pod

JOSEPH BRIDGE

2012-01-14T15:43:00.000-05:00

Great cover of the Syd Barrett song "Opel" by Joseph Bridge. He is ably assisted by Keith Scott (Bryan Adams' guitarist) whose tasteful fretwork will also grace Bridge's upcoming full length release, "Marvin's Sanitarium", which is due out later this year.

Enjoy this and please take a moment to find out more about the multi-talented Joseph Bridge right here

NEW VAN HALEN TUNE

2012-01-10T18:23:00.000-05:00

TATTOO was officially released today and as a big fan of David Lee Roth era VH, I say crack a can of Bud and enjoy the shit out of this. Their first full length disc with Roth since 1984 ("A Different Kind of Truth") will be released on Feb 7th.

LENNY BREAU

2012-01-06T20:30:00.001-05:00

THE VELVET TOUCH OF LENNY BREAU LIVE!

Simply one of the most accomplished guitarists of all time, Lenny Breau developed a technique that few have been able to fathom. In his hands, the instrument sounded like four people playing simultaneously with bass, rhythm and lead work executed by each finger on his picking hand.

Musicians speak of Breau in tones reserved for deities, with some of the acknowledged masters stepping back in awe of his abilities.

Yet, he remains criminally underappreciated. Substance abuse didn't help his cause.

This record is one of the very few that were released during his lifetime. Caught in the act at Shelley's Manne-Hole, 1969, Breau's set is a stunning exercise in live jazz guitar backed by Ron Halldorson on bass and Reg Kellin on drums. Find this album or CD and you'll be giving yourself a gift that will leave your jaw on the floor in amazement with every spin.

Breau was killed in the summer of 1984, the victim of a murder that remains unsolved. Sad end for someone so prodigiously talented.

Don't know Lenny? Here are some helpful maps.

CBC TV's "A Touch of Jazz", 1961.

At the time of recording his first album, produced by Chet Atkins, in 1968.

From "The Genius of Lenny Breau" documentary.

This is from a clinic that he gave in the early 80's.

FORGOTTEN MUSIC THURSDAY-THE FLYING BURRITO BROTHERS

2011-12-29T21:16:00.000-05:00

THE GUILDED PALACE OF SIN

This record could very well be the undisputed, heavyweight champion of brilliant, yet forgotten music. Though their debut put them in the vanguard of the country rock style, The Flying Burrito Brothers struggled to find an audience. Groups that followed (The Eagles) would steal and smooth the Burritos’ sound into what Gram Parsons described as, “a dry, plastic fuck.”

Parsons and Chris Hillman put the band together, drafting Chris Ethridge, "Sneaky" Pete Kleinow, plus drummer Jon Corneal to fill out the lineup. The Guilded Palace of Sin was recorded and released in 1969 to critical acclaim, though record buyers barely acknowledged it.

Being a step ahead of the music currents of their time, coupled with internal problems and lack of promotion ended the band before they could get started. Parsons jumped ship after the second album. Critics now trip over themselves, writing about Gram Parsons and his vision of "Cosmic American Music", though not many gave him the credit he was due in his lifetime.

Classic records usually deliver an immaculate "Side One", packing the megaton force of an A-bomb, leaving the listener barely able to comprehend what will be served up next.

This is no exception

"Christine's Tune" is the Everly Brothers on acid. Sneaky Pete's unconventional pedal steel work is incredibly inventive, while the Parsons/Hillman axis do their best "Phil and Don" harmonies. "Sin City" is a fantastic soundtrack to a hangover, filled with imagery that is less than impressed with the LA scene in the late 1960's. It's a glorious creation that reinvents the wheel in four minutes. Both tunes were co-written by Hillman and Parsons.

Soulful covers showcase the versatility of everyone involved. "Do Right Woman" fuses country with an R & B feel (Aretha Franklin had a version of this) and "The Dark End of the Street" is more of the same. Parsons' vocals display a degree of vulnerability that makes each stand out. The arrangements are tasteful with extended jamming muted in favor of playing in service of the songs.

"My Uncle" rounds out this killer side. An uptempo look at draft dodging, it has a great hook and provides subtle comment on what was then a hotly debated subject.

A letter came today from the draft board
With trembling hands I read the questionnaire
It asked me lots of things about my mama and papa
Now that ain't what I call exactly fair
So I'm heading for the nearest foreign border
Vancouver may be just my kind of town
Because they don't need the kind of law and order
That tends to keep a good man underground

Parsons and Hillman were motorcycle enthusiasts, writing "Wheels" in tribute to the freedom of gliding along on just two of them. Hot Burritos 1 and 2 really deserved better titles. They are the most passionate vocals that Gram Parsons ever committed to tape, impeccably supported by the assembled musicians.

"Do You Know How it Feels" is a real shit kicker, prefiguring Dwight Yokam by about 20 years. Short and sweet. The LP closes with the sombre, churchy organ and piano based Hippie Boy, a spoken word commentary on the 1968 Democratic Convention riots. It is well done, though redolent of its time.

Topical reference is generally avoided ("My Uncle" excepted) so this set has aged quite well. The absence of late sixties, day-glo paint poured over the proceedings also extends the shelf-life of these songs.

Vinyl copies are tough to find and are expensive when you do.

Recent repackaging on CD has given this music that fused country, rock, soul, R & B and gospel a profile in the digital age. Despite the magic that happened to create this disc, it remains woefully under appreciated due mostly to lack of distribution.

Now that you're aware of it, look for a copy. Well worth the price of admission.

THE ROLLING STONES

2011-12-26T19:54:00.006-05:00

BETWEEN THE BUTTONS

Wreathed in smoke, ingenuity and a touch of insanity, the sessions for this album produced hard rocking pop. Rootsy blues was shelved, with piano driven, Ray Davies-inspired English music hall styles taking hold.

Be careful, lads. It is here that the drugs will start doing YOU!

One of two sets unleashed by the band in 1967, this was unlike anything they did before or since. The US version of this LP cut "Backstreet Girl" and "Please Go Home", replacing them with "Let's Spend the Night Together" and "Ruby Tuesday". Whether this tampering with the running order improved the package or not is subjective. The latter two selections were big hits, duly promoted on radio as well as the small screen. Check out this "live vocals with a backing track" performance, taped for the Ed Sullivan show.

Dividing their time between LA and London while recording, the results run from the barrelhouse fun of "Cool, Calm & Collected" (kazoos? why not?) to the excellent "Connection", which shares honors with "Miss Amanda Jones" as the most driving piece etched into this disc.

"Guess which drug I just discovered?" colors "Something Happened to me Yesterday". Keith sings lead (his debut on record) along with Mick backed up by a prominent tuba. The cover photo reinforces the "trippy" nature of the work, with three of the five Stones immersed in the burgeoning drug culture that enveloped their peers during that era.

Brian Jones turns in his last focused efforts before he was completely dragged down by substance intake and gradually elbowed from the group. In addition to guitar and some vocals, he also handled accordion, vibraphone, harmonica, recorder, percussion, kazoo, saxophone, dulcimer and organ. Four different piano players (Jones included) bang on the 88s throughout.

"She Smiled Sweetly" is the only track that should be buried in a landfill.

Overall, the impression left here is mighty fine, with the Jagger/Richards song writing engine in top form. Underrated and overlooked, this slice of Swinging London is worth checking out.

Now for some trivia from cosmopolitan raver/drummer Charlie Watts:

"Andrew (Oldham) told me to do the drawings for the LP and said the title would be between the buttons. I thought he meant the title was "Between The Buttons", so it stayed."

WARNING: Look for a vinyl copy of this, if you truly want a fair evaluation of how it was originally presented.

The original issue of this collection on CD sounded like shit, which is really a shame. Extreme liberties were taken with the placement of instruments in the stereo field. Some tracks sound as if they have been presented in duophonic format (transferring the mono master to two separate channels, boosting the low end frequencies in one channel and emphasizing the high treble frequencies in the other) which further kills the listening experience.

The 2002 ABKCO reissues are an improvement, though audiophiles are advised to hunt down the London Records CD version (available in Europe and Japan prior to 1997) as it has the best sound of all digital releases.

Naturally, Mick has long since disavowed this material, calling it "rubbish".

Not so!

Definitely in the top five of all Stones LPs.

JL

2011-12-08T21:07:00.000-05:00

I hope that it isn't too cold in Central Park tonight, so that those gathered have a chance to play, sing, scream and enjoy the timeless music of a guy who crossed into the next dimension 31 years ago today.

It would be interesting to hear what 71 year old John Lennon would have to say about contemporary events. He likely wouldn't mince words. War and poverty still wreak havoc in many areas of the world. Greed drags down our attempts to put a better face on society.

He didn't have all of the answers, though he did question the madness in the methods of authority figures in his time. Remember the jokester, wordsmith and genius by listening to some of his music tonight. Messages of peace, love and hope speak volumes.

TEN YEARS GONE

2011-11-29T07:39:00.001-05:00

Today marks the tenth anniversary of George Harrison’s passing. His musical accomplishments were considerable, though he had a tough time reconciling his role in the biggest group of the sixties. He was wont to speak about that period of his career through clenched teeth, preferring to focus on the present. Typically dry, upon accepting the Billboard Century Award in 1992 his first remark was telling.

"I'm sure that being in the Beatles has not been a hindrance to my solo career."

Forging his own path in the early seventies, Harrison was the first of his ex-colleagues to hit number one right out of the gate. Taking steps into territory that alienated longtime fans, singing about his personal beliefs and sharing the shimmering beauty of East Indian music with anyone who would listen, he remained unconcerned about replicating the past.

For the record, Dark Horse is an excellent album. Listen to it again!

Refusing to succumb to trivial audience pandering, he created on his own terms. When he was fed up with the bullshit that came with his trade, he retreated to his family and garden. The pleasure of music-making never disappeared from his radar, but he felt no compunction to reinvent himself every few years for the fickle masses.

Just dig what he was presenting live in '74.

Possessed of a dark sense of humor, when he heard that Neil Innes was reviving "The Rutles" in the mid 90s to parody The Beatles' Anthology with "Archaeology" he asked which one of them would get shot.

Slide guitar wizard, skirt-chaser, film mogul, lover of old scratchy records, ukelele virtuoso, racing enthusiast, spiritual seeker, philanthropist...lifelong smoker

He did kick the habit toward the end of his journey here in the material world. Sadly, it would not be in time.

My recollection of Nov 29, 2001 involves playing a lot of George’s music and drinking far too many beers. The following night I headed out to see Blue Oyster Cult at the Warehouse in Toronto with one of my best friends. BOC played “I Need You” as part of their set that evening, in fulsome tribute to a guy who likely inspired them to take up their instruments. It remains a very fond memory.

Late November 2002 brought two very pleasant surprises. Brainwashed, the record he had been working on in the last years of his life was posthumously completed (by his son Dhani and Jeff Lynne) and released. That and Tom Petty's Last DJ disc played constantly in my atmosphere for about a month afterward.

If you don't know where you're going, any road will take you there...

Shortly after this, on Nov 29th, The Concert for George was held at the Albert Hall, featuring a band comprised of rock legends, all playing their friend on his way by performing his songs. When the DVD of this event was released the following year, it was yet another gift to those who continue to celebrate his legacy, winning new converts along the way.

Ten years on, the world still misses Nelson Wilbury. I’ll be playing his tunes tonight, drink in hand, wondering how a goddamn decade managed to slip by so quickly.

For your reading pleasure, check out this 1977
interview

FORGOTTEN MUSIC THURSDAY-BADFINGER

2011-11-23T21:48:00.002-05:00

STRAIGHT UP

Badfinger's history is best described by that famous quote about there being no happy ending when you tell the rest of the story.

Prior to contractual problems, crooked management and the loss of two gifted songwriters to suicide, there was a band that created timeless music. Released at the tail end of 1971, Straight Up is their high water mark, though it had a difficult gestation period. Legendary Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick was in the producer's chair first and they completed a full album, which Apple Records rejected. Joey Molland picks up the story from here.

TAKE ONE!

We had already recorded a version of the album which Apple had turned down because they thought it was a bit crude sounding, and it kind of sounded like the No Dice record. They [Apple] were looking at doing something a bit more sophisticated for our second album. We had gone into the Manor which was Richard Branson’s studio in Oxford, by ourselves and had recorded a bunch of songs such as Blind Owl, Get Away, Timeless, and some of it was later used on the Ass [1973] album. We gave that entire album we had recorded to Apple as the next Badfinger album but they knocked it back.

TAKE TWO!

Enter George Harrison, who offered to run the sessions if they started the process from scratch. He produced four tracks; two were re-recordings of "Name of the Game" and "Suitcase" plus two new songs, "I'd Die Babe" and "Day After Day".

Working with George was a great experience, he was a master in the studio and he brought all his Beatles experience into the mix. George was very encouraging and co-operative. He would bring in his guitar and plug in and work on songs with you. He was only too willing to play a bit of rhythm guitar or some lead guitar and advise us on singing vocal parts. He did make us work around the microphone and made us sing all the backing vocals all at once. He wouldn’t let us overdub them one track at a time. So it was all the three part harmony done live. He also played the slide part with Pete on Day After Day. It took them about six hours to do that. He and Pete did that part together, overdubbed live, which is difficult, getting it right and getting the pitch right. George also played the acoustic rhythm on I’d Die Babe and that off-beat lead line in it too. That’s the only bits he actually played on the album.

Harrison had to then turn his attention to organizing the Bangladesh concerts and did not return to the project.

TAKE THREE!

Todd Rundgren came in to finish the record. Todd was really hard to work with, a real egomaniac and it was insufferable. Baby Blue was recorded live except we overdubbed an acoustic, then Todd took the tapes off and did what he did to it. It was not an enjoyable experience working with him, but Straight Up was our best selling album.

Rundgren salvaged a bit from the Emerick recordings, kept Harrison's work and proceeded to tape some new tunes. He also did the final overall mix, for which he was not credited. Despite the number of cooks, the finished album is sequenced beautifully and has a uniform sound. Pete Ham and Tom Evans wrote great material, as did Joey Molland. Melodic with fantastic harmony structure, their tunes rarely strayed beyond the five minute mark. "Day After Day" is a perfect example, with verses every bit as memorable as the chorus. They were so much more than a sugary pop act though, capable of delivering harder edged performances and were a tight unit on stage.

Strength in arrangement, especially in the vocal department, puts their work in the category of another legendary British group to which they were closely tied. This connection would serve to both help and hinder the band throughout their short existence.

Ghostly backing vocals and fuzzed guitar arpeggios over piano are key drivers of their sound, coloring much of the material. "Take It All" even drops in a Garth Hudson-esque organ toward the fade. Power pop just was another dumb tag assigned to these guys. Ignore the labels and you'll find a wealth of clever transitions ("Money" gracefully coasting into "Flying"), hooks galore and epic sounding pieces (the stabbing horns and strings in "Name of the Game).

"Day After Day", "Baby Blue" and "It's Over" stand out, though there is not one bad song or wasted note to be found here. One of the best rock recordings of the early 70s, bar none.

So with such a winning combination, why would it linger in the "forgotten" files?

Money stole my lady

When Apple Records fell into financial chaos, legal machinations prevented the further pressing and distribution of this classic work. Badfinger's Apple albums became instant collectors items. Truly heartbreaking, considering the combined talents of this star-crossed group. Without proper distribution, their shot at getting a commercial foothold was finished before they even properly started. How rare was it to find this recording? I found Straight Up on vinyl in the mid- 80's. The asking price exceeded 100 dollars!

Rolling Stone's review at the time was negative, as well, which didn't help from a PR perspective. Further proof that if you base your buying habits solely on recommendations from Rolling Stone, you have a shitty music collection.

When years of legal wrangling were finally resolved, "Straight Up" was remastered and released on CD in 1993 with bonus tracks. Interesting it is for the audiophiles out there, as the bonus stuff is primarily the Geoff Emerick productions (His versions of "Name of the Game" and "Suitcase" are awesome). Well worth looking for. Sadly, Badfinger is known primarily for the series of tragic events that ripped them apart, rather than the transcendent music that they created. This is a "must have" LP.

JAMES TAYLOR

2011-11-20T13:42:00.000-05:00

ONE MAN DOG

Occupying a curious position in the JT discography, One Man Dog ended up a top five disc following its release in late 1972, though critics and fans were divided in their estimations.

Intended to be a loose song suite, in the fashion of the long medley that graces the back nine of Abbey Road, there is no heavy underlying concept at work. What I hear is the artist, entrenched in his home studio, bringing in some very talented friends and saying, “Here’s the tune, the meter isn’t running, so we’ll play and see where this goes.” The ultra-slick, high production values that would soon become an integral part of the sunny, California sound in the mid 70s are, mercifully, not in place here. This is not to say that it is sloppily executed, as the record sounds great (especially in vinyl format) and the playing/singing is first rate.

The general mood, set by the opener ("One Man Parade") is one of ebullience. One can almost picture Taylor hunched over his acoustic, finger-picking the intro and then leaping to his feet to march around singing, swept up in his own joyous noise. It is this sense of fun which has a positive impact on the material, which is melodic and inventive. For a writer whose subject matter had generally tended toward the darker side of life, a tune like “Chili Dog” is definitely a 180 degree turn away from “Fire and Rain”.

Don't read me no Ann Landers/Don't feed me no Colonel Sanders

That sense of humor extends to the sonic dimension of the project as he pulls off the most clever deployment of saws (both chain and hand) on record in the link between "Fanfare" and "Little David".

There are passages that have a slightly jazzy feel and others have a gospel inflection, though “relaxed” is the best overall descriptor. No one expects speed metal tempos from a JT album nor do they happen here. Reminiscent of McCartney's first solo effort in terms of the brevity of certain songs and the fact that he tosses in a couple of instrumentals, Taylor earns points for trying his hand at something different with the attempt to weld these fragments together. Perhaps listeners at that time saw this as "unfinished" when compared to his last two releases.

“Don’t Let me Be Lonely Tonight” was the obvious choice for a single, though that shouldn't stop you from enjoying the rest.

Produced by Peter Asher, featuring scads of guests, this is one forgotten gem that begs to be heard on vinyl, if at all possible.

11 11 11 = SABBATH!

2011-11-11T19:29:00.000-05:00

Today's announcement that the original members of Black Sabbath plan to release a brand new album and tour the world in 2012 was the best piece of music news
that I have heard in quite some time. Perhaps all of that noise about 11 11 11 being an auspicious date wasn't too far off the mark.

There have been several reformations since the late 90s and the band have acquitted themselves quite well in each instance. Their first crack at recording a full length disc with the original four in 2001 was aborted, with only a couple of tracks seeing the light of day.

Here's hoping that the new material is strong and that Ozzy, Geezer, Tony and Bill show a new generation of rock fans why their music has remained vital after 41 years.

THE JAYHAWKS

2011-11-07T22:26:00.003-05:00

MOCKINGBIRD TIME

Emerging quietly from hiatus, the Jayhawks came back with their mid-90s lineup in place to play some shows in 2009. Mark Olson, who had left the group in 1995, has returned to the fold. Mockingbird Time marks the first, full length Jayhawks recording since Tomorrow the Green Grass with Olson and Gary Louris collaborating. Despite the tepid reviews that I have read, to these ears at least, this is a solid set of songs.

RANT!

What in the name of fuck do people want? We are subjected to a ton of the most objectionable garbage that has ever poisoned the airwaves on a daily basis and a few hipsters complain that the Jayhawks "didn't make their best album ever, per their claims prior to its issue". On the contrary, they have written songs with great changes, played with feeling and topped by two-part harmonies that soar. In a time where one note shit, with gimmicky noises and phony, processed vocals rule the musical landscape, people should be falling over themselves to welcome something real.

I digress.

While not as uniformly excellent as Tomorrow the Green Grass, there is still quite a bit to celebrate. Most all of the selections deliver in terms of melody, arrangement and the vocals of Louris and Olson blend effortlessly. Sonically, their harmonies have a slightly melancholic quality, though this never overwhelms the program. Their voices still sound magical when paired.

Tying things together beautifully are the deft keyboard touches of Karen Grotberg. Her contributions to the music supply a ton of personality and would be greatly missed if taken out of the mix. There are a few attempts to bring electric guitars to the fore, though a gentler, more introspective mood prevails. My only request would be to trim the running time on a couple of songs and remove the title cut. It is the only one in the pack that seems to strain to find something to say, fails and would have best been left for a future box set.

Standout tracks include "Hide Your Colors", "Tiny Arrows" (shades of CSNY), "She Walks In So Many Ways" and the excellent closer "Hey Mr. Man". Repeated listening will be required, but there's enough diversity with forays into folk, esoteric 60s rock and country to maintain interest. The playing is impeccable, atmospheric strings provide depth and color to several tunes, and the hooks are subtle though once they set up camp in your brain they do not let go. Why this band has never really broken big is a mystery to me.

Strong, engaging and undeserving of some of the critical stick it has received, Mockingbird Time will hold up well down the road. Long after the contrived, overly sugared pop confections of 2011 leave people with an upset stomach and nothing more, thoughtful music with soul will be waiting to sweep you up in its charms when you're ready.

The Jayhawks are touring the US currently. Get out and see them if you have a chance.

FORGOTTEN MUSIC THURSDAY-THE BYRDS

2011-10-26T23:58:00.000-04:00

BYRDS

Nothing stokes the fires of sentimentality quite as powerfully as the prospect of reuniting a rock group who had once hit dizzying creative heights. More often than not, the actual event is anticlimactic with fantasy crumbling in the face of unrealized expectation. Such was the case with a very high profile quintet of folk-rock pioneers.

The Byrds coupled great vocal harmonies with the jangling 12 string and note perfect arrangements of Roger McGuinn. They provided an exciting response to the sounds of the British Invasion in 1965. Following a short string of brilliant LPs, the original line up began to fracture. One by one, four out of the five charter members quit (or were fired) and by late 1968, McGuinn was left to carry on with the name. From this point through 1971 the band all but dropped off the commercial radar.

Flash forward to late 1972

By dint of the ever-shifting career sands that the four ex-Byrds found themselves treading at this point, the planets oddly aligned. David Geffen, who was then chief evil officer of Asylum Records, helped broker a deal to bring the old gang back together once more. Out of everyone, David Crosby had found the greatest post-Byrds success with CSN (and sometimes Y) and would wear the producer's hat for these sessions. The group blueprint used for Crosby, Stills Nash & Young was also, albeit awkwardly, applied in titling the reunion effort. Everyone was given equal billing, their names emblazoned on the front cover, with the proviso that they were free to indulge in their own musical endeavors and regroup whenever they wished for future projects.

As it stands, this would be the last time that all five entered the studio together to make an album.

Was it worth their time?

While this is not necessarily a poor collection of songs, Byrds definitely lacks the spark of their earlier work. If you come in expecting to hear McGuinn's Rickenbacker 360 12 in full cry, revisiting the sounds of '65, you will quickly be disappointed. On the other hand, if you dig acoustic guitars and laid back arrangements then this will hit the spot.

Disclaimer

The old adage about how “you can’t go home again” is more than appropriate in this instance as it is damn near impossible to recover the past. Especially when you are up against a ticking clock. The individual “Byrds” in 1972 had been brought back together with business interests taking precedence over the joy of actually making music with each other again. Time may have softened their attitudes to a degree but it didn’t erase the intense bullshit that had drove them apart. It is to their credit that they managed to get through a month of tracking without imploding all over again. Perhaps because no one wanted to spoil the moment with critical arguments over quality control, the material that each songwriter brought to the table was taken at face value. Topping the "if only" list would be the fact that they really didn't get a chance to get together and simply play. Given the opportunity to jam and trade ideas, they may have at least rediscovered a professional rapport and written some new songs together. Very little time was allotted to this endeavor (roughly one month), so the end result feels slightly underdeveloped.

THE HIGHLIGHTS

“See the Sky About to Rain” is the only truly majestic moment, due mostly to Gene Clark's immaculate delivery, which managed to outdo Neil Young's version when he finally etched it in stone for On the Beach. The Byrds had always been far more successful at interpreting the work of others and this is a shining example. McGuinn's guiding hand had to have played a large part in shaping the arrangement, as this has always been his forte.

Clark's contributions are far superior to those of his colleagues. "Full Circle" and "Changing Heart" are melodic, well constructed gems. No surprise, as he had been the driving force behind their writing in the early days. Crosby turns in great vocal performances on his tunes, particularly his reworking of "Laughing" which had already appeared on his first solo set.

THE REST

While professional, the remaining selections do not really punch through the homogeneous production nor is anything terribly memorable. Tightly edited, polite country-rock it is, with decent harmonies and no real clunkers. Let's face it, with their combined vocal talent, these guys could have sung the alphabet and made it sound righteous. McGuinn gets a bit too close to the melody of "I Shall Be Released" in the verses of "Born to Rock and Roll" but then again he is one of the masters when it comes to interpreting Dylan, so this is forgivable.

Sort of.

Which is why this platter ends up with the “forgotten music” tag.

Compared to the revolutionary sounds that the Byrds had produced in the mid-sixties, the reunion disc was quite tame. For an aggregation that had once been christened as one of the most stirring bands in the universe, this collection of mostly bland fare bordered on anonymous. All four composers were holding back their best songs, offering little that inspired much excitement. What may have been the event of the season, sadly, turned out to be a missed opportunity. If you find a vinyl copy, it's definitely worth a spin. Listening again after a long time helped to soften my opinion a bit, as well.

Here's how some of the players summed it up.

David Crosby:

When we got together for the Byrds reunion, I was definitely throwing my weight around too much, and I'm sure that it pissed everybody off. We made a much better record than we were credited with, but I didn't help. You know, I was sort of, [Goes into blowhard voice] "Well, I'm the guy in the big group and I'll just... we'll do it my way." It was stupid.

