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.

Everybody's Talkin'

Some time ago, my daughter suggested that I watch this film documentary about singer/songwriter Harry Nilsson called "Who Is Harry Nilsson (and Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him?) Well, I finally got around to seeing it and I gotta say it was an interesting, well assembled & tightly edited film. It was rather sad to see someone so blessed with talent deteriorate so quickly. Any film that makes you connect solidly with its subject emotionally is well worth the time and the ticket, so I'd recommend it heartily. Put it on your Netflix queue today. Here's the trailer.

There are lots of candid interviews in the film with the likes of the Smothers Brothers, Robin Williams, Brian Wilson, Yoko Ono, percussionist Ray Cooper, and Micky Dolenz as well as Harry's wives and kids. Of particular interest are the in-depth conversations with producer Richard Perry, and songwriters Jimmy Webb and Van Dyke Parks.

John Lennon, Anne Murray, Harry Nilsson, Alice Cooper & Micky Dolenz

Guitarist Joe Walsh was once referred to as "a complicated bunch of guys". That definitely applied to Harry. Blessed with a beautiful singing voice, he seemed hell-bent on destroying it. He never made it as any sort of musical superstar, but was certainly one of the most respected songwriters of his day. Ironically, two of his biggest hits were covers, despite his outsized songwriting talent. Harry also had some famous fans and ran with an interesting crowd, as you can see by this curious photo taken during a night out at the Troubadour in L.A. (What on earth was Anne Murray doing there with these drunken yahoos? It's like seeing Donny Osmond at a Motorhead concert!) But Harry was also very insecure, and chose high-profile friends that shared his proclivity for alcohol excess. He was a multi-millionaire that died broke; a victim of embezzlement. So despite his successes, Harry's story is a sad one. There's so much he could have achieved. As Alice Cooper once said in an interview, "I made multi-platinum selling albums while I was in blackouts (from drinking), and I will always wonder what else I could have done had I not been so impaired for all that time".

After watching this excellent film, I wanted to go back to Harry's original recordings for a good listen. The hits aside, I found myself really taken by the vulnerability and tenderness of some of his earlier songs, like the autobiographical "1941" and his unique discussion of God by referring to his "Good Old Desk". Although I've heard it a hundred times, Harry's cover version of "Without You" (written by Pete Ham of Badfinger), is both heartbreaking & definitive. Nilsson's version of that song does what Hendrix brought to "All Along The Watchtower"; a total maturing of the song's potential. It need not be covered ever again.

Harry's first hit was, of course, "Everybody's Talkin'". The song was recorded during the sessions for Harry's wonderful 1968 album, "Aerial Ballet", his third. The following year, it was chosen for the soundtrack of the Academy Award winning 1969 film, "Midnight Cowboy", which bears the distinction of being the first and only X-rated film to be awarded the Oscar for Best Picture. The rating was later changed to R, following an appeal.

Harry's early recordings have a childlike charm that was to fade away over the years, mostly due to Harry's own self-destructive efforts. So it's a very good thing that we have these recordings to enjoy and above all, to do as Harry asked us in song: remember.

Fred Neil in New York, mid-60's

"Everybody's Talkin'" was written by Fred Neil, one of the more compelling Folk-Rockers to emerge from Greenwich Village in the mid-60's. His albums showcased his low, rich voice on intensely personal and reflective compositions. His influence was subtle, but significant. Before forming The Lovin' Spoonful, John Sebastian played harmonica on Neil's first album, which also featured guitarist Felix Pappalardi, who went on to produce Cream. The Jefferson Airplane featured Fred's tune "Other Side Of This Life" prominently in their concerts, and dedicated a couple of songs ("Ballad of You and Me and Pooneil" and "House at Pooneil Corner") to him. On the B-side of Roy Orbison's signature single "Crying" is Neil’s "Candy Man", which remains one of Roy's better efforts. Stephen Stills has mentioned Fred Neil as an influence on his guitar playing. Most famously, Harry Nilsson took Fred's "Everybody’s Talkin'" into the Top Ten.

