"We've Been Waiting So Long" : Todd Rundgren's Utopia Reunites

It's been 35 years since Todd Rundgren, Moogy Klingman, John Siegler, Ralph Schuckett and Kevin Ellman shared a stage together as Utopia. When I first got word of the reunion, I couldn't help but think "trainwreck." I feared the musical mess that is often the result of hasty planning and under-rehearsing, not to mention the degree of difficulty of the material. (Would the band attempt the 34 minute epic "The Ikon," or would they serve up an hour of bad covers and blues jams?)

It should not go unmentioned that co-founder and keyboardist Moogy Klingman is sick, and fighting the hardest battle of his life. Prior to his prognosis, his hardest battle may have been the ongoing moratorium on the Todd/Moogy friendship; a friendship that began over 40 years ago, and then at some point, soured in the eighties. But friends will be friends, and this Utopia reunion would indeed include our fearless leader, under bittersweet circumstances of course.

I hadn't seen Moogy since I closed my record store in 2005. Moog was a regular and our conversations were always peppered with his fantastic stories about Todd, Bette Midler, the President (past or present), and whatever seemed to be bothering him at the time. If you know Moog, that could be a number of things.  I do know he had long hoped for a night like this.

Moogy came out first and warmed up his fingers with a keyboard introduction that segued beautifully into "Never, Never Land," and Todd's first appearance. As one friend said, "From Todd's first note, you can tell that this was going to be a tender performance." Though his illness changed his physical appearance, Moogy's face was still the same, less the 'stache.  It was hard not to be moved.

The band took the stage soon after, and to say they delivered would be an understatement. "Dust In The Wind," "Utopia Theme," Freedom Fighters," "Freak Parade," "The Last Ride," "The Wheel," "Another Life (for Pete's sake)," and yes, "The Ikon." (Some of it, anyway.) I simply couldn't believe what I was seeing or hearing. Todd's presence may have sold out the Highline Ballroom for two shows, but it was Moogy and the band's night. No doubt.

I was surprised by Todd's voice. It sounded young and with purpose.

I was surprised by John Siegler's bass playing. Could he have gotten better? The sound of his bass cut through perfectly, having an almost Jaco-type presence.

I was surprised by Kevin Ellman. The drum kit was smaller and he was not quite as busy. But man, he still had the chops and consistently found the pocket.

(Hey Ralph! I love ya, but I just couldn't see or hear you from where I was standing. Talk to the giant in the duster coat whose torso was the size of my entire body, and who refused to stand behind me.)

And the man of the hour? Moogy Klingman? This was his night. He directed the band, was in good voice, and his playing was flawless. It was as if you could see him healing in front of your eyes.

The biggest surprise of the night?

No one phoned it in.  No one.

There were flubs, sure.  But as another friend said, "Even the flubs had soul." Besides, you try singing "Freak Parade." I tried this morning and almost toppled over. As I said, difficult material with a short amount of preparation, does not perfection make. But Saturday came close.

The band finished with "Just One Victory" and "Sons Of 1984," and it was triumphant, a truly emotional performance from old friends, for new friends. Moogy thanked everyone and was visibly shaken while thanking those who came by the hospital to visit during such a painful time. As he wiped his tears away, Todd quipped, "Okay John Boehner, let's play some music." And with that, everyone joined in for Moogy's hit, "Ya Gotta Have Friends."

Indeed.

Here is the full set list:

Never Never Land
Crying in the Sunshine
Lady Face
Dust in the Wind
Utopia Theme
Freak Parade
Another Life
The Ikon
Heavy Metal Kids
Set Me Free
The Wheel
Do Ya
The Last Ride
Freedom Fighters
Just One Victory
Sons of 1984
Friends

For those interested, last night's performance was filmed for a Pay Per View webcast. Here is the link:
http://www.todocast.tv/nevessa/utopia/

 (Photos & Video of Utopia 2011, courtesy of Michael Adrian)

Sunday Night Covers #19: The 5th Dimension Do Sir Paul

 Not saying it's better. "Every Night" happens to be in my solo Paul Top 10. But, this version moves along nicely and it made me feel good, damn it!

EVERY NIGHT

Sunday Morning Soul #1: Johnny Copeland

THE INVITATION

"Live Boz" : THE WEEKEND MIX

This live performance from Virgin Records' record release party to celebrate Boz Scaggs' 1997 "Come On Home" CD is a killer. Boz has maintained his cool from day one. The man even pulled off two very listenable standards records. (Are you hearing me, Rod? Cyndi? ROD?)

"Silk Degrees" was the one for some. His self-titled debut for Atlantic was the one for others. ("Loan Me A Dime" anyone?) But 1994's "Some Change" might be his overlooked masterpiece. A few tunes from that record are represented here, as well as some of the R&B covers that comprised "Come On Home," another excellent LP.

TRACKLIST

It All Went Down The Drain
Lowdown
Your Good Thing (Is About To End)
Breakdown Dead Ahead
T-Bone Shuffle
Loan Me A Dime
You Got My Letter
Fly Like A Bird
Sierra
Follow That Man

BONUS TRACKS
The last few tunes were tacked onto the CD, which unfortunately has no further info.  They are worth listening to, so no worries.

Lowdown (Acoustic)
Some Change (Acoustic)
Loan Me A Dime (1967 Demo Take 1)
Loan Me A Dime (1967 Demo Take 2)

Enjoy please.

ZIP

It's The Same Old Song... (for 5 times the cost, if you're lucky.)

The following is a letter from the February issue of MOJO that feels more like the type of article that should be written about the ever-increasing decline in record sales. Author Izzy Young may have been focusing on one particular release in his complaint, but with articles about the record industry appearing every other week---another is running in the recent L'il Wayne issue of Rolling Stone---no one ever seems to give it to the majors, their greed, and total disregard for the people who keep them in business, the record buyers.

