TECHNICAL ECSTASY

Deemed by many as the first real misstep in the Sabbath discography, Technical Ecstasy was only tepidly received upon initial release in 1976. There was much made of the fact that Birmingham's purveyors of doom had moved well away from the the sonic blueprint that had captured the imaginations of listeners in the early seventies.

They're using synthesizers?!?

Did I really hear strings plastered all over that intro?

And who's that bloke singing the other slow number??

Perhaps some of the die-hards had quit listening after Master of Reality. As early as Vol.4 there had been a piano based ballad ("Changes") which featured string parts reproduced on a Mellotron. Similarly, strings, synths and keys figured prominently on several tracks on both Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Sabotage.

Another point of discussion was the change in Iommi's guitar tone. Criticism came from those who felt that he had abandoned the sludgy, monumental riffs that had effortlessly flowed from his detuned Gibson in favor of a lighter approach. More of a "light and punchy" sound that the entire family could enjoy.

Yet again, this transition had begun four years earlier with Vol.4. Feeding his signal through a Rotosound effects box on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath gave his sound a swirling, organ-like texture. These changes had a gestation period of several years.

OK, if this is such a great album, why haven't more people heard it?

Simply a case of a band not playing to type.

As evidenced by the expansion of the band's musical horizons over the course of their (then) most recent three studio projects, Technical Ecstasy merely added another layer of experimentation. Fans that wanted Sabbath to continue on their former, heavier path were turned off by the move closer to the middle of the road. For the casual admirer, there just weren't enough hooks on which they could hang their hats. Worse still, soft rock was becoming the prevailing noise heard on radio with the rumblings of disco poised to grab a larger share of the market.

Given these circumstances, Technical Ecstasy didn't have much of a chance. Metal supporters just didn't hear a lot that they could relate to and the leisure suit crowd were likely unaware that it was issued in the first place.

Thus, the LP became somewhat of a curio.

Personally, I have been listening to Sabbath since the early eighties. At that time, this one was hard to find. A good friend, who had obtained a vinyl copy on import from the UK, was kind enough to tape it for me. The songs very quickly entered my listening rotation. This is actually a very solid effort, with much to be commended. Not their finest hour but if you focus on the merits of the best cuts, the rest are certainly inoffensive. The lyrics don't hold up to heavy scrutiny, though that's a minor point.

BEST

"Back Street Kids" literally kicks down your door, grabs you by neck and commands attention. Metallic, hard and fast with a refrain that his Ozzness would return to during his solo career, the visceral nature of "nobody I know will ever take my rock and roll away from me" is interpolated by a bridge with a choppy, tango-esque time signature change. The full stop that precedes it has a neat Iommi riff, which competes with flourishes on synth as Ward expertly steers the group with ride cymbal and toms. Highlight reel material.

"You Won't Change Me" is a close runner up. The intro harks back to the doomy figures that once powered the Sabbath engine, though an abrupt halt is brought to this. Dark and spooky organ takes over and the entire performance, paced at mid-tempo, is quite mature in terms of subject matter. Ozzy's vocal is committed, even soulful, while the tune balances melody with a blistering solo from Tony to ice the cake. Cigars for all involved here.

"Dirty Women" takes a bit of build up to get to the point. Worth sticking out the journey to get to those monster salvos that Iommi wrings from his axe. The bonus face melters over the top are welcome. Again, we get a glimpse into how Ozzy would construct future efforts (with plenty of help from his hired guns) in the "walking the streets" breakdown. Very similar to the middle section of "I Don't Know" from Blizzard of Oz. Check it out...

"All Moving Parts (Stand Still)" has a fairly strightforward theme, though it squeaks into this short list by virtue of how expertly the musicians shift gears midway through the presentation. Keeping time to what begins as a slightly plodding construction, Bill Ward unleashes a scattershot drum pattern and the game is raised as the trio brilliantly execute a number of tricky transitions. As quickly as it begins, the listener is unceremonially dropped back into the opening progression which is carried to the fade. Iommi demonstrates a wealth of ideas that he casually drops into the mix of an otherwise nondescript template.

THE REST

What remains is a mixed bag. You get to hear Ward take lead vocal on the Beatley "It's Alright", where he channels the lighter side of John Lennon. He acquits himself quite well, matter of fact. Melody is highly emphasized, though the selection is quite out of place here. Similarly, "She's Gone" is heralded by a string arrangement that is both economical and avoids overt sentimentality in feel. Acoustic guitar is the only other support to Osbourne's voice, which conveys enough emotion/pathos to allow for the audience to commiserate with him. "Rock and Roll Doctor" and "Gypsy" fill their spots in workmanlike manner, with the former coming close to sounding as if Ozzy was fronting KISS for a session. The latter is a decent idea that is a bit overstretched.

