tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67669327361514809242024-03-04T22:04:47.883-06:00Kool KoversA musical blog dedicated to showcasing excellent cover versions and lesser known original recordings of popular songs.Bill Sammonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769240239901253919noreply@blogger.comBlogger140125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766932736151480924.post-80894138913752391642015-11-30T15:23:00.003-06:002015-11-30T15:24:58.952-06:00Update re: Missing Songs (R.I.P. Divshare)Those of you who have enjoyed the Kool Kovers blog site should know (or have already discovered) that the featured songs, which were a key element to the articles, no longer show up there. This is due to the extinction of the Divshare file storage website, which has vanished from the intertubes, along with all of the content that everyone stored there. A most frustrating development for all concerned.<br />
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I am evaluating the time-consuming task of updating all of the articles by re-uploading all of the relevant files, and tweaking the embedding links in each article. This will (ahem) take a while, so I'm trying to decide if it's going to be worth all the work. I may try reviving a couple of articles, just to see how the process goes.<br />
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Any suggestions for a reliable, online file storage service that has an Mp3 widget available (preferably with the option of turning off downloading) would be gratefully appreciated.<br />
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My warmest thanks to all Kool Kovers readers, past and present.Bill Sammonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769240239901253919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766932736151480924.post-66803903947395161982015-05-22T12:33:00.001-05:002015-05-22T12:38:37.323-05:00Good Night... and GodspeedDear friends o' the blog,<br />
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You may have noticed that there hasn't been a new feature article on the blog for some time now. That's because I've been a busy boy with real world things. I am currently working on no less than 3 band projects(!). I am also getting my new business, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wirewoodomaha" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wire & Wood Guitar Maintenance</a>, up and running. These new enterprises are now commanding my time and resources, though in a positive way. I am reminded of why it's important to be careful what we wish for. Sometimes, abundance can be its own burden, yet I remain grateful.<br />
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I do have a backlog of ideas for songs to feature in blog articles, so it's not for lack of inspiration. It's just that the average article takes me a good 8-12 hours (at least) to research, compile, write and edit. My time is now at a premium, and the blog doesn't bring me any income. It never has.<br />
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I will continue to post articles and reviews on the blog when I can squeak out the time, and find the incentive to write at length. It will just be a lot less frequently than I would like. No matter what, I do plan to continue posting Kool Kovers on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/koolkovers1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, as it's a smaller context and much easier to keep up with. So, bookmark that page!<br />
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My sincerest thanks go out to all of you who have enjoyed the Kool Kovers blog, and have voiced your support. I am indebted to every single one of you. Be kind to all, let the music play, and keep it sunny!<br />
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Bill SammonBill Sammonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769240239901253919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766932736151480924.post-47442286769890797042015-02-27T11:02:00.000-06:002015-11-29T22:02:44.178-06:00Twisted<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-7P8Zslb05lpVbklivX8ktSlXhdZIslYgZPEehXXbzyrscU4Uak_4LWB1Y70yo9EzGHb2vL_pUeX_H7R7Gc8htMNTLQIUNdHV20SXPKnk79QNS9hQ91NgFmqXNlAfbZdt0vmHWtpco4/s1600/joni_color_portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj-7P8Zslb05lpVbklivX8ktSlXhdZIslYgZPEehXXbzyrscU4Uak_4LWB1Y70yo9EzGHb2vL_pUeX_H7R7Gc8htMNTLQIUNdHV20SXPKnk79QNS9hQ91NgFmqXNlAfbZdt0vmHWtpco4/s1600/joni_color_portrait.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joni Mitchell, 1973 by Henry Diltz</td></tr>
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If you ask different people what their favorite Joni Mitchell album is, the answer will likely depend on their primary preferred musical genre. If they enjoy Jazz, they'll pick "Hejira" or "Don Juan's Reckless Daughter". Folkies will go for earlier classics like "Blue" and "Ladies Of The Canyon", and those who like Rock will almost always choose "Court & Spark" as their go-to Joni album, although some crossover rebels will pick "For The Roses" or "The Hissing Of Summer Lawns". All are fine choices, as Joni Mitchell had an ever-evolving run of musical creativity and profound originality that engaged several different audiences; confusing some while enthralling others, often simultaneously.<br />
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Following the success of "For The Roses" in late 1972, Mitchell decided to spend the whole of 1973 writing and recording a new album that revealed her growing interest in new sounds, particularly those involving Jazz. Her stage appearances were far fewer than in previous years, as Joni performed a grand total of 3 shows in '73. She spent the majority of that year creating "Court & Spark", her 6th album, which was released in January of 1974. <br />
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There's no arguing that "Court & Spark" was the record that took her already successful career to superstar heights. Both critics and the public enthusiastically embraced the album, and success was reaffirmed when a 45 of "Help Me", was released in March. It received heavy radio airplay and became Mitchell's first and only Top 10 single in the Billboard charts, peaking at #7 on the Hot 100 in the first week of June, and reaching #1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary charts. "Court & Spark" went on to be a big seller that year, peaking at #2 on the Billboard album charts, and holding that position for four weeks. It was kept from the top spot by three other albums that reached #1 during that time: Bob Dylan's "Planet Waves", Barbra Streisand's "The Way We Were" and John Denver's Greatest Hits. The album nonetheless became the pinnacle of Mitchell's commercial success.<br />
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At the 1975 Grammy Awards, "Court & Spark" was nominated for Album Of The Year honors, which went to Stevie Wonder's "Fulfillingness' First Finale". The single "Help Me" was also nominated for Record Of The Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, but didn't win either. Perhaps as a consolation prize, or perhaps not, another track from the album, "Down To You", did take home a Grammy in the category of Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s). It's not like the Grammys have any sort of reputation for being out of touch and missing the boat on anything, but truly, Stevie was on quite a roll in the 70's.<br />
