This seems linked in my mind with PBS playing Lawrence Welk out here in the 90s.

The same station still shows Lawrence Welk every Sunday night. To be honest, I prefer Yes. They did do a nice bluesy version of "Roundabout" in the show, but that's about the only song of theirs that I ever really liked anyway.

I have an Old 97's cover of that Cash tune. Fun song.

As to the BNL -- I loved Gordon back when it came out, in the early 90s, and haven't liked a single one of their albums since. A couple of tracks here and there were good, but mostly the others I've heard (and I bought a couple before I wised up!) were just boring to me.

Thanks to Hayden's excellent review I was prompted to go buy Smile this weekend. I was quite enjoying it this morning. For knowing all the pieces in a variety of takes and versions, it makes a huge difference having it all flow together seamlessly. The Wondermints do a fantastic job filling in for the Beach Boys.

ION, I saw the New York Dolls last night at the Fillmore. What a fucking blast! It was one of those true believer concerts where every single person within eye and earshot of me sang along to every lyric. People were just so grateful to hear them live - grinning ear to ear.

They sounded fantastic and thoroughly Dollsy. David Jo was in fine voice, and tarted up with long hair, and painted nails and the whole trashy diva aesthetic. Syl Sylvain was the only other surviving Doll. He and David were both really enjoying each other, cracking jokes and grinning. At one point, David pointed at Syl and said, "I have never had sexual intercourse with that woman." Then he cackled and said, "For an old queen, he's learned a lot of new tricks."

When I first got to the Fillmore I went upstairs to the poster room and got a drink.

The bartender saw the foofy scarf tied into a loose bow at my neck and said, "You excited? How long you been waiting for this show?"

I said, "Nineteen years - since I was sixteen years old."

They did most everything from both albums and threw in three new covers which were absolutely splendid and perfect in the way that a Dolls cover often is. In honor of the Fillmore they did Janis' "Piece of My Heart" - it was perfectly attuned with Big Brother and the Holding Company's garage band vibe and turned Janis' big dramatic singing into big diva drama, without disrespecting the original. David announced, "It wouldn't be a Dolls show without a song from our inspirations, The Shangri Las" - and they covered the supremely sad, trashy and melodramatic "Out In The Streets." The Dolls always were huge girl group fans.

And they did a fantastic and perfectly appropriate version of Memphis Minnie's "In My Girlish Days."

So fun.

The Dolls always were huge girl group fans.

Girl groups -- teen angst before teen angst was cool.

I said, "Nineteen years - since I was sixteen years old."

Let's see.... nineteen plus sixteen.... Hey! Wait a minute!

Let's see.... nineteen plus sixteen.... Hey! Wait a minute!

Good point - terrible math. More like twenty seven years.

and they covered the supremely sad, trashy and melodramatic "Out In The Streets."

Bad ass! Sounds like a blast!

Once again, my MIT education pays off!

Bad ass! Sounds like a blast!

Truly. All three new covers were just so apt. The crowd was really into singing all those little girl group bits in the trashy punk context too. The werewolf yelps in "Personality Crisis" and I can't tell you how cool that Memphis Minnie song was in this version. It was perfect.

Now playing at my desk: Smile.

Now playing at my desk: Smile.

Glad you're enjoying it. I've been listening to that and Blueberry Boat exclusively for days on end now.