(Broadcast on Lucky Star Radio 12/17/15)
Playlist
Fuck Christmas (long version)-Fear
Baby It's Cold Outside-Homer And Jethro (Guest star June Carter)
Stranded-Manfred Mann Earth Band
Run Run Rudolph-Lemmy, Billy Gibbons, Dave Grohl
God Rest Ye Gentlemen-Ronnie James Dio
Blue Christmas Lights-Buck Owens
One Of Everything You've Got-The Townedgers
Santa Claus-The Sonics
There's Trouble Brewing-Jack Scott
Christmas Boogie-Canned Heat/The Chipmunks
Santa Bring My Baby Back To Me-Elvis Presley
Sleigh Ride-The Ventures
Scrooge-The Townedgers
What I Want For Christmas-Nicole Blackman
Cool Yule-Tony Rodelle Larson
All I Want For Christmas Is You-Foghat
Christmas Time Is A Comin'-Ben Keith
It's About That Time -The Idea
Sock It To Me Santa-Bob Seger And The Lost Herd
I Want An Alien For Christmas-Fountains Of Wayne
Christmas Spirit!?!?-The Wailers
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
Monday, December 14, 2015
Rock and Roll and passive aggressive
Hard to figure that we are half way through this month and no snow on the ground. 2 inches of rain over the weekend gave us the most rain in the month of December, the downside of El Nino, but on the flipside, if we had 2 and a quarter of the wet stuff it would have been 20 inches of snow. In 2009 we would have been buried.
It's been a busy month of compiling the best of 2015, finishing up listening to the new music of the year and trying to figure out where the hell the year went by so fast. And trying to hit the local music scene after so many requests from local bands to check them out. I'm not sure if my world of mouth will help any exposure but I do stand by the albums of 2015 that bands like Wooden Nickel Lottery and Tommy Bruner's latest album are better than most of the best of lists I have seen. The Ultimate Classic Rock site's top 20 best of 2015 is quite laughable. Somebody forgot Killing Joke on their list and even that big chart showing by UFO doesn't change the fact that their record is not found around this area.
But I also kept busy on the jamming circuit. Wrigleyville has announced that the Tuesday Night Acoustic Jam sessions are be only held on the first Tuesday of the month. So far Parlor City will have their jam nights on Tuesday Night. I did venture into the Sunday jam with Dan Johnson, Tim Duffy, Brook Hoover and Jon Wilson and although it was another small turnout, the usual faithful was there with their trademark songs, and Tanner from In The Attic doing a half hour's work of drumming. But I felt like the forgotten man there and as the day progressed on I was promised that I'd be up there, I could have gone on first but Mike got on first, Tanner second and while Jon return to the drumset, I begin to wonder if I got passed over once again. Perhaps it was the rain and my attitude beginning to sour, after all the songs I wanted to do, were done earlier in the evening, Dan doing a speed version of Let's Work Together, and I could have sang House Of The Rising Sun, my butt was glued to the chair and didn't move. By the final song which they were going to do Rocky Mountain Way, I finally took two shots of courage and yelled YOU FORGOT ABOUT ME!!!!!!!
...musicians get into a groove and when they're locked in a groove they tend to be in their own world and you have to barge in there and have to bang on tables. Passive people get passed over and I had to subject myself of hearing Tanner trip over his drumsticks on certain songs that employ a 4/4 beat. Still, there was a couple that danced on this clumsy remake of One After 909. Perhaps maybe I should have went first instead of pointing to Mike and saying he can go first and then Tanner. And then I'd save the best for last by playing last. Or if I was going to play.
For many years I am the loner that walks into the bar and hangs from afar. Exchanging pleasantries and talking music and than doing my best to support the struggling artist and bands out there. After all I am one too. And coming out of retirement this July I managed to somewhat captured the sound and fury of playing drums, but I'm not the same destructive dude I was 30 years ago, a heart attack waiting to happen. I made a few friends along the way too but I still remain very shy and aloof when I do show up at Rumors, a bar that I have finally considered to be a second home outside of Half Priced Books. And one of the main things of my bucket list was to finally get up stage and do some songs with Dan Johnson, who has been one of mainstays of the music scene in Cedar Rapids, his duets with Dennis McMurrin at Parlor City are worth seeing on a Thursday Night. He does keep busy, and is blues based. Now I have been jammed with Tim Duffy, who's part of the Lab Rats and sometimes takes over for Bart Carfizzi in the Past Masters, and he's an excellent singer in the R and B tradition. However, the one person I really wanted to trade tunes on is Brook Hoover, one of the more eccentric players out there. Brook was part of the Meekrats, a band that made a couple independent releases in the 1990s and that band featured the late Kyle Oyloe, to which his untimely passing earlier this year was talked about and lamented. Brook is part of the Surf Zombies, which are part Ventures, part Pulp Fiction and part Raybeats and lots of punk attitude. There are times I threw a couple suggestions for songs that we could probably do, Jack The Ripper via The Raybeats. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOwC6XAHIlQ
Jon Wilson, the drummer might have had the most basic drumset up there. A snare, bass drum, hi hat and one cymbal, which was a 20 or 22 inch ride, somewhat akin to a Paiste Signature flat ride, not much crash but had a nice muffled ping, perfect for a small setting. Jon might be the tightest time keeper in the music scene. He plays a very locked down beat, almost like Charlie Watts. Very business like too. (note: it wasn't Paiste, but perhaps an Instanbal or UFIP jazz ride?)
I was content at the start to let the kids have their fun on drums and then take over the last half hour and close things down. But as songs were being played, the ones that I knew, I begin to wonder if there would be anything for me to do that I did know. Oh I could improvise if need be, after all having heard over a million songs and many versions of the songs I could add my own beat if need be. By the time, Tanner took over guitar and did the waltz song, I was getting frustrated. Do I say something, do I make a scene, in the end I decided to be nice about it and hopefully get the invite up. But then again being nice doesn't get you very far, especially hanging all throughout the 2 hour 45 minute jam session (it ended at 6:45). And I didn't come out in a pouring record rainfall just to drink two glasses of tea and make 4 bathroom breaks. Out of all the jammers up there, there was one person that had the number 1 single for two weeks in July on Lucky Star Radio and he wasn't on stage. I was putting my jacket on, getting ready to go, I knew there wasn't much time left, they had to pack up and go and maybe catch another gig.
Sometimes there's a person deep down inside of me that if annoyed enough I'd take things into my own accord and go with that. So I lost out on House Of Rising Sun and a couple others, and Dan and company were ready to take on Rocky Mountain Way and I jumped out of my seat and said HEY GUYS YOU FORGOT ABOUT ME. Russ got up to sing his song of Sitting On Dock Of The Bay and they were ready to pack it up with the Tyrus Paraphernalia song of long ago, and I'm not going to waste another minute. I did that for the first three hours of being there. I heard the other guitar player (I think he was called Rod too) trying to remember words to songs, I sat through 35 minutes of Tanner playing drums and a couple of his own numbers, and Mike got to sing his song and played for an half hour too. So I wasn't happy about being passed over but then again that's not their fault, nor the hosts, they can't read my mind. I had to do something, I played nice too long and wanted at least to do a song to at least make this trip not a wasted effort. I support the starving musician but I too am a starving musician. Give the old coot a moment in the light.
To which Dan did let me finally join for the last song. Told them to play anything they want, you want to do Rocky Mountain Way we can. I'm a professional too, I just have a day job that pays the bills better than being a musician. So Dan thinks up of All Night Long it's a shuffle beat, not one of my favorite type of beats, and I didn't work much up a sweat playing it. Very simple, ride the cymbal and do a roll or two but it was worth the wait to finally get to play alongside these guys. Another thing to cross off the bucket list. And we managed to chat a bit before going home and grabbing a copy of Brook's Surf Zombies LP. I still hope that the next time I can jam a bit more than one song with these guys, but Dan is right by saying I should have spoken up sooner than later. This passiveness tends to bite you in the ass if you get too passive.
Even for one song, I loved every moment of it.
It's been a busy month of compiling the best of 2015, finishing up listening to the new music of the year and trying to figure out where the hell the year went by so fast. And trying to hit the local music scene after so many requests from local bands to check them out. I'm not sure if my world of mouth will help any exposure but I do stand by the albums of 2015 that bands like Wooden Nickel Lottery and Tommy Bruner's latest album are better than most of the best of lists I have seen. The Ultimate Classic Rock site's top 20 best of 2015 is quite laughable. Somebody forgot Killing Joke on their list and even that big chart showing by UFO doesn't change the fact that their record is not found around this area.
But I also kept busy on the jamming circuit. Wrigleyville has announced that the Tuesday Night Acoustic Jam sessions are be only held on the first Tuesday of the month. So far Parlor City will have their jam nights on Tuesday Night. I did venture into the Sunday jam with Dan Johnson, Tim Duffy, Brook Hoover and Jon Wilson and although it was another small turnout, the usual faithful was there with their trademark songs, and Tanner from In The Attic doing a half hour's work of drumming. But I felt like the forgotten man there and as the day progressed on I was promised that I'd be up there, I could have gone on first but Mike got on first, Tanner second and while Jon return to the drumset, I begin to wonder if I got passed over once again. Perhaps it was the rain and my attitude beginning to sour, after all the songs I wanted to do, were done earlier in the evening, Dan doing a speed version of Let's Work Together, and I could have sang House Of The Rising Sun, my butt was glued to the chair and didn't move. By the final song which they were going to do Rocky Mountain Way, I finally took two shots of courage and yelled YOU FORGOT ABOUT ME!!!!!!!
...musicians get into a groove and when they're locked in a groove they tend to be in their own world and you have to barge in there and have to bang on tables. Passive people get passed over and I had to subject myself of hearing Tanner trip over his drumsticks on certain songs that employ a 4/4 beat. Still, there was a couple that danced on this clumsy remake of One After 909. Perhaps maybe I should have went first instead of pointing to Mike and saying he can go first and then Tanner. And then I'd save the best for last by playing last. Or if I was going to play.
For many years I am the loner that walks into the bar and hangs from afar. Exchanging pleasantries and talking music and than doing my best to support the struggling artist and bands out there. After all I am one too. And coming out of retirement this July I managed to somewhat captured the sound and fury of playing drums, but I'm not the same destructive dude I was 30 years ago, a heart attack waiting to happen. I made a few friends along the way too but I still remain very shy and aloof when I do show up at Rumors, a bar that I have finally considered to be a second home outside of Half Priced Books. And one of the main things of my bucket list was to finally get up stage and do some songs with Dan Johnson, who has been one of mainstays of the music scene in Cedar Rapids, his duets with Dennis McMurrin at Parlor City are worth seeing on a Thursday Night. He does keep busy, and is blues based. Now I have been jammed with Tim Duffy, who's part of the Lab Rats and sometimes takes over for Bart Carfizzi in the Past Masters, and he's an excellent singer in the R and B tradition. However, the one person I really wanted to trade tunes on is Brook Hoover, one of the more eccentric players out there. Brook was part of the Meekrats, a band that made a couple independent releases in the 1990s and that band featured the late Kyle Oyloe, to which his untimely passing earlier this year was talked about and lamented. Brook is part of the Surf Zombies, which are part Ventures, part Pulp Fiction and part Raybeats and lots of punk attitude. There are times I threw a couple suggestions for songs that we could probably do, Jack The Ripper via The Raybeats. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOwC6XAHIlQ
Jon Wilson, the drummer might have had the most basic drumset up there. A snare, bass drum, hi hat and one cymbal, which was a 20 or 22 inch ride, somewhat akin to a Paiste Signature flat ride, not much crash but had a nice muffled ping, perfect for a small setting. Jon might be the tightest time keeper in the music scene. He plays a very locked down beat, almost like Charlie Watts. Very business like too. (note: it wasn't Paiste, but perhaps an Instanbal or UFIP jazz ride?)
I was content at the start to let the kids have their fun on drums and then take over the last half hour and close things down. But as songs were being played, the ones that I knew, I begin to wonder if there would be anything for me to do that I did know. Oh I could improvise if need be, after all having heard over a million songs and many versions of the songs I could add my own beat if need be. By the time, Tanner took over guitar and did the waltz song, I was getting frustrated. Do I say something, do I make a scene, in the end I decided to be nice about it and hopefully get the invite up. But then again being nice doesn't get you very far, especially hanging all throughout the 2 hour 45 minute jam session (it ended at 6:45). And I didn't come out in a pouring record rainfall just to drink two glasses of tea and make 4 bathroom breaks. Out of all the jammers up there, there was one person that had the number 1 single for two weeks in July on Lucky Star Radio and he wasn't on stage. I was putting my jacket on, getting ready to go, I knew there wasn't much time left, they had to pack up and go and maybe catch another gig.
Sometimes there's a person deep down inside of me that if annoyed enough I'd take things into my own accord and go with that. So I lost out on House Of Rising Sun and a couple others, and Dan and company were ready to take on Rocky Mountain Way and I jumped out of my seat and said HEY GUYS YOU FORGOT ABOUT ME. Russ got up to sing his song of Sitting On Dock Of The Bay and they were ready to pack it up with the Tyrus Paraphernalia song of long ago, and I'm not going to waste another minute. I did that for the first three hours of being there. I heard the other guitar player (I think he was called Rod too) trying to remember words to songs, I sat through 35 minutes of Tanner playing drums and a couple of his own numbers, and Mike got to sing his song and played for an half hour too. So I wasn't happy about being passed over but then again that's not their fault, nor the hosts, they can't read my mind. I had to do something, I played nice too long and wanted at least to do a song to at least make this trip not a wasted effort. I support the starving musician but I too am a starving musician. Give the old coot a moment in the light.
To which Dan did let me finally join for the last song. Told them to play anything they want, you want to do Rocky Mountain Way we can. I'm a professional too, I just have a day job that pays the bills better than being a musician. So Dan thinks up of All Night Long it's a shuffle beat, not one of my favorite type of beats, and I didn't work much up a sweat playing it. Very simple, ride the cymbal and do a roll or two but it was worth the wait to finally get to play alongside these guys. Another thing to cross off the bucket list. And we managed to chat a bit before going home and grabbing a copy of Brook's Surf Zombies LP. I still hope that the next time I can jam a bit more than one song with these guys, but Dan is right by saying I should have spoken up sooner than later. This passiveness tends to bite you in the ass if you get too passive.
Even for one song, I loved every moment of it.
Tuesday, December 8, 2015
Week In Review; Slow Ride 40: Wieland, John Garner, Trump
The big news was Scott Wieland found dead in his tour bus on Thursday and all the tributes and antidotes came out to celebrate and honor his legacy. Mary Wieland, Scott's ex wife had a different sort of tribute to her ex via a long and thought provoking "don't glorify this tragedy" post for Rolling Stone Mag. http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/scott-weiland-s-family-dont-glorify-this-tragedy-20151207
Perhaps this gives the overall picture of today's society and how they perceive the instant gratification of when rock stars mess up. Certainly media today have been predicting for the day that Wieland would overdose on drugs or have drugs contribute to his passing. Hell, the media keeps asking Lemmy when he's going to die. To which Lemmy would like them all to piss off. Out of the voice of the grunge scene, the big 3, Kurt Cobain, Layne Staley and now Scott Wieland are now in the hereafter. Stone Temple Pilots were my go to band of this sort of music. Classic rock radio still plays the hell out of Plush or Interstate Love Song but I still like No 4 the best. Radio doesn't play that to death. I also liked Wieland's tenure with Velvet Revolver before he kissed and made up with Stone Temple Pilots to do one more album before going solo again. I haven't paid much attention to his Wildabouts years or 12 Bar Blues, his Atlantic album, but Scott did do a Christmas album that sounded like he was having fun. But it's hard to tell as Wieland would battle critics and fans and talked about getting back to STP in the near future, when the time would be right. Alas for Scott, that time will be never come around.
Passings: Bonnie Lou, female rockabilly star, passed away after a long illness Tuesday. She was 91. Her husband is Milton Okun, who figured into some of the folk stars of the 60s and early 70s (Peter, Paul And Mary, Mitchell Trio, John Denver). http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6792717/bonnie-lou-dies
John Garner was drummer for Sir Lord Baltimore, a Maryland band that made two albums for Mercury back in the early 70s. Somewhat heavy metal I recall having that on CD and not caring much for it. Their first album is considered to be one of the early sounds of heavy metal and it was produced by Mike Appel (The Tokens, Tony Orlando And Dawn) and it was mixed by Eddie Kramer. The second album was a little bit better but by then, the band failed to connect with critics and fans and after a disastrous opening slot in front of Black Sabbath, Mercury Records dropped them and the band called it a day. Garner would later embrace the Sir Lord Baltimore legacy and even attempted a 2008 reunion, which fell through. But he did give interviews about that band and here's a 2008 chat. Garner passed away from liver failure at age 67.
John Trudell, Indian activist, poet and actor, and spokesman of the 1969 Alcatraz island occupation passed away from cancer Tuesday at age 69. He recorded a couple CDs for Rykodisc. http://www.usnews.com/news/entertainment/articles/2015/12/08/american-indian-activist-poet-john-trudell-dies-at-69?src=usn_fb
The link to John Garner got moved down here.
http://houseofrockinterviews.blogspot.com/2008/01/forging-steel-exclusive-interview-with.html
While the music press is gossiping over the news that Neil Peart has retired from playing the drums, I just don't believe it. Over the years, Peart's complex drumming has influenced many drummers and no wonder, his playing took a toll on him and he has developed tendinitis over the past couple years. The Rush 40 tour might have been the last we may have seen from Neil and the boys and Neil's daughter Olivia has said he's now a retired drummer, which Neil got a chuckle and said she might be right. But for now, the logical guess is that Neil will take some time off but I don't forsee him giving up drums even just to practice off and on. In the meantime Geddy Lee has mentioned he might come up with a followup album to his solo album My Favorite Headache, an album that I actually liked a lot. But we're all are getting old. Unless you're Scott Wieland, then you're dead.
Sports side of things: While Iowa lost to Michigan State 16-13, they played well enough to convince the NCAA to penciled them in the Rose Bowl, the first time The Hawkeyes have been there in 25 years. To which FOX Sports hack and ratings whore Colin Cowturd Cowherd blew a nut about the Hawkeyes going to Pasadena rather than Ohio State, who will be going to Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame and how the Hawkeyes have been a fraud all season. This is where we quit giving the Ratings Whore anymore attention, the Donald Trump of sports talk. Anything to grab ratings. We all know Cowpie would be bitching about it come Monday and he did once again. But enough about E.D. goofball, Iowa will get to play Stanford, which has been established as 20 point favorites according to Cowterd. Michigan State for their win, gets Alabama, a 15 point favorite from the blond mellonhead. Comedy aside, although the Hawks played a gallant game, the offense outside of that 85 yard TD pass, did very little in the three quarters after the first, and while the defense did their best, the offense's lack of plays doomed the defense in route of the world breaking record 22 play drive that MSU scored the winning TD. That said, the only way to shut up Colin Cornhole is Iowa to win and win convincingly. And to shut down Stanford wonderkind running back Christian McCaffrey. And history has not been on Iowa's side; in the three rose bowls from 1981 onward, Iowa is 0-3. A far cry from the Hawkeyes of 1957 and 1959 who won those bowl games. Stanford can be beat, just ask Northwestern, but Stanford got hot and got better as the season went on. Going 12-0 has made the 2015 season something to remember, BUT Iowa didn't play Ohio State, nor Michigan and the Michigan State game they lost, even though they were both evenly matched up statwise. Until Iowa beats Stanford, this season will be considered a disappointment, although none of Iowa's doing due to Maryland and Rutgers coming in and screwing up everything according to the know it alls. Iowa against the world once again.
