Full Moon And Empty Arms

The Bard in 2013: Another night on a never-ending tour.

In recent years, Bob Dylan has increasingly embraced rootsy American traditionalism. It makes a lot of sense then, that the 73 year old Dylan's first record since "Tempest" in 2012, excluding his latest archival releases, would be a covers album. Dylan, who is so well known for his songwriting, has recorded the songs of others before. In 1993, he released "World Gone Wrong", where he rearranged traditional American songs, and in 2009, he tackled Christmas hymns and carols on "Christmas In The Heart", which turned out better than the idea suggests it might.

As Rolling Stone reported, ads inserted into advance copies of Dylan’s recent "The Basement Tapes Complete" collection confirmed that the album will be titled "Shadows In The Night". Dylan initially hinted at the record back in May when he released a breezy cover of Frank Sinatra's 1945 tune "Full Moon And Empty Arms." But as it turns out, the album will feature 10 tracks, all made famous by Sinatra, making this a tribute album, for all purposes.

The following is a written statement from Dylan himself about the album. "It was a real privilege to make this album. I've wanted to do something like this for a long time, but was never brave enough to approach 30-piece complicated arrangements and refine them down for a 5 piece band. That’s the key to all these performances. We knew these songs extremely well. It was all done live. Maybe one or two takes. No overdubbing. No vocal booths. No headphones. No separate tracking, and, for the most part, mixed as it was recorded. I don’t see myself as covering these songs in any way. They've been covered enough. Buried, as a matter a fact. What me and my band are basically doing is uncovering them. Lifting them out of the grave and bringing them into the light of day."

Here’s the full tracklist for "Shadows In The Night":

1. “I’m A Fool To Want You”

2. “The Night We Called It A Day”

3. “Stay With Me”

4. “Autumn Leaves”

5. “Why Try To Change Me Now”

6. “Some Enchanted Evening”

7. “Full Moon and Empty Arms”

8. “Where Are You?

9. “What’ll I Do”

10. “That Lucky Old Sun”

"Shadows In The Night" will be released on February 3, 2015, but is available for pre-order on iTunes and Amazon now. Here’s what to expect when Bob covers Frank. His vocal delivery is a lot less sloppy and much cleaner than on most of his recent recordings, but it's definitely still Bob.

Dylan has recently been doing multiple nights at theaters across North America, though his set list rarely changed. The vast majority of the songs came from his most recent albums. "She Belongs To Me" is the only track of the night he performed from his 1960's catalog, and "Tangled Up In Blue" and "Simple Twist of Fate" are the only other songs he played that came out before 1997. He hasn't played so few songs from the first decade of his career since his Gospel shows of the late 70's. The current leg wrapped up December 3rd at New York's Beacon Theater.

Ol' Swoon Eyes in 1945.

To put this tune in context, here's Frank Sinatra's 1945 recording for Columbia Records, made with Axel Stordahl and his Orchestra. The song was written by Buddy Kaye and Ted Mossman, although it was melodically based on Sergei Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto #2. Sinatra had the biggest hit with it, and subsequently, the song was recorded by many other stars of the 40's thru the 60's, including the Erroll Garner Trio, Eddie Fisher, Robert Goulet, Sarah Vaughan, Jerry Vale, Caterina Valente, The Platters, Carmen Cavallaro, and Jim Nabors(!). You can already hear the natural ease with which he controlled his vocal phrasing. Sinatra would soon take this ability to new artistic heights in his great recordings for Capitol Records in the 1950's.

I feel compelled to note that this recording sounds pretty darn good for having been transcribed from an old 78 rpm record. Modern audio restoration technology certainly does have its benefits.

I don't need to tell you where to find recordings by either Bob Dylan or Frank Sinatra. Both of these men usually command two of the more densely filled bins in any record store, unless you tend to shop at a big box. If you're after specific titles, or if you're just getting started with either of them, I will direct you to your best local independent musical emporium that is staffed with knowledgeable people who love music, and can direct you to the essential titles without being snobbish about it. For you vinyl heads, there are lots of titles being freshly reissued, so you have a wealth of choices. On that note, if anyone knows of a super-clean vinyl copy of "Sinatra At The Sands", please contact me.

Review: The Music Never Stopped - Roots Of The Grateful Dead

Though I must acknowledge that their music can be something of an acquired taste, there can be no doubt that The Grateful Dead left a musical legacy unrivaled by any other American band. As I stated in a previous article about The Dead, they were set up like a Rock ensemble, but performed with a Jazz mentality; developing peerless improvisational skills over the years. Their personal musical backgrounds were deeply rooted in Blues, Folk, Country and Bluegrass. Their song lyrics were steeped in American history, particularly the Old West. The group even began life as a Jug band! Their songs incorporated elements of all these uniquely American genres, sometimes simultaneously. Musically, it gets no more American than that. That said, when they were having a good night, they could be spectacular, but The Dead's live shows were better known for spontaneity, not consistency.

From their earliest explorations together, The Grateful Dead incorporated cover tunes into their repertoire. When they began in 1965, the peak of the Folk era was not far behind, and The Dead were not about to leave it in the past. Instead, like many of their peers, they brought it forward into the present, with some arrangement changes to fit the rapidly evolving musical climate, just as the folkies had done.

During the Folk era, it was common for musicians to dig into the past to find songs that were not only part of the American fabric, but were also preferably, for publishing purposes, in the public domain. The go-to resource for many was the 4 volume "Anthology Of American Folk Music", compiled by Harry Smith and released in 1952 at the then-exorbitant price of $25. There's a fine article that discusses the importance of this album series at The Vinyl Factory website.