Fueled by a shipment of Newcastle Brown Ale and whatever recreational drugs were around to be consumed by the lads and their crew, the creation of their seventh record saw the quartet at the crossroads. Their immediate future as a functioning unit was tenuous, mostly due to bad habits. Despite these issues, full marks are awarded to them for stretching out a bit further, creatively.

Passage of time has also helped to soften the initial, harsher estimations of Technical Ecstacy. With little trace of quintessential Sabbath to be found, however, it was destined to become a forgotten item.

Now that you do know about it, please give it a little love. You may be pleasantly surprised.

IT WAS 50 YEARS AGO TODAY...

February 11, 1963

George Martin booked The Beatles into EMI Studios on Abbey Road to record the bulk of their first album, Please Please Me.

The sessions began that morning at 10am. The group logged nine hours and 45 minutes of recording time, banging out ten songs live off the floor and adding a few (but not many) overdubs. Further stress came with two members of the band suffering through mid winter colds. You can hear it in the vocals. Medicating their throats with a steady stream of tea, cigs and lozenges, they made it through. It is a remarkable achievement, all in a day's work. Their previously issued singles (with B-sides) were added to bring the total number of LP tracks to fourteen.

These days, simple mic placement can swallow up precious hours...

Exactly one year later, they would be playing their first US concert at the Washington Coliseum. Their reception in the States exceeded all expectations.



This date proved to be quite auspicious for the Beatles. The rest is history...

HUNKY DORY

All the nightmares came today and it looks as though they're here to stay

Brimming with invention, Hunky Dory is actually a beautiful dream realized.

Still relatively unknown at this point, Bowie crafted a very intelligent set of songs that would later be held in quite high regard. Better still, the actor within the musician brought a voice to the sessions that conveyed a maturity well beyond his 24 years. At times, his vocals sound cracked as though they were being delivered by a man in the twilight phase of life. There is also a confidence that emanates from every note, beginning with the brilliant "Changes" and following through on each subsequent track until "The Bewlay Brothers" gracefully fades into the run-out grooves.

Now that you've found another key, what are you going to play?

All of the pieces in the puzzle came together for these sessions. We have the "Spiders from Mars" (Mick Ronson, Trevor Bolder and Mick Woodmansey) great tunes and a major label deal. Adopting the trappings of the burgeoning "glam" movement would be the final step toward attaining the fame that would come during 1972 with The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust.

Bowie also enlisted the services of Rick Wakeman, whose virtuosic piano figures prominently throughout. (I wonder if he wore a cape while he was tracking?)

Orchestral and horn arrangements are deployed effectively, augmenting, but never burying, the great melodies on offer. "Oh You Pretty Things" and "Queen Bitch" foreshadow the sound of "Ziggy". Ronson pulls distinctive, crying notes from his Les Paul adding further depth to the powerful, "Life On Mars". These selections, along with "Changes", provide the highlights on a very strong disc. "Kooks" is a charming runner up, taking a stylistic page from Neil Young's "Til the Morning Comes" with well placed horn solos.

Name checking Andy Warhol and Dylan with fulsome tributes, the lyrics are incredibly well developed. Smart without sliding into pretense, he keeps you interested by carefully pruning each line. Verses contain only what is completely necessary. The extra sweat sacrificed to make this happen was well worth it. Music hall quirks, otherworldly noises and an entirely English sensibility all find their place in the mix with a healthy dose of camp. The recipe works well enough to earn Hunky Dory a place in the top five LPs that Bowie would ever produce. Given his distinguished career output, that speaks volumes.

IT WAS 44 YEARS AGO TODAY...

January 30th, 1969

The Beatles were at the tail end of the "Get Back" project, which was originally envisioned as a return to the format that produced their first LP. The difference here would be that the group would be filmed bringing in new material, shaping the songs through rehearsal and then playing the new album live.

There are entire books devoted to this episode, which ultimately helped to decide their fate as a functioning unit.

It wasn't all bad

Setting up on the rooftop of 3 Savile Row (Apple headquarters in London) the four most famous faces in the world at that time gave a little lunchtime concert for the business district.

Just how loud did the Beatles play?

Ken Mansfield, who was there amongst the chimney pots, provides his recollection of the set.

"It was loud. I’ve heard recordings of what it sounded like down on the street and I was surprised. Somebody ... that worked at Apple and got there late that day and got locked out ... said they came down the street and they turned onto Savile Row and they said it was like a wall of sound. It was really loud on the street. ... probably about as loud as they could get."

It was the last public performance that the quartet would ever give. When the Let It Be movie was finally released nearly a year and a half after the fact, this segment would close the film.

Rumor has it that we might finally see an official DVD release of Let It Be in 2013. I have been hearing this since 2003, so I'm not holding my breath...

The full monty (audio)



Video for you perverts who like to watch...