For a shitty 6-6 season Arizona State got rewarded quite nicely; A January 2nd Cactus Bowl vs West Virginia in Phoenix, at Chase field. Which means they stay home. West Virginia has the better record 7-5, they beat Texas and Texas Tech and gave Oklahoma State all they can handle before losing in overtime, and Kansas State beat them 24-23, but the teams they beat were not that impressive either. Arizona State's big wins were against UCLA and Arizona, but they blew games with Oregon, Washington State and Utah. In other words, this game is for fans only. So I suspect I'll watch it.
35 years ago on the 8th, John Lennon was shot by a asshole with a gun. http://nodepression.com/article/john-lennons-been-shot-marshall-tucker-bands-ghosts-christmas-past
This years best of 2015 ratings were better than the 2014 best of 2 to 1, 100 views compared to 48 for last year's best of. Hard to say why last year's best of wasn't read as much but then again, I think we had better music this year than last year, judging by the feedback from the inbox. Since the major labels aren't releasing great albums anymore, the underground independent labels and local artists are taking matters into their own hands. The future lies there despite Corporation Radio's blatant attempts to restrict things to dated beats and autotuners and bad rap.
Nazism lives and it's in the form of Donald Trump. I have mostly ignored the ignorant blowpiehole through his bullshit run for President and he is a bullshit artist that runs his mouth. In the meantime every day has brought some sort of shootings and massacres around the world and in this country. Trump for many years have thrown his bullshit on TV with the stupid assed reality unreality crap The Apprentice (which you can get the first season complete for a dollar at Half Priced Books this week) and then somebody gave him the idea of running for President, to which he hoops and hollers and quote Mein Kampf and repeats lies in the hopes that the uneducated and halfbreeds would get his vote. While a couple of lowlifes killed 20 people in San Bernardino last week, Trump says if he's President he will ban all Muslims coming into the country. What Mr Big Mouth and No Brains forgot was that some white redneck went to a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood and shot and killed a couple people there. A strange contradiction of facts, that all Muslims are Terrorists and white guys aren't. While Trump makes sense on one or two things, if you look at his method of ways, it's very similar to what the Nazi's used in Germany in the 1930s when Hitler rose to power. Take lies and repeat them that people believe.
For a while Trump was leading the polls here but his rhetoric has gotten to be tiring and people are beginning to see through his bullshit. Even Joe Scarbrough got tired of Trump's yacking on the phone lines and cutting away to a commercial. I certainly don't want Trump for President, I never liked him in the first place and even less when NBC added more Trump reality shit, before coming to their senses and dropping him. Just another spoiled rotten rich kid, turned into Tin Foil Hat goofus who has done more for ISIS just by spitting out things like banning all Muslims, or make them wear pins or labels. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/12/08/the-philadelphia-daily-news-front-page-goes-there-on-donald-trump/
I don't know about you, but I can really do without the Viagra commercials or anything about pecker pills. Nothing is more American is seeing Bud Light Lemon Lime and the Viagra lady touting the pill that will give you a stiffy. For that matter Big Pharma touts every fucking pills they can think of to make an already drugged America to "talk to your doctor to see is such and such pill is right for you" and spend 45 seconds of an minute spot to mention the side effects (may include death, makes you want to try that out right?). It seems each day we have more and more pill spots and sporting events tout drugs to get Mr Happy stand at attention. By all means if the Viagra lady pops up at my door, I would not need any pills to get it up, and I'm sure those who need that jagged blue pill are entitled to have it. Just don't shove the fucking spot down our throats every time, The NFL takes a time out for an injury or jock wedgie. Another reason why the TV stays off most of the time.
When I see this in the kitchen, God know I wouldn't need Viagra. Not sure about you though.
Record Reviews of the week:
Steven Wilson-Hand. Cannot. Erase. (Kscope 2015)
Wilson is the face of progressive rock today. He can borrow something from Yes or Rush, add some 90s style HM lead guitar and then return back to a Pink Floyd trance groove. His last effort had Alan Parsons on it, this new one Wilson runs the show and the Yes/Rush progressions 3 Years Older and the title track even sounds like pop. But the record is all over the place and loses focus on Routine, which has a coda that reminds me of The Great Gig In The Sky and not in a good way, I never cared much for Great Gig. While Marco Mannenman is a fairly competent drummer, some of the songs he gets carried away, he's no Neil Peart or Gavin Harrison for that matter. Ancestral, the other 13 minute workout seems to a bit better on the prog rock but Happy Returns isn't so happy and the record ends on a minute and half new age that may as well be 1:54 of silence. Hand.Cannot.Erase. might be Wilson's most uneven album, not bad in spots, some great moments but most of the time it leaves me cold. Plus the digipack sucks.
Grade B-
The Best Of Jon Butcher-Dreamers Would Ride (Razor And Tie 1998)
His best work was on Polydor, but his best known songs were off Wishes, the album that got played a lot on the late great Beaker Street. Butcher started out playing rock in the way of Thin Lizzy and Robin Trower, in fact Butcher sounded like Jimmy Dewar. Each ensuring album Butcher got too much into the faceless blend of dated keyboards and Glen Ballard, the 1989 selections from Pictures From The Front are the worst and Ocean In Motion is missing. For an overview it shows that Butcher is one of the underrated stars of the 80s, Life Takes A Life, Holy War, Stop and Saving Grace are his best works, as well as his theme song Wishes. Plenty of outtakes as well, of course the obligatory Hendrix cover of May This Be Love, which reminds me more of Robin Trower's Waterfall. And I'm also thinking that Butcher is more Trower than Hendrix, which is not a bad thing at all.
Grade B+
Roy Buchanan-Loading Zone (Atlantic 1977)
Stanley Clarke produced this and while it was nice to see Roy hook up with jazz/fusion master Stanley Clarke and Narada Micheal Walden, the better songs are the ones that Steve Cropper and David Galbaldi plays on. Even Duck Dunn appears on a version of Green Onions that can peel wallpaper, a battle of guitar wits between Cropper and Roy. Buchanan was never blessed as a lead singer, but his guitar does a fine job of talking all its own.
Grade B+
Miles Davis-Pangaea (Columbia 1975)
Two 40 minute collages of fusion jazz and even hard rock. Sonny Fortune is the sax player, Pete Cosey and Reggie Lucas the guitar players, Mike Henderson on bass, Mtume with all sorts of percussion and congas and the great Al Foster on drums. And Miles making fart noises on horns, really it's a showcase of the other guys rather than Miles. Zimbabwe starts out with some hard rocking drums from Foster and bits of heavy metal as well and probably better than disc 2's Gondwana which takes about 15 minutes to get going. Fortune loses me on the flute parts and the quiet ambiance that concludes both songs leaves the listener hanging. Good in spots but I agree that these songs needed some sort of banding, to pass over the boring stuff to get to the rock and funk that Davis was good at getting out of his hired hands in the mid 70s.
Grade B
Sonny James-When Something Is Wrong With My Baby (Columbia 1976)
A surprise. James revisits more R and B and rockabilly on this album, which would find Sonny moving over to Monument a year or so later. James has done R and B before, Bright Lights, Big City but he tackles Sam and Dave on the title cut and Otis Redding on I've Been Loving You Too Long. His ballads I could do without but they do have a certain charm of their own, but it's the uptempo Come On In which rocks a lot harder than country radio would liked. Plus engineer Ron Reynolds adds (count em) four of his own songs, including a rockabilly take on Poor Boy and Sonny reveals a sense of humor on Ain't Nothing Else That Can Go Wrong (which is blues) including what sounds like a slip up at the end, or a record skip and needle drag. Somebody's been listening to Monty Python's Matching Tie and Handkerchief.
Grade B+
Porter Wagoner-The Bluegrass Story (RCA 1964)
Porter has played hillbilly music most of his career and he revisits some of them in this 1964 effort. The polished Nashville sound that RCA and Chet Atkins is famous for is here and while I like hearing Howdy Neighbor Howdy up to date, it does pale in comparison to the mid 50s classic. And for that matter Uncle Pen was more bluegrass in it's 1956 version and more rawer. But give him this, he was still hard core country, even on Country Music Comes To Town, which is more country than bluegrass. He can't touch Bill Monroe or even Flatt And Scruggs but he does come close at times (Cotton Fields, Will You Be Loving Another Man)
Grade B
The Allman Joys-Early Allmans (Dial 1973)
Another dollar LP at Half Priced Books, this is what is the beginnings of Gregg and Duane Allman, originally known as The Escorts, Dial Records did issue a single, a version of Willie Dixon's Spoonful (Dial 45-4046) which is now a collector's item. Even for a teen, Gregg Allman's vocals were more world weary and sounded more older than he was, but on side one, he's sounds more like Lee Michaels on Gotta Get Away and shows hints of what he could do on a cover of Old Man River. The Allman growl is noted on Doctor Fone Bone to which new producer John Hurley, replacing John Loudermilk pushes Gregg toward a more soulful sound. He's not there yet, and most of the demos are works in progress and for Allman audiophiles only. But it is fun to hear how the Allmans started out. Somewhat in the hippy dippy Psychedelia pop side of things, but everybody has to start somewhere.
Grade B-
Bulletboys (Warner Bros 1988)
Hair metal with a thump thump thump. They're best known for Smooth Up On Ya and a clunky version of For the Love Of Money. They managed to corner Ted Templeman and Jeff Hendrickson to produce and record and that's the highlight. Something akin to Eat Them And Smile with Diamond Dave, however the biggest difference is Marq Torien's big mouth, and I do mean big mouth. He don't sign, he SHOUTS, he SCREAMS, he BELLOWS and makes Kevin DeBrow sound like a crooner. A nice rhythm section, a good lead guitarist. For corporate hair metal not bad but not something I'd play all that much. They would get better on their next couple WB platters but grunge and public indifference regulated them to the cutouts in record time.
Grade C
Music Of My Youth-Slow Ride 40th Anniversary by Foghat
4 decades away, I was a freshman in high school but basically I fucking hated High school. I couldn't do sports, the jocks would punch me out in the hallway, I didn't smoke or drink so the hoods would punch me out in the driveway. The girls in high school were too damn stuck up and I recall a certain high school cheerleader promising a date with me during Homecoming but went with somebody else instead. The only salvation was the radio and what came out for new music. Back then it was 45s, not the steaming thing that sweeping the nation nowadays. I was a big fan of Foghat back then, still am today, Roger Earle has continued to band onward 15 years after the death of Dave Peverett. My aunt had a copy of Rock and Roll Outlaws to which when she moved down here, I would borrow it time and time again. Eight Days On The Road and the title track were classics, although neither came out on 45. So it was late 1975, when I turned on KCRG (or maybe it was KLWW since they were a little more rock than KCRG but anyway) and a new song grabbed my attention like no other, or at least not since Trampled Underfoot came out by Led Zeppelin.
Thump...thump....thump....thump, and then the guitars started up. And then.
Slow ride....take it easy, (repeat three more times)
Oh my, this rocks! It's funny how something so simple lyic wise would turn into an anthem of sorts.
I'm in the mood, the feeling is right
Move to the music, we can roll all night
Not exactly Like A Rolling Stone, but it's easy to see how Lonesome Dave managed to pen these words out in 5 minutes. Basically Slow Ride pretty came from a jam with Rod Price thinking up some guitar lick and Roger Earle pounding the beat and Nick Jameson channeling his inner Bootsy Collins. The bridge really don't provide much thought process either.
Slow Down, go down, got to get your loving one more time
Hold Me, Roll Me, Slow Ride woman you're so fine
and then repeat the only verse and repeat the chorus and you got a 3 minute AM hit single. And for a while I got to know the edited version but some FM station played the next five minutes of jamming, complete with Dave's patented heavy breathing on the slow down, go down part later on. And then ending to a wild and whacked out ending of Rod Price's slide guitar and Dave whooping it up.
I always thought that the live version from Foghat live was much better, particularly due to Craig MacGregor's driving bass but the studio version lives on at Foghat concerts and on classic rock radio. In terms of silly lyrics, Slow Ride is basically no different than any of the silly stuff that was out there, anything by KISS, Gotta Keep A Running by The Godz to name others. It's hard to explain, but Slow Ride did solidify Foghat and got them that major hit that kept them going for another 7 years before Bearsville cut them loose. By then Jameson did return to produce the final two platters for Foghat (In the Mood For Something Rude and Zig Zag Walk (under the alias Eli Jenkins/Franz Lipkin) before they took a break and throughout the 80s both Dave and Roger Earle had their own version of Foghat before burying the hatchet and returned in the mid 90s for Return Of the Boogie Men, produced by Nick Jameson after Rick Rubin bowed out and remained together till Peverett's passing in 2000 and Rod Price 5 years later.
Nevertheless Slow Ride, despite being overplayed to death on radio and on comp albums still has that charm that if I let it take me away for a minute, return me to the days of AM radio and crap times at Marion High School. A silly song, but it captured the classic rock moment history of time. And still does today, although in much more limited plays. There's other things to listen to.
Perhaps this gives the overall picture of today's society and how they perceive the instant gratification of when rock stars mess up. Certainly media today have been predicting for the day that Wieland would overdose on drugs or have drugs contribute to his passing. Hell, the media keeps asking Lemmy when he's going to die. To which Lemmy would like them all to piss off. Out of the voice of the grunge scene, the big 3, Kurt Cobain, Layne Staley and now Scott Wieland are now in the hereafter. Stone Temple Pilots were my go to band of this sort of music. Classic rock radio still plays the hell out of Plush or Interstate Love Song but I still like No 4 the best. Radio doesn't play that to death. I also liked Wieland's tenure with Velvet Revolver before he kissed and made up with Stone Temple Pilots to do one more album before going solo again. I haven't paid much attention to his Wildabouts years or 12 Bar Blues, his Atlantic album, but Scott did do a Christmas album that sounded like he was having fun. But it's hard to tell as Wieland would battle critics and fans and talked about getting back to STP in the near future, when the time would be right. Alas for Scott, that time will be never come around.
Passings: Bonnie Lou, female rockabilly star, passed away after a long illness Tuesday. She was 91. Her husband is Milton Okun, who figured into some of the folk stars of the 60s and early 70s (Peter, Paul And Mary, Mitchell Trio, John Denver). http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6792717/bonnie-lou-dies
John Garner was drummer for Sir Lord Baltimore, a Maryland band that made two albums for Mercury back in the early 70s. Somewhat heavy metal I recall having that on CD and not caring much for it. Their first album is considered to be one of the early sounds of heavy metal and it was produced by Mike Appel (The Tokens, Tony Orlando And Dawn) and it was mixed by Eddie Kramer. The second album was a little bit better but by then, the band failed to connect with critics and fans and after a disastrous opening slot in front of Black Sabbath, Mercury Records dropped them and the band called it a day. Garner would later embrace the Sir Lord Baltimore legacy and even attempted a 2008 reunion, which fell through. But he did give interviews about that band and here's a 2008 chat. Garner passed away from liver failure at age 67.
John Trudell, Indian activist, poet and actor, and spokesman of the 1969 Alcatraz island occupation passed away from cancer Tuesday at age 69. He recorded a couple CDs for Rykodisc. http://www.usnews.com/news/entertainment/articles/2015/12/08/american-indian-activist-poet-john-trudell-dies-at-69?src=usn_fb
The link to John Garner got moved down here.
http://houseofrockinterviews.blogspot.com/2008/01/forging-steel-exclusive-interview-with.html
While the music press is gossiping over the news that Neil Peart has retired from playing the drums, I just don't believe it. Over the years, Peart's complex drumming has influenced many drummers and no wonder, his playing took a toll on him and he has developed tendinitis over the past couple years. The Rush 40 tour might have been the last we may have seen from Neil and the boys and Neil's daughter Olivia has said he's now a retired drummer, which Neil got a chuckle and said she might be right. But for now, the logical guess is that Neil will take some time off but I don't forsee him giving up drums even just to practice off and on. In the meantime Geddy Lee has mentioned he might come up with a followup album to his solo album My Favorite Headache, an album that I actually liked a lot. But we're all are getting old. Unless you're Scott Wieland, then you're dead.
Sports side of things: While Iowa lost to Michigan State 16-13, they played well enough to convince the NCAA to penciled them in the Rose Bowl, the first time The Hawkeyes have been there in 25 years. To which FOX Sports hack and ratings whore Colin Cowturd Cowherd blew a nut about the Hawkeyes going to Pasadena rather than Ohio State, who will be going to Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl against Notre Dame and how the Hawkeyes have been a fraud all season. This is where we quit giving the Ratings Whore anymore attention, the Donald Trump of sports talk. Anything to grab ratings. We all know Cowpie would be bitching about it come Monday and he did once again. But enough about E.D. goofball, Iowa will get to play Stanford, which has been established as 20 point favorites according to Cowterd. Michigan State for their win, gets Alabama, a 15 point favorite from the blond mellonhead. Comedy aside, although the Hawks played a gallant game, the offense outside of that 85 yard TD pass, did very little in the three quarters after the first, and while the defense did their best, the offense's lack of plays doomed the defense in route of the world breaking record 22 play drive that MSU scored the winning TD. That said, the only way to shut up Colin Cornhole is Iowa to win and win convincingly. And to shut down Stanford wonderkind running back Christian McCaffrey. And history has not been on Iowa's side; in the three rose bowls from 1981 onward, Iowa is 0-3. A far cry from the Hawkeyes of 1957 and 1959 who won those bowl games. Stanford can be beat, just ask Northwestern, but Stanford got hot and got better as the season went on. Going 12-0 has made the 2015 season something to remember, BUT Iowa didn't play Ohio State, nor Michigan and the Michigan State game they lost, even though they were both evenly matched up statwise. Until Iowa beats Stanford, this season will be considered a disappointment, although none of Iowa's doing due to Maryland and Rutgers coming in and screwing up everything according to the know it alls. Iowa against the world once again.
For a shitty 6-6 season Arizona State got rewarded quite nicely; A January 2nd Cactus Bowl vs West Virginia in Phoenix, at Chase field. Which means they stay home. West Virginia has the better record 7-5, they beat Texas and Texas Tech and gave Oklahoma State all they can handle before losing in overtime, and Kansas State beat them 24-23, but the teams they beat were not that impressive either. Arizona State's big wins were against UCLA and Arizona, but they blew games with Oregon, Washington State and Utah. In other words, this game is for fans only. So I suspect I'll watch it.
35 years ago on the 8th, John Lennon was shot by a asshole with a gun. http://nodepression.com/article/john-lennons-been-shot-marshall-tucker-bands-ghosts-christmas-past
This years best of 2015 ratings were better than the 2014 best of 2 to 1, 100 views compared to 48 for last year's best of. Hard to say why last year's best of wasn't read as much but then again, I think we had better music this year than last year, judging by the feedback from the inbox. Since the major labels aren't releasing great albums anymore, the underground independent labels and local artists are taking matters into their own hands. The future lies there despite Corporation Radio's blatant attempts to restrict things to dated beats and autotuners and bad rap.
Nazism lives and it's in the form of Donald Trump. I have mostly ignored the ignorant blowpiehole through his bullshit run for President and he is a bullshit artist that runs his mouth. In the meantime every day has brought some sort of shootings and massacres around the world and in this country. Trump for many years have thrown his bullshit on TV with the stupid assed reality unreality crap The Apprentice (which you can get the first season complete for a dollar at Half Priced Books this week) and then somebody gave him the idea of running for President, to which he hoops and hollers and quote Mein Kampf and repeats lies in the hopes that the uneducated and halfbreeds would get his vote. While a couple of lowlifes killed 20 people in San Bernardino last week, Trump says if he's President he will ban all Muslims coming into the country. What Mr Big Mouth and No Brains forgot was that some white redneck went to a Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood and shot and killed a couple people there. A strange contradiction of facts, that all Muslims are Terrorists and white guys aren't. While Trump makes sense on one or two things, if you look at his method of ways, it's very similar to what the Nazi's used in Germany in the 1930s when Hitler rose to power. Take lies and repeat them that people believe.
