Because when you're sitting around on a cold and rainy night, not feeling your best, you just may get a random text message from a friend that says, "Check out George McCrae's 'I Get Lifted.' It just came on my iPod. It's like Smokey meets The Zombies."
You get up, walk over to your computer, dial it up, and BOOM...you got 3 minutes of joy...just like that.
Few artists have had the ability to genre-hop so convincingly as Joan Armatrading. During her heyday, many years ago, Armatrading would consistently sell out large concert halls, get played regularly on rock, r&b, and jazz radio, and never lose touch with her folk roots.
It's been years since I've listened, but I was such a fan of "Show Some Emotion," "Walk Under Ladders," and "Me Myself I," I look forward to checking out this new music, which is available as a download on Amazon for $3.99. If you're unfamiliar with Joan Armatrading's music, I would get started with these classic tunes:
Love & Affection Show Some Emotion (I Love It When You) Call Me Names When I Get It Right Me Myself I The Weakness In Me
Man, this is some kick-ass rock and roll! 5 guys from NYC, cranking up some of the most infectious music I have heard in a long time. The production is heavy without ever bogging down the melodies, and vocally, The Auctioneers evoke all your favorite FM radio bands from the seventies without ever sounding retro. So basically, these guys can sing AND play. You'll hear the Stones, you'll hear Led Zeppelin, I even heard a little Poco. But there is no doubt you'll hear something totally original, as well. Loving this!!
Just the other day I asked, "Where the hell is that ankh?" The always groovy, if occasionally erratic Erykah Badu, is back with what people are calling a "return to form." Her debut, "Baduizm," was one of the R&B highlights of the nineties, and a breath of fresh air amidst all of that melismatic crap being released at the time. (And she was really fine in "The Cider House Rules.)
Another one of those bands I just didn't get, the Barenaked Ladies are back with their 11th studio release that mixes music and humour. Separately, these are two of my favorite things. Together, not so much.
Pixies front man, Charles Thompson goes back to his first pseudonym, pre-Frank Black, for this new collection of originals, with a Gram Parsons cover tacked on for luck.
Once you get passed the clumsy title ("Best Of" would have worked), what you have is a big helping of Spencer's dirty, roots rock. 22 tracks from the always cool Shout Factory.
Thankfully, I received a lot of positive feedback after suggesting a weekly post devoted to Todd Rundgren. (Actually, some of you suggested it. I just didn't need much arm-twisting.) I'd like to see Todd On Monday progress to where you guys interact. Requests, suggestions, and contributions are all welcome. Words or music, I hope you find it interesting enough to share. The man has been making music for over 40 years. There must be something, (anything) other than "Something/Anything?" to talk about.
Well, we've gotta start somewhere, so why not the beginning? I'm pretty certain this is Todd Rundgren's very first live performance as a solo artist, though there is some speculation that an earlier performance at L.A.'s Troubadour may hold that title. Broadcast live from Sigma Sound Studios in Philly, on 7/1/71, here is Todd with the Hello People. (There is a possibility that the performance took place on 6/30/71 and the air date was 7/1/71.) I'm also guessing this is between the release of his first two albums, "Runt" and "The Ballad Of Todd Rundgren." Todd shares the spotlight with The Hello People for a few songs, performs "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference"almost two albums prior to its release on Side One of "Something/Anything?," fumbles charmingly through a Beatles' cover, and basically sounds like the kid he was.
TRACK LIST
intro believe in me lady on a terrace i got my pipe it wouldn't have made any difference rock all over again everybody in the congregation broke down and busted tonight i wanna love me a stranger ooh baby baby hold me tight before i grow too old be nice to me i'm feeling better the ballad (of denny & jean)
Brooklyn, the current hotbed for talent and cool, has recently given us such buzz bands as Grizzly Bear, MGMT, and The Dirty Projectors, to name a few. These three bands are a tiny representation of bands that have critics and fans all agog, bands that I feel are all part of this musical epidemic called "hype."