THE RETURN OF THE THIN WHITE DUKE

Never one to shy away from surprises, David Bowie is marking his 66th birthday by releasing his first new music since 2003. "Where Are We Now?", produced by Tony Visconti, harks back to the time that he had spent in Berlin in the 1970s with an accompanying video featuring black-and-white footage of the city when it was still divided.

His new album, “The Next Day”, will be released in March.

Bowie has been out of the spotlight for the last decade, save for one live appearance in 2006. His musical incarnations during the seventies were always challenging, sometimes confounding but rarely disappointing. When he is on, there are few that rank with him, though his output from the mid 80s onward has been hit and miss. You must hand the man a cigar for continuing to evolve as a musician and writer, rather than sliding comfortably into “greatest hits” territory in the twilight of his career.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Jones! Your return to business is welcome, considering the appalling state of mainstream music.

LIVING COLOR 2013 TOUR

Living Color plan to mark the 25th anniversary of their hit debut album Vivid with a new reissue and a tour centered around the 1988 album, with initial European dates in the Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Austria and Germany slated for mid=March.

March 10: ECI Cultuurfabriek, Roermond, NL
March 11: Melkweg, Amsterdam, NL
March 13: New Morning, Paris, France
March 15: Z7, Pratteln, Switzerland
March 17: Komma, Innsbruck, Austria
March 20: Huxleys Neue Welt, Berlin, Germany

I'm hoping for announcements concerning North American dates very soon!

Of the original quartet, Corey Glover, Vernon Reid and Will Calhoun are all onboaard with Doug Wimbish taking up bass duties. Their set plan is to play Vivid in its entirety.

Could be that a new record will be forthcoming, as well. All real, new music is quite welcome from where I sit.

THE BEATLES LIVE IN ATLANTA AUG 18 1965

Just a few days into their second US tour, The Beatles rolled into Atlanta to play to 34,000 people. Opening the trip with their famous Shea Stadium performance to an estimated 56,000 screamers, not a note could be heard over the din.

Atlanta Stadium would be different because of one key factor: Baker Audio, and its Georgia Tech-educated boss, F.B. “Duke” Mewborn. Mewborn handled sound for the show, and his set-up included something that every band utilizes today but was unheard of in the mid sixties.

Monitors

“There were no monitors anywhere else on earth at that time,” said Red Wheeler, a legendary Atlanta rock and roll sound man, now living in Vidalia.

Aiming speakers back toward microphones just wasn't done because of the shrieking feedback loop that would ensue. Mewborn got around this by employing cardioid mics which had a restricted pattern that rejected ambient sound coming from the sides or below. For special events at the stadium Baker had included four Altec 1570 field-level amplifiers, each cranking out about 175 watts of vaccuum tube-powered juice, or about 500 watts in all. These he used to power two stacks of Altec A7 speakers, each with 15-inch woofers.

Never before had the group been able to properly hear what they were playing onstage. The show includes a couple of between-song remarks from both Paul and John concerning the sound. They were probably pleasantly surprised at having a frame of reference in terms of what was being projected out front. Despite this luxury, the age of modern sound technology in large venues was still a few years away. The degree of shoddiness with which the group had to cope with for these big gigs would never be tolerated today. It certainly influenced their decision to quit touring the following year.

The Atlanta show is a step down in fidelity from the Hollywood Bowl tapes but it is an interesting listen. As with all of their shows from this period, the crowd noise is on par with a 747.

PRESENCE

According to Greek mythology, Achilles was dipped in the river Styx to make him immortal. His mother held him by the heel, however, leaving it vulnerable. Paris would pierce that weak spot with a swift, deadly release of a poison arrow from his bow (guided by Apollo), mortally wounding him. In another version, he was killed by a knife to the back (or heel) by Paris. A great battle raged around the dead Achilles. Ajax held back the Trojans, while Odysseus carried the body away.

Claustrophobic, foreboding shifts between Em9th and F#m(add b6)slowly creep into the stereo image under a fog courtesy of Page, fading into proper sonic focus before the haze is pierced by Bonham's single, authoritative crack on the snare.

This is not a polite tap of the conductor's baton on the rostrum. It is an urgent call to attention. What follows is a brilliant, uneasy 10 minute journey that could very well be their finest moment on record. "Achilles Last Stand" is the centerpiece of a most under-appreciated disc.

Something is wrong, though.

Hitherto, Zeppelin long-players were extremely diverse in terms of style, mood and arrangement. Each member deeply understood dynamics and their telekinetic musical interplay was a key factor in how they successfully put across ideas to a wide audience. Keyboards, acoustic guitars and synths were always welcome. For every "Communication Breakdown" or "Heartbreaker" there was a soft landing pad to be found, with tracks like "That's the Way" or "Going to California".

Presence would do away with this. Prospective listeners applying the stylus to vinyl, encircled by a cloud of opaque smoke would find no soothing "Bron Y Aur" to counterbalance heavier motifs. John Paul Jones stretching out on keyboards? Nowhere to be found.