But The Grateful Dead were self-sufficient with resourcing material to fill out their setlists, and fairly fearless about it as well. They chose Blues and Country songs with equal ease, and dug into Folk and R&B with less regard about whether it had been a hit or not, but more on whether they liked the tune and could play it well. The first time I heard Merle Haggard's classic hit "Mama Tried" was the version on The Grateful Dead's epic live set, "Europe '72", so I'm sure it's possible that some other young kid may have heard Chuck Berry or Buddy Holly for the first time through The Grateful Dead. All popular music comes from something else that went before. Chuck Berry told me so himself, face to face, when I met him at a gig in 1981. In our very brief conversation, Chuck told me that his music was inspired by Louis Jordan, and he wasn't joking. So that proved to me that it's all just links in the chain.

There have been several compilations on the CD market that chronicle the original recordings of songs that were done by more famous performers, such as The Beatles, Elvis, David Bowie, The Ramones, etc. One of the earliest of these compilations was released in 1995 on the small Shanachie label, in cooperation with The Grateful Dead. "The Music Never Stopped" features 17 often-rare original recordings of songs that were covered by The Grateful Dead over the span of their nearly 30 year run. Several of the tracks on this album can be found on no other compact disc, including "Rain and Snow" as performed by Obray Ramsey, and "Big Railroad Blues" by Gus Cannon's Jug Stompers.

The diverse and eclectic nature of The Grateful Dead is highlighted on this album with the inclusion of Folk songs ("Morning Dew", "Goin' Down This Road Feelin' Bad"), Blues ("The Red Rooster", "Turn On Your Love Light"), Country ("Mama Tried", "El Paso"), Gospel ("Samson & Delilah"), and straight out Rock 'n Roll ("The Promised Land", "Not Fade Away"). The album also features Bob Dylan's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue". It's inclusion is notable as it is one of the extremely rare occasions that Dylan authorized the licensing of one of his recordings for a compilation. But a friendly connection existed already, as Dylan had toured with The Dead in the late 80's. The live album that came of this collaboration was marginal at best, and leaves the listener wishing they had gotten together at least a decade earlier.

Robert Crumb

Adding to the collectibility of this album is the striking cover art by famed comic artist, Robert Crumb, who is a fan of old-timey music and an avid collector of obscure 78rpm records. The art reflects the work that Crumb had done for a series of trading cards that featured realistic portraits of early Blues and Country performers. Crumb, being a fan of their catalog, created many original works for the Shanachie label, and this album cover was right up his creative alley. How many of the onstage performers can you identify? Hint: all of their names are on there.

So now, let's have a listen to a couple of these rarely heard original recordings. First up is a song that is one of the earliest cover tunes that The Dead performed, dating back to their jug band days. "Don't Ease Me In" was first recorded in the late 1920's by Henry Thomas. Although The Dead's version is fairly similar, there's a subtle lyric difference of historical relevance. Whereas Jerry Garcia sings "I've been all night long comin' home, don't ease me in", Thomas clearly sings "It's a long night, Cunningham, don't ease me in". It's possible Garcia simply heard it wrong, but the Cunningham in the song was a well-known Texas businessman of the 20's who would grease the palms of local prison officials in order to lease convicts from the state prison to work in his sugar cane fields along the Brazos river. As a result, "Don't Ease Me In" was often sung by convicts in the prison farms.

Rev. Gary Davis

Next, we have a tune that Bob Weir learned right from the source. "Samson And Delilah", originally recorded by the Rev. Gary Davis, appeared on The Grateful Dead's 1977 album, "Terrapin Station", a record that kicked off an artistic and commercial peak period for the band. Their arrangement takes full advantage of their two drummers, and it became one of the most often-played songs in their late 70's repertoire. In a 1985 interview, Weir talked about meeting with Davis, saying "I went and visited him a couple of times in New York in this basement apartment he had. I learned 'Samson And Delilah' the way he used to play it, which is not the way we play it onstage now. You can't play that style of guitar in a band, really. I learned a few other tunes from him too."

"The Music Never Stopped" is available at Amazon, or through your local independent emporium of musical delightment that has a decent selection of Grateful Dead albums, and/or some well-curated bins of assorted Folk and Blues music on small labels. The voluminous catalog of The Grateful Dead can be had through their official online store, most decent record stores, iTunes, and of course, The Big A. Several of their best albums have been reissued on 180 gram vinyl, and they sound terrific, particularly their 1970 classic, "American Beauty", which has long been my recommended point of entry for those who are new to the music of The Grateful Dead. Try "Workingman's Dead" and "Europe '72" after that.

Don't forget to stop by the official 30 Days Of Dead website to get your free downloads of previously unreleased, live Grateful Dead music, mixed straight from the master reels! A new track is posted every day during November, but they'll only be available for a very limited time, then taken down, so grab all 30 while you can. It's the equivalent of a 6 CD boxed set for free. Authorized, high quality, live, Dead. Get it while you can.

Review: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Deluxe Edition

Seeing as how this 2 disc deluxe edition was released this past March, I have to acknowledge that I'm a little late to the party with this review. The truth is, I've been avoiding it. But now, several months later, I've given it plenty of opportunity to justify its existence, and I'm still having trouble understanding why this edition was released at all if it was going to be so poorly thought out. I did wonder if Elton John personally approved this release or not, but according to the booklet notes, he did.