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"Court & Spark" explored plenty of interesting new territory as the grooves wound their way through the album. But at the end of Side 2, things took a swingin' comic turn with the rapid fire lyric of "Twisted", a perfect album closer that lent a sly touch of needed humor to these wonderful, but fairly serious musical proceedings. "Twisted" gave as much, or even more of a clue to Joni's newfound path than the other songs on the album did. It even included a brief cameo from Cheech & Chong, whose pothead humor was, pardon the expression, peaking at the time. "Twisted" fast became a fan favorite. I well remember a group of girls on our high school bus singing it to each other at the top of their lungs, and laughing like the giggly schoolgirls they were. I'll bet they still sing along with it to this day.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks, Annie Ross</td></tr>
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"Twisted" was lovingly adapted by Joni from the original recording by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, a popular vocal trio that had a relatively short run together, but made a giant impact on how vocals could be used in Jazz. Furthering the pioneering work of Ella Fitzgerald, their harmony work evolved into a style they called Vocalese. The idea behind their technique was to compose real lyrics and match them to written out instrumental solo parts, which was an arresting and innovative thing to hear at the time. To match up scat singing with precise lyrical poetry was far more difficult than it sounds.<br />
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Dave Lambert, Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross applied their style beyond the usual intimacy of a small combo to full big band arrangements. Their sharp and witty vocals, energetic delivery, and stupendous harmonies took the Jazz world by storm, making instant stars of the three performers and inspiring a host of similar acts, such as The Hi-Los, The King Sisters, and eventually, The Manhattan Transfer, who would likely not have existed in the form they did without the influence of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. (The Transfer did a terrific album called "Vocalese" in 1985 that featured both Jon Hendricks and Bobby McFerrin).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggS6Zpe-oVbq0G0MAJRCW_gDctBN6xE6lZovYEUOkjFG8SqZo1hH7oyCk1lEa9xtS4LNKerb_TvXW65UG8CBho7c4he8KjoA1BXXagflR9WT7glK1xAlnwNvXtcLVhb-wnCwLoMJziZik/s1600/LHR+basie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggS6Zpe-oVbq0G0MAJRCW_gDctBN6xE6lZovYEUOkjFG8SqZo1hH7oyCk1lEa9xtS4LNKerb_TvXW65UG8CBho7c4he8KjoA1BXXagflR9WT7glK1xAlnwNvXtcLVhb-wnCwLoMJziZik/s1600/LHR+basie.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Beginning as a duo in the mid-50's, Lambert and Hendricks decided to take on the challenging music of Count Basie. Their daring plan called for the use of a 12 man vocal choir to recreate full Basie arrangements, with one singer representing one instrument. Unable to find enough talented vocalists who could sight read music, they decided to hire studio singers and contacted Jazz vocalist Annie Ross to coach them. The results were disastrous and the idea of using a choir was dropped. Unwilling to give up, Lambert and Hendricks decided to experiment with the relatively new process of studio multi-tracking to create the same effect. They asked Ross to help. Ross could not sight read music but knew the original Basie recordings by heart.<br />
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When their debut recording, "Sing A Song Of Basie" was finally released in 1957 by ABC/Paramount, it became a smash hit. An equally successful follow-up album ensued, with Basie himself supporting the trio. The three singers were now in high demand. In 1959, they decided to take a different direction. Realizing the limits of multi-tracking for live performance, they abandoned it and hired a rhythm section. The resulting effort earned them even greater accolades. The trio then recorded four more albums together on the Columbia label, and also pursued solo projects.<br />
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By 1962, Annie Ross had tired of touring and called it quits. Lambert and Hendricks choose Yolande Bavan for the impossible job of replacing Ross. Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan recorded three albums for RCA. None were as successful as those of the previous trio, and the group broke up in 1964. Sadly, Dave Lambert was killed in a car accident in 1966. Jon Hendricks continues to perform. Annie Ross also continued singing and working in films.<br />
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Here is the original 1960 recording of "Twisted" by Lambert, Hendricks, and mostly, Ross. The music was composed by Wardell Gray, and Annie Ross wrote the scatty lyric. Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiaSsb9JqfArYP1r8vfpB_XM-m7aB5LkZ51kQnnOTCn-DGFLJW-_gt6oyzCpd2uKEH1IJ2mwK5JlSfVx0N7Jl3Cv9DMyWELxlG_NE_zbO8Vlng8d6I7JBxMZ3Mxo-1eqVfcaVqSvFrjhk/s1600/LHR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiaSsb9JqfArYP1r8vfpB_XM-m7aB5LkZ51kQnnOTCn-DGFLJW-_gt6oyzCpd2uKEH1IJ2mwK5JlSfVx0N7Jl3Cv9DMyWELxlG_NE_zbO8Vlng8d6I7JBxMZ3Mxo-1eqVfcaVqSvFrjhk/s1600/LHR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
"Twisted" can be found on this excellent CD reissue at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000002ADR/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000002ADR&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=HXCEGE2OWJ455GCW%22%3EThe%20Hottest%20New%20Group%20in%20Jazz%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000002ADR%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>. It's a good one to have, as it contains 3 of their best Columbia albums in one reasonably priced 2 disc set. There's also an interesting import <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EQK5PJQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00EQK5PJQ&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=ZTMS634S6SL76DVY%22%3E7%20Classic%20Albums%20-%20Hendricks%20Lambert%20and%20Ross%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00EQK5PJQ%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">boxed set</a> that's certainly affordable, but I can't vouch for the packaging or sound quality. Either way, the innovative music of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross is well deserving of your time and effort to seek out and immerse yourself in.<br />
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Much like Bob Dylan's "Blood On The Tracks", Joni Mitchell's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000002GXL/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000002GXL&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=23ZXIDGRB3BC5ESJ%22%3ECourt%20and%20Spark%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000002GXL%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Court & Spark"</a> is a terrific place to begin your collection of her work, as you can proceed either forward or back from there. Some of her earlier works like "Blue", "Hejira", "Ladies Of The Canyon" and of course, "Court & Spark" have already been reissued on 180 gram vinyl through Rhino/Warner Brothers.<br />
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If you should happen to have none of Joni's amazing recordings on your shelves, you may want to take the plunge and pop for this wonderful <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0097AQEOK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0097AQEOK&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=DOJMMP3PHYG3ES32%22%3EStudio%20Albums%201968%20-%201979%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0097AQEOK%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">10 disc box set</a> that contains all of her recordings for Reprise and Asylum, packaged in mini LP jacket reproductions, and all of them freshly spiffed up sonically for your enjoyment. You'll need a magnifier to read the lyrics, but less than $38 including shipping, that's a per-disc price you shouldn't pass up.
