Long before Burning Wood hit the airwaves, my business partner and I sent out a weekly newsletter to our customers. The "NYCD Blog" was an e-mail blast announcing Tuesday's new releases with the same straightforward approach that I used for "If It's Tuesdsay, It Must Be Street Date."
Occasionally, we'd write up an essay. Bottom line, Burning Wood was borne from the ashes of the NYCD Blog.
I found the following. It was written right around the time of Petty's 2006 release, "Highway Companion."
I'm pretty sure this was mostly my partner, Tony Sachs' piece. I may have done some tweaking. I love it. Maybe you will, too.
Tony and I disagreed on many things. Many...many things. But man, did we make each other laugh.
TOM PETTY's excellent new album, Highway Companion,
has gotten us listening to a lot of his older material as well. After
much deliberation, coupled with boredom brought on by a slow day at the
office, we have determined that Tom Petty sings with four separate and
distinct voices:
1. THE DRAWL.
Used mostly on his earlier recordings, such as "A Woman In Love" --
"Sheeza wowmuh ee-uh laaaaaaahhhhhve." His enunciation seems to have
improved over the years, as he rarely employed The Drawl after the mid
'80s, although the chorus of "Free Fallin'" is great Late Drawl.
2. THE HIGH-PITCHED QUAVER.
As The Drawl was gradually phased out, The High-Pitched Quaver was
utilized more and more, although it's in evidence as early as "Here
Comes My Girl." The vast majority of his new album is H.P.Q., while the
best-known example may be "Into The Great Wide Open."
3. THE QUASI-DYLAN.
Not quite singing, not quite speaking, it sounds like Petty's doing a
sorta half-assed Bob Dylan impersonation. The quintessential Q.D. is
when he sings the title phrase of "Yer So Bad," before switching to High
Pitched Quaver on the next line. He employs Quasi-Dylan on many songs,
but rarely for more than a line or two. Surprisingly, "Jammin' Me,"
which Petty co-wrote with Dylan, has more Drawl than Quasi-Dylan.
4. THE PSEUDO-MEXICAN ACCENT.
The Drawl taken to the next level. Frequently used on early classics
like "A Woman In Love" ("Don' say a wor', don' seh naah-theen") and
"Breakdown" ("Issawright if you lahve meh/Ees awrigh' eef you dun'") but
rarely, if ever, since then. And that's probably a good thing, in this
age of political correctness. Although it would be great to hear him do a
cover of "Cuban Pete."
So
what are you waiting for? Put on some Petty and find out how many voices
you can hear! If you know of any songs that utilize all four Petty
voices -- also known as a "Tom Petty Grand Slam"
-- email us with the name of the song and at which
point he uses each voice, and you'll be entered in a drawing to win a FREE COPY OF HIS NEW ALBUM
Not a bad year for music. I had started compiling my year-end list back in August and assuming there are no stellar December releases, I think this list is pretty final.
There is no order to the following faves, but I did leave my Top Three of the year for the end.
Also, when all is said done, there are some samples of most of what was written about.
OKAY THEN...
BURNING WOOD'S BEST OF 2011
BOOKER T. JONES- THE ROAD FROM MEMPHIS
With ?uestlove from The Roots at the controls and drum kit, the legendary Booker T. delivers an upbeat, funky and organic collection of tunes that could very well be just what his MGs would have recorded if they had still been making music together. Yim Yames of My Morning Jacket handles the lead vocals on "Progress," one of my very fave tracks of the year.
THE CO-OPERATIVE-THE CO-OPERATIVE
80's Brit-pubrockers Nine Below Zero team up with Squeeze leader Glenn Tilbrook for an album that rocks until it can't rock no more. "The Co-Operative" recalls the very best of Rockpile while offering a smattering of perfect pop tunes that would not have seemed out of place on Squeeze classics like "Argybargy" and "East Side Story."
EILEN JEWELL- QUEEN OF THE MINOR KEY
Boston-based, but sounding more like someone raised in a Nashville suburb, Eilen Jewell's follow-up to her superb Loretta Lynn tribute "Butcher Holler" of 2010, is a collection of tunes, some haunting, others purely magical, that pull from all of Jewell's influences. Country-gospel, to the surf sounds of The Ventures, to Hank Williams and Patsy Cline all make an appearance on this very fine record.