In the booklet, we are also reminded of the unique paradox that Elton John presented. Here was a gay man from an unglamourous suburb of North London, writing and performing songs in a rustic style that would later be referred to as Americana, while dressed in a manner that Liberace might have called excessive. His sartorial choices were not reserved for the stage either, but Elton was not about to be outdone by any Glam rockers of the day. By 1973, Elton John was one of the biggest Rock stars on the planet, and nearing the top of his game, both as a songwriter and as a live entertainer. He could seemingly do no wrong, no matter how flamboyant his recordings and live shows became. (Inevitably, that came later on.)

I should clarify that the problem I have with this release is not with the album itself. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" is an unimpeachable cornerstone album of 70's Rock, and is certainly one of Elton John's career highlights. It spent 8 weeks at #1 and sold 7 million copies in the U.S. alone; huge numbers for a double LP. It's one of those records that every high school age kid had, to the point where siblings in the same household each had their own copy. So, I just want to make clear that I feel the album is, and always was, great. It's the bonus tracks I have a problem with.

The spendier Super Deluxe Edition

In a peculiar packaging move for this 2 disc edition, Mercury/Universal has gone off script and chosen not to include the expected parade of bonus tracks, which normally consists of demos, outtakes, B-sides from singles, non-LP singles, etc. No, this time we get a curious series of 9 cover versions of songs from the album that are performed by contemporary musicians, along with another 9 tracks which have been edited from the full-length 1973 Hammersmith Odeon concert, which is on the Super Deluxe edition. This much pricier package contains 4 CD's, a DVD, and a hardcover book. 2 of the CD's contain the complete 18 song concert, along with 10 tracks of the aforementioned B-sides, demos, and other bonus material.

I hate to say it, given the concept of this blog, but for the 2 disc set, I would have much preferred that the cover versions had been included only on the bigger box, the edited live tracks ditched altogether, and replaced with the expected set of outtakes. Here's why. The 9 covers, as a group, are not solid enough to support a stand-alone release, and have the effect, along with the gratuitous, hits-leaning selection of the live stuff, of coming off as little more than filler. This supports some of the recent theorizing I've heard regarding diminishing returns with bonus tracks.

But since we're stuck with them, we'll move on. I've always said that a good cover recording has respect for the original song, yet manages to sound like the artist doing the cover could have written it. Unfortunately, what we have a lot of here is the victory of style over substance. My cynical side wonders if hosting the cover versions on the album legitimizes a double, or possibly, considering the live tracks, a triple dip of publishing royalties for Elton and Bernie Taupin. At any rate, let's dig in and tackle the covers in sequence.

Ed Sheeran

The first track, "Candle In The Wind", is given a lilting acoustic treatment by Ed Sheeran that is enjoyable enough, but provides no direct sign that it's Sheeran. It could be anyone you might find on Sirius XM's Coffee House channel. But Sheeran's track sounds like a gift in comparison to the digital hammering that "Bennie And The Jets" receives at the hands of someone named Miguel and his rap-happy accomplice, Wale. I've never been overly fond of "Bennie", but in no way did it deserve this gut-wrenching treatment. Elton John is a vocal advocate of being proficient at playing live, and this cut is nothing but soulless studio gimmickry. If I were Elton, I would have demanded that it be removed from the album.

Next up is a calmer, faux-country treatment of the title song, "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road", by Nashville wunderkind, Hunter Hayes. The production is as slick as anything Nashville would be expected to put out these days, and Hayes would sound right at home on "The Voice" or "American Idol". Like Sheeran's track, it's as generic and safe as plain label corn flakes, and just as nutritionally empty.

The Band Perry

But then, we hit on a surprising bit of originality in an unexpected place. The Band Perry, owner of one of the clumsiest names for a successful group in memory, strikes gold with their fine rendition of "Grey Seal"; a deep album cut that was first recorded by Elton during his earliest sessions, and was resurrected for the "Yellow Brick Road" album. Despite the tight production, The Band Perry has great fun with the song, filling it with the requisite fiddles and banjo rolls that don't get in the way of the vocal harmonies. They finish out the track with a brief, but jammy fiddle lead that fits the original outro perfectly. Most importantly, it sounds like them. I don't know whether to give props to the band or their producers, but if they can pull this tune off live, and sound this good, then I salute them. Give it a listen.

Emeli Sande

After all that excitement, someone must have thought we needed a nap. So now we have the droll baritone of John Grant and his Smith Brothers beard, crooning their way through "Sweet Painted Lady". I've always liked the song, but the spare, droning synth-string backing feels cold, so when combined with Grant's warm voice, we get what another reviewer referred to as "chalk and cheese"; a serving of an overall, less than palatable hors d'oeuvre.

This brings us to Emeli Sande, and her rendition of "All The Girls Love Alice". The song is hampered by the same production tricks as most contemporary Pop recordings are, with the notable exception that there is some genuine soul in Sande's vocal. This comes as welcome relief after the previous song, yet production similarities remain. Sande hasn't quite broken through in the states yet, but just may with her single, "Next To Me". All she needs is a good song on a movie soundtrack album.

Imelda May

The next 2 tracks are some of Elton's best known Rock 'n Roll shouters. Irish rockabilly firecracker Imelda May yanks us onto the dance floor with her energetic performance of "Your Sister Can't Twist (But She Can Rock 'n Roll)". Imelda has one foot in the past and the other in the future. Her band does an excellent arrangement of this song that swings as much as it rocks, and with total conviction. This track is just terrific, so crank it up!