Without augmentation of any sort, the musicians conveyed the unspoken intensity of the delicate, difficult circumstances that clouded the sessions. Robert Plant and his wife were in a car crash while on holiday in Greece which shattered his leg and ankle. Instead of touring the US, Plant and Jimmy Page wrote the material for Presence, recording in Munich, Germany with Plant confined to a wheelchair.

Page outdid himself, overdubbing a dozen guitar tracks. Jones was a one man, low end orchestra on 8-string bass, while Bonham contributed a relentless foundation with fills that defied gravity.

"There were basically two sections to the song when we rehearsed it. I know John Paul Jones didn't think I could succeed in what I was attempting to do. He said I couldn't do a scale over a certain section, that it just wouldn't work. But it did. What I planned to try and get that epic quality into it so it wouldn't just sound like two sections repeated, was to give the piece a totally new identity by orchestrating the guitars, which is something I've been into for quite some time. I knew it had to be jolly good, because the number was so long it just couldn't afford to be half-baked. It was all down to me how to do this. I had a lot of it mapped out in my mind, anyway, but to make a long story short, I did all the overdubs in one night ... I thought as far as I can value tying up that kind of emotion as a package and trying to convey it through two speakers, it was fairly successful. To be honest with you, the other guys didn't know: 'Has he gone mad? Does he know what he's doing?' But at the end of it, the picture became clear. It was like a little vignette, every time something comes around."

Plant's clever references to the mythical Atlas were doubly interesting as the the Atlas mountains had loomed large in his recent travels and also could be perceived to hold the heavens in place. Relating his own injury to the plight of the mythical Achilles showed that his sense of humor was still intact. The overall effect of this piece of music is stunning. Setting the bar quite high as an opener, the remaining cuts are somewhat overshadowed.

One thing that sets Presence apart from the rest of the Zep's output is that its contents have not saturated the playlists of classic rock radio, which is a definite plus.

For the uninitiated, there is certainly nothing bad etched into these grooves. Elements of past LP formulas are present in that you have a slow, minor key blues ("Tea For One") a muscular, rock arrangement of 1920s blues("Nobody's Fault But Mine") and an epic (the aforementioned "Achilles Last Stand"). Sprinkled in between, there is a detour into quasi-funk syncopation ("Royal Orleans") and Page's fixation with the music that so inspired him as a teen in the "Sun"-drenched "Candy Store Rock". Plant musters his best Elvis vocal mannerisms, though despite his "all-rights" there is a certain vibe in the music that contradicts this.

Then there's the matter of The Object...

Whether you're having a family dinner at the yacht club or simply trying to communicate telepathically with one of your kids, this decorative piece is sure to compliment all occasions.

Lots to dig here if you are a guitarist. Whammy dive bombing on "For Your Life", the "Tea For One" solo and the tasty breaks in "Hots on For Nowhere" all shine brightly. Cynicism creeps into the lyrics in spots, which certainly hadn't been a factor before. There is a slight feeling of having been there and done that groupie. Do what thou wilt transitions into the law of diminishing returns without warning and the sun comes up, yet again, on an all too familiar scene.

Whiskers!

Speed is the operative word in the case of Presence. Takes were captured quickly and left alone. Recording and mixing purportedly took a mere three weeks. It is an interesting snapshot, hastily glued into the Led Zep scrapbook. One worth taking in, nonetheless.

RIP RAVI SHANKAR

Another great musician moves on to the next incarnation.

Sitar virtuoso Pandit Ravi Shankar was the Eddie Van Halen of his genre and his hands moved at blinding speed over the instrument. He was a product of the Maihar gharana (school) of Northern Indian classical music which was founded principally by the sarod maestro Ustad Allaudin Khan in the Madhya Pradesh state of India. A sitar can have 21, 22, or 23 strings, among them six or seven played strings which run over the frets. Ravi used the Kharaj-pancham sitar (which has seven played strings).

Through his association with George Harrison, he became world famous in the mid sixties. His was not a shallow pursuit of the limelight by any means. While he was prodigiously talented, musical expression was tied to deep spiritual beliefs.

This was his life.

Practicing for hours each day, it would have been unthinkable for him or his fellow students to go before an audience without having first put in the 10,000 hours required to be great.

Great is an understatement when it comes to his genius.

Shankar was one of a kind. Thanks to him, a large part of the western world has been turned on to the shimmering beauty of classical Indian music.

Here he is with Ali Akbar Khan, August 1971 at the Concert for Bangladesh, performing "Bangla Dhun". Again, it was at his urging that George Harrison took up the task of putting together a benefit to provide relief for refugees from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), following the 1970 Bhola cyclone and the civil war-related Bangladesh atrocities.

