tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76215015134931850292024-03-19T04:48:25.974-04:00Everybody's Dummy"I'm nobody's dummy. I'm everybody's dummy. I believe everything I read, see, and hear." -- Lester Bangswardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.comBlogger2005125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-13418789008255729522024-03-15T13:28:00.003-04:002024-03-16T03:53:30.201-04:00Phil Collins 14: The Singles and Plays Well With Others <a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4b/Phil_Collins_-_The_Singles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4b/Phil_Collins_-_The_Singles.jpg" width="200"></a>
The “Take A Look At Me Now” series of Phil Collins album reissues was certainly ambitious, and considering how quickly it come to completion, mostly successful. (Your move, Paul McCartney.) However, many of the hit singles that appeared on movie soundtracks over the years were not included near their most obvious albums, and a high volume of B-sides and other oddities were also passed over on the various bonus discs in favor of demos and live versions of often anachronous origin.<p>
But he didn’t make it this far in the biz being a dope. Just in time for his autobiography to hit bookshelves came a compilation—his third—called <em>The Singles</em>. This was available two ways: a three-disc version in chronological order, and an abridged version that shuffled 33 of the songs into one mostly upbeat mix and one mostly slow one. (It also contains everything on <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2020/12/phil-collins-7-hits.html"><em>…Hits</em></A>.) Anyone who truly cares will half to have the big set, but considering that half of the third disc is made up of songs from <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2021/04/phil-collins-9-tarzan.html"><em>Tarzan</em></A> and <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2022/10/phil-collins-11-brother-bear.html"><em>Brother Bear</em></A>, that makes it easy to skip it.<p>
<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/98/Phil_Collins_-_Plays_Well_with_Others.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/98/Phil_Collins_-_Plays_Well_with_Others.jpg" width="200"></a>
Two years later, an even more ambitious project emerged. <em>Plays Well With Others</em> was a sprawling four-CD set highlighting his guest spots on albums going all the way back to 1969. The first disc goes up to 1982, touching on sessions he did for the likes of John Cale, <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2009/11/brian-eno-5-before-and-after-science.html">Brian Eno</A>, <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2012/08/robert-fripp-exposure.html">Robert Fripp</A>, John Martyn, and <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2011/04/peter-gabriel-3-melting-face.html">Peter Gabriel</A>, his furious side trips with Brand X, and production jobs for <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2009/03/robert-plant-1-pictures-at-eleven-and.html">Robert Plant</A> and ABBA’s Frida (represented by the smash hit “I Know There’s Something Going On”). The second disc is a little less eclectic, with production work for Eric Clapton, Philip Bailey, and Stephen Bishop, as well as more obvious hits like Howard Jones’ “No One Is To Blame”, Tears For Fears’ <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2015/09/tears-for-fears-3-seeds-of-love.html">“Woman In Chains”</A>, and even “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” by Band Aid. (His version of “Burn Down The Mission” from the Elton John tribute album <em>Two Rooms</em> appears as well.)<p>
By the third disc we’re in the ‘90s, which here is dominated by more John Martyn productions, session work for <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2019/03/david-crosby-3-thousand-roads.html">David Crosby</A>, and his own appearances on soundtracks and tribute albums. <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2019/07/genesis-16-we-cant-dance.html">“No Son Of Mine”</A> appears here too for some reason. But there is some jazz work, with Quincy Jones and Fourplay. This continues on the fourth disc, which pulls from three decades’ worth of live appearances, but the jazz is tempered by all-star turns from Prince’s Trust concerts and such. For all the trashing he’s gotten over the years, including by this very forum, it’s easy to forget that he was a very inventive drummer in his prime. <p>
A year after that, further strays from the Collins catalog were finally collected, albeit digitally. <em>Other Sides</em> contained 90 minutes of B-sides—including “The Man With The Horn” and several revealing demos—that still should have been parceled out to the proper album reissues, while <em>Remixed Sides</em> ran to two hours’ worth of extended versions to appease anyone who loved 1988’s <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2018/06/phil-collins-3-no-jacket-required.html"><em>12"ers</em></A> compilation or needed all four versions of “Hang In Long Enough”.
<p><strong>Phil Collins</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Singles_(Phil_Collins_album)#Track_listing"><em>The Singles</em></A> (2016)—<strong>3<br>
Phil Collins</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plays_Well_with_Others_(Phil_Collins_album)#Track_listing"><em>Plays Well With Others</em></A> (2018)—<strong>3½<br>
Phil Collins</strong> <a href="https://www.discogs.com/release/13619540-Phil-Collins-Other-Sides"><em>Other Sides</em></A> (2019)—<strong>2½<br>
Phil Collins</strong> <A href="https://www.discogs.com/master/1558840-Phil-Collins-Remixed-Sides"><em>Remixed Sides</em></A> (2019)—<strong>2</strong>wardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-44475630195768591532024-03-12T12:30:00.005-04:002024-03-12T12:48:31.932-04:00Bryan Ferry 9: Mamouna<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/27/FerryMamouna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/27/FerryMamouna.jpg" width="200"></a>
As it turns out, writer’s block had kept Bryan Ferry from releasing a new album for so long, and only <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2023/10/bryan-ferry-8-taxi.html"><em>Taxi</em></A> was able to break it. Working with Robin Trower must have helped too, as he’s credited as co-producer on <em>Mamouna</em> as well. The rhythm section was generally Nathan East and Steve Ferrone, then on loan from Eric Clapton. Even more interesting is the occasional presence of Brian Eno, who had legendarily fallen out with Ferry in the early days of Roxy Music.<p>
Not much has changed since the last time, as “Don’t Want To Know” burbles with the same grooves that have dominated his work over the previous ten years. But for some street noise, “N.Y.C.” is straight-ahead Nile Rodgers funk with Maceo Parker guesting on sax. “Your Painted Smile” and “The Only Face” get the mix of mood and melody right, but in between, the title track follows on “To Turn You On” without the emotion.<p>
“The 39 Steps” is just another groove with occasional soundbites that have us wondering what the song has to do with the film (any version). The heartbreak comes through big time on “Which Way To Turn”, but it’s the insistent “Wildcat Days” that really stands out, being co-written with Eno and also featuring Andy Mackay on sax somewhere in the mix. (He’s also credited on the mildly swampy “Gemini Moon”.) On “Chain Reaction”, he finally remembered how to write a song instead of just riding a groove, and the female vocals here are very effective. <p>
Too much of <em>Mamouna</em> sounds the same, and like more of the same. But longtime fans seeking more of the same will be very pleased with it. There is definitely a flow, but if there’s any kind of story here, it’s buried. <p>
As the album approached its 30th anniversary, an expanded package included not only the original shelved version of the album, which was to be titled <em>Horoscope</em>, but a third disc of “Sketches”, providing a first-ever glimpse into his creative process. Now it’s hard to hear what was wrong with <em>Horoscope</em>, as “Where Do We Go From Here” (the template for “The 39 Steps”) crackles with more menace, “The Only Face” is more direct, and “Desdemona” is just as solid without Maceo or Nile. “S&M (Midnight Train)” and “Loop De Li” would eventually emerge twenty years later on another album; here they provide a welcome lift (the former more than the latter, but still). “Gemini Moon” is less processed than the final version. “Raga” breaks out of the monotonic backing with some intriguing touches, but it was likely the tepid ten-minute overhaul of <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2019/06/roxy-music-3-stranded.html">“Mother Of Pearl”</A> that gave executives pause. (This was eventually used for a movie soundtrack.)<p>
Most of the “Sketches” are instrumental—some dating back to 1989—which helps provide some musical contexts amid the finished grooves. “Robot” is a generic Ferry-by-numbers idea that matches its title for six minutes, while “Horoscope” itself has some interesting textures but with a woman’s spoken voice too high in the mix. “Your Painted Smile” and “The Only Face” each appear in strikingly intimate piano-and-vocal renditions that have us wishing he’d do more albums with performances just like them.
<p><strong>Bryan Ferry</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mamouna#Track_listing"><em>Mamouna</em></A> (1994)—<strong>2½</strong><br>
2023 Deluxe Reissue: same as 1994, plus 18 extra trackswardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-55291664631413778362024-03-08T13:37:00.000-05:002024-03-08T13:37:46.370-05:00Clash 8: Story Of The Clash<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/74/The_story_of_the_clash_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/74/The_story_of_the_clash_cover.jpg" width="200"></a>
Maybe it’s just us, but the distance between 1983 and 1988 seems a lot wider than other five-year spans within decades. So when it came out, the double-LP retrospective <em>The Story Of The Clash, Vol. 1</em> seemed like an overdue look back to a much different time. The back cover nicely noted the release dates of each track, while the gatefold liner notes in miniscule print by one Albert Transom (aka Joe Strummer) bordered on stream of consciousness without really illuminating the music. (The UK version of the album had custom labels with each member’s face on a different side, while the US were stuck with stock Epic labels.)<p>
The chronology seems to go backward, but still has something of a logic to it. Anyone who only knew <em>Combat Rock</em> might have been thrown by the near-disco opener in “The Magnificent Seven” before getting to the songs they already knew. Another funk-dub hybrid, “This Is Radio Clash”, makes its first album appearance, and “Armagideon Time” is nicely given a bigger platform. Side two further explores the pop-leaning side, via such favorites as “Train In Vain” and “I Fought The Law”, but also curveballs like “The Guns Of Brixton” and “Bankrobber”.<p>
The other two sides of the album are mostly devoted to the first two albums and the earliest punk singles; of course, some of those had been included on the American version of the first album, so they weren’t as rare for us. (Also, “Capitol Radio” is the original UK EP version with the interview snippet at the top.) But for a jump to “London Calling” and “Spanish Bombs”, the set ends well on “Police And Thieves”.<p>
<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c9/Clash-clash_on_broadway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c9/Clash-clash_on_broadway.jpg" width="175"></a>
Naturally, anybody would say that four sides of Clash music would leave something out—only <u>two</u> tracks from <em>Sandinista!</em>?—but a Volume 2 never happened. Instead, once everybody started getting a box set, the Clash did too. <em>Clash On Broadway</em> was designed for CD as opposed to vinyl or cassette, and therefore at three discs had than double the capacity of <em>Story Of The Clash</em>.<p>
Along with all the key albums, singles, and B-sides, box sets had to have rarities. Disc one delivers with demos of “Janie Jones” and “Career Opportunities” produced by Guy Stevens, and live versions of “English Civil War” and “I Fought The Law”. American consumers would have appreciated the songs from the first UK album, which hadn’t made it to CD yet. Disc two is dominated by <em>Give ‘Em Enough Rope</em> (plus the decent outtake “One Emotion”) and <em>London Calling</em>, while the third disc features a live “Lightning Strikes (Not Once But Twice)”, a soulful cover of “Every Little Bit Hurts”, the outtake “Midnight To Stevens”, and the unedited take of “Straight To Hell”. While not listed anywhere, “Street Parade” ends the set.<p>
In the 21st century, box sets were expected to include absolutely everything if consumers were going to buy them again. <em>Sound System</em>—cleverly designed like a <A href="https://i.discogs.com/yv7JZBs6dWXYR35CEHl6BW3UQpUqw3wsREn--JPooHU/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:330/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTQ5NDUw/MDMtMTU0NjI2NTE5/Ni00OTc5LmpwZWc.jpeg">boom box</A>—offered the first five albums on eight discs, plus two discs mopping up singles, B-sides, and outtakes, rounded out by alternate mixes of <em>Combat Rock</em> material. Another disc had nine early demos and six live songs from the Lyceum in 1978. Even with all that, only six of the rarities from <em>Clash On Broadway</em> were included in the set, making that first box a keeper.<p>
<em>Sound System</em> also contained a DVD and piles of ephemera, which made the eight-disc <em>5 Album Studio Set</em>, designed like a road case, a cheaper option. Or you could spring for the newly curated, less obvious <em>The Clash Hits Back</em> two-disc set, which was derived from a 1982 gig setlist, and we’d be interested in hearing the actual gig. It was also 20 minutes shorter than 2003’s more chronological <em>The Essential Clash</em>, which happened to be the only one of these compilations to include anything from <em>Cut The Crap</em>.