Unfortunately, the swing does not hold for Fall Out Boy's noisy, arrhythmic attempt at "Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting". The track has plenty of Rock, but precious little Roll. If they'd approached the song by remembering that it was inspired by Bernie Taupin's observing a parking lot altercation near a pub, then they may have come away with something more effective. As it stands, they're mere steps away from "S-A-TUR-DAY... NIGHT!" The song would have been in far better hands being rendered by a Punk band with old school sensibilities, like Rancid or Dropkick Murphys.

The Zac Brown Band

Closing out the disc, as it was on the original album, we have an earnest rendition of "Harmony" by The Zac Brown Band. Focusing on the vocals and avoiding unnecessary production sweetening, the ZBB acquit themselves well with a performance that is faithful to Elton's original, while sounding different enough to make it theirs. I'll bet they could pull this off live with little difficulty.

I've also noticed that Zac Brown and his cohorts have involved themselves in a few different collaborative musical projects, while managing to not antagonize their core audience, who got hooked on their down-home, Jimmy Buffett meets Southern Rock identity. That's no easy task these days, and done at no small risk either. But that musical curiosity, and a willingness to experiment leads me to predict a long-haul career for Zac Brown, whether he keeps the original band together or not.

In conclusion, I'll reiterate that including these cover versions on this latest reissue of "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" has the effect of reducing even the good songs to being mere filler. It's a disservice to both the original album, and to the few cover recordings that are worthwhile. I feel it's also no small insult to the consumer, who's being coerced into forking out for yet another 'definitive' remaster. All of the cover songs would fare better being included on releases by their individual performers. And yes, we'd much rather have demos, B-sides, and other 'cutting room floor' items than this lot.

The value of the live recordings depends entirely on your enthusiasm for them. If you want them at all, then you may just want to pop for the Super Deluxe edition, so you'll have the entire concert, along with all the other goodies included in that set. According to Amazon, a perfectly suitable 40th Anniversary single disc version of GYBR is available, and very affordably so. But if you're so inclined, go for the 2 disc set, though if you've read this far, you've been suitably warned.

I would encourage those of you with high end Surround systems to pick up the HD Pure Audio Blu-Ray edition, as 2 readers have already told me about the superior listening experience it provides. Those with turntables should consider the excellent 180 gram vinyl reissue, which should take you right back to 1973. With that in mind, a revisiting of Elton's early 70's work is always welcome, and recommended.

Lake Street Dive

Sometimes, it's not so much the song that gets my attention, but rather, the sound of the musicians playing it. A unique musical identity can bring new life to a favorite old song, that's for sure. But every now and again, a new band will catch my ear, and not just because they have a different sound that I find appealing, but also because they have the effect, even if just for a moment, of restoring my faith in the ability of modern musicians to create some genuine, heartfelt music. With that, I would like to introduce you to a musical collective known as Lake Street Dive.

Lake Street Dive

Lake Street Dive played a club date here in Omaha a couple of months back, and despite the early buzz about them, I foolishly allowed myself to be distracted and missed their performance. I will not allow that error to happen again. Many of my musician friends were in attendance that evening. These are not people who are easily prone to superlatives, so I was pleasantly surprised by the enthusiastic reviews that I saw online the following day, although they did make me regret missing the show. This comment sums up all of them rather neatly: "Rachael Price is my current favorite singer. Lake Street Dive is proof that new, fun, intelligent Pop music is not dead."

Lake Street Dive have been performing since 2004, after meeting as fellow students at the New England Conservatory in Boston. The band was hand picked by Minneapolis trumpet/guitar player Mike Olson, and named after an actual neighborhood of seedy bars in his hometown. Vocalist Rachael Price came from outside Nashville, Tennessee. Bassist Bridget Kearney is an Iowa native, while drummer Mike Calabrese called Philadelphia home. "I wasn't only impressed with their musicianship." says Olson. "They were also a lot of fun just to hang out with. The first four years of rehearsals were more like glorified dinner parties". It's worth noting that Price also has a career as a jazz vocalist, performing with musicians such as Joshua Redman and T.S. Monk. She's also released her own solo albums that include interpretations of standards like "Skylark" and "Serenade In Blue." There's a mood to that music that Lake Street Dive occasionally captures in song, such as Bridget Kearney's composition, "Better Than."

It took a casually made video featuring the band gathered around a single mic, performing a cover of The Jackson 5’s "I Want You Back", that was shot on a Brighton, Massachusetts street corner to grab the public’s attention. The video quickly racked up over 2 million YouTube views. But while "I Want You Back" was spreading like wildfire on the Internet, the band had little idea of what was happening. They were ensconced at Great North Sound Society, a recording studio located in an 18th century farmhouse in Parsonsfield, Maine, two hours from Boston; a location so remote, cell phone reception was spotty at best and web access was non-existent. That's the perfect environment to get some recording work done, as there's little else to do.

Here's "I Want You Back", shot prior to the release of their 2012 EP, "Fun Machine".

What followed next, happened very quickly. T-Bone Burnett tapped them to perform at the "Another Day, Another Time" concert at New York's Town Hall, featuring music inspired by, and from, the Coen Brothers' film, "Inside Llewyn Davis". The concert was taped for Showtime. The New Yorker wrote of their performance: "I can't imagine that Lake Street Dive, a quartet led by an amazing young singer, Rachael Price, won't be getting some air time soon." Rolling Stone called the band "unexpected showstoppers". And just like that, Lake Street Dive went from playing for a small, but devoted following, to selling out venues and planning an initial European tour, with dates on several late-night TV shows in the offering.