Grizzly Bear left me cold, MGMT fared a bit better, and Dirty Projectors even better, but all three suffer from the same malady that seems to plague so many of today's current artists---lack of melody. The three records have a handful of hooks, some interesting instrumentation, and a whole lotta cool, mostly in the "boy that sounds like something else" department. But if you strip it all down, and just take the melodies, you'll find few that are very memorable. Or maybe I should say, I found few.
As I listened to MGMT and The Dirty Projectors, I noticed about midway, that I had this grin on my face, sort of a frozen smile, as if I was engrossed in some comical set up, waiting for the pay-off in some hilarious punch line. When I got to the end, the punchline never came. It was a fantastic set up, but I won't be addding that joke to my repertoire. No need to tell it again. That's a lot of new music in a nutshell for me. Once is enough.
Let me preempt the shitstorm by saying, I am not renouncing new music. I am not some sixties leftover, clinging to his Temptations albums, and declaring all music after 1972 worthless. It just seems that we've lowered the bar to the point where just about anything is a 5-star record. There used to be a time when we bought the new LP by one of our favorite artists and we listened, over and over. We knew every word to every song on every album. I want to do that again. It's just becoming more rare with each artist.
One band out of Brooklyn that has kept me interested longer than most is Yeasayer. Yes, they suffer as well from a little too much style, evoking such 80's pop electronica as Depeche Mode, OMD, and Tears For Fears. But underneath the swirling synths and sound effects are infectious hooks and melodies that I would trust on their own. The key with Yeasayer is that I keep going back.
So, here it is, the early vinyl pressing of Todd Rundgren's debut, "Runt."
Only distinguishable from the common pressing by counting the bands on each side of the vinyl---this version had 5 tracks on one side and 7 on the other, as opposed to 4 and 6--the differences are as follows:
Broke Down & Busted- Short vocal intro extracted from "There Are No Words" as intro
Believe In Me - No differences
We Gotta Get You A Woman - No differences
Once Burned - Switched with "Who's That Man?"
Who's That Man - Switched with "Once Burned"
Hope I'm Around- Alternate version of tune that eventually appeared on "Ballad Of Todd Rundgren"
Devil's Bite - Several different edits, more notes in guitar solo
I'm In The Clique - No differences
There Are No Words - No differences
Baby Let's Swing - Full version with additional lyrics and without addition of other medley tunes "The Last Thing You Said/Don't Tie My Hands"
Say No More - Not found on later versions
Birthday Carol
I think if the response continues to be positive, "Todd Is Godd" Mondays will commence next week. ZIP FILE
After a 12 year absence, the great Mose Allison is back with Joe Henry in the producer's chair. Mose sounds great...for 82, and Joe Henry as always, ups the ante.
Hey Joe, if you're reading, how about pulling Bill Withers out of retirement, or maybe a philly soul record with Daryl Hall & Todd Rundgren?
Cute, trendy, and oh so ironic, the duo spends the entire record sucking the life out of the Hall & Oates catalogue. This type of crap is really the type of crap that pisses the crap out of me. H&O aren't cool enough for the hipsters to like on their own, but I assure you NOW they will be humming "Rich Girl" on their way to Tokidoki. F**k off! Buy "Abandoned Luncheonette" or "Change Of Season" instead.
One of the better electronica bands (duo, actually) out there, Alison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory are back with their fifth. Haven't heard it, so it's safe for now.
M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel are back with another collection of sunshine pop. Deschanel's voice is irresistible and M. Ward's ok, too. Plus, they cover NRBQ's "Riding In My Car." That's good enough for me.
Thanks to Mojo Magazine throwing out 5 star reviews like rice at a wedding, I jumped right on The Unthanks last record. $22 from Amazon UK. Me, sucker. It seems these guys have some heavy duty fans--Radiohead, Portishead, Robert Wyatthead, Ben Foldshead, and Ewan McGregorhead. Ol' fathead here finds them grating and unpleasant.