Gene Clark:

(The reunion attempt was like) having a fresh wound. You're still too sensitive. It's like having a divorce and then trying to get back together in six months. The underlying hurt and emotional things are still there and still very fresh...We never really got together, the five of us, and seriously did a Byrds reunion. Never happened. Everyone telephoning in their parts. So it didn't have the essence it really needed. It may never happen again.

Chris Hillman:

'See The Sky About To Rain' and 'Full Circle' were probably the best tracks on the record. Gene's stuff was the best. The rest of us? I'll be honest, I contributed my worst material because I was getting ready to do a solo record, 'Slipping Away', and I was saving all my good stuff and contributed this throwaway stuff that was awful... But we didn't have any direction, nobody at the helm.

Roger McGuinn:

David had this incredibly strong pot. Half a joint and you couldn't do anything. We were stoned out of our minds the whole time. I don't remember much about recording.
The outtakes from the reunion album ended up on my first solo album. I don't think there are any other tracks.

Turns out that there are a few alternate takes in existence and one tune that didn't make the final cut.

EPILOGUE

In November 2009, collector Whin Oppice acquired two 10" Asylum Byrds master multi-track tape reels, from Wally Heider Recording, Hollywood CA, featuring various takes that date from November 1972. Three versions of "Fair and Tender Ladies", which does not appear on the Byrds Asylum album release, are included in the 16 track master tape. To Whin's ears, the earlier version (#4) has David Crosby on vocal. The vocal on the other two versions is Gene Clark. Gene wails on harmonica as well. Studio tracking sheets are included which provide valuable details. As with the film "Byrds, W.P. Outs," all has been carefully preserved and digitally transferred.

Writes Whin: "Listening to isolated tracks left me spellbound, as if the instrument or vocal was being performed live right in front of me. You can hear every breath on the vocal tracks".

Reel ORIG WP 1 (16 track)
1. Fair & Tender Ladies (later version)
2. The King Is Dead (earlier version)
3. The King Is Dead (later version)
4. Fair & Tender Ladies (earlier version)
5. About To Rain
6. Laughing
7. The King Is Dead (3rd version)
8. The King Is Dead (3rd version instrumental)
9. Fair & Tender Ladies ( 11-25-72 3rd version)
Reel Safety MR 3 (24 Track)
10. Laughing
11. The King Is Dead
12. The Circle Song
13. Laughing (undocumented - 1st part)
14. Laughing (undocumented - 2nd part)

PINK FLOYD

2011-10-23T14:09:00.000-04:00

A NICE PAIR

Following the overwhelming success of "The Dark Side of the Moon", EMI decided to re-release the first two Pink Floyd LPs as a cleverly titled double set in December 1973.

What's so clever about it?

A sticker was used to hide the two elements that would have had prospective male buyers pointing at the album cover, coughing out a blast of pot smoke while simultaneously attempting a lewd act of self gratification.

Or so the censor-mad folks at the time imagined. Boobs! Can't let those loose in public...

My copy looks like this.

Quasi-pornographic images aside, surely there was nothing controversial etched into the grooves of these vinyl records? If you are familiar with "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" in it's original format and you own a copy of the US version of "A Nice Pair", then the answer is "yes". Back in 1967, Capitol Records in the US took the already-perfect debut recording from the group, removed "Astronomy Domine", "Flaming" and "Bike" and released it with "See Emily Play" pasted in as the first track.

Getting back to 1973, Capitol executives decided to atone for past tampering, restore the aforementioned missing songs to Piper and cash in on the new-found wave of "Floyd-mania" that now greeted the band. Their marketing plan was sound, as they had the masters at their fingertips. Two discs were already in the can. Add a cover and everyone gets rich.

This is where serious collectors received an unexpected bonus.

"Astronomy Domine" did appear as the first song, though it was the live version from 1969's "Ummagumma" that was used. Crowd noises were erased. "Interstellar Overdrive" was shortened and did not link to "The Gnome" as it did on the UK version. "Flaming" shows up in mono with a different mix. All of this was frustrating to the hardcore fan, though these variances would make this release extremely desirable when it went out of print.

What were the glaring differences between "Piper at the Gates of Dawn" and "A Saucerful of Secrets"?

These guys did the first one.

While these fellows completed the latter.

Confused? You won't be after this week's episode of SOAP.

WILCO

2011-10-17T22:01:00.001-04:00

THE WHOLE LOVE

Wearing the crown of "Critics' Darlings" since their debut, Wilco have earned this title by producing some of the most thoughtful and experimental records of the past fifteen years. Eight albums in, Jeff Tweedy and the group are still capable of marrying ethereal sounds to conventional song structures. Pushing forward with a trunk-load of melodies here, only fleetingly are they stretched, re-shaped, interspersed with telepathic white noise and made to run naked through a gauntlet of guitars. It's still a damn good listen.

Found a fix for the fits/Come listen to this

For the uninitiated, Wilco is not part of some secret, hipster club that you have to dress up or shave your head to join. They do take some wild chances with their art, which is tightly helmed by one Jeff Tweedy. As chief cook and bottle washer in the band, his vision is fleshed out by an incredible group of musicians.

Special mention this time around goes to bassist John Stirratt. Charter member, multi-instrumentalist, harmony vocal champ; shit, the guy has never played anything other than inventive lines to underpin the songs. He is in particularly great form here, executing a slew of delicate, fine bass figures that are deservedly brought to the fore in the mix. "Art of Almost" gives him plenty of room to work, though it starts out with glacial noises that compete with an insistent drum pattern. Harking back to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot/A Ghost is Born era experiments, the music ebbs and flows, climaxing in a full on wig-out to the finish line.

More kudos to the bassmanship displayed in "I Might", married to some wicked wordplay. Tweedy seems to be reeling in thoughts from a special stream of consciousness. What comes on with a near Motown feel boasts the feel good line of the disc:

You won't set the kids on fire/but I might

There are even a couple of Beatle-action-replays thrown in for giggles. "Sunloathe" has Harrisonoid slide, high fret territory McCartney bass noodles, Lennon's trusty, heavy-on-the-reverb piano plonking, a Ringo fill or two and some sweeping 'ahhhhhhh's' to ice the cake. It's a fine tune as well. "Capitol City" is pure Hoagy Carmichael on LSD, dragged through the filter of a White Album session, adorned with a slew of sound effects and presented here for your listening pleasure. Even more bizarre, the title track bears a striking resemblance to "Magneto and Titanium Man".

Venus and Mars-era Wings. I'm not joking.

For all that, it still works.

What starts out with the promise of some good old fashioned freak-outs quickly detours toward laid-back fare. Again, with material is as strong as the string-framed "Black Moon", it really doesn't matter. As close to perfection as it gets.

I can only register one complaint. The closer, "One Sunday Morning" is sung in an annoying, half whispered fashion that comes across as if Tweedy had returned from a dental appointment, with the lingering effect of Novocaine hindering his ability to enunciate properly. Just fucking sing! It also hangs on a fairly pretty hook, though it is not worthy of twelve-minutes. He should have just incorporated this idea into "Rising Red Lung" as both are pretty close cousins, sonically. Either way, it is at times like this that I wish Jeff would bring in a collaborator to truly challenge his authority in the studio. Down the line, the magic eight ball foresees a few issues with Mr. T not being able to see the forest for the trees when it comes to what makes it past quality control.

Make no mistake, these guys are committed to their craft and are functioning on a level that is head and shoulders above many of their contemporaries. Ultimately, this disc blows over you as would a gentle breeze on a muggy summer afternoon. Enough to refresh, though you are left wanting a bit more.

That's why you have no choice but to listen again.

Despite my one objection, The Whole Love offers impeccably rendered tunes that lesser bands would die to have on their resume. Scaling back on surprises, the creative retrenching effort that began with Sky Blue Sky seems complete. Curious to see where they'll go next.

ROGER WILCO

2011-10-16T15:38:00.001-04:00

Phenomenal performance of the Byrds classic, Mr. Spaceman. What an inspired pairing. Filmed in 1996, we see Roger McGuinn joyfully backed by Wilco. Note the two tasteful, face-melters that the late Jay Bennett peels off with ease.

This quick post hints at two write-ups that will be coming soon. I have been listening to Wilco's latest (The Whole Love) quite a bit and the long delayed review is on the way. McGuinn? One of the most underrated musicians on the planet.

IMAGINE AT 40

2011-10-09T00:07:00.001-04:00

IMAGINE

Today marked the 40th anniversary of the UK release of John Lennon's second solo effort, Imagine. Raiding the Beatles closet for the best of his unused late sixties compositions, he recorded them alongside some new tunes over the course of two weeks.

It takes some contemporary artists that long get a decent drum sound, let alone finish the bulk of a hit album.

Having just installed a state of the art (for 1971) studio at Tittenhurst Park, Lennon brought in a crew of session players and friends (George Harrison dropped by) to accompany him. The result was a very tuneful collection that was critically and commercially successful. Once again, Phil Spector shared production duties with John, though he was given far more to work with than the austere soundscape of Plastic Ono Band had allowed. Strings were added to some tracks ("sugarcoating" as Lennon referred to it later on) as Capitol's PR crew, led by Pete Bennett, wanted something radio friendly that they could market widely.

Very stellar set from the opening, title track right through to the catchy, lighthearted closer, "Oh Yoko". The only tune that doesn't really take off is "I Don't Want to be a Soldier". He seemed to run out of gas with his next two records, despite initially keeping on top of things more than McCartney would with his first solo ventures.

This weekend, John would have celebrated his 71st birthday.

NEVERMIND TURNS 20

2011-09-29T21:48:00.001-04:00

NEVERMIND

Late September of 1991 brought a great musical sea change. Little known at that time to mainstream listeners, Nirvana had only recently replaced their drummer and were hard at work playing live. Winning over small audiences that were soon to balloon to stadium sized crowds, the band often took off on spectacular flights on stage. Now, they were on the cusp of releasing a game changing second album. Kurt Cobain was about to be put on a pedestal that he both worked toward and despised once his Converse clad feet were anchored upon it.

Nevermind...

It's no secret that Cobain's songwriting model, musically, fused the best attributes of Black Sabbath and the Beatles. His lyrics permeated the collective cerebellums of thousands of young music fans, particularly because of the bitter wit that colored his subject matter. This would generally be taken out of context by many who poured through his words, emphasizing the darkness of some lines and missing the tongue in cheek factor that lay behind many of Cobain's themes. Whether he was celebrating/ mocking the apathetic nature of "Gen X'ers", taking potshots at the rednecks who had once bullied him and his friends or just spitting out a violent stream of bile for the hell of it, the "meaning" was purely subjective. Only he could tell you what it all amounted to and that ship sailed with his death in 1994.

This record joined that special list of other classic discs that have a perfect "Side One".

Smells Like Teen Spirit
In Bloom
Come As You Are
Breed
Lithium
Polly

What dictated this immaculate running order?

Tough to think of a more consistently brilliant sequence of songs on a contemporary rock release. That it was hit upon in random fashion is mind-blowing. The revolution would be televised once the video for the stunning "Smells Like Teen Spirit" hit MTV.

Upon first hearing the tune in late fall of 1991, goosebumps happened instantly and I felt an incredible rush of joy to which words could never do justice. I wasn't tapped in to the grunge movement nor had I laid ears on Nirvana before this. It just felt good to hear something real that carried the same weight as all of the best music from generations past. This one belonged to me, though the ride would be short-lived.

Preoccupied with labels, bands that emerged from the Seattle scene had their sound simply labeled as grunge. Flannel shirts, torn jeans and a general don’t-give-a–shit-about-appearance attitude is what the media zoned in on. For the groups themselves, the hype was laughable, especially when the “grunge uniform” was marketed as aggressively to kids as sugary cereal was during Saturday morning cartoons.

Proper evaluation of this movement in music quickly reveals the real reason why it captured the public imagination in such a big way.

Stagnation

Anyone who feared for the impoverishment of popular music had compelling reasons for their disposition in the early nineties. “Artists” from all corners had hits with an offensive assortment of digitized assaults on the ears. Drums were programmed and then jacked up to obscene levels in the mix, synthesized farts were substituted for melody lines and the process of “sampling” (aka stealing) the music of others to be dropped in over the beat of a “new song” started to rear its misshapen head.

Bad hair metal, shitty, overproduced pop, turgid, boring dance music. Enough! Something new had to emancipate listeners from the bloated crap that was clogging the charts.

The last time that this had happened, punk had landed with megaton force in the middle of late 70s disco and bloated, soft rock. Revolutions do not occur without provocation. Cobain was an ardent fan of hardcore punk, though the other side of his musical coin was steeped in melodic music and classic rock. It isn’t by accident that the giant riff for Teen Spirit comes via Boston’s “More Than a Feeling” or that “Come As You Are” is a very close cousin in feel to Sabbath’s “Killing Yourself to Live”.

In addition to sharp arrangements, a killer rhythm section and hooks galore was the projection of a unique, gritty voice. Cobain sounded as if he was singing for his life on the heavy tracks and then, turning on a dime, “Polly” and “Something In the Way” are delivered in a deliberately melodic fashion, complete with a second harmony vocal. Had his life script been allowed a few more pages, it’s a safe bet that this is the type of writing/performing style he would have transitioned toward.

Does Nevermind still hold up in 2011?

Unquestionably.

The indelible image of Grohl, sticks raised high, about to pummel his kit, the giant Novoselic laying down a heavy groove on his low-slung Gibson Thunderbird and Cobain in flight toward a messy collision with the drums is a just quick snapshot of the excitement that the trio generated on stage. This was not a matter of style over substance, though, as there was great depth to the material. Compared to Bleach, Nevermind was practically flawless in execution and devastating in its overall cultural impact. Strip away all of the hype that surrounded the genre and the ensuing media circus that traveled a half step behind the “Kurt ‘n’ Courtney Show” and the songs remain as powerful now as they did twenty years ago. The music was raw, sweaty and real with a subversive depravity tempered by a very thoughtful and sensitive soul. It’s no wonder that people were floored by the stunning coupling of angst and intellect that shot out of their speaker grills; every note demanding their full attention.

Last weekend, Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl and producer Butch Vig gathered around the campfire to talk about Nevermind in a two hour interview that was hosted by Jon Stewart and broadcast on SiriusXM.

What does it mean to the guys now?

Grohl: "I think our lives are sort of defined by that one thing."

Before the talk ended, Novoselic noted one element that was missing from the celebration.

"I wish Kurt was here," he said somberly. "It's a big hole."

PAUL WILLIAMS STILL ALIVE

2011-09-18T23:37:00.000-04:00

In many respects, the 1970s were very kind to Paul Williams. His image was unforgettable: vertically challenged with a shoulder length, blond shag framing a face that hid behind ever-present, tinted, aviator glasses.

Ubiquitous

Making Johnny Carson crack up, co-hosting The Mike Douglas Show, guesting on The Love Boat, singing “Rainbow Connection” with Kermit the Frog, picking up armloads of Grammys, cracking wise on The Hollywood Squares...Christ, he even had his own show at one point.

It wasn't all about starring in Smokey and the Bandit movies, though.

Williams had a rare gift for turning out hit songs. He scored an Oscar for "Evergreen" and five additional nominations (including one for The Muppet Movie's "Rainbow Connection") and co-wrote The Love Boat theme for the small screen. Add to this a string of pop hits like The Carpenters' "Rainy Days and Mondays", "We've Only Just Begun", and Three Dog Night's "Old Fashioned Love Song" to name only a few examples and you begin to envision a mountain of publishing royalties that could sustain a person through several comfortable lifetimes.

Then he just vanished.

Hard core drug and alcohol addiction was the lesser known side to Williams' wild ride through the seventies and eighties. Director Stephen Kessler, fascinated with the performer who was his childhood idol, had assumed that Williams had died. Turns out he was very much alive, 20 years sober after facing down his demons and very different from the slick TV stalwart whom Kessler had once adored. The director spent more than two years traveling with and filming Williams. The result?

Paul Williams Still Alive

Williams turns 71 today and is very grateful that he's around to see this film. For others who had walked the same path, this would be a posthumous exploration of their career. The documentary has earned critical praise on initial screenings and will likely renew interest in Williams' work.

Here's a recent interview with the man himself.

NEW WILCO DISC-THE WHOLE LOVE

2011-09-04T12:49:00.001-04:00

Wilco will officially release The Whole Love on September 27th. Listened to the free stream of the disc on Sept 4th. It's pretty stellar. Review coming soon.

FORGOTTEN MUSIC THURSDAY-NEIL YOUNG TRANS

2011-08-25T01:31:00.005-04:00

TRANS

One of the most misunderstood records that Neil Young has ever let loose on an unsuspecting public, Trans was slightly ahead of its time. He wasn’t the first artist to delve into synthetic music, although it was a jarring 180 degree turn in terms of what had come before. “Changeable Charlie” had outdone himself.

Throughout the seventies, he was at the top of his game. Capping an amazing, ten year run with Rust Never Sleeps in 1979, well-deserved critical accolades flowed from every rock scribe.

Young entered the eighties by putting out two discs that, sonically, did not stray very far from previous territory. The big difference was that both Hawks and Doves (1980) and Reactor (1981) lacked the spark that had fueled his best work. The magician clapped his hands and nothing appeared. Few were aware of the very tough personal circumstances that he and his family were facing in dealing with a special needs child. Adversity inspired the concept for his next project.

Computer Age

Reactor had been greeted with indifference, both critically and commercially. Young felt that his record company, Reprise, had failed to support it and had not followed through on some of his requests involving promotion.

Enter David Geffen.

Prior to his move over to Geffen Records, Neil had already begun the work for what would eventually become Trans. He actually had the carcass of another project (Island in the Sun) recorded, though it left Geffen executives unimpressed when it was offered up for a listen. Three of these tracks would be included on Trans, unchanged. Others would be stripped of the contributions made by those involved in these sessions, their parts digitally replaced.

Young often appeared as an otherworldly presence to most people, save for his close friends and family. The metallic, alien feel of electronic music was a good fit for a guy who had always been interested in the technical side of things, whether it was tied to advances in model railroad construction or the latest developments in digital recording. For the Trans tour, he played the role of robotic, new wave messenger very convincingly. Hair cropped, he stalked the stage in black, wrap-around shades with his wireless mic triggering a chilly, inhuman vox, courtesy of the Sennheiser Vocoder VSM201. All of this sailed over the heads of audiences who had not heard a note of the new disc, which wouldn’t come out until the end of that year.

Though it is thematically out of step with the rest of Trans, “Little Thing Called Love” was chosen to open and is a definite highlight. Featuring an incredibly catchy chorus, it also sports an acoustic riff following the turnaround that he would recycle a decade later as the cornerstone of the song “Harvest Moon”.

Wasting no time, he then leaps behind the wheel of the DeLorean, puts his foot down and flashes forward to a distant future that marches to the pulse of an unrelenting synclavier. Who else but Neil could have foreseen the sordid business of hacking in cyberspace and written about it in 1982? Check out "Computer Cowboy (AKA Syscrusher). There was also some prescience (and a dry wit) involved with “Sample and Hold”, which explored the possibilities of robot matchmaking. Social networking for the artificially intelligent. Who knew?

Living on the bleeding edge of technology does come with a price tag. “We R in Control” paints an austere picture of future government, structured as a cold, cyber-dictatorship.

We control the TV sky.
We control the FBI.
We control the flow of heat.
We will prevail, and
Perform.
Our.
Function.

This theme has crept into works of fiction since the advent of the mechanical age, taken up in greater detail by the likes of Orwell, Rand and Huxley. Young's vision did not dwell on this warning of enslavement by grim, virtual overlords. Taking random snapshots, love still prevailed amongst the machinery. Beneath the veneer of circuitry beats a very human heart, though the back cover artwork reveals its power source to be transistors and microchips. His genius here lies in coupling raw emotion with icy data, revealing man and machine as one. Neil also saw fit to craft great melodies around his subject matter.

“Transformer Man” is one of his finest.

In context, the lyrics read as a vow to break through the communication barrier between him and his son Ben, who was born with severe cerebral palsy, which left him as quadriplegic and unable to speak.

So many things still left to do
But we haven’t made it yet…
Unlock the secrets.
Let us throw off the chains that
Hold you down.

Following the pattern that characterized much of his writing, Young’s message was carefully veiled so as to be appreciated on a universal level. As no one outside of his inner circle was informed of Ben’s condition at that time, the connection was by no means evident to the outside world.

“That’s what the record’s about… It’s the beginning of my search for a way for a non-oral person, a severely physically handicapped non-oral person, to find some sort of interface for communication… That’s what I was getting at. And that was completely misunderstood.”

Purely nostalgic reasons prompted me to dust off my copy of Trans. Would I be let down?

Not a chance.

Inexorably tied to a very happy time in my now-distant past, the sounds and smell of the vinyl transported me back to the day I had bought it. Reminded of that first time hearing the re-make of “Mr. Soul” on the radio and flipping, I had even thought it to be superior to the original version.

Silly kid.

Since I wasn't part of the generation that shared its first joint with After the Goldrush or Harvest when they were brand new, I did not view his foray into drum machines and synthesizers as tampering with what was considered sacrosanct. That's why this effort received such a critical pasting upon issue. The artist wasn't playing to expectation and the work was dismissed offhand.

As much as I champion this album, objectively, there are a few minor deficiencies. The inclusion of the three conventional tunes dilutes the overall concept and feel. Trans may have fulfilled the promise of its cover art (depicting the mechanization of humanity) had there been a bridge between the two styles. This would have required a rethink in terms of creating a narrative to define the transition from organic instruments to a synthetic sonic landscape. Otherwise, he should have just remade the three “regular” compositions in the fashion of the other songs. "Like An Inca" would have killed in a more spacey, electronic format.

Subjectively, I still think that it stands as one of the most interesting statements he’s ever made.

So why is Trans relegated to the cut-out bin of forgotten music?

Accessibility is one major factor. To date, Trans is officially unavailable in digital format here in North America. You can order it on CD as an import, but it doesn’t come cheap.

What about classic rock radio? Wouldn’t we hear it there?

This format has lots of room for Neil Young’s music, except when it barely resembles “Neil Young”. Completely submerging all trace of his conventional style in the murky waters of digitized noise and vocoders would serve as a hindrance to garnering airplay.

With everyone doing their “singing” these days with auto-tuners and pitch correction software, it wouldn’t be a stretch to single out Trans as an influence on such developments. In truth, Neil came a bit late into this game as groups like Kraftwerk had been in the vanguard of this type of expression long before him. This was also merely one facet of Young’s complex musical persona. Within a year he would remove his techno-hat in favor of rockabilly.

From an artistic viewpoint, he is to be commended for making such a bold move at a time when many of his contemporaries had long fallen victim to creative stagnation or had simply burned out. He could have played it safe, sold a truckload of product. Long before this he had chosen to follow a career trajectory that was driven by passion rather than business interests.

Next time you're out hunting for music, if you spot a vinyl copy of Trans, buy it.

NOTHING

2011-08-16T23:31:00.000-04:00

HOME

Nothing are really something. The Ottawa based band is currently in the midst of the third round of the Big Money Shot and their new song, "Home", needs some Facebook love so that they may advance to the next round of this contest.

Live 88.5 FM has posted entries from each contestant. Please go to the link have a listen and click "like" to support their effort.

You can find out more about Nothing here.

Here's a live clip from May 2011

FORGOTTEN MUSIC THURSDAY-MANASSAS

2011-07-27T23:05:00.002-04:00

MANASSAS

Manassas ranks as one of the nicest bonuses that came out of the CSNY implosion in the early seventies. Stephen Stills assembled a first-rate cast of musicians for this project and they gelled extremely well. No less a light than Chris Hillman was up front with Stills, providing stellar harmonies, second guitar and he was indispensible when it came to lending his blazing mandolin chops to the bluegrass tracks.

Clocking in at 70 minutes and change, your attention is required. If you are not an ADD riddled sort, then your patience will be rewarded. Stills succeeds in presenting an eclectic mix of genres under the banner of cleverly produced ‘roots rock’. His strength as an arranger is frequently highlighted and the material is decent. Stylistically, Manassas doesn’t fly off in as many directions as The White Album, though there’s enough diversity to keep things interesting.

Why then does this disc find itself in the realm of forgotten music?

For starters, there was no huge hit single to be found here ("It Doesn't Matter" should have been). The songs did not possess the big hooks that reel in casual music fans, either. This is not to say that they don't captivate the ear, it's just that the melodies are crafted to sneak up on you. Smart music often needs time to grow and take root in your brain through careful listening sessions. Another strike against this release was the record company's indifference. Atlantic had a vested interest in Crosby, Stills and Nash as they raked in staggering amounts of cash for the company. Manassas was relegated to side project status, which lowered their profile, slackening any effort put into the promotion machine.

Embarking on an extensive tour that took them around the world, the group name (and album cover) was settled while on an early stop in Virginia. Rock, bluegrass, folk, country, blues and Latin jams sound effortless in the hands of this extremely versatile crew. Highlights? "It Doesn't Matter", "The Treasure", "Johnny's Garden", "Cuban Bluegrass" and "Fallen Eagle".

They sounded great live, too, often playing three hour sets. Here's a clip from 1972 (German TV)

Bill Wyman co-wrote "The Love Gangster" and played bass on the track. Manassas is the band he reportedly said that he would have quit the Stones to join. High praise indeed.

Generally available on CD as an import, though the record can be found fairly easily, "Manassas" is the summit of Mount Everest in the Stills catalog and may be the most fully realized example of this gifted man's talents.

DAN PEEK RIP

2011-07-26T19:53:00.000-04:00

Very sad to hear of the passing of Dan Peek, singer/multi-instrumentalist/writer with the band America from 1970 until his departure in 1977. He wrote a number of hits for the group and continued to make music as a solo performer. Here he is, performing one of his many great tunes, "Lonely People". Peek was just 60 years old.

NASTY WEATHER

2011-07-18T22:54:00.003-04:00

MOTHER NATURE HATES ROCK FESTIVALS

Bluesfest has been a premier summer music event in Ottawa since the mid nineties. This year, the lineup was quite amazing, though I did not make it to any of the shows.

