Review: Peter Holsapple – Big Black Truck/96 Second Blowout/Death Garage

"Big Black Truck" maxi-single with picture sleeve.
“Big Black Truck” maxi-single with picture sleeve.

Car Records was founded in 1977 by Chris Stamey of the dBs. Stamey was born and raised in Winston-Salem, North Carolona and moved to New York City in the 1970s. He founded Car Records, more or less to release his own material. He released a handful of singles on this label. Stamey released Chris Bell’s first (and only) single, “I Am the Cosmos” b/w “You and Your Sister”, noteable because Alex Chilton sang backup vocals on “You and Your Sister”. In addition, Car Records issued a mini-EP (or a maxi-single?), “Big Black Truck” / “96 Sec. Blowout” / “Death Garage” with future dBs guitarist Peter Holsapple.

“Big Black Truck” starts off with drums for the first five seconds, then a guitar joins for the rest of the intro. Then we get Peter Holsapple – doing his best Elvis impression – singing about interstates and the titular big black truck and its specifications. After two verses, there is an instrumental break (including drums); then we get one last verse, a chorus, then – two minutes and forty-four seconds later – the songs ends. It’s part power pop, part rockabilly, and one hundred percent infectious.
One the B-side, we get “96 Second Blowout”, which starts with a fast guitar riff, and is a lot more punk than “Big Black Truck”. It ends with the rhythm (and vocals) becoming much faster before ending abruptly. Then we get “Death Garage”, which sounds much more ethereal, even psychedelic. There’s even a sitar in the instrumental break. The lyrics are morbid: “Never mind the bruises and blood/The cause of death was carbon monoxide/In the death garage”. Unlike “Big Black Truck” and “96 Second Blowout”, the song ends with a fade out.
This record came with a picture sleeve which is both artistic and informative; it depicts the big black truck and tells us that it was produced by Chris Stamey and had Mitch Easter on drums and echoplexes. It’s an excellent single for those who liked the early years of the dBs. “Big Black Truck” is available on the Ork Records compilation released in 2015. The B-side apparently has not been released on CD, but is available on YouTube:

September 15, 2024 by Music Reviews 0

Playlist: 9-10-2024

Here’s the playlist for 9-10-2024, a show which was delayed about 30 minutes due to technical difficulties (a.k.a. operator error), and in which I played old time radio – probably for the last time:

Hour 1.5

  1. The Stan Laurels, “This Is Your Life” [There Is No Light Without the Dark (2021)]
  2. Dolph Chaney, “Cool in the Sunshine” [Mug (2023)]
  3. Spinal Tap, “The Majesty of Rock” [Break Like the Wind (1992)]
  4. The Equals, “Green Light” [Greatest Hits (1969/1974)]
  5. The Slide, “Superman’s Shoes” [New Guitars in Town: Power Pop 1978-82 (1980/2024)]

Hour 2

  1. Jerry of the Circus, “Fire Put Out” [OTR (1937)]
  2. Jerry of the Circus, “Trunk Search” [OTR (1937)]
  3. Five Minute Mysteries, “The Postman Didn’t Ring” [OTR (1947)]
  4. Ron Wood, “I Don’t Think So” [I Feel Like Playing (2010)]
  5. Slade, “Take Me Back ‘Ome” [Feel the Noize: The Very Best of Slade (1971/1997)]
  6. Jethro Tull, “Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll Too Young to Die” [Too Old to Rock ‘n’ Roll Too Young to Die (1976)]
  7. Rod Stewart, “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl” [Discover British Blues on Decca & Deram Records (1964/2020)]
  8. New York Dolls, “Puss ‘N’ Boots” [Too Much Too Soon (1974)]
  9. Aerosmith, “Major Barbara” [1971: The Road Starts Hear (1971/2022)]

Hour 3: Mandatory Mayall

  1. John Mayall, “Mama, Talk to Your Daughter” [Thru the Years (1971)]
  2. John Mayall, “The Boy Most Likely to Succeed” [Notice to Appear (1975)]
  3. John Mayall, “Thoughts About Roxanne” [The Turning Point (1969)]
  4. J.B. Lenoir, “Mama Talk to Your Daughter” [Chess Blues (1955/1993)]

New Music Express

  1. David Gilmour, “Luck and Strange” [Luck and Strange (2024)]
  2. Toro Y Moi, “CD-R” [Hole Erth (2024)]
  3. Hinds, “Boom Boom Back (Feat. Beck)” [Viva Hinds (2024)]
  4. Bremer/McCoy, “Higher Road” [Kosmos (2024)]
  5. Duke Robillard, “Are You Going My Way” [Roll with Me (2024)]
  6. Tab Benoit, “I Hear Thunder” [I Hear Thunder (2024)]

Hour 4: The Golden Palominos

  1. The Golden Palominos, “Prison of the Rhythm” [This Is How It Feels (1993)]
  2. The Golden Palominos, “I’m Not Sorry” [This Is How It Feels (1993)]
  3. The Golden Palominos, “Little Suicides” [Pure (1994)]
  4. The Golden Palominos, “Victim” [Dead Inside (1996)]
  5. Kevin Kinney & The Golden Palominos, “Wild Dog Moon Pt. 2” [A Good Country Mile (2012)]

September 14, 2024 by Playlists 0

Playlist: 9-3-2024

Here is the playlist for 9-3-2024…the second ever show, in which I added a Peter St. Onge commentary to the second/third hour break:

Hour 1

  1. The Inmates, “You’re the One That Done It” [First Offence (1979)]
  2. Ian Dury, “Billericay Dickey” [New Boots and Panties (1977)]
  3. Johnny Cash, “Sold Out of Flagpoles” [One Piece at a Time (1976)]
  4. Electric Six, “Gay Bar” [Fire (2003)]
  5. Theoretical Girls, “U.S. Millie” [The Great New York Singles Scene (1978/1988)]
  6. The Rolling Stones, “Summer Romance” [Emotional Recue (1980)]
  7. Helmet, “Unsung” [Meantime (1992)]

New Music Express

  1. Ty Segall, “First Look/First Conversation/Walk Home Pt.1” [Love Rudiments (2024)]
  2. Tycho, “Phantom” [Infinite Health (2024)]
  3. Shemekia Copeland, “Broken High Heels” [Blame It On Eve (2024)]
  4. Shemekia Copeland, “Tee Tot Payne” [Blame It On Eve (2024)]
  5. Duke Robillard, “Blue Coat Man” [Roll With Me (2024)]
  6. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, “Raw Feel” [Flight B741 (2024)]

Hour 2

  1. Jerry of the Circus, “Johnny Will Leave” [OTR (1937)]
  2. Jerry of the Circus, “Fire Breaks Out” [OTR (1937)]
  3. Five Minute Mysteries, “License for Murder” [OTR (1947)]
  4. Sex Pistols, “No One Is Innocent” [The Great Rock ‘N’ Roll Swindle (1979)]
  5. Freddie King, “Hide Away” [Let’s Hide Away and Dance Away with Freddie (1961)]
  6. Thin Lizzy, “Look What the Wind Blew” [Thin Lizzy (1971)]
  7. Them, “Square Room (2nd Single Version)” [Time Out! Time In for Them (1967)]
  8. Sweet Sensation, “Sad Sweet Dreamer” [Sad Sweet Dreamer (1975)]
  9. Grand Funk Railroad, “We’re An American Band” [We’re An American Band (1973)]
  10. The Donnas, “Too Bad About Your Girl” [Spend the Night (2002)]

Hour 3: Mandatory Mayall

  1. John Mayall, “Mexico City” [Why Worry (1981)]
  2. John Mayall, “Wish You Were Here (Live)” [Blues from Laurel Canyon (1968)]
  3. John Mayall, “Ten Years Are Gone” [Ten Years Are Gone (1973)]

Featured artist: The Golden Palominos

  1. The Golden Palominos, “I’ve Been the One” [Blast of Silence (1986)]
  2. The Golden Palominos, “Something Becomes Nothing” [Blast of Silence (1986)]
  3. The Golden Palominos, “Darklands” [A Dead Horse (1989)]
  4. The Golden Palominos, “Alive and Living Now” [Drunk with Passion (1991)]
  5. Blake Jones & The Trike Shop, “Mock Stoner Voices” [and still…(2024)]

September 5, 2024 by Playlists 0

Playlist: 8-27-2024

Here’s the playlist for the 8-27-2024 show – the first show! Here it is:

Hour 1

  1. Chris Stamey & the DBs, “(I Thought You) Wanted to Know” [Ork Records: New York, New York (1977/2015)
  2. Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets, “Trombone” [Indoor Safari (2024)
  3. The Loud Family, “We’re for the Dark” [Come and Get It: A Tribute to Badfinger (1998)]
  4. Alex Chilton, “Rock Hard” [Like Flies on Sherbert (1979)]
  5. The Kinks, “Summer’s Gone (Extended Edit)” [Word of Mouth (1984)]
  6. The Neptunes, “Summer’s Almost Gone” [Hooks on the Beach (1989/2012)]
  7. Great White, “Train to Nowhere (Live)” [Stage (1995)]

New Music Express

  1. Spirit of the Beehive, “Stranger Alive” [You’ll Have to Lose Something (2024)]
  2. Fontaines D.C., “Desire” [Romance (2024)]
  3. Roy Crank, “Dont Kill the World I’m Living In” [Songs for Ukrainian Independence Day: Benefit Split Single (2024)]
  4. Geneva Jacuzzi, “Laps of Luxury” [Triple Fire (2024)]
  5. Foster the People, “Lost in Space” [Paradise State of Mind (2024)]

Hour 2

  1. Jerry of the Circus, “Major Mike Loses” [OTR (1937)]
  2. Jerry of the Circus, “Fortunes Told” [OTR (1937)]
  3. Five Minute Mysteries, “Murder in Cairo” [OTR (1947)]
  4. Rush, “What You’re Doing” [Rush (1974)]
  5. The Rich Kids, “Rich Kids” [Best of The Rich Kids (1978/2003)]
  6. Sex Pistols, “No Feelings” [Never Mind the Bollocks (1977)]
  7. Cheap Trick, “Ain’t That a Shame” [At Budokan (1979)]
  8. Donnie Iris, “Ah! Leah!” [Back on the Streets (1980)]
  9. The Baseball Project, “The Day Dock Went Hunting Heads” [3rd (2014)]

Hour 3: Mandatory Mayall

  1. John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, “Hideaway” [Bluesbreakers with Eric Clapton (1966)]
  2. John Mayall, “Good Times Boogie” [Jazz Blues Fusion (1972)]
  3. John Mayall, “Sitting on the Outside” [New Year, New Band, New Company (1975)]
  4. Lou Reed, “The Power of Positive Drinking” [Growing Up in Public (1980)]

Featured artist: The Golden Palominos

  1. The Golden Palominos, “Clean Plate” [The Golden Palominos (1983)]
  2. The Golden Palominos, “I.D.” [The Golden Palominos (1983)]
  3. The Golden Palominos, “Omaha” [Visions of Excess (1985)]
  4. The Golden Palominos, “Boy (Go)” [Visions of Excess (1985)]
  5. Alex Chilton, “Bangkok” [Bach’s Bottom (1981/1978)]

August 30, 2024 by Playlists 0

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