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For those of you that are fans of Joni's earlier, more Folk-oriented work, you'll want to check out the the recently released <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IHYO584/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00IHYO584&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=PJ7XDP5JQTVYHDR4%22%3EMITCHELL,%20JONI%20-%20LIVE%20AT%20THE%20SECOND%20FRET%201966%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00IHYO584%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Live At The Second Fret"</a>, a 1966 coffeehouse performance recorded by Philadelphia's Temple University radio station WRTI. The audio isn't perfect, but still rather good, considering the age of the source tapes. It's circulated for decades as a bootleg, but is just now getting a semi-official release. Just the same, I'd pick it up before someone changes their mind and files an injunction.</div>
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Bill Sammonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769240239901253919noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766932736151480924.post-82256799610778398302015-02-13T12:35:00.000-06:002015-02-22T12:30:24.981-06:00Review: Beyond Belief - A Tribute To Elvis Costello<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I asked in a <a href="http://koolkovers.blogspot.com/2014/06/green-shirt.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">previous article</a>, who could have guessed that out of all the new acts that popped up every week back in the Punk / New Wave era of the late 70's, that it would be Elvis Costello who would still be turning out meaningful work and touring regularly nearly 40 years on? I might have picked Joe Jackson, but what did I know? I loved the first 5 or 6 Elvis Costello albums, and still do, along with much of his later work. What I didn't know then was how much the brilliant work of bassist Bruce Thomas of The Attractions would influence my own bass playing over time. I consider that a bonus.<br />
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The arrival of a new tribute album dedicated to the songs of Elvis Costello is a surprise in the sense of how overdue it is. It's curious that no one had thought of doing a project like this, on this level, before now. The only other ones I can think of were a 2010 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00316Q93C/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00316Q93C&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=W63V7DMQ532HVOWT%22%3EAlmost%20You:%20%20The%20Songs%20of%20Elvis%20Costello%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00316Q93C%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">indie band</a> collection that flew way under the radar, and an album assembled by the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000063FA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0000063FA&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=WK3WQVXHOH7PPVZW%22%3ESongs%20Of%20Elvis%20Costello:%20Bespoke%20Songs,%20Lost%20Dogs,%20Detours%20&%20Rendezvous%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0000063FA%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rhino label</a> in the late 90's that was just a compilation of tunes Costello wrote for other artists, and did not feature songs recorded specifically for that album. So they only came close. This one hits the bullseye squarely. It's the Elvis Costello tribute album we've all been waiting for. The kicker is that it manages to deliver consistently high quality recordings along with ear popping quantity; a rare achievement indeed. Co-produced by longtime Costello fans Olivia Frain and John Borack, this collection features independent artists putting their own spin on Elvis Costello classics and some essential deep cuts. Borack also produced one of my favorite tribute albums, the long out of print and now collectable Bubblegum compilation, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006LSLD/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00006LSLD&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=RK6U74I6I4OPBBXU%22%3ERight%20to%20Chews:%20Indie%20Pop%20Art%20Do%20Bubblegum%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00006LSLD%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Right To Chews"</a>.<br />
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In keeping with Elvis Costello's own history of cramming a lot of songs onto an album, ("Get Happy" and "Taking Liberties" each had 20 songs on a single vinyl LP), "Beyond Belief: A Tribute To Elvis Costello" features a whopping 50 songs by 50 bands spread out over 3 CDs. Even with that much to choose from, Costello has written so much good material over the last three decades or so that it would not be difficult to have included at least 1 or 2 more discs worth of cover songs, and still keep the quality level high. But really, I'm delighted with 50. It's a nice round number.
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I've been listening to "Beyond Belief" for the last couple of weeks and I can't believe how consistently good it is, to the point where it's been difficult to remain critically objective. Even a single CD of 10- 20 tunes will have at least a couple that may not work for you, or even rub you wrong. But here, we have 50 songs over 3 CD's, and I haven't heard one track that made me say "OK, that's just wrong". The clear majority of the musicians here have taken the original recording as a guide, and played it as they would play it. That doesn't sound like much of a statement, but the key is that when they play the song, they sound like themselves, while fully respecting the song's integrity. Very few, if any of the recordings rely solely on mimicry, but those that do have it, offer their share of Costello-isms with a sincere affection.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3EAjPB6u1VpqP5CFcIOrOr27XiArNhWT4Y5yq4ki0Lj5esVGqN5vE13uNsssb3FKl6pneUnGq5cgFg-xnO4CklPTM0YYmaimn7pjNM8_SXcmCCaKDA1PeRKJcldF8uIXS8XeYopxBWaE/s1600/costellology.widea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3EAjPB6u1VpqP5CFcIOrOr27XiArNhWT4Y5yq4ki0Lj5esVGqN5vE13uNsssb3FKl6pneUnGq5cgFg-xnO4CklPTM0YYmaimn7pjNM8_SXcmCCaKDA1PeRKJcldF8uIXS8XeYopxBWaE/s1600/costellology.widea.jpg" height="292" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The evolution of Elvis</td></tr>
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Despite the ample evidence that Costello has proven to be a brilliant lyricist and a most musical composer, and having done some co-writing with the likes of Paul McCartney and Burt Bacharach, I know there are some folks who just can't seem to get past either the sound of his voice, or some of the knottier complexities of his more advanced music. I can understand and appreciate that point of view. It is with that in mind that I will suggest that an album of well executed cover versions, such as this one, might prove a fine way to nudge someone who is on the fence about Costello's music to listen a little further, and hear some of the things that the musicians doing the covers have heard in the songs. It's an exploration well worth your time, and theirs.<br />
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Some of my favorite tracks include the Everly-esque vocal harmonies on "Brilliant Mistake" by Dennis Schocket & Cliff Hillis, and the faithful recreations of David Myhr's "Veronica", "(I Don't Want to Go To) Chelsea" by The Stars Explode, and "Beyond Belief" by Nelson Bragg & Ken Cleveland. Honeychain rocks their energetic and crunchy version of "This Year's Girl". Brandon Schott's fine orchestral take on "Riot Act" explores the compositional and dynamic potential of the original. The punchy brass parts on "Pump It Up" by The Rubinoos would make it a dance floor packer for any live band with a horn section. I also enjoyed the brave and creative Doo-Wop vocals of "Blame It On Cain" by Jamie & Steve, the sultry groove on Kelley Ryan's "Monkey To Man", the acoustic mood shift of "I Hope You're Happy Now" by Smithereens bassist, Severo Jornacion, and the soulful bounce of Gail George's reading of "Deep Dark Truthful Mirror". That's only about 20% of the album, but any omission here does not infer anything negative. It's just that there's so much terrific music on the album that a track-by-track review would be an overly lengthy read. I'm sure you will discover your own favorites. <br />
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Here's a brief sampler of 3 random songs from the album. Enjoy.</div>
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It must be said that I like the packaging of the discs. The artwork is appropriately eye catching, in a nod to EC's classic late 70's cover art, but the producers were also smart to go with a glossy and reasonably sturdy paperboard wallet design that holds the 3 CD's and a booklet. I much prefer this design over the clunky, shelf space hogging multi-boxes of old, or the slim plastic triple cases that crack if you look at them cross-eyed. This is an aesthetically solid design that uses no plastic, and was likely a wise choice for the album's production budget as well.
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I would be greatly remiss if I didn't tell you that 100% of the proceeds from the release will go to the <a href="http://www.mhopus.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation</a>, which was founded by the late composer, Michael Kamen. The foundation helps put musical instruments into the hands of children in underserved areas. This fundraising is going towards a great cause, which is all the more reason for you to pick up this album promptly.<br />
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You can acquire the album at the <a href="http://spyderpop.com/artists/various-beyond-belief-an-elvis-costello-tribute/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spyderpop Records</a> website, which has links to buy the CD <a href="http://www.ebay.com/itm/Beyond-Belief-A-Tribute-To-Elvis-Costello-Limited-Edition-Compilation-/231464899594?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35e462140a" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">direct from the label</a>, or you can visit <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/beyondbeliefatributetoel" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CD Baby</a> to listen to samples and choose the CD's or the digital download. The CD edition is currently limited to 1000 copies, so act now. There's also a 3 hour radio program on Soundcloud, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/thetimemachine/john-borack-interview-for-beyond-belief-a-tribute-to-elvis-costello" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Time Machine</a>, featuring DJ Michael McCartney playing many of the tracks from the album, along with a phone interview with co-producer John Borack.
