From: ajw@cbnews.cb.att.com (andrew.j.whitman)
Subject: Peter Case and The Plimsouls (was Re: T-Bone)
Organization: AT&T
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 15:28:35 GMT

In article <C1AHz9.DI8@ucunix.san.uc.edu> tothmd@ucunix.san.uc.edu (Michael David Toth) writes:
 
>PS--there's a threat in alt.config to start a music newsgroup dedicated
>to T-Bone, Sam, Tonio, Mark Heard, Peter Case, Victoria Williams, Van
>Dyke Parks, Elvis Costello, Marc Ribot, Bruce Cockburn, Bono, Bob
>Neuwirth, etc. -- a lot of which are Christians, but whose main 
>common denominator is their association with T-Bone.  Post your support
>if you're interested.  (r.m.c's Michael Tan initiated it, and I posted a
>follow-up already)

Well, I think highly of all these musicians, and would certainly welcome
discussion about any or all of them.  I wonder if creating a new 
newsgroup is the right way to go, though.  One of the appealing things
about r.m.c. to me is that postings about T-Bone follow postings about
Carman follow postings about Tourniquet follow postings about dating,
courtship, and sex.  It's kind of a mess, but it's an inspired mess,
and I like it.  Pulling out all the T-Bone Mafia folks from here would
upset the delicate equilibrium and would result in unending discussions
about Barry McGuire and Honeytree and who they dated and/or courted. 
I think we owe it to future generations of r.m.c. readers to ensure 
that this doesn't happen.  

And, in some fast-breaking Mafia related news, I wandered into my
favorite campus record store over lunch on Friday and discovered that
the entire Plimsouls catalogue had been re-released on CD.  So what,
you say?  So buy it, I say.  

The Plimsouls were the early '80s L.A. power pop band founded by and 
fronted by Peter Case, member of the Mafia, and a songwriter of wonderful 
Christian insights.  His 1989 album "The Man with the Blue, Post-Modern, 
Fragmented, Neo-Traditional Guitar," is one of my favorite albums, period, 
from the last several years.  At any rate, Geffen Records has re-released
"Everywhere at Once," the Plimsouls' third album which contains the 
alternative radio staple "A Million Miles Away."  It's a good album,
and if you like catchy melodies, irresistible hooks, and relentless
garage band rock 'n roll, it's a great way to go.  Even better is 
"Plus ...," just released on Rhino Records.  "Plus ..." contains
the first Plimsouls EP ("Zero Hour"), the first full-length album
("The Plimsouls"), and assorted singles and B-sides.  This is garage
band heaven, and if you're fond of bands like the early Kinks or the
early Who, then the early Plimsouls will surely delight you.

Christian content:  none.  Case wasn't a Christian when he wrote and
performed this music, and if you find the occasional song about 
dating/courting/desiring sexual consummation unedifying and offensive, 
then you won't like this music.  Most of it is lyrically innocuous,
but there *are* songs that reflect worldly values and attitudes. 
You've been warned.  

But the music is enough to make this stiff, white male get up and 
spasm around the family room, and for sheer sonic pleasure this music
is hard to beat.  Just yer basic rock 'n roll, and great stuff it is
too.  Hearing "Plus ..." is enough to make me realize how far 
Case has fallen in the *music* department.  He may be writing far
more edifying lyrics now, but "Six Pack of Love," his latest album,
can't even compare with these early songs in terms of the sheer 
energy and joy of the performances.  

Just figured that at least two of you out there might want to know ...

P.S. Michael, thanks for the correction on the Alpha Band's "Statue
Makers of Hollywood" album.

Andy Whitman
AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio
att!cblpn!ajw  or
ajw@cblpn.att.com
Newsgroups: rec.music.christian