A recent vinyl reissue of the "Fred Neil" album

Despite all of his influence, Fred Neil himself remained an enigmatic, mysterious figure. His recorded output was formidable, but sparse. During 1964, he recorded as a duo with Vince Martin, which yielded an album for Elektra, "Tear Down The Walls". His solo debut, "Bleecker & MacDougal", ranked as one of the best efforts from the era in which Folk was just beginning its transition to Rock. The most Blues-inclined of his albums, it contained some of his best songs, including "Little Bit Of Rain", "Other Side Of This Life", and "Candy Man". His artistic peak came with the next album, "Fred Neil", which made a full transition to electric instruments. Less bluesy in tone, the album featured "Everybody's Talkin'" along with an equal gem in "The Dolphins".

Fred Neil’s subsequent slide into obscurity was both strange and quick. His next album, "Sessions", from 1968, was a much more casual and slapdash affair that included some instrumental jamming. Always something of a recluse, he retreated to his home in Coconut Grove, Florida, living off the royalty checks from "Everybody's Talkin'", and didn't release any more new music, save for a 'Live' album in 1971. His obscurity was enforced by an absence of domestic CD reissues of his best work, a situation rectified with a well-done "Best of" compilation by Collectors’ Choice and the 2001 two-fer release of "Tear Down the Walls/Bleecker & MacDougal" by Elektra. He continued to play music, but only for those close to him. Ill with cancer, Fred Neil passed away on July 7, 2001, at his home in Florida.

Here is the rarely heard original recording of "Everybody's Talkin'", as performed by Fred Neil.

Bob Dylan, Karen Dalton & Fred Neil. New York 1961

What's important to remember about Fred Neil is that he was a peer of some of the biggest names in 60's Folk, including Bob Dylan, Eric Andersen, Karen Dalton, Tim Hardin, Richie Havens, John Sebastian, and Joni Mitchell, all of whom Neil performed with at one time or another. Dylan reportedly considered him to be a competitor. Folk legend Odetta said this about Fred's singing. "There are two voices I heard in my life that no microphone can possibly capture. Paul Robeson is one, and the other is Fred… when you hear him in person there are other levels… his voice is a healing instrument". So, the music of Fred Neil obviously goes well beyond "Everybody's Talkin'" and is well worth your looking into. You can find Fred's work at Amazon, or in the Folk section of your favorite independent emporium of musical curiosities.

The music of Harry Nilsson is available at The Big A, and of course, the aforementioned local record shop of your preference. Those of you who are already familiar with his work may jump in at your leisure, but I will direct our readers who are new to Harry's music to this very thorough, yet economical, Greatest Hits collection, which manages to cover all the essential tracks on one, well sequenced CD. There are several of his best works that are now available again on vinyl as well.

But if you're one of those that's just wild about Harry, then you simply can not bypass the outstanding boxed set, The RCA Albums Collection. The box contains a whopping 17 CD's of freshly remastered Schmilsson goodness, including bonus tracks on each album, plus 3 CD's worth of other rarities, all packaged in mini LP repro covers, and a lavish booklet. It should be scorable online for under $75 new. If that sounds spendy, 75 divided by 17 equals roughly $4.41 per disc. To me, that's a good deal, especially for one of the finest boxed sets released in recent years.

You should also know that there's a marvelous little Harry Nilsson tribute album floating around out there that is well worth your time. It's cheap too, especially if you can find it used. The album features a great cast of musicians and interesting song choices too. No doubt Harry would have been pleased.

I have to admit that this week's song choice was a difficult one, as there is such a wealth of excellent material to consider when dealing with Harry Nilsson. His songs have been recorded by many musical admirers. Harry also performed numerous covers himself throughout his recording career, including a collection of orchestral Pop standards, and an entire album of Randy Newman songs! Such is the extent of the choices that I can assure you we will be revisiting Harry again at another time. So please consider today's feature to be a mere introduction.

