Grant Green's "Feelin' the Spirit" is a mostly upbeat
collection of gospel tunes that actually swings at times. "Deep River" is an incredibly beautiful track that was not part of the original
1962 Blue Note release. It turned up as a bonus track on the 1987 CD
issue. It could work as a Christmas carol, a melancholy blues tune, or
the incidental music of a lonely, rainy night. All three seem fitting this time
of year. The playing by all involved is wonderfully understated and
highly affective. The vibe of
"Deep River" is quite different from the album, it needed to be a bonus track. And what
a bonus, it is. Settle into it, when you have the time. It feels like a sublime way to close out 2019; a perfect soundtrack to leave it all behind and start anew.
Thank you all for another year of wood burning. I can't do it
without you and I love doing it, so I'm grateful for all who have
supported me, my words and the music.
Health, happiness, love & kindness, to each and every one of you.
Armenia City In The Sky- The Who
Hang On Paul- Nazz
Old Times Again- Raisins In The Sun
Night Beat- Chuck Berry
All Things Must Pass- George Harrison
I Talk To The Wind (Mono)- King Crimson
Stop Hurting People- Pete Townshend
Armenia City In The Sky- The Who
The first song off of my favorite record of all time, it had to make it as the opener of a SOTW mix someday.
Hang On Paul- Nazz
This one sounded good comning out of The Who track.
Old Times Again- Raisins In The Sun
I would love to see a deluxe vinyl edition of this gem by the one and done supergroup that featured Chuck Prophet, Jim Dickinson, Harvey Brooks and the man singing lead on this track, Jules Shear.
Night Beat- Chuck Berry
This was a surprise to me. A treat I had never heard before, courtesy of iPod shuffle.
All Things Must Pass- George Harrison
The soundtrack to my Christmas Day Christmas story.
I Talk To The Wind- King Crimson
A beautiful song from the KC debut that felt good the day after Christmas. (I can't explain why, so just run with it,)
Stop Hurting People - Pete Townshend
Closing with another Pete tune, this is the beauty that opens his "All The Best Cowboys..." LP.
Woke up this morning, and put this mix together for a friend. I said, I woke up this morning, and put this mix together for a friend. I liked it so much, baby. I thought I'd share it for year's end.
SOME NOTES:
The Fleetwood mac track "Drifting" had originally been left on the cutting room floor. It is arguably Peter Green's finest solo. (I said, "arguably.")
It is Mick Taylor on guitar with Mayall for "Vacation" and this is surely one of Mick's finest moments.
"Can't Hold Out Much Longer" is Ronnie Wood's favorite Little Walter track. I think I agree.
"So Many Roads, So Many Trains" is Jimmy Page's favorite Otis Rush track. No argument here.
"Rainin' In My Heart" by Slim Harpo is one of Keith Richards' favorite songs by anyone. It's definitely one of mine.
"By The Water" is my favorite Snooks Eaglin track and has always felt like a tour of the backwoods of New Orleans in under three minutes.
"Death Don't Have No Mercy" is a bonus track on the Grateful Dead's debut. This didn't make the cut of my friend's mix, but I'm including it here because Jerry Garcia's guitar on the solo never sounded so mean.
It was difficult for me to choose just one Savoy Brown cut. Those records with Chris Youlden are truly special, but I went with "Honey Bee" because the vibe is even specialler. (Specialler?)
I opened with Mance Lipscomb because I still think about Les Blank's documentary on Lipscomb. If you have never seen it, please do yourself a favor and track it down. I bet some of you might argue after seeing the film, that Lipscomb was one of the greatest guitarists who ever played the blues. He certainly blew me away and it was that documentary that made me a fan.
The rest...well....they are all personal faves for one reason or another and I think they sound good altogether.
TRACKLIST
Shake Shake Mama- Mance Lipscomb
Mercury Blues- K.C. Douglas
Hangman- Doris Henderson
Write Me A Few Lines- Mississippi Fred McDowell
Drifting- Fleetwood Mac
Vacation- John Mayall's Bluesbreakers
Death Don't Have No Mercy- The Grateful Dead
Baby Don't Do It- The "5" Royales
Just Got To Know- Jimmy McCracklin
Honey Bee- Savoy Brown
So Many Roads, So Many Trains- Otis Rush
By the Water- Snooks Eaglin
Sweet Little Angel- Buddy Guy
How Many More Years- Howlin' Wolf
Black Cat Bone- Robert Pete Williams
Rainin' In My Heart- Slim Harpo
Can't Hold Out Much Longer- Little Walter
I Wish You Would- Billy Boy Arnold
'Bout The Break Of Day- Junior Wells
Hard Times- Ray Charles
West End Blues- Ethel Waters
Sal Sr., my grandfather, possessed an indescribable cool; a Dean
Martin poise most guys dreamed about. He was a man of few words and
rarely shared his opinions. He had the ability to keep you focused
because of what he wasn't saying and wasn't doing. I am nothing like
him.
He was over six feet tall, maybe 6' 2", and he loved to
smile. He was perpetually tan, though not in that George Hamilton way.
He claimed his skin color came "from all those days in The Philippines
during World War II." He loved the sun, and would work on that war time
tan every summer day, baking shirtless on our stoop at 552 Broome
Street, while listening to the Yankees on his then average/now hip
Norelco radio. He lived on the second floor with my grandmother, while I
resided with my mother and other grandmother on the 4th floor. I ran up
and down those stairs at 552 Broome Street 100 times a day.
He
said little, yet there was a playful, almost menacing side to his
unobtrusive personality. There was no one more patient, and no one in my
lifetime who hid their feelings the way he did. Two separate Saturday
afternoons come to mind, where Sal Sr. exhibited that patience. That cool.
