Albums of a Lifetime: Embrace

Word by Steven DiLodovico: Philadelphia Indie Music Examiner

In 1987 I spent an extended stay at a hospital. Not a great time. I had collapsed in a friend’s driveway while we were installing a car stereo into a rust-stricken, cancer-riddled 1970 Chevelle an aunt had given to me. It was my first car and no matter how unsightly and unreliable I was deeply in love with it. It was cold; early December, and illness was about the furthest thing from my mind. Still, there I was: admitted into emergency under a cloud of confusion; tattooed, bald and refusing to remove the Circle Jerks T-shirt for the required hospital gown. Yeah, Punk Rock.

I was released with a disease but still felt teenage-invulnerable; untouchable. I was severely underweight and exhausted all the time. I stayed inside a lot. I missed shows, which was unheard of for me. Instead I had a growing collection of vinyl and cassettes to keep me company. In a sickbed fever I receded into jarring fits of complete isolation and took with me a huge helping of resentment. I carried a lot of rage with me that winter; a lot of fear and disgust. A visitor had snuck me some contraband while I had been on the inside: a Maxell 60 scratched and labeled only as “Embrace.” Sounded kind of gay, but what the hell. I had long, empty hours ahead of me, just staying in bed and not sleeping.

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Punk pioneers New York Dolls get it right this time

In January, the New York Dolls arrived in Hawaii to record their new album, “‘Cause I Sez So” (Atco), with producer Todd Rundgren. The producer, who has a setup on the island of Kauai, assured the band that the weather would be beautiful.

Not quite.

“It rained every day,” said guitarist and singer David Johansen in Atlanta’s Center Stage theater Friday, where the band was scheduled to play later that day.

“It rained just enough to disrupt our recording plans,” added guitarist Steve Conte. “Todd has this house with one wall open to the elements, and I said, ‘What happens when it rains, Todd?’ and he said, ‘It never rains here.’ Well, the next day, all our gear got soaked, so we had to move to another house.”

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Remaking the scene From an old suitcase, JJ Gonson retrieves photos of Boston’s punk past

“Toecutter! Oh, my God, I have Toecutter!”

JJ Gonson is sifting through piles of photo negatives when she comes across the stash of long-forgotten shots of a long-forgotten Boston band. Ecstatic at her discovery, she grabs a magnifying lens and peers in to get a closer look. “And they’re sitting in a pile of Old Milwaukee cans!”