December 14, 2022 Playlist

Betty Davis "Betty Davis" (1973)
CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK
Betty Davis "Betty Davis"  1973 (USA)
Betty Davis was a legendary singer and songwriter who passed away this year. The review you can read by clicking the album cover on the left pretty much gives the standard story: ex-wife of Miles Davis overshadowed by her famous ex-husband, underappreciated funk pioneer, sexual liberation, blah blah yada yada. My personal take on her music is: this gal is intense! Her raunchy growling and the band's relentless nearly-metal brand of funk makes for an overpowering listening experience. You would not listen to this as background music, Betty commands your attention. I can see why her records weren't that popular when they were released: her attitude and delivery would have fit in much better with punk and new wave a few years later. Musically, this record and the follow up They Say I'm Different (1974) are not as hooky as Parliament/Funkadelic, but they are just as heavy. I checked the liner notes expecting to find some P-Funk members, but this was recorded in San Francsico by Greg Errico, formerly the drummer from Sly & The Family Stone, and includes musicans like Jerry Garcia's pal Merle Saunders!
Plus some new sounds from Japan on the show this week: Dempagumi.inc released a new "hardcore Dempa" 5-song EP today, here's their new song "Augmented Grandpa" (I think it's about how the group's devoted fans are destined to become elderly cyborgs dancing to Dempagumi songs eternally in virtual reality - what a futuristic concept!) Also check out former Dempagumi member Nagi Nemoto's new tune "Thoughts On Lavendar Milk" which was written by the very interesting teenage(!) songwriter who goes by the name "Yukichi Yoshisaku / MEN" (she writes very sophisticated "jazzy" electronic pop tunes). And one more bit of news, hot off the presses: Kozue Aikawa is leaving Dempagumi.inc at the end of this month after a tenure of less than 2 years with the group (I had noticed she was skipping a lot of their live performances this year) - so if you are keeping score, since 2021 they've gone from 6 members to 10 to 9 to 8 to 9 and now back to 8 (such drama!)
(N) = New Release
(R) = Listener request
   
Artist Song Album Year Country
Procol Harum (Gary Booker R.I.P.)Quite Rightly SoShine On Brightly1968UK
Nazareth (Dan McCafferty R.I.P.)The Ballad Of Hollis Brown (Bob Dylan)Loud 'n' Proud1973UK (Scotland)
Budgie (Burke Shelley R.I.P.)Zoom ClubIn For The Kill1974UK (Wales)
 
 
Dempagumi.inc Augmented Ojiichan
("Augmented Grandpa")		Dempa-kashikku Rekodo EP (N)
("Dempakashic Records")		2022 (Meme Tokyo/Toy's Factory)Japan
Nagi Nemoto (formerly of Dempagumi.inc) Lavender Milk No Omowaku
("Thoughts On Lavendar Milk")		Lume Di Spica EP (N)
("Lamp Of Lavendar" in Italian)		2022 (Dearstage)Japan
Wand The Gift (live)Spiders In The Rain (N)2022 (Drag City)USA
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard AstroturfChanges (N)2022 (KGLW)Australia
Joyeria DeathFIM EP (N)2022 (Speedy Wunderground)Canada/UK
The Black Angels History Of The FutureWilderness Of Mirrors (N)2022 (Partisan)USA
   
 
Betty Davis (R.I.P.)Steppin' In Her I. Miller ShoesBetty Davis
 CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		1973USA
Betty DavisGame Is My Middle NameBetty Davis
 CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		1973USA
Betty DavisAnti-Love SongBetty Davis
 CLASSIC ALBUM OF THE WEEK		1973USA
Betty DavisGit In ThereThey Say I'm Different1974USA
Gal Costa (R.I.P.)Língua Do P ("P-Language")LeGal1970Brazil
Fleetwood Mac (Christine McVie R.I.P.)WhyMystery To Me1973UK/USA
   
 
Public Image Ltd. (Keith Levene R.I.P.)AlbatrossMetal Box (aka Second Edition)1979UK
Ash Ra Tempel (Klaus Schulze R.I.P.)AmbossAsh Ra Tempel1971Germany
Vangelis (R.I.P.)AlphaAlbedo 0.391976Greece
Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of InventionSofa #2One Size Fits All1975USA
   
 
Mtume Umoja Ensemble (James Mtume R.I.P.)Baba HengatesAlkebu-Lan (Land Of The Blacks)1972USA
Pharoah Sanders (R.I.P.)Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah-Hum-AllahJewels Of Thought1969USA
   
 
Muriel Grossmann InterconnectionUniversal Code (N) (R)2022 (Dreamland Records)Austria/Spain
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