<p><strong>The Clash</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_the_Clash,_Volume_1#Track_listing"><em>The Story Of The Clash, Vol. 1</em></A> (1988)—<strong>4<br>
The Clash</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clash_on_Broadway#Track_listing"><em>Clash On Broadway</em></A> (1991)—<strong>4<br>
The Clash</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Essential_Clash#Track_listing"><em>The Essential Clash</em></A> (2003)—<strong>3½<br>
The Clash</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_System_(album)#Track_listing"><em>Sound System</em></A> (2013)—<strong>3½<br>
The Clash</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Clash_Hits_Back"><em>The Clash Hits Back</em></A> (2013)—<strong>3½</strong>wardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-66344564202492149182024-03-05T12:32:00.002-05:002024-03-16T14:32:27.198-04:00Iggy Pop: The Bowie YearsDavid Bowie used his cachet to help—for lack of a better word—some artists who might have remained cult figures had he not championed them. In some cases, like Dana Gillespie and Ava Cherry, it didn’t exactly work, but <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2011/06/lou-reed-2-transformer.html">Lou Reed</A> and <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2017/07/mott-hoople-5-all-young-dudes.html">Mott The Hoople</A> could certainly attribute some of their longevity to his patronage.<p>
Then there was Iggy Pop. Bowie loved the garage anarchy of the Stooges, and helped get their <em>Raw Power</em> album onto shelves. (He also appropriated Iggy’s croon into his own vocal styles.) A few years later, both Bowie and Iggy were trying to get off drugs, so they went to France and then Germany to work as artists. Between them they completed four albums that were all released in 1977, and all remain high points of their respective catalogs.<p>
<a href="https://i.discogs.com/sCO1jknGWIl3aq0kKrN8NQ7qKiB2Z2eGVzKTrir1WaY/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEzNTkw/OTUtMTMyNzIwOTk1/MS5qcGVn.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://i.discogs.com/sCO1jknGWIl3aq0kKrN8NQ7qKiB2Z2eGVzKTrir1WaY/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEzNTkw/OTUtMTMyNzIwOTk1/MS5qcGVn.jpeg" width="200"></a>
Everything on <em>The Idiot</em> was written by the pair, backed by Carlos Alomar and the rhythm section of George Murray and Dennis Davis. While still trashy (“Funtime” and “Baby”), Bowie’s arty tendencies took over to slow the music down and find grooves. “Sister Midnight” and “Nightclubbing” paint vivid pictures of their lifestyle, while <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2010/01/david-bowie-15-lets-dance.html">“China Girl”</A> would one day get a new lease on life. “Dum Dum Boys” is something of a lament for old bandmates, “Tiny Girls” sports a doo-wop saxophone, and “Mass Production” turns the drone of “Station To Station” into something more robotic. Besides being removed from the assault of the Stooges albums, <em>The Idiot</em> is a startling album, but now we can hear it as very much a blueprint for bands like <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/search/label/joy%20division">Joy Division</A>, as well as what would become side one of <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2009/08/david-bowie-10-low.html"><em>Low</em></A>.<p>
<a href="https://i.discogs.com/LzRTHnURLhbfOt6OL8QwNQs-pjSOmlfSRwVuG7YrE70/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTI1MTky/ODE2LTE3MDM5NDc3/MTktNjc2MC5qcGVn.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://i.discogs.com/LzRTHnURLhbfOt6OL8QwNQs-pjSOmlfSRwVuG7YrE70/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTI1MTky/ODE2LTE3MDM5NDc3/MTktNjc2MC5qcGVn.jpeg" width="200"></a>
To promote the album, Bowie actually went on tour with Iggy, playing keyboards and adding vocals alongside the Sales brothers (Tony on bass and Hunt on drums and vocals) and guitarist Ricky Gardiner. Then the band went right back into the studio to record <em>Lust For Life</em>. This time Iggy was more in charge, relying less on Bowie to provide music and scenarios, and it works. It also rocks, from the Motown-derived pounding of the title track through “Sixteen” and “Some Weird Sin”, the latter of which sports some wonderful backing Bowie vocals. Ricky Gardiner’s chords drive “The Passenger”, but <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2010/01/david-bowie-17-tonight.html">“Tonight”</A> is most striking if you’ve only heard Bowie’s tame cover, which doesn’t include the prelude. The call-and-response of “Success” is just plain hilarious, making the pleas in “Turn Blue” even more arresting. “Neighborhood Threat” would also get a Bowie remake one day, while the band swapped instruments for the trashy “Fall In Love With Me”.<p>
<a href="https://i.discogs.com/GgXEUDObgTKRVYaeVHeSShlKUpqNYumaNFKXJgxWVTI/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:392/w:399/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE5MzY1/MTAtMTMwNzMyMjMx/My5qcGVn.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://i.discogs.com/GgXEUDObgTKRVYaeVHeSShlKUpqNYumaNFKXJgxWVTI/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:392/w:399/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE5MzY1/MTAtMTMwNzMyMjMx/My5qcGVn.jpeg" width="200"></a>
By the time <em>Lust For Life</em> came out, Bowie was busy recording his own <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2009/08/david-bowie-11-heroes.html"><em>“Heroes”</em></A> album, so Iggy ended up touring the album with future Heartbreaker Scott Thurston and Stacey Heydon replacing Bowie and Gardiner augmenting the Sales brothers. <em>TV Eye 1977 Live</em>, released a year later, was split between shows played by the two bands, and for the longest time was the only evidence of Bowie’s onstage work with Iggy. The sound is bootleg quality, recorded and mixed on the cheap to get out of his label contract, but still crackles with energy—or at least power when the songs slow to a crawl—particularly on the Stooge classics “T.V. Eye”, “Dirt”, and “I Wanna Be Your Dog” and the rare “I Got A Right”.<p>
All three albums would become cult classics despite low sales, and all three were included on 2020’s comprehensive <em>The Bowie Years</em> box set. A disc of negligible single mixes and alternate takes is capped by the Bowie-produced “I Got A Right” single and an recent interview with Iggy, while three discs present three live performances with mostly identical setlists and Bowie on board, from London’s Rainbow, Cleveland’s Agora, and a Chicago radio station. These vary in quality, but we do hear pre-studio renditions of “Turn Blue”, “Tonight”, and “Some Weird Sin”, as well as further Stooge favorites. (Meanwhile, Deluxe Editions of <em>The Idiot</em> and <em>Lust For Life</em> were each bolstered by a live disc: the Rainbow show from the box for the former, and <em>TV Eye</em> for the latter.)
<p><strong>Iggy Pop</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Idiot_(album)#Track_listing"><em>The Idiot</em></A> (1977)—<strong>3½</strong><br>
2020 Deluxe Edition: same as 1977, plus 15 extra tracks<br>
<strong>Iggy Pop</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lust_for_Life_(Iggy_Pop_album)#Track_listing"><em>Lust For Life</em></A> (1977)—<strong>4</strong><br>
2020 Deluxe Edition: same as 1977, plus <em>TV Eye 1977 Live</em><br>
<strong>Iggy Pop</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TV_Eye_Live_1977#Track_listing"><em>TV Eye 1977 Live</em></A> (1978)—<strong>3<br>
Iggy Pop</strong> <A href="https://www.discogs.com/release/15177778-Iggy-Pop-The-Bowie-Years"><em>The Bowie Years</em></A> (2020)—<strong>3</strong>wardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-61666856405586182852024-03-01T12:10:00.000-05:002024-03-01T12:10:15.163-05:00Frank Zappa 51: You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 6 <a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c6/Frank_Zappa%2C_You_Can%27t_Do_That_On_Stage_Anymore_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c6/Frank_Zappa%2C_You_Can%27t_Do_That_On_Stage_Anymore_6.jpg" width="200"></a>
The sprawling <em>You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore</em> series presented the good, the bad, and the ugly throughout years of performances. This is thoroughly demonstrated on the first disc in this final volume, which deals explicitly with “the topic of sex (safe and otherwise)”.<p>
Of course, it wasn’t enough to write songs about sex; Frank wanted to talk about it too, so several monologues and raps on the topic dot the disc. That said, “The M.O.I. Anti-Smut Loyalty Oath” from 1970 is a mildly humorous statement in the wake of Jim Morrison’s obscenity trial. “The Poodle Lecture”, spoken over the “Stink-Foot” rhythm, kinda fits into the theme, as a setup for “Dirty Love”. Less successful are “The Madison Panty-Sniffing Festival”, which is exactly what it sounds like, and “Lonely Person Devices”, which sets up “Ms. Pinky”. His diatribe about Peter Frampton’s “I’m In You” is less necessary when “I Have Been In You” appears twenty minutes later, bookended by improvs on “The Torture Never Stops” with a very loud sex tape over the PA. It’s back to the Fillmore with Flo & Eddie for “Shove It Right In”, the extended groupie suite from side two of <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2013/01/frank-zappa-13-200-motels.html"><em>200 Motels</em></A>, and admittedly rocks. “Wind Up Workin’ In A Gas Station” is notable for the vocal work by the onetime Bianca Thornton, and the 1984 run from “Dinah-Moe-Humm” to “Muffin Man” is mostly good.<p>
The second disc is mostly more musical, with such highlights as the complicated “Thirteen” with L. Shankar on electric violin; he returns a half-hour later for “Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance”. Patrick O’Hearn’s “Lobster Girl” bass solo nicely seques into “Black Napkins” with the 1976 horn section that unfortunately jars to 1984 for the guitar solo. (“The Illinois Enema Bandit” was cobbled from at least six sources.) Even “Catholic Girls” and “Crew Slut” are generally played more for dexterity than laughs. Breaking up the flow is an operatic monologue by Lisa Popeil, who sang on <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2017/08/frank-zappa-32-ship-arriving-too-late.html">“Teen-age Prostitute”</A>. “Lonesome Cowboy Nando” combines a 1988 performance full of in-jokes with one from 1971 with Jimmy Carl Black, which leads into the “200 Motels Finale” from the same show. The disc, and the series, ends with a “Strictly Genteel” from 1981. <p>
So after twelve CDs’ worth of music, what have we learned? Well, as much as he insisted that “Touring Can Make You Crazy”, he was a guy determined to have a good time, all the time. He worked his bands and when they rose to the occasion, they were stellar. The fact that he could edit sections from multiple performances is just as much of a testimony to his ear as to the tightness of the bands—even if he insisted the edits were necessary due to the bands’ ongoing inability to play the stuff correctly. If anything, the series fostered a new generation of Zappa scholars, who would continue to dissect these and other live recordings over the years. Those who collected all six volumes could even procure a <A href="http://www.lukpac.org/~handmade/patio/vinylvscds/images/roadbox.jpg">road case</A> to keep them in.