There was the day my grandmother found mouse droppings in
her immaculate kitchen. My grandfather silently taped up the space under
every door in the apartment and stood watch with a broom. He sat on a
kitchen chair, on guard, broom upright like some twisted version of
"American Gothic." He lit Salem 100 after Salem 100, for what seemed
like hours, waiting for this critter to surrender from behind the
kitchen sink. He did, and the broom came down with a thwack that rattled
the entire neighborhood. My grandfather stood up, bagged the rodent,
removed the tape, and joined me for some baseball in the living room,
all without breaking a sweat or uttering a word.
Another
afternoon, he had been chopping ice in that same kitchen, while I was
watching baseball in that same living room. Suddenly, I heard some
psychotic whistling. It wasn't a tune. It was more like a message. The
pick went through his index finger. He continued to whistle as he wiped
up the blood and fixed himself up as if the kitchen was a M*A*S*H unit.
He said nothing during either of these incidents.
Our family was
large and loud, but mostly loud. It was newsworthy when one person at
our dinner table would talk while the others listened. No one ever
really listened. Sunday dinner, which began around 1:P.M., usually had
4-6, sometimes 6-8 of us around the table, competing for air time, as we
were already being drowned out by the Yankees on the living room set.
My grandfather's television and stereo went to eleven long before Spinal
Tap.
A typical meal would start politely, with food carefully
passed around with manners we'd somehow pull out of a hat for 30 seconds
at a time. Then, as if plotting the sabotage since the week prior, my
grandmother would come to bat like Joe Pepitone, eager to hit one out
of the park. She'd bring up some inappropriate subject for the dinner
table, usually about money or another relative. This would rile my
father. Then I'd chime in, usually with the old stand-by missive,
"you're missing my point," even when I hadn't any. In record time, this
faux-Waltons get together was a din of demented barking, with points
being made to no one.
All the time this was taking place, my
grandfather would continue to reach for the meatballs, dip his bread in
the sauce, and eat, saying nothing, yet smirking as if something was up
his sleeve. Something usually was. He'd push his chair back, stand up,
and start whistling. He always whistled some non-descript tune while he
"worked." He walked 10 paces to his den, turned on the stereo and
dropped the needle on one of his favorites, "The Drifters' Golden Hits,"
and cranked it loud enough to drown us and the Yankees out. This would
make my father laugh, which would make me laugh, which would make my
grandmother shout out, "YOU'RE ALL BASTARDS!'
Ahh...Sunday.
Another one of my grandfather's quietly sinister moves happened during
the Christmas season of 1970. He was an executive at a paper company,
and every winter holiday season, he would bring home a daily supply of
beautifully wrapped gifts, mostly boxed liquor bottles given to him by
co-workers and clients. My job, once we put up his tree and set up the
Lionel trains, (which almost always never worked, as the transformer
would inevitably burn out from a tinsel short on the first go around)
was to arrange the bottles and other wrapped goodies under it. That
year, just a few weeks earlier in November, George Harrison's 3 LP boxed
set "All Things Must Pass" was released. This was all I focused on that
holiday season. That was all I really wanted for Christmas, or any
other day, for that matter.
I must point out, I was not a patient
kid. By the 18th of December, I'd start sleeping less. I was sweating
in below zero temperatures. I couldn't eat. The excitement of the
holiday, not to mention a new Beatles' related album, was enough to
drive me out of my skin. This in turn, would drive all in my presence,
out of theirs. Still I pressed on, every evening, waiting for my
grandfather to come home from work with the bottles. The ritual
continued until the night that turned my Burl Ives' Christmas into a
long-term, seasonal twitch.
My grandfather came home with a half
dozen bottles and a box that measured about 12"x12". (That was the right
size, I thought.) I just knew it was "All Things Must Pass." He
handed it to me with that same smirk he sported right before the
whistling. So I asked, "This is the George Harrison album, right?" He
corrected me, "No, Salvatore. It's a box of handkerchiefs from Betty."
(Betty was his secretary. And yes, he called me Salvatore.) He smirked
again. I'm sure I laughed some nervously forced guffaw as I held back the tears.
"No it isn't. Right? It's my record, right?" My grandmother bellowed
from the kitchen, "SAL! WILL YOU NOT TORTURE HIM PLEASE?" He just smiled
wide and told me to place it with the rest of the gifts under the tree.
I did not relent. As a matter of fact, for the next two days, if I was
my kid, I would have put me out on the street, with a sign around my
neck that said, "Take him. Good luck." Every hour, I would try to reason
with him as only an unreasonable child could. "You know, it's just one I
want to open. Just that one gift...so I could listen to it. Then I
wouldn't be bothering you. See? That makes sense, right Grandpa? Hello?
Grandpa?"
It's the 23rd of December, and I was in a zone. I sat
in front of the tree, staring at that box, in a "blink, or you'll miss
it" mode, like I was waiting to catch a glimpse of The Yeti.
"Please just that one! Just that one!" He laughed and insisted, "Salvatore, they are handkerchiefs."
"SAL! WILL YOU LEAVE HIM ALONE? LET HIM OPEN IT! I CAN'T TAKE THIS!"
(My grandmother again)
I am pretty sure by now I was hyperventilating. "No...sob..no...it's...sob...it's the Harrison album...sob." My grandfather laughed, gave me a perfunctory head pat and started
whistling. He reached for the box and handed it to me. He said nothing.
He just smirked as I tore the wrapper off in one pull, like a pair of
velcro parachute pants.
It was handkerchiefs.
I did get "All Things Must Pass" on Christmas morning. I got over the trauma of Christmas 1970 in 2003.
Hiya Friends and Fans! We've got a new single out! We can't wait for
you to hear it. Dial it up, give it a spin, share it and share it again! Hell, maybe even BUY IT!