My obsession with Todd Rundgren is 35 years strong. But I obsess as a fan, not a fanatic. I believe there is a difference. I am not one of those culty followers who accepts every toot, honk and fart the man releases as word. On the contrary, I'm more like the parent who expected his son to become a rich doctor, and with tough love, relentlessly reminded him as he continued to work bitterly for General Mills, that the reason he didn't was his own fault and not the fault of everyone else.
But I have never given up on the man. Many have. Some gave up as far back as 1973, first with the release of his now legendary, but then commercially calamitous "A Wizard/A True Star," and then with each subsequent release of mostly brilliant, though admittedly uneven and occasionally jarring platters of un-"Something/Anythings." S/A of course, is the 1972 double LP masterpiece that seems to be the thorn in Rundgren's side.
Later this year, Todd Rundgren will release "Todd Rundgren's Johnson," a wholly unnecessary collection of Robert Johnson covers. It's not that Todd isn't allowed to pay tribute to the blues man, or that he hasn't got the chops to pull it off. Todd's paid his dues. He can do what he wants...except that I don't believe for a second this is what he "wants." And if you've followed Todd for as long as I have, you know, if he doesn't "want it," you will see it in the performance. You can check out some of the live performances from the forthcoming tribute on You Tube. Here's "Crossroads." See what you think. I was left cold.
For a few days over the next week or two, I will be posting some Todd Rundgren gems, live and rare favorites of mine that may have slipped through the cracks of both the faithful and casual fans. With the help of Frank B. in Cleveland, I was able to plug some holes in my live collection. The choices won't be as random as they may seem. I've thought about the songs quite a bit. I also thought about posting some of the songs and experiments that have baffled me over the years, but then decided against it. I am here to praise Caesar, not bury him.
Today's selections highlight Todd Rundgren, the balladeer, the sensitive soul, the singer. My frustration and disappointment over these forthcoming Robert Johnson covers has led me to this. I really didn't need to be reminded about what I love about the man, but digging into the archives helps quell the frustration.
ONLY HUMAN
A song recorded for and released on Utopia's 1981 LP, "Swing To The Right," this performance is from a satellite broadcast from Levon Helm's, then not-as-hip barn, on 4th of July weekend of '81. And if memory serves, "Swing To The Right" was still being held up at Warner Brothers, so this is one of the first tastes of the new material. This entire show rates high for me thanks to the spirited performances and killer set list.
I'M LOOKING AT YOU, BUT I'M TALKING TO MYSELF
Another Utopia track, this one originally found on the 3-sided, self-titled, Network release of 1982. This performance is from a Thanksgiving concert aired on the USA network and later released on VHS as "An Evening With Utopia." The band had been previewing this material for a few months before the LP was released. I caught this show at Pier 82 in NYC, August of that year, and remembered being particularly moved by this song. I think it still holds up.
MAYBE I COULD CHANGE
I've been to hundreds of Todd and Utopia shows and listened to even more live tapes, and I have never heard Todd Rundgren sing this song. As you may or may not know, this appeared on the very uneven, Passport Records, 1984 Utopia album "Oblivion," with lead vocals by the always dependable Kasim Sulton. (Though I've been listening to "Oblivion" as I write this, and I have to admit, I am really enjoying it.)
This was Todd's 3rd label in as many years, and though the record contained a minor MTV hit in "Crybaby," most of it sounded like individual band member leftovers. ("Winston Smith Takes It On The Jaw," anyone?) There were some winners, specifically another Todd ballad, "If I Didn't Try." But it was "Maybe I Could Change," that really evoked the Todd of old. This performance is dated 12/1/83, which means Todd was possibly premiering it as a new song. Again, I want to thank Frank B. for this. A real treasure.
HAWKING
From 1989's lost masterpiece "Nearly Human," here is "Hawking," a song about Stephen Hawking and a song that never fails to leave me breathless. It's a song that sits among the Top Ten on my personal Todd faves list. This is a rare, solo version from 2003, that is not without its flaws, but Todd delivers in a big way.
