Three on the Ones and Twos

From Rod Hamdallah: Honored to have sat down and talked about one of my favorite albums on Three on the Ones and Twos. My choice is Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band’s 1967 release, “Safe as Milk”. 

This album struck me the first time I heard it and influenced my music quite a bit. I love how Bluesy/Psychedelic and obscure the songs are, while Beefheart’s “Howlin’ Wolf-style” singing layers it perfectly. This album is still one of my top favorites and always will be. 

From Henry Owings: In my house, the Muhammad Ali vs Tooth Decay record is a litmus test. If guests laugh along with it, we’re going to have a great night. If guests scoff at it, well, it probably means that the night won’t go as late as anticipated. This is a record that was released with the help of the American Dental Association, and I guess, was meant to be given out to patients. Regardless, any time I see a copy of this, I pick it up, and strongly urge others to do the same.

Check out Henry's Latest Book of Flyers from Athens, Georgia between 1967 to 2002: Plus 1 Athens

From Virginia DeRosa: Sweetheart of the Rodeo was my introduction to country music as a kid, and it continues to be one of my most treasured albums of all time. It wasn’t until much later in life I realized it was a compilation of American music, and not just that one Byrds album that stood out from the rest. The omnipresence of Gram Parsons and stellar pedal steel mixed with the classic McGuinn/Hillman dynamic is what really sets it apart. Its juxtaposed folky depths and lightness make it one of the most important records in music history, as well as my own.

From Chad Radford: Burning From the Inside has always held something of a mystery simmering just beneath the surface of every note and every lyrical phrase. Bauhaus’ final album (the first time around) perfectly distilled the band’s black-clad post-punk and proto-goth traipse into an enigmatic final act. Like the arrows of chaos, seminal recordings by Love and Rockets, Peter Murphy, Tones On Tail, David J, Daniel Ash, and Dali’s Car all fired off in every direction shortly after its arrival. I’m not sure if there’s a literal code to crack here, but nods to Italian Futurism in “Who Killed Mr. Moonlight” take shape as a poignant snapshot of a group that has already pulled itself apart at the seams. “Antonin Artaud” pushes that tension to an ecstatic state, “King Volcano,” “Slice Of Life,” and the album’s title track are monster cuts—quintessential Bauhas. “Hope” brings it all to a warm and psychedelic landing, hinting at what the future holds in store. But it’s difficult to see the forest for the trees, maybe that’s what the cover art is all about. All meaning is shrouded in layers upon layers of cinematic imagery here. Nearly 40 years after its arrival, Burning From the Inside still reveals all sorts of insight into the band’s history and legacy. I was thrilled when Cassy, Tom, and James invited me on the show to talk about it all.

Check out Chad's work at https://radatl.com/ 

Bjork's debut album "Debut" (see what I did there😜) was released nearly 30 years ago now. It is her best selling album and is full of top charting singles. Debut transcended traditional pop radio expectations. With its mix of jazz, house/electro/, and punk rock music, it was unlike anything I had heard at that time. As a young lady eager to get out on the stage and sing myself, it opened my eyes to a world of music I hadn't tapped into, and heavily influenced my music and fashion taste. I'm so glad I got to sit down and chat all things Bjork and celebrate her awesomeness. - Keena Graham 

From Jennifer von Schlichten: Danzig, in all his forms, hit me hard in my formative years. Though I consider my musical tastes varied and wide, when the pals at 3 on the 1’s and 2’s asked me to pick my “all time favorite record”, I knew this album had to be it (though I grappled with Quicksand, Talk Talk, and others for this spot). 

In short; I was a teen and suddenly there was The Misfits, then Samhain, then the man solo (and what prowess by his side...) 

And of all Glenn’s discography, Lucifuge is… perfection. By the second album, they were this well oiled machine that sucks you in on the first track and won’t let go until the ride is over. Does that sound corny? Maybe, but when you listen to it I don’t know how else to encapsulate that response. In no moment does this album lack integrity; You can hear that Danzig soars as a songwriter and as a singer. The songs are dynamic, instrumentation is tight and professional (how could he fail with the likes of Eerie, John, and Chuck?). 

I mean, the whole 49 minutes and 26 seconds of the album is a fuckin vibe. Just flows, naturally. Always was—always will be, a classic. I could go on and on here and get into detail about why I love each track on this album but it’s better if you just throw it on, yourself. I will say, I absolutely lose it when “Girl” comes on, but then followed by “Pain in the World” makes me lose it x2. Ending that rollercoaster ride of an album so strong! Bring it on home, Danzig! 