For a while Trump was leading the polls here but his rhetoric has gotten to be tiring and people are beginning to see through his bullshit. Even Joe Scarbrough got tired of Trump's yacking on the phone lines and cutting away to a commercial. I certainly don't want Trump for President, I never liked him in the first place and even less when NBC added more Trump reality shit, before coming to their senses and dropping him. Just another spoiled rotten rich kid, turned into Tin Foil Hat goofus who has done more for ISIS just by spitting out things like banning all Muslims, or make them wear pins or labels. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/12/08/the-philadelphia-daily-news-front-page-goes-there-on-donald-trump/
I don't know about you, but I can really do without the Viagra commercials or anything about pecker pills. Nothing is more American is seeing Bud Light Lemon Lime and the Viagra lady touting the pill that will give you a stiffy. For that matter Big Pharma touts every fucking pills they can think of to make an already drugged America to "talk to your doctor to see is such and such pill is right for you" and spend 45 seconds of an minute spot to mention the side effects (may include death, makes you want to try that out right?). It seems each day we have more and more pill spots and sporting events tout drugs to get Mr Happy stand at attention. By all means if the Viagra lady pops up at my door, I would not need any pills to get it up, and I'm sure those who need that jagged blue pill are entitled to have it. Just don't shove the fucking spot down our throats every time, The NFL takes a time out for an injury or jock wedgie. Another reason why the TV stays off most of the time.
When I see this in the kitchen, God know I wouldn't need Viagra. Not sure about you though.
Record Reviews of the week:
Steven Wilson-Hand. Cannot. Erase. (Kscope 2015)
Wilson is the face of progressive rock today. He can borrow something from Yes or Rush, add some 90s style HM lead guitar and then return back to a Pink Floyd trance groove. His last effort had Alan Parsons on it, this new one Wilson runs the show and the Yes/Rush progressions 3 Years Older and the title track even sounds like pop. But the record is all over the place and loses focus on Routine, which has a coda that reminds me of The Great Gig In The Sky and not in a good way, I never cared much for Great Gig. While Marco Mannenman is a fairly competent drummer, some of the songs he gets carried away, he's no Neil Peart or Gavin Harrison for that matter. Ancestral, the other 13 minute workout seems to a bit better on the prog rock but Happy Returns isn't so happy and the record ends on a minute and half new age that may as well be 1:54 of silence. Hand.Cannot.Erase. might be Wilson's most uneven album, not bad in spots, some great moments but most of the time it leaves me cold. Plus the digipack sucks.
Grade B-
The Best Of Jon Butcher-Dreamers Would Ride (Razor And Tie 1998)
His best work was on Polydor, but his best known songs were off Wishes, the album that got played a lot on the late great Beaker Street. Butcher started out playing rock in the way of Thin Lizzy and Robin Trower, in fact Butcher sounded like Jimmy Dewar. Each ensuring album Butcher got too much into the faceless blend of dated keyboards and Glen Ballard, the 1989 selections from Pictures From The Front are the worst and Ocean In Motion is missing. For an overview it shows that Butcher is one of the underrated stars of the 80s, Life Takes A Life, Holy War, Stop and Saving Grace are his best works, as well as his theme song Wishes. Plenty of outtakes as well, of course the obligatory Hendrix cover of May This Be Love, which reminds me more of Robin Trower's Waterfall. And I'm also thinking that Butcher is more Trower than Hendrix, which is not a bad thing at all.
Grade B+
Roy Buchanan-Loading Zone (Atlantic 1977)
Stanley Clarke produced this and while it was nice to see Roy hook up with jazz/fusion master Stanley Clarke and Narada Micheal Walden, the better songs are the ones that Steve Cropper and David Galbaldi plays on. Even Duck Dunn appears on a version of Green Onions that can peel wallpaper, a battle of guitar wits between Cropper and Roy. Buchanan was never blessed as a lead singer, but his guitar does a fine job of talking all its own.
Grade B+
Miles Davis-Pangaea (Columbia 1975)
Two 40 minute collages of fusion jazz and even hard rock. Sonny Fortune is the sax player, Pete Cosey and Reggie Lucas the guitar players, Mike Henderson on bass, Mtume with all sorts of percussion and congas and the great Al Foster on drums. And Miles making fart noises on horns, really it's a showcase of the other guys rather than Miles. Zimbabwe starts out with some hard rocking drums from Foster and bits of heavy metal as well and probably better than disc 2's Gondwana which takes about 15 minutes to get going. Fortune loses me on the flute parts and the quiet ambiance that concludes both songs leaves the listener hanging. Good in spots but I agree that these songs needed some sort of banding, to pass over the boring stuff to get to the rock and funk that Davis was good at getting out of his hired hands in the mid 70s.
Grade B
Sonny James-When Something Is Wrong With My Baby (Columbia 1976)
A surprise. James revisits more R and B and rockabilly on this album, which would find Sonny moving over to Monument a year or so later. James has done R and B before, Bright Lights, Big City but he tackles Sam and Dave on the title cut and Otis Redding on I've Been Loving You Too Long. His ballads I could do without but they do have a certain charm of their own, but it's the uptempo Come On In which rocks a lot harder than country radio would liked. Plus engineer Ron Reynolds adds (count em) four of his own songs, including a rockabilly take on Poor Boy and Sonny reveals a sense of humor on Ain't Nothing Else That Can Go Wrong (which is blues) including what sounds like a slip up at the end, or a record skip and needle drag. Somebody's been listening to Monty Python's Matching Tie and Handkerchief.
Grade B+
Porter Wagoner-The Bluegrass Story (RCA 1964)
Porter has played hillbilly music most of his career and he revisits some of them in this 1964 effort. The polished Nashville sound that RCA and Chet Atkins is famous for is here and while I like hearing Howdy Neighbor Howdy up to date, it does pale in comparison to the mid 50s classic. And for that matter Uncle Pen was more bluegrass in it's 1956 version and more rawer. But give him this, he was still hard core country, even on Country Music Comes To Town, which is more country than bluegrass. He can't touch Bill Monroe or even Flatt And Scruggs but he does come close at times (Cotton Fields, Will You Be Loving Another Man)
Grade B
The Allman Joys-Early Allmans (Dial 1973)
Another dollar LP at Half Priced Books, this is what is the beginnings of Gregg and Duane Allman, originally known as The Escorts, Dial Records did issue a single, a version of Willie Dixon's Spoonful (Dial 45-4046) which is now a collector's item. Even for a teen, Gregg Allman's vocals were more world weary and sounded more older than he was, but on side one, he's sounds more like Lee Michaels on Gotta Get Away and shows hints of what he could do on a cover of Old Man River. The Allman growl is noted on Doctor Fone Bone to which new producer John Hurley, replacing John Loudermilk pushes Gregg toward a more soulful sound. He's not there yet, and most of the demos are works in progress and for Allman audiophiles only. But it is fun to hear how the Allmans started out. Somewhat in the hippy dippy Psychedelia pop side of things, but everybody has to start somewhere.
Grade B-
Bulletboys (Warner Bros 1988)
Hair metal with a thump thump thump. They're best known for Smooth Up On Ya and a clunky version of For the Love Of Money. They managed to corner Ted Templeman and Jeff Hendrickson to produce and record and that's the highlight. Something akin to Eat Them And Smile with Diamond Dave, however the biggest difference is Marq Torien's big mouth, and I do mean big mouth. He don't sign, he SHOUTS, he SCREAMS, he BELLOWS and makes Kevin DeBrow sound like a crooner. A nice rhythm section, a good lead guitarist. For corporate hair metal not bad but not something I'd play all that much. They would get better on their next couple WB platters but grunge and public indifference regulated them to the cutouts in record time.
Grade C
Music Of My Youth-Slow Ride 40th Anniversary by Foghat
4 decades away, I was a freshman in high school but basically I fucking hated High school. I couldn't do sports, the jocks would punch me out in the hallway, I didn't smoke or drink so the hoods would punch me out in the driveway. The girls in high school were too damn stuck up and I recall a certain high school cheerleader promising a date with me during Homecoming but went with somebody else instead. The only salvation was the radio and what came out for new music. Back then it was 45s, not the steaming thing that sweeping the nation nowadays. I was a big fan of Foghat back then, still am today, Roger Earle has continued to band onward 15 years after the death of Dave Peverett. My aunt had a copy of Rock and Roll Outlaws to which when she moved down here, I would borrow it time and time again. Eight Days On The Road and the title track were classics, although neither came out on 45. So it was late 1975, when I turned on KCRG (or maybe it was KLWW since they were a little more rock than KCRG but anyway) and a new song grabbed my attention like no other, or at least not since Trampled Underfoot came out by Led Zeppelin.
Thump...thump....thump....thump, and then the guitars started up. And then.
Slow ride....take it easy, (repeat three more times)
Oh my, this rocks! It's funny how something so simple lyic wise would turn into an anthem of sorts.
I'm in the mood, the feeling is right
Move to the music, we can roll all night
Not exactly Like A Rolling Stone, but it's easy to see how Lonesome Dave managed to pen these words out in 5 minutes. Basically Slow Ride pretty came from a jam with Rod Price thinking up some guitar lick and Roger Earle pounding the beat and Nick Jameson channeling his inner Bootsy Collins. The bridge really don't provide much thought process either.
Slow Down, go down, got to get your loving one more time
Hold Me, Roll Me, Slow Ride woman you're so fine
and then repeat the only verse and repeat the chorus and you got a 3 minute AM hit single. And for a while I got to know the edited version but some FM station played the next five minutes of jamming, complete with Dave's patented heavy breathing on the slow down, go down part later on. And then ending to a wild and whacked out ending of Rod Price's slide guitar and Dave whooping it up.
I always thought that the live version from Foghat live was much better, particularly due to Craig MacGregor's driving bass but the studio version lives on at Foghat concerts and on classic rock radio. In terms of silly lyrics, Slow Ride is basically no different than any of the silly stuff that was out there, anything by KISS, Gotta Keep A Running by The Godz to name others. It's hard to explain, but Slow Ride did solidify Foghat and got them that major hit that kept them going for another 7 years before Bearsville cut them loose. By then Jameson did return to produce the final two platters for Foghat (In the Mood For Something Rude and Zig Zag Walk (under the alias Eli Jenkins/Franz Lipkin) before they took a break and throughout the 80s both Dave and Roger Earle had their own version of Foghat before burying the hatchet and returned in the mid 90s for Return Of the Boogie Men, produced by Nick Jameson after Rick Rubin bowed out and remained together till Peverett's passing in 2000 and Rod Price 5 years later.
Nevertheless Slow Ride, despite being overplayed to death on radio and on comp albums still has that charm that if I let it take me away for a minute, return me to the days of AM radio and crap times at Marion High School. A silly song, but it captured the classic rock moment history of time. And still does today, although in much more limited plays. There's other things to listen to.
Saturday, December 5, 2015
The Best Of 2015 In Music
Make no mistake this year was perhaps the least amount of new music that I reviewed this year. The disappearing of music stores, the major labels morphing into the Big 3, focusing on bad bro country, processed beats and mainstream alternative modern rock. Gone are the days of major labels giving bands a two to three album window for improving their craft, you're lucky if they can put one album out that sells enough to do a second album. Things have gotten worse to the point that when a awards show comes on, it looks more like a trainwreck in the making. Who thought the cutting edge rocker would be Miley Cyrus. Who thought the future of country rock would be Old Dominion or FGL? No wonder the masses quit caring and stayed with the music they grew up with. No wonder classic rock radio still plays stuff from 40, 50 years ago. Even grunge is 2 decades into the game.
While there still are lots of new music out there released, FM radio will not play the local artists. Corporation grabbed most of the stations out there and turned them into same shit different format. When a station does get into a up and coming band, their music is already months released. Walk The Moon's single which was the best thing off their album turned out to be a channel changer. After hearing it twice in one hour will make you chance the channel. Country music is not much better, even though Chris Stapleton stole the show on the CMA's K-HACK playlist is bro country ass scratching bad and still the Luke Bryan requests keep coming in. But this is not about the radio.
Records do keep coming out and of course Rolling Stone put together their 100 best of, which is about half of what I bought this year and when Keith Richards latest makes the top 20 something is wrong with this picture. Main Offender would have made top 5 had that come out this year, call it lower expectations of a main rock and roller who is still around. There's not too many of them left, B B King checked out, so did Scott Wieland, Lesley Gore, Allen Toussaint, Billy Joe Royal, Don Covay, Ben E King and a few others. While Rolling Stone's best of 2015 is not as laughable as years before hand, most on the top ten are rap albums (Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly) and Adele number 2 with 25. Basically Adele's album is the best non autotuned album, she does sing with the best of them and while I like the album and bought it as a FU to Bob Lefsetz' Spotify promos, it didn't make the top 10 this year. Top 20 maybe, but that shows you how thin the cupboard was this year with new music.
The biggest problem was trying to locate copies of albums since the big box stores took out the Mom and Pops stores in town and Half Priced Books was spotty in getting them in. Samantha Fish suffers from this, her new album nobody had. I'm sure it rocked but since nobody had it, it didn't make the cut. Even Best Buy was lackadaisical, I basically had to go to Moondog Music or Ragged Records to locate Graham Parker's latest or James McMurty's Complicated Game (on vinyl no less). Rock reissues were more spotty, as scrapings from the bottom of the barrel came from the Led Zeppelin remasters part 3, only two were worth getting: the first Led Zeppelin album with a bonus live disc and Coda which finally tacks on Hey Hey What Can I Do as a legit track, something that Swan Song should have done in the first place back in 1982. The only reissue label that did anything was Real Gone and they ended up putting out the The Complete ABC/Dunhill singles by Steppenwolf and the Complete ATCO singles by King Curtis.
That said, The Best of 2015 is more of the better albums and independent releases that are noted rather than the Craptastic Rap of Drake or Kendrick Lemar or the overrated Star Wars by Wilco (to which a few Wilco die hards call it the worst their career). Nothing against rap but it's not rock and roll to me and never will be. Most of the offerings are from veterans and from local bands but that's the wave of my future. I'm too old to give a shit about the new pop star of the day, or Bro Job Country that never been a fave, but rather trusting bands that put out quality music that doesn't get played on FM radio and that's a shame. And Timesquare Media's loss....and Spotify for that matter. For music on demand, CDs have been my way of going for many years and that will not change. Like previous best ofs, some will endure, some will fade out but all do have one thing in common: that these made the most impact on me in a year, to which the best way to hear these are on net radio, or in your stereo.
The Best.
Blackberry Smoke-Holding All The Roses (Rounder)
The best of the year was the first record reviewed. And by all means Holding All The Roses is solid rock and roll, the way that I remembered it back then and still enjoy now. And I do wish more bands would follow suit. I never get tired of hearing the same chords re-imagined with new set of words to go to. This is the anti Bro Country, the big middle finger to FGL and Bobby or Billy Bones or whatever the hell his name is. And lead track Let Me Help You Find The Door really nails about the state of radio and music and same damn song. Best song still remains Wish In One Hand (shit in the other) which would be standard fare for your local bar band. Not to surprised that Rolling Stone didn't include this in their precious top 50 albums but this is number 1 in my book. I believe I'm more trustworthy than they.
Tommy Bruner-Miles To Go (Self Released)
A close second to best of the year, Tommy's record is downright more varied than the straight ahead Boogie rock of Blackberry Smoke but he's been around for so long he can do just about anything and make it sound easy. He mixes up the swampy Lena River with the Tom Petty sound of It Don't Work Like That and Mark Knopfler influenced Seven Sisters and that's the first three songs of this record. There's a bit of controlled chaos on Middle Of Nowhere with squealing feedback, and plenty of beautiful love songs such as The Rest Is History, and Square One, a song that I still think Stephen Bishop would be at home singing. A great album is like a great book, every song is a chapter upon itself and like a good book it will keep you listening to the final song. Miles To Go is such a album that will keep you listening, and then listen to it all over again.
Killing Joke-Pylon (Spinefarm)
Ever since coming out of mothballs in 1994, Jaz Coleman and company kept coming up with good to great albums, the 2003 S/T and Hosannas From The Basement From Hell their highwater mark and when Paul Ferguson returned, the original band was back together. MMXII revealed somewhat stagnant and somewhat not up to standards but they corrected that and come back with their most angry album since Hosannas with Pylon. I rather enjoy the same chords played over and over till they get into a frenzy and things blow up big time (New Jerusalem, Delete, I Am The Virus), the latter sounding like a shorter rewrite of The Light Bringer from Hosannas. The Gloom and Doom continue on to a bonus disc and reaching a peak with Panopticon. If anybody is good at playing gloom and doom and rocking it, Killing Joke has no other competitors.
Delta Moon-Low Down (Jumping Jack)
While No Depression touts a different best of 2015, they seem to overlook Delta Moon, which they did once again. Low Down continues Tom Gray and Mark Johnson's journey into the delta blues via Creedence, with Franher Joseph being the secret weapon, the deep bass vocals and the band adding a Little Feat/New Orleans groove in the process and even covering Dylan's Down In The Flood and Tom Waits' Lowdown too. Still Tom Gray remains a great songwriter about the seedy side of things and love gone wrong. Wrong Side Of Town and Open All Night my personal favorites. Strange that in our little blues radio world, Delta Moon hardly gets played (why is that KUNI or KCCK?) the one two punch of Johnson and Gray on steel slide guitars are the stuff of legends. And Low Down continues a winning streak of great albums from Delta Moon.
Wooden Nickel Lottery-On My Way (Violet Isle)
This years' 2015 has been focused on the local artists front. Most local music is a hell of lot more honest than what you hear on the radio and if you're a fan of the band, you're a fan of their music and do anything to get a copy, the way music used to work. The music of Wooden Nickel Lottery is something that Thomas Ruf of Ruf Records would take a chance on and put out, and if he lived here in Iowa, this surely would get a national release. With Rich Toomsen doing the writing and playing blues guitar in the way of Johnny Lang, Joe Bonamassa, Jess Tommsen is one of the more underrated bass players around and drummer Delayne Stallman keeping things nice and tight. They are blessed with Rick Gallo's soulful vocals and these songs are the result of playing live and fine turning them as they go. Child Of Sorrow is a song that Bonamassa would like to write. In some ways Jimmie Bowskill is what I more reminded of, though Fall Down Blues owes to Ricky Medlocke and Blackfoot, Wait For Me their most rocking. On My Way, is an album that showcases their talent on record, but it's best to see them play live and hear how these songs come to life on stage. Their future is bright.
Graham Parker And The Rumor-Mystery Glue (Cadet Concept)
Believe it or not, the old crank got better with his back up band the second time around. In fact, Graham made his best album since Squeezing Out Sparks. While Three Chords Good was a nice reunion with The Rumour, it seemed a tad bit safe, Mystery Glue, Parker does break out the dry wit on Slow News Day and Swing State. Plus he has his old band backing him up. Works for me.
Blur-The Magic Whip (Parlophone)
It's a messy comeback album but they have never sounded this good since the S/T album which was a mess upon itself too. In some ways, this does owe a lot to sound of say Song 2 via I Broadcast and Thought I Was A Spaceman owes Bowie, there's a few songs that do harken back to the days of Parklife and The Great Escape an album that Damon Albarn disowns. But they haven't sounded this convincing since Park Life. At least to me that is.
The Bottle Rockets-South Broadway Athletic Club (Bloodshot)
Since Lean Forward, I kinda lost track or interest in them, passing on their acoustic album. But make no mistake Brian Henneman remains one of the best storytelling singer songwriters out there and South Broadway Athletic Club is their best since 24 Hours A Day, their last for Atlantic. It helps having Eric Roscoe Ambel back into the producer's chair and Henneman's songs about every day life and working to pay the bills still rings true and even the song about Dogs shows he could do a children's album and get away with it. This is the Bottle Rockets as I know and love.