Mr. Young seems to have nailed it with his personal gripe, while most reporters only report, playing it safe, and rarely exposing the countless examples that have brought the industry to its knees.

MOJO's assessment of Bruce Springsteen's The Promise box was on the money and a jaw-dropper indeed. However, what makes this old Brucehead "mither" about the actual song "The Promise" is an unflattering part of the narrative that hugely pissed off a lot of people when "Tracks" emerged in 1998. "Tracks" had certain nailed-on bankers and "The Promise" was one of them, an absolute cornerstone of the "Darkness On The Edge Of Town" era and his career so far. However, it was nowhere to be seen. Then, a few months later came the 18 Tracks 'sampler' with three extra songs, one of which was a knock-off demo of--guess what?--"The Promise." Bruce's quote at the time was along the lines of not being able to source a decent version of it, which was an eye-brow raiser to this hardly extensive collector who had five perfectly brilliant, unflinching versions which knocked the 18 Tracks effort into Miami Steve's cocked hat.

This was pre iTunes (although I suspect it would have been an album-only purchase), pre your Pirate Bays and their ilk and pre "burning your mate's discs." So shell out again many of us did. Columbia have proved pathological with multiple version over the years but it impacts negatively on the huge amount of humanity and integrity Bruce possesses to have obviously sanctioned such daylight robbery from his core audience he claims accountability to. Love the guy, can't imagine my life without his music, but it stunk badly at the time and diminished, for me, the best thing he's ever written.


In 2007, my business partner and I wrote an OP-ED for the New York Times, citing the many wrong turns made by the major labels, which subsequently helped kill themselves.
You can read it if you like below.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/05/opinion/05sachsnunziato.html?_r=1

Four years later and it seems to be getting worse. Another MOJO letter which immediately follows the one above says this:

To the dismay of my bank account, as a serial record buyer I've pumped even more money into the record industry as I have happily returned to vinyl. The advent of getting a download card with my records so I can iPod it during the day but return home to my beautiful, big warm vinyl is the best thing to happen for years. Hail the record companies who are doing this. It's a lifeline to a dying animal, yet some still resist it. In an era where the major labels complain of people stealing music let me say this: "I want to buy the new Neil Young album!! But I haven't. Why? Because WEA are charging £30 for the vinyl!! As I type, it is £40 on Amazon. Trawling the net for over a month, I can't get a copy for less than £28. At the same time Sufjan Stevens double LP on his own lable is available for a tenner and the Of Montreal record on 180 gram vinyl for £12. This strikes me as a graphic example of how the major labels operate and how greed has got them into the position we now see. Clearly, if the indie lables can afford to sell a record for a certain amount, then the big muti-nationals can too. Why rip someone off and risk them not returning to you? And to Neil Young, of all people, a champion of analogue sound.

I'm not sure it's as simple as A. Horne says above, but I don't believe he is far off the mark when stating the price gouge of the majors.

It's a real head-scratcher to read how the concert promoters are scratching their heads at the particularly lousy season they just had. What is it they aren't getting? A pair of tickets for a major act starts at $200. $35 for the new Neil Young album. $200 bucks to see a show. I'm sure I saw this on an episode of The Jetsons.

I know this is old news.

"So don't go!"

"I only see indie bands at clubs"

"There is free music everywhere."

BLAH BLAH!

This really isn't the point.

The Incredible Velvet Who Faces

I'm not saying this is the best song on Mike Heron's first solo outing. I am saying that it is the only song on the album that features Pete Townshend on guitar, Ronnie Lane on bass, Keith Moon on drums and John Cale on backing vocals.

"Smiling Men With Bad Reputations" is far more accessible than the frequently adenoidal sounds of the Incredible String Band, the influential and...uh...incredible band formed by Heron and Robin Williamson in the mid 60s. The mix of Celtic melodies and Middle Eastern sounds made the ISB one of a kind, and Heron takes those same elements and rocks it up a bit on his debut.

Enough about the ISB. I am mostly interested in Keith Moon's playing. Maybe you will be, too.


WARM HEART PASTRY

Sometimes I Wanda

My love/hate affair with Jack White continues.

WHAT I LOVE
His guitar playing
The White Stripes in concert
The Raconteurs
Loretta Lynn's "Van Lear Rose"
The way he plays drums

WHAT I HATE
The White Stripes records
All of his scenes in "It Might Get Loud"
The Dead Weather records
His voice
That he just about ruined the new Wanda Jackson album

"The Party Ain't Over," the new release from the legendary "Queen Of Rockabilly" Wanda Jackson, starts off with a rousing, kick-ass version of "Shakin' All Over," replete with a horn section that blows with punk vengeance and some menacing guitar-playing from its producer White. Jackson's pixieish voice doesn't sound much different than it did 50 years ago and that's good!

Sounds great, right? Well, it is. Until you get to the 5th song and realize that the damned horn section is on every song. Did Jack White get a good deal? The record is less like the "psychobilly" record I was hoping for, and more like Brian Setzer's Orchestra after a couple of Red Bulls.

I don't blame Miss Jackson. She sounds fantastic. But the record becomes a novelty too quickly. The version of Bob Dylan's "Thunder On The Mountain" is another 5 minutes of hot energy, and the traditional "Dust On The Bible" gets a pseudo-funk arrangement that works, until those farkakte horns show up again, this time sounding like halftime at the Army/Navy game on the latter.

Jack White hit the nail on the head with Loretta Lynn's "Van Lear Rose."  It was pure country, with just a subtle touch of cutting edge. On "The Party Ain't Over," he traded in subtlety and turned everything up to eleven. Coulda been a great record if he left it at seven or eight.