Thanks for listening!
Merry Christmas from The John Sally Ride:
Sal Nunziato- Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
Sal Maida- Bass
Joe Pampel- Lead & Rhythm Guitars
John Dunbar- Vocals, Guitars, and Keyboards
Pleasant Valley Sunday- the Monkees
Don't Talk To Strangers- Beau Brummels
Guitar & Pen- The Who
I'm A Loser- UFO
Yeah Man!- Eddie Hinton
Fight Fire- Southern Culture On The Skids
Do I Make Myself Clear- Etta James & Sugar Pie DeSanto
Four of the seven songs here are from albums that I recently picked up in a collection, and so of course, they made the cut. The Monkees and Beau Brummels tracks are songs that I have always loved. The Eddie Hinton track is from "Very Extremely Dangerous," the best Otis Redding album Otis never made. And how about that Etta & Sugar Pie duet? Why wasn't that a huge hit?
It's been Who Mania lately, thanks to the wonderful new record, and one friend mentioned how the overall sound of "WHO" is a lot like the "Who Are You" record. I agree, and "Guitar & Pen" is a fave from that record.
The SCOTS cover of the Golliwogs is one of 15 excellent covers on their "Countrypolitan Favorites" record. If you've never heard it, I urge you to do so toot sweet. Bluegrass "Happy Jack?" Yessir! When you're through here, go there.
I've been on a UFO kick as of late. A very different kind of hard rock band and this track from "No Heavy Petting" is a fave.
Back in February of this year, Blue Note Records began a series of audiophile releases called the "Tone Poet" series, records from the Blue Note catalogue that cover lesser-known classics and modern-era standouts, all lovingly analog mastered by the amazing Kevin Gray. I read a review of one of the titles, "Contours" by Sam Rivers, and decided to give it a shot. Rivers' Blue Note debut, "Fuchsia Swing Song," is one of my favorite jazz records of all time. "Contours," a 1965 session, was new to me and features Rivers, Ron Carter, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Chambers and what I believe is the very first Blue Note appearance of a kid named Herbie Hancock. To the point, the session killed me, the sound quality of the LP was superb and the packaging was in a word, stunning.
Now this will annoy some of you but, there is something about this series and all I've mentioned above, that just wouldn't do it for me digitally. It's the whole experience of the package, the smell of the vinyl, the needle drop and the warm analog sound. Plus, it's a series. Like baseball cards. Buy one at a time. Collect them all. I still think this whole record collecting thing is fun and what loving music is all about.
Needless to say, I've been in a mood. A Blue Note jazz mood. There is a sound and style that differs from say, an Impulse session or a Riverside session. I thought I'd put together a Weekend Mix of some personal faves. Sadly, I don't have any of the Tone Poet series in my digital catalogue, so none of those releases are included.
I do think what I've chosen for this mix will make some of you very happy. I don't talk about jazz enough on these pages. That is a choice. Partly because, the rare occasions when I have, response was worse than usual. But also, I don't feel I can write about jazz with the same confidence as I do rock and roll. Maybe that will change in 2020, especially if the response to this mix is more than crickets. I hope many of you take a chance and give this mix a spin. Maybe you only think it wouldn't be for you. And once again may I stress, if you still love vinyl and you love the Blue Note catalogue, dig in to this Tone Poet series. It's the bees knees. By audiophile vinyl standards, the records are not expensive. I just jumped
for my next title, Lou Donaldson's "Mr Shing A Ling" for $22.
(CORRECTION: Sam Rivers "Contours" was not Herbie Hancock's first Blue Note appearance. His first was another record in the Tone Poet series, Donald Byrd's "Chant" from 1961. I knew I read it somewhere.)
(I couldn't decide on a Blakey track, so there are two.)
TRACK LIST
April In Paris- Thad Jones
The All Seeing Eye- Wayne Shorter
Un Poco Loco- Bud Powell
Sister Sadie- Horace Silver
I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry- Dexter Gordon
The Surrey With The Fringe On Top- Sonny Rollins
Like Someone In Love- Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
Undercurrent- Kenny Drew
Softly As In A Morning Sunrise- Larry Young
A Night In Tunisia- Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers
“Although I had heard about the destruction that accompanied My
Generation, to witness it on stage was another thing altogether. I
realized that, unlike almost every other band, with The Who, you
couldn’t figure out who to look at. Every member was a show unto himself
and when they essentially destroyed themselves on stage —several times a
day—it made it impossible for any act to follow them. Ironically, I
learned more about the roots of rock music and how it should be
performed from The Who in five minutes than I had ever seen any white
people stake a legitimate claim to that wasn’t stolen directly from
black music."
- Todd Rundgren
I guess it would make more sense to post "My Generation," but I like this better.
Rolling Stone gave the Beastie Boys' "Paul's Boutique" a four-star review in 1989, saying the Beasties "reinvent the turntable and are here to stay."
All Music gives it five stars and says, "Lyrically, the Beasties
have never been better -- not just because their jokes are razor-sharp,
but because they construct full-bodied narratives and evocative
portraits of characters and places. Few pop records offer this much to
savor, and if "Paul's Boutique" only made a modest impact upon its initial release, over time its
influence could be heard through pop and rap, yet no matter how its
influence was felt, it stands alone as a record of stunning vision,
maturity, and accomplishment. Plus, it's a hell of a lot of fun, no
matter how many times you've heard it"
Many call it the greatest hip-hop record of all time. I agree. I like calling it the "Sgt. Pepper" of rap records.
If you are not a fan, I am not here to change your mind about the genre or the Beastie Boys. I've tried that in the past. I only wish that those who decry "Paul's Boutique" had listened to it first.