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This album provides further reinforcement of my theory that independent producers and artists will outperform major labels on tribute projects like this every time. "Beyond Belief" is clearly a labor of love, and a serious contender for Best Tribute Album of 2015, even though it's only February. It also happens to be one of the best tributes to the music of any one artist that I've yet seen. I understand that Costello himself is aware of the project, and is no doubt pleased. If you enjoy the songs of Elvis Costello to any extent, then this exceptional tribute is well deserving of an immediate spot in your collection, and plenty of spins in your CD player.</div>
Bill Sammonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769240239901253919noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766932736151480924.post-65912706177653616162015-02-03T10:49:00.000-06:002015-02-04T20:26:32.562-06:00Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In 1988, the release of a new solo album by Brian Wilson was a most newsworthy event. During the second half of the 1970's, Wilson was under the medical and psychiatric care of his therapist, Dr. Eugene Landy, after spending several years doing little or no work with The Beach Boys. But starting in 1983, under Landy's constant supervision, Wilson began making infrequent trips to recording studios, amassing a hefty amount of songwriting collaborations with his old friend and collaborator, Gary Usher, yet still only having marginal involvement with what would become The Beach Boys' eponymous 1985 album, making it unforeseeable that Wilson could work as a seriously productive musician or composer ever again. The initial single from that Beach Boys album was released in April of '85. "Let's Go To Heaven In My Car", co-written with Usher, was a flop, despite or perhaps because of being included in the soundtrack for the movie "Police Academy 4".<br />
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Despite all odds, Wilson was signed to a multi-album solo recording contract with Sire Records in early 1987, after label president Seymour Stein saw Wilson perform an acappella version of "On Broadway" at a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. Producer Lenny Waronker concurred, and Andy Paley was hired as co-producer to lend an empathic ear and keep Brian on task. Gary Usher was a key participant in the early demo work for the album, until Eugene Landy later removed him from the project without explanation.<br />
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The eponymous debut solo album by Brian Wilson was released in July 1988 on Sire Records. It was voted one of the best albums of 1988 by NME, and as part of its acclaim, garnered the nickname "Pet Sounds '88" among some critics. Wilson themed the album around love and spirituality, exemplified by its lead single "Love and Mercy". Although the album's sessions were reportedly contentious, with some participants demanding a progressive artistic statement instead of conventional pop songs, Wilson managed to stay true to his own vision, despite the constant pressures of what others wanted from him.<br />
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Certain portions of "Brian Wilson" harken back to his earlier work with The Beach Boys. The song "Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long" is sort of a spiritual sequel to "Caroline, No", as Wilson himself explained: "At first, when I wrote the melody, I thought maybe it should be a love song. Most of the lyrics were romantic, but then I said, 'Wait a minute. Let's get rid of some of the love aspects, the romantic aspects of this song, and put in more sexual lyrics'. It's like when girls whack their hair off short, and they don't give a shit. Sometimes, you prompt someone to hit the road and get on the stick and let your hair grow long and try harder. It also exemplifies beauty in a girl."<br />
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The 1980's left us with many recordings that are now as identifiable by their heavy handed production techniques as they are by the actual melody at hand. In many cases, the two are inseparable. There are other unfortunate examples where the production overruled the song. This is one of those tracks.<br />
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In 2000, Sire re-released the album through Rhino/Atlantic Records with non-album single tracks, B-sides, demos, instrumentals, and interview clips. On its 25th anniversary in 2013, Friday Music reissued the album on blue 180g vinyl. Initially, Landy and his girlfriend, Alexandra Morgan, had their names included as co-writing credits on some of the songs on "Brian Wilson", but since Landy was successfully removed from Wilson's life in 1991, the credits were later revised to reflect their lack of involvement in Wilson's songs.<br />
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Nelson Bragg is a multi-instrument musician, best known as a drummer, percussionist, and harmony vocalist who has performed in more than 30 bands and has been involved in numerous recordings. In 2003, Bragg joined Brian Wilson’s band as percussionist/vocalist to perform on Brian's recreation of the legendary unreleased album "Smile".<br />
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In February 2004, Brian's band premiered the "Smile" show at the Royal Festival Hall in London, and performed a subsequent UK tour. "Smile" was then recorded and released to critical acclaim, winning a Grammy in the Best Instrumental category for the track "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow", which featured Bragg on whistles, sound effects, and celery. In a 2009 interview, Nelson said "Working with Brian Wilson helped me with arrangement skills for sure, and also helped me hear tuning better. My singing has vastly improved after 5 years with him, and I am certainly more adventurous with my harmony choices."<br />
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Nelson's 2nd solo album, "We Get What We Want", is a terrific collection of melodic, multi-layered Pop that showcases Bragg's skillful songwriting abilities that were no doubt influenced by not just Brian Wilson's work, but by many others along the way. Bragg wears these influences proudly, but not in any manner that overshadows his own work. He is developing his own sound, which is no easy task for any songwriter, building on the sounds of his previous album, "Day Into Night". He has mentioned on social media that his next album is in the works, but only he knows when we will get to hear it. He takes his time with his music, releasing it only when the work is complete to his satisfaction, as it should be.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nelson Bragg at his office</td></tr>
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I was most grateful when Nelson responded to my written request for some background on the recording of his version of Brian Wilson's "Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long", which is a feature track on "We Get What We Want". I told him that I felt Brian's version had the unfinished vibe of a demo, rather than a polished final recording. Nelson confirmed that in his response to me.<br />
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"When I make a new record, I always do 2 covers, one by a friend, or, an exceedingly obscure writer, and one by a famous artist. For "We Get What We Want", I thought it was time to cover Brian. But I am REALLY picky about covers. I have to bring something new to the table, or out-do the original in some way. One thing I love is when I hear a song by an artist where the beauty of the song is really obvious, but the era production or the format (obscure b-side) don't allow the song to get noticed."<br />
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"In preparation for a Brian Wilson cover, I was determined to hear literally every single song he ever wrote, or was a large part of. Nick Walusko from the Brian band gave me a DVD of everything: live, studio, solo, bootlegs, demos, covers, every single thing Brian ever did. It took me 3 or 4 days of constantly listening to find the treasure that is "Baby Let Your Hair Grow Long". There was not one song, other than this one, that I could really 'do something' with. It needed improvement and it sounds like a song I would have written, two great reasons to cover it. The 80's synth percussion and keyboard production is awful on that song. It is bombastic and plodding. It's an incredible lost opportunity for him. But the upside was that it seemed like a sequel to "Caroline No" from "Pet Sounds"! Unbelievable. On my last record, I have a song called "Death Of Caroline". I mean, it was clear: I am recording this song!… but it needed to be softer and more tender, maybe less chords, and I heard a mellotron on it. I really felt it needed a Psych treatment, as if Syd Barrett wrote it. So I changed the key up a whole step to make it lighter, but kept the tempo the same. It is NOT slower. I removed several chords in the pre-chorus and saved them for the last one. I sang softer, I even changed a few words to make it flow better; a "the" here or an "and" there…very minor improprieties. When it was done, I was thrilled. It was old-timey in a way."<br />