Mountain Jack: Picking Up Where Swag Left Off

Last week's post on Swag put some fans in action. One reader, John Wicker sent me a few stray tracks I had been missing, as well as a recommendation that has been on heavy rotation. Let him tell you about it.

Volume alone dictates that many great bands will slip thru the cracks and be unheard by most music fans. Don’t let this one escape your attention.

Brad Jones, producer (Imperial Drag, Jill Sobule, Cotton Mather) and multi-instrumentalist musician, along with Hans Rotenberry, guitarist, lead singer and lyricist supreme for Tennessee power pop group The Shazam have teamed up to create what I consider the lost pop masterpiece of 2010.

“Mountain Jack” on 50 Ft. Records, is little more than an extended ep clocking in at 32:36 with 10 songs, but don’t let the size fool you. This album is a giant in every other way. Smart, edgy lyrics; clean harmonies; solid and playful hooks all colored by Jones’ mastery in the studio.

The influences are obvious, the ingenuity startling and smile inducing. Do your ears a favor and pick up this lost gem. The only outlet at this time is iTunes, however a CD release is rumored for sometime in February or March.

Next, you’ll want to pick up on any of The Shazam discs (on NotLame) as well as Brad’s solo album “Gilt Flake” (on Ginger Records) if you can find it. There are a few used copies on Amazon. A new one will cost you up to $200.00. 

Thanks John. FYI- Brad Jones' "Gilt Flake" is also available on eMusic.com.

Take a listen to a couple from "Mountain Jack." I think you'll be hooked.

A LIKELY LAD

PUTTIN' ON AIRS TONIGHT

"Let The Games Begin" : THE WEEKEND MIX

Yesterday, the official line-up announcement was made for the 2011 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. What this means for many is...nothing. Just another musical festival, with too many people, crappy food, and bad vibes. (Aaah, what do they know?)

Some of us "Fest Obsessives" have been waiting for this announcement since we first stepped onto the Fairgrounds on Day One of the 2010 Fest. Between now and April, most Jazz Fest veterans will be going over the list of performers with a fine-tooth comb, planning, scheming and rationalizing and getting all twitchy about who they will see and who they will miss seeing while seeing who they will see. It's like an endurance test for New Orleans-loving neurotics.

"Hello. My name is Sal and I am a New Orleans-loving neurotic."

I've given up trying to explain the phenomenon that is New Orleans and its Jazz Fest.  I will say one thing, you either get it or you don't.

Few don't.

You can find all you need to know at www.nojazzfest.com, or you can just ask me.

In the meantime, I was inspired.

Here's a "Weekend Mix" featuring just a small sampling of the artists that will be appearing this year, in one form or another.

(I am well aware that James Booker is dead, but I still haven't given up hope that he may show up...somewhere. I mean, EVERYONE ends up playing with Galactic.)


TRACKLIST

Sing It- Marcia Ball, Irma Thomas, & Tracey Nelson
Zacadacas- The Iguanas
Days Of Elaine- The Decemberists
Poinciana- Ahmad Jamal
Honky Tonk- Bobby "Blue" Bland
Me Donkey Want Water- Tab Benoit & the Voices Of The Wetlands
On The Tip Of My Tongue- New Orleans' Bingo Show
Penny Lane/I Saw Her Standing There- James Booker
Misty Mountain Hop- Robert Plant & Band Of Joy
I Don't Work That Cheap-Bill Kirchen
Sham-A-Ling-Dong-Ding- Jesse Winchester
Here Dey Come- The Wild Tchoupitoulas
Samba de Orfeu/Struttin' With Some Barbecue- Anat Cohen
Chameleon/We Want The Funk- Los Hombres Calientes
At the Foot Of Canal Street- Paul Sanchez & The Rolling Road Show

ZIP FILE

At Night The Stars Put On A Show For Free

Have I told you lately that I love The Beatles? How do they do it? It's been 50 years since "Ain't She Sweet," and I still feel like they are surprising me.

I've seen this rooftop concert a few times. This time around, it felt like I had never seen it before. Considering the circumstances and conditions surrounding the gig, the lads pull this off in spades. "Get Back" has always been in my top ten of least favorite Beatles' songs, and the boys play it one and a half times in this 21 minute set. And somehow, I could have watched them do it one and a half times more.  I don't think anyone really talks about this performance so much and they should.

Wrapped In Grey

From the "how in the world does someone come up with this shit" department, please enjoy the beauty that is "Wrapped In Grey," just one of the countless Andy Partridge tunes that make my jaw drop and my heart swoon.




Some folks see the world as a stone
Concrete daubed in dull monotone
Your heart is the big box of paints
And others, the canvas we're dealt
Your heart is the big box of paints
How coloured the flowers all smelled
As they huddled there, in petalled prayer
They told me this, as I knelt there
Awaken you dreamers
Adrift in your beds
Balloons and streamers
Decorate the inside of your heads
Please let some out
Do it today
But don't let the loveless ones sell you
A world wrapped in grey
Some folks pull this life like a weight
Drab and dragging dreams made of slate
Your heart is the big box of paints
And others, the canvas we're dealt
Your heart is the big box of paints
Just think how the old masters felt, they call...
Awaken you dreamers
Asleep at your desks
Parrots and lemurs
Populate your unconscious grotesques
Please let some out
Do it today
Don't let the loveless ones sell you
A world wrapped in grey
And in the very least you can
Stand up naked and
Grin

WRAPPED IN GREY

If It's Tuesday, It Must Be Street Date: 1/18/11

GREGG ALLMAN- LOW COUNTRY BLUES

Gregg Allman's first solo release in 14 years is a winner. That it's been sitting in limbo for a few years, while Allman waited for and acquired a new liver, is another story. As he said in a recent New York Times article, it was knowing this record would be waiting for him at the other end of his recovery, that helped him through a very painful time. After one listen, I understand.