Until last night.

By chance, a good friend of mine asked if I would be interested in checking out Cheap Trick, who were one of several acts closing the festival this year. I have not seen these guys live since the late 80's ("The Flame" was a surprise return to the charts for them at that time).

I was in!

We had a couple of beer and were kindly given a lift down to the site. Arriving just before the band hit the main stage, we lined up for more beverages and found a spot just as the pre-recorded intro finished. They came out strong with "Hello There" and carried on with an unexpected "Tonight It's You".

So far so good.

About 15 minutes in, an ominous, dark shadow began to creep up behind the audience. People began to point skyward and take pictures of the advancing dark clouds.

Something wicked this way comes

Sensing a heavy downpour was imminent, many of the assembled now began to turn away from the stage, pack up and leave. My buddy told me to turn around and look at the trees in the background. The wind was bending them almost to the ground. Then the mains went dead, though the band still had a monitor mix. A flock of birds was blown out of their planned flight path, toward the stage as 120 kmph winds roared past. Cheap Trick downed tools, fled the stage and thirty seconds later, disaster struck.

The stage was lifted and toppled backward in a completely chaotic and surreal scene. We were stunned, though all of us agreed to calmly find a safe spot as hail, rain and debris pelted the crowd. It is astounding that no one was killed.

I have been to hundreds of shows. This is by far the strangest and most unsettling concert experience that I have ever had. We trooped away from the site as emergency vehicles screamed toward the scene. Hitting a pub after a trek in the rain, pints were hastily ordered and consumed as we tried to make sense of the weather bomb. Not quite the evening that any of us expected, though it will be memorable for all of the wrong reasons.

WESTERN NINJA

2011-07-12T21:38:00.001-04:00

Western Ninja has a mid-tempo, very catchy single called "Alone In the Crowd", available now. You can check it out and download the song right here

Using a combination of classic rock grit and modern-day hedonism Western Ninja celebrate the smashed party atmosphere and bring energetic hooks. Their debut album, See You in Hell,is now available at iTunes

HARRY NILSSON

2011-07-10T23:46:00.003-04:00

NILSSON SCHMILSSON

Before you even hear the first track from this truly excellent disc, your attention is drawn to the surreal, subversive sense of humor at work behind the album cover photo.

Is the shoot today? Man, I had a heavy night. Just take the picture and I'll start the coffee...

The guy in the bathrobe certainly didn't phone it in when it came to delivering his seventh record. Harry Nilsson was a gifted singer/songwriter who came to prominence in the late sixties. Astonishing vocal chops coupled with a touch with a tune won praise from both critics and his peers. Nilsson also had a knack for taking other peoples songs and deftly rearranging them as if they were his own. (If you can find it, the 1970 LP, Nilsson Sings Newman, is worth every penny that you'll spend to drag it home.)

Supporting players here are all top class session pros (Jim Gordon, Gary Wright, Jim Keltner, Herbie Flowers, Chris Spedding, Bobby Keys...the list goes on) with all of the layers blended perfectly under the direction of producer Richard Perry. The cast of brilliant musicians never overwhelm the artist, always playing in service of the songs.

Revealing a quick wit, the lyrics are whimsical ("Gotta Get Up"), clever ("Driving Along"), and esoteric ("The Moonbeam Song"). Embracing novelty, he also pulls off "Coconut", sung, straight-faced, by separate "characters" that are carefully voiced and overdubbed by Nilsson, who was also a deadly accurate mimic. Caribbean breezes blow gently through the track, adding a touch of the islands.

Curiously, he was not moved to take his act on the road. While he didn't do proper tours, he did acquiesce to participating in filmed TV performances. The sheer melodic strength of "Gotta Get Up" is evidenced by his ability to sell the tune as a solo piano vehicle in this clip.

Conversational marker: "Without You" is a shining example of Nilsson's aforementioned talent for not simply covering material but breathing new life into it. Written by Pete Ham and Tom Evans of Badfinger, the song had built in pathos to begin with. Harry sang the shit out it, aided and abetted by very tasteful orchestration arranged by Paul Buckmaster. Personally, I believe that he wrenched untapped levels of emotion from this ballad, though his reading is entirely convincing and never strays into schlocky territory. The original version is staid by comparison. You believe that this man is on the precipice when he perfectly hits those high notes, confessing an inability to continue on without the love of his life.

Small wonder that it was such a monumental hit when released as a single, earning him his second Grammy award.

Therein lies his genius, as this was but one facet of his musical personality. "Early In the Morning" is yet another side of the coin, with as soulful a vocal as a white male could achieve. Minimalist masterpiece best describes this rendition as Harry ends up owning another cover, accompanying himself on keyboards. The stark arrangement is completely carried by his voice.

As a Beatle obsessed kid, I discovered his music through reading about the all important endorsement they had given him in 1968. The hard-partying exploits with John Lennon in the mid-seventies and the album they made together (Pussycats) was another point of reference. That aside, I'm glad to have made the connection as his brilliance has been overlooked with the passage of time. Since his passing in 1994, his profile has remained low in terms of how his catalog has been marketed. This is a pity as much of his output was quite good.

Easily the best place to start with this gifted man's body of work, Nilsson Schmilsson showcases all of Nilsson's strengths, nicely beveled, with not a wasted note to be found.

It's never too late to find out why people were wild about Harry. Here's the trailer for a 2006 documentary called "Who is Harry Nilsson? (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him)". It was released on DVD in the fall of 2010 and comes highly recommended.

RORY GALLAGHER

2011-07-08T22:31:00.001-04:00

NOTES FROM SAN FRANCISCO

One of the great mysteries in life is how one person can be blessed with copious amounts of talent and not be a superstar, while those who are comparatively lightweight in this respect become world famous. Such is the case with the late Rory Gallagher. His career trajectory aligned with rise to prominence of some of the greatest guitarists of the sixties (Hendrix, Clapton, Page and Beck) so it’s understandable that he may have been somewhat overshadowed in such company.

Musicians have long been singing his praises. He maintained a very devoted fan base who snapped up his recordings and went out of their way to see him shred in person. To the delight of his followers, a long buried treasure has been unearthed and made available recently. These fabled sessions began in 1977, with Rory set to record with producer Elliot Mazer. At the end of a year-long world tour, and without so much as a couple of days off in between, Gallagher and his solo band arrived at Mazer’s studio in San Francisco to begin work on the album which he hoped would capture some of the American musical spirit that he so admired.

Departing from his usual approach, Gallagher conceded to augmenting the core instruments with what would be, for him, surfeit layers of sound. He voiced his dissatisfaction with certain elements of the mix. His brother, Donal, takes it up from here:

“Rory wasn’t really happy with where the album was going. After Christmas, Rory and I returned to San Francisco to do another set of mixes. But remix after remix, there was something radically wrong, in Rory’s view. He just wasn’t happy. So by mid-January 1978, he decided he wasn’t going to go through with it.”

Mazer, no stranger to completing recording projects that would ultimately be shelved (Neil Young’s “Homegrown” LP) watched another one slip by.

Upon his decision that the disc would not be issued, Rory then broke up his band of five years and quickly turned his attention toward a new project. In 1992, he implied that this work would only see the light of day only if all of the tracks could be remixed.

Fast forward to 2011 and the release of “Notes From San Francisco”, which not only gives fans of the late guitar genius the “lost” album but also includes a second, live CD taken from four gigs in 1979 at San Francisco’s The Old Waldorf.

The verdict?

Far from being a collection of outtakes that have been rushed to the marketplace for a quick buck, this is a solid, cohesive set. All that was needed was a fresh set of ears to listen and undertake new mixes of the completed material. Gentle surprises come in the form of "Wheels Within Wheels", an acoustic based piece with very tasteful electric overlays and "Fuel to the Fire" which boasts a stunning solo. Elsewhere, he swings wildly with big overdubs that hit hard ("B Girl"), stinging boogie riffs ("Çruise On Out") and what amounts to a tougher edged Stones vibe (circa Exile on Main Street) complete with horns ("Rue the Day"). All are on target, while showcasing the nimble playing of his band.

As for the bonus live disc, expect no less than a masterclass in guitar technique, with devastatingly tight performances being the rule and not the exception.

This is one of the most satisfying "from the vault" releases that I have heard in a long time. If you are a fan of his work, this will not disappoint. Notes From San Francisco is also sure to attract new and willing converts to his existing army of admirers.

Check out more here

TRISTAN CLOPET

2011-06-12T21:21:00.001-04:00

NAME IT WHAT YOU WANT

Fusing the musical head and heart is always a delicate balancing act. Some artists overreach, straying too far into the intellectual ether, losing that precious connection with a wider listening audience.

Tristan Clopet's songwriting recipe perfectly combines clever subject matter with melodic hooks, making each note count and delivering something that can be universally enjoyed. Eclecticism is the key element that will bring you back to this disc for repeated spins. Lots of great chances are taken, exotic instruments employed, yet all remains focused and in context.

There is one attribute that separates this guy from many of his contemporaries:

His voice.

Expressive, capable of hitting soaring heights, though never deployed in a way that is over the top (unnecessary showing off, over-extending notes), Clopet's vocals need no assistance from the bland pitch-correction devices that are now so ubiquitous on the pop landscape. Influences can be detected, though he has synthesized them into a style that is his alone. Topping this, his skills as a writer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist are formidable.

There are so many high points in the ten songs that comprise Name it What You Want, that it is tough to pick just one or two. "A Summer in Sussex" kicks off the album in an uptempo fashion with scatter-shot, slightly stream of conscious wordplay, shifting gears toward the finish. The one-two punch in sequencing lands the brilliant "A Chat With My Brain" next, which was a wise choice for the taster single that preceded this set.

The intro alone to "Toutes Directions" is enough to make you want to hand over a vital organ just to claim part ownership of its construction. Don't let that stop you from enjoying the rest of it, though. Tight, funky guitar riffs intermingle with an inventive piano part that will echo in your head for days.

All before the first verse even begins.

Instances of interesting arranging tricks abound, there's a particularly inspired break that uses a rush of strings in "An Introduction...To Forward Thinking" which seamlessly flows into the guitar solo. These nuances serve to enhance the listening experience. One of the most ambitious pieces found here is the closer, "The 4:45 Through Remembrance". Threading several ideas through a very haunting four minutes of music, this stunner comes across with the swagger of a mini-epic, complete with atmospheric vibraphone and a fluent, classical piano flourish midway through.

"Ladies and gents, we've reached our final destination."

This is very mature work, mixing introspection with exuberance. All ten tracks are stellar. Worthy of note: It's very exciting to hear a new artist with a vision for their output that supersedes the notion that it's merely empty "product" to be consumed and tossed aside. The praise which I have heaped upon this record may seem over-effusive- until you listen to it. Every superlative is well deserved. This is music that you'll be able to enjoy today, twenty years on and beyond. Name It What You Want? Brilliant Debut.

Right now, Tristan Clopet and his band are touring, spreading the word and bringing these songs to life on stage. You can find out where he's heading next right here

Masterfully produced by Raymond Richards, Name It What You Want is available now

THIS TIME

2011-06-07T21:47:00.001-04:00

Every dream has a soundtrack...

With soaring, extraordinary music, THIS TIME takes you from the streets of South Central Los Angeles to New York’s Park Avenue on a unique musical journey in this uplifting story. The musicians are legendary recording artists, The Sweet Inspirations

Myrna Smith, Estelle Brown and Portia Griffin

Somewhere in the world, The Sweet Inspirations are being played on the radio at this very moment. The Sweets were background session singers on dozens and dozens of hit records and albums, including among others: “A Natural Woman”, “Spanish Harlem”, “Chain Of Fools”, “Don’t Play That Song” (Aretha Franklin), “Moondance” (Van Morrison), “Do You Know the Way to San Jose?”, “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again”, “Alfie”, “I Say a Little Prayer”, “Don’t Make Me Over” (Dionne Warwick), “Son Of A Preacher Man” (Dusty Springfield), as well as singing with Jimi Hendrix, Nina Simone, The Drifters, Wilson Pickett, Luther Vandross and backing-up Elvis Presley in concert and recordings throughout the last eight years of his life. Perhaps the most famous back-up group in history, The Sweet Inspirations were also solo artists with seven albums on Atlantic, Stax and RSO Records from 1967 – 79. Originally from Newark, New Jersey and members of the New Hope Baptist Church, Cissy Houston (mother of Whitney Houston, and aunt of Dee Dee Warwick and Dionne Warwick) was the first member of The Sweets. Sylvia Shemwell then joined the group and the girls quickly found their way onto records with the likes of Wilson Pickett, Garnet Mimms and Aretha Franklin, who was then struggling to make a name at Columbia Records. In 1965, Myrna Smith (also from New Hope Baptist Church) and Estelle Brown (from Harlem) came in to form the line-up most remembered today. In late 1969 the group underwent some radical changes. Cissy Houston left the group in order to pursue a solo career. After the death of Elvis, The Sweet Inspirations recorded one more album on the RSO label in 1979, then retiring for a period before re-emerging in 1994 to perform worldwide in Elvis Presley tribute concerts including “Elvis - The Concert”. In 1996, Portia Griffin joined the group as lead singer and in 2002 they began recording a new album, IN THE RIGHT PLACE, with producer / composer Peitor Angell on Frixion Records, as documented in THIS TIME. Their first single off the album, “Celebration” reached #32 on the Billboard Club Chart.

AMERICA

2011-05-29T12:05:00.006-04:00

HOMECOMING

The early 70s brought softer sounds to the airwaves. Crosby, Stills & Nash, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young and a host of other singers armed with acoustic guitars provided a mellow landing pad for many listeners. When CSNY imploded in a tangle of ego, substance abuse and solo efforts, America took up their sonic blueprint. Moving forward with great melodies, three part harmonies from heaven and a memorable first single ("Horse With No Name") Bunnell, Beckley and Peek arrived at number one right out of the gate.

Still in the afterglow of their successful debut, they set to work to prove that they were not one-hit, Neil Young clones. Riding that momentum, their sophomore disc was issued in late 1972 delivering ten pop confections that expanded upon the sound of this often underrated trio.

Homecoming opens with one of their best ever offerings. That silky, harmonized acoustic riff announcing "Ventura Highway" is signature and high marks are awarded for the arrangement. The tight vocal blend caps a very impressive tune, courtesy of Dewey Bunnell.

Taken as a whole, this disc is a chocolate sundae with all of the trimmings. All ten songs have something special that pull the listener in. The ones that really stand out for me are "Cornwall Blank" and "California Revisited", which both feature extended instrumental passages in their outros and serve to illustrate that Bunnell and Peek took their compositions in oblique, yet engaging, directions.

Beckley, on the other hand, seems content with being the Paul McCartney of the group, bringing great pop sensibility to his offerings of which the highlights are "To Each His Own" and "Only In Your Heart". Melodic, piano driven and pretty easy on the ears, these songs would garner a fair amount of airplay.

Augmenting the trio were a number of studio pros, most notably Hal Blaine on drums who was part of the famed "Wrecking Crew". They played on many of the sessions that produced countless hits in the 1960's. Impeccable playing on everyone's part brings additional strength to the record, which also boasts high production values.

Objections remain in the fact that, with some exceptions, their lyrics were not always that strong (case in point being "Til the Sun Comes Up Again"). America also took some stick for sounding like CSN (and sometimes Y) junior. That aside, the group counters such criticism on Homecoming by delivering a consistently satisfying set of songs. It stands up well today on the basis of inventive musical motifs and peerless vocal harmonies. Music that conjures up images of a sunny afternoon, cooler full of beer and no commitments, it is quite possibly the best album that they ever made.

JON ANDERSON

2011-05-23T11:31:00.000-04:00

The new CD 'Survival & Other Stories' by legendary vocalist/writer Jon Anderson features eleven songs that chronicle love, life, understanding, healing and survival.

One of the most recognizable voices in music, Anderson, best known for his work with Yes, Vangelis, Kitaro and other notable music artists, is preparing to release one of the most highly anticipated albums of the year, 'Survival & Other Stories'. Jon's new CD has an inspirational message for all who will listen.

“About four years ago I just put in an ad on my website: 'Musicians Wanted'... This is the result. Writing the songs for 'Survival & Other Stories' was uplifting for me on many levels. I was working with musicians from around the world via the internet. It's a new world and music is a healing energy. I had a tough 2008, due to illness and the music that I've been writing since is a celebration of life on many levels...I hope you get the chance to hear the album..Big Love..Jon."

Survival & Other Stories' is the first of three planned releases from the artist over the next two years.

Jon recently completed a successful east coast tour of the US, “An Acoustic Evening With Jon Anderson”, showcasing an exciting mixture of material from his solo career, collaborations with Vangelis and classic Yes songs, along with compositions from his new CD 'Survival & Other Stories'. Jon will be performing select shows throughout this summer in the US and Canada. For tour dates visit here

Jon Anderson 'Survival & Other Stories' available soon through Voiceprint Records.

KING CRIMSON

2011-05-18T21:33:00.002-04:00

RED

Straddling a line between beguiling creations ("Fallen Angel", "One More Red Nightmare") and frustrating noodling ("Providence"), Red still comes across as an astonishing slab of progressive rock. Futuristic, impeccable figures are drawn from guitarist Robert Fripp's capable hands, with John Wetton and Bill Bruford contributing very busy and inspired foundation work.

Opening with the powerful instrumental title track, the trio clearly relish the opportunity to play games with time signatures in support of Fripp's ambitous lines. Dark synth sweeps creep in toward the three minute mark, interpolating with the ever inventive guitar work as the rhythm section disappears. Much like an ominous, passing cloud burst, this gives way for the full band to take up the theme all the way to its glorious finish.

Timeless

Wetton's vocals hit the spot on all three tracks that showcase them. Bill Bruford brings his usual percussive brilliance to the proceedings, with a great anticipation for playing the spaces in between the notes. His tasteful approach generously allows the others to stretch out, though he reminds the listener that he's one of the best in the business when opportunities to dazzle present themselves.

Ghostly mellotron (courtesy of Fripp) announces "Starless", which is quite engaging for it's length. Free form, jazzy sections mingle with dreamier interludes with the marriage being an extremely successful one. Not a note is wasted as Mel Collins goes for improvisational gold on sax.

Violinist David Cross excels.

Apart from the aforementioned "Providence", everything else is on target here. Armchair rock critic Kurt Cobain thought this disc to be one of the best of all time. Employing string and wind instruments in very clever arrangements also brings an array of sonic surprises to the table, adding a majestic air to some tracks. It certainly comes off as an offering outside (and slightly ahead) of it's time.

Fripp walked away from King Crimson before the release of Red in the fall of 1974 and no supporting tour was undertaken. Outside of a live disc (USA) that was issued in 1975, there was no further band activity until 1981.

RORY GALLAGHER

2011-05-13T20:30:00.000-04:00

LOST RORY GALLAGHER STUDIO ALBUM FROM 1978 TO FINALLY BE RELEASED!

Notes From San Francisco, To Land May 17 Via Eagle Rock Entertainment

~Lavish Package Includes Never-Before-Released 1979 Concert!~

The story goes that Jimi Hendrix was once asked what it was like to be the greatest guitarist in the world, to which he replied, “I don’t know, go ask Rory Gallagher!”

Rory Gallagher (1948-1995) is simply one of the all-time guitar greats. Slash, The Edge, Brian May, Johnny Marr, Janick Gers, Ritchie Blackmore, Glenn Tipton and Vivian Campbell have all said it. Since practically inventing the Power Trio format in Taste (both Cream and Taste debuted in 1966), Gallagher’s music has stood the test of time and he’s as popular now as he ever was, his influence gargantuan.

The story of Rory’s lost San Francisco album actually starts in Japan. In November 1977, after a grueling six-month world tour, the band flew straight from their last show in Japan to San Francisco to begin working on a new album with famed American producer Elliot Mazer (who worked on Neil Young’s Harvest, Big Brother & The Holding Company’s Cheap Thrills and The Band’s The Last Waltz). Mazer recalls the sessions grew “tense,” as Gallagher thought the mixing process “too complicated.” By the end of January 1978, he had shelved the whole record and broke up his band of the past five years.

Fast forward to 2011 when Rory’s brother/manager Donal allowed his son Daniel to recover the album from the Gallagher archive and begin the process of mixing it with his engineer. Rory said in 1992 he hoped the album would surface one day but only if it were remixed. Bingo. Hearing this historic never-before-issued studio album from a key period of Gallagher’s career (the album that would have been released between Calling Card and Photo Finish) is the Holy Grail for Rory’s fans.

CD #2 is another fabulous discovery: a blistering live album taken from four December nights in 1979 at San Francisco’s The Old Waldorf. In the audience Van Morrison, on stage Rory Gallagher (guitar/vocals), Gerry McAvoy (bass) and Ted McKenna (drums). Daniel Gallagher chose to add the live side to highlight why Rory chose to shelve the studio album and reduce his band back down to a three-piece. Rory, after seeing The Sex Pistols at Winterland during final mixes for his own album, was struck by the stark drama and blunt primitivism of pure punk. “It was as close to Eddie Cochran as you’re going to get,'' he enthused. He had been saying that he wanted to get back to what he called “meat’n’potato rock’n’roll,” a stripped-back primal raw immediacy hearkening back to his Taste days.

A street has been named after him in Paris; a corner in Dublin; a statue in his Ballyshannon birthplace, where The International Rory Gallagher Tribute Festival is held. There’s a Rory Gallagher Place and Rory Gallagher Music Library in Cork. Annual tributes are held in Germany and Japan. The man has sold in excess of 20 million albums. Notes From San Francisco [MSRP $17.98] will be a worthy addition to his canon.

Stay tuned for a full review of this upcoming release.

Track Listing:

CD1
1. Rue The Day
2. Persuasion
3. B Girl
4. Mississippi Sheiks
5. Wheels Within Wheels
6. Overnight Bag
7. Cruise On Out
8. Brute Force & Ignorance
9. Fuel To The Fire

BONUS TRACKS
10. Wheels Within Wheels (Alt version)
11. Cut A Dash
12. Out On The Tiles

CD2
1. Follow Me
2. Shinkicker
3. Off The Handle
4. Bought And Sold
5. I’m Leavin’
6. Tattoo’d Lady
7. Do You Read Me
8. Country Mile
9. Calling Card
10. Shadow Play
11. Bullfrog Blues
12. Sea Cruise

RESEARCH TURTLES

2011-05-08T13:51:00.001-04:00

MANKILLER

Research Turtles are cause for rejoicing. This gladdening of the heart will begin as the intro to "Bugs In a Jar" makes its way through your Eustachian tube, striking the sweet spot in the higher level center of your brain. The opening instrumental hook, stylistically reminiscent of early Cars, runs quickly into an effective verse, culminating in a devastating chorus.

The best part? You may download this brilliant taster single for free right here

Recorded in a fitful week, the material is top shelf, melodic rock. In fact, these industrious lads nailed down all five tunes in five days.

Funf is English five

Spontaneity, energy, great musicianship and an ear for engaging songwriting will help put these guys at the top of everyone's playlist. One of the great pleasures in my life, aided and abetted by this blog, is finding up and coming bands that exceed expectations in every way possible. Research Turtles will reaffirm your belief in the power of tightly played rock and roll, delivered with a contemporary feel.

"You Are So" and "Mankiller", to borrow a phrase from the late Wesley Willis, both whip a penguin's ass. The EP, which is their second release, is available for public consumption on May 31st. Check out their website for details on purchasing their discs.

Caught in the act

Part two of Mankiller is coming out in September of this year.

NOT TO BE TAKEN AWAY

2011-04-16T18:22:00.002-04:00

WHO ARE YOU

In the interregnum between The Who By Numbers and the release of Who Are You, popular music trended toward lightweight, inconsequential fare programmed for the dance floor. With disco hijacking much of the precious needle-time that radio programmers had to spare, "Rock" began to morph into a soft shadow of its former self, complete with a complacent spare tire around the middle and nothing new on offer.

Safe, corporate-sponsored sludge coated the airwaves, though there was a movement in music that began to bubble up between the cracks that brought a different type of energy to the table.

Punk

Bashing away on their instruments, howling, cursing and spitting in the face of the mainstream, the messages of punk ranged from being overtly political in nature to downright blackly humorous and vulgar. Raw, sweaty and primitive rock 'n' roll was back, with a do-it-yourself attitude that excluded no one. These snotty young upstarts didn't give a fuck and had nothing to lose.

This made quite an impression on Pete Townshend.

In my imagination, I invented punk rock a thousand times...I'm sure that I invented it, yet it has left me behind. If anything was ever a refutation of time, my constant self-inflicted adolescence must be...I prayed for it, and yet it's too late for me to truly participate. I feel like an engineer. Just let me...watch.

Who Are You (the LP) had absolutely nothing to do with punk, though the arrival of this wonderful noise served to free Pete from his obsession with having to single-handedly, fly the flag of rock and roll. Seeing that these kids were more than just alright, Townshend looked to them to deliver the angst and explosions from stage. Something different was in order for The Who. His demo work in preparation for the sessions took up the synthesizer experiments that he had been working with during the early 70s. New ideas in hand, it was time to pull his band mates together to work them out in the studio.

One small detail remained: Townshend was not up for playing live or touring around this project. Annoyed, Roger and John were not on board with this. The fourth member in this equation could not have possibly hit the road in the shape that he was in. Since their last tour had ended in the fall of '76, Keith had fallen into a very ugly spiral of drink and substance abuse. Directionless without any group activity, his bad behavior continued unchecked. Not surprisingly, this took a heavy toll on his health and skills as a musician.

Reconvening after a long layoff, the challenge ahead was to tackle the new material. Stylistically, these compositions were miles away from what had come before. Tricky time signatures, jazz-like chord progressions and layered arrangements would amount to the most "Un-Who like" record they had ever made.

