This week, while watching the world fall apart in real time, I was scrolling past a music discussion forum. Someone made a post that said something like “please, can someone explain GG Allin to me”. There was an array of responses, but my favorite one was simply “No”. I think it’s probably the best response one can give, but I also would have added that GG’s just someone you have to learn about for yourself. I don’t think anyone else is going to be adequately able to explain the information, even if they know most of it. I would say the essential bits are that he’s gone, he’s never coming back, and that there will never be anyone else like him. No matter how hard someone tries. Part of that is due to the fact that GG was a product of his time almost as much as he was just an absolutely unique individual. Anyway, here’s a GG Allin (and Tiny Tim) record review.
I have to say that many folks will be relieved to know that this record is an all-ages affair. This is a mini-album split between GG and Tiny Tim, and funny enough, any material that might seem “questionable” is only present on Tim’s side. Everything here is strictly acoustic. GG uses a very out of tune guitar, and Tiny is limited to his ukulele, which was widely known as his signature axe. If you (somehow) don’t know about Tiny Tim and his one-of-a-kind falsetto singing voice, you might recognize him through his hits such as “Tiptoe Through the Tulips” and “Livin’ in the Sunlight, Lovin’ in the Moonlight”, which was featured on the very first episode of SpongeBob SquarePants. You will find neither of those songs on this record.
First of all, I have to say that Beautifully Ugly is a cool record and that the title really nails it. It just came out this week, and it’s available in an array of different colors. Going by what’s on Discogs, there are 799 copies on plain black wax, and then a varying number on Blue, Green, Orange and Black/Orange. The Black/Orange is the rarest color, and sadly, I couldn’t find any of these for sale. Thankfully, I did manage to get a blue copy, which is the second rarest at around 50 copies pressed. I like this thing enough that I might eventually pick up one or two of the other colors as well. The jacket itself looks great, and the printing is very high quality. The artwork features two front sides, printed in a way that you can use either side as the front, and the opening will still be on the correct side. One side features GG on the left and Tim on the right, and the other side is the opposite.
I didn’t see it listed on the packaging anywhere, but this 12” record is actually cut at 45 RPM. I wasn’t expecting that when I put it on, and it sort of took me by surprise for a second. I always dread a surprise 45 since I have to take my platter off to adjust the speed, but in this case, it was worth the trouble. The wax itself looks great and is similar to other TPOS and PONK Media releases I have. It’s not pure blue and has a little marbling from the other colors in it. The black and white labels look great, with one side featuring GG and the other featuring Tiny Tim and his liquor bottle. An insert with some photos and song credits is included, in case you want to know who wrote what. My copy was totally flat and looked great, so I cleaned it up as usual and gave it a spin.
Beautifully Ugly – Tiny Tim & GG Allin – TPOS 265
A1 – GG Allin– Carmelita *Written By – Warren Zevon
A2 – GG Allin– Borrowed Time
A3 – GG Allin– Pick Me Up (On Your Way Down)
A4 – GG Allin– This Room
B1 – Tiny Tim– Santa Claus (Has Got The AIDS)
B2 – Tiny Tim– Hollywood Cowboys
B3 – Tiny Tim– Medley For England
B4 – Tiny Tim– I Believe In Tomorrow
B5 – Tiny Tim– She Left Me (With The Herpes)
I decided to start with the Tiny Tim side, even though it’s technically Side B. This side of the record sort of reminds me of a stand-up act, but it’s not really “funny” like that. The songs themselves often have funny moments and witty writing, but the first few have explanations and introductions by Tim himself. “Santa Claus (Has Got The Aids)” starts out with a heartfelt and lengthy explanation about how the song isn’t meant to insult anyone, and that it was written well before people started dying the disease. He says that everyone originally found it to be pretty funny, but later banned him from singing it, which he proceeds to do anyway. “I Believe In Tomorrow” offers a bold description of life in a eutopia. Free from crime, alcohol and drugs, I can only imagine where Tiny Tim and GG Allin would have ended up in such a brave, new world. As far as “She Left Me (With The Herpes)” goes, you’ve just got to listen to that one on your own. It’s what you think it is.
GG’s side of the record starts out just as I had hoped it would… with the elusive acoustic version of Warren Zevon’s “Carmelita”. PONK released a very limited single of it several years ago, but I’ve never been able to find a copy. You can stream it online, of course, but I’m talking about vinyl. Another version was released on Carnival Of Excess, but is more elaborate and, to me, lacks the soul present in this lo-fi recording. The guitar is out of tune and the recording sounds like it was made in a gas station bathroom. And it’s not just my favorite GG song, but also one of my favorite songs in general. Maybe it sounds crazy, but there’s something about it that has just stuck with me all these years. I’m not even a fan of the original version. He might not have written the words, but GG means what he sings.
The rest of the tracks on Side A fit right in, and sound like they were recorded with the same out-of-tune guitar, on the same tape recorder, and with the same girl on backing vocals. “Pick Me Up (On Your Way Down)” wasn’t written by GG, but I think it would be hard to find many other songs that fit him better than this one does. The ones he did write are also great, with “Borrowed Time” and “This Room” reminding me of my days playing Hank Williams Sr. covers in smoke filled barrooms and pool halls. I think that GG could have absolutely gone in another musical direction and ended up a country singer in the vein of Hank III, but I don’t think it would have extended his life any. It’s sad that Carnival Of Excess and now Beautifully Ugly are all we’re going to get.
I have to admit that even though I knew Tiny Tim and GG had known each other and had small projects released together in the past, I wasn’t sure that this one would mesh together very well. Honestly though, it really does. When you hear it, you’ll realize that a record featuring both of these guys just makes sense. They were both “outskirts of life” type of characters known only by a relative few and in passing, but also larger than life at the very same time. I can’t help but wonder what the world would be like if one or both of them were still around, but I also realize that things just couldn’t have happened that way. These guys both burned the candle at both ends, and while GG shuffled off this mortal coil early, Tim somehow defied all odds and managed to make it to 64 years old despite himself. He had a heart attack on stage and later died due to the complications. GG… well, we all know what happened to him.
So, is Beautifully Ugly worth the pickup? Absolutely. For me, this release goes past being a novelty record and is essential GG listening. Aside from Carnival Of Excess, this is really his only other “listenable” material for normal people. If you are as big of a fan of “Carmelita” as I am, and can’t find that PONK single for sale, this is the next best thing. I don’t know as much about the Tiny Tim material, but I think that his fans would be delighted as well. Believe it or not, I know at least one Tiny Tim Super Fan. The audio is better on Tim’s side than it is on GG’s, but these are both lo-fi recordings. Tim’s Side is around a 6.5/10 and GG’s is about 4/10. Don’t let this dissuade you though, as this issue is as good as these recordings are ever going to get. Pressing and packaging from Ponk both get solid 10/10. Go out there and get a copy!
I have to add that if you do end up enjoying this record, all the stuff by PONK is worth checking out. They have a lot of GG material, and the very recently released book “My Misadventures with GG Allin” by Len Colby is a great read. It’s short but is a quick and easy read filled with stories by a guy who was actually there. I don’t think you even have to like GG or know much about his music to enjoy the book, either. Check it out!