LENNON

32 years have passed since John Lennon left the planet for parts unknown. Like so many before and after who actively encouraged people to live peacefully, he would probably be frustrated by the continuing state of aggression that still clouds so many areas of the world. Perhaps he would look back and laugh at the wilder aspects of his public life, forgetting the rougher bits. Time may have also allowed him to mend fences with those he had fallen out with. Music? Good or bad, he would have made some more. The Anthology series would have also had a wild card in the pack to weigh in on all things Fab.

Per my own ritual at this time of the year, there will be a few adult beverages and some quality time spent with selections from his rich discography.

DARK HORSE

Today marks the 11th anniversary of the passing of one George Harrison from the Material World into the next dimension. Still missed here by many.

BURTON CUMMINGS AT MASSEY HALL

Friday night is a good rock'n'roll night, so here's some straight-ahead, no-brainer rock'n'roll music from the Guess Who days...

Burton Cummings has written some of the most thoughtful, melodic music ever to be unleashed on an unsuspecting public. Possessed of prodigious gifts as a singer, multi-instrumentalist, band leader and composer, he returns to the commercial arena with his latest offering, Massey Hall.

Capturing the excitement of live performance at a venue known for its fine acoustics, Cummings and his band deliver definitive versions of these songs. Better yet, this is not a nostalgia trip nor is there any sense that the star of the show is phoning it in. Newer tunes like "Above the Ground" shine just as brightly as the gems from the Guess Who era or his early solo work.

What you will quickly discern as you listen to this disc is just how damn fresh everything sounds.

His phrasing as a vocalist is impeccable. This is where he leaves a good deal of his contemporaries in the dust in terms of ability. The 21st century crutch of pitch correction software isn't needed when you bring a rare gift to the stage and present it to an audience. Sonically crisp with energy to spare, everything here works like a Swiss watch.

Highlights?

"Hand Me Down World" is particularly grand, giving Kurt Winter's prescient take on legacy items that we leave for the next generation additional weight. It is a pristine rendition that manages to best the original from the Share the Land album. "Stand Tall" is another exceptional moment, though the same can be said for every selection here. Personally, I'm glad that he included "Star Baby" in the set list. Beautifully executed in all respects, Massey Hall is a must own for anyone who fears for the impoverishment of truly great live music.

Performing without a net, Burton Cummings continues to amaze and this release is deserving of every superlative. Don't have it yet? Grab it here

LED ZEP THE SECOND

Leaves are falling all around, It's time I was on my way.
Thanks to you, I'm much obliged for such a pleasant stay.
But now it's time for me to go. The autumn moon lights my way...

Fall of 1969 saw a string of incredible rock albums unleashed within a span of two months (Abbey Road, Arthur, Let It Bleed, Hot Rats, Willy and the Poor Boys, Ummagumma to name a few) Led Zeppelin added a monster to this distinguished list when their second album was issued in late October.

43 years gone...

Have been listening to them a lot of late. Watching the leaves being plucked from the trees by chilly autumn winds always conjures images of Zep II. Here's a re-run of my review from 2009

Just because.

LONG TIME COMING

Pleasant surprises abound with this collection of very well crafted tunes, courtesy of Rod Delcourt and Wendell Wilson. You are well advised to first go to this link and take up their generous offer to download the disc, free of charge. This is akin to leaving precious gems on the front lawn for the taking.

What will you find here?

Exceptional melodies, well defined, country-folk tinged songs that are sonically sharp and very easy on the ears. Special mention goes to the warm recorded sound of acoustic guitars as well as the great vocal blend of the duo.

Pristine in every way, "It's Only Love" is framed by impeccably picked acoustics with the world weary authority of the lead vocal wrapped in sweet harmonies. Subtle, earthy tones echo the work of the late, great Gene Clark. High praise indeed, though this is a standout track.

Invention colors the set, in terms of how guitar figures are plotted ("Lost", "You Said") though they never lose sight of the hook. More importantly, the iron clad harmonies always tie things together neatly and they have a well-honed sense of presentation. None of the material on Long Time Coming overstays its welcome, with all possible loose ends taken care of in the overall mix. Thoughtful lyrics only serve to ice the cake.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable listen in all respects. You will not be assaulted by miles of over-playing or self-indulgence. On the contrary, the sounds will gently work their way into your head, begging to be played again. It is a pity that more mainstream artists are not following the lead of indie acts in getting away from the clanging, artificial noise of the digital realm. This disc is a quiet reminder of just how powerful raw talent can be as opposed to the button-pushing trappings of software-driven "product".

Do yourself a favor and put Long Time Coming at the top of your playlist.

CHUCK BERRY AT 86

Rock 'n' roll poet, guitarist, singer, legend.

He has had his share of personal troubles, career peaks/valleys, legal hassles and has a well-founded reputation as being "difficult" to work with. Despite all of this, the guy is a survivor, still doing gigs (!) and is one of the founding fathers of rock as we know it.

Chuck Berry was born on this date in 1926.

May he duck-walk into his nineties!