"New Song" announces the change in the works immediately. Message-wise, Pete reminds listeners of why he is shuffling the deck:

I write the same old song with a few new lines
And everybody wants to cheer it
I write the same old song you heard a good few times
Admit you really want to hear it

Dismissing out of hand the robotic thump so ubiquitous at that time, "Sister Disco" is saved by an inventive arrangement and Entwistle's lightning quick fingers. John contributes three of the nine tunes found here, going the extra mile with his performance on 8 string bass for "Trick of the Light", which is so forceful that it almost precludes the inclusion of another guitar. Both he and Townshend were featured on bass when they performed it live on the '79 tour, prefiguring (perhaps the inspiration for) Spinal Tap's jokey "Big Bottom".

Roger really takes hold of these songs, putting a snarly edge on the Gilbert and Sullivanesque "Guitar and Pen". His passionate delivery on "Music Must Change" also further elevates the piece, decorated by Townshend's jazz fingering. Moon could not get his head around the 6/8 time required here and his performance was excised from the final mix. Struggling to regain his touch, Keith was a shadow of his former self behind the kit. Glyn Johns struggled with this, at one point removing all of the drummer's cymbals so that he would not saturate the takes by riding them constantly. In the final stages, it was clear that Moon would soon be dropped from the band as he simply could not function. Tensions were high between Johns and Daltrey as the producer tried to push the singer toward a different way of phrasing. Glyn left the completion of the project in the hands of his assistant, Jon Astley, claiming a work commitment with Joan Armatrading. It was very likely that the atmosphere during the sessions left a bad taste.

Conceding to those fans that yearned for the expected from the Who, "Who Are You" closes with six minutes of the old "strum and drang". The lyric was derived from an infamous encounter that Pete had with Steve Jones and Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols. Mistaking one of them for Johnny Rotten, he cornered them, ranting about the state of music, drunk on only a couple of shots of whiskey. Having just come out of the last round of legal proceedings against the Who's former managers with a very sizable royalty cheque in his pocket, he ripped it up and spat upon it during his tirade. Exiting the bar, he slumped in a nearby doorway and passed out. Rudely prodded awake by a policeman's baton, Townshend was given the option to get up and stumble home to bed or be brought to jail.

Sound familiar?

It's a shame that some folks only know this due to a mediocre television series. On the up side, if it inspires people to check out the rest of their catalog, then all the better.

Who Are You was well received, though its merits were overshadowed by the death of Keith Moon just weeks after it had hit the shelves. This is where the Who legend ends for me. He was their resident pranskster, heart and soul and percussive genius who powered the band's music with a style unlike anyone before him. Seemingly indestructible, he burned very brightly for a short time before flaming out.

Following his passing, they soldiered on for a few more years, though they lacked the unpredictable energy that he brought. In short, they were more of a pop band which the post-Moon efforts (Face Dances and It's Hard) bear out upon repeated spins.

Numerous farewell and "hello again!" tours have been undertaken over the last thirty years, much to the detriment of their legacy. Despite this, it is their output from the 60s and 70s which continues to win new converts.

DEEPSEAGREEN

2011-04-10T22:36:00.001-04:00

VALSORDA

Keeping the flames from the hard rock temple, UK based DeepSeaGreen are unleashing Valsorda, an EP that features six weighty slabs of uncompromisingly heavy, original music. Coming just over a year after their self-titled debut, the band put down these tracks over a few days in Northern Italy in March 2011. Translating the excitement of live playing in a studio environment is generally a tall order, though they pull it off successfully with electricity crackling from every pore of the disc.

Brothers Jon and Daniel Jefford with Trent Halliday and Marco Menestrina have been honing their chops since 2008. Tight and precise, they steer each of these blues/rock workouts expertly, at times shifting gears in the manner of early Sabbath.

Highlights are "Soul, Stray Cats and the Cosmos" which boasts fantastic, multi-part riffs and the groovy closer, "Small Stones", though everything they do here is more than engaging. The key is that they have taken a refreshing approach to recording, which is to simply plug in, set up and put the songs across. Having taken the time to plan the arrangements and rehearse beforehand, they hit the studio floor running, capturing the energy in every take.

Good things come to those who rock.

Vaslorda is as close to fine as it gets. Check it out for yourself here

TRISTAN CLOPET-A CHAT WITH MY BRAIN

2011-04-05T20:05:00.000-04:00

Tristan Clopet has just released "A Chat With My Brain", a taster single from his first full length disc (Name It What You Want) due out on May 31st.

Setting the bar quite high, this killer track combines a powerful hook with high-flying vocals, all masterfully blended by producer Raymond Richards.

Check out the video and be sure to purchase the song on iTunes

Crank it up and pass it on!

SONGS FOR JAPAN

2011-03-26T13:20:00.000-04:00

SONGS FOR JAPAN

Help spread the word regarding this generous effort.

"Songs for Japan" Album on iTunes to Benefit Japan Disaster Relief

Proceeds from Star-Studded Album to Support Disaster Relief Efforts of Japanese Red Cross.

NEW YORK, March 25, 2011 -- In what stands as a major global music relief effort to benefit those affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, over 30 of the biggest names in contemporary music have joined together for the worldwide release of "Songs for Japan," an unprecedented compilation of 38 chart-topping hits and classic tracks, available worldwide on the iTunes Store for $9.99 starting today (www.itunes.com/songsforjapan). Proceeds from the album's sale will benefit the disaster relief efforts of the Japanese Red Cross Society.

The "Songs for Japan" track listing features an all-star lineup:
1. John Lennon "Imagine" (Remastered)
2. U2 "Walk On" (Radio Edit)
3. Bob Dylan "Shelter From The Storm"
4. Red Hot Chili Peppers "Around The World" (Live)
5. Lady Gaga "Born This Way" (Starsmith Remix)
6. Beyonce "Irreplaceable"
7. Bruno Mars "Talking To The Moon" (Acoustic Piano Version)
8. Katy Perry "Firework"
9. Rihanna "Only Girl (In The World)"
10. Justin Timberlake "Like I Love You"
11. Madonna "Miles Away" (Live)
12. David Guetta "When Love Takes Over" (feat. Kelly Rowland)
13. Eminem "Love The Way You Lie" (feat. Rihanna) [Clean Version}
14. Bruce Springsteen "Human Touch"
15. Josh Groban "Awake" (Live)
16. Keith Urban "Better Life"
17. Black Eyed Peas "One Tribe"
18. Pink "Sober"
19. Cee Lo Green "It's Ok"
20. Lady Antebellum "I Run To You"
21. Bon Jovi "What Do You Got?"
22. Foo Fighters "My Hero"
23. R.E.M. "Man On The Moon"
24. Nicki Minaj "Save Me" (Clean Version)
25. Sade "By Your Side"
26. Michael Buble "Hold On" (Radio Mix)
27. Justin Bieber "Pray" (Acoustic)
28. Adele "Make You Feel My Love"
29. Enya "If I Could Be Where You Are"
30. Elton John "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me"
31. John Mayer "Waiting On The World To Change"
32. Queen "Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)" [Remastered]
33. Kings Of Leon "Use Somebody"
34. Sting "Fragile" (Live In Berlin)
35. Leona Lewis "Better In Time"
36. Ne-Yo "One In A Million"
37. Shakira "Whenever, Wherever"
38. Norah Jones "Sunrise"

Proceeds from "Songs for Japan" will be directed to the Japanese Red Cross Society (JRCS) to support its disaster relief efforts. The society will use the funds for the ongoing provision of immediate relief and for eventual recovery support to the affected population. The artists participating on "Songs for Japan," the music labels and music publishers have waived their royalties and proceeds from the worldwide sales of the album to ensure that the JRCS receives as much support as possible from this global initiative. iTunes will also donate its proceeds from the album's worldwide sales to the benefit of the JRCS, and has prominently featured the project throughout its stores worldwide.

THE NUMBERS GAME

2011-03-05T13:16:00.000-05:00

THE WHO BY NUMBERS

Self-referential almost to a fault, the songs that Pete Townshend submitted for approval on "By Numbers" are tough to listen to. Keith Moon was upset to the point that he cried upon hearing the demos. True artistic ambition is realized when the soul of its creator is revealed. Here, every nerve is exposed.

Brutally honest expression wasn't exactly new to the rock scene. John Lennon's "Plastic Ono Band" and Joni Mitchell's "Blue" are works that painted pain in technicolor. This album has always been unfairly relegated to cut-out bin status in the Who catalog. It mines the same territory as the aforementioned LPs and is no less brilliant. That being said, it does not measure up to the grandeur of the work that came before.

What happens to the man who writes about dying before he gets old when he lives to tell the rest of the story?

1975 saw the creative force behind The Who turn thirty. Still a young man, though "old" for the position he held. Pete had driven himself relentlessly to push rock in a cerebral direction, without losing its power. Peering into his future, he came to realize that he could not continue to pour his heart and soul into leaping around the stage and playing the old favorites. Would he rest easy in this deceit?

Not a chance.

Self-loathing rears its head as the author refers to himself as a "faker", "a paper clown" in one instance and questions the validity of all his relationships elsewhere.
There is no mistaking titles like "However Much I Booze" and "How Many Friends" for happy, upbeat (brainless) music. Genius coming to grips with burning out under the weight of expectation is more like it.

Called his "suicide note" by the rock press at the time, "By Numbers" actually reflects the early onset of mid life crisis, though that in itself is no less serious. Disillusion even spills over into Entwistle's lone contribution, the excellent, but sarcasm-laced, "Success Story". Only the filthy silliness of "Squeeze Box" manages to break through the gloom.

Musicianship is of the usual high standard that the band had long set for themselves. Entwistle and Moon turn in exceptional performances while Daltrey convincingly conveys the emotion behind each lyric. His interpretive skills were often overshadowed by the blast wave that the other three created when playing live.

"Slip Kid" is the highlight.

Heartbreaking, given the context, is the Pete-on-ukulele "Blue, Red and Grey".

Glyn Johns produces, bringing the same clarity that made "Who's Next" such a devastating record., though the overall mood of the work is desultory. It still deserves your attention, standing as a pretty brave statement of insecurity from a candid artist, leading one of the most thrilling rock bands of all time.

Playing more like a Townshend solo disc, which is how this should really have been issued, there is a sharp 180 degree turn away from any attempt to create another long form piece. In the grips of a depressive episode, it would have been impossible for Pete to expend the type of energy required to power another monumental spectacular. Quadrophenia had proven to be his last big blast with The Who. Now, he would come around to the thinking of his band mates and settle into touring as a professional entertainer, without the weight of taking "Rock" to yet another level of expression. The band roared through the 75/76 shows, their playing on par with the intensity they had brought to the stage five years earlier. This period would, sadly, herald the final chapter of Keith Moon era Who.

Houston TX, first night of the US leg of the '75 tour.

FOUR FACES

2011-02-26T22:58:00.002-05:00

QUADROPHENIA

I have to be careful not to breach/I can't pretend that I can teach/ And yet I've lived your future out by pounding stages like a clown

Peter Townshend, rock's most tireless supporter, had long been telling anyone within earshot that the music had to continuously evolve and challenge listeners. By 1973, there were a number of ambitious projects undertaken by artists of that era, though he walked the talk in delivering this two disc masterwork.

Quadrophenia is without equal in the entire Who catalog.

Consistent in its excitement factor, the music burns with incredible intensity ("The Real Me", "The Punk and the Godfather" "5:15", "Drowned"). The backdrop to Townshend's subject matter (the Mod movement) isn't exactly universal, though the emotions evoked by each piece certainly are. Far more successful than Tommy in framing a linear storyline which has a proper resolution, Quadrophenia also manages to retain an element of open-ended wonder with respect to its protagonist's future.

Claiming that he did most of the guitar work late at night, while "pissed out of his brain", Pete nonetheless complimented his tunes with top-notch lines. Roger turned in a number of heartfelt vocal performances that are right on target, Entwistle wrote out and dubbed on ovwer 50 horn parts while contributing absolutely jaw-dropping basslines and Keith was in great form, though not quite his usual exceptional self. Moon's substance abuse had begun to erode his prodigious skills around this time. Publicly, he seemed to be indestructible, but his antics masked some very deep seated problems that would soon turn into very real headaches for the band and its management.

Ultimately, the theme involving Jimmy being a "Mod" is transcended by the fact that he is a misfit, who is gripped by the same self doubt and insecurity that extends its shadow over every human being at one time or another. Through the course of the album, his character is at odds with his parents, mates, co-workers and girlfriend. He goes to Brighton, a Who concert, battles rockers, scores pills, seeks and loses women, gets a job and loses that and contemplates the past, suicide and finally has the epiphany (through the employment of that trusty, age-old literary device: the cleansing power of water) that he will carry on.

This, of course, is mightily condensing the mad rush of images that are conveyed by the songs presented here. The prospective listener has to take up the liner notes, immerse themselves in the plot and find their own signposts to guide them.

Your engagement and full attention are required. What you will glean from the grooves of this disc is entirely subjective. For me, the music itself remains as the key driver to pulling a rush of different emotions to the surface whenever I play this record. There is a degree of solipsism involved in that last statement that could take this essay in a very dangerous direction. "Is It In My Head?" indeed. Suffice to say that Jimmy's inner struggles are expressed through a series of events that make perfect sense to him. Left unchecked, this character's behavior could have been written to take a mental trajectory that would be tough for anyone to follow. Townshend chose a path for Jimmy that was far easier to digest. Feeling misunderstood or out of sync with other human beings is something that many can relate to and it is by virtue of this fact that Quadrophenia escapes the gravity of inscrutability.

Townshend worked to ensure that the four shades of Jimmy Cooper were assigned to each band member, though no real room is created for them to take up different roles, the exception being Keith's vocal turn in "Bell Boy".

So you have the following:

* A tough guy, a helpless dancer. ("Helpless Dancer" - Roger Daltrey)
* A romantic, is it me for a moment? ("Is It Me?" - John Entwistle)
* A bloody lunatic, I'll even carry your bags. ("Bell Boy" - Keith Moon)
* A beggar, a hypocrite, love reign o'er me. ("Love Reign O'er Me" - Pete Townshend)

Beautifully crafted and executed, Pete himself described Quadrophenia aptly:

"The music is the best music that I've ever written, I think, and it's the best album that I will ever write."

No argument with that here.

If you have never encountered this record before now, here is a song by song synopsis of the story taken from an online post:

* "I Am the Sea/The Real Me" – The opera opens with Jimmy Cooper's introduction with his four personalities. The listener then gets a quick look at his visits to a psychiatrist, his mother and even the local vicar. Mental security is unfortunately not obtained by the protagonist.
* "Quadrophenia/Cut My Hair" – Jimmy recalls an argument with his parents that culminated in his leaving home. We also hear a news broadcast mentioning riots in Brighton between the Mods and the Rockers, events at which he was present the previous week.
* "The Punk and the Godfather" – Jimmy goes to a rock concert (Supposedly The Who themselves). He queues up, pays his money and then decides he is going to see the band backstage as they come out the stage door. Sadly, the group is rude to him. He realises that there is nothing really happening in rock and roll; it is just another thing in his life that has let him down.
* "I'm One" – Jimmy contemplates how he has not really got much going for him, but at least he has the Mod lifestyle.
* "The Dirty Jobs" – Suitably disenchanted with his former "religion", he gets a job as a dustman. Unfortunately, his extremely left-wing views are not appreciated by his workmates and he is forced to pass on to greater things.
* "Helpless Dancer/Is It in My Head?" – The listener gets a real look at where Jimmy's aggression comes from, as he switches into one of his multiple personalities (The Tough Guy). Jimmy has a conscience that bites fairly deep. His frustration with the world only makes him angrier than he already is. The listener sees that he also possesses self-doubt; he worries about his own part, and feels that his outlook is clouded by pessimism.
* "I've Had Enough" – Jimmy finally snaps when he sees the girl he likes with one of his friends. In a desperately self-destructive state, he smashes up his scooter and decides to go to Brighton where he had such a good time with his friends chasing Rockers the week before (as recited through the news broadcast earlier in the story).
* "5.15" – This song recites Jimmy's train journey down to Brighton, sandwiched between two city gents and notable for the rather absurd number of amphetamines he consumes in order to pass the time. He goes through a not entirely pleasant series of ups and downs as he contemplates the gaudier side of life as a teenager.
* "Sea and Sand/Drowned" – Arriving at Brighton, Jimmy's mood heightens. He talks about the rows at home and is a little sarcastic as he recalls the evening on the beach with his former girlfriend. The Mod scene is already falling apart and all he can do is stay in Brighton just to remember the days when the Mods came to Brighton; it was only three weeks ago, but he is already living in the past. It is here that Jimmy contemplates killing himself by drowning in the water.
* "Bell Boy" – He meets a former Ace Face who now holds the position as a bell boy at the very hotel the Mods tore up. He looks on Jimmy with a mixture of pity and contempt. The two argue, as Jimmy feels the Ace Face has "sold out". Jimmy is now feeling that everything—even the Mod lifestyle—has let him down.
* "Doctor Jimmy" – Jimmy begins to damage himself so badly on drugs and alcohol that he gets to the point where he is so desperate that he will take a closer look at himself. This part of the story shows the lunatic within him. The chorus line "Doctor Jimmy and Mr. Jim" is an ambiguous reference to "Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", which closely links to the multiple personality theme running through the story.
* "The Rock/Love, Reign O'er Me" – Jimmy steals a boat and takes it to a rock in the middle of the sea. Here, when he comes down off his high, he finds the boat has drifted away and that he is now stranded, alone and forgotten. As a storm rages around him, Jimmy has an epiphany. After all the different people he has been, he finally knows for sure who he is: himself.

Taking the album to the stage proved to be difficult. The Who failed to gel on the tour to support Quadrophenia, with considerable technical obstacles that presented themselves from the first dates. It would also be the last truly classic Who effort of the 1970s.

TEN LOVE SONGS?

2011-01-30T22:57:00.004-05:00

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, many hopeless romantics are combing store shelves for a stuffed bear emblazoned with a heart or making reservations for the perfect night out.

Setting the atmosphere with the rightsoundtrack is a key ingredient.

Love, exciting and new! Come aboard, we're expecting you...

For some folks, the very idea of choosing a top ten list of favorite love songs is likely to conjure up sickly images of couples in matching sweaters, eyes locked, while listening to Air Supply.

It doesn't have to be this way.

Love is far more complex than this. Don't be fooled by the bubblegum version that has automatically written thousands of songs so horrific that even the worst hack at the Hallmark corporation wouldn't admit to penning them.

The following ten examples are "love songs" with a twist.

1) In My Life (Rubber Soul LP-1965)- What more can be said about this gem? The lyrics have their feet planted in both the past and present. Lennon deftly assumes the role of a person taking stock of those "people and places" that were dear to him, while also taking care to remind his present partner of her place at the top of the list. Clever and concise, without straying into maudlin territory.

2) For No One (Revolver LP-1966)-One of the most vivid portraits of love's "end game" ever committed to tape. The passion long departed, much imagery is conjured of two people with nothing left to say. One of McCartney's finest constructions, with nary a word wasted. It was a long journey from Love Me Do.

3) Waterloo Sunset (Something Else By the Kinks LP-1967)- Terry and Julie meet at Waterloo Station every Friday night, pass over a bridge across the Thames and the narrator reflects upon the couple with a lovely series of images. Pure poetry that has aged beautifully.

4) Days (Single release, 1968)- Set to a fetching melody, this is a song aimed at a departed lover without a tinge of regret. They don't come much better than this. Note that the word love does not appear in either of these tunes, further testament to the genius of Ray Davies, at the peak of his powers as a wordsmith.

5) The Last Time I Saw Richard (Blue LP-1970)-You must simply listen to this one as it defies description. It is the crowning achievement on an album that saw Joni Mitchell paint her relationship pain in a very naked fashion, yet without the self indulgence that may have reared its ugly head in the hands of a lesser talent.

6) 45 Years (Fogarty's Cove LP-1976)- Evoking emotions without resorting to cliche or overt sentimentality, this is a shining example of song craft that continues to inspire. If you haven't heard this, seek it out. A lovely refrain with every word and bar carefully considered. One of the late Stan Rogers' most touching compositions, it was dedicated to his wife.

7) You Better You Bet (Face Dances LP-1981)-Nothing like coming right out and just saying-nay, demanding it, albeit with a slew of free-wheeling lines involving everything from getting trashed while listening to old records (T-Rex and, with a wink, Who's Next) to showing up at your lover's place in the middle of the night, following consumption of the aforementioned adult beverages. It's a fine "love" song, dressed in the crappy clothes of anti-love. One of Pete Townshend's great, late period Who offerings.

Are you half-way through that heart-shaped box of chocolates yet?

8) Back on the Chain Gang (Learning to Crawl LP-1984)-Love and loss mingle with a nod to an old Sam Cooke tune in the chorus. Sheer emotion drips from every pore of this stunner. Chrissie Hynde's brush with perfection drew on some very significant events in her life at that time.

9) Up the Junction (Cool or Cats LP-1979)- This one will definitely choke you up. Difford and Tilbrook bring some heavy cards to the table, providing lines so perfect that the characters are positively three-dimensional. No happy endings for this couple, though such is often the case when you tell the rest of the story.

10) Only Love Can Break Your Heart (After the Gold Rush-1970)Neil Young took a quick look at the entire process of relationships and summed it all up with aching precision. Uncle Neil has always had a way with words and the message here is conveyed with grace.

There you have it.

So many other worthy contenders could have found their way onto this list. By no means do I believe that these choices are the final or definitive word when it comes to songs that pull on your heartstrings. I just wanted to take a walk down a different path. Feel free to bring your own "top ten" to the comment section.

2011-01-08T21:00:00.028-05:00

WHO'S NEXT

For those familiar with the series of events leading up to release of the Who's pristine fifth disc, there is a certainly a sense that the finished product could have been yet a notch higher in terms of excellence. Even a cursory look at the tracks from these sessions that didn't find a home on Who's Next is enough to give you a "one that got away" feeling about the project. ("Pure and Easy", "The Relay", "Let's See Action", "Join Together", "Slip Kid"...there are more as well)

Nevertheless, the album was a stunning exercise in technological and creative terms that was well ahead of its time upon issue in the summer of 1971. Townshend, aided and abetted by Glyn Johns, actually managed to top Tommy as opposed to merely following it up. In doing so, he worked himself to the brink of nervous collapse and was forced to abandon his original concept in the process.

LIFEHOUSE

Determined to push rock to greater heights, Pete intended for the Lifehouse project to be his magnum opus. In truth, the idea was another version of the Legend of the Lost Chord or the Universal Note which, when sounded, will restore humanity to its original state of harmony with the Creator.

Music and vibration are at the basis of all

Still, it was fairly heady stuff for that time.

Rather than go tumbling through the looking glass, recounting the Lifehouse saga here, I leave you to go to this link which offers a superb, concise synopsis of the story.

EPILOGUE

Assembling the band at the Old Vic Theater, the concerts that were to be filmed as a key to the plot didn't work as the audience would not play ball. They wanted the group to play "My Generation" and smash the shit out of their gear. The other members of the Who had no significant roles to play (or input) nor did they fully understand the storyline. This realization drove Townshend to the precipice of madness:

Every technical bridge that we came to was very hard to cross, because we were trying to do everything all at once: Trying to make the film, invent the new Who, make incredibly big strides in music, write a whole load of new numbers. I was trying to write a film script, we were trying to service a quadraphonic PA we were up to our ears in it and getting nowhere very fast. In the end, about halfway through the recording, I just phoned up Chris Stamp, our manager and said let's just knock it on the head and put out an album, otherwise I really will go crazy. And I would have done, no doubt about it. I'd be sitting in a room and everybody in the room would suddenly turn into frogs and the whole room would start to go. It was brought on by problems and none of them ever getting solved-not being able to see anything in the distance. Everybody was treating me as if I was some kind of loony, and I think for a while I lost touch with reality. The self control required to prevent my total nervous disintegration was absolutely unbelievable. I had the first nervous breakdown of my life.

WHAT'S NEXT?

There were many songs to sift through and remix/record. In March 1971, Kit Lambert made an attempt to do just that with the band in New York, though these sessions flopped miserably.

Enter Glyn Johns.

Offering his services for a week as a test, Johns stated that if it didn't work out then The Who would be free to carry on and they could keep the results without paying for a second of his time. Things went exceptionally well as Johns captured the band firing on all cylinders, utilizing the Stones' mobile recording unit in the process. Agreeing to move the operation to Olympic Studios in London, they went to work and laid down two records worth of material in just a few weeks. All that was left to do was mix and choose the tracks that would make the final master tape.

THE MONSTERS

Four of the LP's nine songs stand pretty tall and are virtual staples of classic rock playlists almost forty years after they first appeared.

"Baba O'Reilly" must have been an obvious choice to kick off this groundbreaking set. Opening with a wildly inventive pattern that was taken from Pete's nine minute demo version on ARP synthesizer, a tension of sorts is created by this patchwork quilt of electronic sound. Reportedly, Townshend translated Meher Baba's vital numerical statistics to the synth to achieve this hypnotic sequence. Bricklayers hands come down on the ivories to introduce those iconic three chords and Moon quickly joins in with a flourish on the kit. Entwistle and Daltrey enter the fray together and the building blocks of an anthem are nearly complete. The icing on the aural cake are those big power slashes on the electric, which arrive close to the two minute mark.

Don't cry, don't raise your eye, it's only teenage wasteland

Blasting back to the main riff temporarily, everything hangs in the air with a final scream from Daltrey and a series of punches. What follows is a wild violin solo from Dave Arbus that moves across this transition as the band goes from mock jig to wild abandon. Moon shifts to a scattershot snare roll that climbs to a ridiculous crescendo, sweeping everyone else into his madness, and the rush of beautiful noise ends abruptly.

All is presented with a clarity that had escaped their grasp in the studio up to this point.