JANE'S ADDICTION- THE GREAT ESCAPE ARTIST
I spent most of the last 20 years actively despising Perry Farrell. The sound of his voice, especially on the tune that opens every episode of HBO's "Entourage," is just something my nerves refuse to handle. So how did his band's new record end up on my year-end list? I'm a sucker for classic rock and "The Great Escape Artist" delivers in spades. Riff after riff, rhythm upon rhythm, Jane's Addiction has acquired some focus and for this release, have decided to do away with the long, meandering all-style-no-substance of previous records, and go right for solid and often very melodic rock and roll. Simply put, this is one catchy record.
JOHN HIATT- DIRTY JEANS AND MUDSLIDE HYMNS
John Hiatt's made a lot of good records, though few if any have ever equalled the brilliance of 1987's "Bring The Family." I know plenty of you might disagree, and that's okay. I'm a fan and I recognize Hiatt as one of America's greatest living songwriters.
That said, almost every song on "Dirty Jeans..." is an instant classic. I picked
that up after the first run, just as I did when I first heard "Bring The
Family." When he offers up heartbreak as he does on "Don't Wanna Leave You Now"
and "When New York Had Her Heart Broke," a song written and performed
just days after 9/11 but never recorded, few can match Hiatt's emotional
delivery. On tunes like "Damn This Town" and "I Love That Girl," Hiatt
shows his skill for the hook. If we still had real radio, "I Love That
Girl" would be blasting out of every car window for the rest of the
summer.
JOHNNY SANSONE- THE LORD IS WAITING, THE DEVIL IS TOO
For years I thought Sansone was New Orleans, born and raised. Boy, was I wrong. This king of the blues harp was born in Orange, New Jersey, but it wasn't until he found work in the Crescent City that he became a bit of a local legend.
Blues records are a dime a dozen, so when you hear one that finds it way out of the cliche-ridden grooves where your "baby left you," you hold on tight. "The Lord Is Waiting..." is that record. With Anders Osborne on guitar as well as producing, and New Orleans' treasure Stanton Moore on drums, Sansone delivers some heavy-duty swamp. Think Led Zeppelin, 1968 but with a little less bombast and a lot more soul.
LAURA MARLING- A CREATURE I DON'T KNOW
The comparisons are easy to make. Sandy Denny, Joni Mitchell, even Fiona Apple at times, all appear in spirit on Marling's third solo release. But do not think for a minute that this 22 year old phenom is strictly riding on the coattails of the aforementioned trio. Laura Marling is a brilliant songwriter with a voice that is both delicate and intoxicating. The instrumentation on "A Creature I Don't Know" goes a bit further than the mostly acoustic sounds of her previous two. I like that, and because of that, I find this to be her best record yet.
PAUL SANCHEZ & COLMAN DEKAY- NINE LIVES
Based on Dan Baum's best-selling book about nine people whose lives and experience through two major storms in New Orleans intertwine, this brilliant musical adaptation is certainly one of the most important and musically enjoyable releases of the year.
There are few people in the world with a heart the size of Paul Sanchez, and with his writing partner Colman deKay, not to mention every relevant musician from New Orleans along for the ride, he has created a masterwork that will not only play like a greatest hits of New Orleans music, but if you are so inclined to follow the book and story, might just move you to tears.
MEGAFAUN-MEGAFAUN
There is a Bon Iver connection with Megafaun and that should have been enough for me to just keep moving along. If there's one thing that I have not bought into, one thing that I find so completely overhyped, shallow and phony, it's the lifeless and soulless indie-pop and folk scare that has turned such nothing like the Fleet Foxes, Bright Eyes, Jonathan Wilson, St. Vincent and the aforementioned Bon Iver into critics' darlings. I know I'll get a few nasty letters over this, but I'll deal.