ABACAB: GENESIS REINVENTED

For Genesis fans who discovered the band as it had emerged in the early seventies, the departure of Peter Gabriel is considered to be an event from which the group never fully recovered. While the quintet made some great music, the level of acclaim for their efforts was restricted to a much smaller audience at that time. Emerging from the background, drummer Phil Collins stepped into the open lead vocalist slot, sounding not unlike Gabriel early on. Contrary to what their detractors had to say, the musicians' creative continuity remained intact and their commercial fortunes increased.

Within two years, guitarist Steve Hackett also made his exit.

AND THEN THERE WERE THREE

Showing no sign of distress, the trio of Banks, Rutherford and Collins closed out the seventies on a high note, making two albums that certainly rank amongst their best. For touring purposes, they were augmented by two gifted players, drummer Chester Thompson and guitarist Darryl Stuermer. A shift away from long form pieces began at this point, with Collins now taking up more of a share in the writing duties. Coming together to devise a follow up to Duke in 1981, there was one prevalent theme that dominated the sessions.

Change

Several factors led them down the path that would influence the making of their eleventh disc. All three men had recently indulged in solo recordings, each enjoying the opportunity to stretch out and do something outside of the expected. Surprisingly, Collins would score in a big way with the Face Value LP and the single "In the Air Tonight".

Phil had also played on former bandmate Peter Gabriel's third release(self-titled like the first two, distinguished by "melting face" cover art), thus forging the infamous gated drum sound, abetted by Steve Lillywhite and Hugh Padgham. Both this innovation and Padgham would figure prominently in the next phase of their development.

Seemingly energized by their recent extracurricular endeavors, they now regrouped to jam and quickly discovered that they were fed up with sounding like...Genesis.

What happens to a band when they no longer wish to play to type?

ANOTHER RECORD

Any sonic reference to what they had done previously now went out the window. Even the design chosen for the sleeve was a 180 degree turn from the past, consisting of random blotches of color.

Abstract-acab!

Catchy melodies, in-your-face drums, horns, icy synthesizers, repetitive riffs on loops and drum machines all took center stage. The result was entirely worthwhile with a few concessions to those who favored their progressive ideas ("Dodo/Lurker") but served to underscore their growing commitment to a more straight ahead pop/rock format("Abacab", "No Reply At All").

Tony: "We tried to make our writing process ... more straightforward. So we got rid of the big choruses and the keyboard solos aiming to hone everything down.“

Phil saw another aspect: "From Duke on, we wrote more as a unit. On Abacab, we brought in one song each and after that there were no individual songs. This gave Genesis a genuine reason to carry on besides the solo careers."

Balancing "art" with accessibility would see a lot of their older followers check out in disgust. Many more flocked to the band, digging the new direction. Had they not moved forward, Genesis probably would have called it off at this point. No less than four singles were issued, with the title song charting high on both sides of the Atlantic. "No Reply At All", with a nimble Rutherford bass line that saw him running high up the fretboard where the air gets thin, also had a super strong hook line supported by the razor sharp Earth, Wind and Fire horn section. Radio loved it, providing maximum airplay.

Of the remaining two 45s, "Keep It Dark" rides high on a memorable guitar figure, underpinned by Collins' relentless, steady thump which was itself was looped and supported by clanging percussive effects. It is the lyric that deserves special mention, as it is one of the most fully realized in the set. Concerning a man who is abducted by aliens, he cannot reveal where he went or the wonders he saw for fear of being ridiculed. Instead, he invents a story that he was kidnapped for money and let go when he's found to have no great fortune to extract. An excellent song in every respect. Spent quality time with ETs? Keep it dark, mate.

"Man On the Corner" prefigures the eventual transition of Phil Collins from prog-rock drummer/vocalist to one of pop's biggest hit-makers of the 1980s. Heralded by a simple drum program and keys that provide the refrain immediately, this hidden gem from side two builds to an emotional crescendo before it fades.

You also get a glimpse of the treacle-laden ballads that Collins would soon churn out with regularity, assuring him massive mainstream success and cries of "sellout" from the old guard. All of this was still a couple of years away for Phil, though.

Abacab still found room for multi-part works that took a strange turn. Witness the rich, keyboard driven fantasy of "Dodo/Lurker" with the sublime bordering on nonsense for subject matter and a treasure trove of inventive organ and synth wizardry from Banks. All is nicely balanced, with Collins affecting some odd vocal mannerisms. "Me and Sarah Jane" is another one that stretches out, replete with a multitude of chord, key signature and timing shifts, yet there is still a terrific melodic sense at its core. For anyone who might think that any of these selections ("Abacab" included) run long, I invite you to velcro yourself to a chair and sit through "Supper's Ready" or "The Battle of Epping Forest" from the Gabriel era. The lads are pretty concise here by comparison.