"Bargain" is another stunner, cleverly employing the moog synth for the hook. The lyric ("I'd gladly lose me to find you") can be construed on several levels, though according to Pete, "This song is simply about 'losing' one's ego as a devotee of Meher Baba. I constantly try to lose myself, and find him. I'm not very successful I'm afraid, but this song expresses how much of a bargain it would be to lose everything in order to be one with God."

Moon and Entwistle are inspired throughout, both playing with their usual fire. Their recorded contributions now cut through powerfully, no longer strangled or off balance in the mix.

Moving ahead to the two monumental tracks that close out Who's Next, the electric thrill that pervades each performance is more than enough to send listeners back to repeat the experience over and over again. Beginning with delicate acoustic picking, "Behind Blue Eyes" was designed as a vehicle for a shady character named Jumbo in the scheme of Lifehouse. Outside that context, there does seem to be more than a hint of bile in the lyric ("I have hours only lonely/my love is vengeance/that's never free), though the melody is fantastic. After two cycles of muted rumination about how it feels to live behind those aforementioned eyes, the arrangement roars to life. It is almost as if Keith had been tied to a chair for the first bit and freed himself in time to turn in a series of rolls that amaze as Daltrey practically spat out the words:

When my fist clenches, crack it open
Before I use it and lose my cool
When I smile, tell me some bad news
Before I laugh and act like a fool

And if I swallow anything evil
Put your finger down my throat
If I shiver, please give me a blanket
Keep me warm, let me wear your coat

Power chords fly, bass runs blaze and drums tumble back to earth only to go quiet again as we are returned to where we began.

No time is allotted for recovery as the soft landing gives way to a quick shot of adrenaline. Another synthesizer envelope heralds "Won't Get Fooled Again", prefacing nearly nine minutes of this startling call to arms. Curiously, the use of the ARP to set up the final shot across bow serves to bookend the disc in grand style. Isn't this where we came in?

The subject matter also served to disabuse certain followers from any notion that The Who would lend their support to radical movements that sought societal change by revolutionary or violent means in that era.

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss

Again the theme of change coming from within and not by following the lead of another crop of idiots in Harris tweed suits was expressed beautifully by one of rock's most eloquent spokesmen. The sheer power of these four songs alone could light several large cities for a year.

THE REST

Out of the remaining five tunes, there are very charming highlights. Entwistle's "My Wife" is hilarious, with nice changes and punchy brass parts that hit the spot. Similarly, "Love Ain't For Keeping" features immaculate acoustic work and very tasteful playing from the rhythm section. Daltrey should have let Townshend sing lead, though.

"Going Mobile" is one of my personal favorites out of the second string numbers. While the remaining two selections boast nice melodies and are certainly inoffensive, I would have left them off. Make no mistake, this is a top shelf piece of vinyl as it is, though allow me to tamper with the time machine a bit.

Baba O'Riley
Bargain
Love Ain't For Keeping
My Wife
Let's See Action

Pure And Easy
Going Mobile
The Relay
Behind Blue Eyes
Won't Get Fooled Again

Five fuckin' stars!

This is work that anyone would be proud of. With Townshend's creativity at a peak and the focus that Glyn Johns brought to the table, The Who pulled themselves back from the abyss. They were now able to put the Walker boy aside for awhile to follow their own act with grace. Surviving the sixties, which had wrought its share of casualties and wreckage, the band now took a step ahead of the pack as the seventies began.

The next act would see them looking to the past for inspiration.

A LIVE ONE

2010-12-29T21:05:00.000-05:00

LIVE AT LEEDS

While the deaf, dumb and blind kid more than kept the band in the public imagination throughout the remainder of 1969 and into the new decade, The Who rode the crest of this monstrous wave on tour. Their relentless schedule served to sharpen their already brilliant live act, bringing them to a virtually unrivaled playing peak. Few groups of the time combined harmony, melody and yet still managed an all out assault on the audience in terms of decibel levels. Dynamic, tight and breathtaking on stage, they brought Tommy to the Metropolitan Opera house in New York and played a very memorable set at Woodstock, setting every venue on fire with their intensity.

Pushing into 1970, they had decided to review tapes of North American gigs to see what might be deemed worthy of releasing. Townshend was disappointed by what he had heard, claiming to have tossed the whole pile of recorded shows in a bonfire. Back in 1968, they had similarly considered putting out a document of a concert that they did at the Filmore East. This did not materialize, though the show has long circulated on bootleg in excellent sound quality.

So it happened that they decided to allow their February 1970 stops at Leeds University and Hull to be captured for posterity. Due to technical deficiencies, the Hull tapes didn't make the grade. Leeds yielded a winner, resulting in one of the finest live albums of the era, often cited as the greatest of all time, bar none.

The six songs that were issued from this date were just a fraction of the full set, though all carried the impact of a sledgehammer brought down on a box of cupcakes.

With pink frosting.

Mose Alison's "Young Man Blues" was chosen as the lead-off track as the trio burned behind Daltrey's blustering vocal. Moon made it seem like ten people were playing, his hands a mere blur and he kept up a furious pace, pinwheeling across the skins at the speed of a dentist's drill. Keep in mind that he would sustain this momentum for two hours plus.

This version was done six months later at the Isle of Wight

Roaring through old Who favorites ("Substitute", "My Generation") as well as rock and roll covers ("Summertime Blues", "Shakin' All Over"), the original record culminated in an absolutely devastating "Magic Bus".

Any self-respecting rock fan should have a copy of this in their collection.

The cover was stamped in the manner of a bootleg release and was seen at the time to be somewhat of a stop gap measure (albeit an excellent one) that would keep their fans satiated until the follow up to Tommy materialized.

Speaking of pirate recordings, the complete show at Leeds made the rounds for years, warts and all. In the mid-90s, with the advent of far more advanced audio-post technology, the imperfections that wrote off many of the performances on the master tape were fixed. This paved the way for an expanded Leeds disc to hit the market. Great news for fans, though the die-hards knew that a full performance of Tommy was still in the vault. This officially saw the light of day in 2001 when the "Deluxe Edition" came out, thereby delivering the entire package for hard core collectors.

Or did they?

As of fall 2010, the lost Hull show was cleaned up and boxed with the Leeds sets. Apparently, the group had long thought that the Hull gig was far superior to that of Leeds and so the 40th Anniversary Edition was unveiled.

According to legend, Entwistle's bass signal was "lost" on pretty much all of the Hull recording. Seems like it was "found" just in time to mark another milestone. As with the live tapes that supposedly found their way into the pyre, it's very likely that this was an apocryphal tale.

THE BRAIN OPERA

2010-12-27T11:08:00.004-05:00

TOMMY

For all of the invention of Pete Townshend's compositions through the 1965-67 period, there was to be a retreat of sorts during 1968 while he worked tirelessly on the next song cycle. Though they were a force to be reckoned with on stage and were well respected by their peers, The Who had not yet delivered the "monster hit album" prior to 1969.

The Walker boy would change everything.

Eight months of planning, discussion, recording, re-recording and mixing culminated in the breakthrough release that would make them superstars.

Given the amount of scrutiny that this record has been subjected to in a search for some higher "message" or "meaning" in its construction, there is little point in adding to the scrapheap of scribblings by armchair analysts. Pete has said that Meher Baba's teachings greatly influenced him during this time (and still do). Freshly inspired, he then distilled and subtly worked these philosophies into the framework of many of the songs that made the final cut.

That being said, the impetus for creating Tommy came directly from Kit Lambert, who really did not care much for rock music and pushed Pete to delve into something much more substantial. Lambert and Townshend kicked around ideas (Kit had actually typed up a manuscript) with multiple approaches. The song "Glow Girl", recorded during the Sessions for Sell Out contained bits that would be incorporated into the larger piece. (Rael has a section from which the main chord sequence for the "Underture" was taken and expanded upon)

Did Pete have The Lemon Pipers in mind when he was cranking out a certain section of the Overture?

Think about it.

On second thought, don't.

Very deft, impressive acoustic playing is the engine that drives much of the material, along with Moon and Entwistle who excel, as usual. Daltrey comes into his own, as he becomes Tommy, carving out a distinct position for himself in the group and projecting an iconic, onstage persona that would remain in place through the following decade.

There is a lightness of touch present on this record that the band would never quite return to. Yes, Moon still manages impossible flourishes across the kit and Entwistle's rollercoaster bassmanship is prominent, though the live attack that each instrumentalist was capable of was not in evidence.

I have no reason to be over optimistic/but somehow when you smile, I can brave bad weather

Some of finest melodies in the Townshend catalog grace these grooves ("1921", "Pinball Wizard", "Christmas", "Amazing Journey" "I'm Free" "Sensation" all stand out in this category) though for all of the brilliance that is obvious here, the story itself is somewhat disjointed and weaves all over the road, narrowly avoiding the ditch as the curtain comes down and the "listening to you" refrain repeats and fades.

For me, having discovered the record in childhood, I got lost in both the sounds and the illustrations in the booklet that came with it. Without any conception of a deeper message, I only knew it was first class all the way. "Amazing Journey" was a far better summation of the disc as a whole (for a 12 year old at least). The plot line of Tommy has been hacked to bits and stitched back together in many different formats for the stage and film. None of these incarnations improves upon the original. (The 1975 movie is unintentionally hilarious) Plus, Townshend had done his usual job of talking himself into a corner before the album came out and was stuck with certain elements of the story that he could have easily pruned away to make it slightly more lucid.

It is to the credit of all involved that Lambert's suggestion of overdubbing an orchestra was vetoed. Entwistle's decorative horn parts and Pete's keyboards are the only augmentation and are quite tasteful, at that.

Again, all of this is trivial in light of the accomplishment itself. Tommy really gained strength as a stage piece and The Who played the shit out of it. It was a masterful performance that brought the audience to its collective feet every night (always at the same point as Pete recalled) and held them in powerful sway until the last note rang out.

Townshend created an almost impossible act for himself to follow. He would spend the next few years trying to do just that, attempting to raise the bar with each new project.

In terms of impact, it was so overwhelming that many thought Tommy to be the name of the band. The Who quickly became internationally known and all four were freshly minted millionaires almost overnight. Along with critical plaudits came the endless symposiums on what label actually belonged on Townshend's ambitious work: Was it a Rock Opera? A Cantata? An Oratorio?

I'd call it great rock record.

Listen and decide for yourself. After all, the whole point of this magnificent exercise is simply to realize that the "answers" to life's great mysteries (that we all ponder occasionally) can only be found within ourselves.

Don't follow leaders and watch your parking meters

Cast of characters:

Tommy: Main character
Father: "Captain Walker", who is presumed missing in battle but returns home unannounced and unscathed
Mother: Mrs Walker
The Lover: A romantic partner of Tommy's mother, killed by Captain walker upon his return
Uncle Ernie: Tommy's 'wicked uncle', a paedophile who molests him.
Cousin Kevin: Tommy's cousin who brutalises him when the two are left alone.
The Hawker: A pimp for prostitute the Acid Queen, who peddles her services.
The Gypsy: A prostitute who deals in acid and exposes Tommy to the drug in an attempt to heal him.
The Local Lad: Reigning champion of the game of pinball, until Tommy beats him.
The Doctor: Attempts to heal Tommy and realizes that his disabilities are psychological rather than physical.
Sally Simpson: A minor character, who tries to climb on stage to touch Tommy at one of his appearances in his newfound messianic role and falls, cutting her head.

MERRY CRIMBLE UND FROHE WEIHNACHTEN!

2010-12-25T10:32:00.002-05:00

Enjoy the holidays with four failed comedians.

THE BEATLES CHRISTMAS!

LENNON

2010-12-08T20:15:00.005-05:00

JL

One of the last interviews with the late John Lennon, conducted two days before his death. This is part one of a long piece. His voice is familiar to me as that of a family member. Without a doubt, many of you feel the same way.

It is hard to believe that 30 years have passed. I was 12 at that time and was shocked upon hearing the news the morning after. The rest of that week was simply surreal.

On a more upbeat note, here he is in his element, working on a track ("Oh My Love") for the Imagine LP.

TIMOTHEOS

2010-12-05T10:01:00.002-05:00

HIEROSOLYMA

Described as a musical meditation on Jerusalem, the listener is presented with ten ambient soundscapes, expertly conceived and executed on guitar and synths by Timotheos. In addition to the musical component, there is also a visual bonus with this disc as the elaborate artwork on the outer and inner sleeve was crafted by the artist himself. Combining the two streams provides a small feast for the senses as the most successful concepts allow for the audience to lose themselves in the images that accompany the music.

Taken as a whole, this is the sound of introspection and deep silence. Many of the pieces build in a subtle fashion, gently washing over the stereo pan quite like the ebb and flow of the tides.

Best appreciated in headphones

Relaxing and multi-layered, Hierosolyma bears repeated listening as you will discover nuances that may not be evident on the first pass.

Investigate for yourself and learn more about the artist here

Hierosolyma is available for purchase here

SELLING OUT

2010-11-07T10:31:00.005-05:00

THE WHO SELL OUT

Townshend: "It wasn't just the Who that were made by pirate radio, it was pirate radio that made the music scene in this country. It made the Beatles, it made the Stones, it made lots and lots of people that were around at the time."

Unlike the USA, which boasted countless stations with tunes on tap across the dial, Mother BBC was the only game in town when it came to radio in the UK, pre-1964. Very little airtime was granted to pop music. This situation turned around when Radio Caroline became a floating (and illegal) transmitter of rock and roll.

Pirate radio brought a wealth of fantastic music to Britons in the mid sixties.

The passing of the Marine Broadcasting Act in 1967 would mark the beginning of the end for these pioneers. The few ships that remained to send out their signals would soon cease and desist. Truly disappointed by this turn of events, Pete hit upon an intriguing concept for the next record. He envisioned a fulsome tribute to both the pirate and American top 40 formats, complete with linking jingles and commercials. There was even talk of selling ad space on the disc to large corporations (in the end, Coke was the only taker). There could be no greater contrast to the ideals that were espoused by the burgeoning hippie movement of that era than casting your lot in with the ultra-capitalistic "establishment", offering up a piece of your art to the highest bidder.

What's for tea, darling?

To my ear, Sell Out is to the Who what Their Satanic Majesties Request represented for the Stones in that they haven't done anything even remotely like it, before or since. Climbing aboard that train of thought, let’s look at the elements that make this markedly different from the other entries in the Who discography.

1) With one or two exceptions, Keith Moon’s drumming is subtly muted for many of the tracks. His usual frenetic playing is pared down considerably to simply keeping time.

2) Rich, Beach Boys style, block harmonies pervade most every selection (the beginning of "Rael" would have sat comfortably alongside anything on Pet Sounds).

3) Melodies are to the fore, with the grittier side of the group's raucous stage personality toned way down.

A minor point gets deducted here for some unfinished business. The continuous run of great music interpolated with quirky, mock adverts is quite engrossing until the second song in on side two, where the listener experiences "concept interuptus".

Why wasn't this approach carried through to the end of the project?

The most likely reasons involve a combination of the heavy price of additional studio time and the hectic touring schedule that the band sorely needed to tackle mounting debt. Despite this fact, Sell Out stands one of the three best discs that they ever issued. Pete Townshend's genius as a composer had been glimpsed prior to this. Now it flowered in ways that amazed. There is a bounty of truly exceptional material, from the masterful "I Can See For Miles" to the increasing emphasis on narrative that makes "Tattoo" and "Odorono" so engaging.

Townshend: "When I write today, I feel that it has to tell a little story. Like Odorono, which I dug because it was a little story and although I thought it's a god song, it was about something groovy-underarm perspiration> He rushes backstage to congratulate her and it looks like she's all set, not only for stardom but also for true love. And then, underarm perspiration cuts the whole thing. And you know, without getting too serious about it, because it's supposed to be very light, that's life. That really is life."

Darling, I said what's for tea?

Throwing everyone off the plot, "Armenia City in the Sky" crashes in following the robotic "days of the week" snippet. Pounding along with dissonant swells of feedback guitar, the song was authored by one John "Speedy" Keene who also shared vocal duties with Roger on the track. The Who never really indulged in psychedelia, so the cloud of incense that hovers over the proceedings, while redolent of the sounds of 1967, is also slightly disingenuous. It proves to be a red herring as the selections that follow have little to do with the tie-dye, love me-love my dog philosophy that briefly ensnared some of the biggest acts of that era.

Keene would go on to find his feet with the excellent, albeit short-lived, Thunderclap Newman who wound up scoring a worldwide hit the following year with his tune "Something in the Air", produced by Townshend.

Pop intellectuals found themselves smugly nodding in appreciation at the nostalgic in-joke that was etched deeply into the grooves of this remarkable platter. Ivory tower elitism is never a great reason for liking something, nor should it be attached
to your appreciation of Sell Out.

Very well constructed music is what should (and will) reel you in.

Plus, Daltrey in the tub of beans is pretty fucked.

Owing to a predilection for tampering with the running order of great works in a revisionist effort to make them even better, I would have kicked off Entwistle's "Silas Stingy" and replaced it with "Pictures of Lily". This would have landed two tunes with a theme involving the handling of the male member for naughty purposes (or happy endings) on the same album. Speaking of which, "Mary Anne With the Shaky Hand" has an interesting, Latin-flavored acoustic break.

Heavy for its time (and a few steps ahead as well) was the single, "I Can See For Miles". Largely due to the idiosyncratic structure of this monster, it rarely featured in their live shows.

Very little filler is found on Sell Out. As previously mentioned, aside from the psychedelic poster that came with the original pressings, there is no great attempt to embrace that style. This is important, as most every major rock act of that period was straining to do "Sgt Pepper Part II", binging on acid and more often than not coming up with a load of pretentious garbage. (Dylan and the Kinks musically kept away from the "Summer of Love-In as well). The sensibilities of the individual members really helped to keep the Who from heading down that path. Moon actively hated hippies, while Roger and John took little notice of that movement. John and Keith spent a lot of time in the pubs, where they ultimately came up with most of the commercials, including the run-out groove joke response (Track Records jingle) to what the Beatles had done at the end of Sgt. Pepper. Only Townshend really got into LSD in any major way, though he would shortly back away from drug taking following a harrowing STP trip on the plane back to England after they played Monterey in June of 67. "Relax" has a slight echo (no pun intended) of Syd Barrett's work with Pink Floyd, but the rest do not bear the stamp of "flowers and beads".

Townshend's musical range was expanding. He learned to properly play piano as these songs took shape and he deftly handled most of the keyboard parts during the sessions by himself. The progressions in "Our Love Was" and "Sunrise" are an extension of his continuing education. The overall sound of this record is vastly superior to anything that they had done up to this point. Though there was some legal turbulence surrounding the use of some Radio London jingles, Sell Out was a tremendous success in terms of cohesion and strength in composition. Not yet superstars, a brief period of water treading would follow until Pete found the plot for their next odyssey which would bring far greater glories than anyone had imagined.

WHO TWO

2010-10-14T22:22:00.008-04:00

A QUICK ONE

Image plays a significant role in putting a band across to the public. Like all good consumers, we hungrily devour a product when there is a brilliant marketing strategy behind it. The Who began as favorite sons of the Sheppard's Bush Mod scene. 1966 would see them emerge from that chrysalis as brightly colored purveyors of pop art. A cursory glance at the eye-catching cover of their second album would tell you as much. Inside the wrapper was a rather disparate collection which featured contributions from each member of the group.

Wasn't Pete supposed to be the main supplier of original material?

He certainly was, though a band that trashes its gear on a regular basis has a tendency to bleed cash. Performance fees disappeared quickly on repairs and replacement instruments.

Manager Kit Lambert, in an attempt to draw much needed funds, signed the quartet to a songwriting pact with Essex Music. The proviso? Receipt of 500 pounds per man was assured if each wrote two songs for the new LP. The deal really didn't make a great deal of sense, considering that Townshend seemed to be the only one with any real inclination (not to mention aptitude) for composing. Plus, they had just slogged through an internal battle over what artistic course to pursue.

These developments could have spelled disaster.

Fortuitously, the end result produced a solid second writer within the fold who turned out a veritable Who classic.

John Entwistle, enter and sign in please.

Keith and Roger managed only three songs between them, none of which would be mistaken for substantial works. Henceforth, Pete would handle the bulk of the songwriting duties, with Entwistle chipping in one or two per disc.

A Quick One has moments where it soars ("So Sad About Us", "Boris the Spider" "Run Run Run" and the title track) but the lesser cuts really drag down the proceedings. The inclusion of "Substitute", "I'm a Boy" and "Disguises" would have made this one of the top long players of 1966.

"Cobwebs and Strange" is a perfect example of a one note joke that was taken too far. Ripped directly from a track called "Eastern Journey" on Tony Crombie's 1960 soundtrack to the U.K. television series Man From Interpol, how Keith was able to claim authorship of the tune is questionable. The saving grace is Moon's vicious assault on the drums as the pace accelerates, punctuated only by his exuberant yelling.

Elsewhere, the power pop of "So Sad About Us" would serve to inspire a slew of cover versions, not to mention stylistic imitations. "Boris the Spider" was ground out under duress following Entwistle's bluff answer when asked if he had a second song ready to fill his quota for the album (and secure his publishing money). This inventive, chromatic romp up the fretboard was born out of a night out, getting pissed with fellow bassist Bill Wyman. Their discussion about why people were afraid of spiders triggered the lyric, which saw the hapless arachnid get squished in the end. The falsetto "creepy-crawlies" contrasted sharply with the "cookie monster" vocal treatment found in the chorus. It's a startling creation for that time and it would remain in their set list for years.

Dig that guitar sound in "Run Run Run"

"A Quick One While he's Away" owed it's very existence to a suggestion from Kit Lambert that Townshend write a ten minute suite to flesh out the running time of the LP. Objecting at first, he then took up the challenge and created what Lambert termed as a mini-opera (or "Tommy's parents" as he joked in announcing the song at Leeds four years later). This first stab at the form was quite an ambitious piece of writing from a musical standpoint, but dealt with a fairly mundane lyrical theme.

The plot: A young lady pines for her boyfriend, who has been gone for nearly a year, crying over the distance that separates them. She takes comfort in the arms of Ivor the engine driver. Upon her lover's return, she confesses to her tryst with Ivor and all is forgiven.

Curtain.

OK, so the story is a bit short weight.

Musically, it showcases everyone to great effect. The six distinct themes allow plenty of room to stretch out for each instrumentalist and the close harmonies that open the proceedings are in evidence throughout each cycle. Everyone, save for Keith, plays a character in the framework of the narrative and they sharpened their live performance of this gem to a fine point. The most well-known footage is their legendary rip through this in December 1968 as part of the Rolling Stones' Rock and Roll Circus film, though the Monterey Pop version is more of a "warts and all" live example.

Impeccable playing majestically lifts even the slightest material found here, which makes things a bit more palpable. Despite the critical praise that gets heaped on this record, I really wouldn't go out of my way to recommend it to anyone that was curious about delving into The Who's work. There are far better starting points in their discography to choose from. Once again, the US release came months after it appeared in the UK. Re-titled Happy Jack for the North American market, it also included this song which was only available as a single in Britain in 1967.

Their next full length project would be a huge stride forward for the band, proving the idiom regarding the third time being the charm.

WHO'S FIRST

2010-09-25T21:18:00.012-04:00

MY GENERATION

Even after being presented with the sheer significance of this record, the jaded contemporary listener may still stifle a yawn and wonder what all the fuss is about. After all, even casual music fans have had a taste of grunge, punk, death metal, hardcore rap and other genres where volume and violence win the day. So what's the big deal?

Here punk, shake hands with the Godfather.

Landing on the scene with a force equal to several megaton bombs, The Who's debut set contained elements that were without precedent in 1965. Pete Townshend's forays into feedback, John Entwistle's astonishing bass chops and an eight-armed, teenage dervish named Keith Moon who attacked his drum kit with an intensity unmatched in rock, drove the songs on this remarkable album to greater heights.

Roger Daltrey wasn't bad, either.

Occupying a very curious position in the pecking order of the truly great rock bands that emerged from the UK in the early sixties, The Who managed to both insult and influence their contemporaries all at once.

Getting to the point where they were ready to record their first LP was an arduous process. Their set list was, for the most part, made up of R & B/Motown covers alongside rock standards with the occasional detour into surf music. By 1965, The Beatles had established new rules of engagement for groups going into the studio. If you weren't crafting your own material, your fate was left in the hands of outside songwriters. When that well dried up, so did your career.

Roger liked the status quo, playing songs that people knew and reacted favorably to. The Who needed to grow a writer if they were to progress. With much encouragement from their manager (Kit Lambert) Townshend stepped into this role, though Daltrey was not on board with doing original material at first. There was a power play involving his leadership, as Roger was the one who put things together in the first place. Doing Pete's tunes meant losing part of that power, though it was the only sure way to garner notice from someone who was established in the business.

Roger conceded.

Enter Shel Talmy.

Townshend had written a song that was intentionally similar in structure to the hits that Talmy had produced for The Kinks. Designed to grab Talmy's ear, he heard it over the phone and was impressed enough to bring the quartet into the studio to lay it down. Management made an extremely lopsided deal with Talmy in exchange for him shopping the disc to his contacts at various record companies.

Remarkably energetic, "I Can't Explain" put The Who on the map in the UK.

Keith Moon provided the band with a built in hydrogen furnace. His gun shot smacks on the snare in the break before the chorus and inventive rolls provide the fire, pushing the rest of the band to play harder. The follow up single ("Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere") was greater still, with early guitar pyrotechnics courtesy of Townshend's growing bag of tricks.

Rehearsals for the sessions that would produce My Generation kicked off in the fall of 1965. Captured in mono, the sound is aggressive, with most every song aiming to tear your head off. In many respects, the Who engine was likely far too powerful for the studio frame of that time. VU meters are buried well into the red, unwittingly creating the "indie" style well before its time. Leading the attack is Moon, who shreds all rock drumming conventions and proceeds to set new skin-bashing standards on each track. There is a small concession to Roger as the three covers offer a glimpse of the band's "Maximum R & B" personality. Hindsight being what it is, it's quite easy to see that the Who would have had very slim prospects for success had they not forged their own musical identity. These performances are alright, though they represent the most dispensable portion of the LP.