With T-Bone Burnett driving the ship, and help from Dr. John, Doyle Bramhall II, and the rhythm section that Burnett employed for the Grammy winning record by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Dennis Crouch and Jay Bellerose, Allman runs through an inspired collection of blues covers by such luminaries as Muddy Waters, Bobby Bland, Otis Rush and B.B King.

That info should not scare you away. This is not another lazy, blues cover affair. Gregg Allman's voice is powerful and convincing as ever, and as usual, T- Bone nails a sound that is fresh and soulful.

THE DECEMBERISTS- KING IS DEAD

 "King Is Dead," from what I've read, sounds much different than The Decemberists prior releases. This has to be true, since I've never liked a note I heard from this band, and I love this record.  The Decemberists have left me cold in the past, so much so, I'm not sure I could have told you what the band sounded like before this new release.  Maybe it's the addition of Gillian Welch on 7 on the 10 tracks, but what we have here is a great little alt-country record, with simple production and strong melodies. Was I missing something?













 THE JAYHAWKS- HOLLYWOOD TOWN HALL &  TOMORROW THE GREEN GRASS
 (DELUXE EDITIONS)

I know I'm supposed to love The Jayhawks, but I don't. Actually, it wasn't until founder and songwriter Mark Olson left the band that I truly got into them. The first two releases after his departure, "Sound Of Lies" and "Smile" both had, in my opinion, stronger melodies and brighter arrangements. I think I may be alone in my thinking here, as the two prior releases, "Hollywood Town Hall" and "Tomorrow The Green Grass" are considered the classics, and now get upgraded with new remastering and a whole lotta bonus tracks.

More info HERE









There is also a new live record from Pearl Jam out today, as well as new ones from Social Distortion, and of course, that master of mirth, James Blunt.

I thank you.

Browning Bryant: Yet One More Reason Why Mary J. Blige Is Overrated

Browning Bryant can sing.

Who?

Browning Bryant.

Check it out:

"Browning Bryant attained success singing folk-pop that was uncharacteristically mature and introspective for a pre-teen heartthrob. In 1969, the first of his several songs to generate international sales was Games That Grown Up Children Play, leading to televised appearances on The Merv Griffin Show, The Mike Douglas Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Kraft Music Hall (10 times), The Tonight Show (December 24, 1970), and a brief Las Vegas career. He was nominated "Best Boy Singer" in a reader poll by 16 Magazine, then a favorite with teenagers.

In 1974, Bryant's last commercial album was released. New Orleans hit-maker Allen Toussaint     
produced the record and wrote most of its songs. It featured backing by the New Orleans group The Meters. Though he was 15 and then 16 years old when the album was recorded, his mellifluous vocals are remarkably mature. His three self-penned songs also belie his age, with one, "Cure My Blues," being covered by blues singer Ellen McIlwaine. (Allmusic calls her version "majestic.") Despite recording in a style drastically different than his earlier work, it turned out that Bryant was well-paired with Toussaint's trademark syncopated funk."


So yeah, Browning Bryant.

I found this record about 10 years ago while searching for anything related to Allen Toussaint. I have to say, I was more than pleasantly surprised. It didn't smack me in familiar places the way a classic, New Orleans release would. With both Toussaint and The Meters involved, I had expected it to. Though Toussaint's signature piano is right up front, and the band is tight, it reminds me more of what Stevie Wonder might have done had he recorded outside of Motown with these same people. The songs are strong and often, Bryant's vocals send a chill through me.

Listen to "Losing," one of his three self-penned tunes from the Allen Toussaint produced, 1974 release.

The dude was 16.


LOSING

"Buy Some Swag" : THE WEEKEND MIX

Swag's time in the spotlight was all too fleeting, not to mention that said spotlight never really got above 25 watts, anyhow.

Here was a power pop "supergroup" consisting of members, official or honorary, of Cheap Trick, Wilco, The Mavericks, and Sixpence None The Richer, as well as Doug Powell, Todd Rundgren (who overdubbed Trick bassist Tom Petersson's bass parts for a re-release when Cheap Trick's management decided to give a shit and demand all Cheap Trick memorabilia be removed from the album cover, as well as any of Petersson's involvement), Bill Lloyd, and producer Brad Jones.

It all started in the late 90s with a Christmas song that appeared on an indie compilation, followed by a 7", and then the 2001 debut full length CD, "Catch All," which I will go on record as saying, is one of the greatest pieces of pop brilliance in the history of pop brilliances.

I saw them play a very short gig, opening for The Mekons, with a line-up that included Jerry Dale McFadden, Robert Reynolds, Tom Petersson, Doug Powell, and Ken Coomer. I've been obsessed ever since, especially knowing they recorded a cover of The Who's "Early Morning Cold Taxi" for a still unreleased tribute.  (Please! Find that for me.)

Hungry for more, I started compiling anything I could find---b-sides, solo tracks, songs by related artists, really....anything.

This is what I came up with. It includes the aforementioned 7" and Christmas single, as well as some odd ball tracks and album cuts by most of the Swag constituency.





TRACK LIST
Sweet Lucinda- Swag
Every Little Truth- Swag
Bye Bye Magpie- Doug Powell
My Before & After- Cotton Mather
When She Awoke (Demo)- Doug Powell
All I Get- The Mavericks
Thirteen- Wilco
She Satisfies- Doug Powell
Trixie-Swag
I Don't Want To Tie You Down- Bill Lloyd
Step Inside- Bill Lloyd
Automatic Soup- Robin Zander
True Love Ways- The Mavericks
Everyday Is Christmas- Swag


THE ZIP

Swag's debut, "Catch-All," is available for 49 cents on Amazon. I urge everyone to buy it! You will NOT be sorry. 49 cents doesn't even buy you 48 cents, these days! You know, when I was a kid, we had to walk 12 blocks to find a store with a pinochle deck. I was so ugly, my mother used to feed me with a slingshot. Things were so bad....ok...sorry.