Heartattack And Vine

I suppose that if you wanted to, you could get broad about it and argue that any song written in the last hundred years is based on The Blues. But even if that were true, it doesn't promise that the performer of the song is rooted in them. The Blues are real, and for a performer to do them well, there is a level of honesty required that is missing in at least 60% of Pop singers. The Blues, like Folk music, is storytelling at its most basic level, and your narrator is responsible for making the story credible. So the songs need to sound lived in, because often, the story being told is not their own. The really good songwriters are storytellers, and they populate their songs with a engaging cast of characters that are often gifted with a spectacular set of personal issues, but that's what makes them interesting. The singer will then inhabit those characters as an actor would, and bring them to life for better or worse.

Tom Waits

At his core, Tom Waits is a bluesman. Although he's had many musical adventures over the last 40 years or so that have intersected several different genres, sometimes simultaneously, there's no mistaking that The Blues is what informs Waits' writing more than anything else. Longtime fans know this, but for those who are new to the Tom Waits experience, it's a lot like visiting that cool, jazzy part of town that quickly turns into a boulevard of bad decisions with its shadowy alleys, suspect inhabitants, dodgy hygiene, and bankrupt morals. Waits very definitely has the storytellers gift for breathing life into the damaged, broken hearted, or even unsavory people who inhabit his songs. His guttural singing voice is the sound of beaten down souls, 24 hour diners and rain soaked city streets. Waits can play the role of an observer, but is always the storyteller.

A host of popular performers have covered Tom Waits' songs, including Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, The Ramones, The Bullet Boys, The Blind Boys Of Alabama, and lots of others. Many of us first heard the songwriting of Tom Waits back when The Eagles covered his song "Ol' 55" on their 1974 album "On The Border". Although it certainly provided him with much needed songwriting royalties at the time and ever since, Waits has been critical of the Eagles version of the song, admitting that he was "not that particularly crazy about it". Waits elaborated by saying their version "was a little antiseptic". But we're not featuring that song today. No, my friends, we're going a bit deeper into the blues. The 'sketchy part of town' blues.

There's any number of Waits' songs I could have chosen today, but this one just struck me right. The story being told is in the abstract, but is easily imaginable. I get the strong impression that Waits' blues inclinations are strongly influenced by Howlin' Wolf. Like several of his contemporaries, I find that Waits isn't always his own best interpreter, but most times, he hits right on the mark. The music and the lyrical imagery are a perfect marriage. This recording is one of Waits' most startling songs, and likely served as proof as to why using spit screens on vocal microphones was a good idea. Let's take an uneasy stroll on down to "Heartattack And Vine". Mind your wallet.

John Hammond

As I mentioned earlier, the songs of Tom Waits have been covered by many other musicians over a lot of years. But no one had taken on the idea of doing an entire album of Waits' material until fellow veteran bluesman John Hammond did so back in 2001. Hammond's album, "Wicked Grin", his 35th, was both a departure and a natural choice of subject matter.

Throughout his career, Hammond has been careful about not taking the well-worn path of performing what are now Blues standards, if not cliches, in order to maintain his own voice in the genre. But after all that time, you'd think he'd start to get a bit complacent and just knock out another album of cover versions. But "Wicked Grin" served as an important recharging of the creative batteries by partnering Hammond with Waits, who produced the album, along with an empathetic crew of musical sidemen, which resulted in a summit meeting of kindred spirits. "Wicked Grin" wasn't planned as any sort of tribute album. By all accounts, it happened naturally, which is often the best way.

Tom Waits, John Hammond & Charlie Musselwhite

Hammond said in a 2001 interview, "This was a very spontaneous album. There were no rehearsals. We went in cold as a band and gelled almost immediately. The plan was not to record Tom's songs at all, even though he was producing, but I was hoping that there might be one of his songs that we might do. So he suggested one. That was the first tune we recorded ("2:19"). It was done live in one take. We all looked at each other and said, 'Tom, do you have another one?' It was truly dynamic and inspired."