There is a cockiness that pervades here, drop-kicking convention over the ledge from twenty floors up, watching it smash to bits on the ground. This exact energy went into the execution of the title track, which destroyed everything in its path in 1965. Leaping out of the speakers today, it is no less compelling. Moon beats the living shit out of his kit, Townshend and Entwistle ride the crest of his madness as they hug those power chords and Daltrey spits out the lyric with a contempt that's palpable 45 years away.

Topped by four "fuck you" bass solos from Mars

Entwistle ripped the strings off of three Danelectros (he had to buy a new instrument for each pass as it was the only way to get the strings that came with it) before completing his mission and sealing his position as one of the most innovative rock bassists of all time.

Ratcheting up the tension with a key change, the end game comes with anarchic feedback as Moon flies over every tom, empty paint can and anything else within striking distance. There was nothing to touch this in its time. In the intervening years, Townshend has talked himself down a long hallway, past the ice machine, through a fire exit and up his own arse trying to explain away that infamous line. No matter, as it doesn't detract one iota from this ridiculously inspired performance.

Sure enough, the runner up in the pack is "The Kids Are Alright" which makes use of the poppy, close harmony driven style of some of their contemporaries, though they bring it home with enough of an edge that it avoids being cute. Both Moon and Townshend have solo moments that soar (you can't miss them). Townshend's writing style was definitely unique from the beginning and he would continue to flower in astounding fashion. "A Legal Matter" pounds along, aided and abetted by the imaginative keyboard work of Nicky Hopkins who battles it out with Moon over a droning chordal structure. (Hopkins provides the glue that centers several cuts.) The riff creeps in occasionally to tie the whole thing together, though the lyrics touch on unconventional, quirky subject matter for the time. Sort of an anti-love, not going to be happy together forever thing happening. "The Good's Gone" shares the same cynical lyrical mood and the work is quite mature given the tender age of its creator at that point.

Special mention goes to "The Ox" an instrumental which showcases Moon, Entwistle, Townshend and Hopkins performing a mixture of anarchic noise and a British interpretation of "Wipeout", although any lines previously drawn in the surf are crossed here by 100 miles. It is one hell of a performance.

The Keith Moon show was officially in full swing, as it is his drumming that stands out on one of the most ear-catching debuts in rock history.

Of course, the band publicly disowned the album shortly after it was released, citing the fact that it was a rush job.

In the US, the disc was issued in early 1966 with a different cover, title and did not include "I'm a Man", which was replaced by "Circles". It would be another year before the group started to develop a following in North America.

The Who singing My Generation? Much too polite. Slaying their generation by inspiring them out of their skulls is more like it.

THE WHO

2010-09-05T18:06:00.005-04:00

MAXIMUM R & B

One of the most exciting bands to come out of the UK in the mid sixties, bar none. Their influence was far reaching in terms of musicianship and presentation, especially when you look at the stage acts of their contemporaries. Equipment suffered, audiences were shocked (initially) and the group went deep into debt as many of their early shows culminated in a wave of instrument destruction. They would not be consigned to the garbage heap of gimmicky, one trick ponies in the fickle world of rock, though.

Peter Townshend, John Entwistle, Keith Moon and Roger Daltrey produced a string of the most powerful, imaginative discs of the 20th century. I am going to tackle all output recorded by the original line-up, from their 1965 debut through to their last release prior to the death of Keith Moon in 1978.

Stay Tuned!

RED'S CONCERT REVIEWS

2010-08-31T18:37:00.005-04:00

Great live music is always best enjoyed with good friends and adult beverages. Should you miss out on a concert event, it's always a bonus when you read a review of the show that was written by:

a) A person who actually likes the band/artist in question.

b) Someone who can convey the excitement of the gig and inject humor into the piece all at once.

Too often, when you open your local paper to see what the latest act that blew through town was all about, it is a huge disappointment. Usually, you get a few poorly scribbled lines from someone who didn't want to be there in the first place.

Red's Concert Reviews totally changes the game.

Red Curtis writes in a very descriptive, conversational style that is always entertaining and makes you feel like you are one of his buddies, beer in hand, watching a great rock show as it's happening.

We have seen quite a few concerts together and his summaries are always spot on.

Check out his blog, as it comes highly recommended and is an excellent read.

BUCKET AND CO. (DAVE COLWELL)

2010-08-29T10:51:00.002-04:00

GUITARS, BEERS & TEARS

Following years of providing stellar fretwork for iconic groups such as Humble Pie and Bad Company, Dave "Bucket" Colwell has stepped out to showcase his talents as a world class writer/guitarist with a rock solid, debut solo disc. Colwell has enlisted quite a cast of heavy friends to contribute to his record, including IRON MAIDEN's Adrian Smith, Edwin McCain, Steve Conte from the NEW YORK DOLLS, THE QUIREBOYS' Spike, Danny Bowes from THUNDER, Bekka Bramlett and BAD COMPANY's Robert Hart.

For listeners who have bemoaned the lack of visceral, contemporary hard rock with a melodic edge, Bucket and Co. are coming to the rescue with Guitars, Beers and Tears.

This is a fantastic set.

Opening with a brief, swelling keyboard line that gives a nod to the salad days of Deep Purple and Uriah Heep, the title track wastes no time getting to business. Kicking in with salvos of scorched earth policy riffing, the tone is set perfectly. Guitars and beers often go hand in glove, though the only tears here will be those of joy as this marks the beginning of a banquet laden with fist-pumping anthems interspersed with very pleasant surprises.

Despite the presence of multiple lead vocalists, Colwell's vision of a big, unashamed rock record remains intact and not one iota of continuity or momentum is lost. His personality shines through in the writing and is never submerged at any point in the proceedings. Formidable skills in the guitar department allow him to light up each cut, with impeccable and tasteful playing being the rule rather than the exception.

Graciously, he chooses to shine the spotlight on his guests as much as possible. The presence of Adrian Smith is strongly felt, with a brilliant recasting of "Reach Out" (which was the flip side to Maiden's "Wasted Years" single). Smith acquits himself quite well in the role of lead vocalist, while the band burns behind him. Very much a highlight of the pack. Speaking of which, my personal favorite here is "Life" which is built on a strong hook, features great changes and is topped by a passionate vocal from Danny Bowes. Running a close second is "Hey Mr. Nobody" which is the lone tune that features Bucket himself singing lead. It's a pity that he didn't take the opportunity for more mic time as he turns in a great performance.

Harking back to a time when the music sold itself, without recourse to artificial spectacle, Bucket and Co. put craftsmanship ahead of all other consideration to great effect.

All of the components that make a successful end product are present on Guitars, Beers and Tears, with top class production being the icing on a very satisfying, layered cake. Listeners will feel compelled to give the volume a healthy nudge toward the sky (as I did) and revel in the pleasure of one spectacular rock record.

Find out more about the artist and grab yourself a copy of the CD here

Let's now give credit where it's due:

THE BAND

Dave ‘Bucket’ Colwell Guitars/Vocals
Jaz Lochrie Bass/Vocals
Gary ‘Harry’ James Drums

Guitars, Beers & Tears (Colwell)
Vocals - Chris Ousey

Girl of My Dreams (Colwell)
Vocals - Spike (The Quireboys) Keyboards - Mark Read (A1)

Make Up Your Mind (Colwell/Adrian Smith)
Guitar/Vocals - Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden)

Somebody To Love (Colwell/Tommy Lee James)
Vocals - Robert Hart (Bad Company)

Why You Call (Colwell)
Vocals - Edwin McCain Sax - Andy Hamilton Keyboards - Mark Read

If You Need Me (Colwell)
Guitar/Vocals - Steve Conte (NY Dolls)

Reach Out (Cowell)
Vocals - Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden)

I’d Lie To You (Frankie Miller)
Vocals - Spike (The Quireboys) Backing Vocals - Bekka Bramlett

Survive (Colwell)
Vocals - Edwin McCain Harmonica - Judd Lander

Life (Colwell/J. Leo)
Vocals - Danny Bowes (Thunder) Keyboards - Mark Read

Why Can’t It Be (Colwell)
Vocals - Seth Romano

Mr. Nobody (Colwell)
Vocals - Dave Colwell Backing Vocals - Lauren Harris

FORGOTTEN MUSIC THURSDAY-JACK BRUCE

2010-08-25T22:08:00.004-04:00

SONGS FOR A TAILOR

Another criminally overlooked platter from the archives of forgotten music. Jack Bruce dove headlong into the solo sweepstakes with an imaginative debut, which is a few summers ahead of its time.

Dedicated to a friend (clothing designer Jeannie Franklyn) who had been recently killed in a car accident, Songs For A Tailor displays a perfect balance of great writing, musicianship and production. Felix Pappalardi was at Bruce’s side as producer with Andy Johns behind the board. Dream team comes to mind when you connect the dots. You can have the best chefs and ingredients money can buy at your disposal, though without the right recipe the end product will not satisfy. Bruce brought top shelf material to the sessions, much of which fulfilled his aspiration to marry jazz motifs with rock arrangements.

Conspicuously absent is the style of heavy blues that he regularly indulged in with Cream.

Innovative, quirky yet still quite accessible, all nine selections mark a definitive break with “that other band” and certainly made it tough to mourn their passing. Enlisting a few heavy friends to help deliver the instrumental goods, the core lineup has Jon Hiseman on drums, Chris Spedding on guitar and Dick Hextall-Smith on sax. Hiseman and Hextall-Smith formed the core of Colosseum, who were a powerhouse group in their own right. Bruce himself handled bass, piano, organ and cello along with some guitar.

A few other special guests contributed as well.

“Never Tell Your Mother That She’s Out of Tune” must have shell-shocked listeners who first applied the needle to this LP back in '69. Pushed along with a driving rhythm and very prominent brass section, it is a startling opener, indicative of the fresh path that the artist was setting out on. “L’Angelo Mysterioso” (George Harrison) makes his second appearance on record alongside Bruce, though his guitar work is somewhat overshadowed by the horns in the final mix. According to session lore, Harrison showed up an hour early, ready to play live on the track if need be. Working under the pseudonym was a necessity because he was under contract with EMI and guest appearances that helped other artists sell records for competitors were not looked upon kindly.

For those who are only familiar with Mountain’s cover of “Theme For an Imaginary Western”, you get a chance to hear how Bruce handles it here. Both versions have much going for them, though I generally lean toward recordings performed by the original artist.

Three cuts that were conceived around the time that he was working with Cream on Disraeli Gears finally saw official release. (“Weird of Hermiston”, “ Boston Ball Game 1967” and “The Clearout”) Allegedly, their lack of commercial promise was seen as a barrier to issuing them on that record. They are all highlights of this eclectic masterpiece. Reportedly, he even dusted off a few musical ideas that he had composed while still in his early teens, weaving them into the fabric of this remarkable set.

My personal favorite is “Rope Ladder to the Moon”, which prefigures the acoustic, open tunings that Led Zeppelin would explore in depth on their third LP the following year. Longtime collaborator Pete Brown provides the lyrics, as he does for the majority of the album. Esoteric, at times unfathomable, though never boring, Brown’s poetic sensibilities were finely tuned and quite well matched to Bruce’s musical flights of fancy.

Uniformly excellent, this is easily his finest hour as a solo artist.

TRISTAN CLOPET

2010-08-17T23:08:00.002-04:00

PURPLE EP

Adventurous and melodic with soul dripping out of every note only begins the list of superlatives that apply when describing the songcraft of Tristan Clopet. Creating music that appeals to a wide range of listeners is a tall order to fill, though the songs on this EP serve as testament to the fact that it can be done.

In style.

Clopet manages to effortlessly mix funk, dirt under the fingernails rock and pop, deftly tying it all together with arrangements that you would gladly step over a family member to call your own. "Proximity Bomb" and "Black Panther Party" get singled out for special merit, with razor sharp, spine snapping bass grooves and tasteful guitar fireworks.

Deploying a bag of tricks that musicians will appreciate, while maintaining the hooks that are sure to enthrall those who simply appreciate a great tune, here is one writer that has carefully considered every angle of his compositions. Clopet's not so secret weapon here is his voice, which is capable of a wide range of expression, adding great depth to everything he touches.

Dynamics? Just take a listen. Once you let these songs into your brain, they will take up residence there, urging you to go back to this disc for repeated spins. It's a pity that there are only six tracks as I definitely was left wanting more. Especially after getting caught up up in the multi-layered gem, "So Alive".

And you will, too

All of this begs the question of why there isn't more music of this caliber in the mainstream. You can proudly crank this in your 1970 GTO ragtop, burning across the blacktop at dusk on one of those summer nights that are rife with possibility.

If there is any sense of balance in the universe, you will be hearing much more about this talented individual. For now, please check out his site

MATT STEVENS

2010-08-07T11:33:00.005-04:00

SONG FOR DAN

Framing a personal loss with words is an arduous task. Nothing that anyone can say can truly make the situation more palatable. Matt Stevens was recently dealt such a blow with the passing of his friend, filmmaker Dan Wilson. "Song for Dan" is Stevens' fulsome tribute to him via a meditative, instrumental, acoustic improvisation.

It is quite an expressive and tasteful way of playing him on and you may listen here

Stevens: "Its a 18 minute song for our friend Dan Wilson, who was a lovely,inspirational,kind man,a wonderful filmmaker,friend and musician and missed by us all. Dan was the bass player in a band I was in for many years."

Please watch his short films here and here

DEEPSEAGREEN

2010-07-31T10:59:00.005-04:00

DEEPSEAGREEN

UK indie rock quartet Deepseagreen have put their heart, soul and considerable chops into the ten songs that comprise this fine, self-titled debut disc. The additional charm lies in the fact that the tracks were done live, off the floor in a two day blow-out back in the fall of 2009.

Rock and roll that's raw, sweaty and real still exists. You have to look a bit harder for it these days, though.

Stripping it down to basics, the two-guitar, bass and drums lineup of brothers Jon and Dan Jefford, Marco Menestrina and Trent Halliday deliver tight, melodic compositions that suggest the glory days of the classic rock era. Allowing the instruments to breathe, the production job scores points for capturing the immediacy of impeccable ensemble playing coupled with a great, natural sound in the room. This disc will resonate with listeners who remember the warmth of the analog recording process. Perfect example is the lone guitar riff that heralds "On the Steps of Summer", which reverberates off the studio walls without recourse to digital manipulation. When the band kicks in, they make it count.

Another great bonus is Halliday's voice. He is spot on, throughout, without a trace of the frightful, auto-tuned aura of insecurity added to almost every contemporary recording. Highlights are plentiful here in terms of quality songs. It's quite easy to let these ten cuts play through, though several really stand out ("Black Maria", "Polarise", "Janine").

Personal favorite for me is "Plastic Lazarus". Opening with a twisting, distorted guitar figure, the expectation is that the rhythm section is going to slam, head-on, into an over-driven tempo.

Surprise.

Instead, it's a very smooth transition into a feel that suggests reggae while maintaining a razor-sharp, rock edge. Clever lyrics top a fine performance.

These guys have their act together. Deepseagreen will almost certainly find a very large audience with work of this quality. I would highly recommend that you check out their CD.

Learn more about the band here

FORGOTTEN MUSIC THURSDAY-ART GARFUNKEL

2010-07-28T21:13:00.002-04:00

WATERMARK

Following the demise of his artistic partnership with Paul Simon in 1970, Art Garfunkel briefly flirted with acting, teaching and then saw fit to carry on with a solo career that brought a modicum of success. Briefly reunited with Simon in 1975, they managed to fit in a few appearances and recorded one new tune (“My Little Town”) before going their separate ways again.

1977 saw Garfunkel paired with selections from the Jimmy Webb songbook, all of which would be recorded for his third, full length disc.

Well, at least for the initial release.

The completed LP hit the stores in late '77 and was unceremoniously yanked back by the record company as the first single was a no-show on the US charts.

Enter Paul Simon, who joined James Taylor and Garfunkel in a brilliant recasting of Sam Cooke’s “(What a) Wonderful World”. The arrangement is quite different from the original, almost surpassing it in terms of structure. Breathtaking vocal parts really make the difference as all three singers nail the harmonies in glorious fashion, each taking a lead line in the verses.

Serving its purpose, the lone non-Webb penned track was not only added to Watermark (which was then cleared to be sent back into the marketplace in early 1978), but also released as a single where it jumped into the top 20.

Including this stunner lifted the commercial fortunes of the record, though there are many treasures to be found on Watermark. Garfunkel applies his trademark, dulcet falsetto in interpreting Webb’s compositions, which were carefully chosen and impeccably rendered.

"Saturday Suit" is a high point.

Phil Ramone acted as co-producer and helped Garfunkel assemble a veritable "cast of thousands" to back him up. David Crosby contributed vocal parts and the cream of the session-playing crop showed up to grace these grooves. (Steve Gadd, Tony Levin, Hugh McCracken, the Chieftans just to name a few.) Staying away from the huge hits in Webb's impressive catalogue was a very astute move, as it allowed Garfunkel to put his own stamp on each selection.

Incredibly, this phenomenal collection of songs has been relegated to the netherworld of late seventies soft rock. Unjustly, it finds a home in the category of forgotten music.

Spinning my vinyl copy was certainly no chore. It revealed nuances that I hadn't previously noticed, bringing a new appreciation for Webb's lesser known tunes. Garfunkel acquits himself quite well, never seeming overwhelmed by the production that swirls around his natural tenor. "Crying In My Sleep" was the lead-off 45 that failed to dent the top 100, though listeners at that time really should have been more generous with this one. Perhaps the disco-addled brains of the masses couldn't appreciate its subtle charms.

Everything clicks here, with the title song being a personal favorite. Should you happen upon a copy, be sure not to pass it up. This is a very successful marriage of two great talents that deserves to be heard.

RUSH

2010-07-23T22:52:00.003-04:00

2112

Persistence, virtuosity and a staunch decision to follow their instincts have been a recipe for success in the case of Rush.

Defying gravity on stage? No problem.

Creating a diverse and layered body of work over 36 years? Check.

Did the band members themselves think that the ride would last this long?

No way.

In the late sixties, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson were high school kids from the suburbs of Toronto. Music meant a great deal to both and they quickly formed a bond through playing together and emulating their favorite bands. The impact on their grades was likely pretty severe, but they were teenagers during the golden age of rock. How could they not be smitten by acts like the Who and Cream?

Signal distortion, more advanced PA and monitoring systems were making it possible for fewer musicians to make a bigger sonic impact playing live. The age of the “power trio” (not to be confused with The Kingston Trio) dawned in the mid-sixties. Casting off the 2-3 minute formats into which pop had been straight-jacketed, many groups began to explore the outer limits of improvisation. Out of these non-linear jams, brilliance could easily slip into self-indulgent flights to the Republic of Tedium. Nevertheless, there were groups that devoted themselves to long form, multi-part epics, brimming with inventive playing. No more would the rhythm section tap or plunk out basic foundation work, while the guitarist and singer reaped all of the glory.

Happily unfettered, everyone now had their chance to shine.

With interminable soloing.

Progressive rock was born.

Truth be told, this genre was around for many years. It was called Jazz, though it wasn’t amplified by 100,000 watts with an accompanying laser light show.

Hey! Weren’t you supposed to be writing about Rush?

Indeed!

Fast forward to 1974: Our protagonists, Geddy and Alex, along with drummer John Rutsey, had long been full time gigging pros who had recorded a single and were furiously doing late night sessions to complete their self titled first album. Owing more than a small debt to the sound of the mighty Led Zeppelin, Rush had placed themselves squarely in the game.

Then John Rutsey announced that the touring grind was not for him, especially with the added burden of increasing health issues in the form of diabetes. He bowed out.

What to do?

Enter Neil Peart, whose explosive percussive skills won him the job following his audition/jam session. They had also gained a lyricist in Peart, with Lee and Lifeson more than happy to strictly work on the music.

Personnel crisis averted they then sharpened their focus, recording two more LPs (Fly By Night and Caress of Steel), toured incessantly and despite their obvious talent, saw little in the way of any significant breakthrough.

Neil Peart picks up the story:

"The ensuing tour in support of Caress of Steel was half jokingly referred to as the "Down the Tubes Tour", and it was a pretty depressing string of small towns and small clubs, and a lot of unwelcome pressure from certain quarters about making our music more accessible and more salable. It was uncertain for a time whether we would fight or fall, but finally we got mad! We came back with a vengeance with "2112", perhaps our most passionate and powerful album yet. We were talking about freedom from tyranny, and we meant it! This was the first real blend of our diverse and schizophrenic influences, and it was also our first really successful album. We felt at the time that we had achieved something that was really our own sound, and hopefully established ourselves as a definite entity. The side long title piece itself became a featured part of our live shows, as much fun for us as for our audiences, and the trend was all upwards from that point on."

Flipping a proverbial middle finger at prevailing musical trends and record company hacks, they put all of their energy into making 2112.

Conceptual pieces were not new in the world of prog-rock. Many artists had already mined this territory, with the Who’s Tommy being one of the most successful examples. Yes, Genesis and scores of other bands would devote much effort to album-side length suites that followed a loose storyline and took listeners on a journey.

So it was with side one of 2112.

Granted, this seven part suite is graced with very engaging instrumental passages, impeccably played, though the story itself is somewhat slight:

In the year 2062, a galaxy-wide war results in the union of all planets under the rule of the Red Star of the Solar Federation. By 2112, the world is controlled by the "Priests of the Temples of Syrinx", who determine the content of all reading matter, songs, pictures - every facet of life. A man discovers a guitar and learns to play different music. When he goes to present this to the priests of the Temples, they destroy the guitar. He goes into hiding and dreams of a world before the Solar Federation. Upon awakening he becomes distraught and commits suicide. As he dies, another planetary battle begins resulting in the ambiguous ending:

’Attention all planets of the Solar Federation: We have assumed control.’

As well they might.

Back in 1976, Rush pulled off a coup. In going against the wishes of their own priests of the temples of Syrinx (i.e. record company executives telling them to ditch the concepts) they gambled and won. 2112 grabbed the imaginations of young, predominately male listeners, who bought it in droves. Add to that the live draw of three world class players who mowed down every audience that they faced and the one-two punch was unbeatable.

There are plenty of magical moments through the first side (vinyl copies) of 2112, with all of the main motifs boiled down and condensed in the “Overture” (shades of Tommy). Signature riffs, tasty bass lines and muscular drum work all underpin Lee in full cry on the “Temples of Syrinx”.

In all fairness, there is enough detail in the twenty minute cycle to at least grasp the intended message, though not enough time is allotted to truly develop characters in any great depth. Hence the jarring, 90 degree angle drop experienced as the piece ends swiftly, with cold totalitarian forces (apparently) obliterating all who dare to bring any light into the lives of the masses under their control.

INTERMISSION

Let’s all go the lobby, let’s all go to the lobby, let’s all go to the lobby and get ourselves some pot

In stark contrast to the claustrophobic, grim vision of a future without choices served up in the first half, the second side of 2112 starts out with a fantastic train trip through exotic locations. Each destination offers a chance to stuff your pipe with mother nature's finest.

A dope song? Yes and it's quite fine, complete with a fantastic harmonized lead guitar/bass figure. Best track from a very stellar set.

"We only stop for the best."

This hirsute gentleman guarantees it.

Balancing shorter compositions with the extended narrative that comprised the first act was a smart move. "Something For Nothing" is a strong finish to what would be an extremely pivotal LP for Rush. If you listen closely to the lyrics, there is almost a sense that some loose ends are being tied up with respect to the dystopian picture painted of 2112. Far from subtle, it does serve to nicely bookend the idea of a nightmarish society where freedom of expression is forbidden with a gentle reminder that certain rights and privileges are often taken for granted.

Or something like that.

GEORGE HARRISON

2010-07-18T23:06:00.000-04:00

THIRTY THREE & A THIRD

Never one to mince words about his experiences behind the scenes as a Beatle, George Harrison looked forward to creating music on his own terms when the inevitable split became a reality. Roaring out of the gate with All Things Must Pass in late 1970, he viewed the group's demise as an emancipation of sorts.

Solo success brought additional pressure to top himself, not to mention his former band mates. His need to distance himself from these expectations pushed him toward some very interesting musical territory. The Dark Horse LP, in particular, flirted with elements of jazz and arrangements that his fan base found hard to embrace. The 1974 tour was marred by problems with his voice, took a critical pasting and left him disillusioned with the business that he had once been so keen to break into. By 1975, he released the half-hearted Extra Texture to dwindling sales. Coincidentally, this was the last release for George on Apple Records and the label on the vinyl copies depicted an eaten away core as opposed to the iconic Granny Smith that graced all previous discs.

Such seemed to be the state of his career and personal life at that time.

It did get worse before the gloom lifted.

1976 would see him lose the lawsuit filed against him by Bright Tunes, which charged him with lifting the melody of the Chiffons "He's So Fine" for "My Sweet Lord". The actual story on this one is quite bizarre.

Back in 1969, he accepted an offer to do a short tour with Delaney and Bonnie and Friends. Harrison's experience was quite positive and he enjoyed the simple act of playing as part of a great band, without the nuisance of screaming idiots drowning out every note. At one tour stop, Delaney Bramlett and George were hanging out after the gig and Harrison quizzed Bramlett about his song writing:

"George came over to me and asked what inspired me to write gospel songs. I told him that I get thngs from the Bible, from what a preacher may say or just my feelings toward God. He said, 'Well, can you give me a for instance? How would you start?' So I grabbed my guitar and started playing the Chiffons melody from 'He's So Fine', singing the words My sweet Lord/Oh, my Lord/I just wanna be with you. George said okay. Then I said, 'Then you praise the Lord in your own way.' Rita and Bonnie were there and I told them when we got to that one part to sing Hallelujah."