One point on which Genesis devotees from any era could find common ground on is the sheer existence of the lone clunker here, "Who Dunnit?" It is an excruciating ear-worm which in no way should have been allotted 3 minutes and 25 seconds of space to annoy prospective listeners.

Curiously, they did have a few tunes in the can from these sessions which could have been readily substituted. Instead they were packaged the following year as part of the 3 X 3 EP.

That cover remind you of anything?

Two EP cuts, "Paperlate" and "You Might Recall" would have greatly enhanced the finished LP, with "Who Dunnit?" making for a nice joke B-side instead.

That all being said, Abacab was a pretty brave move for these guys. Quite calmly, they resolved to turn their back on the legacy they had built, raise a giant middle finger up to all and make a record that truly pleased them. There is no middle ground here. Some crowds roundly booed the material when they first played it live. As previously mentioned, others flipped and swore off the band for good. I was introduced to this one through a friend who gave me a very clean cassette version that he made from his older brother's vinyl copy. It made a huge impression on my then 14 year old brain, right from the opening crash into the hypnotic title track. This is art/rock with pop leanings at its finest. Has it held up well?

You bet!



POSTSCRIPT

It must be stated that their partnership with engineer Hugh Padgham paid handsome dividends in terms of how sharply defined their sound became. Padgham had worked with XTC and The Police, bringing with him a fresh energy into the recording sessions. Drums to the fore in the mix to make them sound more vibrant was but one of the tricks that made the new stuff seemingly leap from the speaker grills. He would remain an integral part of the team for their next two projects, both of which were wildly successful despite dwindling artistic merits.

For those who like to dig deeper, there is a great bootleg (Abacab-Complete 2nd Edition) that captures material excised from the final master, including a third section to "Dodo/Lurker" called "Submarine".

By the way, what the hell is an Abacab?

Let's allow Mike, Phil and Tony the final word on that.

THE KINGSTON SPRINGS

The Kingston Springs have just independently released their debut full-length album, aptly titled, The Kingston Springs, TODAY. To hear the album in full, stream it on Soundcloud.

Check out the first single, "Lowest of Animals". The track was inspired by the Mark Twain essay, "The Lowest Animal", and features Nashville gospel/soul singer LaShanda Evans on background vocals. It's a great tune. Another highlight is "Weight of This World". Overall, I'm really digging everything that I have heard so far.



So where can you purchase The Kingston Springs?

It is available online through iTunes, Amazon, eMusic, Zune, Rhapsody, Bandcamp ,etc.) and at select record stores today. The album is also available to stream on Spotify.

The band performed at Starry Nights Music & Arts Festival this past weekend in Bowling Green, KY with Cage the Elephant, The Whigs, JEFF The Brotherhood, Manchester Orchestra, and more. The Kingston Springs are opening for Trampled By Turtles at Lightning 100's upcoming Live On The Green, this Thursday, October 4 in Nashville, TN. The band will also perform at CMJ in New York City on October 19.

Current tour schedule is below, with more dates being booked:

Sept 28 - Midpoint Music Festival - Cincinnati, OH
Sept 29 - Starry Nights Music Festival - Bowlling Green, KY
Oct 4 - Live on the Green - Nashville, TN
Oct 5 - High Watt (Marcus & Colvin Soundland Showcase) - Nashville, TN
Oct 9 - JJ's Bohemia - Chattanooga, TN
Oct 10 - Preservation Pub - Knoxville, TN
Oct 11 - The Basement / Graveyard Tavern - Atlanta, GA
Oct 12 - Georgia Theater - Athens, GA
Oct 13 - Fall for Greenville - Greenville, SC
Oct 19 - Official CMJ Showcase @ Fat Baby - NYC
Oct 22 - Brooklyn Bowl - NYC
Oct 25 - The Evening Muse - Charlotte, NC
Oct 27 - The Satellite Bar & Lounge - Wilmington, NC

LORDY, LORDY...

Black Sabbath Vol. 4 was released on this date, forty years ago.

Hit it, fellas!



The disc itself is a great listen and has long been a personal favorite of mine. Not sure how much I had to drink when I originally wrote this review but you can read it here.

Enjoy!

Worthy of mention: I have a Korean vinyl copy of Vol. 4 that sports a blue monochrome cover photo of Ozzy, instead of the familiar orange. No gatefold either.

I'm sure that everyone who reads this useless bit of trivia will sleep fitfully tonight.

Except for insomniacs and people who harbor extreme feelings of guilt about disturbing acts from their past.

ACE FREHLEY

Meet Paul "Ace" Frehley, rock guitarist and former cosmopolitan raver. Back in the early 1970s, he and three friends had testified against some pretty high level bosses of the Cosa Nostra. To guarantee their safety, they were drafted into a music group that would sell truckloads of records and become world famous.

This sounds preposterous! How would such a plan involve anonymity?

I knew that you would ask.