Chris Stapleton-Traveler (Mercury)
He's really no stranger to country music, he even makes Luke Bryan sound good, and helped out other country stars such as Miranda Lambert and many others. A couple years ago he put out a fine single called What Are You Listening To and it's a shame that nothing came out from that song, till Chris finally finished this album up and issued it in May, which No Depression picked up and more of the traditional country fans. He was a well kept secret till the CMA's and Justin Timberlake came calling and perhaps I'm being very generous in giving this in my top ten. But Stapleton has made a great collection of songs done stripped down, very anti bro country, and plenty of songs about whiskey, love, failed love and so forth. Somewhat outlaw country that Waylon and Willie used to make.
Lana Del Rey-Hollywood (Polydor/Interscope)
Strange how the last album made the worst of 2013, I just did not get into Ultra Violence. Hollywood is a bit more different although Del Rey is the new generation's Nico or Marianne Faithful. With Dan Auerbach out and on to other things (The Lacs) Del Rey goes with Rick Nowell and Kieron Menziel and their dreamy trance pop works much better. We both know it's not fashionable to love me might be one of the best led off lyrics in many years and unlike Ultra-violence, Hollywood gets better with repeated listenings, Del Rey channeling her inner Billie Holliday and Nina Simone, namechecks the former and on the latter cover of Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood as if she was Simone herself. After her fine but uneven debut Born To Die and the even worse Ultra-violence, Del Rey finds her true spirit and music on Hollywood. The shock of the year.
Reissue Of The Year: Fare Thee Well-Celebrating 50 Years Of The Grateful Dead (Rhino)
20 years after Jerry Garcia's passing, The Dead reunited for a summer series of shows out on Soldier Field and while you can get all three nights of the complete show, I can settle for a nice 2 CD overview of their best songs. Of Course, some songs are on the complete box set, (no Casey Jones) and Truckin is probably the most ragged ever recorded, even Bob Wier messes up on the words. Still, I find myself going through the whole 16 minutes of Drums and this version of China Cat Sunflower/I Know You Rider is classic worthy.
The rest of the best.
James McMurtry-Complicated Game (Complicated Game Records)
John Mayall-Find A Way To Care (Forty Below)
Buddy Guy-Born To Play Guitar (RCA/Silvertone)
Queensryche-Condition Human (Century Media)
Mark Knopfler-Tracker (Verve)
Don Henley-Cass Country (Capitol)
Los Lobos-Gates Of Gold (429)
Uncle Acid-The Night Creeper (Rise Above)
Melody Gardot-Currency Of Man (Verve)
Barrence Whitfield And The Savages-Under The Savage Sky (Bloodshot)
Honorable Mention
The Darkness-Last Of Our Kind (Canary Dwarf)
The Townedgers-Fitting Finales (Radio Maierburg)
Alison Moorer-Down To Believing (E One)
Collective Soul-See What You Started By Continuing (Vanguard)
Adele-25 (XL Columbia)
Late To The List:
My Son The Bum-Follow Me Like Me (Self Released)
The internet provides diamonds in the rough or perhaps out there in the dark corners garage or bedroom classics in the making. From the mind of Brian Knoll, who submitted a song on the Townedger Radio Music page a video of a song Flight Deck For Christmas which has to be my favorite new Christmas song of the year. Elements of power pop intertwined with hard rock. The vocals in a line between Dwight Twilley and Marilyn Manson which may not been the the intent. Regardless, the 9 song album is available as a free download, which makes this a solid newcomer to the best of 2015. I'm sure there's plenty other guys and bands out there toiling away to make their grand statement. The videos that Knoll have made have been a labor of love and can be found on You Tube. The audio Cd is just as good.
Grade A-
http://www.mysonthebum.com/free-song-cd-downloads
Cam-Untamed (Arista/RCA)
While Bro Country continues to be the crap of radio, the best country albums have come from women and continue to be suppressed, unless Outlaw Radio is playing them. Hard to fathom that Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood have now been the mainstay women country singers for the past decade, while the latter got into country via the crafty folks of American Idol, it turns out her staying power exceeded limits although Underwood has gotten more listenable, Miranda had her beaten with her albums over the years. But there are new girls on the horizon ready to step in into the light, enter Camaron Ochs who has written songs for Maggie Rose and even Miley Cyrus but turned down a publishing deal to strike out on her own. Her surprise hit of the summer was Burning House which was featured on a EP Welcome To Cam Country to which now has 7 new songs added on and retitled Untamed. This album has nothing but Ochs' own compositions, mostly written with Tyler Johnson and producer Jeff Bhasker (fun, Bruno Mars) with a ton of A & R folks to boot. That said, Cam has put together a nice debut that if it was 1975 would have been country rock than plain country but music lines are blurred in this day and age. If anything Ochs does have a nice gift of feisty country rockers, that is part Linda Ronstadt, part Miranda Lambert and part Patsy Cline although she has mentioned that Bonnie Raitt figures into the equation. It's country by association but it's also rock via Mumford and Sons (Runaway Train, with the thump thumping drums). I can see Bonnie Raitt influence on Hungover On Heartache, and there's a bit of sassy in Country Ain't Never Been Pretty in the style of Miranda Lambert although I'm sure that's not who Cam is singing about. What brings this record together is that Cam has a nice natural vocal that she does not oversing. She does real country in Half Broke Heart, then goes pop on Want It All. She certainly is deserving of the kudos of her hit Burning House as well as her failed first single My Mistake which stalled at number 52 earlier in the year. But for a debut album, the last time any country woman grabbed my attention this way was Lambert's Kerosene album. If Sony Nashville even gives her some attention like they did with Miranda, Cam might be around for a long time. A promising debut.
Grade A-
While there still are lots of new music out there released, FM radio will not play the local artists. Corporation grabbed most of the stations out there and turned them into same shit different format. When a station does get into a up and coming band, their music is already months released. Walk The Moon's single which was the best thing off their album turned out to be a channel changer. After hearing it twice in one hour will make you chance the channel. Country music is not much better, even though Chris Stapleton stole the show on the CMA's K-HACK playlist is bro country ass scratching bad and still the Luke Bryan requests keep coming in. But this is not about the radio.
Records do keep coming out and of course Rolling Stone put together their 100 best of, which is about half of what I bought this year and when Keith Richards latest makes the top 20 something is wrong with this picture. Main Offender would have made top 5 had that come out this year, call it lower expectations of a main rock and roller who is still around. There's not too many of them left, B B King checked out, so did Scott Wieland, Lesley Gore, Allen Toussaint, Billy Joe Royal, Don Covay, Ben E King and a few others. While Rolling Stone's best of 2015 is not as laughable as years before hand, most on the top ten are rap albums (Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp A Butterfly) and Adele number 2 with 25. Basically Adele's album is the best non autotuned album, she does sing with the best of them and while I like the album and bought it as a FU to Bob Lefsetz' Spotify promos, it didn't make the top 10 this year. Top 20 maybe, but that shows you how thin the cupboard was this year with new music.
The biggest problem was trying to locate copies of albums since the big box stores took out the Mom and Pops stores in town and Half Priced Books was spotty in getting them in. Samantha Fish suffers from this, her new album nobody had. I'm sure it rocked but since nobody had it, it didn't make the cut. Even Best Buy was lackadaisical, I basically had to go to Moondog Music or Ragged Records to locate Graham Parker's latest or James McMurty's Complicated Game (on vinyl no less). Rock reissues were more spotty, as scrapings from the bottom of the barrel came from the Led Zeppelin remasters part 3, only two were worth getting: the first Led Zeppelin album with a bonus live disc and Coda which finally tacks on Hey Hey What Can I Do as a legit track, something that Swan Song should have done in the first place back in 1982. The only reissue label that did anything was Real Gone and they ended up putting out the The Complete ABC/Dunhill singles by Steppenwolf and the Complete ATCO singles by King Curtis.
That said, The Best of 2015 is more of the better albums and independent releases that are noted rather than the Craptastic Rap of Drake or Kendrick Lemar or the overrated Star Wars by Wilco (to which a few Wilco die hards call it the worst their career). Nothing against rap but it's not rock and roll to me and never will be. Most of the offerings are from veterans and from local bands but that's the wave of my future. I'm too old to give a shit about the new pop star of the day, or Bro Job Country that never been a fave, but rather trusting bands that put out quality music that doesn't get played on FM radio and that's a shame. And Timesquare Media's loss....and Spotify for that matter. For music on demand, CDs have been my way of going for many years and that will not change. Like previous best ofs, some will endure, some will fade out but all do have one thing in common: that these made the most impact on me in a year, to which the best way to hear these are on net radio, or in your stereo.
The Best.
Blackberry Smoke-Holding All The Roses (Rounder)
The best of the year was the first record reviewed. And by all means Holding All The Roses is solid rock and roll, the way that I remembered it back then and still enjoy now. And I do wish more bands would follow suit. I never get tired of hearing the same chords re-imagined with new set of words to go to. This is the anti Bro Country, the big middle finger to FGL and Bobby or Billy Bones or whatever the hell his name is. And lead track Let Me Help You Find The Door really nails about the state of radio and music and same damn song. Best song still remains Wish In One Hand (shit in the other) which would be standard fare for your local bar band. Not to surprised that Rolling Stone didn't include this in their precious top 50 albums but this is number 1 in my book. I believe I'm more trustworthy than they.
Tommy Bruner-Miles To Go (Self Released)
A close second to best of the year, Tommy's record is downright more varied than the straight ahead Boogie rock of Blackberry Smoke but he's been around for so long he can do just about anything and make it sound easy. He mixes up the swampy Lena River with the Tom Petty sound of It Don't Work Like That and Mark Knopfler influenced Seven Sisters and that's the first three songs of this record. There's a bit of controlled chaos on Middle Of Nowhere with squealing feedback, and plenty of beautiful love songs such as The Rest Is History, and Square One, a song that I still think Stephen Bishop would be at home singing. A great album is like a great book, every song is a chapter upon itself and like a good book it will keep you listening to the final song. Miles To Go is such a album that will keep you listening, and then listen to it all over again.
Killing Joke-Pylon (Spinefarm)
Ever since coming out of mothballs in 1994, Jaz Coleman and company kept coming up with good to great albums, the 2003 S/T and Hosannas From The Basement From Hell their highwater mark and when Paul Ferguson returned, the original band was back together. MMXII revealed somewhat stagnant and somewhat not up to standards but they corrected that and come back with their most angry album since Hosannas with Pylon. I rather enjoy the same chords played over and over till they get into a frenzy and things blow up big time (New Jerusalem, Delete, I Am The Virus), the latter sounding like a shorter rewrite of The Light Bringer from Hosannas. The Gloom and Doom continue on to a bonus disc and reaching a peak with Panopticon. If anybody is good at playing gloom and doom and rocking it, Killing Joke has no other competitors.
Delta Moon-Low Down (Jumping Jack)
While No Depression touts a different best of 2015, they seem to overlook Delta Moon, which they did once again. Low Down continues Tom Gray and Mark Johnson's journey into the delta blues via Creedence, with Franher Joseph being the secret weapon, the deep bass vocals and the band adding a Little Feat/New Orleans groove in the process and even covering Dylan's Down In The Flood and Tom Waits' Lowdown too. Still Tom Gray remains a great songwriter about the seedy side of things and love gone wrong. Wrong Side Of Town and Open All Night my personal favorites. Strange that in our little blues radio world, Delta Moon hardly gets played (why is that KUNI or KCCK?) the one two punch of Johnson and Gray on steel slide guitars are the stuff of legends. And Low Down continues a winning streak of great albums from Delta Moon.
Wooden Nickel Lottery-On My Way (Violet Isle)
This years' 2015 has been focused on the local artists front. Most local music is a hell of lot more honest than what you hear on the radio and if you're a fan of the band, you're a fan of their music and do anything to get a copy, the way music used to work. The music of Wooden Nickel Lottery is something that Thomas Ruf of Ruf Records would take a chance on and put out, and if he lived here in Iowa, this surely would get a national release. With Rich Toomsen doing the writing and playing blues guitar in the way of Johnny Lang, Joe Bonamassa, Jess Tommsen is one of the more underrated bass players around and drummer Delayne Stallman keeping things nice and tight. They are blessed with Rick Gallo's soulful vocals and these songs are the result of playing live and fine turning them as they go. Child Of Sorrow is a song that Bonamassa would like to write. In some ways Jimmie Bowskill is what I more reminded of, though Fall Down Blues owes to Ricky Medlocke and Blackfoot, Wait For Me their most rocking. On My Way, is an album that showcases their talent on record, but it's best to see them play live and hear how these songs come to life on stage. Their future is bright.
Graham Parker And The Rumor-Mystery Glue (Cadet Concept)
Believe it or not, the old crank got better with his back up band the second time around. In fact, Graham made his best album since Squeezing Out Sparks. While Three Chords Good was a nice reunion with The Rumour, it seemed a tad bit safe, Mystery Glue, Parker does break out the dry wit on Slow News Day and Swing State. Plus he has his old band backing him up. Works for me.
Blur-The Magic Whip (Parlophone)
It's a messy comeback album but they have never sounded this good since the S/T album which was a mess upon itself too. In some ways, this does owe a lot to sound of say Song 2 via I Broadcast and Thought I Was A Spaceman owes Bowie, there's a few songs that do harken back to the days of Parklife and The Great Escape an album that Damon Albarn disowns. But they haven't sounded this convincing since Park Life. At least to me that is.
The Bottle Rockets-South Broadway Athletic Club (Bloodshot)
Since Lean Forward, I kinda lost track or interest in them, passing on their acoustic album. But make no mistake Brian Henneman remains one of the best storytelling singer songwriters out there and South Broadway Athletic Club is their best since 24 Hours A Day, their last for Atlantic. It helps having Eric Roscoe Ambel back into the producer's chair and Henneman's songs about every day life and working to pay the bills still rings true and even the song about Dogs shows he could do a children's album and get away with it. This is the Bottle Rockets as I know and love.
Chris Stapleton-Traveler (Mercury)
He's really no stranger to country music, he even makes Luke Bryan sound good, and helped out other country stars such as Miranda Lambert and many others. A couple years ago he put out a fine single called What Are You Listening To and it's a shame that nothing came out from that song, till Chris finally finished this album up and issued it in May, which No Depression picked up and more of the traditional country fans. He was a well kept secret till the CMA's and Justin Timberlake came calling and perhaps I'm being very generous in giving this in my top ten. But Stapleton has made a great collection of songs done stripped down, very anti bro country, and plenty of songs about whiskey, love, failed love and so forth. Somewhat outlaw country that Waylon and Willie used to make.
Lana Del Rey-Hollywood (Polydor/Interscope)
Strange how the last album made the worst of 2013, I just did not get into Ultra Violence. Hollywood is a bit more different although Del Rey is the new generation's Nico or Marianne Faithful. With Dan Auerbach out and on to other things (The Lacs) Del Rey goes with Rick Nowell and Kieron Menziel and their dreamy trance pop works much better. We both know it's not fashionable to love me might be one of the best led off lyrics in many years and unlike Ultra-violence, Hollywood gets better with repeated listenings, Del Rey channeling her inner Billie Holliday and Nina Simone, namechecks the former and on the latter cover of Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood as if she was Simone herself. After her fine but uneven debut Born To Die and the even worse Ultra-violence, Del Rey finds her true spirit and music on Hollywood. The shock of the year.
Reissue Of The Year: Fare Thee Well-Celebrating 50 Years Of The Grateful Dead (Rhino)
20 years after Jerry Garcia's passing, The Dead reunited for a summer series of shows out on Soldier Field and while you can get all three nights of the complete show, I can settle for a nice 2 CD overview of their best songs. Of Course, some songs are on the complete box set, (no Casey Jones) and Truckin is probably the most ragged ever recorded, even Bob Wier messes up on the words. Still, I find myself going through the whole 16 minutes of Drums and this version of China Cat Sunflower/I Know You Rider is classic worthy.
The rest of the best.
James McMurtry-Complicated Game (Complicated Game Records)
John Mayall-Find A Way To Care (Forty Below)
Buddy Guy-Born To Play Guitar (RCA/Silvertone)
Queensryche-Condition Human (Century Media)
Mark Knopfler-Tracker (Verve)
Don Henley-Cass Country (Capitol)
Los Lobos-Gates Of Gold (429)
Uncle Acid-The Night Creeper (Rise Above)
Melody Gardot-Currency Of Man (Verve)
Barrence Whitfield And The Savages-Under The Savage Sky (Bloodshot)
Honorable Mention
The Darkness-Last Of Our Kind (Canary Dwarf)
The Townedgers-Fitting Finales (Radio Maierburg)
Alison Moorer-Down To Believing (E One)
Collective Soul-See What You Started By Continuing (Vanguard)
Adele-25 (XL Columbia)
Late To The List:
My Son The Bum-Follow Me Like Me (Self Released)
The internet provides diamonds in the rough or perhaps out there in the dark corners garage or bedroom classics in the making. From the mind of Brian Knoll, who submitted a song on the Townedger Radio Music page a video of a song Flight Deck For Christmas which has to be my favorite new Christmas song of the year. Elements of power pop intertwined with hard rock. The vocals in a line between Dwight Twilley and Marilyn Manson which may not been the the intent. Regardless, the 9 song album is available as a free download, which makes this a solid newcomer to the best of 2015. I'm sure there's plenty other guys and bands out there toiling away to make their grand statement. The videos that Knoll have made have been a labor of love and can be found on You Tube. The audio Cd is just as good.
Grade A-
http://www.mysonthebum.com/free-song-cd-downloads
Cam-Untamed (Arista/RCA)
While Bro Country continues to be the crap of radio, the best country albums have come from women and continue to be suppressed, unless Outlaw Radio is playing them. Hard to fathom that Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood have now been the mainstay women country singers for the past decade, while the latter got into country via the crafty folks of American Idol, it turns out her staying power exceeded limits although Underwood has gotten more listenable, Miranda had her beaten with her albums over the years. But there are new girls on the horizon ready to step in into the light, enter Camaron Ochs who has written songs for Maggie Rose and even Miley Cyrus but turned down a publishing deal to strike out on her own. Her surprise hit of the summer was Burning House which was featured on a EP Welcome To Cam Country to which now has 7 new songs added on and retitled Untamed. This album has nothing but Ochs' own compositions, mostly written with Tyler Johnson and producer Jeff Bhasker (fun, Bruno Mars) with a ton of A & R folks to boot. That said, Cam has put together a nice debut that if it was 1975 would have been country rock than plain country but music lines are blurred in this day and age. If anything Ochs does have a nice gift of feisty country rockers, that is part Linda Ronstadt, part Miranda Lambert and part Patsy Cline although she has mentioned that Bonnie Raitt figures into the equation. It's country by association but it's also rock via Mumford and Sons (Runaway Train, with the thump thumping drums). I can see Bonnie Raitt influence on Hungover On Heartache, and there's a bit of sassy in Country Ain't Never Been Pretty in the style of Miranda Lambert although I'm sure that's not who Cam is singing about. What brings this record together is that Cam has a nice natural vocal that she does not oversing. She does real country in Half Broke Heart, then goes pop on Want It All. She certainly is deserving of the kudos of her hit Burning House as well as her failed first single My Mistake which stalled at number 52 earlier in the year. But for a debut album, the last time any country woman grabbed my attention this way was Lambert's Kerosene album. If Sony Nashville even gives her some attention like they did with Miranda, Cam might be around for a long time. A promising debut.
Grade A-
Friday, December 4, 2015
Singles Going Steady 27-Moondog Music 45s
As we come to the conclusion of this year, I have to say that this year was a very good year to find 45s of note. From the Museum Pieces to the Salvation Army Davenport finds, I am still amazed of what can be found of records that are 50 years old or older.
Back around October while compiling the Museum and S.A. finds, I did go up to Dubuque and Moondog Music had a few boxes of used 45s and basically the old hippie said I could check them out. To which I did and ended up taking home about 10 of them. My guess is that a collector had them, some have been jukebox 45s thrown in the process. Nevertheless for a dollar a piece these were the cherry on top, the last of this years 45 finds and whatever next year will bring we worry about that then.