<p><strong>Frank Zappa</strong> <A href="{https://www.donlope.net/fz/lyrics/You_Can't_Do_That_On_Stage_Anymore_Vol_6.html"><em>You Can’t Do That On Stage Anymore Vol. 6</em></A> (1992)—<strong>2</strong>wardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-16776070479255238442024-02-27T11:29:00.001-05:002024-02-27T11:29:39.271-05:00Rush 27: R40<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/37/Rush_-_R40_Live.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/37/Rush_-_R40_Live.jpg" width="200"></a>
Their fortieth year as a band was celebrated with a North American tour, resulting in Rush’s eleventh live album. <em>R40 Live</em> was another three-CD package, also made available with or as a DVD or Blu-ray set; this would be preferred by most fans who would not only appreciate seeing their idols—and their antics—up close, but also get the various comedic films shown as interludes throughout in high resolution.<p>
After “The World Is… The World Is”, a montage of 26 iconic Rush riffs compiled to accompany the opening video, the first disc more or less travels backwards in time from <em>Clockwork Angels</em> to <em>Signals</em>, but skipping three ‘80s albums. (This might not have been the smartest idea, as Geddy Lee ends up forced to sing at higher registers as the show progresses.) The second set relies on the old faithfuls and epics from <em>Moving Pictures</em> and <em>Permanent Waves</em>, followed by excerpts from “Cygnus X-1” in shuffled order, staying on <em>A Farewell To Kings</em> for “Closer To The Heart” and “Xanadu”, and finishing with a 12-minute condensation of “2112”. The encores combined “Lakeside Park” with “Anthem” and “What You’re Doing” with “Working Man”, ending with a tag of their early “Garden Road”, which never made it to an album. <p>
To fill up the third disc, various performances from throughout the tour not played at these shows were included, to provide as complete a chronicle as possible. Performed live for the first time ever on this tour, “Losing It” appears twice: once with original violinist Ben Mink, and again with Jonathan Dinklage of the Clockwork Angels String Ensemble from the last show of the tour. <p>
Naturally everything is impeccably played, two drum solos are indexed, and there’s enough variety from the last few live albums to keep it from sounding too redundant. Again, the visual aspect of the show is key, as the stage setup goes from the steampunk setup at the start through the washing machines to the Marshall stacks, ending with amps atop wooden chairs. Even Geddy switched to his old basses and smaller keyboards as the need fit.<p>
Following this tour, finding himself increasingly beset by physical limitations, Neil Peart decided he’d had it. The other two agreed. Rush would never perform as a band, live or in the studio, again.
<p><strong>Rush</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R40_Live#Track_listing"><em>R40 Live</em></A> (2015)—<strong>3½</strong>wardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-79123985900005683732024-02-23T13:02:00.001-05:002024-02-23T13:07:39.488-05:00Prince 23: The Vault<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1f/Prince_Vault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/1f/Prince_Vault.jpg" width="200"></a>
The Artist Still Referred 2 As Prince by Warner Bros. still owed them another album, so he gave them 1. <em>The Vault… Old Friends 4 Sale</em> purportedly collected tracks from a variety of sources from the ‘80s and ‘90s; even after <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2023/09/prince-22-crystal-ball-and-truth.html"><em>Crystal Ball</em></A>, many of the Purple 1’s fans had been looking 4ward 2 such an album 4 years. (Sorry.)<p>
We said “purportedly”; his liner notes stated they spanned the years 1985 to 1994. However, while one song was indeed recorded that early, the rest came from the ‘90s. They’re of a piece as well, bordering on jazz, and a few were even intended for James L. Brooks’ ill-fated <em>I’ll Do Anything</em> film when it was designed as a musical.<p>
One of those songs was supposedly the bopping “The Rest Of My Life”, which could work as the theme song for any sitcom starring an empowered modern woman. The party noises on “It’s About That Walk” are a little distracting, but luckily they fade away to let the track breathe. “She Spoke 2 Me” had already appeared on the <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2022/06/prince-19-girl-6.html"><em>Girl 6</em></A> soundtrack; this extended version runs over eight minutes, with lots of soloing. “5 Women” had previously been covered by Joe Cocker, and even without hearing his version it’s easy to see how, given its “Thrill Is Gone” vibe. “When The Lights Go Down” sets a subtle groove, and lays back for a lengthy piano solo.<p>
“My Little Pill” is another odd detour, especially when followed by the moody “There Is Lonely”. That song’s allusion to Biblical betrayal ties in well with the theme of “Old Friends 4 Sale”, which did indeed date from 1985, and got a big arrangement in the <em>Parade</em> era. These aren’t the original lyrics, but they’re just as bitter. “Sarah” lightens the mood considerably with a more expected appreciation of the female form, and “Extraordinary” is a hidden gem of a slow jam.<p>
Being a contractual obligation, he did the bare minimum for this album. Compared to the bounty and quality of <em>Crystal Ball</em>, <em>The Vault</em> was a major letdown, but we can blame its marketing. Musically it’s still intriguing, unfairly overlooked, and just as worthy as <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2022/11/prince-20-chaos-and-disorder.html"><em>Chaos And Disorder</em></A>.
<p><strong>Prince</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vault:_Old_Friends_4_Sale#Track_listing"><em>The Vault… Old Friends 4 Sale</em></A> (1999)—<strong>3</strong>wardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-84774498815994464462024-02-20T12:51:00.004-05:002024-02-20T12:51:39.222-05:00Dire Straits 9: On The Night and Live At The BBC<a href="https://i.discogs.com/vIzk9lRmMIOb4Cht3ug53MXGJwEWEJ1XF8HECJa1i58/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:592/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTI3Mjk4/NTQtMTM1MzQ1Mzg2/NC03Nzk2LmpwZWc.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://i.discogs.com/vIzk9lRmMIOb4Cht3ug53MXGJwEWEJ1XF8HECJa1i58/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:592/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTI3Mjk4/NTQtMTM1MzQ1Mzg2/NC03Nzk2LmpwZWc.jpeg" width="200"></a>
Despite lackluster reviews, <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2010/12/dire-straits-7-on-every-street.html"><em>On Every Street</em></A> was a huge hit around the globe, and was followed by a massive world tour that kept the band on the road for over a year. Such an undertaking was likely done with the idea that it would never happen again, and to underline the finality of it all, the tour was documented on <em>On The Night</em>. <p>
Everything is bigger since <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2010/11/dire-straits-5-twisting-by-pool-and.html"><em>Alchemy</em></A>, and even the <em>Brothers In Arms</em> tour, with nine guys now onstage. As he did on the album they were supporting, Paul Franklin adds prominent pedal steel throughout. This is noticeable right away, where “Calling Elvis” is stretched out to ten minutes. New drummer Chris Whitten, fresh from <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2009/10/paul-mccartney-19-tripping-live.html">Paul McCartney’s world tour</A>, pounds the skins. Twenty minutes are given over to “Romeo And Juliet” and “Private Investigations”, which of course had already been on <em>Alchemy</em> and not necessarily enhanced here. Everything else comes from the last two albums, and all are crowd-pleasers, but here they’re mostly longer with more guitar solos and interplay, some of which is intriguing and some of which is noodling. A song like “You And Your Friend” can set a mood on a home stereo, but pretty much plods in an arena. That said, the closing “Brothers In Arms” is positively majestic and moving. <p>
In the UK where such things were more common, “Your Latest Trick” was released as a single, promoted as the <em>Encores</em> EP, sporting a <A href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/50/Encores.jpg">hot pink photo negative</A> of the <em>On The Night</em> cover, bolstered by three songs that weren’t on the album: “The Bug” (which actually came earlier in the set), and familiar <em>Alchemy</em> favorites “Solid Rock”, and “Local Hero—Wild Theme”. Some thirty years later, the <em>Live 1978-1992</em> box set expanded the original album to two discs, adding three more lengthy repeats from <em>Alchemy</em> as well as another “Two Young Lovers”, two songs from <em>On Every Street</em>, but most interestingly, the ultra-rare “I Think I Love You Too Much”, which was performed at Knebworth in 1990 with guest Eric Clapton, and covered that year on an album by blind blues phenom Jeff Healey. (The <em>Encores</em> EP was repeated on its own.)<p>
<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3a/DireStraitsBBC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3a/DireStraitsBBC.jpg" width="200"></a>
Just how far the band had come—or sunk, depending on your point of view—was soon underscored by the excellent and very welcome <em>Live At The BBC</em>. This late-century surprise combined a 1978 radio appearance by the initial quartet playing six songs from the first album, plus the rarity “What’s The Matter Baby”, cowritten with brother David Knopfler, and which sounds like a blueprint for “Lady Writer”. Fleshing out the disc is a 1980 TV performance of “Tunnel Of Love”, complete with both intros as eventually heard on <em>Alchemy</em>, that is worth the twelve minutes even after Mark’s guitar has gone way out of tune. Even with the addition of keyboards, they were very tight.
<p><strong>Dire Straits</strong> <A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Night#Track_listing"><em>On The Night</em></A> (1993)—<strong>2½<br>
Dire Straits</strong> <A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_at_the_BBC_(Dire_Straits_album)#Track_listing"><em>Live At The BBC</em></A> (1996)—<strong>3½</strong>wardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-30806307120520795742024-02-16T14:18:00.000-05:002024-02-16T14:18:50.711-05:00Fairport Convention 1: Fairport Convention<a href="https://i.discogs.com/rpBJ9h6ZaNkGJMxEVfvzKIlxUSKKO33OqIA18NGzLSY/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:599/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEwMDM2/NjU4LTE0OTA1MjE2/MTQtNTg2My5tcG8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://i.discogs.com/rpBJ9h6ZaNkGJMxEVfvzKIlxUSKKO33OqIA18NGzLSY/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:599/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEwMDM2/NjU4LTE0OTA1MjE2/MTQtNTg2My5tcG8.jpeg" width="200"></a>
Joe Boyd is one of those Zelig-like characters to be found throughout this forum. He witnessed Bob Dylan going electric at Newport, he produced the first singles by Pink Floyd, and he started a production company that would eventually shepherd the likes of Nick Drake into public consciousness. This cachet would get him gigs working with R.E.M. and Robyn Hitchcock, among others. Fairport Convention was another of his early discoveries, and they’ve since gone on to become eponymous with English folk-rock. <p>
In the beginning they were simply a coterie of like-minded young musicians trying to do something original. With Iain Matthews and Judy Dyble trading vocals, and two guitarists in Richard Thompson and Simon Nicol, they had something of a Jefferson Airplane vibe, but the rhythm section of Tyger Hutchings and Martin Lamble was more reserved. Their eponymous debut is all over the place, mixing esoteric covers with quirky originals.<p>
Emitt Rhodes had yet to go solo and being his own cult status when they covered his “Time Will Show The Wiser”, an upbeat psychedelic jam with lots of lead guitar. They were also among the first to get to Joni Mitchell; “I Don’t Know Where I Stand” follows here, while “Chelsea Morning” begins side two. “If (Stomp)” was written by Matthews and Thompson, and has something of a Lovin’ Spoonful jugband feel, while “Decameron”, written by Thompson with two people we’ve never heard of, is a lovely duet. While co-credited to Bob Dylan, “Jack O’Diamonds” is merely a few lines taken from the liner notes of his fourth album set to music by Ben Carruthers, but good on them for including such an obscurity. “Portfolio” is a piano-driven instrumental with some sawing violins from the drummer.<p>
Following a frantic “Chelsea Morning”, “Sun Shade” is another pleasant meditation from the team that brought you “Decameron”. Its eeriness sets up the weirdness of “The Lobster”, featuring autoharps and recorder and incorporating a poem by a 20th century British author. The mildly jazzy “It’s Alright Ma, It’s Only Witchcraft” is another nod to Dylan in name only, but it’s got a decent hook for a chorus. “One Sure Thing” is a melancholy tune borrowed from folk duo Jim & Jean (collectively the inspiration for Mitch & Mickey from <em>A Mighty Wind</em>, and she was allegedly the inspiration for Neil Young’s “Cinnamon Girl”). Another instrumental closes the side; “M.1 Breakdown” is an in-joke in reference to the new British highway, the bluegrass style, it apes, and the way it ends.<p>
While it’s all over the place, what stands out on <em>Fairport Convention</em> outside of the quavery vocals is Richard Thompson’s lead guitar. Only 18 years old, he was already a force with which to be reckoned and worth watching, and certainly hearing.<p>
The album didn’t come out in America until 1970, and on a different label, after three later albums had already been released. Once the catalog was unified, it did appear on CD over here in 1990, but collectors will want to seek out the expanded import (or streaming version) that includes four bonus tracks, including “If I Had A Ribbon Bow” (their first single) and previously unreleased covers of Leonard Cohen’s “Suzanne”, Tim Buckley’s “Morning Glory”, and Mimi & Richard Fariña’s “Reno, Nevada”, which Matthews would record on one of his own solo albums, and which gets an extended jam here.