From Kira Ciliberto: With drugs, crime, and the do-or-die means of artistry in all its ghastly and authentic brilliance, no other LP presents mid-70s NYC like Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers sole full-length release ‘L.A.M.F.’, a sonic spew of raw, searing rock and roll with an encapsulation of influence from early 60s girl group pulp essentials to late 50s mastery of Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, and even a curl of Ventures snaked in around the edges.
Drummer Jerry Nolan and guitarist Johnny Thunders split with the New York Dolls' punk’s glam-trash roots at the same time that Richard Hell left Television, recruiting straight guy-by day Demon’s guitarist Walter Lure with two priorities, scoring smack around Hell’s Alphabet City appt and playing rock and roll with the desperate grit, street savvy, and experience all over every NYC dive there was.  They wanted a record deal, but this didn’t come with their growing reputation for heroin use, so they took the advice of their manager Leee Black Childers to join Malcom McLaren’s offer to play with the Sex Pistols in England. Once there, they were offered a deal to record an album with Track Records.  Preceded by several favorably received singles, L.A.M.F., released in 77 was widely condemned for its muddy mix, which was remixed multiple times, only to find that the problem lay in a mastering fault. With the original masters missing, multiple attempts to rerelease this in improved form from 1977-2021 occurred until the masters were finally found in sparkling clarity and as the Heartbreakers intended!

Why did I pick Wire's Pink Flag for the Three on the Ones and Twos Podcast episode?  For me personally this album came in multiple waves of progressing states of maturity for me to realize it's full potential - first excited by the upbeat aggro punk tracks as younger kid, then the pop and melodic sensibilities years later in high school, and then finally the dirgy lumbering heavy soundscape tracks which connected with me in my late teens. Essentially, the record follows its own path of musical development and maturity that mirrors somewhat of my own path of personal musical appreciation and expression growing up but inside a single record -a snapshot of a brief moment of some kids making noise and looking for a new way to express themselves back in 1976/77

In the aggregate, Wire, who really were never a punk band by most measures, managed to create a masterpiece punk record that defined most every genre of punk to come (from pop, hardcore, anarcho, garage, sludge, doom, art, and melodic punk)  and on that same record also began defining a post-punk sound before post punk was yet a thing. And within 9 months of the release of Pink Flag they would  have departed the punk scene altogether with a genre defining post punk/art rock record "Chairs Missing" -which is a masterpiece in its own right and continued the personal musical arc for me.

Further, I think it is likely the most influential (yet under the radar record) for the subsequent music landscape to come in our post 70s generations. It stands as a milestone of critical connective tissue between the songs of old and songs to come influenced by the weight of its accomplishments in the pivotal musical year of 1977. It's musical DNA is in experimentation, progression and moments -never standing still or hanging around long enough from song to song or album to album to get pinned down into a genre for long -Wire is about expression and exploration.

Pink Flag stands as the quintessential complete punk and experimental record of 1977 -the year in which the musical world's axis tilted further than ever before.  And for many of us, that tilt in music defines more about our lives, our friends, our culture - than most anything else.

I was dead sober when I wrote this.

Lalala lala lalala lalala lalala ohh ohh last time now.....

Brian Kincheloe

From Jeffrey Butzer: One of my favorite things to see an artist do is subvert expectations. In 2004 Waits was coming off of the heels of two highly conceptual and theatrical masterpieces (Blood Money and Alice) full of lush and strange instrumentation. Real Gone reminds us what a great songwriter and producer he actually is. It is stacked with some of his best lyrics and songs in his catalog without using a calliope, field organ or even a good old fashioned piano! Sure, the usual Tom tropes are there. What would a Waits record be without mentioning a body of water, a city and a guy with a funny name? (see: Piggy Knowles, Dutch Pink). 

By far the shining star on this record is Marc Ribot. His solos and tone are in top form here. 

I noticed Waits’ music when I heard Rain Dogs and Blue Valentine, I asked it to go steady after I bought Bone Machine and Black Rider. Fell in love when I heard Alice. Real Gone is us at 70, sitting on a porch holding hands. 

Greg Pettay wears many hats behind the scenes on the show and the first thing he said when asked to be part of the team was, "I get to pick a record, right?" He immediately knew what his pick would be: Spirit of Eden by Talk Talk. "To me, the best kind of art is the kind that, after an initial introduction (regardless of how bland or life changing it might be), reveals itself little by little with each encounter and never stops. Like a living thing. I think Spirit of Eden is one very good example, so I picked it as my choice to be discussed on the show." So far, this is the first record we've discussed that none of the three of us were familiar with prior to preparing for this episode but that's one of the things that makes doing this show so fun! It's a beautiful record and, if you haven't listened to it yet, we hope you check it out. We'd like to give a huge thank you to Greg for all of his help on Three on the Ones and Twos and for introducing us to Talk Talk's Spirit of Eden.