The new album, "Bad Self Portraits", which was released by the Northampton, Massachusetts indie label, Signature Sounds Recording, is the follow-up to their self-titled debut and EP of covers. This recording is a microcosm of Lake Street Dive’s evolution from a weird Alt-Country/Jazz group to a Pop-Soul juggernaut. The music showcases 60's influences like Brill Building girl groups ("Stop Your Crying"), British Invasion Rock ("Bobby Tanqueray"), horn-driven Stax R&B ("You Go Down Smooth"), Motown soul ("Use Me Up") and even a Gospel Blues track ("What About Me") that tips a hat to The Band.

All four members of Lake Street Dive take part in the writing. The title track is a wry commentary on how those selfie iPhone photos are just a cover for loneliness, but it could also refer to the rest of the album; each song being a Polaroid glimpse of a band that is constantly evolving. "Nothing we do is set in stone." says Olson about the band’s recording process in the studio, adding that they are, first and foremost, a live outfit. "Songs change when we start to play them for people. That determines the stylistic direction more than anything else. When we record a song, it’s just a snapshot of where it was at that moment, and the song continues to grow as we perform it."

As things are happening rapidly for Lake Street Dive these days, the nine years that they spent focusing on their musical development has left them with one constant to strive for. "We are named in homage to dive bar bands." says Calabrese, "We were, are and always will be, a dive bar band. Whether we're playing for 10 people or 10,000, we want them to have that feeling." In some parts of the country, that's called not getting above your raising, and more often than not, that's a real good thing to keep in your pocket.

On the Kool Kovers Facebook page, I've recently posted videos of Lake Street Dive covering both George Michael's "Faith", and Paul McCartney's Wings hit, "Let Me Roll It". So as a turnabout of sorts, today you get to hear one of Lake Street Dive's original tunes. Here they are, rockin' the house on Conan with "Stop Your Cryin'". What a big sound!

You can, and should, buy music from Lake Street Dive at their Online Store. Yes, they're on iTunes and Amazon, but it's so much better to support independent musicians by buying direct from them. "Bad Self Portraits" is available on both CD and vinyl, as is their fine, full-length debut album from 2010, and of course, the "Fun Machine" EP that features 4 cover tunes on it. The very cool vinyl edition of the debut album combines it with "Fun Machine" in a 2 record set! All vinyl albums come with a digital download code. So spread the word about this amazing band, and above all, do not screw up like I did and miss them when they do a show in your city.

Love Buzz

Despite the two decades plus of hype in hindsight, it was clear at the time of the album's release that Nirvana's "Nevermind" heralded a new chapter in the history of Rock music. It had a ragged, aggressive sound that was completely different than everything else that was flooding the record stores and airwaves of the time. I can best compare it to the impact delivered by The Sex Pistols debut "Never Mind The Bollocks" in 1977, or even 1964's "Meet The Beatles". This was music that clearly meant business and was intent on being heard on its own terms, while having the effect of laying waste to all that came before it.

I'm sure that by now, all of you are aware of what The Beatles achieved in 1964. But by 1977, a lot of people were listening to Progressive Rock and Fusion bands that were exploring new avenues in Jazz and Classical settings. When Punk Rock arrived on US shores, the collective gut reaction was "Aw crap, we forgot how to rock!", despite the overtly political stance of many British punks. But the politics of the UK were lost on many American suburban kids, who nonetheless, quickly bought into the 'rebelling to fit in' fashion aspects of Punk. The musical environment was much the same with Nirvana. The early 90's was the heyday of glammed up Pop Metal bands like Poison, Guns N Roses, Motley Crue, Tesla, Warrant, and a hundred others just like them. The explosive success of "Nevermind" caught the music business with their pants down by obsoleting the careers of the Pop Metal bands, nearly singlehandedly. As it is with any new thing in music, a frantic scramble ensued by record companies to find their own Nirvana, starting in Nirvana's hometown of Seattle. The first ones out of the garage were Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, who led the charge of a flannel-clad army that was to dominate the identity of 90's Rock.

Now, for a minute on the soapbox. In the early 90's avalanche of Seattle's Best Grunge, it came to be that everything that was not Guns N Roses or The Rolling Stones was being referred to as Alternative Rock. I say again now, as I said often then, alternative to what? Opera? Any new Rock band, from 1991 onward, that wasn't overtly Pop, got tagged with that vague, trite label. Even veterans like Bob Mould and The Replacements got sucked into its vortex. A truly alternative act like Captain Beefheart gets filed under Rock, and Sun Ra is classified as Jazz, as profoundly spaced out as his work was, but yet neither of them are considered to be Alternative? My guess is that overuse killed the term's validity, but in truth, it was no longer meaningful by 1994, and it's even less relevant now. So can we recognize the history at work here, and if we simply must have labels, can we refer to new Rock music as something more accurate that demonstrates we're listening? But I suppose that's not how marketing works, is it?

So, while "Nevermind" was the album that broke Nirvana into the musical mainstream, it was not their debut. That honor went to "Bleach", which was released on Seattle's small but mighty independent label, Sub Pop, in June of 1989. "Bleach" was well received by critics, but failed to make any chart impact in the US. However, the album was re-released internationally by Geffen Records in 1992, following the success of "Nevermind". The re-release debuted at #89 on the Billboard 200 chart. Since its initial release, Bleach has sold over 1.7 million units in the United States alone. To date, it is Sub Pop's best selling album. Not bad for a record that cost a total of $606.17 to make.