Over a year later, Bramlett was shocked to hear this tune blasting out of every radio station he tuned to. He called Harrison and told him that he did not intend for him to actually use that melody. George claimed that he had changed it, though certainly not enough to avoid legal trouble.

Bramlett was even more shocked when he learned that he received zero writing credit for his efforts.

Probably for the best as it turned out.

Back to 1976, he was now unencumbered by contractual obligation to Apple. Signing on with A & M Records, health issues in the form of hepatitis delayed the recording of his new album. A & M promptly sued for breach of contract as the master tapes were not delivered on time.

Enter Warner Brothers records, who gladly took him on and bailed him out of his litigation with Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss.

Are we there yet?

Yes.

Considered a return to form, Thirty Three and a Third benefited greatly from the injection of humor in some of the lyrics. Slapped for his more lugubrious excursions into spiritual subject matter, Harrison toned down his proclivity for proselytizing in favor of more down to earth themes.

This set of tunes found him singing about cars ("It's What You Value"), women ("Woman Don't you Cry For Me", "Beautiful Girl") recent legal tangles ("This Song") the absurdities of life in the good old material world ("Crackerbox Palace") and Smokey Robinson ("Pure Smokey"). Malaise thus lifted, it does seem that a great deal of care was taken with arrangements and acheiving the right sounds to match the mood of the music: light and breezy.

Melodic touch sharpened to a fine point, Harrison's slide work is impeccable throughout. The session crew that he employed was not much different from his previous outings (Billy Preston, Tom Scott et al.), though the material that he gave them to work with was far more upbeat. You can hear great joy infused in their playing as a result.

Taking honors as the standout of the pack, "Crackerbox Palace" marries a silky slide orchestra with some of the wittiest lines to ever grace a Harrisong.

George Harrison - Crackerbox Palace

Another factor that certainly helped this album was George's mining of song ideas from the late sixties. Revisiting no less than three compositions left unfinished between 1967 and 1969 ("Woman Don't You Cry For Me", "Beautiful Girl" and "See Yourself"), he likely found renewed inspiration in their completion. Managing to go back even further, the lone cover is a very clever update of Cole Porter's "True Love", originally sung by Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly in the movie High Society.

Closing with some cool jazz, "Learning How to Love You" was originally slated to be given to Herb Alpert to record. Considering the spectacular failure of George's short-lived partnership with A & M records, there is a certain incongruous calm displayed in this gentle offering that belied the business squabbles in which both were ensnared at that time.

I'm sure that in a parallel universe, there's a George Harrison LP called Fuck You, Herbie!

Definitely one of his strongest sets from the seventies.

GEORGE HARRISON "This Song"

HAPPY 70TH, RITCHIE!

2010-07-07T21:52:00.001-04:00

CRAZY MARY

2010-06-27T22:24:00.004-04:00

WATER ON THE MOON

"Got to be starting something, everything has got to change"

Opening their latest disc with a call to arms, New York's Crazy Mary convey a positive message in "Eyes Above the Clouds" exhorting listeners to "use the weapon of love". Freewheeling in their approach, each track is infused with stellar playing and a particularly soulful feel that nods in the direction of the late sixties. There is a great sense that these people really enjoy making music together, which bodes well for finding a loyal audience, as that natural ebullience is something which cannot be faked. People know when it's real and get swept up in the energy.

"Gravity" is my personal pick of the pack, with clever shifts in time signature and nice harmonies all wrapped in an ethereal chord sequence.

Reminiscent of the experimental side of the Jefferson Airplane, Crazy Mary at times takes chances in arrangement and form. While their songwriting heads are in the clouds, they do keep their feet on the ground with solid grooves.

Much to be commended here, though I am surprised that I have not heard of them until now. They have been turning out albums for the past decade and I have some catching up to do.

You may peruse their discography here and then take some time out to learn more about the band

Music of this caliber should be finding a place on the play-lists of contemporary rock stations. We should demand more of that medium. In the meantime, independent ideas still thrive on the net. Time for a change?

It's long overdue.

Here's one to enjoy from the Crazy Mary archives (2001). Water on the Moon is available now and comes highly recommended.

THE KINGSTON TRIO

2010-06-17T00:23:00.004-04:00

FROM THE HUNGRY i and THE COLLEGE CONCERT

Over fifty years have passed since the The Kingston Trio's close harmonies first made an impact on record buyers. Sporting haircuts that you could set your watch by, with vocal arrangements as sharp as their matching shirts, these guys were also excellent musicians. Their success was a product of possessing a fine ear for arranging traditional tunes coupled with raw talent. Commercially, folk music hit a rare peak in the early 60s due to the pioneering work of Dave Guard, Bob Shane and Nick Reynolds.

Criticized by purists at the time for taking more of a populist approach to the music that they turned out, hindsight reveals more versatility than audience pandering in their material.

From the Hungry i was the second release by the group in 1959 and was excerpted from two nights of recordings made during their month long engagement at this venerable San Francisco venue. "Tic Tic Tic" is my personal favorite. Tight playing and singing is the rule, rather than the exception with nary a note out of place.

Despite their appeal, they were often dogged by a dark, disingenuous cloud for claiming traditional songs that had fallen into the category of public domain as their own. It's one thing to co-opt dusty old melodies from another century (and many artists did so), though when they attempted to take credit for Pete Seeger's (co-written by Joe Hickerson) poignant "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?", he politely asked that they drop any pretense of authorship.

For all that, their rendition is nothing short of perfect. Featured on The College Concert, it is one of many highlights on their first live disc with John Stewart who had replaced founding member Dave Guard in 1961. Guard's departure was apparently not amicable.

Nostalgia has been the primary driver for having these discs in rotation for the past few weeks. My parents had both of these LPs and I used to listen to them quite a bit as a child. (The cartoon depiction of the streets of San Francisco on the Hungry i album cover seemed like a page out of a coloring book to a four year old and I used it accordingly.)

Both sets hold up quite well.

The lads began to fall out of favor in the mid-sixties as more serious social concerns called for stronger language. People who chose to get their folk on now turned to singer/songwriters whose work reflected the turbulence of the times. British invasion bands helped swing the pendulum back toward rock.

Inevitably, they would call it a day in 1967, though the act has been revived with different line-ups in the intervening years.

I have made a few alterations to this write up in light of some great information passed on by writer Jim Moran via the comment section. His blog http://compvid101.blogspot.com/ is a treasure trove of insightful pieces on folk music . Currently, there is an excellent post on Bob Shane which is a must read for fans of the Kingston Trio.

LIVE EVIL AND DIO'S EXIT

2010-06-10T22:34:00.010-04:00

LIVE EVIL

Why can't we all just get along?

Balancing ego and accomplishment within the structure of a band is a tricky proposition. While some are content to play their role without demanding a greater slice of creative control or additional time in the limelight, many groups have fallen apart due to needless power struggles within their ranks. Fights about whose songs should be included, the overall musical direction to follow, image and a host of other contentious points have toppled many acts before they have had a chance to fulfill their initial promise.

So it was with Sabbath, Mach II, as 1982 drew to a close.

Please allow Tony Iommi to break it all down for you.

We'd worked so much and we'd been everywhere, non-stop work for years and then we recorded the live album and I say that loosely because of instead of being involved with it and listening to the sound in the [mobile recording] truck, it was recorded that quick at these gigs and we were more concerned with the gig than getting involved in the recording side.

When we got the [live recordings] in the studio, they were just bloody awful. It was so badly recorded that we had a big problem with it. We were pretty tired and our nerves were on edge and it just led to a bad feeling in the band.

And then to top it all, the engineer that was working with us was drinking more and more during these sessions and getting more and more pissed. One day, me and Geezer said, "It sounds different from how we left it last night" -- and this was going on for weeks – and the engineer said, "I can't take this any more! Ronnie's been coming in and adjusting everything and then you lot come in and adjust and then he comes in and adjusts it again and I just don't know what to do!"

And we said, "You're kidding?" and we broke up because of that! And of course, it was all hearsay and I don't really believe [what the engineer said] now but we did at the time.

Dio walked, taking Appice with him to forge a solo career.

Everything had been going so well...

Live Evil hit the racks not long after this bitterly acrimonious period of mixing, remixing, disowning and quitting took place. Quite good it is, too.

Courtesy of Circus Magazine, I recall reading a review of one of the gigs on the Mob Rules tour (Pine Knob amphitheater in Michigan) at that time, with mention of a forthcoming official live recording. This was the first Sabbath record that I was able to purchase when it originally came out. There were many debates revolving around Dio's handling of the Ozzy-era material, especially as Osbourne had released Speak of the Devil (a double live album of old Sabbath tunes) at roughly the same time. In the summer of 1983, I listened to both incessantly.

There are plenty of highlights, including the marathon version of "Heaven and Hell" welded together with "The Sign of the Southern Cross", complete with Ronnie's stage banter about recording/filming the show for eventual release and the audience participation segment. "Voodoo" has an extra verse, Iommi shreds, while Geezer and Vinny fill the spaces with beautiful noise.

If it's too loud, you're too old

It's worth mentioning that, for audiophiles, Live Evil exists in several formats, all with differences that range from track sequence (cassette has different running order than the vinyl copy), mix (CD vs. the record, UK vs. US masters) with the strangest being a CD release from Castle in 1996 that boiled everything down to one disc and eliminated Dio's between-song chatter. The Deluxe Edition, on the market since April 2010, has righted this careless tampering.

"Original Dio crowd interaction and audience noise restored."

Good.

Regardless of which copy you may own, it is a sterling document of this incarnation of Sabbath.

DIO AND SABBATH'S SECOND

2010-06-06T10:48:00.003-04:00

MOB RULES

Bolstered by the warm reception that Heaven and Hell received from critics and fans, Sabbath now returned strongly to the commercial arena. Always popular as a live act, their record sales had dwindled sharply from the mid 70s. Those fortunes now reversed, they carried on with an extensive tour to support Heaven and Hell. Plagued by a number of personal issues, Bill Ward abruptly quit the band before a show in the middle of the tour.

Enter Vinny Appice.

Younger brother of Vanilla Fudge drummer Carmine Appice, he brought a different approach, technique and attack to the Sabs. At the time, Tony admitted that Appice's playing gave himself and Geezer "a kick up the arse" on stage, sharpening their focus with live arrangements of both the new and "classic" material.

These changes amounted to a total overhaul in the sound and personality of the group, though it was an "apples and oranges" comparison when matched against the original line-up. Both incarnations produced work of great merit, equally enjoyable on many levels.

Striking while the proverbial iron was hot, the Anglo-American Sabbath went into the studio to record the tracks that would comprise Mob Rules. Once again, Martin Birch handled production duties and the results were impressive. A decade would pass before these four musicians collaborated on another studio recording, though we're jumping ahead a bit.

Back to 1981

Much heavier than the last set, Mob Rules kicks off with Vinny Appice applying a balpine hammer to open hi-hats, announcing the arrival of "Turn Up The Night". Setting the tone for a very compelling "side one", it has a great turnaround in the bridge with a frenetic build-up to the guitar solo. Iommi's sound is much brighter in the mix, which Birch ensures is balanced with much more "top end" than usual for Sabbath. Dio's themes deal with madness, violence and black magic blending with his standard recipe for conjuring tales out of the mist. He particularly scores on both the epic "The Sign of the Southern Cross" and the fleet-footed "Falling Off the Edge of the World", which has an inspired guitar figure with tortuous, demanding intervals.

Throw in the pulverizing title track, an incredibly fast exercise in distorted mayhem that reinforced their position as dealers of the weightiest slabs of metal in the business, and the picture is complete. Even somewhat lesser tracks ("Slipping Away", "Over and Over") still have an energy in performance that keep them afloat and give the impression that they are worthy of placement amongst the other giants on the disc.

Very fine album.

Interesting to note that the song sequence is quite similar to Heaven and Hell, which suggests that perhaps a bit of branding was afoot. It would have been interesting to see what musical course this aggregation charted next. Following the tour in support of Mob Rules, things went downhill pretty fast, leading to another major shakeup in the Sabbath camp.

MATT STEVENS

2010-05-31T22:54:00.005-04:00

GHOST

Picture a great storm passing over a patch of ocean water thousands of miles away. Suddenly, two or more waves recombine to form a large swell that travels over a great expanse to come crashing into your local coastline. The well crafted, instrumental stylings of UK artist Matt Stevens have been unleashed in similar fashion, with his latest disc, Ghost, headed this way.

Official release is June 1st, though I have had this album in my head for a few days now. You can do yourself a favor by adding this phenomenal set to your collection

Stevens utilizes his formidable acoustic guitar skills to great effect, conjuring up inspiring themes that instantly lodge themselves firmly in your consciousness. Once you think you have it figured out, he deftly shifts the creative goal posts, thereby ensuring that the listener's attention is maintained throughout. Layering his motifs intelligently, there are many subtle, moving parts within these compositions that demand repeated listening.

The best part? Human hands play an integral role in 99 percent of everything you hear on Ghost. Technology is only employed to enhance the material, not to create or overpower it. Great care has been taken with the arrangements and every note is executed tastefully

Standout tracks are "Into the Sea", "Eleven" "8:19" and "Ghost", though this is merely a matter of preference as all that you encounter here is brimming with melody and invention. Truly enjoyable in every aspect.

Find out more about the artist right here

BLACK SABBATH

2010-05-29T21:14:00.004-04:00

HEAVEN AND HELL

Did you ever have one of those little daydreams where you try to trace a series of events/decisions that led you to your present position in life?

Of course you have!

You wouldn't be human if you didn't take time to ponder your place in the cosmos. Happenstance, luck or just deviating from your usual weekend routine can sometimes alter the course of your existence.

For John Osbourne (Ozzy to his friends), 1979 was a pivotal year. Black Sabbath spent the latter part of the 70s in decline. Their last two releases (Technical Ecstasy and Never Say Die) had a soporific effect on the hardcore element of their fan base and rehearsals for the next project with Ozzy fell apart quickly. The ax was bound to fall. Fired from his gig fronting Sabbath after ten years and eight albums, Osbourne was in sorry shape. The decision to let him go on the grounds that his substance abuse and drinking were out of control could be viewed as a bit hypocritical, in light of the fact that the others were not exactly model candidates for membership in the temperance society themselves. Worse yet, drummer Bill Ward, one of his closest friends, was chosen to be the bearer of bad tidings

Ward was so out of it during this time that he does not recall the recording sessions for Heaven and Hell.

Making the story even more interesting is the fact that Sharon Arden (daughter of Don Arden, who managed Sabbath at that point) recommended Ronnie James Dio as Ozzy's replacement. Sharon would go on to manage and marry Ozzy, steering him through a very successful solo career.

Fate.

With Dio on board, the Sabbath machine once again started up in earnest, though bassist Geezer Butler quit for a period of time and was replaced by Craig Gruber (another former Rainbow member). Geoff Nichols also moved in to augment the band with keyboards. Work started on what would become the Heaven and Hell album. Butler returned early in 1980, carrying on with tracking as the new songs came together. Nichols remained, though Gruber was again out of a gig.

Gone were the transitory experiments with strings, brass and jazz stylings that had crept into parts of their previous two discs. Combining the traditional, bass-heavy attack with a slightly more sophisticated approach in the vocal department served to revitalize their sound. The relative excellence and consistency of these new compositions added up to a very satisfying listening experience, with Iommi stripping things back to basics. He proceeded to turn in his most impressive set of guitar figures in quite some time.

The Dio/Sabbath marriage rejuvenated interest in the group, though, clearly, an altogether different style was presented to listeners. "Neon Knights" kicks down the door at full speed, with an intensity that doesn't let up until the quick break before the solo. Fantasy imagery mixes with a tearing riff and Dio's peerless vocals. Instantly, they shred just about everything in the Rainbow discography in just under four minutes of metal. "Children of the Sea", a thinly disguised cautionary tale about poisoning the environment, opens softly before kicking into the sludgy mid-tempo riff that winds through a few tricky changes, including a great turnaround that supports Iommi's tasteful lead break. This passage breaks down with a mild chant in the background as we loop back to the introductory passage. Brilliant on all fronts, both of these tracks would soon be staples of the live set.

"Lady Evil" is notable for a little joke inserted close to the end of the tune. Singing of a woman who resides in Witches Valley and hand feeds the darkness itself, Dio seems to have no trouble with his new bandmates trying to steer him away from his natural writing style. In turn, after a breakdown with some tasty wah-wah pedal-driven lines, Iommi breaks into the riff from Cliff Richard's 1976 hit, "Devil Woman", before wrapping back into the outro verse.

You can almost imagine him flashing a subversive smile while doing so. There is confidence exuded in every aspect of the playing, none more so than on the astounding, multi-part title track.

"The closer you get to the meaning, the sooner you'll know that you're dreaming
And it's on and on and on, it's Heaven and Hell"

Heralded by a signature riff from Iommi, the distorted intro dissipates, leaving a sparse, insistent bass and drum foundation over which Ronnie powerfully delivers his lyric. Almost hypnotic in structure, the song shifts gears several times with a wealth of changes that could have been used to drive several different compositions. Nichols provides atmospheric coloring on keys throughout. Resolving on what seems to be an abrupt conclusion, Ward kicks in double time, with a perfectly controlled, yet frenetic sounding beat upon which the others jump on furiously.

"They say that life's a carousel, spinning fast you've got to ride it well, the world is full of kings and queens, who'll blind your eyes and steal your dreams it's Heaven and Hell"

Breathlessly racing to the finish, there is passion in every pore of this music, by far the best out of everything on this disc, which is saying something.

As a teenager, I used to listen to side two of this record in headphones many a night while in that twilight space between consciousness and sleep. It's a phenomenal stretch of music that walks a fine line between aggressive playing and lighter moments. Dio's range is on full display as he handles both moods with ease, often within the same track. ("Wishing Well and "Die Young" being perfect examples)

Closing with one of their most underrated pieces ("Lonely Is the Word") Iommi works in some jazzy licks, finally incorporating this side of his playing quite successfully in the context of what begins as a lugubrious, slogging riff that lightens in tone toward the end. Dio is particularly inspired and through the long fade, Nichols quotes from the Jimmy Page playbook with a repeated, short burst of notes (on keyboard) straight out of the final moments of the "Stairway to Heaven" solo. I'm not sure if it was done intentionally or not, though it's certainly apropos, considering the album's cornerstone title track.

Perhaps done as a jibe in the direction of his former band, the back cover artwork is a carbon copy of the last Rainbow LP to feature Dio. Speculatively, this had to have been his idea, or at least an extension of his sense of humor.

Heaven and Hell stands as one of their masterworks, bar none.

DIO'S LAST WITH RAINBOW

2010-05-26T21:17:00.005-04:00

LONG LIVE ROCK 'N' ROLL

Personnel changes would be the only constant during the period that Rainbow was active. Following the Rising tour, it was three up, two down.

Jimmy Bain: gone.

Tony Carey: gone.

Enter keyboardist David Stone and bassist Mark Clarke.

Well lads, let's get to work on the new album. Uhhh, except you, Mark. You're fired!

Blackmore decided to handle the bass parts himself, for the most part, with Bob Daisley called in to take the honors on three tunes ("Kill the King", "Sensitive to Light" and "Gates of Babylon"). When the dust settled, the finished product fell a bit short of their last studio effort. Indeed, there is an overall sense that the creative interplay between Dio and Blackmore is on the wane, the result being workmanlike.

A lesser opus, if you will.

Containing a mix of the very fine ("Kill the King" "Gates of Babylon") and play by the numbers ("Lady of the Lake" "LA Connection") Long Live Rock 'n' Roll is a bit too uneven to earn the "classic" stamp. Dio turns in his usual spotless vocal performance, though Blackmore's playing doesn't have the fire he had previously displayed and many of the riffs come off as fairly generic. Disappointing for someone of his capabilities. The signature, mystical quality of the lyrics seems to be submerged in favor of more mundane fare. "Sensitive to Light" sounds as if it could slot in comfortably on a Nazareth LP, with the exception of the lead vocals.

The Devil makes an appearance, as per usual, though the Goat-Footed One's presence is fleeting as are the themes that evoke mist, swords and sorcery. Dio's natural affinity for such subject matter was now at odds with Blackmore's desire to lean in a more mainstream direction. This rift would widen, leading to RJD's depature from the Rainbow fold in 1979. The revolving cast of musicians would render the band unrecognizable as they soldiered on into the eighties.

"Rainbow Eyes" closes out this set in curious fashion. The execution, structure and pace are undeniably pretty, though this track really belongs at some second rate Renaissance Fair, being woefully out of step with everything else here.

Far too medieval and not enough evil.

No wonder Dio bolted.

The next move for this powerful singer would surprise many and forge another winning, albeit short-lived, writing partnership.

ON STAGE

2010-05-25T22:19:00.002-04:00

ON STAGE

Looking to capitalize on their strengths, live recordings of Rainbow in full flight were made at stops in Germany and Japan on the tour to support Rising. Cherry picking the best versions of songs from their sets, Martin Birch was tasked with pulling together the finished product for release in 1977.

It has been said of Blackmore that he's always been much more comfortable playing live than in the confines of the studio and certainly much more inventive when walking the tightrope in front of an audience. Dio had the range and power to easily carry off everything he did on record, often surpassing those versions. Add the powerhouse rhythm section with a versatile keyboardist to tastefully fill the spaces and you have the recipe for an incredibly exciting live experience.

That it is.

On Stage documents a band that's firing on all cylinders. It would also represent the beginning of the end for this lineup.

RAINBOW THE SECOND

2010-05-21T22:52:00.003-04:00

RISING

Forging ahead in grand style, the two principal members of Rainbow wrote six new songs together and as the calendar page flipped over to usher in 1976, Ronnie and Ritchie had fired the rest of the band.

When the magicians clapped their hands, not only did a dove materialize but also three new hired guns: Cozy Powell, Jimmy Bain and Tony Carey now filled the drum, bass and keyboard slots. Dream lineup in place, they recorded the Rising album in just one month. As with the first disc, the legendary Martin Birch handled production/engineering duties and the final product clocked in at just 33 minutes.

This is where the similarities end.

Lauded as one of the finest works of the heavy metal genre, there is zero filler in this most impressive set.

Rock was starting to show some bloat by this stage. The advent of the power trio in the late sixties saw the role of the rhythm guitarist vanish through the magic of signal phase distortion, walls of amplifiers and PA systems designed to blast the eardrums of thousands. The early seventies gave rise to acts who invented LOUD. Sabbath, Purple, Zeppelin... all delivered volume by the truckload. As the decade wore on, these groups would move away from the sonic styles that made them famous. With "heavy" giving way to soft rock, disco and homogenous, corporate, soulless garbage, there had to be a successor to the recently abdicated metal throne.

This incarnation of Rainbow would not disappoint.

Built on the sheer strength of the players involved, the opener ("Tarot Woman") is prefaced by over a minute of synth noodling with Blackmore's intro riff faded up into the mix as everyone kicks in hard.

"Beware of a place, a smile on a bright shiny face. I'll never return, how do you know? Tarot woman"

Ritchie's solos are tasteful and Dio provides his own harmony vocal to punch home the chorus. It's a mesmerizing performance all around. The remainder of the first side is no less gripping, with every measure taken to keep the arrangements tight, yet each musician has room to showcase their talents. The drum fills in "Run With the Wolf" are plentiful, inventive, though they do not overpower the song. Even better, the running time of each selection is quite economical. Business is stated quickly, with a hard edge to balance the near pop format, replete with extremely effective hooks.

Epic pieces are saved for the mighty second side.

"Stargazer" gets the full orchestral treatment, drifting close to Zep's "Kashmir" in places (you'll hear it) and prefigures the territory that Iron Maiden would later explore further ("To Tame A Land" and "Powerslave" ) with guitar parts that have a middle eastern flavor.

Closing with the supercharged "A Light in the Black", each instrumentalist really gets to stretch out, with dextrous, flame-thrower solos tossed out by both Carey and Blackmore.

It really doesn't get much better than this. Dio hurls vocal Molotov cocktails, making the most of every syllable, wasting not a word. Rising is clearly the very best LP to be issued in the Dio-era of Rainbow and this line-up is the main reason for that. Jimmy Bain would soon be dumped from the band by the ever mercurial Blackmore, though he would be again recruited by Dio in the early 80s when the singer formed his own group.

The next item on the Rainbow project list involved capturing their live show for release.

DIO-THE RAINBOW DISCS

2010-05-18T22:52:00.001-04:00

RITCHIE BLACKMORE'S RAINBOW

Though he had been fronting bands since his teen years (in the late 1950s), Ronnie James Dio did so in relative obscurity until 1975. He had caught the ear of Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore while singing for a group called Elf. Due largely to his prodigious vocal talent, the band was invited to tour with Purple. He caught a further break when Blackmore, pissed with the direction that DP Mach III was moving in, recruited Ronnie and his Elf-mates to make an album.

This is where the Dio legend begins.

Hurriedly recorded, the debut disc has its moments, though suffers from being somewhat underwritten. Containing the very fine "Man On The Silver Mountain" and stellar cuts like "Catch the Rainbow", this is by no means a bad record. The highlights make it worthwhile, though it is not consistently brilliant. What really counts is RJD's peerless voice, which lifts everything he touches. There would be no conventional "you know I love ya baby" couplets tossed out as an afterthought, as he worked to craft lyrics that suggest fantastic realms, occupied by otherworldly characters. This would become his signature, garnering as much attention as his operatic delivery.

Clocking in at just over a half hour in total, padded by two covers, it only provides a glimpse of the potential that the Blackmore/Dio partnership had to offer. Their follow up would be far superior.

RONALD JAMES PADAVONA

2010-05-16T20:06:00.002-04:00

DIO

No words.