1. My World Fell Down-Sagittarius (Columbia 4-44163) 1967 (Charted #70) From the mind of Gary Usher, he put this demo together with Terry Melcher and lead vocals by Glen Campbell. Originally Usher wanted Chad And Jeremy to do this song but they didn't care much for it. The guess is that the Wrecking Crew played on it (it does sound like Hal Blaine on drums). The single sold somewhat enough for Columbia to demand that this band played live but this was a Gary Usher production project but he did get Curt Boettcher to help out in the making of the rest of the album, called Present Tense. It was sunshine pop as they say, plenty of backing vocals and mellow music to sound like The Association. Like the majority of people I discovered this track via the Elektra garage rock retrospective called Nuggets and only recently came across a 45 that was in very good shape.
2. Night Time-The Strangeloves (Bang B-514) 1966 (Charted #30) Another single that found its way on the Nuggets comp was the third single from The Strangeloves, which other bands such as The J. Geils Band and George Thorogood have covered. I liked this song better than I Want Candy, which charted in 1965 at number 11. Long time ago, before You Tube made things easier, I recorded songs off the radio and Night Time was one of them, but that night while recording this song, the local radio station beeped in with sirens of a tornado warning at that time, which kind of ruined the mood of the song. One more song, Hand Jive, which barely made it to number 100 and The Strangeloves never made the charts again.
3. Get Me To The World On Time-The Electric Prunes (Reprise 0564) 1967 (Charted #27) For a record that charted that high in 1967 you don't hear on the radio, that distinction goes to I Had Too Much To Dream (last night) which hit at number 11. Moreorless, Dave Hassinger's bowling alley sound defined this song like Too Much To Dream, but the Prunes themselves really had a unstable lineup throughout their career and after this song, no more singles would hit the charts and David Axelrod took over a new batch of players and called them The Electric Prunes, with the bizarre Release Of An Oath. The last Prunes album Just Good Old Rock And Roll was by the numbers boogie which was quite boring. The original Prunes who did the first album did get back together to record an album in 1999. Mark Tulin died in 2011 and Preston Ritter died in March of 2015. Original member James Lowe continues to lead them.
4. Blackland Farmer-Sleepy LaBeef (Plantation PL-74) 1971 His distinctive baritone vocals had make him one of the classic all time best rockabilly country stars and recorded for Columbia, Starday Mercury and other minor labels before hooking up on Shelby Singleton's Plantation/Sun Records. A cover of the old Starday Single by Frankie Miller (Starday 45-424 issued in 1959 charted #7).
5. Dynamite Woman-Sir Douglas Quintet (Smash/Mercury S-2233) 1969 (Charted #83) Another rare and unheard song from the late Doug Sahm and Augie Myers, this would be their final top 100 showing. It sounds more like a rewrite of Mendocino and a bit longer too.
6. The Revolution Kind-Sonny (Bono) (Atco 45-6386) 1965 (Charted #70) In his mind he wanted to be Phil Spector and with Cher he did managed to get that wall of sound quite well. At times he did make the rare solo single, he had a number 10 song with Laugh At Me, which Mott The Hoople did a killer cover version. But for a number 10 showing you don't hear Laugh At Me on oldies radio and not this song either. Still Sonny Bono knew what musicians to get, and studio to get that Spector sound. The Wrecking Crew plays on this and it was recorded at Gold Star Studios.
7. One Good Woman-Gary Lewis (Epic 8-50068) 1975 Although Gary Lewis recorded in the 70s, he never did ventured into the top 100 after 1969. He made one single for Scepter in 1972 and his final 45 was on Epic in 75. In all honesty it's not a bad song, arranged by Perry Botkin Jr. and written by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter, who got a number 1 hit for Glen Campbell with Rhinestone Cowboy and gave this song to Gary in hopes of a hit single. Which it flopped and Gary Lewis from then on out became an oldies act.
8. Bury Me At Wounded Knee-Earle Sutton (Showcase SC 1006) 1973 Not a lot is known about record and even looking through the internet I come up empty. Sutton's only 45 released, and it's interesting for the jewsharp beginning and use throughout the song. Produced by Pete Drake who at that time was head of Stop Records and Showcase may have been an offshoot. This 45 is interesting for the backside "courtesy of Little Richie Johnson, one of the best promoters and former country singer, who produced Jack Blanchard/Misty Morgan's album of Tennessee Bird Walk fame. As for Earle Sutton, you know as much as I do about him.
9. The Cowboy And The Lady-Bobby Goldsboro (Epic 8-50413) 1977 (Charted #85 Country) Like Gary Lewis, Bobby had plenty of hits for United Artists/Liberty but after his 1973 number 21 hit Summer (the first time) Bobby started to go more country, and he some chart success. B side Me And Millie was a bigger hit for Ronnie Sessions that same year. For the most part The Cowboy And The Lady is bland country.
10. Gravity-Brenda Russell (A&M 1208) 1988 (#42 R&B) She had hits with So Good So Right on Horizon in 1979 and the Joe Piscapo duet of Piano In The Dark hit number 6, but this followup single from Get Here, didn't chart at all on the pop 100. It doesn't sound out of place with what Janet Jackson was doing at that time but for whatever reason it remained on the dance and R&B chart. I found this single in mint condition when Goodwill opened the Mount Vernon Rd store back in September this year. Perhaps Brenda was too sophisticated for her own good, too jazzy for the Janet Jackson crowd. Not exactly rock and roll but it does have a bit of soul to her sound.
Back around October while compiling the Museum and S.A. finds, I did go up to Dubuque and Moondog Music had a few boxes of used 45s and basically the old hippie said I could check them out. To which I did and ended up taking home about 10 of them. My guess is that a collector had them, some have been jukebox 45s thrown in the process. Nevertheless for a dollar a piece these were the cherry on top, the last of this years 45 finds and whatever next year will bring we worry about that then.
1. My World Fell Down-Sagittarius (Columbia 4-44163) 1967 (Charted #70) From the mind of Gary Usher, he put this demo together with Terry Melcher and lead vocals by Glen Campbell. Originally Usher wanted Chad And Jeremy to do this song but they didn't care much for it. The guess is that the Wrecking Crew played on it (it does sound like Hal Blaine on drums). The single sold somewhat enough for Columbia to demand that this band played live but this was a Gary Usher production project but he did get Curt Boettcher to help out in the making of the rest of the album, called Present Tense. It was sunshine pop as they say, plenty of backing vocals and mellow music to sound like The Association. Like the majority of people I discovered this track via the Elektra garage rock retrospective called Nuggets and only recently came across a 45 that was in very good shape.
2. Night Time-The Strangeloves (Bang B-514) 1966 (Charted #30) Another single that found its way on the Nuggets comp was the third single from The Strangeloves, which other bands such as The J. Geils Band and George Thorogood have covered. I liked this song better than I Want Candy, which charted in 1965 at number 11. Long time ago, before You Tube made things easier, I recorded songs off the radio and Night Time was one of them, but that night while recording this song, the local radio station beeped in with sirens of a tornado warning at that time, which kind of ruined the mood of the song. One more song, Hand Jive, which barely made it to number 100 and The Strangeloves never made the charts again.
3. Get Me To The World On Time-The Electric Prunes (Reprise 0564) 1967 (Charted #27) For a record that charted that high in 1967 you don't hear on the radio, that distinction goes to I Had Too Much To Dream (last night) which hit at number 11. Moreorless, Dave Hassinger's bowling alley sound defined this song like Too Much To Dream, but the Prunes themselves really had a unstable lineup throughout their career and after this song, no more singles would hit the charts and David Axelrod took over a new batch of players and called them The Electric Prunes, with the bizarre Release Of An Oath. The last Prunes album Just Good Old Rock And Roll was by the numbers boogie which was quite boring. The original Prunes who did the first album did get back together to record an album in 1999. Mark Tulin died in 2011 and Preston Ritter died in March of 2015. Original member James Lowe continues to lead them.
4. Blackland Farmer-Sleepy LaBeef (Plantation PL-74) 1971 His distinctive baritone vocals had make him one of the classic all time best rockabilly country stars and recorded for Columbia, Starday Mercury and other minor labels before hooking up on Shelby Singleton's Plantation/Sun Records. A cover of the old Starday Single by Frankie Miller (Starday 45-424 issued in 1959 charted #7).
5. Dynamite Woman-Sir Douglas Quintet (Smash/Mercury S-2233) 1969 (Charted #83) Another rare and unheard song from the late Doug Sahm and Augie Myers, this would be their final top 100 showing. It sounds more like a rewrite of Mendocino and a bit longer too.
6. The Revolution Kind-Sonny (Bono) (Atco 45-6386) 1965 (Charted #70) In his mind he wanted to be Phil Spector and with Cher he did managed to get that wall of sound quite well. At times he did make the rare solo single, he had a number 10 song with Laugh At Me, which Mott The Hoople did a killer cover version. But for a number 10 showing you don't hear Laugh At Me on oldies radio and not this song either. Still Sonny Bono knew what musicians to get, and studio to get that Spector sound. The Wrecking Crew plays on this and it was recorded at Gold Star Studios.
7. One Good Woman-Gary Lewis (Epic 8-50068) 1975 Although Gary Lewis recorded in the 70s, he never did ventured into the top 100 after 1969. He made one single for Scepter in 1972 and his final 45 was on Epic in 75. In all honesty it's not a bad song, arranged by Perry Botkin Jr. and written by Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter, who got a number 1 hit for Glen Campbell with Rhinestone Cowboy and gave this song to Gary in hopes of a hit single. Which it flopped and Gary Lewis from then on out became an oldies act.
8. Bury Me At Wounded Knee-Earle Sutton (Showcase SC 1006) 1973 Not a lot is known about record and even looking through the internet I come up empty. Sutton's only 45 released, and it's interesting for the jewsharp beginning and use throughout the song. Produced by Pete Drake who at that time was head of Stop Records and Showcase may have been an offshoot. This 45 is interesting for the backside "courtesy of Little Richie Johnson, one of the best promoters and former country singer, who produced Jack Blanchard/Misty Morgan's album of Tennessee Bird Walk fame. As for Earle Sutton, you know as much as I do about him.
9. The Cowboy And The Lady-Bobby Goldsboro (Epic 8-50413) 1977 (Charted #85 Country) Like Gary Lewis, Bobby had plenty of hits for United Artists/Liberty but after his 1973 number 21 hit Summer (the first time) Bobby started to go more country, and he some chart success. B side Me And Millie was a bigger hit for Ronnie Sessions that same year. For the most part The Cowboy And The Lady is bland country.
10. Gravity-Brenda Russell (A&M 1208) 1988 (#42 R&B) She had hits with So Good So Right on Horizon in 1979 and the Joe Piscapo duet of Piano In The Dark hit number 6, but this followup single from Get Here, didn't chart at all on the pop 100. It doesn't sound out of place with what Janet Jackson was doing at that time but for whatever reason it remained on the dance and R&B chart. I found this single in mint condition when Goodwill opened the Mount Vernon Rd store back in September this year. Perhaps Brenda was too sophisticated for her own good, too jazzy for the Janet Jackson crowd. Not exactly rock and roll but it does have a bit of soul to her sound.
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Week In Review: 12-0 Baby!, Evan Stock Band, Tom Bruner, The Townedgers
Here we are. It's December. The final month of a year that has gone by. For Black Friday, I stayed home and watched Iowa taking out Nebraska 28-20 to finish the regular season 12-0 and a date with Michigan State which blew out Penn State, leaving Ohio State out in the cold, although the Buckeyes had no problem with Michigan once again. While FOX Sports hackjob Colin (Cowpie) Cowherd predicted Nebraska would not only win but blow out the Hawks in the process, Iowa proved him wrong and continue to find ways to win. There's a strange method to the madness on how Iowa wins their games. Nebraska, outgained the Hawks in total offense, 433 to Iowa's 250, but Tommie Armstrong Jr. threw 4 interceptions including a pick six to Parker Hesse. The star was Jordan Canzeri, who rushed for 140 yards, including two long TD runs of 29 and 68 in the third quarter to pretty much put the game away, although the Iowa bend don't break defense provided plenty of strokes and heart attacks in the process. So in the case of be careful of what you wished for, it will be Michigan State. And probably for the Hawks better that way. Ohio State finally used Ezekiel Elliot (how come his mom can't give him a easier to spell name, such as Lamond or George or Devonte) to his advantage and he shredded Michigan's defense for 214 yards and 2 Tds. Likewise J T Barrett who added 139 yards rushing and passed for another touchdown in a 42-13 massacre in Ann Arbor. Jake Rudock who had a nice senior career playing QB and a possible NFL career got hurt and that was all for the Wolverines. Certainly it's arguable Ohio State remains the best of the big ten, but losing to Michigan State was their undoing. Nebraska was favored by Colin Coward on them knocking off Michigan State earlier in the month and playing at home. Of course, Mr. Herd probably banked on the success of Tommie Armstrong having a breakout game just like last season and Tommie figured in the outcome as well, but his four interceptions were the reason why they came up short. While Colin and company would like you to think that the more 5 star players you have on your team the better, Iowa has done things the old fashioned way, teamwork and playing together and taking advantage of opportunities when things happen. When the offense wasn't coming around, the defense stepped up, when the defense became average or below average, the offense picked up the scoring. It hasn't been easy, but the trophy case this year is full, the Hawks reclaimed the Cy Hawk, Heartland, Heroes and most importantly Floyd of Rosedale and they're all on view for the whole year. And the Hawks hope to add a couple more awards.
Still with a 12-0 record, The Hawks are still getting slapped in the face. Oklahoma has jumped to 3rd place with their blow out of Oklahoma State. Flashy players like Baker Mayfield that can put up scores in a hurry tend to inflate numbers, but the Hawks giving up 433 yards to Nebraska figured into the dropping. Still Twitter nation continues to cry about the teams that Iowa played. To those who do, blame the computer and the expansion of Maryland and Rutgers into the big ten. Had the Big Ten not do this, Iowa would play Ohio State or Michigan or Michigan State. The only way to shut the critics up is to keep winning and keep playing the way they have been. Then again it would be nice if the defense would be a bit more aggressive like they were earlier in the season, but it is hard to replace a Drew Ott, they really haven't been the same since he went down with a ACL tear. Still, 12-0 is nice. On a side note: The B1G ten does have 6 teams in the top 25, including Northwestern and Wisconsin, two from the weak west says the pundits.
On the other side of the fence. The Paul Rhodes era at Iowa State is over, and West Virginia send him away with a 30-6 loss. Reports are saying that Toledo head coach Matt Campbell will take over, he has a 35-15 record at Toledo. Certainly going from a MAC team to the one of the doormats of the Big 12 is going to be a work in progress but Campbell have proven he can win, he's an offensive minded coach and Iowa State does have a quality running back in Mike Warren and while Joel Lanning had his ups and downs as QB replacing Sam B Richardson, he should be a better QB for next season. Campbell may have to wait on bowl games (he's 2-1) but he's won at least seven games in a season. If he wins 7 for Iowa State next year, he'll be Big 12 coach of the year.
As for Arizona State, they had a lead on California before the defense quit and QB Jared Goff threw for 536 yards passing and five touchdowns in a 48-46 comeback win. Jared may be declaring for the NFL draft with his outstanding performance, but when I was watching the game it looked like the Sun Devil defense couldn't tackle, couldn't guard against the pass and couldn't do anything at all. Steve Bercovici threw for 4 touchdown passes but the key was Zane Gonzalez' school record six field goals, four in the second half, which was key in Cal's victory. Arizona State traded field goals for touchdowns and when ASU took the lead with 2:35 left, that provided enough time for Cal to race down the field and score the winning field goal. In other words another epic meltdown for ASU in their disappointing 6-6 season, but ensuring the chances of a minor bowl for such a good job they did this season.
On the music side of things Evan Stock has his own band in the Waterloo area. they're basically blues and rock and roll, the way I like things. His band played a gig last week and back home where they have everything in their van, local dumbass Nick Kollasch came a calling and set fire to three of the cars plus the van in the process. He is charged with first degree arson. Now Nicky boy hasn't been a stranger to the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area, he got arrested in April after punching out a officer after a hit and run and apparently got out jail for good behavior. Kollasch also had at his home two of Stock's guitars. As they say, the show went on, as Evan Stock came down to Parlor City Saturday Night to play with what they had left.
Meanwhile in Waterloo, Quentin Hart becomes the first black mayor of that town defeating Tim Hurley.
Passings: Alex Cooley, legendary Atlanta promoter who had the Electric Ballroom in the 70s, which had some of the biggest names in rock and roll, and figured into the making of the Atlanta International Pop Festival in 1969, passed away Monday at age 71.
Scott Wieland, Stone Temple Pilots and Wildabouts lead singer, found dead in the tour bus prior to a December 3 show in Minnesota. He was 48. Died from a drug induced heart attack.
Ivy Doomkitty! (Geri Kramer photography photo shoot)
Certainly in the two years of being part of The Record World, Ivy has been the 2nd most searched person here, even though she has been more into cosplaying and comic book conventions. She's been super friendly and has favored tweets from the Twitter side of things. Sure would like to meet her on my bucket list of people to see.
Record Reviews:
Tommy Bruner-Miles To Go (self released 2015)
Bruner is an Iowa musician icon, going all the way back to Madness (not the UK band but the hometown that had to change their name when the UK band had a hit with One Step Beyond) and has been a local favorite, playing on Sunday Jam Sessions when he's not touring with The Past Masters and The Lab Rats, but as a solo artist, his new solo album is a fun retro throwback to DIY rock and roll. His vocals remains something like J J Cale although Eric Clapton or Steve Winwood come into play. There's some guest vocalists along the way (Barb Myers, Tim Duffy, Layne Goldsberry, Bart Carfizzi-all three are part of Past Masters) and Carfizzi adds a bit of keyboard horns on The Ballad Of Jim Clark but this is Bruner doing most of the singing and playing. There's a bit of Psychedelia rock in the feedback laden Middle Of Nowhere, beautiful ballads such as You And Me and The Rest Is History. And a bit of blues as well, though Lena River comes from the swamp, and Too Far To Care is country blues done right. Square One is the odd one here, which Bruner goes for a Stephen Bishop vibe, I'm sure Paul Simon has a influence on this as well. My favorites remained the power pop style of Almost (As Beautiful), which sound like something The Townedgers would do (more about them and their new album soon) and the standout is It Doesn't Work Like That. In a era of autotuned processed beats, it's refreshing to hear music like Miles To Go. Tommy has said he's is working on a followup and already a few songs have been posted on You Tube. Miles To Go is three chord rock and roll that I never tired of, 14 songs that are worth revisiting again and again. One of the best of 2015
Grade A-
Brotherhood-Brotherhood Brotherhood (RCA 1969)
The second album featuring Phil Volk, Drake Levin and Mike Smith, after leaving Paul Revere And The Raiders finds them into a hippie dippy sound, but for the most part when they get it right, they do sound like the extension of what they used to do in The Raiders. At their best, they can do the Come Together vibe of the Youngbloods (Don't Let Go) and even some of that sunny pop of the Raiders (Family Tree, Destination Unknown). Glory Train reveals more of a jazzier direction, more jazzy than Paul Revere would probably allow but most of side 1 is fairly decent, although their take on California Dreaming owes more to Iron Butterfly than Mama's And Papas. Still their Rose Garden won't make you miss Lynn Anderson or Joe South and the worst song is Love Sketch, to which it goes on for over three minutes and it feels longer than that. To which there's a scratch on that album which makes the song skip, it might be an improvement. Overall the album holds it own against the releases the Raiders released at that time, a bit more stronger than Heavy With Marshmellow album that their former employers put out at that time.
