Lost/Forgotten Album #163
So, this is what happened:
Many years ago, Connie came home from either Goodwill or The Salvation Army with a stack of around 10 cd's taped together. They cost her a couple $$ and she figured there might be something that would interest me.
After removing a mile of tape, I went thru each CD, tossed away most and kept "Present" from Angelique (have no idea why since I had never heard of her) and the album picture above and featured this week (don't know why, never heard of Goddo).
It took me awhile to listen to it and, when I did, I was proud that I hadn't kept crap. As a matter of fact, the Angelique album was pretty good too. Must have been something in the air that day since these didn't end up being rap and/or country albums.
Who (or what) is Goddo, you ask?
With thanks from allmusic.com, you can now know!
"If indeed it is lonely at the top, who cares," quipped Goddo on its second album. "It's lonely at the bottom, too." That rusty one-liner could have been the band's motto. It succinctly sums up not only the tumultuous career of this long-serving, hard-rocking Canadian power trio, but also the fatalistic humor with which the group viewed the whole affair. Goddo's technicolor dreams of global domination never came true, but that never seemed to stop the band from enjoying its decades-long rollercoaster ride through the Canadian music industry. Goddo's long, arduous slog to the middle began in 1975, when bassist Greg Godovitz left Toronto pop outfit Fludd. Intent on forming a harder-rocking group, Godovitz recruited Hendrix disciple Gino Scarpelli (of glitter rock outfit Brutus) on guitar and former school chum Marty Morin on drums. Adding a consonant to Godovitz's nickname for clarity -- too many people said Go-do instead of God-o -- the trio braved the Canadian bar-room grind, playing three shows a night, six nights a week, with day-long drives between gigs. A year in these trenches was enough for Morin, who became a school bus driver, making room for Ottawa drummer Doug Inglis, a rock-solid timekeeper who also happened to be a dead ringer for Morin, thus saving the group the cost of new publicity photos. With a secure lineup in place, the group's career began to accelerate. A self-titled debut album (featuring "Bus Driver Blues," Godovitz's parting shot at Morin) appeared in 1977, introducing the group's hybrid of meat 'n' potatoes rock, poignant balladry, and lascivious lyrics. It was followed in 1978 by the outstanding Who Cares. Produced by Godovitz under the pseudonym Thomas Morley-Turner -- reputedly to snow label execs who wanted a "proper" producer -- Who Cares was Goddo's high-water mark. An ambitious album for its time, Who Cares fused poppier hooks, classical passages, and comic vignettes with libidinous rockers such as "Sweet Thing," a groupie ode that became the band's signature song. Who Cares' success spiked the band's popularity. But as their income and touring increased, so did their drug intake and egomania. While cutting their third CD, 1979's An Act of Goddo, at the Bee Gees' studio, Godovitz supposedly rebuffed collaborative overtures from Maurice Gibb by calling his music "disco crap." Godovitz cut his throat deeper by including the anti-music biz screed "Sign on the Line" on the album. An Act of Goddo garnered little critical or commercial attention, and not surprisingly, Goddo was soon label-less. The band landed briefly at Attic Records, which issued 1981's Lighve: Best Seat in the House, followed later that year by a fourth studio album, Pretty Bad Boys. Its poppy title-cut earned Goddo its first (and only) hit single, along with a Juno Award nomination in 1982 -- ironically, for Most Promising New Group. But it was too little too late. Continually broke and at each other's throats, the band imploded in 1983. Scarpelli and Inglis went on to other bands, while Godovitz unsuccessfully tried to float a new version of the band (now called Godo) with different members. By 1989, tensions had eased and the trio reunited, joined by original drummer Morin on percussion. In 1990, Goddo issued the best-of CD 12 Gauge Goddo, followed in 1992 by the studio album King of Broken Hearts. When it tanked, the group split again. In the late '90s, Goddo regrouped once more. In 2001, Goddo issued its first CD in a decade, 2nd Best Seat in the House: 25th Anniversary Lighve, on Canadian label Bullseye. After terrorist attacks in the U.S. that year, the band wrote and released a single, "New York City's Burning," to raise funds for the Red Cross.
