Searching for records from the Chuck Eddy Stairway To Hell Book

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I'm trying to collect all the records mentioned in Chuck Eddy's Stairway To Hell book (first edition). Can anybody help find the following stuff on LP/CD/CDR or tape, it doesn't matter I just want the music:
Flaming Lips-Flaming Lips EP (LSD 1984)
Half-Life-Half-Life MC (Quadruped Cassette 1986)
Human Zoo-Human Zoo EP (Hospital 1986)
Left-Its The World EP (Bona Fide 1984)
Motorhome-Double Live…Bozo! MC (Soso Cassette 1989)
V/a-All Guitars MC (Tellus Cassette 1985)

Thanks in advange.

Cheers, Pieter

― Pieter Bos, Wednesday, 16 February 2005 20:45 (twenty years ago)

Actually, can I add to this? I recall the Sir Lord Baltimore albums were reissued on CD at one point -- and had comments from Chuck from the book on the sticker on the front! -- but I never picked up the disc. Maybe I should look for it used.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 20:47 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, that's right. I have their stuff already. The listed is the only stuff I'm missing. After that I have all 500 and can start listening to the book record after record. Ha, that's gonna be fun

― Pieter Bos, Wednesday, 16 February 2005 20:51 (twenty years ago)

I have that! It's awesome...it's both albums....def. worth a buy...think it's out of print.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 20:57 (twenty years ago)

The SLB reissue is oop now, btw.
(X-post)

― Doobie Keebler (Charles McCain), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 20:58 (twenty years ago)

I don't even have that myself! (I also don't have the Schooly D record with a sticker with my name on it on the cover, or the Xiu Xiu record with a sticker with my name on it on the cover, or the Beastie Boys longform video where they dumb water on me in my hotel room.)

(well, I might have the records; just not the stickers...)

― chuck, Wednesday, 16 February 2005 21:00 (twenty years ago)

dump water
dumbwaiter
whatever

― chuck, Wednesday, 16 February 2005 21:09 (twenty years ago)

It all works.

(I remember catching myself up sharp when I saw that SLB reissues in 1993 or so, I was all, 'The hell?' I guess I didn't have much spare cash at the time.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 21:11 (twenty years ago)

Man, i wonder how rich i could be if i'd kept that 5-song flaming lips EP on LSD Records (best record they ever made, easy). I liked "My Own Planet" so much at the time that Spin let me interview Coyne (his first national interview I think, which means they are all my fault. Sorry!) Anyway, I can't believe I got rid of all that crap.

― chuck, Wednesday, 16 February 2005 21:12 (twenty years ago)

which means they are all my fault. Sorry!

SO YOU'RE THE GUY.

(I still love 'em but I freely admit the last couple of years have been a bit 'huh? what?')

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 21:14 (twenty years ago)

As for Human Zoo, George Smith posted links to their website on the 2005 metal thread. Email William from the band -- he emailed me this morning, and told me that the Human Zoo EP has been compiled onto a Human Zoo CD. (Which makes sense - if Couch Flambeau and Rancid Vat can be reissued on CD, then why the hell *not* Human Zoo?) (Who's next, BPA? The Holy Cows?? Neither of whom, sadly, made *Stairway.*)

By the way Pieter, why not use the 600-album version of the book instead? Those last 100 should be easy. (When I'll be *really* impressed, though, is when you get ahold of all the singles in the appendix in the back...)

― chuck, Wednesday, 16 February 2005 21:17 (twenty years ago)

For Half-Life, maybe Rich Stim or somebody is running an MX-80 Sound website somewhere? Or isn't there a Quadruped Records site? Those guys seemed pretty dilligent and compulisve about putting out lots of their old stuff on CDs, but I'm not sure they got *every* available Gizzards and Half-Life and O-Type and Bruce Anderson and Angel Corpus Christi thing. Wouldn't hurt to check, though...

― chuck, Wednesday, 16 February 2005 21:21 (twenty years ago)

You're thinking of Gulcher. I think everything's there and then some!

http://www.gulcher.gemm.com/

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 21:23 (twenty years ago)

I think those Tellus cassettes are kind of "collectable" (and, I'd imagine, especially the All Guitars one). I sold one that had a Sonic Youth track on it on eBay for like thirty-five dollars or something.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 21:26 (twenty years ago)

the songs on the flaming lips ep are the first five tracks on the rykodisc "...Acid" compilation

― a banana (alanbanana), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 21:28 (twenty years ago)

I have a book entitled "Stairway To Hell" which is about Heavy Metal Music from a historical perspective. In the book the author states he considers Teena Marie to be one of the greatest Heavy metal acts ever.

Teena.....Heavy Metal.....hmmmmmmmm!!!! I wondered what pipe they were smoking the day they wrote that!

Teena the headbanger?? Don't think so!

Anyone else ever check out this book ?

I see Teena in a whole different light now

I have heard the album, and I never saw it in that light!
And thinking about it now I still do not see it in that light. Emerald City had to be one of her most unique albums, but the vibe this writer got is certainly not the vibe I got from it.