<p><strong>Fairport Convention</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairport_Convention_(album)#Track_listing"><em>Fairport Convention</em></A> (1968)—<strong>3</strong> wardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-7713950287659664502024-02-13T13:49:00.003-05:002024-02-13T13:51:35.779-05:00Van Morrison 47: The Prophet Speaks<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/be/Van_Morrison_The_Prophet_Speaks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/be/Van_Morrison_The_Prophet_Speaks.jpg" width="200"></a>
It worked <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2023/09/van-morrison-46-youre-driving-me-crazy.html">the last time</A>, so Van Morrison kept the pot simmering with Joey DeFrancesco and band. <em>The Prophet Speaks</em> was his second album of 2018, and his fourth album over fifteen months. Clearly, he was inspired, but enough to give Joey co-billing again.<p>
Over half of the album consists of rhythm and blues deep cuts, from such familiar touchstones as Solomon Burke, Sam Cooke, John Lee Hooker, and Willie Dixon. Two songs come from mildly obscure Chicago blues artist Shakey Jake: “Teardrops” [sic] and a medley of “Worried Blues” and “Rollin’ And Tumblin’”. Van mostly sticks to singing and blowing harmonica throughout, adding alto sax to only the title track and “Ain’t Gonna Moan No More”. For some reason he sees nothing strange about duetting with daughter Shana on a song like “Gotta Get You Off My Mind”. <p>
More interesting is the fact that Van apparently wrote some new songs for the album. “Got To Go Where The Love Is” burbles with electric piano and “Spirit Will Provide” has a soulful, spiritual feel, though “5 am Greenwich Mean Time” is a basic blues. While it namechecks various icons, “Ain’t Gonna Moan” is a hollow promise coming out of his mouth, considering it’s soon followed by “Love Is Hard Work”. Finally, the title track is actually profound in its message, if repetitive.<p>
Along with <em>You’re Driving Me Crazy</em>, <em>The Prophet Speaks</em> suggests Van’s onto something in his sixth decade of performing. His stuff may not necessarily be new, but it is fresh.
<p><strong>Van Morrison</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prophet_Speaks#Track_listing"><em>The Prophet Speaks</em></A> (2018)—<strong>3</strong>wardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-75092779651338049562024-02-09T13:32:00.000-05:002024-02-09T13:32:18.512-05:00Thomas Dolby 3: Aliens Ate My Buick<a href="https://i.discogs.com/j2Z3O9r3gKocz5vJ5059LpGEiAZoDk7CU7XeMI4iTzg/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:589/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE4MjQ2/Mi0xNjUzMzUxNzc4/LTY1MTEuanBlZw.jpeg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://i.discogs.com/j2Z3O9r3gKocz5vJ5059LpGEiAZoDk7CU7XeMI4iTzg/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:589/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE4MjQ2/Mi0xNjUzMzUxNzc4/LTY1MTEuanBlZw.jpeg" border="0" alt=""></a>
Frustrated by his second album’s failure to extend the chart success of the first, Thomas Dolby turned to producing other people and dabbling in soundtrack work. This choice to create art over artifice made plenty of room for the likes of Howard Jones and other folks with wacky haircuts and the latest synths and sequencers. When he did get around to making another album, it was on his terms, recruiting a new band of unknowns and starting from scratch. <em>Aliens Ate My Buick</em> unfortunately followed its elder sibling to be received by indifference, though it deserved better.<p>
“The Key To Her Ferrari” is a complicated sounding jazz parody featuring the distinctive narration of Robin Leach. While definitely a familiar pop culture icon when the album was first released, he was already past his fifteen minutes even then, and newer generations might not get the joke. His own narrated interlude isn’t much better. Luckily, “Airhead” is certainly catchier, though certainly misogynist, which the “explanation” in the final line doesn’t excuse. The lasciviousness continues on “Hot Sauce”, contributed by funk legend George Clinton, sporting a regular “spaghetti western guitar” and salsa interlude, as well as references to Larry Blackmon of Cameo. (Clinton previously employed Dolby on one of his own albums, before joining him, and Lene Lovich, and the Brecker Brothers, on a one-off single called “May The Cube Be With You”. Originally credited to Dolby’s Cube, it’s included here as a bonus track slash afterthought on the CD and cassette.) “Pulp Culture” skewers the L.A. scene, with a groove that would be borrowed by David Bowie in five years for “Black Tie White Noise”. <p>
People still thought of albums in terms of sides in those days, and side two is a little more reserved. “My Brain Is Like A Sieve” is an aw-shucks kind of love song with a mild but not overt Jamaican influence. Either Laura Creamer or Rosie Stone (of Sly & The Family) sings the perfect harmony, but that is Ed Asner saying “murder” for some reason in the middle. The title of “The Ability To Swing” is certainly suggested by the tempo, but the lyrics are more abstract. It was even covered six years later by Patti Austin. In “Budapest By Blimp” we finally have a sumptuous track in line with the travelogues on <em>The Flat Earth</em>. At over eight minutes, with a slight Steely Dan groove and impenetrable lyrics, it’s exactly what this album needs to succeed. (So much so that skipping the bonus track is advised.)<p>
Because his name and the very title of <em>Aliens Ate My Buick</em> still told potential listeners that he was just as wacky as he was on “She Blinded Me With Science”, the album didn’t deliver for those seeking such hilarity, which is their loss. Besides, the title still brings a chuckle, and the <A href="https://i.discogs.com/sgKcRjtbfBjH1c-w1l82zlEgqXBmCuPvQMdgmHRlGtI/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:471/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE4MjQ2/Mi0xNjUzMzUxNzU3/LTk1OTguanBlZw.jpeg">back cover</A> is a scream.
<p><strong>Thomas Dolby</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliens_Ate_My_Buick#Track_listing"><em>Aliens Ate My Buick</em></A> (1988)—<strong>3</strong> wardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-75330349140656030492024-02-06T12:00:00.001-05:002024-02-06T12:00:00.131-05:00Yardbirds 2: Having A Rave-Up <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.discogs.com/uLiShvgqPK99X1YLyiu6IsiTwG0nBYPL7im2jqy24jc/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEwNzQ4/NDEyLTE1MDM4NTMw/NDAtMTA4OS5qcGVn.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://i.discogs.com/uLiShvgqPK99X1YLyiu6IsiTwG0nBYPL7im2jqy24jc/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEwNzQ4/NDEyLTE1MDM4NTMw/NDAtMTA4OS5qcGVn.jpeg" width="200" height="200" /></a></div>
After scoring a hit single on both sides of the pond, the Yardbirds’ manager made sure they kept the hits coming in between gigs. Single after single were released in the UK, while America demanded albums, and that’s how <em>Having A Rave-Up With The Yardbirds</em> happened. <p>
Side one of the album offers a smattering of those singles, although the first track made its debut here. The mildly socially conscious “You’re A Better Man Than I”, written by Manfred Mann’s drummer, sports good dynamics and a exploratory Jeff Beck solo over one chord. “Evil Hearted You” and “Heart Full Of Soul” were both written by Graham Gouldman, who was responsible for “For Your Love”; the former has a mild James Bond theme feel, while the latter sports a very Indian-flavored riff. Bo Diddley’s “I’m A Man” had already been covered by everybody in London, but it’s the Yardbirds’ version that stands above, with their patented rave-up approach (which would be copped by the Count Five for “Psychotic Reaction”). The rhythm section gets credit for writing “Still I’m Sad”, which betrays the brief flirtation many British groups of the time played with Gregorian chant. “Train Kept A-Rollin’” is a trash classic, from Beck’s locomotive imitation to Keith Relf’s inexplicably double-tracked, mismatched vocals. This recording is responsible for Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith, so take that as you will. <p>
While the packaging said nothing about it, the entirety of side two was excerpted from the previous year’s <em>Five Live Yardbirds</em>, which was the band’s only British LP release so far, and which still featured Eric Clapton on lead guitar. This was the stuff Clapton thrived on: Howlin’ Wolf’s “Smokestack Lightning”, the Isley Brothers’ “Respectable”, Bo Diddley’s “Here ‘Tis”, and another blast through “I’m A Man”. And considering it was recorded at London’s legendary Marquee Club, the sound is very good. <p>
Even though it wasn’t clear how or why the album was put together, <em>Having A Rave-Up With The Yardbirds</em> remains a solid listen. The singles are all solid, and somebody did us a favor by allowing the comparatively lengthy songs on side two, averaging five minutes each, to show the strength of the band, even if it did give short shrift to Clapton in the process. The album has had a confusing life in the digital era, but at the same time <em>Five Live Yardbirds</em> has remained available—starting with an official U.S. release on Rhino in 1988—which is a blessing.
<p><strong>The Yardbirds</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Having_a_Rave_Up_with_the_Yardbirds#Track_listing"><em>Having A Rave-Up With The Yardbirds</em></A> (1965)—<strong>3½</strong>wardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-9256564939943175462024-02-02T14:47:00.004-05:002024-02-02T14:47:51.094-05:00Nilsson 7: Aerial Pandemonium Ballet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.discogs.com/-qVFmZ_5HFcOitxDA4CrnO2IbQCGKMAVziWrQ0XRZRs/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:598/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTcyMTQy/NC0xMzA5NjM1NjYx/LmpwZWc.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://i.discogs.com/-qVFmZ_5HFcOitxDA4CrnO2IbQCGKMAVziWrQ0XRZRs/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:598/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTcyMTQy/NC0xMzA5NjM1NjYx/LmpwZWc.jpeg" width="200" height="200" /></a></div>
Now that more people knew who Harry Nilsson was, the label wanted to reissue his first two albums. That was mostly fine with him, but being very much a restless who got bored with the same old, he countered with a different idea. Rather than straight reissues of <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2021/09/nilsson-2-pandemonium-shadow-show.html"><em>Pandemonium Shadow Show</em></A> and <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2022/04/nilsson-3-aerial-ballet.html"><em>Aerial Ballet</em></A>, he reworked selections of both into <em>Aerial Pandemonium Ballet</em>.<p>
People like to say this was the first remix album, to illustrate how ahead of his time Harry was. The fact of the matter is that sweetening an already-released master had been happening for years, such as in the case of the “rock” version of <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2012/02/simon-garfunkel-2-sounds-of-silence.html">“The Sound Of Silence”</A>; also this wasn’t long after tracks that had only been released in mono had been given stereo mixes months or even years down the road to keep up with audiophile trends. The difference was that Harry was overt about it, to the point that the back cover even helpfully listed what was different about each track (e.g. “slowed down”, “new vocals”, etc.). <p>
Even with all the moderations and modulations, it still runs just under a mere half-hour. Following the familiar intro from the first album, two father songs (“1941” and “Daddy’s Song”) appear back to back. “Mr. Richland’s Favorite Song” now sports a quote from “One” in the middle. “Good Old Desk” makes a nice transition to “Everybody’s Talkin’”, which even sets “Bath” up well. <p>
Side two juxtaposes various love-type songs cleverly. “River Deep–Mountain High” gets a new vocal but keeps the castanets and bongos, the latter of which still feature on “Sleep Late, My Lady Friend”. Thankfully “Don’t Leave Me” and “Without Her” both a tad softer in comparison. “Together” sounds a little jerky, plus it loses a bridge, running even shorter than before and going sharply into “One”. This is also chopped down, and diluted by the tap dance that bookended <em>Aerial Ballet</em>. <p>
Still, <em>Aerial Pandemonium Ballet</em> is a nice way to hear where he started. It can even be argued he selected the best, most enduring tracks from each, and in most cases improved them, so his instincts were spot on. (An expanded version of the album had only one “outtake”: a remix of “You Can’t Do That” that highlights the song’s actual lyrics. The other bonus tracks were from the same period, including early versions of songs that would appear on his next two albums, his party piece cover of “Walk Right Back” that weaves in lyrics from “Cathy’s Clown”, and a faithful cover of John Lennon’s <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2008/07/john-lennon-2-john-lennonplastic-ono.html">“Isolation”</A>.)