DARYL HALL AND JOHN OATES

2010-05-11T21:32:00.005-04:00

ABANDONED LUNCHEONETTE

Long before their ascent to fame, Daryl Hall and John Oates were fixtures on the Philadelphia scene, toiling away in separate groups. Even after cementing their creative partnership, they wrote and performed in relative anonymity for quite some time before they took the first steps toward wider recognition and eventual superstardom. Their first release as a duo (Whole Oats) in 1972 was roundly ignored.

Undeterred, the pair went about the process of writing songs for their next full length disc, Abandoned Luncheonette.

It would be nice to report that this record was a monster hit, though, sadly, it met with the same fate as their first LP. Critical raves across the board did not translate to commercial success. Truly a shame that the record buying public let this one slip by on first appearance, as it is melodically strong, cleverly arranged and extremely engaging.

To their credit, they pressed on.

First off, for those who have a nodding acquaintance with Hall and Oates, the work found here does not bear any resemblance to the material that struck gold for them in the eighties. That's not a criticism by any stretch, just a friendly setting of expectation for those who may be snickering derisively at the mere thought of checking out this fine set.

Laughing time is over.

Their estimable talents as writers/performers coalesce on a number of very inventive selections, though it is the pairing of voices that really puts the material across. Blue eyed soul had two new ambassadors, The Righteous Brothers with a slightly different slant. Abandoned Luncheonette proved to be the proverbial Trojan Horse that concealed a weapon that would go unnoticed on the first pass: "She's Gone"

Ultimately, fellow R & B soulsters (The Tavares) would record this gem and hit number 1 in 1974. The original version didn't score for Hall and Oates until 1976. This still holds up as one of their finest creations.

Elsewhere, the compositionally adventurous. multi-part title track would spin a tale that Billy Joel would take more than a few cues from when constructing "Scenes From an Italian Restaurant" four years later.

Every one of these selections has merit, with additional standouts being "Had I Known You Better Then", "Las Vegas Turnaround" and the very fine "I'm Just a Kid (Don't Make Me Feel Like a Man)". Production is slick, handled by one of the acknowledged masters: the late Arif Mardin. Despite the instrumental layering that is present, he does not forget to accentuate the harmonies that the pair hit so effortlessly throughout. Intimacy is maintained, despite the long list of musicians that contribute to the mix.

Hall and Oates were (and still are) strongest in live performance, as you may have gathered from the clips posted here. They would arrange things in a grittier manner for the stage and had the chops to pull it all off successfully.

With so much going for it, there is really no reason why this shouldn't have been a hit. The bizarre cover choice was certainly an artsy decision, though it probably didn't help to market the LP in any tangible way. With "glitter rock" all the rage during the early 70s, a photo of a crumbling cafe really couldn't be expected to compete with androgynous, space alien singers. The truly awful promo video that was shot for "She's Gone" didn't help

Pass the bong, Johnny!

Easily the best representation of their early work.

THE ROCK AND ROLL GUIDE TO CUSTOMER LOYALTY

2010-05-04T21:21:00.002-04:00

One of rock and roll's best friends, Joe Heuer, has written a brand new book called "The Rock and Roll Guide to Customer Loyalty"

Finally, a guide that makes perfect sense! Insightful, humorous and well worth your time, this is highly recommended reading. There is a sharp wit mingled with very positive messages on every page.

Follow the link to grab a copy for yourself and find out why Joe is The Rock and Roll Guru.

THE GODS

2010-04-28T22:44:00.004-04:00

GENESIS

Britain was the spawning ground for many of the most innovative rock groups of the sixties, with an impressive list of bands that virtually changed the face of popular music. Contemporary listeners have little difficulty identifying the Beatles, Stones, the Who, Cream and other giants of that era.

Mention The Gods, however, and you will likely be met with a blank stare.

Notable for reasons other than their output, they had a rotating cast of members that would move on to find greater success elsewhere. Mick Taylor and Greg Lake both logged time as Gods, though they were gone well before the initial recording sessions commenced for Genesis.

Interestingly enough, two fourths of the lineup on this album (Ken Hensley and Lee Kerslake) would be later play a major part in Uriah Heep.

We are now getting ahead of the story. Time to blow the dust off of a forgotten disc.

Progressive rock was in its infancy in 1968, though there were many aggregations who were more than prepared to propel mainstream fare into the outer limits. Psychedelia was still very much in vogue, though the free form jams that were a product of lysergic influences began to give way to more traditional formats. The British blues movement brought long improvisations in line with 12 bar structures. The Gods had been playing the blues, though they went in another direction, embraced the spirit of the times and adopted the trippy sounds of the era.

You can hear the beginnings of what would become the signature, Hammond-driven sound of Uriah Heep in the early 70's, due to the dominant instrumental presence of Hensley. He handles lead vocal chores here as well. The end product is decent and well worth listening to, though it is an unremarkable set. Exceptions are the brilliant "I Never Know", which features a dreamlike mellotron part and "Looking Glass" with vocals that threaten to scrape the stratosphere.

Redolent of the sounds that were prevalent in the late 60's, there are few surprises if you are familiar with contemporary music of that period. You can hear stylistic traces of Vanilla Fudge and Steppenwolf in places.

To their credit, no truly horrible songs spoil the proceedings, although the tiresome, random sound effects that link the tracks do not jell with the music that is presented. There is a feverish imagination at work that carries the material and makes it seem more interesting than it actually is. Again, this is a more of a curio for those who want to trace the early flowerings of the prog movement, though it is a respectable effort.

WELCOME TO THE GREATEST DAY OF MY ENTIRE FUCKING LIFE

2010-04-23T23:52:00.000-04:00

A fine summation.

RENO BO

2010-04-20T00:04:00.002-04:00

HAPPENINGS AND OTHER THINGS

In the past decade, increasing dependancy on digital manipulation, coupled with the advent of bands who sound like they have spent more time in marketing courses than the garage, has contributed to a sorry state of affairs for contemporary music lovers. Prevailing trends being as they are, it is always refreshing to hear the work of an artist who has chosen to swim against the tide

Revolutions are often born out of dissatisfaction with mediocrity. For those who fear for the impoverishment of creativity, help is on the way.

Reno Bo has moved away from a support role (playing bass for Mooney Suzuki and Albert Hammond Jr.) to step into the spotlight with his debut solo album, Happenings and Other Things. Well crafted songs and uncluttered arrangements are the rule, rather than the exception, making this disc an absolute pleasure to listen to. Adam Schlesinger's production job is exceptional, providing sharp definition to each instrument, especially the drum sound, which is reminiscent of the aural punch achieved by John Bonham in the seventies.

There is definite stake driven firmly into the ground from outset on this record, which invites the listener to enjoy properly constructed songs, with verses as strong as the choruses, imaginative bridges and a sympathetic supporting cast of musicians making it all work.

Synthetic noises and vocals that are buried in shallow effects are nowhere to be found.

Indeed, it is only soulful, power pop/rock inflected material that you encounter here and it doesn't come any better than "There's a Light". Kicking in strong, this is the perfect selection for the opening slot with a tightly edited intro that wastes no time moving into the infectious chorus. The turnaround change that leads back into the verses is the icing on the cake.

Successfully channelling Terry Gilliam's cartoon work with the Python troupe mixed with a dash of the stylistic devices used by Heinz Edelmann in the Yellow Submarine movie, the accompanying video was conceived and executed by Bo himself.

"There's A Light" by RENO BO (Official Video) from Electric Western Records on Vimeo.

Inevitably, there will be comparisons to those acts that have inspired the retro feel that colors this work. Bo is simply carrying on a tradition of making good, straight ahead rock and roll, which is infused with his own particular vision and observations. For those that need a reference point, all of the positive attributes that made Big Star, Badfinger and Led Zep so engaging are present, though it is all filtered through a modern lens.

Vocally, Reno has a laid back style that is all his own, which perfectly suits his creations. Not once does he strain to hit a note or reach outside of his range. More importantly, you are actually hearing his singing, unencumbered by the trendy pitch correction devices that have caused so many current recordings to lose personality. Stellar harmonies also factor in heavily throughout.

Much is to be commended here, ranging from stripped down acoustic performances ("Baby, You're Not Feelin' Me Tonight") to full band ravers ("Higher Tonight", "Shake Me Up"). Masterfully sequenced, the record grabs your ear early on, holds interest and whether by design or happy accident, picks up the pace through the "back nine". There is a palpable adrenaline rush right up to finish line, with a slight downshift on the last track, the excellent "I See Stars".

Solidly stomping, "Sugar Suite Blues" is my personal pick, featuring a killer riff and adroit drum fills that would not have sounded out of place on Physical Graffiti. I mean this as a sincere compliment. In the heyday of LPs, this tune would have made for a killer start to side two. In fact, one thought recurred constantly as I listened:

The vinyl version of this gem would sound incredible.

Overall, Happenings and Other Things makes a glorious first impression, which only gets better with subsequent spins. If this is a harbinger of the coming revolution in music, then sign me up. Reno Bo has created something that will stand the test of time and it is more than evident that there is a major talent here that deserves to be heard. I'm already looking forward to the next one.

"There's a Light" is the new single, released today.

Check out this link to grab your own copy of the album.

http://www.renobo.com/

BIGELF

2010-04-16T23:42:00.006-04:00

CHEAT THE GALLOWS

Horrific new trends in music surface every few months, though they usually fizzle out (mercifully) after a short run of insane popularity with the masses. This cycle of madness is usually pretty reliable, though there are some forms of entertainment that return on cue after a period of exile and are welcomed back warmly, simply because the blueprint was designed to cheat the bounds of time.

Quietly, with an unerring sense of majestic timing, the weathered ship that flies the flag of heartfelt rock and roll regularly sails back into port, bowsprit encrusted with the build up of countless nautical miles logged in far flung waters. Each return arouses the same stirrings of excitement in people as it had the last time around.

Why?

Only you know the answer to that one.

Please allow me a moment to make a tired point by picking on the music of the late eighties.

In short, it was completely putrid, with garbage genres piling up in a fetid heap. Clattering, synthesized sludge befouled the airwaves and if you wanted to hear a rock band, most were trying to balance a fucking poodle on their empty heads while channeling embarrassing, third rate Van Halen, with little of the panache that the maestro himself injected into his own great, early records. Too harsh? Dust off some vintage glam-metal circa 1988 and we'll see how long it takes before you reach for a sharp object to perforate both of your ear drums, thus making it go away.

Along came Masters of Reality, who essentially distanced themselves from these train wrecks by indulging in the sounds of the early seventies. Getting down to basics, they made a stellar rock LP (with Rick Rubin in the director's chair) that was redolent of a time when quality sold the song, though they explored very little new territory. Didn't matter one iota, as it was real.

Fast forward twenty years.

Thanks to the auto tuner and a severe dearth of creativity, today's "hit-makers" make most of the idiot groups from that period sound like Mozart by comparison.

No joke.

Which brings us to the curious case of Bigelf and their most recent (2008) offering, Cheat the Gallows. Apropos of Masters of Reality's 1988 debut, Bigelf have turned the same trick by embracing the sounds of a bygone era in a sea of contemporary drivel. To say that these guys sound like (insert classic band name here) is akin to giving a five hour dissertation on the health benefits of regular breathing to an assembled group of seasoned medical professionals.

Much thought and work went into the production of Cheat the Gallows.

Raising the ghosts of previous grandiose epics with stylistic tips of the top hat to just about everyone, they blend the Beatles, Floyd, Sabbath, ELP, Uriah Heep and Alice Cooper with a host of other styles into a a song cycle that feels cartoonish at times, yet you will appreciate every nuance that the animators are tossing at you. Remarkably ambitious, this disc grabs your attention very quickly and never allows for a moment where you might want to run off to make a sandwich in lieu of checking out what might happen next.

Honing their act, under the radar, since 1991, Bigelf have released a couple of discs, undergone lineup shuffles and built a fan base, though I had not heard of them until recently.

Better late than never.

Great song writing, chops to spare and the employment of recording techniques that hark back to the golden age of analog are charms that prove very difficult to resist. If you have listened to a wide variety of "heavy" acts from the 70s and like them, then Cheat the Gallows will slip easily into your collection. Coming close to the wealth of fine ideas that Iommi and company were knee-deep in during the Sabbath Bloody Sabbath/Sabotage era, there is much to celebrate here. "Hydra" and "The Evils of Rock and Roll" both bear the stamp of those LPs, though there is much more going on.

What works best over the course of these ten, tightly arranged songs is the lightning pace at which motifs change, often at several intervals within the same tune. There is no time allotted to become glassy-eyed by any overlong theme. Providing much comfort food for those whose formative years were shaped by bands that actually gave thought to treating an album as a continuous performance, Bigelf adopt the approach of the concept piece, albeit with a wink. Conjuring up Floyd's salad days, you can almost imagine Richard Wright all over the keys in "Money, It's Pure Evil" with layered harmonies on those big choruses.

Big is the operative word.

Elsewhere, the bombastic elements of Queen surface in mini-operatic form, with multi-part suites flying in every direction. None of these interludes ever overstay their welcome. The set is book ended with a grand entrance and closes in an almost jokey, music hall style. Though the "goodnight folks" is handled in a clever fashion.

Gripping from start to finish, this is a recording that begs to be listened to in the way that it was likely intended: vinyl format. It is easy to play the "that sounds just like" game with this material, however, I would recommend simply enjoying the ride.

Nothing new under the sun, though this is a very pleasant surprise.

MALCOLM MCLAREN RIP

2010-04-08T19:21:00.003-04:00

Malcolm McLaren, former manager of the Sex Pistols passed away today in Switzerland. He was 64 years old.

Mr. McLaren spent much of the last 30 years trying to explain punk. Here's a clip from "The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle"

“I never thought the Sex Pistols would be any good, but it didn’t matter if they were bad.”

RAM JAM

2010-04-03T10:32:00.004-04:00

PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG RAM

Tight, straight up, late 70's rock and/or roll always goes down better than a second beer and Ram Jam delivered just that with their sophomore disc, which also turned out to be their last.

Their smoking overhaul of Leadbelly's "Black Betty" was a fair sized hit, earning them a profile, so it would stand to reason that a built in audience would be guaranteed for the next release.

Sadly, this would not be the case.

Despite best efforts, the reception for this one was practically non existent, consigning this talented bunch to the transit lounge filled with acts waiting to catch the next flight to further stardom, only to forever remain on stand by.

Perhaps the lack of a standout single was a factor in stalling the album, though that doesn't mean it isn't worthy. Quite the contrary, as a matter of fact. The playing is impeccable, the lyrics are without pretension and it sounds just as good as any hard rock record of that era. "Runway Runaway" is my pick, just for the lead work alone.

Lost classic? That seems to be the consensus amongst those who have written about it, though to be fair, no astonishing innovation is present save for the clever, Joycean title. Even with better promotion, they probably would have only had modest chart success at best. Echoes of Aerosmith and other purveyors of muscular, energetic riffage make for a decent spin, though. The coked up, leisure-suited set were far too preoccupied with the insistent, robotic charms of disco to take any notice. Rock was becoming the eccentric uncle who had to be told to "keep a bit more to the back" in family photos. Very shortly, the dreaded "dinosaur" tag would be stamped on groups of this ilk and chops would be traded for marketability in video clips.

Commercially stonewalled by an increasingly fickle marketplace, Ram Jam would call it a day after this, chalking up another instance of listener apathy stopping a good thing before it really had a chance to develop.

MUSIC ON THE COUCH ROUNDTABLE

2010-03-28T20:27:00.004-04:00

Very excited to be joining a discussion regarding the music industry on a cool blogtalkradio program hosted by Vinny "Bond" Marini called Music On the Couch.

Here's the link:

Music On The Couch Roundtable

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When? The show airs 10pm to 11pm ET on Monday, March 29th.

Details:

A panel discussion with four music aficionados covering where the music industry has come from, where it is now and where it is heading. Joining host Vinny Bond are good friends Starrlight http://absinthedreamers.blogspot.com/, who will bring her wealth of knowledge regarding the newest alternative bands; JohnH http://www.avoicetohear.com/ who has his finger on the pulse of the Indy bands abounding today and Sean Coleman, whose knowledge of Classic Rock is as complete as they come. Dial in as we all sit on The Couch and talk it through.Your participation is also encouraged by calling the show at 1.347.633.9400.

Registration to join in and chat takes just a few minutes and is free. Pre-register here http://www.blogtalkradio.com/register.aspx

Be sure to tune in on Monday evening!

JONI MITCHELL

2010-03-27T10:54:00.008-04:00

THE HISSING OF SUMMER LAWNS

Joni Mitchell made bold strides away from her singer-songwriter-folkie persona in the mid seventies. Gifted beyond belief, she took a decision to explore the outer limits of her creativity, which would ultimately exceed the expectations of her most besotted worshippers.

Down the line, this transformation would also pose problems for short-sighted marketing drones trying to shovel out the usual shit-disguised-as-ice cream to the masses.

Great painters utilize as many colors as their pallet can handle. Understanding this well, Mitchell made a detour into jazzier stylings, augmenting her songs by calling in some of the hottest session players in the business. Intent on avoiding a misstep into bland, cocktail lounge territory, her inspired leap would not sacrifice the edge that she had sharpened to a fine point as a wordsmith. Combining poetic sensibility with newfound instrumental textures gave her a much larger canvas to work with.

Artistic maturation also brought about a rethink in Joni's approach to singing. In short, her delivery was altered to suit the idiom of cool jazz that now colored the tracks. Note that the gentleman making love to the upright in the following clip is legendary bassist Max Bennett, who would figure prominently in her recording/touring cycle in this period.

Always inventive with modal tunings, her original sense of melodic design has often fooled listeners (and fellow musicians) who have sought out the root notes, finding them replaced by an ever shifting musical bedrock. This is just one of the attributes that has kept people crawling back, repeatedly, to immerse themselves in her genius. Each trip through her carefully constructed records leaves no choice but to return again, in the eternal hope of discovering how this canny magician manages to successfully suspend disbelief.

What she has to offer is something far more subtle than the typical street corner hustler's brand of three card monte.

Gently pushing forward, the transition point started with For the Roses. Brilliantly understated, it paved the way for the more grandiose makeover that produced the commercial smash of Court and Spark. The ensuing tour matched her with Tom Scott and the LA Express, bringing all of the pieces into place on stage. Miles of Aisles gave listeners a recorded souvenir of these shows.

Most artists close the loop on a particular period of activity with a live album, which can function as both a summation of what has come before and as a means of satiating their fan base while they re-evaluate their approach to their craft.

The Hissing of Summer Lawns would be a masterstroke.

Employing, for the most part, the same cast of phenomenal musicians who had supported her on the aforementioned Court and Spark, Mitchell's vision for the new material was decidedly much more "free form" in terms of what she had to say. Sheer inscrutability is the one constant of the lyrical subject matter.

Not for the last time, she would be moving much faster than her contemporaries.

This has often been called a "difficult record", though if it is, I don't hear it. Reading certain reviews would almost lead you to believe that this was her version of Metal Machine Music. Don't buy into that.

Sonically, there are instances where she veers away from conventional pop structures ("The Jungle Line" "Shadows and Light") though the surprises primarily turn up in the unfathomable verses. Things start out in relatively familiar territory, with the smooth strains of "In France They Kiss on main Street". In fact, it's pretty much like Old Home Week with pals David Crosby, Graham Nash and James Taylor lending strong harmonies to a track that would have fit in perfectly on Court and Spark.

We'd all go lookin' for a party, lookin' to raise Jesus up from the dead

Listeners expecting another soft landing pad get a jarring wake up with the insistent, pounding rhythms of the Royal Drummers of Burundi. Acoustic guitar, austere Moog synth interjections and a detached vocal float over the mass of percussionists.

Rousseau walks on trumpet paths
Safaris to the heart of all that jazz
Through I bars and girders-through wires and pipes
The mathematic circuits of the modern nights
Through huts, through Harlem, through jails and gospel pews
Through the class on Park and the trash on Vine
Through Europe and the deep deep heart of Dixie blue
Through savage progress cuts the jungle line

Light years away from anything she had committed to tape thus far, you can imagine the subversive pleasure that she must have derived in throwing this musical change-up so quickly into the set. Work of this calibre is a shining example of why so many writers are driving comfortably down roads that she has broken her back to pave.

Perfectly balanced, each of the five songs on this immaculate "Side One" will drag you back for repeated listens. "Don't Interrupt the Sorrow" offers up a patented CGDGBD tuning, searing verses and subtle backing from the players who cradle the tune as if they are at risk of losing it. Definite highlight.

Wrapped in the sweet groove of the LA Express rhythm section for much of this disc, Joni is free to do many aerial somersaults, safe in the knowledge that Max Bennett and John Guerin are there to catch her. Guerin even scores a co-writing credit on the title cut, which involves a sketch of a man who scores a trophy wife and then proceeds to treat her as if she was one of his many acquisitions.

He put up a barbed wire fence
To keep out the unknown
And on every metal thorn
Just a little blood of his own

Treated like a domestic pet, running along the perimeter of a fence with "a diamond for her throat", the woman's incarceration is painted as being one that she has chosen. Mitchell looks, with some distaste, upon the affluent, cookie-cutter style neighborhoods, with the manicured lawn of each home featuring the suburban system of irrigation. The bitter medicine of this subtle commentary on patriarchal materialism is sweetened by laid back electric piano.

Every note of this record hits the mark, with the second side filled with as many engaging melodies, though much more low key. "Sweet Bird" is reminiscent of "Other People's Parties" musically, though the words remain purposely vague. It is very easy to put this album on and just let it play through.

Her happiest musical moment?

"When I wrote 'Shadows and Light', which came out intact, verse by verse by verse with no rewrites; that was a thrill."

Much like the startling innovation of Lennon's "Tomorrow Never Knows" from Revolver nearly a decade before, this stunning track was a departure in form, even when measured against the adventurous compositions that preceded it. It could only be placed at the end of the album, as it would have made anything that came after seem anti-climactic. Mitchell creates her own vocal chorale, using the ARP as her only support.

I leave the interpretation to you.

While I'm not one of those obsessives who has holed up in a room listening to nothing but this record for months on end, I have spent a lot of time with it. That being said, as a piece, I feel that it ranks higher than both Blue and Court and Spark (which were both very fine). All of Joni Mitchell's ambitions coalesce as she closes the door on semi-confessional song writing and begins to explore a different type of expression. The joy here is in the veiled word play and her clever way of leaving things unresolved. Some do not appreciate it, though the best art is that which makes your brain work, compelling you to revisit its complexities. Where would we be if everything was completely laid out on flash cards and wrapped up neatly with nary a loose end to be found?

Bored to death.

THE CRAWPUPPIES

2010-03-19T20:42:00.010-04:00

WORLD'S MUCH BIGGER

Had the great pleasure to be steered toward a couple of taster tunes from a band called The CrawPuppies, who happen to have a new CD out called World's Much Bigger.

You can learn all about the quartet here http://www.crawpuppies.com/index3.html

Straight up rock songs with good melodies always find a receptive audience and these guys certainly have that part locked down. The title track leans toward Being There era Wilco, which is certainly a plus. Crunchy guitars and a subtle hook line highlight a great tune. Most impressive is a deliberate move keep the vocals free of the dreaded modern engineering crutch: the auto tuner/pitch corrector. The band is allowed to breathe, though production values remain high.

Definite favorite of the two is "She Comes Lovely", which features fantastic changes, delicate guitar interpolations and excellent vocals. Again, it's refreshing to listen to people who are putting thought into the finished product.

I really like what I hear so far and look forward to spinning the full length disc.

In a plastic world, there's always room for craftsmanship.

The CrawPuppies are officially in my listening rotation.

GREEN BEER AND SHAMROCKS

2010-03-17T20:51:00.002-04:00

Two great Irish story tellers and musicians, Liam Clancy and Tommy Makem.

I'm raising a glass to the both of them tonight.

Here they are, live from God's Country, in 1977.

Happy St Patty's Day!

May you be half an hour in heaven before the devil knows you're dead

MOTORHEAD

2010-03-14T17:33:00.013-04:00

BOMBER

Contemporary culture seems to be focused on smothering people with safety.

This is fine if you're shopping for a new family car, though good music should move people to a place where there's a little more action, even a hint of danger.

Looking for some rock and roll?

Arse-kicking from start to finish, Bomber is just the ticket. Lemmy, Phil and Eddie hit a ferocious groove throughout, delivering on the LP cover's promise that the bad-ass trio intend to carpet bomb everything in sight.

I was a teenage metalhead

Yes, I proudly owned every Motorhead release (on cassette) right up to Another Perfect Day. Out of that amazing run of discs, this one just hits the spot. Strip away all of the artifice and you have three aggressive instrumentalists hitting their marks hard with no regard for anything but the thrill of making beautiful noise together. The band works like a Swiss watch.

Despite the violence of each attack, Lemmy delivers catchy melodies with hooks that you can hang your hat on. His vocal coach may have overdone it with the "carton of cigs washed down with Jack Daniels" regimen, though that part just adds to the authenticity.

Wouldn't be Motorhead with Pat Boone out front now, would it?

There is a wit at work here that those who write off anything louder than Coldplay are missing out on. The title track always brings a twinkle back to dimming eyes.

You know we do it right
A mission every night
It's a bomber...

It actually plays like a fleet of bombers.

Lemmy lets Fast Eddie Clarke take the wheel for a tune ("Step Down") and fires scattershot verbal barbs in all directions. There are a clutch of classics on this record ("Lawman" "Poison" "All the Aces") that remain satisfying thirty years on from their creation. These guys didn't bother with being trendy, which has payed handsome dividends in terms of musical shelf life. Kids in 2034 will still be picking up on the energy of Motorhead because it's real. Simple as that.

Jimmy Miller produced this mighty work in between trips to the land of nod.

Would your lawn die if Lemmy moved in to the house next door?

Definitely.

No amount of description is a substitute for the real thing, so velcro yourself in and enjoy some rock and roll in the way it was intended to be heard.

LOUD