Following the November 1988 release of their debut single for Sub Pop, "Love Buzz", Nirvana practiced for nearly three weeks in preparation for recording a full-length album, even though Sub Pop had only requested an EP. In one of his first interviews, Kurt Cobain told Sounds journalist John Robb, "When I write a song, the lyrics are the least important thing. I can go through two or three different subjects in a song, and the title can mean absolutely nothing at all. Sometimes I try to make things harder for myself, just to try to make myself a bit more angry. I try out a few subconscious things I suppose, like conflicts with other people. Most of the lyrics on the "Bleach" album are about my life in Aberdeen". Cobain also said that he felt pressure to fit the expectations of Sub Pop's concept of the local Seattle sound in order to build a fanbase. Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic said in a 2001 interview with Rolling Stone that the band had played a cassette tape in their tour van that had an album by The Smithereens on one side, and one by the Nordic death metal band, Celtic Frost, on the other. Novoselic noted that the combination probably had an influence on Cobain's writing.

This is Nirvana's recording of "Love Buzz", a song written by Robbie van Leeuwen of the Dutch band, The Shocking Blue. Like many who had gone before them, Nirvana's debut single was a cover version.

The Shocking Blue

The Shocking Blue was a Rock band from The Hague in the Netherlands, that formed in 1967. Their biggest hit, "Venus", went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1970. (The 1986 cover version by Bananarama also hit #1.) By 1973, the band had amassed sales of 13.5 million records in Europe and the Netherlands, which weren't matched until the mega-success of the Swedish group, Abba. Global sales of the "Venus" single alone exceeded 5 million copies! Those are pretty good numbers for an act remembered as a one hit wonder.

In an interesting bit of twisted history and borderline copyright liberty, the song "Venus" was most likely based on the melody of "The Banjo Song", recorded in 1963 by The Big Three, featuring a young Cass Elliot. "The Banjo Song" was an arrangement of the classic Stephen Foster tune, "Oh Susannah", as done by folksinger Tim Rose, which set Foster's lyrics to a completely new melody. (Neil Young and Crazy Horse also covered Rose's version on their 2012 album "Americana".) Check out this brief video comparing The Big Three's recording with The Shocking Blue's "Venus". Everything old is new again!

Getting back to our primary song at hand, "Love Buzz" was never released as a single by The Shocking Blue, either as an A or B side. Its sole release was on their 1969 album for the Pink Elephant label, "At Home", buried deep on Side 2. Later pressings of the album would add the hit single "Venus" for obvious reasons. It's unclear where Kurt Cobain first heard "Love Buzz", and why he liked it enough for Nirvana to record it. But evidence points to Cobain's reputation among friends for his eclectic mixtapes, some of which have recently surfaced online. It's likely that he included the song on a mixtape at random, and the riff stuck with him as music is prone to do, particularly to those with a creative mindset. Listening to this tune now, it's easy to hear the influence it had on the sound of Nirvana, much as The Beau Brummels laid the subconscious groundwork for R.E.M. a decade prior. Here is the original recording of "Love Buzz" by The Shocking Blue.

Considering that The Shocking Blue were a far more popular act in Europe than on these shores, it's still surprising how many of their original albums are available on CD, even as imports, nearly 45 years after "Venus" was a hit. There are a few collections of their music out there as well.

I would think that by now, every last shoebox has been gone through in the search for any remaining unreleased material by Nirvana. Along with 3 or 4 live releases, videos, best-of's and box sets, their studio albums, "Nevermind", "Bleach", and "In Utero", have all received the deluxe reissue treatment, including new vinyl editions. These can all be found at The Big A, and most likely, at your local indie emporium of recorded musical entertainment.

Evil Woman

Black Sabbath, 1970

Anyone who knows me would not describe me as any sort of metalhead. That said, and given the state of Pop music in 1970, it is difficult to minimize the impact Black Sabbath had on our young ears. The Beatles had just broken up. FM Rock radio was in its infancy, so the radio airwaves were filled with AM Pop singles being turned out by a flock of new bands with horn sections. Soul singers were trying to continue the 60's legacy of Stax and Motown. There were Bubblegum bands that weren't real bands at all. The rise of singer/songwriters such as James Taylor and Elton John was just getting traction.

There had been some definite seismic evidence of what became known as Heavy Metal music prior to 1970. Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page both experimented with putting some heft and crunch into the Blues. The Who and Grand Funk Railroad had turned their volume knobs way up. The long term influence of Jimi Hendrix was already apparent, along with other primitive rumblings from the Psychedelic era that hinted at what was to come, even though most of them were cover versions themselves, like Deep Purple's version of "Hush", Frijid Pink's "House Of The Rising Sun, and "Summertime Blues" by Blue Cheer, which is often cited as a Ground Zero point in the birth of Metal. (I would throw an honorable mention to "Journey To The Center Of The Mind" by The Amboy Dukes.) But none of these records or trends were able to predict the arrival of the plodding Tyrannosaurus of Metal known as Black Sabbath.