<p><strong>Nilsson</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerial_Pandemonium_Ballet#Track_listing"><em>Aerial Pandemonium Ballet</em></A> (1971)—<strong>3</strong> <br>
2000 CD reissue: same as 1971, plus 5 extra trackswardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-9265531323646795692024-01-30T12:54:00.003-05:002024-02-01T15:18:56.154-05:00Guns N’ Roses 1: Appetite For Destruction <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/60/GunsnRosesAppetiteforDestructionalbumcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/60/GunsnRosesAppetiteforDestructionalbumcover.jpg" width="200" height="200" /></a></div>
Maybe it’s because of our age, but the early ‘80s and late ‘80s sometimes seem very far apart from each other in memory. A glance at MTV playlists demonstrates the chasm: the early part of the decade was dominated by new wave until Michael Jackson took over, and the other half was all hip-hop and hair metal. The latter appealed to dirty young men, as all of a sudden cleavage had made a comeback, after years of being hidden under bulky sweaters. <p>
Because MTV’s rotation model relied on oversaturation, those of us who weren’t connoisseurs quickly came to hate most of the hair metal bands, starting with Poison and Bon Jovi, but there was definitely something about those Guns N’ Roses guys. For one, although they had teased hair and tattoos and played loud, it seemed like they were cut more from the Aerosmith cloth than Mötley Crüe or even Van Halen. Their music was more intricate than the usual power chords, and the lead guitarist was skilled but not strictly a pyrotechnic shredder. Going by the non de plume of Slash, it was apt. His top hat and curls made a good counterpart for the banshee of a lead vocalist, who called himself W. Axl Rose, soon to be familiar solely by the singular Axl. The other guitarist, Izzy Stradlin, usually looked like he couldn’t decide if he was Mick or Keith, bass player Duff McKagan resembled a doughier male version of Kelly Bundy, and drummer Steven Adler sat at the back but swung a lot more than he got credit for. <p>
<em>Appetite For Destruction</em> shows much of their musical breadth, beginning with the undeniable swagger of “Welcome To The Jungle”, the first single and soon-to-be inescapable video. After a lot of yowling, Axl works on his lower range for “It’s So Easy”, but storms through the Def Leppard interlude for a profane kiss-off. “Nightrain” loads up the riffs and solos for a toe-tappin’ ode to drinkin’. “Out Ta Get Me” isn’t much more than a riff and a hook to hang F-bombs on, while “Mr. Brownstone” goes out of its way not to glorify smack. Yowza, indeed. While the third one released, “Paradise City” ended up being the first single to come out after the album had already started to sell, and soon became a radio anthem despite or because of its six-plus-minute length.<p>
After a dark Aerosmith-like intro, “My Michelle” is apparently a true story about another lost little L.A. girl, and there’s even more cowbell on the almost sensitive “Think About You”; it’s even got acoustic guitars. But these tentative approaches to love songs have nothing on “Sweet Child O’ Mine”. Constructed as a mini-suite, it’s got (another) one of those classic riffs pinning it, even a bass solo of sorts on the intro, and was helped along by a video that garnered more widespread appeal. The speed-punk “You’re Crazy” ups the energy as well as the attitude, which “Anything Goes” tries to sustain, but is mostly a showcase for Slash’s talk box, until the tempo switch at the end. Finally, “Rocket Queen” is another mini-suite that couldn’t get played on the radio, as the middle section includes audio-verité of actual sexual congress. That said, each of the bookends are solid tunes on their own.<p>
While it took the better part of a year to get noticed, <em>Appetite For Destruction</em> basically ensured that GN’R would be ubiquitous on the radio and TV, as well as in the press for the next three years. While their saga would take various twists and hit new valleys, this is where their legend started, and it remains an impressive debut.<p>
The album was natural candidate for expansion for its 30th anniversary in multiple configurations, and they went all out. The bonus disc in the Deluxe Edition included all of the tracks from the <em>Lies</em> album but one, replaced by an acoustic trial of “Move To The City” and an earlier “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”, but the key addition is “Shadow Of Your Love”, an outtake from the original <em>Live ?!*@ Like A Suicide</em> EP that had been a B-side, but MIA until now. Five songs from the “1986 Sound City Sessions” show the band having the arrangements down, while three live tracks from London—including covers of “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” and AC/DC’s “Whole Lotta Rosie”—mop up tracks from out-of-print singles and EPs. Along with a pile of photos, ticket replicas, and even temporary tattoos, the Super Deluxe Edition added two more discs to encompass even more of the Sound City Sessions, including a shrill “Heartbreak Hotel”, an early take of “Back Off Bitch”, a few unfinished sketches, some spirited acoustic takes, and two versions of an epic called “November Rain”. (The piano-based take is just as long as the final product, while the one built around acoustic guitar sounds way too much like “I Don’t Want To Talk About It”.) For those who needed more, the $1000 <em>Locked N’ Loaded</em> Edition added everything on vinyl, plus a cassette of a 1985 demo session hidden amidst reams of even more ephemera.
<p><strong>Guns N’ Roses</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appetite_for_Destruction#Track_listing"><em>Appetite For Destruction</em></A> (1987)—<strong>4</strong> <br>
2018 Deluxe Edition: same as 1987, plus 18 extra tracks (Super Deluxe Edition adds another 21 tracks plus Blu-ray)wardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-76798491381384240402024-01-26T14:30:00.001-05:002024-02-01T15:19:28.073-05:00Kinks 28: Word Of Mouth and Return To Waterloo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/96/KinksWordofMouth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/96/KinksWordofMouth.jpg" width="200" height="200" /></a></div>
<em>Word Of Mouth</em> found the still-busy Kinks in a state of transition. Founding drummer Mick Avory only played on three tracks on the album, and would be replaced by Bob Henrit, who’d followed Jim Rodford from Argent, via Dave Davies’ recent solo albums. <p>
There must have been no hard feelings, since Mick appeared in the video for “Do It Again”, the album’s first track and lead single. It fades in on a variation of the opening to “A Hard Day’s Night”, and crackles along like a good Kinks single should. The title track has another wonderfully fuzzy riff and high harmonies from Dave, but “Good Day” sounds like a glorified demo. Still, its message of determination, even in the wake of a starlet’s death, is inspiring. Then Dave surprises us with rare political commentary in his “Living On A Thin Line”, and his mild yobbo phrasing works well with Ray’s occasional answering. Ray himself answers with the punky “Sold Me Out”, an angry comment on the same theme.<p>
Following some synth-based wandering, the main riff on “Massive Reductions” sounds horribly dated today; while the song eventually rocks, the subject matter is starting to wear thin. Dave comes back with the angry (again) “Guilty”, but at least he wasn’t singing about aliens anymore. The wordy “Too Hot” has canned horns and some of the calliope sounds from “Come Dancing” disguising lyrics about the workout craze somehow related to more social commentary. After a lot of energy, “Missing Persons” provides sweet relief despite the sad subject matter. “Summer’s Gone” is almost Stonesy in its tempo and Dave’s licks, but there are some clever Beach Boy touches, and we can’t help thinking it’s about breaking up with Chrissie Hynde. We could say the same about “Going Solo”, but closer inspection shows it’s a parent’s plaint about grown offspring.<p>
Even though <em>Word Of Mouth</em> is no masterpiece, it’s still a decent Kinks album, particularly considering how long they’d been at it. (The only bonus tracks on the expanded reissue 15 years later were extended versions of “Good Day” and “Summer’s Gone”.) If it sounds a little distracted, that’s likely because Ray was busy with yet another attempt at melding music and drama. <p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9a/Return_to_Waterloo_-_Ray_Davies_%281985_album%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/9a/Return_to_Waterloo_-_Ray_Davies_%281985_album%29.jpg" width="200" height="200" /></a></div>
Though it had nothing to do with <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2017/08/kinks-9-something-else.html">another song</A>, <em>Return To Waterloo</em> was something of a Dennis Potter-influenced rock opera, depicting the dreary point of view and visions of a commuter who may or may not be a serial rapist, broadcast in the UK in late 1984, with limited theatrical showing in the US the following year. It’s a bit pretentious but <A href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShoRLerVvZc">still riveting</A>, and therefore more successful than Pete Townshend’s <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2009/04/pete-townshend-6-white-city.html"><em>White City</em></A>. <p>
Besides writing and directing it, Ray appears briefly as a subway busker, just like in the “Do It Again” video. A <A href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ4d3oI5K0s&list=PLuKtiSQd7dEp4-0dRFwPt78IeCwF5Iump&index=1">soundtrack album</A>—credited solely to Ray, likely because Dave didn’t (or wouldn’t) play on it—runs just under a half-hour, and shares three songs with <em>Word Of Mouth</em>. (They also happen to be the three songs Mick played on. Meanwhile, “Ladder Of Success” and “The Good Times Are Gone” are in the film but not included on the album, probably because they’re sung by actors.)<p>
Following an atmospheric intro, the title track begins as a busk, but soon detours into uncharacteristic yet effective synths. “Going Solo”, “Missing Persons”, and “Sold Me Out” gain a little more insight in this context, while the remaining tracks not only have promise, but work well without a screenplay. “Lonely Hearts” is a lover’s lament, offset by an advice columnist. One of the last lines is “you are far away”, and then we have “Not Far Away”, a rocker “sung” by a young Tim Roth in the film. The doom prophecy in that tune gets a different perspective in the more somber and stately “Expectations”. The techno-pop “Voices In The Dark” is used over the end credits, and pulls the theme of the film back from a response to Thatcherism towards general existential loneliness.
<p><strong>The Kinks</strong> <A href="https://kindakinks.net/discography/showrelease.php?release=339"><em>Word Of Mouth</em></A> (1984)—<strong>3</strong><br>
1999 Konk CD reissue: same as 1984, plus 2 extra tracks
<br><strong>Ray Davies</strong> <A href="https://kindakinks.net/discography/showrelease.php?release=350"><em>Music From The Motion Picture “Return To Waterloo”</em></A> (1984)—<strong>3</strong>wardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-5258356883739474932024-01-23T12:22:00.002-05:002024-02-01T15:19:49.012-05:00Roger Daltrey 8: Can’t Wait To See The Movie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/97/Can%27twaittoseethemovie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/97/Can%27twaittoseethemovie.jpg" width="200" height="200" /></a></div>
While we can’t find the exact quote, we distinctly recall hearing an interview with Roger Daltrey around the time this album came out, saying that hearing the songs made him think, “I can’t wait to see the movie they’re from,” as if that were a good thing. <em>Can’t Wait To See The Movie</em> sounds like a stereotypically bad ‘80s movie soundtrack, all programmed drums, power chords, slapped and/or synth bass, and screaming saxes. As usual, he relied on outside songwriters for material, starting with his go-tos Russ Ballard and the otherwise unknown Kit Hain, and apparently Pete Townshend didn’t leave anything lying around for him, which is a shame.<p>
Thinking back it seems like there were approximately a couple dozen different songs called “Hearts Of Fire” in those days, none of them very good. This one came very soon after a legendarily bad Bob Dylan cinematic vehicle, so at least there’s something of a tangential relation. “When The Thunder Comes” is overwrought with battlefield metaphors, while “Ready For Love” is nearly drowned out by a loud gospel-style choir. He wrote “Balance On Wires” himself with Don Snow, best known as the guy who replaced Paul Carrack in Squeeze; as one of the more understated tracks here it stands out, and in a good way, but it’s still too long at over six minutes. The choir returns to belt out the chorus of the sappy “Miracle Of Love” alongside him, but while he’s a decent actor, he simply can’t pull off the role of a sentimental fool.<p>
Along the same basic theme, “The Price Of Love” is the long-awaited collaboration between schlockmeister tyrant David Foster and Night Ranger’s Jack Blades, who was a couple years away from Damn Yankees. (This was included on the soundtrack for that year’s Michael J. Fox vehicle <em>The Secret Of My Success</em>, which had a theme song written by the same pair, and performed by Night Ranger.) And while it may be that “The Heart Has Its Reasons”, that’s no excuse for aping the arpeggios of <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2012/02/police-5-synchronicity.html">“Every Breath You Take”</A> and its innumerable clones. Four writers are credited for “Alone In The Night”, one of whom wrote the lyrics for most of the songs from the <em>Top Gun</em> soundtrack. “Lover’s Storm” sports some good harmonies, but we can’t tell if those are by Roger or one of the ten people listed in bulk on the sleeve. Most curious is “Take Me Home”, a remake of a French song called “Cargo” from a few years before, with new lyrics. <p>
The album was a sales dud, and rightfully so. Ironically, it did not include his cover version of Elton John’s <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2019/05/elton-john-10-caribou.html">“Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”</A>, as featured in the summer’s hit film <em>The Lost Boys</em> and on its soundtrack album—conveniently issued by the same label—which might have helped. Nor did it have “Quicksilver Lightning” from the year before, the theme for a Kevin Bacon movie nobody liked. These would have been prime candidates for inclusion when <em>Can’t Wait To See The Movie</em> was expanded in 2004 by the Wounded Bird label, which even fewer people needed.
