No Condition Is Permanent

Pictured: Davie Allan & The Arrows.

Anyway, the myth—as Joseph Campbell has pointed out repeatedly—is what gives our lives power. Priests used to be the ones who devised the myths, but now artists are doing it. And myths depend on their geography—their places of origin—for their meaning. In other words, you can’t have a myth about kayaks in Peru. In New York you have to have fame to rise from squalor, whereas in L.A. fame is squalor and, for their survival, even the famous look to the Pacific Rim countries for ways to Zen out. In L.A. power is a man alone on a surfboard in a blue atmosphere, walking on water with nothing to do all day but catch waves; in New York power is a limo, the right clothes, the right tables, Leo Castelli, vacations in the South of France (where no self-respecting surfer would last two days because the Mediterranean sucks. I mean, I’ve been to Cannes, and you can’t so much as bodysurf on that ridiculous body of el blando water). The myth of L.A. is Maui. It’s ashrams in India, Tibet, Nepal; Japan in cherry-blossom season; those Japanese woodcuts of mountains, snow, and water. Of course, water means everything if you live in L.A., whereas if you live in New York, water is the least of your problems. In fact, the thing is to avoid water.

— Eve Babitz, “Rapture of the Shallows” from I Used To Be Charming.

LISTEN TO EPISODE 292 OF NO CONDITION IS PERMANENT:

DOWNLOAD EPISODE 292 OF NO CONDITION IS PERMANENT BY CLICKING ON THE THREE DOTS /\

Here’s what we played in Ep. 292 of No Condition Is Permanent:

THE FIRST SET

Detroit Emeralds — “You Want It You Got It” — You Want It You Got It

Heads Funk Band — “Money Makes You Happy” — Hard World

The Gamblers — “Moon Dawg!” — Infamous Instro-Monsters Of Rock ‘n’ Roll Vol. 1

Elias Rahbani & Ziad Rahbani — “Bedouin Nights (Al Mahatta)” — Belly Dance Fever

The Move — “California Man” — Message from the Country

Coco Lagos Y Sus Orates — “Descarga Jala Jala” — Mag All Stars Vol. 1: The Best Of The Peruvian Orquestras Of The 50’s & 60’s

Roxy Music — “Editions Of You” — For Your Pleasure

IT’S MADISON TIME…

Smiley Smith — “Voodoo Woman” — Desperate Rock ‘N’ Roll Vol. 5

THE SECOND SET

Cedric Im Brooks & The Light Of Saba — “Sabasi” — Cedric Im Brooks & The Light Of Saba

Davie Allan & The Arrows — “Devils’ Angels” — Devils’ Angels OST

Phương Tâm — “Đôi Tám (Double Eight)” — Saigon Surf Twist & Soul (1964-1966)

Moses Dillard & The Lovejoy Orchestra — “Theme From Lovejoy” — Disco 75

Africa Ritmos — “Agarrem” — Angola Soundtrack 2: Hypnosis, Distortions and Other Sonic Innovations 1969-1978

J.C. Davis — “The Chicken Scratch” — Let’s Soul Dance: Black Dance Crazes 1957-1962

Ice — “Racubah” — Darkest Light: The Best Of Lafayette Afro Rock Band

The Creations — “In the Dark” — A Cellarful of Motown! Vol. 2

Grupo Samoa — “La Chinchilla” — Chicha for The Jet Set

Sadistic Mika Band — “Kurofune (2nd June, Kaei 6)” — Kurofune (Black Ship)

THE THIRD SET

The Chiffons — “Nobody Knows What’s Goin’ On” — Sweet Talkin’ Girls

Orlando Julius with the Heliocentrics — “Love Thy Neighbour” — Jaiyede Afro

Bluestars — “Social End Product” — Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts From The British Empire & Beyond 1964-1969

Junior Murvin — “Roots Train” — Police And Thieves

Mickey Hawks & The Night Raiders — “Cotton Pickin’” — The Roots Of Psychobilly

Mahasti — “Delam Tangeh” — Goush Bedey: Funk, Psychedelia and Pop from the Iranian Pre-Revolution Generation

Coke — “Na Na” — Florida Funk: Funk 45s from the Alligator State 1968-1975

Kazi Arindam — “Mere Liye Too Bani” — Bollywood Steel Guitar

THE FINAL SET

Funkadelic — “Sexy Ways” — Standing on the Verge of Getting It On

King Tubby — “Step It up in Dub” — King Tubby’s Hometown Hi-Fi Dubplate Specials 1975-1979

Bobby Tucker — “Juking Jiving Woman” — Stompin’ 33

Nyboma & Kamalé Dynamique — “Aicha Motema” — Nyboma & Kamalé Dynamique

The Uniques — “You Ain’t Tuff” — Paula 45rpm

Zohra — “Badala Zamana” — Habibi Funk 015: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World Pt. 2

LORD BUCKLEY’S WEEKLY BENEDICTION…

Sun Ra And His Arkestra — “Dreaming” — ‘To Those Of Earth… And Other Worlds’