Still, there is something about Megafaun that transcends all of this. This record offers more, both in style and substance. What I'm hearing is early Wilco with more than a little bit of Pink Floyd's "Meddle" as an influence. It is a very musical record, which is important. It isn't just breathy vocals and layered harmonies, trying and failing to evoke the sounds of Laurel Canyon. It's much more exciting. And I love it.
PAJAMA CLUB- PAJAMA CLUB
This is a record that took a bit of time. I stayed with it because I love Neil Finn, though a project that started in his basement with his wife on bass and Finn on drums didn't sound promising. But as one friend said, "It's a grower."
"Pajama Club" will not smack you silly like the big pop sound of Split Enz or Crowded House once did, but that doesn't make it any less infectious. Its many layers of sound fit nicely around Finn's inability to write a bad melody. I'd be lying if I said this wasn't a bit experimental, but if you've ever loved anything by Neil Finn, whether in a band or solo, you will find plenty to embrace on the "Pajama Club."
RON SEXSMITH- LONG PLAYER, LATE BLOOMER
Ron Sexsmith is a songwriter's songwriter. Nick Lowe, Elvis Costello and Steve Earle are just a few who have been singing his praises for years. I like the man, but I found most of his records uneven. Plus, he has a very distinctive, love it or hate it voice, that I sometimes love and sometimes hate.
"Long Player, Late Bloomer" is not a masterpiece, but it may be Sexsmith's masterpiece. It's as good as a pop record gets, full of hooks and harmonies. Songs like "Every Time I Follow," "Love Shines" and one of my fave tunes of the year, "Believe It When I See It," beg you to feel good.
TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND- REVELATOR
Plain and simple, this is Delaney & Bonnie 40 years later, and man...does it work! Susan Tedeschi doesn't quite have Bonnie Bramlett's balls, but hubby Derek Trucks is a master on slide guitar, and this killer band featuring the great Maurice Brown on trumpet is triumphant on just about every track. Southern soul, gospel and blues, as well as some good-old fashioned rock and roll can be found in spades on "Revelator."
WYNTON MARSALIS & ERIC CLAPTON- PLAY THE BLUES
Sure, it's easy to dismiss this as uncool, but you'd just be denying yourself some of the greatest music ever written played by some the greatest musicians who ever lived.
With Marsalis' band behind him, Eric Clapton takes on traditional blues and jazz and as usual, when he's not the leader, he rises to the occasion. The arrangements are fresh. The playing is stellar. And the version of "Layla," reimagined as a New Orleans funeral dirge, is one the greatest things you'll hear all year.
WARREN HAYNES- MAN IN MOTION
Warren Haynes is one of the hardest working men in show business, juggling his time with the Allman Brothers, The Dead, his own band Gov't Mule, not to mention the countless hours of live performing and guest appearances. How he managed to pull this solo record off is a feat in itself? But it's a dandy!
Inspired by one of Haynes' musical idols, Little Milton, and featuring a New Orleans rhythm section of George Porter Jr. and Terrence Higgins, Haynes delivers the perfect combination of Southern R&B, with just a taste of the extended jamming all of his employers are known far. He never takes it too far, and that is what makes "Man In Motion" work.
RY COODER- PULL UP SOME DUST AND SIT DOWN
I'm not sure this record will resonate with everyone, but by song #4 I
was hooked, and by the finale, I was mesmerized. "These times," says Ry
Cooder, "call for a very different kind of
protest song. "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" We're way down the road
from that." Boy, he ain't kidding. Cooder pulls no punches and minces
no words, as he pretty much tells off everyone from Dubya to God, on
this powerful new release.
Musically, Ry Cooder visits all of the places he likes best from
acoustic blues (check out his dead-on John Lee Hooker impersonation on
"John Lee Hooker For President") to mariachi and jazz, to pop and folk,
and all of it works. Some of it even shocks, like "Christmas Time This
Year," a song you won't be playing while stringing tinsel.
"Pull Up Some Dust..." is a keeper. Could be his best record since "Boomer's Story."
SOME OTHER THINGS I LOVED
The Strokes put out their best record since their debut, but it was the single "Taken For A Fool" that really knocked me out. Here are two versions--the album version and a killer live version with Elvis Costello guesting.