Here, listen to 2 tracks, on me:

WHEN SHE AWOKE


LOUISE

The Want List, 2011

Sometime last year, I posted an LP want list, offering either cash or trade, if anyone had any of the vinyl I was looking for. Many of you came through, so I thought I'd try it again.

Same rules apply:

Original Pressings (because that is sort of the point)
Reasonably priced (as they are not for resale, just for me to hold and stare at adoringly)
Not necessarily mint copies, just presentable and more importantly, playable ('cause I wanna play'em)


HERE WE GO

David Bowie-Low
David Bowie- The Man Who Sold The World (RCA pressing w/poster)
CCR- Green River
Sweet- Desolation Boulevard
Sweet- Give Us A Wink
The Buckinghams- Kind Of A Drag (Mono preferred, will take a Stereo)
Richard Lloyd- Alchemy
Sparks- Kimono My House
James Gang-Yer Album
James Gang- Rides Again
Procol Harum- First (Mono)
Santana- Abraxas
Santana- Lotus
Bill Nelson's Red Noise
David Werner- Self-Titled (Epic)
Bee Gees- 1st (Mono)
Lou Reed-Debut
Lou Reed- Transformer
Iggy Pop- The Idiot
Wire- Pink Flag
The Stranglers- Rattus Norvegicus
Black Sabbath- Paranoid
Lee Dorsey- Yes We Can
Graham Nash- Songs For Beginners
Yesterday & Today (Y&T)- Debut on London
Heart- Little Queen
Carole King- Tapestry
Colin Blunstone- One Year
Johnnie Taylor- Raw Blues
The Everly Brothers- Roots
Genesis- Seconds Out
Alice Cooper- Welcome To My Nightmare
Phil Manzanera/801- Live
Bobby Bland- Two Steps From The Blues
The Wild Magnolias
The Wild Magnolias- They Call Us Wild
Sam & Dave- Double Dynamite (Mono)
The Kinks- Muswell Hillbillies



Feel free to leave comments with info or questions, if you have any of these records and have an interest in parting with them. Comments will not be posted.

Look What I Found

It's been a good couple of days for discovering and rediscovering music. On top of that, we got more farkakte snow in the Northeast.

Here's a mini, midweek mix of what's been keeping my ears busy, as I organize my desk, desktop, and iTunes library.

PLAY MYSELF SOME MUSIC- JASON FALKNER
I admit to never having heard a single note of R. Stevie Moore's music, but thanks to Mick over at Power Pop Overdose, I discovered a new Jason Falkner tune, which happens to be a cover of a brilliant, R. Stevie Moore tune.

MISTY EYES- RICHARD LLOYD
I was reminded of this pop gem again as I searched for a vinyl copy of Lloyd's debut LP, "Alchemy."

RUN FOR COVER- STREETWALKERS
I have a hazy memory of fighting with my cousin over the one used copy of "Red Card," the Streetwalkers album from which this riff heavy rocker comes from. Location: 2nd floor, Titus Oaks Records, Church and Flatbush, up the block from Erasmus High School, right above that donut place. I think I won, only to lose the album later that week in a game of Horse in the backyard. Found both this album and "Vicious But Fair" while trawling the internets. Great stuff from Roger Chapman, Bobby Tench, et al.

PRISON SONG - THE ZOMBIES
Cleaning up the desktop, getting rid of some bad music on iTunes and adding some new music, I finally got to listen to a collection of Zombies' rarities, and was wowed by this!

KINGDOM COME (ALTERNATE TAKE)- DAVID BOWIE
"Scary Monsters" has always bothered me. Bowie fans seem to love it. To me, it's a collection of great songs, completely sabotaged by some of Bowie's worst vocals and arrangements. Sometime last week, I found a bootleg of "Scary Monsters" alternates and outtakes. Here's is the Tom Verlaine cover with a semi-normal Bowie lead vocal, instead of that Anthony Newley meets Bobcat Goldthwait shit he left on the master take.

WAR PIGS- CAKE
Cake's new album came out yesterday. I love it, so I went back and listened to some of their excellent covers. This is one of them

KID/REMEMBER TO REMEMBER/CARS- ROBERT PALMER
Does anyone miss Robert Palmer? I sure do. The boy had a good run, even if he seemed to lose focus in his latter years. Always unique, here is the unlikely medley of The Pretenders and Gary Numan, with a Palmer original sandwiched in between, recorded live in San Francisco in 1979.

CA PLANE POUR MOI- RICHARD THOMPSON
Recorded live in 1991, this one can speak for itself.

THE RIVER (LIVE IN CLEVELAND, 11/14/99) - BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN & THE ESB
My friend David pointed this version out to me after he heard it over E-Street Radio. His note to me:
"Another stellar Bruce performance on Sirius. Whole recording has bass up high in the mix. This stripped down arrangement really moving." He's right. Thanks, David.


THE ZIP

If It's Tuesday, It Must Be Street Date: 1/11/11

CAKE- SHOWROOM OF COMPASSION

I quite liked this band out of the box. John McRea's deadpan, "talk-singing" was different, as was the band's unique sound of guitars, drums, trumpets. But I found myself taking to their strange arrangements of covers of songs by Barry White, Black Sabbath, Frank Sinatra and Johnny Cash, more than their original material. So I stopped listening. Actually, I can't remember the last time I heard a Cake release.