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"I tracked a small 1939 Martin acoustic on it, and drenched the song with mellotron. The drums are a tom-tom ostinato mixed low. I added a piano line on it that is not on the original. I was very influenced by The Stones' "She's A Rainbow" with that, and I compressed the hell out of it. I also added a guitar / trumpet duet that is not on the original, giving it a Sgt. Pepper feel. Another thing about this version: there is no bass. Instead, I tracked a huge pump organ line playing 1/4 note triplets. All of this with an extended vocal outro did the trick for me….a little Stones, a bit of Syd, a dash of Beatles and myself covering Brian Wilson. Good times!"<br />
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This is what can happen when skilled musical craftsmen are able to discover the true colors of a song that was buried under excessive production. They uncover it, feed it, give it room to breathe, and encourage it to bloom.<br />
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You can find music by Nelson Bragg at <a href="http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/NelsonBragg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CD Baby</a>, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=nelson%20bragg&linkCode=ur2&sprefix=nelson%20bragg%2Cpopular%2C257&tag=fantasti07-20&url=search-alias%3Dpopular&linkId=XCECPXBH5ROUNF7B%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, where there are also several albums by other artists that Nelson performed on. CD's of "Day Into Night" are hard to locate, but "We Get What We Want" is still readily available, as are downloads of either album. Both are terrific and highly recommended.<br />
<br />
I would also like to send out my personal thanks to Mr. Nelson Bragg for his timely, enthusiastic, and thorough response to my queries regarding his process of recording the song. We would ask him to please give Brian our warmest regards, and sincere thanks for all of his great music.<br />
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The discography of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Brian-Wilson/e/B000AQ1FVC/works/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=4L5ZLJSZCEY7NPXC%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brian Wilson</a> has grown considerably since the late 80's, and that's before you get into his work with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Beach-Boys/e/B000APTGZ0/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&qid=1422900722&sr=1-1&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=LYHGYCTBXP3BHXQB%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Beach Boys</a>. I can't lament the loss of what music we could have had during his personal low times during the 70's and 80's, because Brian's output since then has been so consistently good. This is in no small way due to the love, generosity, empathy, and attention to detail provided to Brian and his music by musicians like Nelson Bragg, and for that, as someone who enjoys the fruits of Brian's creative spirit, I am most grateful.Bill Sammonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769240239901253919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766932736151480924.post-24984156341586563822015-01-05T14:27:00.001-06:002015-01-05T19:42:19.766-06:00Editorial: Is Vinyl Killing The Mp3 Industry?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajV35ar6taN_tXn_EknJsLFW2Zep_kadXQbZtuhyADnMc8JPnaQ77KYP-DQOodz2hrMGHTaty4aco1paWamtufWT928Pln51KYV7uLoE59pBT4de3-1kSFkf9I0loGUb82P3EgCyQd2Y/s1600/vinyl_rules_1_thumb1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiajV35ar6taN_tXn_EknJsLFW2Zep_kadXQbZtuhyADnMc8JPnaQ77KYP-DQOodz2hrMGHTaty4aco1paWamtufWT928Pln51KYV7uLoE59pBT4de3-1kSFkf9I0loGUb82P3EgCyQd2Y/s1600/vinyl_rules_1_thumb1.jpg" height="320" width="233" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...or does it?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
About a year ago, after purchasing and assembling a rather large, wall-sized CD storage rack, I posted a photo of this behemoth on Facebook. The first comment on that post was something along the line of how much simpler it was to have the same amount of music stored digitally on an external hard drive the size of a hardcover book. (An ironic analogy, I thought.) I have found that this is a widely held opinion these days, although I would caution digital media fans to back up their hard drives. If you've ever had a hard drive crash on you, taking all of your stuff down with it, then you understand that pain. This is a primary reason why I prefer having hard copy CD's and vinyl records, but there's much more to it than that.<br />
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Please understand, I like the convenience of digital media. I'm the kid who used to head over to his friends' house with 20 record albums stuffed under each arm. Being able to fit 5 times that much music (with room to spare) into a device that fits in my shirt pocket, that can sound as good if not better than my old records, is pretty darn slick. As vinyl collectors know, any respectable record collection can weigh a ton. In the early 90's, when my wife and I moved from a rented townhome into our first proper house, my record collection numbered around 4000, and it was boxed up in groups of about 50-70 albums per box. After the moving guys had schlepped all the furniture, and an upright piano, they started on the records. You'd have thought they were going to die. As with anything else, it's not the weight that gets you, it's the reps. So yes, digital media definitely has the advantage there.<br />
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Nonetheless, I have to wonder if one format is truly better than others, or are they all just different, equally valid options? Overall, I am finding that the answer is entirely subjective. As it has been during any period of multiple home audio formats, there are several choices, and which is best depends on your own perspective of what is right for you. So let's have a brief look at the past for some perspective on how we got to the way things are now.<br />
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In the 70's, we had turntables, reel-to-reel tape, cassettes, and the popular but clunky 8 track cartridge. No audiophile of that time whose opinion was worth his Stereo Review subscription would have said that the 8 track was the best home listening format; nor would that same person have had a turntable or reel-to-reel deck in his car. They all had their purpose, but vinyl records were still the primary format back then, despite their size, weight, and the necessity of being careful when handling them, not that everyone did that.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5DXxKG5-RSP_183pfJDaUhTEDRCzjswL43Bl8K1lcUxiIZ2yhM9heiRIWp4_se8olSE_Kt1n3qz0IcU28WqMnEFcFzSVHmqjPhwjrBB3NR0ng-CL8L-qLBvY5BnjB_fHRnficFAPVA8/s1600/rainbow_on_a_cdrom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5DXxKG5-RSP_183pfJDaUhTEDRCzjswL43Bl8K1lcUxiIZ2yhM9heiRIWp4_se8olSE_Kt1n3qz0IcU28WqMnEFcFzSVHmqjPhwjrBB3NR0ng-CL8L-qLBvY5BnjB_fHRnficFAPVA8/s1600/rainbow_on_a_cdrom.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I done been hyp-mo-tized!</td></tr>
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When compact discs arrived in the mid-80's, they were revolutionary in many ways. They certainly weighed a lot less. The all-too-familiar pops, crackles and skips of vinyl were gone. They didn't warp and you didn't have to be quite as careful with them. But above all, they were shiny. We liked the shiny. We liked it so much that we didn't see behind the curtain. Through the compact disc, the record industry was able to persuade most of us to replace our record collections en masse, despite the average retail price of $18-20 per disc. They advanced this by reducing the number of vinyl pressings made, and retooling their pressing facilities for CD's. Many private record pressers who couldn't afford to adapt their operation closed their doors. Records were expeditiously evicted from stores, as browsing racks were quickly rehabbed for CD longboxes. (Remember them?) The big music corporations also saved millions on the backside by greatly reducing shipping expenses due to weight, and by slashing returns losses for defective vinyl.<br />
