Cal Everett has just released his first solo record, "Weight Of Early Promise." I didn't know who Cal Everett was, but he was apparently part of the 80's band 4 Out Of 5 Doctors, whose name I vaguely remember seeing in record stores 40 years ago. As with most power pop releases, names like McCartney and Emitt Rhodes get tossed around, and while I do hear more than a little of both on this record, what I am mostly hearing is Billy Joel, and that is not a complaint.
"Weight Of Early Promise" clocks in at almost 60 minutes, and that is usually a turnoff for me. But as the record started to unfold, I didn't want it to end. This is one of the best records I've heard this year.
The Lemon Twigs' new one, "Look For Your Mind!" had me right out of the gate with the title cut, a brilliant homage to one of my favorite Who songs, "Disguises." By the end of track three, I had to stop, take a breath and start all over again. That third track "Nothin' But You" finds Michael D'Addario channeling Alex Chilton on a jangler that could have been on Big Star's "Radio City." That would have been enough, but they tag on the Raspberries' "Overnight Sensation" coda as this song's coda and well, I needed to hear it all over again.
Yes, I am gushing, and at the time of this writing, I've only heard the first three songs, twice. But I can't think of an active band or artist that manages to push all of my pop music buttons they way these kids do.
Okay, back to the record.
I've just listened to four more songs, including one called "Gather Round" that has a Jellyfish vibe, and the next stunner "Fire & Gold," which stopped me again. At this point I need to stop trying to figure out what I am hearing and just listen. It's fun to recognize chord changes, or quoted bits from older songs, like a nod to Todd Rundgren's melody on "Road To Utopia" in "Fire & Gold." But The D'Addarios are so good at calling up the past, whether in a production trick like phasing on a guitar, or a simple call and answer vocal from a 60's classic, it hardly matters where you first heard it. I'm thrilled to be hearing it all again in a fresh context.
This isn't Rutles parody. The Lemon Twigs know better. This is hours and hours of playing records and proving it wasn't a waste of time.
"Paul's Boutique," the Beastie Boys masterpiece, is said to have sampled between 100-150 songs. There is no sampling on this record. The D'Addarios have hundreds of their favorite songs in their heads that they seem to effortlessly call back whenever they deem necessary.
Contrived? I don't hear it that way. It's been working thus far, so I have no issue with it now, especially when every Tom, Dick and Chilton wannabe power pop band releases the same weak Beatles meets Big Star record over and over again. The Lemon Twigs songwriting is miles ahead of most in their field and if they feel like winking and nudging their production with obvious references to Brian Wilson or Pete Townshend, more power to them.
If "Everything Harmony" was their folk rock record and "A Dream Is All
We Know" was their sunshine/power pop record, "Look To Your Mind" feels like a deliberate tip of the hat to both Big Star and the Raspberries. I keep hearing both bands. Whether it's Michael doing that Eric Carmen scream or using chord changes from "I Can Remember," from the Raspberries debut, or the Ardent Studio tone of the guitars, "Look For Your Mind!" is a triumphant affair and should please not just fans of the aformentioned bands, but all fans of melody, harmony and of course, record making.
Lovely- Suicidal Tendencies Heaven Tonight- Hole J'ai Connais Pas- Rickie Lee Jones Idle Hands- Harlem River Drive I Won't Cry- Johnny Adams Bassanova- DJ Smash Look Out Mabel- G. Davey Crockett
Obscure funk and R&B, deep soul and wacky jazz has taken up a good portion of my listening time for the last two weeks, spurred on by the discovery of a old hard drive filled with music that was mostly new to me. Not all of it was new and a good chunk of it wasn't very good. But I've been having fun with it, especially when gems like Jimmy Lewis, Gloria Jones and Spanky Wilson pop up.
Maybe you'll have some fun with this mix. Some of these tracks are from those CDs I mentioned in the Jimmy Lewis post. Others are recent discoveries. A few are faves of mine that I may or may not have shared before.
I think they sound good altogether.
TRACKLIST:
Sunshine Of Your Love- Spanky Wilson Reach Out, I'll Be There- Lee Moses Non Support- Ironing Board Sam Fruitman- Kool & The Gang Lulu Was That You- Cal Wayman Taxman- Junior Parker Biggest Fool In Town- Gorgeous George Light My Fire- Rhetta Hughes The Girls from Texas- Jimmy Lewis Rubber Neckin' (Chick Checkin')- Lou Courtney A Whiter Shade Of Pale- The Dells Cold Duck Time, Pts. 1 & 2- Melvin Jackson