Heavy Metal? Oooook..... I need to give it another listen, it was rock flavored, but not Heavy metal.

― foundviagoogle, Wednesday, 16 February 2005 21:33 (twenty years ago)

I've checked and I think have something like 350 records from the book. I doubt I'll ever go much higher than there; this is most of the stuff I would want that's in Chuck's book. I'm mainly in it for the 70s hard and hairy stuff. God, the hardest to find was that stupid Head Over Heels record. It's not that good, but I wanted to hear it. Most of the stuff you could find cheap for a dollar or so in the early 90s when the book came out. Something like the Earthquake lp or the Electric Peace lp -- which are both actually really great!! -- I think I bought for like a buck each.

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 21:33 (twenty years ago)

for a long time in the 90s, Tellus was actually still selling that whole cassette series online! I've got a few -- the Fluxus one, um, some other one I can't remember -- but one of the ones I actually DON'T have is the All Guitars! one.

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 21:35 (twenty years ago)

foundviagoogle OTM

― chuck, Wednesday, 16 February 2005 21:40 (twenty years ago)

That reminds me, I bought Emerald City off eBay like a year ago and still haven't listened to it!

― Richard C (avoid80), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 21:46 (twenty years ago)

I'm mainly in it for the 70s hard and hairy stuff. God, the hardest to find was that stupid Head Over Heels record.

Me and Saunders probably had a lot to do with unwarranted Head Over Heels appreciation. He'd yak to me on the phone forever about that and Bull Angus, particularly "Uncle Dugie's Fun Bus Ride." At the time, I liked it. The only Head Over Heels cut I like is "Roadrunner" which destroys. If the entire album had been like that...well, anyway I used to like it way more. Now I rate it way below Granicus.

All the Three Man Army discs are back in print, too. The thing to get is the two CD anthology.

― George Smith, Wednesday, 16 February 2005 21:55 (twenty years ago)

Emerald City is one I don't have, but I actually wouldn't mind hearing. I only bought one Kix lp. I bought it in Philly for a buck. On the same trip I bought the two Dick Destiny lps, come to think of it! I think I found them at the Philly Record Exchange? Whichever store the dude from Strapping Field Hands worked at. That was a good record shopping trip.

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 21:56 (twenty years ago)

oh yeah, I went on to get ALL of Three Man Army's stuff, so I'm happy for the book turning me on to that. (I also bought all three Bang lps for some crazy reason)

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 21:58 (twenty years ago)

ha ha, that first Bang album (their only good one, as I recall) was actually reissued as a vinyl PICTURE DISC a couple years ago. how big could the audience for such a reissue possibly be? But I'm glad I got sent one.

― chuck, Wednesday, 16 February 2005 22:01 (twenty years ago)

Stairway to Hell has to be given good credit for being the first book in mainstream circulation that actually wrote eloquently and entertainingly about "the early-70's hard and hairy [more obscure] stuff." Now most of which is back in print and in reasonable distribution.

― George Smith, Wednesday, 16 February 2005 22:03 (twenty years ago)

Is Leveled the first Earth Quake album?

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 22:04 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, next to some terrible music (which is still mighty funny because it's so awful and you need bad music to know what's really good) I also found some amazing stuff. But most of the 495 records (I already have) I still have to listen to.

― Pieter Bos, Wednesday, 16 February 2005 22:08 (twenty years ago)

No, "Leveled" is the third for Beserkely, the fifth Earthquake overall, out of six. They were on a major, was either A&M or Columbia, for the first two. First was "Earthquake," second "Why Don't You Try Me?" "Why Don't You Try Me?" had the first version of "Trainride" and it is the best cut on that album. It crunches and roars as well as the redo.

Both were repackaged as a CD called "Purple" a year or two ago. The Beserkely years are sampled on another CD still in print. I like them both but you need a little more tolerance for the garage band blue-eyed soul sound that the singer and band initially went for on the first two. They are good hard rock records but not as heavy as the
"live" Beserkely release "Rock the World," I think it was called. I have it here somewhere. Great versions of "Ma Ma Belle" and "Tin Soldier," fireball original "Sittin' In the Middle of Madness" (the title of the Beserkely CD anthology) and "Power Glide Slide."

Then came "8.5" -- a good record. The "Leveled." Then a German edition of four Beserkely acts stretched over four live sides. The Earthquake set was much heavier than anything they had previously turned in, "Street Fever," being absolutely hammering.

Their last album blew. Wasn't the same band.

― George Smith, Wednesday, 16 February 2005 22:13 (twenty years ago)

so pieter, what is your top and bottom ten of the records you've actually heard? i'd love to see that list. some of that '80s indie-metal stuff toward the bottom of the top 500 (angus, hades, gore, miss daisy, primal scream), especially, is completely ridiculous, which is just about the only reason it actually made the book; its mere ability to inspire decent wisecracks (though i must have found all of it at least playable at the time, and i'm sure i'd pick most of it up again myself if i ever stumbled upon cheap copies). i'd be curious to know whether you think any of that is actually any good...