I recall hearing the debut Sabbath album for the first time at a friend's house. The sonic environment painted by the eponymous opening track was terrifying, due in no small way to the thematic tritone played in Locrian mode. Not many bands were playing in lower tunings at that time either, so that half step down made a huge difference in the sound. This music was made loud to be played loud. It took a few listens, but over the next couple of albums, it became clear that their lyrics, inspired by literature and filtered through bad horror films, weren't necessarily about promoting all things devilish, but were instead fearful, and often angry and accusatory about the wrongs and hypocrisies of the world. I suppose it's important to be smart about the difference between what is entertainment and what might be harmful, but that's all in how the listener processes it.

The UK 45 of "Evil Woman"

The stateside edition of the album had a different running order than the British release, which had a more distinct separation of the tracks. Songs on the U.S. version were edited together as near-medleys using instrumental tracks recorded during the 2 days the band had to record and mix the entire album. During that session, The Sabs recorded a cover of "Evil Woman", a song that had been a minor hit for an American band, Crow. In his autobiography, Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi admits the band reluctantly agreed to do the song at the behest of their manager, Jim Simpson, who insisted they record "something commercial". "Evil Woman" found a home at the top of Side 2 on the British edition and was released as a single in the U.K., but the song was omitted from U.S. pressings, and replaced with "Wicked World", which was the B-side of the single. "Evil Woman" didn't see an American release until a 2002 compilation, "Symptom Of The Universe: The Original Black Sabbath 1970-1978". Given the musical flow of the debut album's U.S. release, this track would have stuck out as an odd duck, though it's certainly possible that it may have scored a stateside hit for The Sabs. However, I could not find any chart position listings for the Sabbath single of "Evil Woman", so perhaps that fact is telling enough.

Crow, 1970

"Evil Woman (Don’t Play Your Games With Me)" was written and first recorded by Minneapolis-based band, Crow. The song first appeared on their 1969 album, "Crow Music". Their single release of "Evil Woman" cracked the Top 20 of the Billboard Hot 100 that fall, peaking at #19 in January of 1970.

Crow formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in August of 1967, and was originally known as "South 40". The original band members were Dave Wagner (vocals), Larry Wiegand (bass/vocals), Dick Wiegand (guitar), Dave (Kink) Middlemist (Hammond organ/vocals)  and Harry Nehls (drums/vocals).

In 1969, Denny Craswell replaced Nehls on drums. The band then changed their name to Crow, and released the album "Crow Music" on the Amaret label. They were fortunate to score a few Top 100 hits from 1969 to 1972, including "Evil Woman", "Cottage Cheese", and "(Don't Try To Lay No Boogie Woogie) On The King Of Rock n' Roll", which was also recorded by Long John Baldry on his great 1971 album, "It Ain't Easy".

"Crow by Crow" and "Mosaic" were the follow-up album releases for 1970 and 1971, respectively. But the singles released off Crow's later albums were not as successful as their first one. So the band considered a move to Elektra Records, but Amaret would not release them from their recording contract while they retained their band name. Vocalist Wagner left the group in 1971. The band replaced him with Mick Stanhope and attempted to move forward, but collapsed and disbanded in 1972. David Wagner then recorded a 'contractual obligation' solo album for Amaret in late 1972 sarcastically titled "d/b/a Crow". Crow reformed anew in 1988. They continue to play select concerts to this day.

I find it interesting that this tune relies so heavily on the sound of the horn section, but no one in Crow was a horn player! Those musicians remain uncredited, which is a shame. The horn parts were likely added as a way of hitching Crow's wagon to the explosion of horn-driven bands that were happening at the time, such as Chicago, Blood Sweat & Tears, Lighthouse, Cold Blood, Chase, and plenty more.

The music of Crow is available again through the Sundazed label, which is a good thing, as Sundazed is well known for high quality reissues of vintage music. Be sure to browse their website, as there's lots of choice oldies to be found. The 3 albums from Crow, and an excellent "Best Of" can also be found, on both CD and vinyl, at Amazon, or through your local music merchant.

Most, if not all, of the Black Sabbath catalog has been sonically tidied up to haunt your dreams in the best possible fidelity. Their first 3 albums are inarguably essential for any fan of Heavy Rock. They have also been reissued in appropriately heavy 180 gram vinyl. For those who want it all, there's a nifty CD boxed set of their 8 releases for Warner Brothers.

Have a safe and fun Halloween!

Heart Of The Sunrise

I'm glad I got to see Yes in concert again during one of their recent tours. I'd seen them play back in the 70's on a couple of different occasions. The sound wasn't all that great back then, plus there were other recreational factors going on, so this time around, I wanted to be able to remember the show, at least. Sure enough, the audio was first rate. The performances were measured, and the band was able to work in subtle musical nuances that the faster tempos of the past would not allow. Their decades of playing this music together were apparent. It was great to be part of an audience that was not only appreciative, but also, for the most part, knew when to shut up and listen.

Yes in concert, 2013

Yes is one of Rock music's most enduring bands. One reason for this is they've been re-engineered more times than the average '55 Chevy restoration project. This makes sense for a band that has been around since 1967 or so. (The original Yes opened for Cream at their farewell concert at the Royal Albert Hall!)

It would seem that the norm for Yes is to have a rotation of band members around the core of bassist Chris Squire, who remains the only band member to perform in every recorded incarnation of Yes, along with drummer Alan White, and guitarist Steve Howe. This time out, we have the controversial, but perfectly appropriate replacement of original vocalist Jon Anderson; first with Benoit David, who was found in a Canadian Yes tribute band, then again in 2011, with Jon Davison, late of the band Glass Hammer. I got to hear Davison perform with Yes during their stop here in Omaha, and I can tell you first hand that Davison's performance was not only capable, but at times brilliant.