<P><strong>Roger Daltrey</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Can%27t_Wait_to_See_the_Movie#Track_listing"><em>Can’t Wait To See The Movie</em></A> (1987)—<strong>1½</strong>
wardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-10402735767900423272024-01-19T12:47:00.001-05:002024-02-01T15:20:08.511-05:00Yes 8: Relayer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/92/Relayer_front_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/92/Relayer_front_cover.jpg" width="200" height="200" /></a></div>
Suddenly Yes was in flux again, in search of a keyboard player. Rick Wakeman was gone, more content to compose, record, and perform <em>Journey To The Centre Of The Earth</em> and <em>The Myths And Legends Of King Arthur And The Knights Of The Round Table</em> over the space of two years because he thought Yes music was getting too fruity. They ended up hiring one Patrick Moraz, who apparently not only copped some of their existing material, but was able to collaborate from the get-go. <p>
While he does have a distinct style, what he provides <em>Relayer</em> is very much in line with the Wakeman brand to date. It’s a cold album, matching the gray landscapes in the cover art. It’s back to the <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2022/10/yes-5-close-to-edge.html"><em>Close To The Edge</em></A> template of an epic on one side, and two shorter tracks (albeit nine minutes each) on the other.<p>
“The Gates Of Delirium” is that side one epic, and something of a piece with <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2023/08/yes-7-tales-from-topographic-oceans.html"><em>Tales Of Topographic Oceans</em></A>. Jon Anderson allegedly wanted to base the whole album on Tolstoy’s <em>War And Peace</em>, but was talked back to just the one track referencing just one battle. It begins with a whirlwind of sound, with a lot of harmonics on guitar, that soon turns into something of a fanfare. When the lyrics arrive, they’re more direct than impressionistic, and darker, as befits impending bloodshed. The bulk of the track is instrumental, with lots of activity and polyrhythms to illustrate the scenery, and Moraz is given plenty of room to stretch. (We even hear what sounds like crowds cheering, but maybe those are merely supposed to be bombs bursting in air. Also, it’s clear the sections have been edited together rather than played straight through, which is fine.) About fifteen minutes in the action finally calms for a more dreamy atmosphere, for lack of a better term. While it’s not notated as such anywhere in the packaging, a piece referred to ever after as “Soon” provides both a finale to the piece as well as a moment of beauty capping a very dense side of music. Hearing this part on its own is nice, but it really is more powerful in the context of the full piece.<p>
Flip over to side two and it’s easy to think you put on a fusion album by mistake, with rippling electric piano, diminished chords right out of <em>Bitches Brew</em>, and panned paradiddles, despite Chris Squire’s distinctive bass. But once the guitar and vocals kick in, “Sound Chaser” is clearly a Yes tune, albeit a frenzied one. Everyone is playing at top speed, yet still well in sync, with Jon and Chris singing on top. About three minutes in the others drop out, leaving Steve Howe to wander around his fretboard towards more pastoral themes and a suitable Jon melody, but the respite is shortlived, bringing back the fusion and discord of the intro. It actually seems to speed up and slow down, punctuated occasionally by a very loud “JAH JAH JAH, CHA-CHA” motif that’s frankly pretty annoying. After all that, “To Be Over” is a breath of fresh air, with a gentle melody played on quiet keyboards, volume pedal guitar and even a sitar; by the middle Howe has added pedal steel as well as his trademark riffing and solos. While still intricate, it's not anywhere near as harsh or jarring as the rest of the album, and doesn’t even seem to take up nine minutes.<p>
<em>Relayer</em> is Yes at their proggiest to date, if you can believe that. It’s not an easy listen, nor very accessible, and requires as much attention as <em>Topographic Oceans</em> did to sink in. The instrumental interplay can be very dense at times, to the detriment of the players, each of whom add a lot when you notice them. <p>
The eventual expanded edition added the single edits of “Soon” and “Sound Chaser”—the former simply that excerpted segment of “The Gates Of Delirium”, the latter the last three minutes of the song and entirely instrumental save the “JAH JAH” chant—plus a “studio runthrough” of “Gates”. Only the two single edits were carried over to the CD of the later “definitive edition”, which sported a modern Steven Wilson mix lacking some overdubs. In addition, runthroughs of not just “Gates” but the entire album were included with new and surround mixes on the DVD and Blu-ray; the latter offered even further mix variations and live material. (The Wilson mixes for this and the previous four studio albums were eventually released on vinyl in a box set, as well as streaming, where the side-long tracks are split into parts, or their stated segments in the case of <em>Close To The Edge</em>. The guy does good work.)
<p><strong>Yes</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relayer#Track_listing"><em>Relayer</em></A> (1974)—<strong>3</strong><br>
2003 remastered CD: same as 1974, plus 3 extra tracks<br>
2014 Definitive Edition: “same” as 1974, plus 2 extra tracks (plus DVD or Blu-ray)wardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-37950409906781529342024-01-16T13:56:00.003-05:002024-02-01T15:20:25.052-05:00David Crosby 8: Sky Trails<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/46/David_Crosby_-_Sky_Trails.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/46/David_Crosby_-_Sky_Trails.png" width="200" height="200" /></a></div>
It’s amazing that it took this long for Crosby to realize that he didn’t need Stills, Nash, or Young to goad him into creating. <em>Sky Trails</em> was his third album in as many years, and just as different to its predecessors. Anyone worried that James Raymond had fallen out of favor can be relieved, as he’s all over this one, adding a distinctly jazzy influence throughout.<p>
“She’s Got To Be Somewhere” crackles with Steely Dan funk, from the electric piano and horns to the Dean Parks guitar solos. The lovely title track is an acoustic gem written and sung with Becca Stevens, whom we first heard on <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2023/08/david-crosby-7-lighthouse.html"><em>Lighthouse</em></A>. There’s a forced metaphor in “Sell Me A Diamond”, but the track itself is good, with Greg Leisz adding steel guitar before Jeff Pevar gets to shred all over it. Continuing the Steely Dan connection, “Before Tomorrow Falls On Love” was written with THE Michael McDonald, but is musically based on Raymond’s piano and Mai Agan’s striking fretless bass. She’s the cowriter of “Here It’s Almost Sunset”, which features further soprano sax work from Steve Tavaglione.<p>
“Capitol” is the requisite political diatribe, and unfortunately derails the momentum thus far; the fake drums don’t help. A reverent cover of <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2011/08/joni-mitchell-9-hejira.html">Joni Mitchell’s “Amelia”</A>, however, sounds of a perfect piece with the rest of the program. “Somebody Home” had already appeared in a live version on a Snarky Puppy album, and here it’s nicely restrained, considering how many people are on the track. The complicated “Curved Air” melds flamenco with jazz over dizzying, changing meters, and “Home Free” is a slow, grateful appreciation of simple domesticity.<p>
Each of the albums he made this decade have been good, and <em>Sky Trails</em> is by far the strongest. One would think the well would be dry after working at such a speed, but it’s nice to have one’s assumptions refuted.
<p><strong>David Crosby</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_Trails#Track_listing"><em>Sky Trails</em></A> (2017)—<strong>3½</strong>wardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-48770353403219407672024-01-12T13:12:00.002-05:002024-02-01T15:21:22.019-05:00Stephen Stills 15: Everybody Knows<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/49/EverybodyKnows.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/49/EverybodyKnows.jpg" width="200" height="200" /></a></div>
It was a great idea on paper: Stephen Stills and Judy Collins, who’d collaborated briefly musically and otherwise in the late ‘60s, finally doing an album together. Being the nature of the biz in this century, <em>Everybody Knows</em> was crowdfunded and promoted with a tour.<p>
The album mixes covers and songs from their own catalog, some of which actually refer to each other. This would have been wonderful if these septuagenarians had voices that blended. Judy still has it, and sounds as sweet as ever, but Stephen does not mesh with her at all. The result is akin to overhearing a conversation at a high school reunion, appealing much more to the participants than observers.<p>
The Traveling Wilburys’ <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2009/09/traveling-wilburys-1-volume-one.html">“Handle With Care”</A> is a surprisingly fun way to start. “So Begins The Task” was on the first Manassas album, but allegedly dates from just after their breakup. “River Of Gold” is a lovely lament for the environment written and sung by Judy, which soars when Stephen takes a solo, but sinks when he harmonizes. He finds the notes, but his voice is just too rough. The vintage “Judy” follows, first heard on <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2014/07/csn-5-demos.html"><em>Just Roll Tape</em></A>, and odd to hear her harmonizing. The title track is the oft-traveled Leonard Cohen song; he died the year before.<p>
Judy first released “Houses” in 1975, and we imagine Stephen was tickled to have a song written about him included. “Reason To Believe” and “Girl From The North Country” are of course well-worn folk standards, and Judy likely gave “Who Knows Where The Time Goes” its widest exposure back in the day. Finally, “Questions” doesn’t stray too far from the Buffalo Springfield template. <p>
Impeccably recorded with a mix that recalls the soft rock of <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2013/08/csn-3-daylight-again.html"><em>Daylight Again</em></A>, <em>Everybody Knows</em> is a nice idea that unfortunately is fifty years too late. Had they managed to make an album like this back then, there’s a good chance it would have been widely beloved. But this isn’t it.