The video here is 14 minutes long. That's about 1/4 of the length of
"Paul's Boutique." It shows every sample used in the making of this 80's
masterpiece. If your argument remains that sampling is stealing, then I guess there is nothing to see or hear here. And actually, I'm not sure this is a good idea anyway. It's like trying to convince someone "The Godfather" is one of the greatest movies ever made by showing a 15 minute clip of highlights out of context.
"Paul's Boutique" never fails to blow me away. It is a miraculous work of art. The ability to create a cohesive patchwork of sound from hundreds of musical and vocal snippets is a monumental undertaking. If you are at all interested in "Paul's Boutique" after what I've just written, might I suggest giving the video above a spin. But then, please, if you cannot find it in your soul to play the album in its entirety, take a song or two that may have perked your ears up with the samples provided, for solo rides. Context is everything.
I have been living with the new Who record for almost two weeks now. During this time, I have had a number of discussions with both fans of the band and those who claim to be fans of the band. Some fans, like myself, are loving the new music, excited by the fact that fifty years on, any music of substance and quality exists at all. One friend called "WHO" a "real grower." Another expressed it this way, "I am grateful any time an artist that means something to me makes a late-period good album." It wasn't all cuddly. One comment from another "fan" of the band stated that "no one needs to be listening to new Who music." (What does that even mean?) Another dismissed the new music with the old standby, "The band hasn't made a good record since Who's Next." I mentioned all of this to yet another friend, someone who is indeed a true blue fan and a person who I've respected for a very long time. His thoughts: "I'd call myself a fan, but I don't embrace all their music. Those others making those comments are not fans. They are cynics." Of course.
I don't embrace all of The Who's music. As much as I don't like "Face Dances" and "It's Hard," I have been listening to music long enough to know, it wasn't Kenney Jones' fault that Pete wrote some shitty songs and Bill Szymczyk made "Face Dances" sound like "One Of These Nights." Even those two lousy records have at least three or four solid songs, which is approximately two more than most records these days. Let me offer this breakdown that I've come to believe from years of experience that includes a quick estimate of 65,000 hours of retail time-- Anyone claiming to be a fan of The Who who dismisses "The Who By Numbers" as garbage either hasn't listened to the record or is not a fan of the band. Many claim that "Tommy" is overrated. A good number think that "A Quick One" is a weak follow-up to the maximum R&B that was "My Generation."
Far too many "just don't get" "The Who Sell Out." "Quadrophenia" is bloated. Everything with Kenney Jones sucks. So what we have here are people claiming to be fans of The Who who really are only fans of "Who's Next." And I guarantee, there are a few pain in the ass contrarians poised and ready to call "Who's Next" crap, as well, while they try to be extra special by citing "Live At Leeds" as "the only Who record worth listening to." I can take this sideways and discuss The Who and their record breaking amount of farewell tours. This seems to piss off the same people who think we don't "need to be listening to new Who music," and maybe, even some real fans.
"Fuck The Who and their corporate greed! It's not the Who without The Ox and Moon!"
I get it. I've attended a dozen farewells and comebacks since 1989. Some were fair. But many were wonderful, including this recent "Moving On" tour. Yet, some of these people have no issue with the Rolling Stones, a band that "hasn't made a good record since Some Girls," who have released more mediocre records in just the last 30 years than The Who have released in their career, and who charge a face value of almost $500 to hear the same ten songs but justify it because of the occasional bones thrown, like "She's A Rainbow" or, thank heavens, "Saint Of Me." But I digress. "WHO" is a fantastic collection of songs, with terrific singing and playing. That it was created by two men who have created better music, earlier in their careers, should not be a factor in your decision. That The Who still want to play live music and play it well, should not be a bad thing, not when Todd Rundgren, Jason Scheff, Mickey Dolenz, Joey Molland, Christopher Cross and E.G. Marshall as "The Mayor" are touring "The White Album."
Little Willie- Berna-Dean
Trust In Me- Siouxsie & The Banshees
Dony- Big Star
Bright Light Girl- Heart
Mope-itty Mope- The Boss-Tones
Microphone Fiend- Rage Against The Machine
Mississippi Moon- Kings X
Little Willie- Berna-Dean
I turned my friend Allen on to the A-side of this single, "I Walk In My Sleep," one my very favorite records. He then turned me on to the B-side when he played "Little Willie" on his radio show "All That Gumbo," heard on Fridays at 4PM, on WIOX. Both songs make one great Dave Bartholomew/Berna-Dean 45. Trust In Me- Siouxsie & The Banshees
From the excellent covers collection "Through The Looking Glass" where Siouxsie & The Banshees reinterpret songs by Television, Iggy Pop, Sparks, John Cale and this gem from Disney's "The Jungle Book."
Dony- Big Star
This track comes from Big Star's semi-reunion with the Posies, "In Space." It just got a vinyl reissue, and I just got around to spinning it. A very underrated record.
Bright Light Girl- Heart
From Ann & Nancy's not too successful "Private Audition" record, this, I believe was the first single. I don't think I have heard it in 30 years and I don't have a clue as to why it came to mind.
Mope-itty Mope- The Boss-Tones
Why the hell not?
Microphone Fiend- Rage Against The Machine
And speaking of covers collections, RATM's "Renegades Of Funk" is probably not for everyone. I am pretty sure our pal Steve over at Power Pop despises what the band did with "Street Fighting Man." I don't mind it, but I'll admit, it isn't a highlight on this hard, loud collection. Bruce loved what they did with "The Ghost Of Tom Joad" enough to ask Tom Morello to play guitar with the E Street Band for some shows. And I love just about everything else, including this take on the Eric B. & Rakim, hip-hop classic.