Lindsey Buckingham's "Seeds We Sow," Wilco's "The Whole Love," Buddy Miller's "The Majestic Silver Strings," Garland Jeffreys' "The King Of In Between" and Marianne Faithful's "Horses & High Heels" all made me very happy and are all worth checking out, as is:
V/A- THIS MAY BE THE LAST TIME SINGING: RAW AFRICAN-AMERICAN GOSPEL
Hey, Tom Waits fans. Do you remember the first time you heard
"Swordfishtrombones" a little over 30 years ago? I sure do. It wasn't
pleasant, but only because the transition from the previous records that
featured piano-based, Tin Pan Alley songs about losers and heartbreak,
sung by a man whose voice sounded as if he hadn't slept for week to
exactly the same thing only clankier and noisier, was less than smooth.
Once I adjusted, maybe two years later, when his masterpiece "Rain
Dogs" was released, "Swordfishtrombones" sounded every bit as wonderful
as anything I'd ever loved by Tom Waits.
But then things got out of hand. Starting with 1987's "Frank's Wild
Years" and continuing on through 2004's "Real Gone," that latter of
which threatened to put me off Tom Waits for good, the releases became
more unlistenable, with his sandpaper voice now choosing between a moan
and a growl if we were lucky, or a megaphone if we weren't, kitchen-sink
production, that at times actually used kitchen sinks for drums, and an
overall clamor that just made the listening experience not much
different than standing next to a traffic jam on the West Side Highway,
while construction workers, each armed with jackhammers, tried digging
their way to China.
(1999's "Mule Variations" is the exception. A fine record indeed.)
This brings me to "Bad As Me," the new Tom Waits record.
We have a winner!
"Bad As Me" sounds like the record that could have come out right after
"Rain Dogs." There are still a few songs, like the openers "Talking At
The Same Time" and "Raised Right Men," for starters, that employ the
bang, screech and growl attack of the post-"Heart Attack & Vine"
Waits albums, but what makes "Bad As Me" so much better is that things
no longer "go to 11." Everything, including Tom's vocals, has been toned
down. Softened, just ever-so-slightly, if you will. And what has
returned in spades is the ability to hear the great stories in the
lyrics and the melodies that harken back to Waits' best and most
musical.
I love this record. It's the record I've been wanting Tom Waits to
release for years. Songs like "Kiss Me" and "Last Leaf," the latter sung
with Keith Richards, are slow and effective. These are ballads that hit
like a right hook. And how about these lyrics from the title track:
You’re the wreath that caught fire
You’re the preach to the choir
You bite down on the sheet
But your teeth have been wired
You skid in the rain
You’re trying to shift
You’re grinding the gears
You’re trying to shift
And you’re the same kind of bad as me
(Just a personal fave. That's all.)
"Bad As Me" is a pretty damn perfect record.
2. NICK LOWE- THE OLD MAGIC
I recently picked up a copy of Nick's "Party Of One" release on vinyl. I
don't think I ever owned this on vinyl. (Remember when we didn't have
to say "on vinyl?") I was surprised to see, thanks to the nice big print
on the 12" inner sleeve, that it was produced by Dave Edmunds, and
pretty much featured the John Hiatt "Bring The Family" dream band.
That's right. Ry Cooder, Jim Keltner, John Hiatt. Blah blah. I did not
know that.
I also realized that "Party Of One" was the true beginning of the Nick
Lowe transformation, and not 1994's "The Impossible Bird," like so many,
including yours truly, have been thinking. "Party Of One" is a bit of a
lost classic. It is a near-perfect collection, mixing up the young and
restless Nick Lowe with the older/wiser/mellowed Nick Lowe. This is a
record where you will find Nick "shting-shtanging," as well as wondering
"What's Shakin' On The Hill." "Party Of One" was the sign of things to
come.
Today, Nick Lowe releases "The Old Magic," another in a series of
absolutely resplendent records, starting with the aforementioned "Party
Of One," and continuing on with "The Convincer," "At My Age," and "Dig
My Mood," where the rock and roll legend delivers some of the most
personal and heartbreaking songs of his career.