"Showroom Of Compassion" is the band's first album since 2004's "Pressure Chief." They had me at hello with the slick opener, "Federal Funding," something that would not sound out of place on Pink Floyd's "Piper At The Gates Of Dawn." The almost, straight-forward pop of "Mustache Man (Wasted)" and "Sick Of You" are driven by two of the catchiest guitar riffs heard this year. (Yeah, I know the date.) "The Winter" is a ballad, replete with sleigh bells and the aformentioned trumpets, and a familiar melody that sounds like something from 70s, AM radio, maybe Albert Hammond or Terry Jacks. (I love it!)

But again, the showstopper is the sole cover on the record. This time, the boys take on Frank Sinatra again, with a song from the "The Chairman's" 1969, ill-fated, Bob Gaudio produced concept album, "Watertown." If you're unfamiliar with "Watertown," here's what Stephen Thomas Erlewine has to say about it over at All Music:

Watertown is Frank Sinatra's most ambitious concept album, as well as his most difficult record. Not only does it tell a full-fledged story, it is his most explicit attempt at rock-oriented pop. Since the main composer of Watertown is Bob Gaudio, the author of the Four Seasons' hits "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You," "Walk Like a Man," and "Big Girls Don't Cry," that doesn't come as a surprise. With Jake Holmes, Gaudio created a song cycle concerning a middle-aged, small-town man whose wife had left him with the kids. Constructed as a series of brief lyrical snapshots that read like letters or soliloquies, the culminating effect of the songs is an atmosphere of loneliness, but it is a loneliness without much hope or romance -- it is the sound of a broken man. Producer Charles Calello arranged musical backdrops that conveyed the despair of the lyrics. Weaving together prominent electric guitars, keyboards, drum kits, and light strings, Calello uses pop/rock instrumentations and production techniques, but that doesn't prevent Sinatra from warming to the material. In fact, he turns in a wonderful performance, drawing out every emotion from the lyrics, giving the album's character depth.

Cake delivers big with "What's Now Is Now." It's not as ambitious as Frank's, but it's worth noting that the band didn't hand in a piss take. "Showroom Of Compassion" is worth your time. If you've never heard a note by Cake, this is a great place to start. Just go in with an open mind.



BUY IT HERE
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0049JPU9Y/ref=s9_simh_gw_p15_d0_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0SCJ1QMB3BDAHBFY8JQK&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

Some Nice Things I've Missed: Courtesy Of Jeff Kisseloff

I have my friend Jeff Kisseloff to thank for suggesting The Galaxies' "An Ocean Between Us," a song that has become a daily obsession for me, and a song that Steve Simels over at the indispensable blog POWER POP calls "the most gorgeous thing I've heard all year."

Well, since Jeff nailed that one, I thought he'd come through with a few more winners.


Here's is Jeff's Best of 2010.


For the last few years, I've discovered most of my favorite music by trolling a half dozen or so music blogs (Absolute Powerpop, Powerpopaholic and, of course, Burning Wood, among others) and listening to their album recommendations on either myspace or Napster. It's gone spectacularly well, as my life has been filled with the sounds of one great band after another who have produced albums that I would never have heard otherwise. While I'm sure many of these musicians are struggling to make it, the Internet has also given them the kind of chance to reach an audience that they never would have had twenty years ago — though through no fault of their own. Another great thing about indie music is you often find yourself buying albums directly from the bands. This has afforded me the unique opportunity to personally tell these musicians how much their work has meant to me, so in that sense some things about the music have changed for the better; I not only get to relate to the music, but in some cases I can develop friendly relationships with the band members.

Last year, my favorites were music by Splitsville, the Fore, the Krayolas, Barnett and Gurley, J. P. Cregan, Armchair Oracles, John, Paul and Keith, the Galaxies, the Goldbergs. David England, Mike Giblin, the Shaker Pegs, Roger Joseph Manning, Jr., and a few others. I doubt Burning Wood readers are familiar with a quarter of them. It just makes me wonder how many other terrific bands are out there whose music we'll never hear.

So this is a list of my favorite bands and songs of 2010. If they have anything in common, it's that their records consist of well-crafted melodies that stick in your head long after the CD player or iTunes have been turned off. I tried to whittle this down to ten but failed. I hope people give these bands a listen. I should point out that this is really just a sample. There's been so much great stuff that I'm sure I've forgotten half of it. If you sample this group and like what you hear, listen to the bands on my 2009 list. You'll be astonished at the great music you never knew existed.

Not in order of preference, except for my top choice:

Timmy Sean - "Songs from & Inspired by Noisewater" is a tour de force that took Sean four years to make. You'll hear ELO and the Beatles among others in the album, although sometimes in the same song. It's my cd of the year;

DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME




Neil Nathan - My favorite singer/songwriter;
Listen to his new album at Neil Nathan Dot Com



Zombies of the Stratosphere, "Ordinary People" - They do remind me a little of the Zombies;

WHISPERING STREETS




 The Malibooz - "Queen's English" - These guys (Walter Egan was the only member whose name was familiar to me) have been together about thirty years and average an album a decade. It's criminal, I say;

The Hi-Risers - They have four albums out. I'll put all four on the list. If you like your basic Sun records, three-chord rock, you'll love these guys and their catalogue of some of the strangest girlfriends ("My Girl Valvoline," "My Bam-Bam Baby") ever memorialized in song;

Here are two from the Hi-Risers!

YOU MADE ME LOOK LIKE KEITH


FUN LOVIN' GAL






Eric Crugnale - "Carol Was Here," the most hummable album of the year? Pure craft;

Elvyn: (The Decline), Farrah and Oranjuly, three great powerpop bands;

Brett Harris - "Man of Few Words," Another terrific singer/songwriter;

Cuff the Duke - "Way Down Here" - If you're a fan of Blue Rodeo, you'll love this, which was produced by BR's Greg Keelor;

Doug Paisley " - Constant Companion" - The most quietly beautiful album I heard all year.