Grade B+
Freddy Weller-Games People Play (Columbia 1969)
Since we're talking Paul Revere And The Raiders, Weller became the guitar player at this point and time but managed to convince Columbia and Mark Lindsay to produce his first country platter and he got a nice hit out of the Joe South cover of Games People Play. It's a serious record when you have the late Clarence White play guitar and Glen Hardin playing piano and Red Rhodes running wild on steel guitar and fellow Raider Keith Allison on bass. Outside of Games People Play and These Are Not My People (both written by Joe South) the rest of the songs are Freddy Weller written with help from Mark Lindsay, Keith Allison and even Tommy Roe for that matter. The slower ballads are so so but the best moments are the Allison co writes: Louisiana Redbone and the country classic Freeborn Man which appeared on Alias Pink Puzz, but this version is more country sounding. And surprisingly forgotten since Collector's Choice left it off his best of they released years ago. Weller has a journeyman's voice, good for a couple songs but over 11 songs the casual fan would have their mind wonder. For a country debut, it's dated now but back then it fit the sound of the times.
Grade B
The Townedgers-Fitting Finales (Radio Maierburg 2015)
If The Townedgers are not breaking new ground, they still continue to make polished garage rock with a more acoustic focus. That doesn't mean Rodney Smith has been going through the motions, at age 54 he sings better than ever and while the songs don't break new ground, he knows about heartbreak very well in Different Paths, or singing about the life of being alone as lead off track Better Off Alone indicates. Like the preceding surprise album of last years Forthcoming Trains, Fitting Finales relies on lesser known covers and revisiting the Townedger catalog. Get It Over With, unlike the 1992 version, is stripped down to just guitar and vocals from Smith. Another revisited song Love Tonight is more romantic than the desperation resignation that it originally appeared in 2007. Smith has been mighty busy back on the Cedar Rapids music scene, sitting in on jam sessions and participating in other bands, which is why Fitting Finales got relegated to the back burner. And the sitting in helped, it's been years since his drumming has been this explosive even to the point of shredding a few speakers on songs like From A Motel 6 or Let's Work Together, the old bar band standard made famous by Canned Heat. The completely acoustic sound (except for Let's Work Together), The Townedgers have tried a couple times, 2005's A Long Time Forgotten and 2008's morbid Pawnshops For Olivia, Fitting Finales is not as dark, in fact some songs are playful (The Life We Lead) and even in the reflective title track, written after reuniting with former Paraphernalia/Tyrus bass player Russ Swearingen, it sums up Smith's returning back to playing live in town after a very long layoff, It also doubles as a thank you to the musicians who encouraged Smith to return to the stage but also acknowledges the importance that his former band mate was in reuniting for the first time in 30 plus Standing on the stage with our weapons at hand/Coming Full circle, the return of the band, as Smith sings it may not be the return of the band that fans may have wanted but rather to enjoy the moment while they can, before "returning back to the basement, satisfied of my accomplishments". Even if Rodney Smith would like to return to being that couch potato, he's simply too good of a drummer to waste away his talent as he has done the previous two decades of walking away from the music scene to focus on The Townedgers. Fitting Finales, may not have had that hit single from Forthcoming Trains, perhaps the highlights of this album might be the covers which defines this album. The Townedgers can boogie like Canned Heat on Let's Work Together and can do country (Just To Satisfy You and A Satisfied Mind), Smith redefines Gordon Lightfoot's Sundown into a cranky folk blues with a more cynical edge than the hit single version of Lightfoot's. On the cover of the hidden track I Know Your Rider, he transforms The Grateful Dead into The Who. No small feat.
Grade B+
The Zombies-Still Got That Hunger (The End Music 2015)
They sound like they do this time out. The Zombies are still the Rod Argent/Colin Blunstone band, Jim Rodford was in Argent years ago. Chris White and Hugh Grundy did participate in the reunion of a few years ago but they're nowhere to be found (actually White and Grundy are part of the band that revisits their 1968 album, the newer stuff is with Jim & Steve Rodford and guitarist Tom Toomey). There's nostalgia all over the place here, the cover art winks at Odyssey And Oracle, their 1968 masterpiece and Argent and Blunstone wishes for the days of New York and remakes I Want You Back Again, with mixed results. I think Movin' On is more Argent than Zombies, which is not a bad thing and Rod Argent remains an excellent pianoist, going into jazz rock on Little One and We Were Young Once Again. Certainly this era's Zombies are more bar rock and roll than the oddball pop weirdness that made Odyssey And Oracle such a great album, they're more older and polished that that good, but once in a while, they do sound like the old Zombies on songs like Chasing The Wind. In other words, not a groundbreaking album but a polite sort of classic rock.
Grade B
Crowded House (Capitol 1986)
Something So Strong and Don't Dream It's Over are the two best songs on this debut, which was two parts of Split Enz (Neil Finn and Paul Hester) and produced by Mitchell Froom. Outside of the hits, nothing comes close of capturing the hooks and melody of the two hit singles and Finn oversings right off on the bat on Mean To Me. Side 2 he tends to settle down in a way and Hole In The Water and I Walk Away are worth another hearing. Finn would have better but not better selling albums, but he never did follow up Something So Strong or Don't Dream It's Over anyway.
Grade C+
Mark Knopfler-Screenplaying (Mercury 1993)
Highlights from the movies that Knopfler scored in the late 80s and early 90s. Cal, shows his Celtic love of penny whistles and a bagpipes, The Princess Bride best loved as a movie, but the songs sound more muzak and new age and Local Hero he adds Mike Breckner on sax. If anything Dire Straits bandmates John Illsey, Guy Fletcher and Terry Williams pop in briefly but it is soundtrack music and not Money For Nothing. Quite pleasant to hear while driving home or reading a book but I doubt if I'd play this anymore in the future.
Grade B-
Final Big Ten Championship: Michigan State 16 Iowa 13
To which both evenly matched teams played till Iowa finally gave out. Although CJ Beathard threw a 85 yard TD pass to Devaun Smith in the forth quarter, the Iowa offense was nonexistent, only 3 yards total in the third quarter. But Michigan State proved to be the best team going on a 22 play drive that took all but 30 seconds off the clock for the winning touchdown and the Iowa defense was wore out. After which ESPN and Colin Cocksucka Cowherd wasted no time telling the media that Iowa was a fluke, never mind of being 12-0 and playing junior colleges. Paul Finebaum, equally hard at times ended up being impressed that Iowa was a very good team after all. Try going 12-0 all season, it's a lot harder than you think although Clemson remains the sole unbeaten team in college sports. For bowl games, it looks like Iowa still might come up with Roses, as in the Rose bowl and probably playing USC or UCLA or even Oregon. It's too early to tell but for now rest assured that Iowa will be playing on New Year's Day somewhere.
Still with a 12-0 record, The Hawks are still getting slapped in the face. Oklahoma has jumped to 3rd place with their blow out of Oklahoma State. Flashy players like Baker Mayfield that can put up scores in a hurry tend to inflate numbers, but the Hawks giving up 433 yards to Nebraska figured into the dropping. Still Twitter nation continues to cry about the teams that Iowa played. To those who do, blame the computer and the expansion of Maryland and Rutgers into the big ten. Had the Big Ten not do this, Iowa would play Ohio State or Michigan or Michigan State. The only way to shut the critics up is to keep winning and keep playing the way they have been. Then again it would be nice if the defense would be a bit more aggressive like they were earlier in the season, but it is hard to replace a Drew Ott, they really haven't been the same since he went down with a ACL tear. Still, 12-0 is nice. On a side note: The B1G ten does have 6 teams in the top 25, including Northwestern and Wisconsin, two from the weak west says the pundits.
On the other side of the fence. The Paul Rhodes era at Iowa State is over, and West Virginia send him away with a 30-6 loss. Reports are saying that Toledo head coach Matt Campbell will take over, he has a 35-15 record at Toledo. Certainly going from a MAC team to the one of the doormats of the Big 12 is going to be a work in progress but Campbell have proven he can win, he's an offensive minded coach and Iowa State does have a quality running back in Mike Warren and while Joel Lanning had his ups and downs as QB replacing Sam B Richardson, he should be a better QB for next season. Campbell may have to wait on bowl games (he's 2-1) but he's won at least seven games in a season. If he wins 7 for Iowa State next year, he'll be Big 12 coach of the year.
As for Arizona State, they had a lead on California before the defense quit and QB Jared Goff threw for 536 yards passing and five touchdowns in a 48-46 comeback win. Jared may be declaring for the NFL draft with his outstanding performance, but when I was watching the game it looked like the Sun Devil defense couldn't tackle, couldn't guard against the pass and couldn't do anything at all. Steve Bercovici threw for 4 touchdown passes but the key was Zane Gonzalez' school record six field goals, four in the second half, which was key in Cal's victory. Arizona State traded field goals for touchdowns and when ASU took the lead with 2:35 left, that provided enough time for Cal to race down the field and score the winning field goal. In other words another epic meltdown for ASU in their disappointing 6-6 season, but ensuring the chances of a minor bowl for such a good job they did this season.
On the music side of things Evan Stock has his own band in the Waterloo area. they're basically blues and rock and roll, the way I like things. His band played a gig last week and back home where they have everything in their van, local dumbass Nick Kollasch came a calling and set fire to three of the cars plus the van in the process. He is charged with first degree arson. Now Nicky boy hasn't been a stranger to the Waterloo/Cedar Falls area, he got arrested in April after punching out a officer after a hit and run and apparently got out jail for good behavior. Kollasch also had at his home two of Stock's guitars. As they say, the show went on, as Evan Stock came down to Parlor City Saturday Night to play with what they had left.
Meanwhile in Waterloo, Quentin Hart becomes the first black mayor of that town defeating Tim Hurley.
Passings: Alex Cooley, legendary Atlanta promoter who had the Electric Ballroom in the 70s, which had some of the biggest names in rock and roll, and figured into the making of the Atlanta International Pop Festival in 1969, passed away Monday at age 71.
Scott Wieland, Stone Temple Pilots and Wildabouts lead singer, found dead in the tour bus prior to a December 3 show in Minnesota. He was 48. Died from a drug induced heart attack.
Ivy Doomkitty! (Geri Kramer photography photo shoot)
Certainly in the two years of being part of The Record World, Ivy has been the 2nd most searched person here, even though she has been more into cosplaying and comic book conventions. She's been super friendly and has favored tweets from the Twitter side of things. Sure would like to meet her on my bucket list of people to see.
Record Reviews:
Tommy Bruner-Miles To Go (self released 2015)
Bruner is an Iowa musician icon, going all the way back to Madness (not the UK band but the hometown that had to change their name when the UK band had a hit with One Step Beyond) and has been a local favorite, playing on Sunday Jam Sessions when he's not touring with The Past Masters and The Lab Rats, but as a solo artist, his new solo album is a fun retro throwback to DIY rock and roll. His vocals remains something like J J Cale although Eric Clapton or Steve Winwood come into play. There's some guest vocalists along the way (Barb Myers, Tim Duffy, Layne Goldsberry, Bart Carfizzi-all three are part of Past Masters) and Carfizzi adds a bit of keyboard horns on The Ballad Of Jim Clark but this is Bruner doing most of the singing and playing. There's a bit of Psychedelia rock in the feedback laden Middle Of Nowhere, beautiful ballads such as You And Me and The Rest Is History. And a bit of blues as well, though Lena River comes from the swamp, and Too Far To Care is country blues done right. Square One is the odd one here, which Bruner goes for a Stephen Bishop vibe, I'm sure Paul Simon has a influence on this as well. My favorites remained the power pop style of Almost (As Beautiful), which sound like something The Townedgers would do (more about them and their new album soon) and the standout is It Doesn't Work Like That. In a era of autotuned processed beats, it's refreshing to hear music like Miles To Go. Tommy has said he's is working on a followup and already a few songs have been posted on You Tube. Miles To Go is three chord rock and roll that I never tired of, 14 songs that are worth revisiting again and again. One of the best of 2015
Grade A-
Brotherhood-Brotherhood Brotherhood (RCA 1969)
The second album featuring Phil Volk, Drake Levin and Mike Smith, after leaving Paul Revere And The Raiders finds them into a hippie dippy sound, but for the most part when they get it right, they do sound like the extension of what they used to do in The Raiders. At their best, they can do the Come Together vibe of the Youngbloods (Don't Let Go) and even some of that sunny pop of the Raiders (Family Tree, Destination Unknown). Glory Train reveals more of a jazzier direction, more jazzy than Paul Revere would probably allow but most of side 1 is fairly decent, although their take on California Dreaming owes more to Iron Butterfly than Mama's And Papas. Still their Rose Garden won't make you miss Lynn Anderson or Joe South and the worst song is Love Sketch, to which it goes on for over three minutes and it feels longer than that. To which there's a scratch on that album which makes the song skip, it might be an improvement. Overall the album holds it own against the releases the Raiders released at that time, a bit more stronger than Heavy With Marshmellow album that their former employers put out at that time.
Grade B+
Freddy Weller-Games People Play (Columbia 1969)
Since we're talking Paul Revere And The Raiders, Weller became the guitar player at this point and time but managed to convince Columbia and Mark Lindsay to produce his first country platter and he got a nice hit out of the Joe South cover of Games People Play. It's a serious record when you have the late Clarence White play guitar and Glen Hardin playing piano and Red Rhodes running wild on steel guitar and fellow Raider Keith Allison on bass. Outside of Games People Play and These Are Not My People (both written by Joe South) the rest of the songs are Freddy Weller written with help from Mark Lindsay, Keith Allison and even Tommy Roe for that matter. The slower ballads are so so but the best moments are the Allison co writes: Louisiana Redbone and the country classic Freeborn Man which appeared on Alias Pink Puzz, but this version is more country sounding. And surprisingly forgotten since Collector's Choice left it off his best of they released years ago. Weller has a journeyman's voice, good for a couple songs but over 11 songs the casual fan would have their mind wonder. For a country debut, it's dated now but back then it fit the sound of the times.
Grade B
The Townedgers-Fitting Finales (Radio Maierburg 2015)
If The Townedgers are not breaking new ground, they still continue to make polished garage rock with a more acoustic focus. That doesn't mean Rodney Smith has been going through the motions, at age 54 he sings better than ever and while the songs don't break new ground, he knows about heartbreak very well in Different Paths, or singing about the life of being alone as lead off track Better Off Alone indicates. Like the preceding surprise album of last years Forthcoming Trains, Fitting Finales relies on lesser known covers and revisiting the Townedger catalog. Get It Over With, unlike the 1992 version, is stripped down to just guitar and vocals from Smith. Another revisited song Love Tonight is more romantic than the desperation resignation that it originally appeared in 2007. Smith has been mighty busy back on the Cedar Rapids music scene, sitting in on jam sessions and participating in other bands, which is why Fitting Finales got relegated to the back burner. And the sitting in helped, it's been years since his drumming has been this explosive even to the point of shredding a few speakers on songs like From A Motel 6 or Let's Work Together, the old bar band standard made famous by Canned Heat. The completely acoustic sound (except for Let's Work Together), The Townedgers have tried a couple times, 2005's A Long Time Forgotten and 2008's morbid Pawnshops For Olivia, Fitting Finales is not as dark, in fact some songs are playful (The Life We Lead) and even in the reflective title track, written after reuniting with former Paraphernalia/Tyrus bass player Russ Swearingen, it sums up Smith's returning back to playing live in town after a very long layoff, It also doubles as a thank you to the musicians who encouraged Smith to return to the stage but also acknowledges the importance that his former band mate was in reuniting for the first time in 30 plus Standing on the stage with our weapons at hand/Coming Full circle, the return of the band, as Smith sings it may not be the return of the band that fans may have wanted but rather to enjoy the moment while they can, before "returning back to the basement, satisfied of my accomplishments". Even if Rodney Smith would like to return to being that couch potato, he's simply too good of a drummer to waste away his talent as he has done the previous two decades of walking away from the music scene to focus on The Townedgers. Fitting Finales, may not have had that hit single from Forthcoming Trains, perhaps the highlights of this album might be the covers which defines this album. The Townedgers can boogie like Canned Heat on Let's Work Together and can do country (Just To Satisfy You and A Satisfied Mind), Smith redefines Gordon Lightfoot's Sundown into a cranky folk blues with a more cynical edge than the hit single version of Lightfoot's. On the cover of the hidden track I Know Your Rider, he transforms The Grateful Dead into The Who. No small feat.
Grade B+
The Zombies-Still Got That Hunger (The End Music 2015)
They sound like they do this time out. The Zombies are still the Rod Argent/Colin Blunstone band, Jim Rodford was in Argent years ago. Chris White and Hugh Grundy did participate in the reunion of a few years ago but they're nowhere to be found (actually White and Grundy are part of the band that revisits their 1968 album, the newer stuff is with Jim & Steve Rodford and guitarist Tom Toomey). There's nostalgia all over the place here, the cover art winks at Odyssey And Oracle, their 1968 masterpiece and Argent and Blunstone wishes for the days of New York and remakes I Want You Back Again, with mixed results. I think Movin' On is more Argent than Zombies, which is not a bad thing and Rod Argent remains an excellent pianoist, going into jazz rock on Little One and We Were Young Once Again. Certainly this era's Zombies are more bar rock and roll than the oddball pop weirdness that made Odyssey And Oracle such a great album, they're more older and polished that that good, but once in a while, they do sound like the old Zombies on songs like Chasing The Wind. In other words, not a groundbreaking album but a polite sort of classic rock.
Grade B
Crowded House (Capitol 1986)
Something So Strong and Don't Dream It's Over are the two best songs on this debut, which was two parts of Split Enz (Neil Finn and Paul Hester) and produced by Mitchell Froom. Outside of the hits, nothing comes close of capturing the hooks and melody of the two hit singles and Finn oversings right off on the bat on Mean To Me. Side 2 he tends to settle down in a way and Hole In The Water and I Walk Away are worth another hearing. Finn would have better but not better selling albums, but he never did follow up Something So Strong or Don't Dream It's Over anyway.
Grade C+
Mark Knopfler-Screenplaying (Mercury 1993)
Highlights from the movies that Knopfler scored in the late 80s and early 90s. Cal, shows his Celtic love of penny whistles and a bagpipes, The Princess Bride best loved as a movie, but the songs sound more muzak and new age and Local Hero he adds Mike Breckner on sax. If anything Dire Straits bandmates John Illsey, Guy Fletcher and Terry Williams pop in briefly but it is soundtrack music and not Money For Nothing. Quite pleasant to hear while driving home or reading a book but I doubt if I'd play this anymore in the future.
Grade B-
Final Big Ten Championship: Michigan State 16 Iowa 13
To which both evenly matched teams played till Iowa finally gave out. Although CJ Beathard threw a 85 yard TD pass to Devaun Smith in the forth quarter, the Iowa offense was nonexistent, only 3 yards total in the third quarter. But Michigan State proved to be the best team going on a 22 play drive that took all but 30 seconds off the clock for the winning touchdown and the Iowa defense was wore out. After which ESPN and Colin Cocksucka Cowherd wasted no time telling the media that Iowa was a fluke, never mind of being 12-0 and playing junior colleges. Paul Finebaum, equally hard at times ended up being impressed that Iowa was a very good team after all. Try going 12-0 all season, it's a lot harder than you think although Clemson remains the sole unbeaten team in college sports. For bowl games, it looks like Iowa still might come up with Roses, as in the Rose bowl and probably playing USC or UCLA or even Oregon. It's too early to tell but for now rest assured that Iowa will be playing on New Year's Day somewhere.
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Week In Review: Adele Vs Lefsetz, Winter Storm Bitchflakes, Turkey shoot
I look at snowstorms before Thanksgiving as pointless as Christmas Music before Thanksgiving. Friday Winter Storm Bitchflakes (The Weather Channel never names them right, but then again they're too busy with reality shows than reporting the weather) came out of the Rockies and gave us about 8 inches of the white shit. Certain areas got a foot or more so it could have been worse down here. The future forecast for this week is that the see the snow will melt (YAY) but by Thanksgiving Winter Storm Crapola will give us about two inches of rain.