Mississippi Moon- Kings X
Hard rock? Heavy Metal? Beatles harmonies? Jazz Chords? Progressive time signatures? Check, check, checkity check. That's Kings X. Here's one of the more straight forward, Beatle-esque tunes.
Hey
there cutes, put on your Basie boots! Or if you choose, sit miserably
in the corner and listen to "Watertown." Either way, it's Frankie's
104th. Drink some Jack and go smack somebody.
If You Think You're Hurting Me- Micheal Smotherman
Into Miami- John Barry
Kinda Dukish- Jason Moran
Teasin' Brown- North Mississippi All Stars
Spunky Onions- Johnny Adams
Dearest- Dotty & Bunny
Life On Mars- Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
zip If You Think You're Hurting Me- Micheal Smotherman
I discovered Micheal Smotherman in 1982. You can read about that night over here. Micheal Smotherman passed away earlier this week and of course, I just needed to listen his amazing album. Into Miami- John Barry
This is a great little piece of music found at the very beginning of "Goldfinger" when Bond lands in Miami. It sounds good coming out of or going into anything.
Kinda Dukish- Jason Moran
This was a random play. I had been scrolling, looking for something else and saw this. I hadn't heard Moran's "Black Stars" album since it came out in 2001, and as I said right above, this seemed to be perfect out of "Into Miami."
Teasin' Brown- North Mississippi All Stars
An elusive vinyl copy of my favorite album by NMAS finally made its way into my hands this week. This is a track from "Electric Blue Watermelon." Spunky Onions- Johnny Adams
From New Orleans, "The Tan Canary," Johnny Adams, and a track that is a bit off the usual soul and jazz Adams is known for. Only heard this for the first time this week. Found it on a cool collection of deep soul shakers called "Whip! Wobble! & Grind!" Dearest- Dotty & Bunny
I've seen this track credited to Dotty & Bunny, Don Drummond and The Skatalites. All three versions are exactly the same. It doesn't matter who it might be, I'll take'em all. I love this early rock steady take of one of my favorite Buddy Holly tunes.
Life On Mars- Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross
Released this week, this Bowie cover from the "Watchmen" series is hauntingly beautiful and a nice way to close out this week's SOTW.
The list isn't in any order. I'm too much of a chicken to call any one, let alone all 22 "the best of 2019." There are too many records out there. These are the records...that aren't "The Who Sell Out"...that I've played the most this year. My favorites. They are separated into halves: the bottom half and the top half. I think you can figure that out. But if you can't, I love the Bottom 11 and I really, really love the Top 11.
BOTTOM 11
(in no particular order)
V/A- RED, GOLD, GREEN AND BLUE
The mastermind and curator of this absolutely wonderful collection of reggae legends covering the blues is Zak Starkey. Mykal Rose, Robbie Shakespeare, Andrew Tosh, Freddie McGregor and Toots Hibbert all appear, delivering truly inspiring performances of songs you might think you're tired of hearing. But this record is special, for Toots & The Maytals version of Peter Green's classic, "Man Of The World" alone.
VAN MORRISON- THREE CHORDS & THE TRUTH
"Scorecards! Get your scorecards! Can't tell a new Van Morrison album from another without yer scorecards!" I think the number is six. Six Van Morrison albums in the last three years! But I am not going to let that get in the way of my pleasure. They've been solid. Scouts honor. Starting with 2016's "Keep Me Singing" and finishing up with "Three Chords & The Truth," Van's brilliant vocal phrasing sounds as if he is at the top of his game and while each of his last four double albums contained covers of standards and reworkings of Van originals, "Three Chords" is all Van and for now, it is my favorite of the lot.
LEYLA MCCALLA- THE CAPITALIST BLUES
Leyla McCalla was the cellist in the Carolina Chocolate Drops and in 2010, she moved to New Orleans, to hone her craft on the streets of the French Quarter. Her 2016 solo debut was terrific, but she really hits the mark on "The Capitalist Blues." McCalla covers a lot of musical ground here--- Bessie Smith blues, upbeat Cajun swing, Haitian rhythms and more, all with that special New Orleans flavor. And the playing is superb. "The Capitalist Blues" is pure joy from head to tail.
LUCILLE FURS-ANOTHER LAND
Every note on "Another Land" sounds as if it received nods of approval from a panel consisting of Syd Barrett, Marc Bolan, Rod Argent and Ray Davies. Not bad for some kids from Chicago, Illinois. This is Lucille Furs second record and I loved it more and more with each spin. "Another Land" does not feel like parody. Retro bands can flop miserably, simply for trying too hard to be like their heroes. Lucille Furs rises above that by writing solid songs. Great stuff!
THE RAILS- CANCEL THE SUN
Loyal readers will know by now that I love The Rails. Their debut, "Fair Warning" was my favorite record of the year for two years in a row. That's how much I loved that record. "Cancel The Sun" is their third, and Kami Thompson (daughter of Richard & Linda) and husband, Pretenders guitarist James Walbourne have expanded their musical horizons a bit further from the British folk of their debut. The sublime harmonies are still there. While some of the harder rocking tunes don't quite work for me, "Cancel The Sun" has one of the most perfect Side Twos in recent memory, including my favorite song of the year, by anyone, "Something Is Slipping My Mind."
LUTHER RUSSELL- MEDIUM COOL
It can be argued that Big Star is one of the most influential bands in the history of music. Amazing, considering their limited output and short life span. And while labels continue to clear out the vaults of every burp and grunt created by the band, and young bands, power pop or not, cite Chilton and Bell as heroes, Luther Russell somehow managed to nail the Big Star sound on "Medium Cool," a collection of originals that admittedly sounds a little too much like that band. But Russell does it so well, I don't care. If you can't have the real thing, "Medium Cool" does the trick better than anything else.
