Casey's Really Scratchy Record Collection Presents: "The Ventures Play The Batman Theme" (1966)

The Ventures were not only the greatest rock n roll instrumental group of all time, they were also the most prolific. In 1966 alone, they released four albums including, "The Ventures Play The Batman Theme", one of their best.

If you believe the liner notes on the back of the album (and you should believe them, The Ventures would never lie), the idea for the record's concept came from a fan who wrote a letter suggesting that the band record an album of  "tv action themes." (They even print the fans letter on the back cover.)

"Batman Theme", "Green Hornet", "The Man From U.N.C.L.E", "Get Smart" and "Secret Agent Man" are all here and given fabulous Ventures treatment. Extra credit should be given to producer Joe Saraceno for tastefully adding keyboards, percussion and backing vocals. Usually available on Amazon or e bay for a couple bucks. Well worth picking up.

Take a listen for yourself

Coolest Book In The World #186: "Three Men Seeking Monsters" by Nick Redfern

Like most kids growing up in the seventies, I thought at some point in my adulthood I would load up in a cool looking van and go hunting for ghosts,. Alas, as I approach the perilous age of fifty I have, in fact, never had the opportunity to do so, but Nick Redfern has.

"Three Men Seeking Monsters" is Redfern's account of roadtripping around England in search of monsters, ghosts and other weird creatures. Accompanied by two equally eccentric friends (or "mates", as they call them in Britan) they spend probably as much time drinking in pubs as they do haunted houses. Think Hunter S. Thompson meets Scooby Doo.

Redfern is a self described ufologist and cryptozooologist and has written a slew of books on flying saucers, monkey-men and NASA conspiracies. But you don't have to be a true believer to enjoy the book because it is more "On The Road" than "Mothman Prophesies" and Redfern actually has a sense of humor and doesn't take the subject matter too seriously. Plus they drive a cool van (well, it's actually a camper, but still...)

As far as ghosts, aliens and monsters go, I would describe myself as a cheerful agnostic. I doubt that any of these things actually exist but I think it would be pretty cool if they did. And if anyone has a cool van and wants to go hunting for ghosts, count me in. As long as we can stop at a couple of pubs along the way.

Nick Redfern's Website

Scooby Doo's Website

Coolest Album In The World #262: "Ghost Stories For Young People" Alfred Hitchcock

Great spoken word album hosted by Alfred Hitchcock himself.  As a kid, we would sit in the dark listening to this on hot air conditionless summer nights with the sound of the crickets drifting in from the open windows.



                                                                                 

The album contains stories about  haunted houses, evil magicians, ghostly hitchhikers and even one about giant malicious squirrels.

The album was released in 1962 but still holds up well today. Just remember to turn out the lights and lock the door.

"Pleasant Valley Sunday" Carole King

"Pleasant Valley Sunday" has always been one of my favorite Monkees songs...great melody, hip lyrics, groovy guitar lick, incredible drumming and sparkling vocals...The song was written by Gerry Goffin and Carole King...Here is the songwriters demo recording with Carole King on vocals...it is much folkier than the Monkees version...it sounds like how The Mamas And Papas or Spanky & Our Gang might have done it...cool stuff.

The One Man Band Chronicles #1: Henry "Ragtime Texas" Thomas

Mysterious Country blues musician from Big Sandy, Texas...Recorded for Vocalion Records in 1927 &1929...Was in his fifties during recording sessions making him (perhaps) the oldest blues musician ever recorded...hoboed all over Texas and the Midwest, picking up gigs in towns along the various railroad lines (checkout "Railroading Some", his musical account of his hobo days)...Accompanied himself on guitar and panpipes or quills ( that instrument that Greek god Pan and Zamfir play) giving his music a strange mystical quality..

Wrote a bunch of tunes later covered by Taj Mahal, The Lovin' Spoonful, Bob Dylan, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Canned Heat (the flute solo on "Up The Country" is a note for note copy of Thomas' panpipe solo on "Bulldoze Blues")...Disappeared not long after 1929 recording sessions...Many blues scholars believe he died in the 1930's although there are claims he was still hoboing and performing as late as the 1950's...
             
                                 Take a listen to "Bulldoze Blues"

--Casey Redmond
    Shangri-La, Ohio

Casey's Website

"Muffler Men: Giant Smiling Mutants Visit U.S

Sure, he's smiling but what's he doing with that axe!

(Washington) Authorities in countless communities across North America are reporting hundreds of sightings of what appears to be a benign race of Caucasian beaming fiberglass giants. The silent beings have been dubbed "Muffler Men" due to an apparent propensity to stand quietly in muffler, tire and auto shop parking lots.

Muffler Man in stone washed jeans...Eerie
resemblance to the guy who played the dad in
"Wonder Years".

    The grinning Stepford like creatures seem to have a gentle and happy disposition and enjoy, uhh... holding things.

Alien Muffler Man?

                                                Reaction to the twenty foot tall "master race" has been mixed. While some community leaders believe the giants will have a positive effect on the populous, real estate companies are horrified at the plummeting property values while many conservatives fear that the group's presence will erode traditional family values because...well, pretty much everything erodes traditional family values.

                                                                     

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Scientists from around the world have been brought in hoping to solve the mystery of where the creatures came from, what is their purpose and, perhaps most importantly, how do they go to the bathroom?!?

For more information go to:
Roadside America: They Walk Among Us

Casey's One Man Rock N Roll Band Website

Coolest Book In The World #186; "Free For All" Don Borchert

Things I learned about libraries from reading Dan Borchert's, "Free For All: Oddballs, Geeks And Gangstas In The Public Library":

~Librarians sometimes use the "F" word.
   (Especially librarians who write books)

~ If you are looking for a sex toy, you can order    one from an adult website, shop at
   Waterbeds And Stuff or check your local
   library's book drop.

~In addition to checking out books, using computers and doing research, the library is also a great place to stash your drugs.

~Some librarians have a sense of humor.

~This ain't your daddy's library.

When I was a kid, librarians were either older females or, shall we say, not very masculine men. Quite a few, male and female, wore glasses with a chain attached, were obsessed with silence and, so it seemed to the seven year old me, hated little kids.

I remember asking grown ups (ie. giant people who wore funny clothes, smelled weird and hated fun) why you had to be quiet in the library? "Because people are studying" was the impatient answer. I thought this odd because the only things my friends and I ever studied in the library were back copies of The National Geographic and it's hard to keep quite when your staring at some of those.

I don't think anybody is quiet in a library anymore. And according to Dan Borchert it's because the modern day library is part day care center, homeless shelter and halfway house. Checkout this book, you will never look at a librarian the same way again.

Buy Dan Borchert's Book Here

Casey's One Man Rock N Roll Band Website