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It took some time before the concept of using better masters for CD's took hold, as our ears were used to the subpar sonics that the often terrible record pressings of the 70's provided. For the rest of the 80's, it was a full speed "find a master and call the plant" production schedule, regardless of the sonic quality of the master that was used, hence the notoriously poor sound of the first edition CD's of classic albums like "Abraxas" by Santana, Rod Stewart's "Every Picture Tells A Story", Jethro Tull's "Aqualung", and several others. Most of these CD's were made from multi-generational copies of copies that suffered from muffled highs, excessive compression, distortion, and other maladies that weren't corrected until the arrival of the Mobile Fidelity Gold editions. Only then did the notion of improving sound for CD release occur, as the technology now allowed for it, and customers began to make their demand for it known.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAorMQ9ST9L51W4QUiSE8FNUk_YTVaI-8D0Scj4e6vaaMEEfn4RYrv_vzHHPrSJcxSt7qY_TbxKy_1MZyjZ5fB6NFkBtTB3jkb5Fi4fQhwNxVqGkDnPCGD64EOHWQw3qHV0TbJeqYGzTY/s1600/amp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAorMQ9ST9L51W4QUiSE8FNUk_YTVaI-8D0Scj4e6vaaMEEfn4RYrv_vzHHPrSJcxSt7qY_TbxKy_1MZyjZ5fB6NFkBtTB3jkb5Fi4fQhwNxVqGkDnPCGD64EOHWQw3qHV0TbJeqYGzTY/s1600/amp.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A tube amplifier by CAV Audio. Righteous.</td></tr>
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One thing that has certainly changed is the way people listen to music. Our attention span as a society is not what it once was. Truthfully, it's been in decline since Americans got used to having the radio in their lives. Many of us use music or the TV as background noise in our homes, and that's fine. What I'm talking about is a decline of participatory listening for the pure enjoyment of the music, and for the quality of its sound.<br />
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I believe that the portability and convenience of digital music lends itself to an effortless disengagement by the audience. Furthermore, I contend that the advent of the intangible digital file has contributed greatly to a perceptional devaluation of music by the lay public, both as an art form, and monetarily, depriving music of the attention and value it deserves. They can't hold onto it. It's a download, so what's it worth? A buck? They'd rather talk than listen. It pains me when live music that is intended to be listened to is loudly talked over in public places, although alcohol often plays a starring role in that behavior. It's not new, but it seems to have become worse over the last couple of decades.<br />
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Webster's defines the word 'listen' as "to pay attention to someone or something in order to hear what is being said, sung, played, etc." Therefore, true concentrated listening is an active, yet submissive event. Formats like vinyl and reel-to-reel tape require some preparation for the listening experience. There's a ritual of sorts that goes with having a good amplifier and the smell of the tubes heating up; the careful handling and cleaning process to remove dust from the record, and once that's done, the anticipation of the slow needle drop. After all that comes the best part: the active engagement and immersion in the sound of the music.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijDkI3ckjcoN_bJxj-ZdsvaycVltux0o1g1froAOJoYrVMWS0q8OdsPOyDkF_E02GHliAZoSjtiLEuIZaIj_C03BfAoJCsku1tZ1jGxMhOV051WmX2RgIG60GGWzAUA-GLDpCT4UwFyVQ/s1600/play_by_ear.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijDkI3ckjcoN_bJxj-ZdsvaycVltux0o1g1froAOJoYrVMWS0q8OdsPOyDkF_E02GHliAZoSjtiLEuIZaIj_C03BfAoJCsku1tZ1jGxMhOV051WmX2RgIG60GGWzAUA-GLDpCT4UwFyVQ/s1600/play_by_ear.jpg" /></a></div>
This is why some say that listening to music on vinyl is an experience that can't be matched by simply pushing an instant play button on a digital device. Vinyl is perfect in all of its imperfections. For many reasons that are still unfolding, records are being manufactured again in numbers that grow each year. Pressing plants worldwide are overbooked, new ones are opening, and the records themselves are of far better quality than ever before. My personal opinion is that while vinyl is an excellent format for many genres of music, it does not suit all of them. I've found that Jazz on the Blue Note and Impulse labels, Chess Blues, Folk, Americana and Acoustic music in general, along with most Classic Rock seems to fare the best on vinyl. Anything electronically oriented or generated, not so much. This can be anything from Emerson Lake & Palmer to Nine Inch Nails to Daft Punk. I can enjoy the music of those bands, but I prefer them on CD. It's just a better fit.<br />
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I contend that one of the main reasons for the resurrection of vinyl is that it's something of a backlash against the Mp3. There's a sound quality issue, yes, but I also believe that there is a strong desire for something tangible. Music is kind of 'in the air' anyway, isn't it? It's just sound; a composed idea, invisible and weightless. To further that by having all of your music collection stored in an ethereal "cloud" only distances you from your music. We need to have a way to store this fragile thing for convenient reference when we want to hear it again, and to hold it in our hands. The listening experience is also enhanced by having a cover designed with intriguing artwork, photos, song lyrics, and various other enclosed items that can be as exciting and entertaining as the music itself. Besides, should I be fortunate enough to somehow meet the performer of a recorded work, I cannot ask them if they would please sign my download.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLm_Or_dvIpGsYY9wZPzWwtLtxx-XLQ_VKQiQyezA3yrPo0iqVC4Xfb-sytGIkB_WAHyoIfVgA6h4hO1nqotXJJLAvIgyXmFHDdL8hY_02Vgy5ETEMk2A5_gmqgooquDt-kWmcywQC44Q/s1600/DSM+shirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLm_Or_dvIpGsYY9wZPzWwtLtxx-XLQ_VKQiQyezA3yrPo0iqVC4Xfb-sytGIkB_WAHyoIfVgA6h4hO1nqotXJJLAvIgyXmFHDdL8hY_02Vgy5ETEMk2A5_gmqgooquDt-kWmcywQC44Q/s1600/DSM+shirt.jpg" height="400" width="356" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I want this shirt.</td></tr>
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Records and CD's also provide a way for the writers and performers to get paid for their creative work. Terrific advancements have been made in the digital arena for musicians to sell their own downloads, and I think that's great. It's not just convenient, but it helps keep production costs for the artist in check.<br />
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An ugly concept that surfaced during the 90's heyday of peer-to-peer download services like Napster and Limewire is the false and dangerous perception that music should be free art for the public to consume at will, without compensating artists for their work. This is hurtful and destructive, as it causes grave injury and insult to independent artists who depend on their work being purchased, just so they can make an honest living at their craft.<br />
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When I say honest living, I'm talking about making enough to cover normal living expenses, and being able to self-finance recording and touring, because there is no old-model record company that is able or willing to back them anymore. Make no mistake, the old ways of rock star royalty making millions off of record sales that keep them in bathtubs full of cocaine are long gone. The days of cushy development deals are gone. The corporations want a sure-fire hit right now, and more for later. There are many big name, legacy artists who wouldn't have a snowball's chance on a gas grille of getting a deal with a major label if they were a new artist today, because their music, fan base, and sales were developed through several album releases over time. This simply does not happen anymore. Recording, touring, and just living is expensive these days, and all those costs come out of the artist's pocket first, which has to be made back before any profit is realised. Thankfully, crowdfunding websites are making things easier, but it's still a tough go. Face it, no one goes into any business just to break even.<br />
