In these times of throwaway music, the bands and musicians that we
used to listen to are becoming, like everybody else older and grayer and
not as vital as they once were. Kinda like the many blogs of Crabby.
Still there, blogging away although the ratings continue to slide. Fact
is if we were a TV show we would have been canceled say about sometime
last month. I offer up two cases in point two different musicians who
made albums for Columbia back in the 70s and 80s but still remain
around. Against all odds.
First up.
Paul Collins Beat-Flying High (Get Hip)
Back in 1980, Eddie Money got Columbia to sign these new wave rockers
for two fun filled albums before lack of sales and the usual band
strifes ended things. But Collins has managed to hang around, making a
so so country like album in 1995 (From Town To Town) and recently
revived the Beat part to make you think it's 1980 all over again. Not
exactly, he's moved the garage indoors to the living room in a somewhat
half rocking/half country that resembles more of From Town To Town
rather than The Kids Are The Same. First part of the album does have
the harmonies that made the 80s album fun to listen to, but for the most
part on the second side it's mostly acoustic and mostly retrospective.
No longer on a major, Paul Collins doesn't have to impress the masses
or radio anymore, just the ones that he care most about, his fans.
Next Up...Alvin Lee-Saguitar (Rainman/Shout Factory)
Out of all the acts that played at Woodstock, Alvin Lee remains the
only person who still sounds like he did way back then and plays wild
guitar whenever he feels the mood is right. While his old band Ten
Years After still hangs around and playing the retro rock of the past,
Lee continues to mine the blues and add more rockabilly into his space
rock of the past four decades and for the first album I reviewed from
him since 1986's Detroit Diesel (to which real rock KRNA actually played
that song-go figure) which flounded on a Atlantic satellite label
(21/Saja Records, Detroit Diesel was reissued on the Viceroy Label-yup
the cigarette maker made a ill attempt fortay into issuing music).
Saguitar is probaly Lee's best record since then (although I have heard
that his 2004 Memphis get together with Elvis P's sidemen DJ Fontana and
Scotty Moore was pretty good). An Alvin Lee album, like a good 10
Years After album isn't nothing more than good old rock and roll and
like most junk rockers Lee's lyrics won't win any poetry contests, the
trick here is to rock on some numbers, play the blues on others and even
throw a surprise once in a while (A better than thought Rapper).
Midnight Train sounds like a remake of the old Speed Kills number off
Stonedhenge and Memphis is a nice rockabilly number as well. You want
the blues, well there's Motel Blues and The Blues Got A Hold On Me. And
it's a homemade recording like Paul Collins' Flying High although Lee
plays on all instrments on all songs except some organ thrown in by Tim
Hinckley and a harmonica guy on one other. In a different era to which
if FM was radical like it was back in the early 70s (y'all missed out on
some fine music there kiddies, unlike today's stale everything sounds
the same format and the same 30 years old classic crock songs now), this
album would get some kind of airplay and perhaps maybe it is on some
english college stations in the boonies. Alvin Lee has actually made a
pretty decent album although he could have used a Ric Lee or better
drummer and it could have rocked a bit harder but that's nit picking.
Saguitar is better than the latest Elvis Costello offering and it's too
bad cuz you won't be able to hear it on the radio anywhere. For the
simple fact that, it's too rock and roll for radio.
Hard to figure that nowadays, right?
FOXBORO HOTTUBS-Stop Drop And Roll
Green Day incoginto making garage rock just like they did back in the
60s. Barely past 32 minites, we get to hear The Kinks like Alligator,
the Who like Mother Mary and doesn't the flute on Dark Side of Night
reminds one of Segio Mendes and Brazil 66 in a way? Can't say it's
better than say The Len Price 3 or Insommiac but taken as a side project
it's a bit of fun as they say. Though it is dotched a point for digipak
hell. Grade B plus
KING'S X-XV (SPV/Inside Out)
I kinda lost track of them after the so so Mr Balbous album but in
some way this album sounds lots like Tape Head but with a louder
production (by Mike Wagener) and the famous guitar hooks and vocals that
King's X is famous for. Problem is that they're much smarter than your
average "real rock" band playing on KRNA or Rock 108 with smarter than
Hinder songs such as Pray or Broke. I noticed that Ty Tabor sings a bit
more these past ten years then he did on the famed Atlantic albums of
long ago and far away and sometimes comes as a relief. Probaly their
best album of this decade and since Tape Head, although I reserve
judgement to seek out Ogre Tones or Black Like Sunday for future
reference. Inspirational lyric: If you like what you hear, go tell
somebody. I'm trying my best guys I really am. Side note: the bonus
tracks are so so.
Grade A minus
Reissues
The Searchers: The Searchers/Love's Melodies (Wounded Bird)
In 1979 Sire Records signed up the oldies act The Searchers and had
them record a couple of albums at Rockfield Studios (home of Dave
Edmunds) and they put together two great to good new wave albums that
didn't sell but those that did buy them swore they were the best that
The Searchers did. The first album, had a top seventy hit with Hearts
In Her Eyes (done earlier by The Records) and a seductive Switch Board
Susan (covered by Nick Lowe, written by Mickey Jupp) and even Tom Petty
wrote them a song as well and this was all on side one. Airwaves
songwriter John David (Later of Dave Edmunds' early 80s preRockpile
band) contributed a few numbers (the catchy Feeling Fine and on Love's
Melodies You Are The New Day) likewise. In essence the S/T album
remains one of the best albums of 1979. The followup Love's Melodies,
they covered September Gurls by Big Star, added Duck's Deluxe title
track of this album and though it paled in comparsion to their 1979
album (appently Sire Records wanted them to be a bit more mainstream)
there are enough songs to warrant it a good listen to. I did buy this
album at the old fabled Sweet Living Antiques Store at Iowa City before
the 2006 tornado destroyed it and glad I do have the vinyl piece to the
album. But the first album is the one to get.
Raven Records issued both albums under the Sire Sessions Banner in
1996 with a couple more bonus tracks and is the one to get. But kudos
to Wounded Bird for reissuing these albums.
Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers Greatest Hits (Geffen)
Same as the MCA issue back in 1993 with the sole addition of Stop
Dragging My Heart Around with Stevie Nicks. You can live without this.
also from Wounded Bird
Chase (Complete)
All the albums that Bill Chase released on Epic
Records and the first two were on One Way before One Way closed up shop.
And for 15 dollars, you get Chase/Enna/Pure Music and much more cheaper
than the One Way albums out there. I did sold my Chase One Way copy
for about twenty bucks a few years ago. Famous for the 1971 jazz/fusion
Get It On, the rest of the album didn't offer much for me. Bill Chase
seemed to be influenced by Maynard Ferguson with high shrill trumpet
sounds. Chase and his band were killed in a 1973 plane crash.
In the bargain bins from Rhino Flashback (at $5.98 or less)
Joe Walsh-But Seriously Folks (Life's Been Good/Over And Over)
Doobie Brothers-Troulouse Street (Rockin Down The Highway)
Bad Company-Desolation Angels (Gone Gone Gone, Lonely For Your Love)
Appently Warner Music Group decided to throw these in the 8 dollar
bargain bins (or cheaper) at finer record stores or Amazon.com but the
shippin and handling makes it out to be like buying it at 11.98. Buyer
Beware.