BELOVED INFIDEL
Here is a song from 1995's misguided foray into electronica and rap, "The Individualist." This is a solo performance from the "Liars" tour of 2005 and one of the few, more conventional songs from that record. It is hauntingly beautiful and the type of song I wish Todd would revisit more often.
Tell me about your Rundgren faves and I'll try to feature them on future posts.
Don't read too much into the doleful subject matter of the majority of the songs contained in this "WEEKEND MIX." Though the mix was inspired by a series of unrelated conversations with friends and family over the last week, my ultimate goal wasn't the message so much as the final product and how it sounded as a whole.
At first, it was going to be a dozen songs that contained the word "alone" in the title. But then the mix-tape nerd inside of me ran rampant through the iTunes library and found a few others I wanted to include. At one point, I rediscovered the Johnny "Guitar" Watson gem and just wanted to post that song and 100 words on why I can't stop playing it.
Well, as Marty DiBergi once said, "Enough of my yappin." (Or is it "yakkin'?")
TRACK LIST
one- harry nilsson can't be alone- the beckies alone again or- love all by myself- james booker i can't make it alone- continental drifters alone (alternate version)- wilco alone in my room- dwight twilley all alone- dennis wilson nobody- johnny "guitar" watson w/Kaleidoscope i'm alone because i love you- uncle lionel batiste all by myself- sheryl crow when i'm alone, i cry- marvin gaye i think we're alone now- tommy james & the shondells a long night- frank sinatra all by myself- daryl hall and i fell back alone- world party when you're alone- bruce springsteen
This clip runs a little over three minutes, yet it has taken up so much more of my time. It's about as perfect as it gets. I'd like to thank my friend Mike for sending this to me and for pointing out a few of his favorite things, such as the piano part over the verse and of course, the choreography. But for me, the real "chills" moment is the look in lead singer, Sheila Ross' eyes and the smile on her face, right after she delivers the chorus at around 2:22. ~sigh~
Enjoy The Royalettes and Teddy Randazzo's "Gonna Take A Miracle."
First three gloomy & doomy, hard & heavy classics, "BLACK SABBATH," "PARANOID," AND "MASTERS OF REALITY" get their first individual remastered release in the US. (Put on "Fairies Wear Boots." I guarantee you'll dig it.)
Long-awaited follow-up to one of my favorite jazz debuts of all time ("Hip To Bop"--buy it HERE), Maurice Brown returns with "The Cycle Of Love," once again showcasing his brilliance on the trumpet and his depth as a composer. More about Maurice and his new release can be found in my interview at The Huffington Post. But before you go, give a listen to "Time Tick Tock" from "The Cycle Of Love."
The DBTs are one of those bands that I've tried desperately, record after record to like, but just can't seem to find that thing everyone else seems to find. The band is back with another sure-to-be critics fave. So many friends of mine swear by these guys, and Patterson Hood seems like a guy who deserves respect, especially after his fine work with Bettye Lavette, but I can't tell one DBT album from another.
Their 2007 debut knocked me out with their Beatles meets Small Faces brand of punchy rock and roll. "Be In Love" is more of the same.
GRAHAM PARKER- IMAGINARY TELEVISION "Inspired by the grossly lame themes used for sitcoms and television dramas, ''Imaginary Television'' is Graham Parker thinking outside of ''the box,'' or maybe inside it. Parker created his own TV treatments, wrote the tunes to go along with them, and rocking ensued. " Okay. I am sure this will be considered one of the greatest records of all-time...by Graham Parker.
Just in time for the release of the film, "The Runaways," here is a limited edition set featuring, Cherie, Joan, Lita, Jackie and the late Sandy doing what they did best, at the tender of 16, for 3 records on Mercury. There are some real clinkers across these three records---"The Runaways," "Queens Of Noise," and "Waiting For The Night"---but some of it was pretty rocking, like this track from their debut.
Live document of Jack & Meg's 2007 tour of Canada. Also available as a DVD. And by the way, I am always up for a "Are the White Stripes really deserving of the hype?" debate, because as you may or may not know, I say...no.