Honorable mention: If their albums aren't as consistent as those I've listed above, they're still great: Ice Cutters, Taylor Locke & the Roughs, Brother Slade, John Holk and the Sequins, The Brigadier,


My songs of the year:


The first one is not an indie, it's Josh Ritter's "The Curse," an epic meditation on fame, love, life and King Tut that will take your breath away;

"Reform School Girl" by Nick Curran and the Lowlifes: No song that I heard was more fun;

Lonely H - "Girl From Jersey" - The perfect, catchy, sprawling, head-nodding country rock song;

GIRL FROM JERSEY




Ray Scott - "Silk Satin and Lace" - This song is actually from the 1940s, but it's the most danceable thing I've heard all year. Scott is a mystery. He apparently recorded two songs and promptly disappeared. Listen here and then I dare you to sit still;

SILK SATIN & LACE
 

Eric Crugnale: "Carol Was Here";

Ice Cutters: "Passion and Violence" - These two ballads by Crugnale and the Ice Cutters are simply gorgeous;

Brother Slade: "The Tom Petty Song" - "Sucking up spaghetti, rolling smokes with Tom Petty, has anyone seen a yeti, running through my yard." Great tune, fun lyrics;

Cuff the Duke: "Listen to your Heart" - You'd swear the Jayhawks wrote this one - or should have;

Brett Harris: "Drop the Needle" - celebrating the glories of rock 'n roll;

Steve Zahn from Treme: "Shame, Shame, Shame," my protest song of the year.


Thank you, Jeff for your contribution.

And one last time, please enjoy The Galaxies.

A OCEAN BETWEEN US

Dear Los Lobos, I'm Sorry

Los Lobos doesn't make bad albums. They make good ones and great ones. "Tin Can Trust" is a great one, yet somehow, I only thought it was a good one when I completed my best of 2010 list.

As I sat, stuck on the 'N' train, in between 5th Avenue and Lexington Avenue, or more accurately, between a guy that stank and a ten year old girl who just couldn't stop kicking her seat below, "27 Spanishes," the last song from this album, came over the iPod, and for 5 minutes, I forgot about that little pest. (Though the guy still stank.)

I spent the weekend revisiting "Tin Can Trust," and I think I love it. Maybe even more than any previous Los Lobos albums.

So David, Cesar, Louie, Conrad, and even you Steve...I'm sorry.  You should have made Burning Wood's Top Ten.  I know my omission didn't break you guys, but nevertheless, I carry the guilt.

27 SPANISHES



Ain't that a groove....

"Baby, It's Cold Outside" : THE WEEKEND MIX

 

As promised, I'm closing out the week with a product of the year-end events that inspired me.  You don't have to be Schopenhauer to figure out the theme. 

As usual, "The Weekend Mix" got a preview or two, as well as some editing, before completion. I like the way it all plays together.

A few quick notes:

I don't usually like Billy May's brash style of arranging, but his work with Nat "King" Cole is stellar, and with all due respect to Hank Williams and Tony Bennett, this version of "Cold, Cold Heart" is still my favorite.

I've mentioned The Galaxies before. This is a band I was hipped to by my friend Jeff, and this particular song,  "An Ocean Between Us," tears my heart out.

(Stay tuned for Jeff's excellent "Best Of 2010" list, which has been submitted, approved, and now sits in the on-deck circle.)

I know some of you never got on the Black Crowes train, but they remain one of my very favorite live bands. Their studio output has been very uneven the last few years, but 2009's "Before The Frost" was one of the best of their career. This track, "Cold Boy Smile," which I think dates back 6-7 years, only just got recorded and released on the band's supposed farewell album "Crowesology." I'm happy it did, as it has always killed me live.

Once again, thank you for your indulgence with all things Brooklyn. I'm not sure if it's out of my system. (Actually, I don't really want it to be. But I will spare you the details.)  The end of a year can really do a number on people, and a swim in Coney Island seemed liked the right elixir. 

ENJOY, PLEASE!

TRACK LIST

Hello Brooklyn- The Beastie Boys
Dirty Water- The Standells
Baby, It's Cold Outside- Pezband
Washed By The Water- Will Hoge
An Ocean Between Us- The Galaxies
Coney Island Baby- The Excellents
The Swimming Song- Loudon Wainwright III
She's So Cold- The Rolling Stones
Brooklyn Roads- Neil Diamond
Cold, Cold, Heart- Nat "King" Cole
Swimming- Little Dragon
Cold Boy Smile- The Black Crowes
Wade In The Water- Stars Of Virginia
Coney Island- Van Morrison


THE ZIP

Don't Be Concerned. It Will Not Harm You.

I know what you're thinking. "Elusive Butterfly? Really?" But once you listen, and stop saying to yourself, "Man, Levi Stubbs can sing,"---and you will say that at least 5 times during the 3:09 duration of the song---you will be hooked on this sublime cover of the Bob Lind hit, which really wasn't so bad in first place.

Taken from their 1970 release, "Still Waters, Run Deep," an album, which like so many of the Four Tops' releases after their staggering Motown run of the 60s, is much better than people remember, assuming anyone remembers any of this stuff at all.

Bob Lind's song has always been a guilty pleasure of mine, and I have to admit, as I type this out, pretending I've loved the Four Tops version all along, I only just heard it yesterday.



ELUSIVE BUTTERFLY

How I Met Your Blogger

I have been offering the Burning Wood floor to all readers since the birth of this blog. I thought it would spice things up a bit if the blog had more than my point of view once in awhile. Contributions have been few and far between. Actually, there haven't been many. Actually, here is only the third contribution in two years and 4 months.