I know some will pass on the less is more, melancholy Nick, still
holding on to the days of "So It Goes" and "Cruel To Be Kind." (I've
always wondered why the artist can age gracefully but the fan cannot.)
But songs like "Stoplight Roses," "I Read A Lot," and "Checkout Time"
come out of the box as standards. These are songs so perfectly
constructed and at times, so brutally honest, you may feel uncomfortable
enjoying someone's confession as much as you do. It is still worth your
time.
1. GLEN CAMPBELL- GHOST ON THE CANVAS
It's hard to ignore the back story. Glen Campbell has Alzheimers and he is saying goodbye. If that's not setting a table for the last supper of music, then I don't know what.
With the genius of Julian Raymond's production, and help from such musicians as Jellyfish alum Roger Manning Jr. & Jason Falkner, Chris Isaak, Brian Setzer, Wendy Melvoin, Rick Nielsen and Steve Hunter, Glen Campbell's swansong is impossibly both sad and uplifting.
Every song evokes Campbell's best work that came before "Ghost On The Canvas." Paul Westerberg's title track, Jakob Dylan's "Nothing But The Whole Wide World" and Campbell's own "Strong" and "A Thousand Lifetimes" find Campbell singing in a voice that belies his age and illness. This is a masterwork from a legend, who has accepted what he's been given, and on "A Better Place," sings of how he knows it will all be ok.
We should all be thankful for this truly stunning record.
I was a patron of Sal Nunziato's great
Manhattan music shop, NYCD, so I was thrilled when i found his blog on
the web and sorry that he's no longer updating it. For months before he
shut it down, I'd been pestering Sal to set up a forum like this one,
the idea being it would replicate in the cloud, the atmosphere in front
of Sal's shop by the tall desk behind the door. There, Sal or his
assistant would be sitting, and they'd either smirk at your purchases or
congratulate you on your taste, and as they toted up the bill, you'd
gaze longingly at the bootleg boxed sets that hung on the wall.
The front of the store was where there'd be a discussion about which
Emmit Rhodes album was better, the first or the second, or whether
Fleetwood Mac ever recovered from the loss of Peter Green, or maybe it
was about a band in town or about how little Sal would pay you for your
used cds. I miss that place, and I miss Burning Wood, so maybe we can
give it a shot here. Let's talk music, maybe review something new or
old, post a few lists and argue a few points. But a few rules. First,
keep it clean, no hitting on the breaks. Second, feel free to post a
link to any music, but please host it on your server. I didn't buy a lot
of space on this forum.
I've learned, it doesn't matter just how good something may be, or how much you come to depend on it, when it's time, nothing else seems to matter. Trust me.
It's time.
Burning Wood will be here for you to reminisce. Go grab three years worth of "Weekend Mixes." They're on me.
For now, I'm done.
Please, let's not make too much of this. Disperse. You're free to move on.
Thanks for three years. The most fun I've had...like...ever.
I was moved to compile this after a random hit on Jon Auer's gorgeous take on Bread's "Games Of Magic," which led me to Ken Stringfellow's splendid redo of Bread's "Down On My Knees."
There's your inspiration.
You may have heard some of these before. I love them all. I've included a few other Jon and Ken solo takes, as well.
Enjoy power pop legends, together and apart, Jon Auer & Ken Stringfellow, The Posies!
TRACK LIST
Star Spangled Banner (Rosanne Barr)
Jailbreak (Thin Lizzy)
Feel (Big Star)
I'm Looking Through You (The Beatles)
Never My Love (The Association)
Games Of Magic (Bread)
Smash It Up (The Damned)
Don't You Want Me (Human League)
Brief Candles (The Zombies)
Lady Friend (The Byrds)
Girls It Ain't Easy (Honey Cone)
Every Christian Lionhearted Man Will Show You (The Bee Gees)
King Midas In Reverse (The Hollies)
Swingin' Party (The Replacements)
Down On My Knees (Bread)
Richie Dagger's Crime (The Germs)
Quicksand (David Bowie)
I Am The Cosmos (Big Star)
Song Of The Baker (Small Faces)
Ooh Child (Five Stairsteps)
The Starclub CD was one of literally thousands that passed through my hands during the salad days of music retail. I can't recall why I chose to load this one into the CD player over so many others. Maybe it was the pretty colors on the cover. It certainly wasn't The Beatles' reference Stewart Mason over at AMG mentions below.