The catch is that their faces would be covered in full makeup at all times, thus preventing them from being discovered. Real names would never be used. It was the perfect plan with no one ever suspecting that these iconic characters were part of the witness protection program.

They just needed a name.

KEEP IDENTITIES SUPER SECRET was a tad too long for most marquees, so they settled on KISS...

Pretty good story so far, huh?

THE TRUTH

From their debut in 1974, KISS played straight ahead rock and roll, with no pretension involved. Combining larger than life stage personas with instant anthems made the kids go crazy and the KISS Army grew steadily. Becoming a brand as much as a band, they were a marketer's dream. 1978 would be the year of apotheosis for our grease-painted heroes. Two double albums (Alive II and Double Platinum) were issued in addition to four solo discs. Eight slabs of vinyl in one twelve month span!

Market duly flooded, this bit of KISStory brings us to the matter at hand.

ALL ACES

Ace Frehley had written a select few songs that found a home on their releases up to that point. Gene and Paul dominated the writing and along with Peter Criss, handled the majority of lead vocal duties.

So how would the Spaceman fare in the solo sweepstakes?

His offering outsold the other three by a wide margin.

Whether or not you are a fan of KISS shouldn't really enter the equation here, as this is an extremely strong set of tunes. Frehley tastefully handles just about every instrument, with the exception of drums. Dave Letterman's own Anton Fig admirably took care of that role, joined by bassist Will Lee on three tracks. The lyrics generally amount to tales of drinking ("Wiped Out"), driving at top speed ("Speeding Back to My Baby"), snorting coke ("Snowblind") and more drinking/drugging ("Ozone"). You need only read his biography No Regrets to confirm that he was merely chronicling his own wild, extracurricular activities during this period.

The words themselves are not the selling feature as they just capture highlights of the never-ending party. What is most impressive are the melodies and meticulous arrangements. This is a timeless motherfucker of a rock album, with a narcotic thrill injected into every note that metastasized during the process of its creation. Frehley wisely played to his strengths, deploying harmonized riffs against shimmering acoustic guitars, shifting time signatures, fret-slashing solos and very catchy hooks.

Surprisingly, he even cracked the top twenty singles chart when his cover of Russ Ballard's "Back in the New York Groove" got "forty-fived", attracting much radio play.

Considering the importance of the occasion, Ace stepped up to the mic with a degree of confidence. Personally, I would compare his distinctive singing style to that of Joe Walsh. Within the boundaries of the Eagles, Walsh would consistently upend the over serious Henley and Frey when handed a lead vocal. When Ace was given a spot to sing, his personality came across in identical fashion. Both enjoyed the excesses that rock stardom dumped on their respective lawns, liked a good laugh and kept a virtual "wink and a gun" present in their voices.

Can't beat a sense of humor, nor can you argue with a sick mind...

Bowing out with an instrumental, Frehley gives you a few minutes to contemplate the quality of the previous eight selections before deciding to listen again. Given the fact that everything is tightly edited with no filler, it's a safe bet that you will. Frehley had likely been sitting on some of these tracks for a bit. It is to his credit that he was able to properly document the party in progress without falling into the trap of overproduction and special musical guests. He would sporadically release some decent material after his departure from KISS, though nothing as solid as this.

LED ZEP-CELEBRATION DAY

Good news for Led Zep fans!

As you may have heard, Led Zeppelin has been posting on their Facebook and Twitter accounts about a huge announcement coming today.

On December 10, 2007, Led Zeppelin took the stage at London ’s O2 Arena to headline a tribute concert for dear friend and Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. What followed was a two-hour-plus tour de force of the band’s signature blues-infused rock ’n’ roll that instantly became part of the legend of Led Zeppelin. Founding members John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant were joined by Jason Bonham, the son of their late drummer John Bonham, to perform 16 songs from their celebrated catalog including landmark tracks “Whole Lotta Love,” “Rock And Roll,” “ Kashmir ,” and “Stairway To Heaven.”

The film of Celebration Day will see a worldwide theatrical release by Omniverse Vision on 1,500 screens in over 40 territories on October 17. The theatrical screenings will follow premieres in London , Los Angeles , New York , and other major cities. Tickets for the public screenings will be available on September 13 via ledzeppelin.com.

Celebration Day will then be available in multiple video and audio formats on November 19 (just in time for Santa) from Swan Song/Atlantic Records. Specific product details will be announced soon.

LED ZEPPELIN: Celebration Day
Track Listing:

1. Good Times Bad Times

2. Ramble On

3. Black Dog

4. In My Time Of Dying

5. For Your Life

6. Trampled Under Foot

7. Nobody’s Fault But Mine

8. No Quarter

9. Since I’ve Been Loving You

10. Dazed And Confused

11. Stairway To Heaven

12. The Song Remains The Same

13. Misty Mountain Hop

14. Kashmir

15. Whole Lotta Love

16. Rock And Roll