JEFF LYNNE'S ELO- FROM OUT OF NOWHERE
Yes, it contains a song that sounds like Roy Orbison. And a song that sounds like The Beatles. And another song that sounds like Roy Orbsion. And a few that sound like ELO. But, so what? When you can create perfect pop tunes and sing and harmonize as well as Jeff Lynne, I'll take it any day of the week. Lynne deserves this late career revival as much as anyone and the ten songs on "From Out Of Nowhere" make me very happy.
CHUCK MEAD- CLOSE TO HOME
The first time I heard Chuck Mead I didn't realize it was Chuck Mead.
The tune was "Little Ramona's Gone Hillbilly Nuts" by BR5-49, a song I
fell in love with back in 1996 and still love madly now, and Chuck Mead
was singing it. Then,
back in June, a friend posted a tune from a new album by Chuck Mead. I listened and loved it,
still not realizing he was in BR5-49. I bought his new record "Close To Home," and listened and loved it! "Close To Home" is a fantastic album recorded in Nashville and released
on Plowboy Records. Give these tracks a spin. Chuck Mead is a great
writer, smart, occasionally hilarious, and always sincere. The songs
have just the right amount of twang versus pop, which makes it easy to love and hard to pigeonhole.
LAKOU MIZIK- HAITIANOLA
"Lakou Mizik is a powerhouse collective of Haitian musicians united in a mission to use the healing spirit of music to communicate a message of pride, strength, and hope for their country." That is taken directly from their website. I would have known nothing about this new record, "HaitiaNola" if not for my friend Michael Giltz who is aware of my love of New Orleans and gave me a heads up on the special guests helping out Lakou Mizik. Jon Cleary, Trombone Shorty, Cyril Neville, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Leyla McCalla, The Soul Rebels and more offer their love and chops on this truly joyous and infectious collection of music.
THE JAY VONS- THE WORD
I just wrote about this record a few days ago, and it's been spinning ever since. At long last, a full length from this retro soul band, who make you forget from the first minute of song one, that this record is brand new. Before I go on, let me say this about The Jay Vons, Daptone Records,
Crytopvision Records and the entire family, immediate and extended, of
musicians and singers doing the whole retro soul thang. It ain't all
good. At times, I find it gimmicky and a bit forced. All style, no
subtance. Taking advantage of a recording technique and creating records
that almost sound vintage is fun for awhile, until you realize, there
are far too many real things out there, A-listers through D-listers,
"chitlin circuit" players who 50 and 60 years later are still paying
their dues playing small town stomps, doing two and three tunes a night
along with a dozen other might-have-beens on the line-up. It makes it
hard, at least for me, to get behind some bridge and tunnel kids, holed
up in a Brooklyn studio making fake soul records. But it's not all like that. Sharon Jones was the shit. And so are The Jay Vons.
BRITTANY HOWARD-JAIME
As you may (or may not) recall, I did not drink the Alabama Shakes kool aid. Yet, I was completely sold on Brittany Howard's first single "History Repeats." Thankfully, the rest of the record did not disappoint. "Jaime" reminds me of the best experiments of Prince, Sly Stone and even Miles Davis. This album unfolds nicely and is best listened to as a whole. A solid release and a lot fresher than Howard's work with the Shakes.
AND NOW....
THE TOP 11
(in no particular order)
THE WHO- WHO
Not in a million, trillion years would I have expected to love a new Who record as much as I love "WHO." Is it "The Who Sell Out?" Of course not. Nothing is, damnit! NOTHING IS! Is it "Who's Next?" No, not even close. But it is truly wonderful, because of what it isn't and that is trying too hard. This is a collection of solid Pete Townshend songs, played with mature restraint, and sung by one of the greatest voices in rock and roll, Roger Daltrey. There are just enough elements of The Who you've grown to love scattered throughout, and when you notice them, the record gets even better. I am both thrilled and relieved by "WHO."
RICKIE LEE JONES- KICKS
The first of three covers albums to appear in my Top 11, "Kicks" finds Miss Rickie Lee Jones surrounded by some of New Orleans elite for a collection of what seems like a random collection of tunes...until you listen to the album. Songs by Bad Company, America, Steve Miller, Benny Goodman, Skeeter Davis and Elton John all sound wonderful and fresh, thanks to arrangements that take a chance. And Rickie Lee's one and only vocal delivery is as strong as ever. This record will not bore you. "Kicks" is what a covers record should be.
WILCO- ODE TO JOY
This one took some time, and seeing these songs performed live certainly helped matters, but "Ode To Joy" is not a record to be taken lightly. And if you are a fan of Wilco, you owe it to yourself and to Jeff Tweedy and company to live with this record. Forget the current state of streaming, playlists, YouTubing and Facebook DJ-ing, and think back to some of the greatest days and nights of your life, ripping open the shrink on a new album and listening to it over and over until you could afford to buy another. THAT is how to listen to music and that is how "Ode To Joy" became one of my favorite records of the year.
BINKY PHILIPS & THE PLANETS- ESTABLISHED 1972 NYC
"Established 1972, NYC" is the debut from The Planets, who have have been around the block and
back. This is a band that was all over
the NYC rock and punk scene in the 70's; a band that came this
close...I'm holding my thumb and forefinger about 1/2" apart...to
signing a major label deal; a band that skillfully used their almost
fifty years of chops and created an original record with both grime and
finesse, in a brilliant, fast fucking assault that clocks in at just a
second or two under 30 minutes. This is my kind of record! Your fearless leader of all this is Binky Philips, who manages to sound
fresh while still serving up his best "Live At Leeds" Pete Townshend and
"Anderson Theatre" Jimmy Page on his guitar. This album is relentless
with its earworms. One listen to "Goodbye To All That," and you're done.