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To those who download without buying, I say this. You're not "stickin' it to the man" by downloading free music. You're stickin' it to the artist whose work you claim to love so much. Why would it make sense for them to continue to sweat their guts out and hamstring their finances creating more music that you're just gonna steal from them? Don't tell me they'll make it up in merchandise and ticket sales. That's a lie. Theft is theft, no matter what column on the spreadsheet it comes from. If you like what they do, buy the music. Besides, the torrent sites are infested with viruses and bugware.<br />
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In closing, a quick anecdote about stealing from artists. I once knew a guy who was dumb enough to ask the bassist for The Replacements if he would autograph a record. That's fine, but it was a bootleg! The bassist took a black Sharpie and wrote F**K YOU!! in giant bold letters across the entire cover, then cussed the guy out for buying bootlegs instead of a t-shirt or one of their legit albums. I don't blame him a bit.Bill Sammonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769240239901253919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766932736151480924.post-37782518739292059812014-12-13T08:51:00.002-06:002014-12-24T10:29:22.864-06:00Full Moon And Empty Arms<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1PCVIbKC3pLa96C9kak6Vbo4zGqryfQoUHrI96gggG0xOttoKDFIGVQnckh9X4Xwk3ID955Z-Er1-ebLQbxVzgAV_XQtVXzsN9jlx5pt1k0w2p-d5Mngq-VEd0_cIogBwhnh5MTnE0c/s1600/Bob-Dylan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD1PCVIbKC3pLa96C9kak6Vbo4zGqryfQoUHrI96gggG0xOttoKDFIGVQnckh9X4Xwk3ID955Z-Er1-ebLQbxVzgAV_XQtVXzsN9jlx5pt1k0w2p-d5Mngq-VEd0_cIogBwhnh5MTnE0c/s1600/Bob-Dylan.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Bard in 2013: Another night on a never-ending tour.</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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."<br />
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Here’s the full tracklist for "Shadows In The Night":<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
1. “I’m A Fool To Want You”</div>
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2. “The Night We Called It A Day”</div>
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3. “Stay With Me”</div>
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4. “Autumn Leaves”</div>
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5. “Why Try To Change Me Now”</div>
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6. “Some Enchanted Evening”</div>
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7. “Full Moon and Empty Arms”</div>
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8. “Where Are You?</div>
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9. “What’ll I Do”</div>
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10. “That Lucky Old Sun”</div>
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"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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLrol_KpNUBqGP2AgO9dvhNDXJpnRYoajY2J2-jbuWNOHm67bV4PlGlVrFhOIt-EgjXK5C9gQelEkEhrKiwfcTi5dH7YmBeE1I_gf27R1329AbX4qPZjmvoT7OwILgItoZojJJBfuzds/s1600/Frankie-Sinatra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVLrol_KpNUBqGP2AgO9dvhNDXJpnRYoajY2J2-jbuWNOHm67bV4PlGlVrFhOIt-EgjXK5C9gQelEkEhrKiwfcTi5dH7YmBeE1I_gf27R1329AbX4qPZjmvoT7OwILgItoZojJJBfuzds/s1600/Frankie-Sinatra.jpg" height="400" width="313" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ol' Swoon Eyes in 1945.</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.Bill Sammonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769240239901253919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766932736151480924.post-33662695324175863172014-11-29T07:30:00.000-06:002014-11-29T09:42:09.007-06:00Review: The Music Never Stopped - Roots Of The Grateful Dead<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUkl8WDG3oMoeRTLUko42N8I_Z2vmqfaZdIZ_bMfIKPobTqAKZt6QyJiR4YXr9a23P5__EFvZo3PRUSkLnTCOrlV2Mz2RcWx1EINmvTqaE4DTJ_JZaYUjW8lv6kGyou4UQMeoSja6IgnE/s1600/grateful-dead+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUkl8WDG3oMoeRTLUko42N8I_Z2vmqfaZdIZ_bMfIKPobTqAKZt6QyJiR4YXr9a23P5__EFvZo3PRUSkLnTCOrlV2Mz2RcWx1EINmvTqaE4DTJ_JZaYUjW8lv6kGyou4UQMeoSja6IgnE/s1600/grateful-dead+(1).jpg"></a></div>
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.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANEPAObkc3DMvrUwXXiMseYa_CCb9saugqm4pDLi5lVQDeLjles5dQXrWqqcY35KpJf7GaogDcpfmUVKNryXUQyKEJwgjbgcqz_G_kldetcR5H6g7SjqbjELZvHZEMHCctzH2ciAxMZA/s1600/harry-smith-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhANEPAObkc3DMvrUwXXiMseYa_CCb9saugqm4pDLi5lVQDeLjles5dQXrWqqcY35KpJf7GaogDcpfmUVKNryXUQyKEJwgjbgcqz_G_kldetcR5H6g7SjqbjELZvHZEMHCctzH2ciAxMZA/s1600/harry-smith-1.jpg" height="265" width="320"></a></div>
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.<br>
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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 <a href="http://www.thevinylfactory.com/vinyl-factory-releases/harry-smith-anthology-of-american-folk-music-most-important-record-in-us-history/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Vinyl Factory</a> website.<br>
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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 <a href="http://www.louisjordan.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Louis Jordan</a>, and he wasn't joking. So that proved to me that it's all just links in the chain.<br>
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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.<br>
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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.<br>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQM62NTEdVS0qUYfqcmh8HJQYVCT7GbUpsez96xprlECCIKslBTuBz9EllOwwJFmETz_H6jjSTt4UcPsOUTSj2SMlPr0WbCCdGby8lGaGf4KbhYw4BNlJYOuvBfR_GVQRxh35mYplmI8/s1600/Crumb&78s_lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQM62NTEdVS0qUYfqcmh8HJQYVCT7GbUpsez96xprlECCIKslBTuBz9EllOwwJFmETz_H6jjSTt4UcPsOUTSj2SMlPr0WbCCdGby8lGaGf4KbhYw4BNlJYOuvBfR_GVQRxh35mYplmI8/s1600/Crumb&78s_lg.jpg" height="187" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robert Crumb</td></tr>
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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.<br>
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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.<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rev. Gary Davis</td></tr>
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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."<br>
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"The Music Never Stopped" is available at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000000DT2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000000DT2&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=RUTEMZR2LYJSWKGU%22%3EMusic%20Never%20Stopped:%20Roots%20Of%20The%20Grateful%20Dead%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000000DT2%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, 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 <a href="http://www.dead.net/store?intcmp=topnav/store" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">online store</a>, most decent record stores, iTunes, and of course, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Grateful-Dead/e/B000AR8M94/works/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=64JK424YCPIGUSCQ%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Big A</a>. Several of their best albums have been reissued on 180 gram vinyl, and they sound terrific, particularly their 1970 classic, <a href="http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/76314/The_Grateful_Dead-American_Beauty-180_Gram_Vinyl_Record" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"American Beauty"</a>, 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.<br>
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Don't forget to stop by the official <a href="http://www.dead.net/30daysofdead?intcmp=home/smallbanner1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">30 Days Of Dead</a> 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.Bill Sammonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769240239901253919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766932736151480924.post-47037663636153043652014-11-22T08:30:00.000-06:002014-12-24T10:27:25.340-06:00Review: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road - Deluxe Edition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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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.