But there more to this story!
A couple years ago, I was chatting with someone here (who's name shall be withheld) about posting greatest hits albums. He thought that idea sucked since, in hos own words, "Greatest hits discs suck. Anyone who buys one is a loser." Umm, ok.
About a year ago, I met up with this person at a Dave & Busters somewhere in this country (I don't want to give away the location for fear of someone figuring out who this person is). After a few drinks, I again brought up the subject of posting a greatest hits disc.
The following is the actual conversation that took place that evening:
Jon: I'm thinking about posting a greatest hits disc.
R****: Stupid idea. Greatest hits discs suck and are for stupid people.
Jon: Maybe so to someone living deep, deep, deep in the ******* outback. Don't know why it would make a difference what I post. Besides, do you even have electricity since you live so deep in them there outbacky woods?
*j***: What do you think?
Jon: Nope!
**h**: I don't care what you think! If you even THINK about posting a greatest hits disc, I'll....
Jon: Hey, nobody's playing Frogger!
***o*: I LIKE FROGGER!
Jon: Good eatin'?
****g: FROGGER RULES!
Well, this week I decided to throw caution to the wind and am posting the first ever greatest hits album on this here site. For those that have never heard of Goddo, maybe something here will make you want to buy one or more of their albums. If not, well, you can go on with your life knowing that you've finally heard something from Goddo.
Yes, there is COWBELL!!!!!
And funk!
In Goddo We Trust
1. Was It Somethin' I Said?
2. Please Baby Please
3. Drop Dead (That's Who)
4. Sweet Thing
5. Oh Carole (Kiss My Whip)
6. Too Much Carousing
7. Under My Hat
8. The Bus Driver Blues
9. Anacanapanacana
10. So Walk On
11. Chantal
12. There Goes My Baby
13. Tough Times
14. Cock On
15. Quicksand
Availability: The studio albums run around $15+, this comp runs around $4 for a brand spankin' new copy!
Views: 433
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by RJhog (Admin) on
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***** here. Are you sure this is the first greatest hits disc posted here? Really sure?
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What!
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What a mixed bag. I'm speaking in terms of influences. Not a bad thing at all. Here are my thoughts:
- The guitars are very good. Not perfect either, which makes 'em really, really good.
- I like the vocal variation. He can sing in full voice or a bit softer if needed.
- My best description of this is Alice Cooper meets Cheap Trick, with songs that aren't quite as good as either of those artists.
- Oh Carol really reminded me of Cheap Trick.
- Sweet Thing really reminded me of Alice Cooper.
- Too Much Carousing was a very heavy track.
- This kept my attention until about half way through, then it dropped off. Still, not a bad pick up at all considering how it came to be in you library.
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Permalink Reply by Scott on
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Even though you told us how you got this disc, I still cant belive you find this stuff. Your the perfect Lost Album poster ever...
Caught the first couple of songs and it seem like this is going to be different with each song. Even the production is uneven, but I will need to come back and finish this off a little later...
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So, as promised, I never forgot to come back and listen. Never slipped my mind, not even once!
- Worst band name ever! OK, maybe not ever, but its in the conversation
- This is very middle of the road, somewhere in the "eh" to "good" range
- Like the geetar work though!
- It took you awhile to listen to this also ...
- Some Uncle Ted like riffs in spots, especially Sweet Thing
- The song writing is all over the place
- Canadian Power Trio? hahaha
- Really liked "Under My Hat" but cant figure out why...
- Anacanapanacana ... ugh, way out of place! Was it suppose to be some sort of intermission?
- 14 tracks is too many
- Some Wild Cherry influence, not bad...
Nice Post Jonno!! Contractual obligation fulfilled...
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