― chuck, Wednesday, 16 February 2005 22:16 (twenty years ago)

I think George is right. There certainly wasn't much interest in this stuff when the book came out. But since Zep and Sab were my two favorite groups as a kid I was all about discovering new riffs. Oh that reminds me -- I bought both Hard Stuff records, and I think the one that Chuck put in the book Bolex Dementia is way less good than the other one, which has better riffs.

Yeah most of this stuff is coming out on CD now. I think even that Boomerang record (with gushing liner notes by Michael Cuscuna -- who went on to sign Anthony Braxton to Arista, oh the hilarity) is out on CD now! But everything is being reissued on CD these days. No stone is left unturned. It's a reissue bonanza.

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 22:17 (twenty years ago)

haha I used to like the Gore album.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 22:18 (twenty years ago)

Hey, Side One of the second Bang album (the "Mother" side) was pretty good! Also a bit more diverse than the debut, for what it's worth. Side Two (the "Bow To The KIng" side) ain't much. Actually, tho, it's remarkable how many of those recs in "Stairway" became reissued on CD after it's publication, for the first time in years. Only to quickly go out of print for the second time shortly thereafter, but nevermind.

As for the "Half Life" cassette, assuming it's still available, try contacting Dale Sophiea or Bruce Anderson at Quadruped:

c/o Quadruped
1267 Berkeley Way
Berkeley, CA
94702
USA
e-mail:
quadruped@earthlink.com

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 22:24 (twenty years ago)

Ha, I will make a list of my favorites soon and let you know. And oops I just found a copy of Primal Scream through gemm way to expensive with all the postage added. One definitly great discovery was Poison. I always hated them but found out after listening through a complete album I kinda liked it and there are more of those records/bands in the book. Bands I didn't wanna be found death with when I was a metal kid but did something somewhere for me when I became older and more retarded. Like Kix just rule. There so funny.

― Pieter Bos, Wednesday, 16 February 2005 22:44 (twenty years ago)

"foundviagoogle OTM" what's OTM??

― Pieter Bos, Wednesday, 16 February 2005 22:53 (twenty years ago)

"on the money," meaning "correct"

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 23:00 (twenty years ago)

This isn't one of those ROFL threads, but I have to say that something about it makes me really happy.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 23:02 (twenty years ago)

Just found a copy of All Guitars at Harvestworks, Yiiiihhhaa

― Pieter Bos, Wednesday, 16 February 2005 23:19 (twenty years ago)

Harvestworks! right! I was trying to remember the name of the people that did it...

― Stormy Davis (diamond), Wednesday, 16 February 2005 23:20 (twenty years ago)

Also found out that William Weber of the Chrome Cranks was in Human Zoo. Just mailed him because he should remember me when he first played the Vera Club in Groningen with the Chrome Cranks. When they played I hid my head on a speaker but was so drunk i kept on banging my bleeding head all the way through the show. It was a pretty sight. Plus I played the records that night and was totally in awe of Jerry Teel (Hail Hail the Honeymoon Killers) but he probably would forget that, ha

― Pieter Bos, Wednesday, 16 February 2005 23:46 (twenty years ago)

two years pass...

"Stairway to Hell has to be given good credit for being the first book in mainstream circulation that actually wrote eloquently and entertainingly about "the early-70's hard and hairy [more obscure] stuff." Now most of which is back in print and in reasonable distribution."

What I also liked about the book is that it acknowledges the fact that quite a few funk acts from the seventies had a definite hard-rock influence (Jimmy Castor Bunch, Betty Davis, Black Heat, Funkadelic). Too bad he missed the Bar-Kays' BLACK ROCK. (Or the Counts' WHAT'S UP FRONT THAT COUNTS.)

"Oh that reminds me -- I bought both Hard Stuff records, and I think the one that Chuck put in the book Bolex Dementia is way less good than the other one, which has better riffs."

Okay, guess I wasn't alone in thinking that. I thrifted BOLEX DEMENTIA at some point in the nineties and wasn't too impressed - sold it not long after.

― Rev. Hoodoo, Saturday, 29 September 2007 23:20 (eighteen years ago)

one year passes...

Okay, sorry, but this just seems insane to me:

http://rateyourmusic.com/list/platenworm/chuck_eddy_checked

― xhuxk, Thursday, 9 July 2009 23:58 (sixteen years ago)

Eh I could have totally seen myself doing something like that once. So yes, insane, but an insanity I sympathize with.

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 10 July 2009 00:01 (sixteen years ago)

dear god, who in Kix was blowing you...

― (*ﾟーﾟ)θ L(。･＿･)　　　°~ヾ(･ε･ *) (Steve Shasta), Friday, 10 July 2009 00:13 (sixteen years ago)

someone who didn't like Kix very much! Dude only gives them three stars. And while I sympathize with the urge to hear everything in the book and comment, why would you bother if you're just going to post STARS in response?

― da croupier, Friday, 10 July 2009 01:16 (sixteen years ago)

looks like there's actually lil bit of commentary once you get past #200. Dude haaaates Ministry.

Best Album From Stairway To Hell That Chuck's Biggest Fan Hated...So Far

― da croupier, Friday, 10 July 2009 01:27 (sixteen years ago)

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