Former Yesmen Rick Wakeman & Jon Anderson

I'm not a singer, but I can well imagine that the music of Yes is challenging to sing well. Unfortunately, there is a stigma that some diehard fans carry around that Yes without Anderson is not Yes, to the point that a couple of cretins in the audience would shout Anderson's name periodically, as if by doing so, they could make him appear onstage, despite the obvious fact that Anderson was not in the building. Let's face it, none of those guys in Yes are kids anymore and those high notes don't get any easier to hit cleanly. Davison has acquitted himself heroically and earned his place as the vocalist for Yes, so all the boorish fanboys that are out there bellowing for Anderson need to stay home and listen to the old recordings, while the rest of us enjoy a beautifully performed concert in peace. It's worth noting that I've heard no squawking at all, either in person or online, about the absence of keyboardist Rick Wakeman. His parts were wonderfully covered by 80's era Yes veteran, Geoff Downes. Perhaps those detractors would have felt better if Downes had worn a glittering gold cape, as Wakeman often did in the early 70's, though it's probably best to not provoke the monkeys, lest they resume their poop throwing in earnest.

For their recent shows, Yes has been performing three of their classic 70's albums in their entirety: "Close To The Edge", "The Yes Album", and "Going For The One". For 2014, they have swapped out the last one for their signature album, "Fragile", which closes Side 2 with one of the true masterworks of the Yes canon, "Heart Of The Sunrise". Instead of posting the usual Mp3 link here, I thought it would be best for you, dear reader, if you could see this incredible group in live performance. But, since there is no officially released video of the new band as of yet, I will defer to the classic Yes lineup. From the 2003 tour, which may well have been their final go-round, here is Squier, Anderson, White, Wakeman and Howe (sounds like a law firm), performing "Heart Of The Sunrise" in Montreux, Switzerland. It's a lengthy tune, so kick back and enjoy this glorious music. All you musician types may want to take notes.

It would be challenging at the least, and ultimately redundant for any band to attempt to cover a symphonic performance like this verbatim, so the only thing that makes any sense would be to capture the core melody as best you can. I've rarely heard covers of Yes music, likely due to the high level of difficulty. But recently, while browsing in a record shop, I heard a familiar melody on the overhead that was being run through an interesting new filter.

I've gotta admit right up front that The Flaming Lips are one of those bands that I just don't understand all that well. I know they're extremely popular, enough so to secure headlining slots at major music festivals. Maybe I've felt they're a bit too weird for me, which is interesting, seeing as how I've been exposed to the likes of Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, and Captain Beefheart for decades now. But one thing The Flaming Lips seem to have down is an ability to entertain large crowds, despite or perhaps because of the chaotic circus of their performances. In all reality, it's likely a tightly organized program that only has the appearance of pandemonium, but it entertains just as well. Ask Alice Cooper about all that.

Electric Würms

The Flaming Lips have developed their musical sound over the course of several albums, yet always keep the door open for sideshow experimentation, usually involving covering other music to greater or lesser degrees. They've released a front-to-back cover of Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon", and have collaborated with Chris Martin and Kesha, all while delving into even more abstract sonic territory, including a sure to be cosmic Beatles cover album featuring Miley Cyrus and Moby that's due next week. The Lips have also released a 6 hour long track, as well as a 24 hour one, perhaps as a nod to Andy Warhol's films. All of these projects point to a group not content with formula. Now, frontman Kevin Coyne has teamed up with fellow Lips band member Steven Drozd and an experimental psychedelic band from Nashville, Linear Downfall, for a side project by the name of Electric Würms.

The group’s debut EP is nearly as weird as its title, "Musik, Die Schwer Zu Twerk", which roughly translates to "music that's hard to twerk to". It boasts all the spacey, almost dopesick indulgences that have made The Flaming Lips' most recent releases melodically inaccessible to me. But just before it's too late, we have the surprising cover of Yes's "Heart Of The Sunrise". In yet another odd move, the song has been promoted as the first single from the EP. Why a single is necessary if it's only a 6 song EP is beyond me.

Linear Downfall, who themselves have covered King Crimson's 1969 prog classic "21st Century Schizoid Man", parts of which (I believe) were subliminally incorporated by Yes into "Heart Of The Sunrise", not only help solidify the direction of this wobbly side project with a cover version, but also prove that Drozd and Coyne picked the right players. Tempered down from the epic 11 minute original, The Electric Würms focus on the song's central melody to create a 4 minute abbreviated visit into early Progressive Rock that's more trippy than stoney, but it works.

The Electric Würms EP is available online at iTunes and Amazon, but if you check with your local indie record shop, you are likely to find it there on CD, or as a translucent purple vinyl edition, which is always a fun thing to add to your record shelf. The cosmically conscious catalog of The Flaming Lips is procurable on both CD and vinyl as well. Seriously, who needs drugs when you've got this stuff?

The now monumental catalog of Yes music is all in print and recently remastered for your listening pleasure with a choice selection of bonus material as well. There is also an excellent 13 disc boxed set of Yes albums that spans from their very first album through 1987's "Big Generator". Though there's no booklet, and the box surely deserves one, all of the albums have bonus tracks and come packaged in mini LP repro covers. Those of you with high end audio systems (and budgets to match) might be interested in this Japanese Super Audio CD box set. Yes completists will want this far more affordable 5 disc box of their later albums, post-2000. Any of these options are a fine way to add some essential Progressive Rock music by one of the genre's finest purveyors to your collection.