Throughout "Wicked Grin", Hammond's vocal delivery is more relaxed than Waits' often manic, whiskey-ravaged growling, which has merit for Waits, but it serves Hammond well to avoid overt imitation. His take on "Heartattack And Vine" sounds more like the jaded veteran police detective making observations of a crime scene, rather than the freaked out wino who stumbled upon it. Granted, Waits was an actor playing a part in his version, as he is in many of his songs. But Hammond is very much in the first person, making notes as if he's seen this mess a hundred times before. That's not complacence. It's beat down weariness; an essential element of the Blues.

John Hammond Sr. & Aretha Franklin, 1961

It's worth noting that Hammond is the son of the legendary Columbia Records producer and talent scout, John Hammond, who was also a civil rights activist and music critic from the 1930's to the early 1980's. Hammond Sr. was instrumental in kicking off numerous musical careers, including those of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Benny Goodman, Charlie Christian, Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Big Joe Turner, Pete Seeger, Aretha Franklin, George Benson, Leonard Cohen, and many others. His last signing was Stevie Ray Vaughan. Hammond is also largely responsible for securing the historical importance of Robert Johnson's music, and its revival in the 60's. Hammond narrowly missed securing Johnson himself for a Carnegie Hall appearance in a Blues revue in the 30's due to Johnson's untimely passing.

It is likely that because of this lineage, rather than in spite of it, that John Hammond Jr. was driven to become as authentic an interpreter of The Blues as possible. Not being true to the muse as an artist was never an option, lest there be any negative squawking about Hammond Jr. being successful only because of his Dad. I saw John Hammond Jr. bravely play a solo acoustic set opening for Kansas at Villanova University in 1975. He quickly silenced and drew in a rowdy beer-soaked crowd that was primed for some hearty Prog-Rockin'. Hammond got a standing O for his efforts. The years have demonstrated that he has succeeded admirably in his art, and his Father is no doubt proud of what he has achieved.

"Wicked Grin", along with the many other recordings of John Hammond, is available in the Blues section of your local well-curated shop of musical wonderment, or at The Big A. His early work on the Vanguard label is exceptional, but Hammond is one of those uncommon artists that has amassed an extensive catalog where the duds are rare.

Tom Waits is best known for his earlier recordings on the Asylum label, so I will direct the newbies to the relative safety of the excellent and thorough, yet still economical domestic release, "Used Songs: 1973-1980", which contains both "Heartattack And Vine" and my personal favorite Waits track, the hilarious and groovin' "Step Right Up". Tread carefully from there on, and bring a flask of cheap whiskey.

(What's So Funny About) Peace Love And Understanding

The band I play in has recently been working this song up. It's a great one, for sure, but we went with it because we were having such a hard time choosing which of Elvis Costello's songs to play. When in doubt, it's always good to go with one that has a positive lyrical message, which is something that isn't all that common for Elvis Costello, who is well known as a biting and incisive lyricist, especially in his early work.

The sleeve of the Nick Lowe single.

"What's So Funny About Peace Love And Understanding" served well as the closing track on Costello's 1979 album, "Armed Forces", but it first saw release as the B-side of Nick Lowe's UK single for his song, "American Squirm". The B-side was credited to Nick Lowe and his Sound. The photo on the picture sleeve should have served as enough of a hint of what was up, as it shows Lowe sitting with Costello's custom Fender Jazzmaster guitar. This was an oddly appropriate move as Lowe was serving as Costello's producer at the time, and was typical of the less constricted environment of the early New Wave. Lowe had written the song in 1974 during his tenure with the now-legendary British pub rock band, Brinsley Schwarz. The Brinsley's original is often comparatively described as a sigh of desperation whereas Costello's recording is a wake up call.