You'll be singing the refrain for hours. The very best thing about
"Established 1972 NYC" is that it evokes the best parts of your heroes
without an obvious reveal. The ten original songs are utterly and
completely Planets songs and I am finding it hard to choose a favorite,
though the groove laid out by Bobby Siems on the album closer, "Wear Out
The Grooves" is to die for. (What can I say? I'm a drummer. I hear
drums first!)
JOEL PATERSON- LET IT BE GUITAR!
The second of three covers records in my Top 11 is from guitarist extraordinaire Joel Paterson. I know, I know. We need a Beatles covers record in 2019 like we need a hot Vicks enema. But dagblummit, when the playing is this spectacular, and the melodies are this good, and the arrangements are this smart, I say, "Bring on the Vicks!"
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN- WESTERN STARS
Haters gonna hate. That's okay. I'm guilty of it, too. But I can't hate "Western Stars" because I love music too much. If you're still sitting around waiting for another "Rosalita," you are gonna die in your beach chair. But if you want to hear one of America's greatest storytellers age gracefully while taking you to yet more new places, at least for him, listen to The Boss on "Western Stars." It's a stunning, sweeping collection of songs evoking your favorite AM hits of the 70's and more. Well done, sir. A real beauty.
ALISON MOORER- BLOOD
Alison Moorer has been making records for years, but most have been lost
on me. She has a wonderful voice and she can certainly write a song.
But it wasn't until her collaboration of covers with her sister Shelby
Lynne, 2017's "Not Dark Yet," that I got on board. I wish I could tell
you the precise reason why 20 years of prior recording failed to pique
my interest. But I can't. Wrong place, wrong time, I guess. Now seems to be the right time, as her new release, "Blood," the
companion to her memoir of the same name, has really shaken me up.
Moorer's not so secret life includes among other things, a divorce from
husband Steve Earle, and of course, the 1986 murder-suicide of her
parents, both of which I imagine take up more than a few pages in the
book. While I plan on reading the memoir, until then, "Blood," the
album, gets heavy rotation, thanks to some truly amazing songs, like
the beautifully heartbreaking "I'm The One To Blame," a song with lyrics written by her father and found in a box, or "All I Wanted (Thanks Anyway)," a song Jagger &
Richards have been trying to write since 1975.
ANDY BURROWS & MATT HAIG- REASONS TO STAY ALIVE
Best selling author Matt Haig's 2015 memoir "Reasons To Stay Alive,"
about living with severe depression is now the subject of a musical
collaboration with singer/songwriter and Razorlight drummer Andy
Burrows. Released earlier this year, "Reasons To Stay Alive," the album,
is a stunning, moving and completely musical collection of songs that
manages to be both joyful and uplifting despite the subject matter. An NME review of the album, mentions both Queen and Elton John as
influences, but aside from the occasional layered harmonies and the
presence of a piano, I don't really hear either. What I hear is a
perfectly crafted set of adult songs and smart yet restrained
production. There is certainly a 70's feel to "Reasons To Stay Alive,"
but to say it resembles any one artist would be selling it short.
THE CLAYPOOL LENNON DELIRIUM- SOUTH OF REALITY
For a short time in 1991, I got a kick out of Primus, the offbeat
punk/funk/in-joke trio led by the interminably obnoxious Les Claypool. I
particularly loved "Tommy The Cat," a song highlighted by a killer Tom
Waits cameo. For an even shorter time, I thought I enjoyed Sean Lennon's
attempts at making indie music, but quickly grew bored. Then, my friend
sends me the video for "Blood & Rockets," a new single (!) from The
Claypool Lennon Delirium, taken from their second release "South Of
Reality" and suddenly I am no longer offended by Claypool's sophomoric
sense of humor and no longer bored with Mr. Lennon. Quite the contrary! "South Of Reality" is a smart, exciting, well-played, and admittedly,
somewhat out of control mix of Pepper-era Beatles, Barrett-era Floyd,
and all the listenable bits from your favorite psych and prog records.
It has more than a few kitchen sinks, but always keeps you engaged by
never forgetting to toss in a great hook or melody with everything else. This one is consistently entertaining, something that becomes increasingly more difficult to say.
MICHAEL MONROE- ONE MAN GANG
Whether with his influential punk and glam outfit Hanoi Rocks, or the
various bands he's led over the years, like Demolition 23 and Jerusalem
Slim, or the solo albums he's released with help from Ian Hunter, Little
Steven Van Zandt, Steve Stevens. and members of both the Dead Boys and
the Damned, Michael Monroe has been consistent. He loves rock and roll.
And even if you can't easily find every one of his post-Hanoi Rocks
records, take it from me, each and every one is full of hard rocking and
hook-filled gems. Now comes, "One Man Gang," what might be his best record since 1994's
"Demolition 23." This one explodes out of the gate and never lets up.
There are no electronic experiments, no trendy duets, no autotune. This
is pure, unadulterated rock and roll, and Michael Monroe, now nearing
60, is singing better than ever. Every track has a chorus to die for, with most of the songs written or
co-written by NYC's Steve Conte and Sorry & The Sinatras guitarist
Rich Jones, who also produced "One Man Gang." It wouldn't be a stretch
to compare Monroe's attack to Bruce Springsteen. Just substitute a few
key locations and turn the guitars up a little, or in some cases, a lot
louder, and you will hear the similarities. I know I do.
THE DOUGHBOYS- RUNNING FOR COVERS
The last of my covers albums in my Top 11 is from Plainfield, New Jerseys' The Doughboys.