I'm not one to get behind the relentless repackaging of older records, but this series seems pretty worthwhile. Each mini-box contains the first five albums of the artists being reissued, all for around $20-25. I can't say for sure what is or isn't remastered, but it's still a nice place to start for any of the artists involved.
Here's what's being released today:
PAUL BUTTERFIELD THE CARS RAY CHARLES DOKKEN DR. JOHN ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN FOREIGNER J. GEILS BAND JESUS & MARY CHAIN RICKIE LEE JONES LITTLE FEAT LOS LOBOS THE MONKEES THE POGUES THE PRETENDERS CHRIS REA LINDA RONSTADT SISTERS OF MERCY WARREN ZEVON
Saturday night's Blasters show at City Winery was a rocking good time. I hadn't seen the band in years, and while Dave Alvin no longer plays with his brother Phil, it hardly seemed to matter. The 2 hour set delivered all you could want...and maybe just a little less.
I do love the Winery, but I will admit it was an odd setting for this band. Kick-ass, American rock and roll played to an audience sipping Malbec while noshing on their plates of charcuterie removed a bit of the sweat and soul from the performance. The music needed to be louder and the crowd needed to be doing something more physical than passing the cornichons.
Still, the set list was near-perfect, from the opener "Dark Night" through covers of George Jones and James Brown, to Blasters faves like "I'm Shakin," "Border Radio" and "Marie Marie," Phil Alvin and the boys worked hard and seemed thrilled that most of us braved the weekend's biblical weather to check them out, even if they closed the set with the strange "American Quadrilogy," a pisstake on Elvis' already hilarious "American Trilogy" with "Do The Clam" from The King's 1956 doozy "Girl Happy" tacked on the end.
Here's a mini American trilogy, recorded live at Atlanta's "Drive Invasion" from 2007.
(Phil Alvin singing James Brown's "Please Please Please" is currently my favorite thing.)
If you are unfamiliar with Glenn Tilbrook's MO on his solo tours, this "Weekend Mix" sums it all up. The man loves to play and he loves his fans. He'll happily take requests, have a few drinks with you, and generally give his all.
Here is a gem from 1994, prior to releasing any of his solo records. It is a set filled with Squeeze hits and rarities, as well as a cornucopia of covers by Randy Newman, Prince, Lennon & McCartney, Roy Wood, Nils Lofgren, The Hollies, Neil Finn, and more.
The venue is a small pub in England and the lucky attendees sound as if they had a few. Most of the time it's charming. Occasionally, you wish someone had a firehose. Still, this is one special set of music. If this goes over well, I have a few more shows from the "pub tour."
TRACKLIST
Third Rail Walk A Straight Line I Won't Ever Go Drinking Again Guilty I Can Hear The Grass Grow Cold Shoulder Daydream Believer Norwegian Wood You Won't See Me I Could Never Take The Place Of Your Man Mud In Your Eye King Midas In Reverse Weather With You Last Train To Clarksville Hey Girl Can't Buy Me Love Some Fantastic Place Sunny Afternoon Woman's World The Truth Suspicious Minds The Universal Help Black Coffee In Bed Goodbye Girl ZIP FILE
This song has been haunting me for weeks. I don't have anything clever to say explaining why, although while jamming with the guys a few weeks back, my guitar player started playing the riff to "Honey Don't." That's probably it. Then I found a version of this Carl Perkins classic by Rosie Stevens & the Suades. Never heard of'em, but after hearing this, I want more Rosie Stevens & The Suades. Can you help?
I haven't thought about Jimmie O'Neill and Fingerprintz in 20 years. It could be more. (What's 2010 minus 1982? See?)
Then, when I least expected it, a few guys over at the absolutely stupefying Anything Should Happen blog started chatting about these 3 records that have been long out of print, and how great they were. And how great the band was. And that great song "Ringing Tone." And that other great song "Get Civilised."