So much sports news going on, I should consider this renaming this Sports World. Let's start out with the good: Northern Iowa in basketball upsets number 1 rated North Carolina 71-67. Amazing of the fact that UNI was down 50-34 with 17 minutes left to play till UNI ran on a 29-8 run to come from behind to win. It might have been a different story had Marcus Page would have played for UNC but since it was played up in Cedar Falls during Winter Storm Bitchflakes' wrath and the home crowd was quite loud, that also might have played a big role too. It's early in the season and there might be a rematch during the NCAA tourneys but for now it's the big upset in the state.
It has been a disappointing season for Arizona State this season, big losses to USC, Texas A&M and Utah kept them out of the division title but if nothing else, they got the territorial cup back in their trophy case with a 52-37 victory over Arizona. Two pick six interceptions by the Sun Devils helped defeat the Wildcats although ASU had problems all day with future all star in the making Brendon Dawkins, getting Arizona back in the game when ASU led 31-10 at the half and on a 95 yard TD pass, where the ASU defense played grabass, and the score became 31-23, before Steve Bercovici, playing his usual up and down game finally got them going for a late TD. Then ASU Defense came through, getting two TDs from interceptions by Kareem Orr and Lloyd Carrington which finally put the game out of reach despite a late 25 yard TD run by Dawkins. A strange incursion of events; last year ASU won 10 games but lost to Arizona, but this season beating the Wildcats and getting the cup was the high point of a 6-6 team that didn't live up to expectations but anytime you beat Arizona it makes a season that much better, even if you're a 500 team.
Curses, say Colin Cowpie Cowherd, Iowa wins again, defeating Purdue 40-20 and staying unbeaten and going up to number 3 on the top 25 teams in the NCAA. But once again The Hawkeyes didn't look impressive, especially on defense, the bottom dwelling Purdue team outgained them 405 to 387. So it was up to the offense to score and they did that. C J Beathard threw three TD passes and Jordan Canzeri concluded the scoring and putting the game out of reach with a 42 yard touchdown run. With Northwestern beating Wisconsin 13-7 (although the refs had a hand in that game, saying a late TD catch in the end zone was not, the WR didn't have it in his possession long enough although replays suggest otherwise), Iowa wins the Western Division Title. While the Hawkeyes are now 11-0, the Black Friday match with Nebraska will be the telling point between a great season or the best season ever. While Iowa players can now focus on that game, they better step it up on defense. One messup and Colin Cowherd, Iowa hater and FOX Sports news hack will have his knives out to cut this season up. In other words, keep winning.
On the downside, Iowa State led Kansas State 35-28 and all they had to do was V formation and get out with a victory. K State had not won a big 12 game all year and it looked like they would lose this. But a big fumble by the RB and Joe Huberner shot the Wildcats down for the tying score. Then Joel Lanning, I State QB fumbled and K State kicked the winning FG for a 38-35 victory. The sad part was that Iowa State led 35-14 and seemed to have the game at hand. But like they did against OK State was that they couldn't finish the game. And with that, Paul Rhodes got fired the next day although he will stay on to coach against West Virginia. Rhodes has been with Iowa State for almost 7 seasons and although his players have always loved him, they simply couldn't find ways to keep winning, although this season they did beat Texas. Out of the seasons, Rhodes only had one winning season, he did Iowa three of the past five seasons and did upset Oklahoma State in 2011. Still, the Cyclones did not show much progress, even benching Sam B Richardson in favor of Joel Lanning who did provide a slight spark, but the Cyclone defense couldn't stop anybody. A difference of opinion cost Mark Mangino the offensive coordinator spot, to which the fatman tweeted that the fat lady is now singing after blowing the K State lead, a bit slight bitter after being let go. Still you wonder if the outcome would have been different had the fat man still been O.C. Anyway, The Kansas State meltdown was Rhodes's demise and exit. Don't feel sorry for Paul though, he will get a 4.6 million dollar buyout. Tommy Mangino, the WRs coach and son of the fat man, did managed to coach three Iowa State receivers gain over 1,000 yards in catches with Quenton Bundrage, Allen Lezard and D'Vario Montgomery, and if Iowa State decides to let him go, he'll find a new team the next day.
LaDainian Tomlinson, best San Diego Chargers running back had his number retired Sunday and that turned out to be the highlight of the game as San Diego went home after that. Kansas City scalped them 33-3, in the worst showing that the Chargers have done this year, which is saying something since they have sucked the whole year and now lost 6 straight. The original thought would be that they would lose 10 games, that's a given. They're on par to lose 12 now. The loudest cheers was for LT at halftime but once the second half came about and The Chargers looking lost and like shit, cheers turned into boos and perhaps LT should have suited up and play. Dontrelle Inman didn't do any favors by dropping a pass deep down the field, probably thinking of some jive end zone dance instead of catching the damn ball. Phillip Rivers, apparently colorblind threw a pick six in the third quarter and after that the Chargers quit. Things don't get easier as they traveled to Jacksonville and in couple weeks go to Kansas City where they seldom win. In the 11 years of being Charger QB Rivers has been slightly overrated, whereas crybaby Eli Manning refusing to be part of San Diego was moved to New York and won a couple super bowls and even Drew Brees has a ring for New Orleans whereas Rivers has yet to make the Super Bowl. While Rivers has done some good things for the bolts, my thinking still remains that had former jinx general manager A J Smith didn't trade Brees away and would have kept Darren Sporles things would have been different. So far, new running back Melvin Gordon hasn't been the replacement of L.T, but neither was Ryan Matthews. But then again Gordon never benefited from having a good offensive line, which was no match for K.C. as Gordon got stuffed time and time again. Things don't change Mike McCoy will be joining Paul Rhodes on the unemployment line.
Eye candy picture of the month: A salute to the wounded female veterans who helped protect and serve our country. And still look good. Crabby and the Record World folks salute you!
Getting back to music.
Catamount Studios, the place in Iowa were many bands recorded their albums at, the likes of Hawks, Blue Band, Dangtrippers/Head Candy and many more others, has been sold off. Which sounds like they are closing the place after Dan Johnson reported that any bands that have masters or copies of their output should consider getting them back before they get thrown away. More about this story as it unfolds in the future.
Journey once again has a Steve back into the band; Steve Smith. Steve who has been keeping busy with his band Vital Information and being a in demand drummer for other jazz fusion folk has cleared a two year space of giving his Vital Information band time off, agreed to play drums for Journey till 2018, when he resumes his regular job again. While pundits would like to see another Steve (Perry) return, Smith's rejoining will give Journey a more authentic sound back in the days of Frontiers, Escape, Departure and the other three albums he was on. (Evolution, Captured and .....Dream After Dream, which came out as a import.
The music never stopped, Dead And Company which Bob Weir and the Dead drummers with John Mayer stepping in for Trey Anastasino concluded their Denver shows with a rousing closer and will be taking their act to the MGM Grand in Vegas. Their set list and story here: http://liveforlivemusic.com/news/dead-company-bring-fans-to-new-heights-in-colorado-closer/
The runaway album will be Adele 25 which is on par to sell 2.5 million copies of it and Spotify spokesman Bob Lefsetz can't make up his mind rather to root for her selling CDs or damning her for not streaming it online. I don't pay much attention to Bob all that much anymore, he repeats himself every month and rewords it that you hope you don't notice. Perhaps if you're living 24/7 on your Smartphone like he does (and about 8 million other Americans for that matter) you can't live without your Spotify, and besides CDs are dying off, Target and Best Buy tries to see how much more space they can shrink in the CD section ever week and the BIG 3 labels simply don't promote the new artists. With Adele, Sony Music actually took a prybar to their wallet and have promoted her album, you can't stop in a Books A Million or Barnes And Noble and seeing Adele's face. With Corporate Radio owning everything and playing the same 30 songs of long ago and far away, most new bands are writeoffs and what passes on the radio, the new music stinks to high heaven. And not as memorable. Besides there's more things on the net to waste your time, video games, Netflix, so much out there and the problem remains, more things to do but you have less time to enjoy it all. The reason why most music of this millennium is forgotten is that most of hits were flavors of the moment. Adele shook things up by making two earlier albums that had songs that you could remember (Rolling In The Deep) and good enough to be on the overplayed list on KDAT. But then again Lefsetz has been a double edge writer, he bitches about not enough great music out there, but then he bitches about people not having music on Spotify. When somebody tries to send him their music or what they think is good music, he becomes the "get off my lawn" old coot, or the crank that says that CD and record buyers who do not stream are not hip and therefore should not buy records or CDs. Saying that makes you a hypocrite. Perhaps Adele left a ton of money on the table if she didn't let Spotify stream her new album. Knowing how well Spotify pays for royalties Adele might have to flip burgers to get any income should the CD flop. Even with physical media to which Lefsetz hates with a passon, I think she'll be alright, despite Grandpa Get Off My Lawn chewing her up and down in a previous blog about not streaming (see Adele Not Streaming on his website) and forgetting to take his BP meds. Major Lazer's Lean On gets 526 million plays on Spotify, which translates into about 47 cents from a Spotify check. And we all know you can make pennies streaming your songs on Spotify, just ask the big stars. Adele did sell 3.38 million copies of her album. Not bad considering nobody stocks CDs anymore. (Behold the Target incredible shrinking CD section).
Whatever happened to: June Millington http://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2015/11/19/456581427/youve-got-a-home-june-millingtons-lifelong-journey-in-rock
You might not know it but here in the Midwest we do have a music scene of bands trying to become the next big thing. Somebody went to great trouble to compile the best of the Des Moines bands. Next month Cedar Rapids/Iowa City? http://noisey.vice.com/blog/scene-report-des-moines-iowa-retro-pop
Passings: Cynthia Robinson, trumpet player for Sly And The Family Stone and Graham Central Station died from cancer Monday, she was 69. http://www.theroot.com/blogs/the_grapevine/2015/11/cynthia_robinson_trumpeter_and_co_founder_of_sly_and_the_family_stone_passes.html
Singles Going Steady: Dear Prudence by Katfish http://expo67-cavestones.blogspot.com/2011/02/katfish-dear-prudence.html
Adele-25 (XL Recordings/Columbia 2015)
It's bizarre to think I'll would invest time and money into somebody which has universal love on reviews and fans, and of course the fickleness that Pitchfork gave this record, as if they were expecting another 21. But I tend to somewhat agree that the weariness of lost love and the mellow piano and strings tend to make my mind wonder. It's really simple; I prefer more rock and roll, and Adele is a damn good vocalist, although she gets into the Don't Yell At Me singer category that makes me push the fast forward button, most of the songs are quite listenable. In some ways 25 doesn't vary much from Lana Del Rey's latest, which begs for inclusion on the ten best of 2015, and Adele's subject of love gone wrong is probably that not believable considering in the four years from her last album and this, she has gotten married and become a mother, but still finds the time to break out the heartbreak with lead off track Hello or Send My Love (to your new lover). Which is fine by me but the go to tracks for myself would be Sweetest Devotion, which as rock and roll as Adele gets, the Stevie Nicks influenced Water Under The Bridge and Danger Mouse produced River Lea, which all three tracks gets her out of the safe mode. In the end, Lana Del Rey latest wins out but 25 is a no shame album either.
Grade B+
Uncle Acid-The Night Creeper (Rise Above 2015)
I'm not much into concept albums but hearing bits and pieces of this album got me interested to buy the thing and play it out but damned if Kevin Starrs knows his Black Sabbath and yes Uncle Acid loves Black Sabbath, even to the point of The Night Creeper sounding like Starrs took notes on Mike Butcher's production and sound on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, to which this album based upon dime store detective novels and Jack The Ripper. While Sabbath is the main influence, I can pick up Alice Cooper via the early 70s and on the repetitive riffs Hawkwind, as noted on lead off track Waiting For Blood. Actually the first half of the album is a very good listen, Starrs and band having a keen ear for old heavy metal riffs. The second half tends to wander off, and final track Slow Death does feel like the title says for the whole 8 minutes, which actually builds around the 6 minute mark. Not for the faint of heart or so called modern rock and I certainly wish more bands would return to this type of psych metal. While Sabbath does tend to change rhythm and melody in their songs, Uncle Acid keeps it more straight without consequences. But even in the lyrics and melody The Night Creeper remains a foreboding trip till the world of dime store horror detective world of nobody gets out alive. And that speaks volumes.
Grade B+
The Best Of Fare Thee Well-Celebrating 50 Years Of The Grateful Dead (Rhino 2015)
Certainly the raggedness is their charm and it shows. Bob Weir throws a F Bomb and then messes up a line in Truckin' a song that he could do in his sleep after performing it 40 of the 50 years of Dead Music. While the stripped down 2 CD set varies greatly from the last complete show, to which you can get and the whole three nights at Soldier Field, it does captures what The Grateful Dead does in concert. Doing medleys of songs that blend into one another that you hardly noticed till the chord changes. It works quite nicely on the China Cat Sunflower/I Know You Rider Medley and it works on Truckin/Scarlet Begonias/Fire On The Mountain. While Drums/Space tend to make a run to the bathroom on previous recordings, I could follow the whole 15 minutes. Trey Anastacio may not be Jerry Garcia, but he does a fine job regardless. I suppose you had to be there and even if Touch Of Gray, like Truckin' sounds like it takes a while for them to get on the same page, they still find a way to get everybody to sing the ending line of We Will Get By. Certainly for a finale, it does pale to their classic live stuff (the 1971 S/T skull and roses CD, the 1978 Cedar Falls/Madison shows) and you had to be there to experience it (which if nothing else you can spring the full 50 dollars for the DVD or Blue Ray Set) and don't think this is the last time you hear from them (in fact John Mayer has replaced Trey on the New York concerts in October) but to celebrate 50 years of Dead music, you couldn't found a better tribute band.
Grade A-
Lee Michaels-Heighty Hi-The Best Of (Manifesto 2015)
The forth attempt to provide a general overview of the original madman organ player and still the Columbia years are ignored. Lee recorded two forgotten Columbia platters after leaving A&M and for whatever reason (more money perhaps) Nice Day For Something and Tailface have never seen the light of day on CD. Which I somehow hoped that his forgotten Columbia single Same Old Song would have graced somebody's comp, Manifesto's attempt might be the best of the four out there although perhaps a single edit of Heighty Hi might have worked better than the album cut of 6 minutes which I still love. Lee will be known for Do You Know What I Mean and followup Can I Get A Witness which I liked better. Points are given for the inclusion of Murder In My Heart For The Judge. The production might be a bit dated but at time Lee and his crazy drummer Frosty (later leaving to join Sweathog, then was last seen peddling vacuum cleaners) was really cutting edge although the hippy dippy stuff screams 1969. Manifesto had worked out a deal with Lee to issue all of the A&M albums, and if you love the best ofs, you might enjoy the whole 7 albums that are now in one big box set. Better get them fast, Lee has a habit of recalling his masters after a while, just as One Way (wait, you can't, they're out of business)
Grade B+
Bill Kopp reviews the complete A&M albums: http://blog.musoscribe.com/index.php/2015/12/01/album-review-lee-michaels-the-complete-am-album-collection-part-one/
Live: Past Masters-Wild Hogs 11/25/15
In the five months returning back to playing music locally I have spread time between watching my friends play in their bands. Thirty years ago I view the other bands as competition and trying to top whatever they were playing, nowadays I don't look at that anymore. When I do go out it's to hear what they play and how they do on stage or more importantly if they can get people on the dance floor. I have known Bart Carfizzi and Tommy Bruner as fellow jam buddies and have jammed with them on occasion and sometimes Chad Johnson will partake a Sunday jam or two, however with the Past Masters he becomes a total entertainer running through the crowd and walking on your table with his Elvis Presley persona. Nevertheless, Layne Goldsberry has a solid bass sound and Tom Miller, drummer extraordinaire keeps it simple but a nice powerful sound as well. Past Masters do revisit the past and old 50s and 60s songs that we all know so well, even throwing a surprise as well, instead of Satisfaction they went with Get Off My Cloud. There is a reason why they do travel far and wide, going to the casinos to South Dakota and Colorado, The Past Masters have a tight sound and professionally done. Chad's interaction with the crowd, during the Tom Jones medley or Buddy Holly trilogy of songs. They packed the place Halloween night, and the Thanksgiving Eve crowd was not as big but still it was high energy and the old folk were dancing to extended versions of Gimme Gimme Good Lovin. A few of the regular jammers were out in the crowd, most notably Craig Dewitte fellow guitar jammer and full time crazy providing some quality entertainment and chat before wandering off into the night. To which the band concluded things with their Beatles medley, and they did get by with a little help from their friends.
The Worst of 2015-Gobble Gobble Gobble
This may be the shortest list of the worst music of the year, not because I didn't buy much new music but rather stayed away from most of the garbage out there. But what passed for turkeys were the usual bro country offerings, Old Dominion gets the distinction of Turkey Of The Year with their debut album. Farce The Music noticed enough to make fun of them on their website off and on, not as much as FGL, but even with Kacey Musgraves' producer, Old Dominion didn't distinct themselves from the rest of the Bro Country dude and most of their songs were the same, but different lyrics, some sound like second grade, most third but the more reflective ballads were more like fifth grade level. For me, the disappointment of the year was Blues Traveler Blow Up The Moon (Loud N Proud) which bombed bigtime, basically guest stars being lead singers to Blues Traveler music. Even when I traded it in Half Priced Books, they only sold it off when they threw it in the two dollar bins. Disappointment number 2 was Dwight Yoakam Second Hand Heart (WB), to which the Target Edition had the best song, a old 1989 demo of The Big Time, produced by Pete Anderson who was sorely missed.
Take away the Blues Traveler album which was a mistake by their manager, Second Hand Heart is not a total turkey turd biscuit, but a disappointment in the way the reviewers called this a big comeback. To these ears, Dwight never recovered from booting Anderson out of his band and albums and went for a more Rolling Stones guitar sound on this. The songs went on too long and my attention span went somewhere else. Kacey Musgraves Pageant Material (Mercury) remains a three star album but compared to her Same Trailer Different Park, she played it too safe, and while Biscuits was a nice song, it wasn't as grabbing as Follow Your Arrow or Merry Go Round. And Neil Young The Monsanto Years (Reprise) could have used a bit more refining of the lyrics, this could have been a grand statement on GMO and corporate greed but it sounds like Neil thought of them up on the spot and went with that. Living With War was better put together but The Monsanto Years is not a total waste if your a Neil Young Diehard Fan. Casual fans will likely step away, just like they did with Storyville.
If nothing else, we can give Old Dominion a break and say that the biggest turd of the year was Sirius XM raising their rates another 25 dollars and having less and less choice music which lead me to pull the plug on that overpriced service. And then trying to cancel the whole thing and the Sirius operator continuing to plug in cheaper alternatives in five different packages but the end result would be the usual crap and Mike Des Barres boring us on Underground Garage. With our wonderful place of employment threatening layoffs every year, even I'm cutting back on purchases and closing the doors on other things that have a hand in my wallet (I'm looking at you OnStar) and taking dollars that are needed elsewhere. It's going to be a rough year if our place of employment don't get their shit together. But as noted mergers don't do shit for variety and only benefits shareholders, and Sirius/XM have been noting more than pay corporate radio with lesser choices each passing year and each increase in subscription price. And turkey number 2 is Bob Lefsetz and his ongoing Adele slogging and Spotify touting. Hell with him and his streaming, I'll take actual physical product over bad sounding stream and MP3 files.
And if you turned you TV on at the wrong time, you might have seen Luke Bryan's awful Thanksgiving halftime show. While the usual Positive Twitbots called it best performance ever, I love the man, you don't know good music if you hate Luke bla blah, the majority of the folks wrinkled their nose and went Foowie! To which Luke Baby wins the third spot of this year's Turkey Turds. Good thing we didn't eat dinner before seeing that. http://www.savingcountrymusic.com/luke-bryans-thanksgiving-halftime-performance-wasnt-just-bad
Gobble Gobble Gobble.