Over the nearly 40 years since it was written, the song has been covered often by a cornucopia of musicians, both unknown and famous. Some of the better known names who've done a version of it include Midnight Oil, The Flaming Lips, The Wallflowers, and Steve Earle, among many others. None of them, however, manage to accomplish anything with the arrangement, so they're all pretty much the same. The only person able to do anything of any variance with the song has been Nick Lowe himself, who has taken to closing his live shows in recent years with a stripped down acoustic rendition that serves to amplify the plea for reason in the lyrics

A very high-selling cover version of the song was included on the soundtrack album for the 1992 film "The Bodyguard", which sold 17 million copies in the United States alone. This version was performed by singer Curtis Stigers, who was being marketed at that time as another mulleted Michael Bolton type. I have to confess here that due to my not ever being a Whitney Houston fan to any degree, I've somehow managed to avoid this album for all these years, despite its omnipresence when it was popular. So while it may seem odd, I honestly haven't ever given the Curtis Stigers version any sort of fair listen until very recently. I'm not thrilled with it, as it is so much of its time, and comes off to me as overwrought karaoke. It's as artificial as anything Bolton himself would have released, but as always, you can listen for yourself.

As late as the mid 90's, a blockbuster hit like "The Bodyguard" could be beneficial to smaller acts on a record label, as the hit would provide enough funding for the record company to promote the less popular bands and support them on the road. But as we all know, this business model is long gone. According to Will Birch's seminal book on British 'Pub Rock' music, "No Sleep Till Canvey Island", the songwriting royalties alone from Stigers' version of the song made Nick Lowe rather wealthy, although Lowe has long asserted that he used most of the money to support a subsequent tour with a full band. But whatever version of the truth you prefer, all it can take is getting just one song onto a successful album (or even used for a dog food commercial) for a songwriter to be able to support themselves for many years. It's another fine lesson in why it's important for songwriters to always hang on to their publishing rights.

Brinsley Schwarz in Amsterdam, 1974

The original recording by Lowe's band, Brinsley Schwarz, appeared as the lead-off track on their 1974 album "The New Favourites of Brinsley Schwarz". The record was produced by Welsh guitar master Dave Edmunds, whose later work with Lowe would result in one the greatest bands that ever rocked a house, Rockpile. Two other band members, keyboardist Bob Andrews and guitarist Brinsley Schwarz himself, would go on to join Graham Parker and The Rumour, and make some of the best Rock music of the late 70's and early 80's

Lowe's songwriting had taken a decidedly more Pop direction with the "New Favourites" album, and the band closed out their recording history with quite possibly their very best album. Here's the not-heard-often-enough original version of "What's So Funny About Peace Love And Understanding" as performed by the mighty and fabled Brinsley Schwarz. It almost sounds like a demo for the Costello version, doesn't it?

There are plenty of reissues of the original albums, as well as a few compilations of Brinsley Schwarz music available at The Big A, or through your local, well-curated record shop. Well worth your investigating.

Nick Lowe has worked himself into the best second wind career resurgence I can think of since the resurrection of Aerosmith in the late 80's. But unlike them, Nick did it by thoroughly reinventing himself and his music. He's been most embracing of being age-appropriate in his writing and his live presentation, and being comfortable with that. The wild days of Rockpile are long behind him, but the lyrical twinkle in the eye has been honed to a razor sharpness. He never could have written a tale as touching as "Stoplight Roses" back then, just as he wouldn't be likely to write a driver like "Heart Of The City" now. Nick Lowe is making some of the best music of his life and we all need to do ourselves a favour and enjoy it while he's still feeling like doing it. Cheers, Basher!

I've said it before, and it bears repeating. Who of us, back in 1977, would have pegged Elvis Costello as someone who would still be churning out meaningful, relevant work nearly 40 years on? He's amassed a hefty catalog of work over the years, involving several record companies and multiple reissues, some of which have gotten a tad pricey, particularly the multi-disc deluxe editions. So shop and choose wisely, but do indulge, especially his first few from the late 70 and early 80's. 

If you're truly interested in obtaining a copy of The Bodyguard soundtrack, you don't need any specialized assistance. Honestly, try your local Goodwill store.