Here's a bit of what AMG has to say about these guys:
Formed by Scottish-born singer/guitarist Jimmie O'Neill in 1978, the 'Printz slowed down punk's careening guitar rock, adding clever, rhythmic twists and turns, and offering up deftly written stories about lust, angst, and urban desolation. The problem was finding an audience; the music was certainly spot-on, but one can only guess as to what kept hordes of people away. Certainly it wasn't the quality of their recorded work, which, despite occasional concessions to slick production, is mostly smart and insightful. All three Fingerprintz records are long out of print, which is a thinly veiled recommendation for someone to compile a CD anthology.
I bought "Beat Noir," their final release, on the recommendation of a friend, who I know is reading this now. He was such a fan that he actually got excited when he found out Don Snow was touring with Squeeze. (Don Snow. Unofficial member of Fingerprintz. One tour of duty with Squeeze, I believe. Hey, we should all find pleasure in the little things.)
Like most bands of that time, dated production steals more than a bit of the charms that made them so appealing in the first place. Check out the two tracks from 1981's "Beat Noir," and listen to a band doing what Prince didn't really nail until 1983.
THE BEAT ESCAPE
GET CIVILISED
And as a bonus, here are two from 1980's "Distinguishing Marks."
YES EYES
RINGING TONE
Many thanks to Power Pop Criminals for supplying the rips of these three long lost albums.
BESNARD LAKES- BESNARD LAKES ARE THE ROARING NIGHT Here's what Amazon says: The Besnard Lakes Are the Roaring Night calls upon the influence of ELO and finer parts of the Alan Parsons Project in its orchestration. Still helped by ghosts of Beach Boys past, the album is more Dennis Wilson than Brian, and more Peter Green Fleetwood Mac than Lindsay Buckingham. Here's what I say: If you've ever listened to and liked, even a little bit, ELO, Alan Parsons, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac or Dennis Wilson's Beach Boys tunes, you will hate this. Sorry but, just singing harmony doesn't make you the Beach Boys any more than owning a spatula makes you a chef. This is the usual, over-hyped, indie-crap that makes my blood boil and whoever wrote that blurb of lies for Amazon should personally apologize to all mentioned in the comparison.
Apparently the most anticipated record of the year (?), Danger Mouse meets James Mercer of the painfully overrated snooze-kings, The Shins, for what all those Twittering twits are thinking could be the next Gnarls Barkley. (I can't believe I said, "The next Gnarls Barkley"...or Twittering twits.) At least more listenable than the Besnard Lakes, this ersatz disguised as pop music, is harmless electro-pop, full of third rate hooks and first rate hype and not a "Crazy" to be found. (I can't take it anymore.)
Linda Ronstadt, Van Dyke Parks, and Lila Downs are just some of the artists lending their voices to this wonderful collaboration bonding the music of Ireland and Mexico. The legendary Chieftains, along with musical mastermind Ry Cooder have created something truly unique and special.
With more special guests than a sweeps week episode of "Coach," Damon Albarn's always interesting dub-hop group delivers in a big way after a 5 year lay off. Lou Reed, Bobby Womack, Mick Jones & Paul Simonon, the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Mos Def and De La Soul will keep you on your toes, if only to find an actual song amidst this collection of admittedly catchy collection of non-songs, textures, soundbites and beats.
PAVEMENT- QUARANTINE THE PAST: THE BEST OF PAVEMENT I still can't believe these guys sold out 4 nights in Central Park, 8 months in advance. Here they are anthologized on this mid-priced 23 track collection.
(It's about now I am starting to break into a cold sweat, wishing I was back in Sheepshead Bay, listening to Pink Floyd, Peter Frampton and Black Sabbath. )
Mark Vidler, the genius behind Go Home Productions in England, is the indisbutable king of the mash-up. Vidler, a producer and DJ, has been creating these mini, often mind-boggling works of art since early 2001.
Not all of these digital hybrids work, especially when vocal tracks are sped up to almost Chipmunk proportions in order to get pitches and keys in sync. But when the right songs meet, it can be quite jaw-dropping.
Vidler's newest creation just went up on his website and I have it here for you now. This one is killing me. I've also included one of his earlier creations, Marvin Gaye meets Radiohead, for your listening pleasure.