So much sports news going on, I should consider this renaming this Sports World. Let's start out with the good: Northern Iowa in basketball upsets number 1 rated North Carolina 71-67. Amazing of the fact that UNI was down 50-34 with 17 minutes left to play till UNI ran on a 29-8 run to come from behind to win. It might have been a different story had Marcus Page would have played for UNC but since it was played up in Cedar Falls during Winter Storm Bitchflakes' wrath and the home crowd was quite loud, that also might have played a big role too. It's early in the season and there might be a rematch during the NCAA tourneys but for now it's the big upset in the state.
It has been a disappointing season for Arizona State this season, big losses to USC, Texas A&M and Utah kept them out of the division title but if nothing else, they got the territorial cup back in their trophy case with a 52-37 victory over Arizona. Two pick six interceptions by the Sun Devils helped defeat the Wildcats although ASU had problems all day with future all star in the making Brendon Dawkins, getting Arizona back in the game when ASU led 31-10 at the half and on a 95 yard TD pass, where the ASU defense played grabass, and the score became 31-23, before Steve Bercovici, playing his usual up and down game finally got them going for a late TD. Then ASU Defense came through, getting two TDs from interceptions by Kareem Orr and Lloyd Carrington which finally put the game out of reach despite a late 25 yard TD run by Dawkins. A strange incursion of events; last year ASU won 10 games but lost to Arizona, but this season beating the Wildcats and getting the cup was the high point of a 6-6 team that didn't live up to expectations but anytime you beat Arizona it makes a season that much better, even if you're a 500 team.
Curses, say Colin Cowpie Cowherd, Iowa wins again, defeating Purdue 40-20 and staying unbeaten and going up to number 3 on the top 25 teams in the NCAA. But once again The Hawkeyes didn't look impressive, especially on defense, the bottom dwelling Purdue team outgained them 405 to 387. So it was up to the offense to score and they did that. C J Beathard threw three TD passes and Jordan Canzeri concluded the scoring and putting the game out of reach with a 42 yard touchdown run. With Northwestern beating Wisconsin 13-7 (although the refs had a hand in that game, saying a late TD catch in the end zone was not, the WR didn't have it in his possession long enough although replays suggest otherwise), Iowa wins the Western Division Title. While the Hawkeyes are now 11-0, the Black Friday match with Nebraska will be the telling point between a great season or the best season ever. While Iowa players can now focus on that game, they better step it up on defense. One messup and Colin Cowherd, Iowa hater and FOX Sports news hack will have his knives out to cut this season up. In other words, keep winning.
On the downside, Iowa State led Kansas State 35-28 and all they had to do was V formation and get out with a victory. K State had not won a big 12 game all year and it looked like they would lose this. But a big fumble by the RB and Joe Huberner shot the Wildcats down for the tying score. Then Joel Lanning, I State QB fumbled and K State kicked the winning FG for a 38-35 victory. The sad part was that Iowa State led 35-14 and seemed to have the game at hand. But like they did against OK State was that they couldn't finish the game. And with that, Paul Rhodes got fired the next day although he will stay on to coach against West Virginia. Rhodes has been with Iowa State for almost 7 seasons and although his players have always loved him, they simply couldn't find ways to keep winning, although this season they did beat Texas. Out of the seasons, Rhodes only had one winning season, he did Iowa three of the past five seasons and did upset Oklahoma State in 2011. Still, the Cyclones did not show much progress, even benching Sam B Richardson in favor of Joel Lanning who did provide a slight spark, but the Cyclone defense couldn't stop anybody. A difference of opinion cost Mark Mangino the offensive coordinator spot, to which the fatman tweeted that the fat lady is now singing after blowing the K State lead, a bit slight bitter after being let go. Still you wonder if the outcome would have been different had the fat man still been O.C. Anyway, The Kansas State meltdown was Rhodes's demise and exit. Don't feel sorry for Paul though, he will get a 4.6 million dollar buyout. Tommy Mangino, the WRs coach and son of the fat man, did managed to coach three Iowa State receivers gain over 1,000 yards in catches with Quenton Bundrage, Allen Lezard and D'Vario Montgomery, and if Iowa State decides to let him go, he'll find a new team the next day.
LaDainian Tomlinson, best San Diego Chargers running back had his number retired Sunday and that turned out to be the highlight of the game as San Diego went home after that. Kansas City scalped them 33-3, in the worst showing that the Chargers have done this year, which is saying something since they have sucked the whole year and now lost 6 straight. The original thought would be that they would lose 10 games, that's a given. They're on par to lose 12 now. The loudest cheers was for LT at halftime but once the second half came about and The Chargers looking lost and like shit, cheers turned into boos and perhaps LT should have suited up and play. Dontrelle Inman didn't do any favors by dropping a pass deep down the field, probably thinking of some jive end zone dance instead of catching the damn ball. Phillip Rivers, apparently colorblind threw a pick six in the third quarter and after that the Chargers quit. Things don't get easier as they traveled to Jacksonville and in couple weeks go to Kansas City where they seldom win. In the 11 years of being Charger QB Rivers has been slightly overrated, whereas crybaby Eli Manning refusing to be part of San Diego was moved to New York and won a couple super bowls and even Drew Brees has a ring for New Orleans whereas Rivers has yet to make the Super Bowl. While Rivers has done some good things for the bolts, my thinking still remains that had former jinx general manager A J Smith didn't trade Brees away and would have kept Darren Sporles things would have been different. So far, new running back Melvin Gordon hasn't been the replacement of L.T, but neither was Ryan Matthews. But then again Gordon never benefited from having a good offensive line, which was no match for K.C. as Gordon got stuffed time and time again. Things don't change Mike McCoy will be joining Paul Rhodes on the unemployment line.
Eye candy picture of the month: A salute to the wounded female veterans who helped protect and serve our country. And still look good. Crabby and the Record World folks salute you!
Getting back to music.
Catamount Studios, the place in Iowa were many bands recorded their albums at, the likes of Hawks, Blue Band, Dangtrippers/Head Candy and many more others, has been sold off. Which sounds like they are closing the place after Dan Johnson reported that any bands that have masters or copies of their output should consider getting them back before they get thrown away. More about this story as it unfolds in the future.
Journey once again has a Steve back into the band; Steve Smith. Steve who has been keeping busy with his band Vital Information and being a in demand drummer for other jazz fusion folk has cleared a two year space of giving his Vital Information band time off, agreed to play drums for Journey till 2018, when he resumes his regular job again. While pundits would like to see another Steve (Perry) return, Smith's rejoining will give Journey a more authentic sound back in the days of Frontiers, Escape, Departure and the other three albums he was on. (Evolution, Captured and .....Dream After Dream, which came out as a import.
The music never stopped, Dead And Company which Bob Weir and the Dead drummers with John Mayer stepping in for Trey Anastasino concluded their Denver shows with a rousing closer and will be taking their act to the MGM Grand in Vegas. Their set list and story here: http://liveforlivemusic.com/news/dead-company-bring-fans-to-new-heights-in-colorado-closer/
The runaway album will be Adele 25 which is on par to sell 2.5 million copies of it and Spotify spokesman Bob Lefsetz can't make up his mind rather to root for her selling CDs or damning her for not streaming it online. I don't pay much attention to Bob all that much anymore, he repeats himself every month and rewords it that you hope you don't notice. Perhaps if you're living 24/7 on your Smartphone like he does (and about 8 million other Americans for that matter) you can't live without your Spotify, and besides CDs are dying off, Target and Best Buy tries to see how much more space they can shrink in the CD section ever week and the BIG 3 labels simply don't promote the new artists. With Adele, Sony Music actually took a prybar to their wallet and have promoted her album, you can't stop in a Books A Million or Barnes And Noble and seeing Adele's face. With Corporate Radio owning everything and playing the same 30 songs of long ago and far away, most new bands are writeoffs and what passes on the radio, the new music stinks to high heaven. And not as memorable. Besides there's more things on the net to waste your time, video games, Netflix, so much out there and the problem remains, more things to do but you have less time to enjoy it all. The reason why most music of this millennium is forgotten is that most of hits were flavors of the moment. Adele shook things up by making two earlier albums that had songs that you could remember (Rolling In The Deep) and good enough to be on the overplayed list on KDAT. But then again Lefsetz has been a double edge writer, he bitches about not enough great music out there, but then he bitches about people not having music on Spotify. When somebody tries to send him their music or what they think is good music, he becomes the "get off my lawn" old coot, or the crank that says that CD and record buyers who do not stream are not hip and therefore should not buy records or CDs. Saying that makes you a hypocrite. Perhaps Adele left a ton of money on the table if she didn't let Spotify stream her new album. Knowing how well Spotify pays for royalties Adele might have to flip burgers to get any income should the CD flop. Even with physical media to which Lefsetz hates with a passon, I think she'll be alright, despite Grandpa Get Off My Lawn chewing her up and down in a previous blog about not streaming (see Adele Not Streaming on his website) and forgetting to take his BP meds. Major Lazer's Lean On gets 526 million plays on Spotify, which translates into about 47 cents from a Spotify check. And we all know you can make pennies streaming your songs on Spotify, just ask the big stars. Adele did sell 3.38 million copies of her album. Not bad considering nobody stocks CDs anymore. (Behold the Target incredible shrinking CD section).
Whatever happened to: June Millington http://www.npr.org/sections/therecord/2015/11/19/456581427/youve-got-a-home-june-millingtons-lifelong-journey-in-rock
You might not know it but here in the Midwest we do have a music scene of bands trying to become the next big thing. Somebody went to great trouble to compile the best of the Des Moines bands. Next month Cedar Rapids/Iowa City? http://noisey.vice.com/blog/scene-report-des-moines-iowa-retro-pop
Passings: Cynthia Robinson, trumpet player for Sly And The Family Stone and Graham Central Station died from cancer Monday, she was 69. http://www.theroot.com/blogs/the_grapevine/2015/11/cynthia_robinson_trumpeter_and_co_founder_of_sly_and_the_family_stone_passes.html
Singles Going Steady: Dear Prudence by Katfish http://expo67-cavestones.blogspot.com/2011/02/katfish-dear-prudence.html
Adele-25 (XL Recordings/Columbia 2015)
It's bizarre to think I'll would invest time and money into somebody which has universal love on reviews and fans, and of course the fickleness that Pitchfork gave this record, as if they were expecting another 21. But I tend to somewhat agree that the weariness of lost love and the mellow piano and strings tend to make my mind wonder. It's really simple; I prefer more rock and roll, and Adele is a damn good vocalist, although she gets into the Don't Yell At Me singer category that makes me push the fast forward button, most of the songs are quite listenable. In some ways 25 doesn't vary much from Lana Del Rey's latest, which begs for inclusion on the ten best of 2015, and Adele's subject of love gone wrong is probably that not believable considering in the four years from her last album and this, she has gotten married and become a mother, but still finds the time to break out the heartbreak with lead off track Hello or Send My Love (to your new lover). Which is fine by me but the go to tracks for myself would be Sweetest Devotion, which as rock and roll as Adele gets, the Stevie Nicks influenced Water Under The Bridge and Danger Mouse produced River Lea, which all three tracks gets her out of the safe mode. In the end, Lana Del Rey latest wins out but 25 is a no shame album either.
Grade B+
Uncle Acid-The Night Creeper (Rise Above 2015)
I'm not much into concept albums but hearing bits and pieces of this album got me interested to buy the thing and play it out but damned if Kevin Starrs knows his Black Sabbath and yes Uncle Acid loves Black Sabbath, even to the point of The Night Creeper sounding like Starrs took notes on Mike Butcher's production and sound on Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, to which this album based upon dime store detective novels and Jack The Ripper. While Sabbath is the main influence, I can pick up Alice Cooper via the early 70s and on the repetitive riffs Hawkwind, as noted on lead off track Waiting For Blood. Actually the first half of the album is a very good listen, Starrs and band having a keen ear for old heavy metal riffs. The second half tends to wander off, and final track Slow Death does feel like the title says for the whole 8 minutes, which actually builds around the 6 minute mark. Not for the faint of heart or so called modern rock and I certainly wish more bands would return to this type of psych metal. While Sabbath does tend to change rhythm and melody in their songs, Uncle Acid keeps it more straight without consequences. But even in the lyrics and melody The Night Creeper remains a foreboding trip till the world of dime store horror detective world of nobody gets out alive. And that speaks volumes.
Grade B+
The Best Of Fare Thee Well-Celebrating 50 Years Of The Grateful Dead (Rhino 2015)
Certainly the raggedness is their charm and it shows. Bob Weir throws a F Bomb and then messes up a line in Truckin' a song that he could do in his sleep after performing it 40 of the 50 years of Dead Music. While the stripped down 2 CD set varies greatly from the last complete show, to which you can get and the whole three nights at Soldier Field, it does captures what The Grateful Dead does in concert. Doing medleys of songs that blend into one another that you hardly noticed till the chord changes. It works quite nicely on the China Cat Sunflower/I Know You Rider Medley and it works on Truckin/Scarlet Begonias/Fire On The Mountain. While Drums/Space tend to make a run to the bathroom on previous recordings, I could follow the whole 15 minutes. Trey Anastacio may not be Jerry Garcia, but he does a fine job regardless. I suppose you had to be there and even if Touch Of Gray, like Truckin' sounds like it takes a while for them to get on the same page, they still find a way to get everybody to sing the ending line of We Will Get By. Certainly for a finale, it does pale to their classic live stuff (the 1971 S/T skull and roses CD, the 1978 Cedar Falls/Madison shows) and you had to be there to experience it (which if nothing else you can spring the full 50 dollars for the DVD or Blue Ray Set) and don't think this is the last time you hear from them (in fact John Mayer has replaced Trey on the New York concerts in October) but to celebrate 50 years of Dead music, you couldn't found a better tribute band.
Grade A-
Lee Michaels-Heighty Hi-The Best Of (Manifesto 2015)
The forth attempt to provide a general overview of the original madman organ player and still the Columbia years are ignored. Lee recorded two forgotten Columbia platters after leaving A&M and for whatever reason (more money perhaps) Nice Day For Something and Tailface have never seen the light of day on CD. Which I somehow hoped that his forgotten Columbia single Same Old Song would have graced somebody's comp, Manifesto's attempt might be the best of the four out there although perhaps a single edit of Heighty Hi might have worked better than the album cut of 6 minutes which I still love. Lee will be known for Do You Know What I Mean and followup Can I Get A Witness which I liked better. Points are given for the inclusion of Murder In My Heart For The Judge. The production might be a bit dated but at time Lee and his crazy drummer Frosty (later leaving to join Sweathog, then was last seen peddling vacuum cleaners) was really cutting edge although the hippy dippy stuff screams 1969. Manifesto had worked out a deal with Lee to issue all of the A&M albums, and if you love the best ofs, you might enjoy the whole 7 albums that are now in one big box set. Better get them fast, Lee has a habit of recalling his masters after a while, just as One Way (wait, you can't, they're out of business)
Grade B+
Bill Kopp reviews the complete A&M albums: http://blog.musoscribe.com/index.php/2015/12/01/album-review-lee-michaels-the-complete-am-album-collection-part-one/
Live: Past Masters-Wild Hogs 11/25/15
In the five months returning back to playing music locally I have spread time between watching my friends play in their bands. Thirty years ago I view the other bands as competition and trying to top whatever they were playing, nowadays I don't look at that anymore. When I do go out it's to hear what they play and how they do on stage or more importantly if they can get people on the dance floor. I have known Bart Carfizzi and Tommy Bruner as fellow jam buddies and have jammed with them on occasion and sometimes Chad Johnson will partake a Sunday jam or two, however with the Past Masters he becomes a total entertainer running through the crowd and walking on your table with his Elvis Presley persona. Nevertheless, Layne Goldsberry has a solid bass sound and Tom Miller, drummer extraordinaire keeps it simple but a nice powerful sound as well. Past Masters do revisit the past and old 50s and 60s songs that we all know so well, even throwing a surprise as well, instead of Satisfaction they went with Get Off My Cloud. There is a reason why they do travel far and wide, going to the casinos to South Dakota and Colorado, The Past Masters have a tight sound and professionally done. Chad's interaction with the crowd, during the Tom Jones medley or Buddy Holly trilogy of songs. They packed the place Halloween night, and the Thanksgiving Eve crowd was not as big but still it was high energy and the old folk were dancing to extended versions of Gimme Gimme Good Lovin. A few of the regular jammers were out in the crowd, most notably Craig Dewitte fellow guitar jammer and full time crazy providing some quality entertainment and chat before wandering off into the night. To which the band concluded things with their Beatles medley, and they did get by with a little help from their friends.
The Worst of 2015-Gobble Gobble Gobble
This may be the shortest list of the worst music of the year, not because I didn't buy much new music but rather stayed away from most of the garbage out there. But what passed for turkeys were the usual bro country offerings, Old Dominion gets the distinction of Turkey Of The Year with their debut album. Farce The Music noticed enough to make fun of them on their website off and on, not as much as FGL, but even with Kacey Musgraves' producer, Old Dominion didn't distinct themselves from the rest of the Bro Country dude and most of their songs were the same, but different lyrics, some sound like second grade, most third but the more reflective ballads were more like fifth grade level. For me, the disappointment of the year was Blues Traveler Blow Up The Moon (Loud N Proud) which bombed bigtime, basically guest stars being lead singers to Blues Traveler music. Even when I traded it in Half Priced Books, they only sold it off when they threw it in the two dollar bins. Disappointment number 2 was Dwight Yoakam Second Hand Heart (WB), to which the Target Edition had the best song, a old 1989 demo of The Big Time, produced by Pete Anderson who was sorely missed.
Take away the Blues Traveler album which was a mistake by their manager, Second Hand Heart is not a total turkey turd biscuit, but a disappointment in the way the reviewers called this a big comeback. To these ears, Dwight never recovered from booting Anderson out of his band and albums and went for a more Rolling Stones guitar sound on this. The songs went on too long and my attention span went somewhere else. Kacey Musgraves Pageant Material (Mercury) remains a three star album but compared to her Same Trailer Different Park, she played it too safe, and while Biscuits was a nice song, it wasn't as grabbing as Follow Your Arrow or Merry Go Round. And Neil Young The Monsanto Years (Reprise) could have used a bit more refining of the lyrics, this could have been a grand statement on GMO and corporate greed but it sounds like Neil thought of them up on the spot and went with that. Living With War was better put together but The Monsanto Years is not a total waste if your a Neil Young Diehard Fan. Casual fans will likely step away, just like they did with Storyville.
If nothing else, we can give Old Dominion a break and say that the biggest turd of the year was Sirius XM raising their rates another 25 dollars and having less and less choice music which lead me to pull the plug on that overpriced service. And then trying to cancel the whole thing and the Sirius operator continuing to plug in cheaper alternatives in five different packages but the end result would be the usual crap and Mike Des Barres boring us on Underground Garage. With our wonderful place of employment threatening layoffs every year, even I'm cutting back on purchases and closing the doors on other things that have a hand in my wallet (I'm looking at you OnStar) and taking dollars that are needed elsewhere. It's going to be a rough year if our place of employment don't get their shit together. But as noted mergers don't do shit for variety and only benefits shareholders, and Sirius/XM have been noting more than pay corporate radio with lesser choices each passing year and each increase in subscription price. And turkey number 2 is Bob Lefsetz and his ongoing Adele slogging and Spotify touting. Hell with him and his streaming, I'll take actual physical product over bad sounding stream and MP3 files.
And if you turned you TV on at the wrong time, you might have seen Luke Bryan's awful Thanksgiving halftime show. While the usual Positive Twitbots called it best performance ever, I love the man, you don't know good music if you hate Luke bla blah, the majority of the folks wrinkled their nose and went Foowie! To which Luke Baby wins the third spot of this year's Turkey Turds. Good thing we didn't eat dinner before seeing that. http://www.savingcountrymusic.com/luke-bryans-thanksgiving-halftime-performance-wasnt-just-bad
Gobble Gobble Gobble.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)