.
Side one is quite the party, really. Even the slower tempo of “Radar Eyes” is still pretty darn great. It’s a cover originally done by the band, The Godz. They were another New York garage rock outfit. A person could get quite an education just finding the first versions of these songs.
The CD I have has “Strychnine” on it, too. The Sonics did this one, which is also rad. It’s the first, actually, of two Sonics covers on the record.
Side two starts with my favorite track, “Cinderella” which was also originally done by The Sonics. I have heard the original many times, and I dig them both, but back in 1986, “Cinderella” was something of a theme for me. When I heard it, I thought of a certain girl that had my heart in those days. Luckily that love went unrequited for a long time. I couldn’t have handled it at 16.
The Fuzztones version of “Cinderella” is a total stomper and another great party anthem. Elliot slays the drums on this one. “I want to be her man/I want to catch her if I can/I met her at the bar/You know we danced all night/when I kissed her lips/she really held me tight/disappeared by herself when the clock struck twelve.” You know the rest.
“Highway 69” keeps the good times going and that is another Fuzztones original. I like it, especially the organ bits. For me, O’Nair’s organ steals this one. “Just Once” is a great song when you are tripping balls. It’s got this cool echo effect in it that just dances on the brain.
“She’s Wicked” brings back the rock and roll in a strong, mood-altering way. This one also features a great, stomping bass line that totally works with the organ. “As Time’s Gone” is another cover, but I’m not sure what band did it originally. The names on the album credits are pretty unknown to me. It’s a fine song, though.
The last song is “Living Sickness” by Billy Dawn Smith. Not sure who Billy Dawn Smith is (or was), but I always kind of liked it a closer. The brooding organ at the beginning sets the stage for some great wah wah effect on the guitar. It’s the kind of song that lets you know that the record is over and it is time to change the mood.
I had so much fun over the years listening to Lysergic Emanations. I hope future generations discover it. Maybe I can help them find it.
*****
See you tomorrow.
AI...stop licking my brain.
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