This entry is from an old friend, loyal reader, and regular participant, ITSOK2BERIGHT.

It wasn't what I had in mind when I solicited contributions. A cute little concert review, a top ten list, or some suggestion of a new band was more like it. But, there was no way I wasn't going to share this.

Friday, I will complete what has inadvertently turned into a week of nostalgia and reflection, no doubt inspired by the holidays and the events before, during and after, with the first "Weekend Mix" of 2011. I think you'll dig it, so stay tuned. In the meantime, please enjoy ITSOK2BERIGHT's memories of moi.


HOW I MET SAL & OTHER PRICELESS TEENAGE MEMORIES

Life is nothing more than a series of related chapters with which we pass through. Many of these chapters are brief and fleeting, while others can last a lifetime.

As we have read, Sal has gone through his share of life chapters. Our chapters intersected for the period of time he loitered in Sheepshead Bay. Other than Sal, all names are changed to protect the innocent.

Living in Sheepshead Bay in the 1970’s, I amassed a close-knit group of friends. As with most young boys, we started getting interested in girls. We all had simultaneous chapters being written as we dated girls outside of our core group. We would leave behind the rest of our group for these brief interludes, yet we would always come home to the boys when it was over. Girls can do that to us. Sal was the same when it came to abandoning his past for the sake of a girl. One of his famous lines was, “I would sell my mother to the Russians for her.” I don’t think he would have gone that far, but it was fun watching him drool.

(Editor's Note: I stole that line from Woody Allen.)

We were just entering high school, and getting heavily into Zeppelin. Being walking distance to Zig-Zag records, we started to pick up Zeppelin bootlegs, copy them to tape and listen to them until our tape deck batteries went dead.

At this same time, Sal was hanging out on East 19^th St. with his favorite cousin (George) and his friends (Jerry and Kramer), including ‘the girls’, (Snooki, Jwoww, Sammi, her sister Angelina, and occasionally Julissa; she was in 2 episodes, look it up). Personally, I think the girls were the only reason Sal trekked from Manhattan to see George. We never met these girls, since these were Catholic School girls and we all went to public school. We played soccer on 19^th Street that summer with some guys from school; 19^th was a little wider than most streets in the neighborhood. Prior to that, we never much associated with those guys.

Immediately, we noticed the girls, and I believe they noticed us. (Well, others in the group, but not me). I think Sal and the boys showed a little jealousy, as they saw ‘their’ girls walk up the block to see whom this new group of guys were. They heard one of us was going out with a girl up the street (Frenchie) that they all fantasized over. I blew that relationship, and later on, Kramer never let me live it down.

We also played a lot of handball those days. Having a choice between PS 254 and St. Marks, we started playing at St. Marks so we can walk down 19^th St. One day, I was walking down 19^th St. with Arnold and there were Sal and his cousin sitting on the stoop listening to a Zeppelin bootleg. At first we kept walking, then we both stopped and went back to the stoop. I then asked that fateful question that still resonates in my mind, “Is that Zeppelin?” Sal and George went on to tell us what year the bootleg was from, what venue, what Page ate for breakfast, and so on. Man, did I open a can of worms.

Arnold and I knew right away that these guys were a little different than us, a little smarter and maybe a little more mature. But, they had one thing we wanted, the girls. Later that night, I was there with Arnold’s brother Lou, and this time, Sal had the girls with him. We interrupted them, and started talking about the Zeppelin bootlegs we’ve heard. This time Kramer and Jerry were there. Lou was a likeable character, which helped us tremendously. We talked on and on that night, from music to baseball, to my tape deck that blasted the tunes, you name it, we talked about it. Apparently, these guys were not much different than we were. After that, the rest is history. So Arnold, Lou, John Stewart, Tito Santana, his cousin Rico Suave, and the rest of us took over 19^th St. as if it was ours. Though, Sal remained a little jealous. He kept telling Jwoww and Snooki how dumb Lou and Arnold were.

(Editor's Note: I never used the word dumb in my life.)

From that forced encounter came many relationships. Jwoww went out with Arnold, Snooki went out with Lou, Angelina dated Rico Suave, Sammi married Jerry after turning down John Stewart and me, Jwoww married George, Kramer dated Julissa, but in secret, I had a brief fling with Jwoww’s cousin from another state, and it goes on.

Other than relationships, this friendship also created a variety of garage bands. Lou played a mean bass; Kramer and Jerry were guitarists. There is a great story of Kramer walking out of Jerry’s basement when Jerry started playing a never-ending solo during one of their rehearsals. Jerry was the bassist at the time. As you all know Sal played the drums. George was also very musically talented, playing a variety of instruments. Arnold and I played the guitar, but never at the level of the others. Those were some extraordinary times, with the music, handball, concerts, hanging out at school, drinking, smoking, etc. Teenage life, too bad we only get to live it once.

Through all of that, the one indelible memory I have of Sal was on September 25^th, 1980. I was walking home from school, and had just turned the corner onto my block. He was already hanging out with Lou on Lou’s stoop, since neither could find the time to go to school those days. I look up and here comes Sal running in full stride, right elbow firmly out there catching the wind. He gets to me huffing and puffing, saying, “Did you hear? Did you hear?” Well, up to that second I did not. Sal knew I became a huge Zeppelin fan, and that that news would affect me more than the others in our crowd, with the exception of Kramer.

(Editor's Note: 9/25/80, John Henry Bonham died. It also happened to be the birthday of one of the above characters. I'm not sure who, since all this name-changing has confused me. But I do remember the quote, "Great. Why did Bonham have to die on my fucking birthday?" )

Thanks for this, ITSOK2BERIGHT.  And thank you all for indulging us both.