Yo La Tengo
You Can Have It All b/w Ready-Mades
Matador Records

Riding the bus as a child in Wisconsin, bouncing on the vinyl spring seats and not talking, waiting. John "Records" Landecker on 89 WLS Chicago and just about to spring a new one on us. A Jackie Blue or a Killer Queen. Guaranteed to blow your mind. Anytime.

These songs we'd carry with us all day in school. Singing snippets in the halls between classes. Whatever we'd remember until we heard it again and then the 45 at the Ben Franklin store. A Get Down. A The Joker. A Bang a Gong.

My parent's record player, like most of that era, had an arm that would swivel out and hold multiple platters up and above the one playing. Until it finished and the next one plopped down. I found that if you were only playing one record and left the arm up and out of the way of the spindle, it would play it over and over again.

And this is what I would do with these singles. My favorites anyway. I wish that I had an old hi-fi like that one now. As it is, I have to get up, go over to the stereo, lift the needle and return it to Ready-Mades's first groove. Again and again.

It's the new Yo La Tengo B-side this Ready-Mades. The single is You Can Have It All from the enchanting And The Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out long player from this year. Immense and lovely record. If you don't have a copy, I wish you did.

This Ready-Mades is an old Bonzo Dog Band song. A silly Duchampian nod in a loping and veering waltz. It was recorded at a soundcheck before their show here in San Francisco with Lambchop this spring. It was a sit down show. They pulled tables out. No meal. Pedal steel and quiet horns. Georgia and Ira. James.

"...for something he put on display."
click click click click click...
click click click click click...
reject - get up replace tonearm on record repeat.

Copyright © 2000 Alice Kenner