JEFFREY MORGAN’S MEDIA BLACKOUT #649.306!

Phil Spector – Back To Stereo (Philles) :: After the Supreme Court refused to overturn the life sentence of convicted murderer Phil Spector—thus ensuring that he’ll stay behind bars where he can’t threaten anyone anymore—every record company that the disgraced producer ever worked for jointly agreed to delete all of Spector’s original mono recordings from their back catalogues and then have Academy Award winning Lucasfilm sound sculptor Walter Murch digitally remix the original studio multi-tracks into THX benchmark stereo and 9.1 surround sound at Skywalker Ranch. As one veteran record executive explains in the liner notes to this ten disc box set: “I’ve been waiting to get back at that bald-headed bastard ever since he pulled a gun on me during the recording of ‘He Hit Me (It Felt Like A Kiss).’ Mono. What does that woman slayer think this is, anyway? 1950?”

SIZZLING PLATTER OF THE WEEK: Andre Williams – Hoods And Shades (Bloodshot) :: The first thing you notice is that the album cover comes gang bangin’ atcha straight outta some kinda drive-by ghetto blasted vintage blaxploitation one sheet: I’m talkin’ ’bout a tricked out pimp daddy flashin’ dual solid gold JAIL and BAIT knuckle rings with his meaty mitts wrapped around two dishy thunder-age bikini-clad gun-toting foxes; a Cagnesque exploding oil refinery; a double barreled pump action guitar; a trench coated machete wieldin’ maniac escapin’ a fiery inferno multi car collision via a danglin’ helicopter ladder; plus a sinister as sin cadre of terrorist fist-jabbin’ Unabomber lookalikes.

And with songs like the moralistic “A Good Day To Feel Bad” and the animalistic “Jaw Dropper” and the hoodooistic “Mojo Hanna” you’d better believe that this one’s got the ginchiest gonad-grabbin’ goods ’cause Williams has forgotten more about life than you’ll ever learn so mebbe it’s about time for you to pick up on what he’s putting down, y’hear?

SIZZLING VIDEO OF THE WEEK: The B-52s – With The Wild Crowd! Live In Athens, Georgia (Eagle) :: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: show me a live-in-their-hometown reunion album and I’ll show you a lazy litany of last gasp let down expectations—but not this time I won’t ’cause this is the most kinetically frenetic fun fiesta since their pulsating Party Mix! radically redefined what a remix record should sound like. And now that you can actually see them in action on this outta sight two hour video in their Day-Glo get ups in front of a vertiginous Time Tunnel backdrop, you’ll agree that these kitschy camp runamuck jive bombers haven’t missed a strategically placed lick since their “Private Idaho” and “Love Shack” hit single heyday. Not only do they rock harder than ever, their witty retro-ironic antics jibe with today’s pop culture landscape in a kooky cool way that vitally resonates even more than it did thirty years ago. That’s why the line to elect supersexy Cindy Wilson into the Rock Hall starts here.

Be seeing you!