<p><strong>Stills & Collins</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everybody_Knows_(Stills_%26_Collins_album)#Track_listing"><em>Everybody Knows</em></A> (2017)—<strong>2</strong>wardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-6344199241266382762024-01-09T12:51:00.001-05:002024-02-01T15:20:53.719-05:00Ringo Starr 6: Ringo’s Rotogravure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7c/RingosRotogravure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/7c/RingosRotogravure.jpg" width="200" height="200" /></a></div>
The end of the Apple label didn’t keep Ringo out of the studio for long. Taking a hint from George, he launched the Ring O’ Records imprint, which even featured a <A href="https://i.discogs.com/AxL0cPAgkX3p7PTXEN1RAXlWvxH96hi1746WIV0Zfwo/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:582/w:580/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9MLTczMTU0/LTE2NTA1MTYwNDYt/OTUwNS5qcGVn.jpeg">clever logo</A>, to wean and promote new talent. But he himself preferred to sign new deals with majors instead—Atlantic in America and Polydor everywhere else—and recorded <em>Ringo’s Rotogravure</em> with his all-star buddies in a matter of weeks.<p>
After a promisingly raucous blast of energy, “A Dose Of Rock ‘N Roll” limps into place with a lot of Peter Frampton wah-wah. There’s a clever quote of Bruce Channel’s “Hey Baby” at the end, but then the next track is a full-fledged cover of the tune. By now Paul McCartney was a hot ticket again, yet “Pure Gold” is hardly one of his hidden treasures. He and Linda add superfluous backing vocals, but the highlight of the track is Klaus Voormann’s bass playing. A song that does work is Ringo’s own “Cryin’”, written naturally with Vini Poncia, and sounding like an excellent distillation of <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2022/09/ringo-starr-2-beaucoups-of-blues.html"><em>Beaucoups Of Blues</em></A>. (Sneaky Pete Kleinow also makes his second appearance on a <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2008/10/john-lennon-5-mind-games.html">solo Beatle album</A>.) Producer Arif Mardin’s touch is most obvious on the slightly disco-fied “You Don’t Know Me At All”.<p>
“Cookin’ (In The Kitchen Of Love)” is notable for being the only new Lennon composition (and performance) released in the second half of the ‘70s, and it’s positively flimsy. Still, we like hearing his “two thee fo” before the coda. George was represented by “I’ll Still Love You”, a slightly syrupy but still pretty ballad that dated from 1970. (He was apparently not happy with either the mix or Lon Von Eaton’s guitar solos, and added another lawsuit to the intra-Beatle pile.) Meanwhile, Eric Clapton donated the leftover “This Be Called A Song” as well as his noodling throughout, fighting for space in the mix with steel drums. As if that exotic sound wasn’t enough, a mariachi band features on “Las Brisas”, which Ringo wrote with then-paramour Nancy Andrews. “Lady Gaye” is curious, being co-written with one Clifford T. Ward, who’d had a mild hit somewhere with an unrelated song called “Gaye” and had another song called “Birmingham”, which was the musical inspiration for this. All in all, a lot of work for a piece of fluff. For no apparent reason other than to stretch the album further past a half-hour, a closing 90-second ramble called “Spooky Weirdness” isn’t exactly false advertising, but it’s also unnecessary.<p>
Just as <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2023/07/ringo-starr-4-goodnight-vienna.html"><em>Goodnight Vienna</em></A> wasn’t as good as <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2023/02/ringo-starr-3-ringo.html"><em>Ringo</em></A>, so does <em>Ringo’s Rotogravure</em> suffer from the Xeroxing. It wasn’t enough for Ringo to get by on his personality, and without decent songs he was lost, no matter how many of his famous friends contributed their talents.
<p><strong>Ringo Starr</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringo%27s_Rotogravure#Track_listing"><em>Ringo’s Rotogravure</em></A> (1976)—<strong>2½</strong>wardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-5088870690005530952024-01-05T14:01:00.005-05:002024-02-01T16:21:26.224-05:00Micky Dolenz: Sings Nesmith and R.E.M.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.discogs.com/-8_TjdUqkG1Bpk2iA8uts-SzBqNTfWDFKQGL58HAdik/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:500/w:500/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE4OTEw/NDE3LTE2MjIxNTE2/MzItMjg0NC5qcGVn.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://i.discogs.com/-8_TjdUqkG1Bpk2iA8uts-SzBqNTfWDFKQGL58HAdik/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:500/w:500/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE4OTEw/NDE3LTE2MjIxNTE2/MzItMjg0NC5qcGVn.jpeg" width="200" height="200" /></a></div>
Throughout the original TV series, it was apparent that Micky Dolenz and Mike (as he was known then) Nesmith were the Frick and Frack of the Monkees, playing on the assumed telepathic partnership of John and Paul in the Beatle legend. Even then, Micky was a champion of Nesmith’s songs, and it wasn’t until Nez returned to touring with the Monkees in the 2010s that Micky’s exhortations got more regular and wider broadcast. By that time, family scion Christian Nesmith, who’d already been a veteran of touring outfits ranging from Air Supply to King’s X, was the musical director for Monkees’ live show. This continued when Micky and Nez were the only surviving members, and could finally call their schtick <a href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2020/04/monkees-11-mike-micky-show.html">“The Mike & Micky Show”</A>.<p>
As with everything else in the music world, Covid put touring on hold, but since Micky had never been lazy and loved to sing, he decided to do his own spin on the <a href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2023/03/nilsson-5-nilsson-sings-newman.html"><em>Nilsson Sings Newman</em></A> album by applying the concept (and cover design) to his buddy’s catalog, and corralled Christian to arrange it all. The resultant <em>Dolenz Sings Nesmith</em> accomplishes its thesis, relying mostly on songs <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2017/05/michael-nesmith-first-national-band.html">outside the Monkees catalog</A>. Many of those songs were originally released in Nashville country arrangements, which makes the templates fairly straightforward, but even the familiar ones are taken in less obvious manners. <p>
“Carlisle Wheeling” includes everything but the kitchen sink, encompassing the original approach with arty touches. “Different Drum” is very daring, as the first-ever hit version put Linda Ronstadt on the map, but this one is done fairly straight. A deep cut on <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2013/01/monkees-7-instant-replay.html"><em>Instant Replay</em></A>, “Don’t Wait For Me” is here presented with a simple picked acoustic accompaniment. The more obscure “Keep On” and “Marie’s Theme” are showcases for Christian’s keyboards, but still work. “Nine Times Blue” and “Little Red Rider” were both attempted by Nesmith with the Monkees before getting paired on the first First National Band album; here Micky takes the same approach, singing the former with a piano and rocking up the latter following the built-in key change.<p>
“Tomorrow And Me” takes the tumblin’ tumbleweeds of the original to a more futuristic desert, pushing his voice to the upper limits of his senior range. Unfortunately, we didn’t need another version of “Circle Sky”, especially after it was <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2018/02/monkees-9-good-times.html">redone once already</A>, and certainly not with a faux-raga treatment. Similarly, “Tapioca Tundra” appears to be set on Mars, but still encouraging Micky’s vaudeville schtick. Much better is “Propinquity”, demoed by Nez for the first album and turned here into a stomper with an appealing banjo part. “Only Bound” is still spacey, and nicely segues into a snippet of “You Are My One”, a quarter of the length of Nez’s original jazz odyssey and filtered through Brian Wilson.<p>
Nesmith died that December, and a month later Dolenz released <A href="https://i.discogs.com/qOld9BYhearWTko7gPG8JK0ceDckbCO4taECBjb50BQ/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:425/w:425/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTIyNTYw/NTk2LTE2NDc2Mzk1/NDctNDkwMC5qcGVn.jpeg"><em>Dolenz Sings Nesmith – The EP</em></A>, containing four more songs from the sessions. The given highlight was “Soul-Writer’s Birthday”, a previously unreleased composition that shares the guitar accents with “Salesman” but otherwise isn’t much. “Some Of Shelly’s Blues” and “Grand Ennui” (the latter a bonus track on the main album’s CD) are taken country, while “The Crippled Lion” becomes a big ballad.<p>
<em>Dolenz Sings Nesmith</em> is ultimately a vanity project, but it does reinforce what an inventive writer Michael Nesmith was, melodically and lyrically. As most of his post-Monkees catalog is slowly becoming available again, the curious would be well rewarded to go back to the sources.<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.discogs.com/AvkEt73KUC9BjwdAl3cfNp8JIhKSmhdmTN1vMwIcBlA/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:597/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTI4Nzk0/MDk0LTE2OTkwNTM4/NTYtOTM3My5qcGVn.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://i.discogs.com/AvkEt73KUC9BjwdAl3cfNp8JIhKSmhdmTN1vMwIcBlA/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:597/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTI4Nzk0/MDk0LTE2OTkwNTM4/NTYtOTM3My5qcGVn.jpeg" width="200" height="200" /></a></div>
After those were given time to marinate, another project that was about as expected and double take-inducing as Pat Boone covering Ozzy Osbourne or Paul Anka doing “Mr. Brightside”. <em>Dolenz Sings R.E.M.</em> was tackled the same way as the Nesmith album, featuring new arrangements of four songs mostly performed by Christian. With “Shiny Happy People” the performers actually managed to make one of the shortest shelf-life R.E.M. songs into a thing of beauty. The waltz intro and interludes are retained, and Micky’s sister Coco gets to sing the Kate Pierson part. “Radio Free Europe” and “Man In The Moon” are perhaps too iconic to be re-interpreted, but “Leaving New York” is positively gorgeous. The R.E.M. boys loved it; perhaps this could be fleshed out into a full-length.<p>
<strong>Micky Dolenz</strong> <A href="{https://www.discogs.com/master/2145673-Micky-Dolenz-Dolenz-Sings-Nesmith"><em>Dolenz Sings Nesmith</em></A> (2021)—<strong>3 <br>
Micky Dolenz</strong> <A href="https://www.discogs.com/master/2560991-Micky-Dolenz-Dolenz-Sings-Nesmith-The-EP"><em>Dolenz Sings Nesmith – The EP</em></A> (2022)—<strong>3 <br>
Micky Dolenz</strong> <A href="https://www.discogs.com/master/3302776-Micky-Dolenz-Dolenz-Sings-REM">
<em>Dolenz Sings R.E.M.</em></A> (2023)—<strong>3</strong>wardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-83272269442514663522024-01-02T13:52:00.001-05:002024-02-01T16:02:52.219-05:00Donald Fagen 3: Kamakiriad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a3/Donald_Fagen_-_Kamakiriad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a3/Donald_Fagen_-_Kamakiriad.jpg" width="200" height="200" /></a></div>
Working with <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2023/07/donald-fagen-2-new-york-rock-and-soul.html">The New York Rock And Soul Revue</A> must’ve done something to Donald Fagen’s creativity, as he was soon at work on his second real solo album. When <em>Kamakiriad</em> appeared, fans were surprised to see Walter Becker listed as producer, and more so when a reconstituted Steely Dan—stocked mostly by younger session cats—toured to support it.<p>
Naturally, in all the excitement the album was often overlooked, particularly since only a few songs appeared in the setlists. That’s odd, because <em>Kamakiriad</em> was considered a song cycle of sorts, if not exactly a concept album. Where <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2013/05/donald-fagen-nightfly.html"><em>The Nightfly</em></A> took the point of view of a young man on the cusp of the ‘60s envisioning the future, this time we have a middle-aged man imagining the future from the present day.<p>
“Trans-Island Skyway” sets the scene as Our Hero drives off in his new space-age car, a steam-powered vehicle that grows its own food and features satellite navigation technology. (It’s not quite like Pete Townshend predicting the Internet, but still.) Despite the persistently jaunty mood, “Countermoon” refers to relationships gone stale or sour, so he decides to head to “Springtime”, a fun house that exists in the past as well as the future. Despite that stated intention, the next track finds the narrator “Snowbound”, but still trying to enjoy himself in hermetically sealed environment.<p>
“Tomorrow’s Girls” has a mildly retro sound, painting a pretty picture that probably isn’t real. And he knows it, since he spends the fade reeling off dozens of names of the women that have apparently captured his eye in the past. Yet “Florida Moon” continues his fantasy of finding some sun-kissed strumpet to keep him company in a warmer clime. Yet the unpleasant memories he alludes to “On The Dunes” suggest it’s not the best place to be, so he’s clearly conflicted. At least “Teahouse On The Tracks” provides some kind of haven to which he can always return, where the music is hot and the dancing doesn’t stop.<p>
Overall <em>Kamakiriad</em> sounds like a Steely Dan album with honking horns, slick guitars, cooing background singer, automated-sounding drums, and yeah, it’s a little sterile. No track is shorter than five minutes, and most exceed six. There’s a lot of sameness, especially in the tempo and the same rhythm, so it often fades into the background, whereas <em>The Nightfly</em> was much more dynamic. But if this is what it took to get the boys back on the road, so be it.
