NEVERMIND TURNS 20

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RORY GALLAGHER

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

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

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

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

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.

RORY GALLAGHER

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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.