On paper, "Running For Covers" bored me. I did not want or need more
versions of "96 Tears" and "Solitary Man." But at the insistence of our
friend and occasional contributor Jeff K, I decided to keep the peace
and give "Running For Covers" a focused spin. And then, I played it
again. And again. And again. Thanks, Jeff K. You're not such a bad cat,
after all. What makes this collection of cover versions stand out from so many
others is the pure joy that seems to be sweating profusely from each
minute of each song. It's not just another cover of Mose Allison's "Your
Mind Is On Vacation." It's "Your Mind Is On Vacation" reimagined as
"Tobacco Road." It's not just a nervy cover of The Band classic "The
Shape I'm In." It's "The Shape I'm In" turned into a bashing rocker that
somehow manages to sound both 80's-era MTV ready and "Exile"-era
Stones. Or how about "Rock On" the David Essex hit that made me want to
throw a hardball at the radio every time Ron Lundy played it, that now
sounds like a lost garage nugget. The Doughboys have been around the block and back, with their first two
singles for Bell Records coming out in 1967. Both of those singles have
been upgraded for "Running For Covers," "Rhoda Mendelbaum" and my
favorite track on the record, a deep Four Seasons cut called "Everybody
Knows My Name," which was buried on Side Two of "Working My Way Back To
You" and found Frankie Valli trying and failing to channel his inner
Dylan. Even The Doughboys 1967 version tries to out-Zim, Zimmy, but here
on "Running For Covers" the acoustic guitars and harmonies owe more to
The Byrds doing Dylan and it is tailor made for these boys.
THE TOP 22 OF 2019
Alison Moorer- Blood
Andy Burrows & Matt Haig- Reasons To Stay Alive
Binky Philips & The Planets- Established 1972 NYC
Brittany Howard- Jaime
Bruce Springsteen- Western Stars
Chuck Mead- Close To Home
The Claypool Lennon Delirium- South Of Reality
The Doughboys- Running For Covers
The Jay Vons- The Word
Jeff Lynne's ELO- From Out Of Nowhere
Joel Paterson- Let It Be Guitar!
Lakou Mizik- HaitiaNola
Leyla McCalla- The Capitalist Blues
Lucille Furs- Another World
Luther Russell- Medium Cool
Michael Monroe- One Man Gang
The Rails- Cancel The Sun
Red, Gold, Green & Blue
Rickie Lee Jones- Kicks
Van Morrison- Three Chords & The Truth
The Who-WHO
Wilco- Ode To Joy
Many moons ago, when I had first discovered and fell in love with Robert Palmer's "Sneakin' Sally Thru The Alley" and "Pressure Drop" records, I decided to check out his previous work with bands like Vinegar Joe and The Alan Bown. I don't recall being impressed with either at the time. I wanted more like the aforementioned records and neither delivered.
Many years later, I fell in love with The Alan Bown's debut "Outward Bown," a 1967 British classic of a branch of psychedelia called "toytown pop," and a record that neither features Robert Palmer or sounds like something Palmer would be singing in any lifetime. Lead vocals were being sung by a young and soulful Jess Roden, even though the music had no resemblance to soul music of any kind. As a matter of fact, the more I tbought I about it, I don't recall ever hearing a note of music by The Alan Bown that sounded like it had been Robert Palmer singing.
Many moons back, no internet. Today, internet. But first...
This weekend I picked up a 1969 self-titled record by The Alan Bown, with Robert Palmer's picture displayed in the gatefold. I listened to it and it sounded nothing at all like The Alan Bown found on 1967's psych pop debut. Nor, like Robert Palmer. What the hell? This was not a British pop record. This felt more like some magical mix of Traffic via Procol Harum recorded in Philadelphia.
To wind all this up after some Google searches, Jess Roden left after recording the second album, the one I picked up this weekend. Robert Palmer took over and re-recorded all of the vocals. BUT...the Palmer vocals only appeared on the U.K. pressing. The U.S. edition, the one I bought, though sporting Palmer's face on the inside, still had Roden's vocals. By the third album, 1971's "Listen," the sound of the band changed even more, Palmer left right before its release and is only featured on one track, with the rest being handled by new addition, Gordon Neville.
Three albums, three singers, various pressings, as I said earlier, what the hell?
I hope you are even slightly intrigued by all of this.
The two tracks above are from the U.K., Palmer sung edition of the 1969 follow-up to the 1967 debut, which is represented by two songs below. I am now in love with both albums and completely in awe of how much different a band can sound within a year. Now, I must find the U.K. copy of the second album, the Robert Palmer vocals, to go along with the U.S. version, with Jess Roden's vocals.
It's been almost ten years since I received The Jay Vons debut single,"Maybe I Loved You" as a birthday present. I loved everything about it and waited patiently for the full length...but it never came. Then, a new single...in 2013. Finally, I thought, a full length is on the way. But...no. Two more singles, one in 2015 and another in 2017 and still, I did not own a Jay Vons long player...until now.
"The Word" has finally arrived.
Before I go on, let me say this about The Jay Vons, Daptone Records, Crytopvision Records and the entire family, immediate and extended, of musicians and singers doing the whole retro soul thang. It ain't all good. At times, I find it gimmicky and a bit forced. All style, no subtance. Taking advantage of a recording technique and creating records that almost sound vintage is fun for awhile, until you realize, there are far too many real things out there, A-listers through D-listers, "chitlin circuit" players who 50 and 60 years later are still paying their dues playing small town stomps, doing two and three tunes a night along with a dozen other might-have-beens on the line-up. It makes it hard, at least for me, to get behind some bridge and tunnel kids, holed up in a Brooklyn studio making fake soul records.
But it's not all like that. Sharon Jones was the shit. And so are The Jay Vons.
That's my rant.
Now give a listen to some tunes from the new record. Ten years is a long time to wait, but The Jay Vons did not disappoint.