<p><strong>Donald Fagen</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamakiriad#Track_listing"><em>Kamakiriad</em></A> (1993)—<strong>2½</strong> wardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-10274567714910394662023-12-29T15:49:00.004-05:002024-02-01T16:03:12.812-05:00Roger Waters 5: Lockdown Sessions and Dark Side Redux<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bd/The_Lockdown_Sessions_Roger_Waters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/bd/The_Lockdown_Sessions_Roger_Waters.jpg" width="200" height="200" /></a></div>
In the years following his <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2019/12/roger-waters-4-is-this-life-we-really.html">2017 solo album</A>, Roger Waters took a band on the road for another multimedia extravaganza that incorporated not only the new stuff but classic Floyd as well, and as would be expected. As outspoken as ever, he garnered criticism aplenty for his anti-Israel stance, which overshadowed the anti-Trump imagery in the show. A film and album of the production, both titled <em>Us + Them</em>, did only slightly better than his reworking of Stravinsky’s <em>A Soldier’s Tale</em>.<p>
Like most musicians hamstrung by the limitations of the Covid pandemic, he did what he could to keep busy musically, and in his case, that meant rerecording mostly stripped-down arrangements of songs that had been played throughout the tour. Intriguing but inessential, <em>The Lockdown Sessions</em> slows down three songs from <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2010/12/pink-floyd-13-wall.html"><em>The Wall</em></A> (four actually, as the track called simply “Vera” segues into “Bring The Boys Back Home” to stretch it out for five minutes), two from <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2011/01/pink-floyd-15-final-cut.html"><em>The Final Cut</em></A>, and “The Bravery Of Being Out Of Range” from <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2011/02/roger-waters-3-amused-to-death.html"><em>Amused To Death</em></A>, while keeping the original guitar solos intact. However, the pointedly titled “Comfortably Numb 2022”, eschews both guitar solos, substituting an angry attempted phone call for the first and a backup singer wailing over explosive effects for the fade. For the most part, his voice hovers somewhere between a whisper and an aside; at least he’s not yelling.<p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ea/The_Dark_Side_of_the_Moon_Redux.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ea/The_Dark_Side_of_the_Moon_Redux.jpg" width="200" height="200" /></a></div>
The album made a splash only among the faithful, so he decided to make the most of the 50th anniversary of <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2010/11/pink-floyd-10-dark-side-of-moon.html"><em>The Dark Side Of The Moon</em></A> to give that album the same treatment, with the same band, knowing full well that the earth would stop on its axis at the news. The angle this time was to tackle the lyrics of a younger man with the perspective of a near octogenarian, and since he wrote them, he’s certainly allowed.<p>
For the most part, the “reimaginings” are extreme. Effects are pretty much gone, except that chirping birds are everywhere. “Speak To Me” is now an opportunity to recite the lyrics to <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2010/10/pink-floyd-9-obscured-by-clouds.html">“Free Four”</A> over that ominous heartbeat. Another couplet from that song is intoned before the verses of “Breathe”, which at least has drums and is more recognizable. “On The Run” retains its robotic pulse, but is dominated by a new monologue soaked in paranoia and madness. It continues over the start of “Time”, where clocks used to be. It slowly plods along, prodded by Hammond organ and swirly cellos, and a woman softly ooh-ing where there used to be a guitar solo. “Great Gig In The Sky” is possibly the most transformed; in keeping with its original theme of mortality, he reads part of a correspondence with the assistant of a cancer-stricken acquaintance that includes an anecdote about a show in Croatia. Clare Torry’s improvised melody is transposed to a quiet synth.<p>
“Money” keeps its 7/4 meter but not the effects; this time the sax and guitar solos are replaced by a surreal narrative about a boxing match. Luckily, “Us And Them” is mostly untampered, though the forced echo in the verses could have been skipped. What used to be the sax solo is now covered by strings and organ. There’s not the smoothest transition to “Any Colour You Like”, which now sounds more than ever like “Breathe”, and features another cryptic piece of prose. He does cleverly preface “Brain Damage” by addressing the “madness” of this re-recording concept, and that and “Eclipse” are taken fairly straight, if subdued. And he acknowledges by name the man who had the last word on the original album while disagreeing that it’s “all dark”.<p>
<em>The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux</em> isn’t awful, but it will hardly replace the original. Nor does it lend itself to repeat listening. But Nick Mason endorsed it, so who are we to argue? Besides, if you want a non-Roger interpretation of the album, there’s always <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2011/03/pink-floyd-17-division-bell.html"><em>Pulse</em></A>. (We do, however, like the dog on the cover.)
<p><strong>Roger Waters</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lockdown_Sessions_(Roger_Waters_album)#Track_listing"><em>The Lockdown Sessions</em></A> (2022)—<strong>3<br>
Roger Waters</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dark_Side_of_the_Moon_Redux#Track_listing"><em>The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux</em></A> (2023)—<strong>2½</strong>wardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-25625703267509862023-12-26T16:21:00.001-05:002024-02-01T16:03:41.036-05:00Nick Drake 7: Family Tree<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a8/Nick_Drake_-_Family_Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a8/Nick_Drake_-_Family_Tree.jpg" width="200" height="200" /></a></div>
Because his official catalog was so small and finite, fans naturally clamored for any other music he played that they could find. Bootlegs of home recordings, copied from cassettes gifted by Nick’s parents to occasional pilgrims to their home, made the rounds, their tentative performance quality and dodgy sound kept them from being little more than footnotes. Yet, even into the new century, converts had to have them.<p>
Around the time that <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2008/05/nick-drake-5-made-to-love-magic-and.html"><em>Made To Love Magic</em></A> was released, the estate announced another planned companion album of sorts, which emerged after a three-year gap. More of a gamble to the non-fanatics, <em>Family Tree</em> collected a variety of these home recordings—two of which had been included on <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2008/05/nick-drake-4-time-of-no-reply.html"><em>Time Of No Reply</em></A>, and welcome here in their absence since that album’s deletion. They even took the bold step of including performances by Drakes other than Nick to show his “musical education”. He duets with sister Gabrielle on a rendition of “All My Trials”, and there’s a brief Mozart trio piece with Nick on clarinet and his aunt and uncle on viola and piano respectively. Mother Molly’s “Poor Mum” is suggested as a template for “Poor Boy”, which it isn’t, while “Do You Ever Remember?” is a sad reverie used to close the disc. (More complete collections of Molly’s recordings have been issued for those looking to dig deeper; frankly, they’re quite charming.) <p>
Fully half of the tracks are folk and blues covers, showing the development on his picking style. Along with the usual suspects, like “Cocaine Blues”, he was not unusual among young folkies who where fascinated by Jackson C. Frank (“Here Come The Blues”, “Blues Run The Game”, “Milk And Honey”), Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, Dave Van Ronk, and Bob Dylan (“Tomorrow Is A Long Time”). There are oddities: “Time Piece” is a brief monologue delivered to the accompaniment of a metronome, while “Paddling In Rushmere” is a children’s piano exercise that dissolves in giggles after 24 seconds.<p>
He’s somewhat tentative on those, but most listeners would be more fascinated by his otherwise unreleased originals, like “Blossom”, “Rain”, and especially “Bird Flew By”, which is played way too fast. (The curious should seek out Drake disciple Scott Appel’s <A href="https://www.google.com/search?q=scott+appel+bird+flew+by&oq=scott+appel+bird+flew+by&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBggAEEUYOzIGCAAQRRg7MgcIARAuGIAEMgYIAhBFGEAyBwgDEAAYgAQyCAgEEAAYFhgeMggIBRAAGBYYHjIICAYQABgWGB4yCAgHEAAYFhge0gEINzg5OGowajSoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:a2bff978,vid:Z_7lyrwSTMA,st:0">superior arrangement</A> on his <em>Nine Of Swords</em> album. A piece Appel adapted as “Far Leys” is included here in the form of a minute-long instrumental called “Sketch 1”.) “Come Into The Garden” appears first as a teaser at the start of the disc, then again in a full version toward the end. A is a tantalizing fragment. “Been Smoking Too Long” and “Strange Meeting II” appear in even better quality than before, the latter including some intro chat and a restored segment where he lost his place. “Day Is Done” and “Way To Blue” come, once again, from Robert Kirby’s dorm room, likely to give him an idea how to arrange them in the studio.<p>
As it represents a mere smattering of what had been circulating for years, <em>Family Tree</em> is only necessary if you’ve already inhaled everything else and have to have more. It didn’t have everything. But then, the estate didn’t owe us anything.<p>
Since we gotta mention it somewhere, the <em>Fruit Tree</em> box was reissued shortly after this album came out, pared back to just the three original albums, supplemented with a DVD featuring the <em>A Skin Too Few</em> documentary. (A few years earlier, the three albums had been repackaged with unique outer sleeves that were attractive, but hid the actual cover artwork, just as the 1993 Jimi Hendrix reissues had.) Six years after that, <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuck_Box"><em>Tuck Box</em></A> offered the three albums plus <em>Made To Love Magic</em> and <em>Family Tree</em> in a package designed to look like the parcels containing cakes and sundries Molly would ship to Nick in his boarding school days. As far as the estate is concerned, his legacy consists of these five albums and nothing more.
<p><strong>Nick Drake</strong> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Tree_(Nick_Drake_album)#Track_listing"><em>Family Tree</em></A> (2007)—<strong>3</strong>wardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621501513493185029.post-68851391456941457322023-12-22T12:53:00.003-05:002024-02-01T16:04:02.459-05:00Neil Young 69: Before And After<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/10/Neil_Young_-_Before_and_After.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/10/Neil_Young_-_Before_and_After.png" width="200" height="200" /></a></div>
While he’d played a handful of shows since the pandemic, the specter of Covid and the risk of large gatherings were enough to keep Neil Young from touring behind the three new albums he put out in that period. When he finally did do a brief West Coast run in 2023, it was in his tried and true format of wandering around a stage between instruments and touching on his entire career. And being him, he commemorated it with a live album as fast as the pressing plants could make them. <p>
<em>Before And After</em> is presented as a single track, but thankfully still indexed for each song (unlike <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2023/06/paul-simon-20-seven-psalms.html">a recent Paul Simon project</A>). The idea is that in this age of shuffle and immediate gratification, this should be experienced like a performance. And that’s what it is. Taken from a handful of shows, with the audience mixed very low when they’re heard at all, a few overdubs fill out the sound here and there. <p>
The setlist leans predominantly on less obvious choices, beginning with “I’m The Ocean”, transformed from its <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2009/05/neil-young-30-mirror-ball.html">Pearl Jam thrash</A> into a rumination along the lines of side one of <em>Rust Never Sleeps</em>. “Homefires” is rediscovered from the <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2020/12/neil-young-64-archives-vol-ii.html">Archives</A>, and is a clever segue to “Burned” from the <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2021/01/buffalo-springfield-1-buffalo.html">first</A> Buffalo Springfield album, then “On The Way Home” from the <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2008/05/neil-young-1-buffalo-springfield.html">last</A>. The token rarity is “If You Got Love”, yanked from <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2008/11/neil-young-19-trans.html"><em>Trans</em></A> at the last moment and here executed on his trusty pump organ. Now at a piano, a slightly stumbly <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2009/04/neil-young-29-sleeps-with-angels.html">“A Dream That Can Last”</A> goes backwards into “My Heart” by way of <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2008/06/neil-young-5-after-gold-rush.html">“Birds”</A> in between. “When I Hold You In My Arms” is reclaimed from the <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2009/10/neil-young-36-are-you-passionate.html">post-<em>Toast</em> era</A> into a love song along the lines of <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2014/11/neil-young-52-storytone.html"><em>Storytone</em></A>. <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2009/03/neil-young-26-ragged-glory-and-weld.html">“Mother Earth”</A> is pump organed, as is <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2008/05/buffalo-springfield-2-buffalo.html">“Mr. Soul”</A>. “Comes A Time” sounds just like it did on <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2008/10/neil-young-16-rust-never-sleeps.html"><em>Live Rust</em></A>, and it’s a very fast segue into “Don’t Forget Love”, the sincere salutation from <A href="https://everybodysdummy.blogspot.com/2021/12/neil-young-62-barn.html"><em>Barn</em></A>. <p>
<em>Before And After</em> is a sentimental journey, certainly, an intimate visit with Neil. While it doesn’t present a complete show—which could well appear on his website at any time—it should sate anyone still waiting to see him in person.
<p><strong>Neil Young</strong> <A href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Before_and_After_(Neil_Young_album)#Track_listing"><em>Before And After</em></A> (2023)—<strong>3</strong> wardohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07825405583474881509noreply@blogger.com0