First-generation Brit-poppers Starclub should never have named
themselves after the Hamburg club where the Beatles made their name. Not
only could their fine but not world-beating guitar pop not live up to
the reference, but it also created an unrealistic point of comparison,
especially for those wanting the second coming of Merseybeat, or at
least a second La's album. Singer/guitarist Owen Vyse and guitarist
Steve French (oddly, the bassist and drummer aren't identified, although
they're shown in photos on the sleeve of the band's sole album, 1993's
Starclub) instead favor the rougher side of the '60s, as evinced by
name-checking the Pretty Things and British R&B legend Georgie
Fame's guest organ on three tracks. The single "Hard to Get" was a minor
alternative radio hit, but Starclub split up before a follow-up could
be issued. Vyse later became a touring member of the re-formed Echo and
the Bunnymen. French moved to New York and became a producer, working
with former Gin Blossoms guitarist Robin Wilson's bands the Gas Giants
and the Poppin' Wheelies. Two songs meant for Starclub's never-recorded
second album ended up on the Poppin' Wheelies' self-titled 2000 debut.
You know what? After reading that again, it still doesn't strike me that the band was making a reference to the Hamburg club where The Beatles made their bones. I know it's there in the title, but it wasn't my first thought and after listening to the CD, it wasn't a thought at all.
Still, the band's one and only CD has some fine, jangly moments, leaning more towards alt-rock than power pop.
"Call My Name" has made guest appearances on many mixes and remains a lost pop gem and my fave cut on the album.
To the point, The Beach Boys' "Smile Sessions" is worth your time and money. The Beach Boys' "Smile Sessions" might just be the best release of the year.
I'm sure I've mentioned this at some point over the last three years but I'll say it again. As much as I love "Pet Sounds," it is not my favorite Beach Boys' album. That would be "Today." And as much as I love Brian Wilson, I've never loved "Smile." Not in its legendary "lost album" days. Not the stellar sounding reconstructions. And especially not Brian's redo from 2004. Listening to the various versions of "Smile" over the last 30 or so years, I've learned to appreciate Brian Wilson's genius and vision for the project, but I never found it difficult to understand the rest of the band's trepidations or why Brian went nuts. I like parts of "Smile," but I like parts or all of so many other Beach Boys' records more.
With this new collection, anything I've ever felt has been tossed away for good. The sound and detail, the beauty of the melodies, the complexity of the vocals and arrangements, and most of all, Brian Wilson's determination and direction, all sprawled out over 5CDs, make "The Smile Sessions" a listening experience like no other.
A casual fan or listener may find it a bit daunting to see a full 78 minute CD filled with nothing but "Heroes & Villains" takes and snippets and movements. If you were thinking of putting this on your iPod and getting on the treadmill, leave now. But, if you have even a remote interest in Brian Wilson, his brothers Carl & Dennis, and the rest of the men, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, Van Dyke Parks, and the brilliant studio musicians behind this storied release, dive right in without fear.
CD 1 is the album proper, gloriously sequenced and remastered. But for me, it wasn't until discs 2 and 3, when, as one reader commented yesterday, I "eavesdropped" on Brian and the gang in session, I began to fully appreciate "Smile" as a whole. The various themes of "Heroes & Villains," the mad scientist conducting, or "conduction," as Brian puts it a number of times, as he whips all involved into the place where they can finally hear what he hears, is all present in an audio documentary that is never, not once, anything but mindblowing.
Coming off a post where I groaned about big boxes, major label greed, and the relentless repackaging of records we've all bought so many times before, I have to say, if you can find the money, this is the best of its kind. The hardcover book with detailed info on each track and its players is worth half the admission alone.