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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.)<br />
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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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-bEUSIjkWt_cRyz0I31P0naLbEC0VYDsuHvLFp3pLcibhUgfMf1azMVWzRV1ZJDf1Al21brMblXxPtRf_fXq6sQRn3fkEJTFR7zPfyw_92QkhO21gQkMwDRsDx5QWE26JDD6nW1h5MRA/s1600/GYBR+deluxe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-bEUSIjkWt_cRyz0I31P0naLbEC0VYDsuHvLFp3pLcibhUgfMf1azMVWzRV1ZJDf1Al21brMblXxPtRf_fXq6sQRn3fkEJTFR7zPfyw_92QkhO21gQkMwDRsDx5QWE26JDD6nW1h5MRA/s1600/GYBR+deluxe.jpg" height="210" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The spendier Super Deluxe Edition</td></tr>
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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.
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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.
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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.
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKP06knA-ZbT9NJFNOIcnd1z8Wz3wEQJLZaI3a6F03koInaZBEBQIWb3XL1EnRLVk6BrII0Fssux_cUDkodjvADnCGXCYER7cyCUubUSaXrs39TTAVaulRI7o71VAHMDZTF3Ph6i7xdg/s1600/ed-sheeran-dad-sometimes-lyrics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijKP06knA-ZbT9NJFNOIcnd1z8Wz3wEQJLZaI3a6F03koInaZBEBQIWb3XL1EnRLVk6BrII0Fssux_cUDkodjvADnCGXCYER7cyCUubUSaXrs39TTAVaulRI7o71VAHMDZTF3Ph6i7xdg/s1600/ed-sheeran-dad-sometimes-lyrics.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ed Sheeran</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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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.
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEt-7BZkOKjQMMCuC76Att6TYVOUfT5MziENcM7O7uvnIdVWMPHQ_56yu3Bmo_CJCD0-8m3tGP5pQSwVqjLH0F_PgDLjwJoaCCaFqb_ekvAACJqXJuQ9xxupSfKktM12CmTKwld5Q-kQ/s1600/band-perry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXEt-7BZkOKjQMMCuC76Att6TYVOUfT5MziENcM7O7uvnIdVWMPHQ_56yu3Bmo_CJCD0-8m3tGP5pQSwVqjLH0F_PgDLjwJoaCCaFqb_ekvAACJqXJuQ9xxupSfKktM12CmTKwld5Q-kQ/s1600/band-perry.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Band Perry</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5CTQBdC0lSq4iESWNcxepUuFJjsYxNqGMpvlz-iaqqwgET367ywZL6klxTilP7tT4FtGu5LHKzOboYsN43Khy7CEhD4mV3kRR6oXGdo8zB_1R0ih8WU9mEyE_qGml3ewEEtBJ7Nn-cY/s1600/Emeli-Sande-thatgrapejuice.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt5CTQBdC0lSq4iESWNcxepUuFJjsYxNqGMpvlz-iaqqwgET367ywZL6klxTilP7tT4FtGu5LHKzOboYsN43Khy7CEhD4mV3kRR6oXGdo8zB_1R0ih8WU9mEyE_qGml3ewEEtBJ7Nn-cY/s1600/Emeli-Sande-thatgrapejuice.jpeg" height="270" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emeli Sande</td></tr>
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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.
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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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclC_oDYiCA70pMTlmc2mA4MYQrI-lYw26TwAQ69cbGaifuMJCVIJU3yYX0LPaJ44JeXo1VC5DekRn3AcI_KgZ6U7ssTM5cXhgF6Fa_dq4elMpYoqiS1iJ3Gn-GkY6I7dzwEj8GQfYCy0/s1600/imelda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiclC_oDYiCA70pMTlmc2mA4MYQrI-lYw26TwAQ69cbGaifuMJCVIJU3yYX0LPaJ44JeXo1VC5DekRn3AcI_KgZ6U7ssTM5cXhgF6Fa_dq4elMpYoqiS1iJ3Gn-GkY6I7dzwEj8GQfYCy0/s1600/imelda.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Imelda May</td></tr>
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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!<br />
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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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVLFaf0ATU8g1DuKoA_spnBMx0Qf0UjD9a8ulLZFlm04831M1AqgIsCHkhzukyceFYKz2nLUiM55foPYN6dgblXLxseyg7u8G7mQyJ1JQd0w8Zp-dtzMgTtVw4kBllpuxfq5uOsubfVs/s1600/ZBB.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVLFaf0ATU8g1DuKoA_spnBMx0Qf0UjD9a8ulLZFlm04831M1AqgIsCHkhzukyceFYKz2nLUiM55foPYN6dgblXLxseyg7u8G7mQyJ1JQd0w8Zp-dtzMgTtVw4kBllpuxfq5uOsubfVs/s1600/ZBB.jpeg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Zac Brown Band</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I480SI4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00I480SI4&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=N5BLLXB2TJ6E6MEO%22%3EGoodbye%20Yellow%20Brick%20Road%20(40th%20Anniversary%20Super%20Deluxe%20Edition)%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00I480SI4%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Super Deluxe edition</a>, 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 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I480SGG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00I480SGG&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=IPFPPVGS332X3VNW%22%3EGoodbye%20Yellow%20Brick%20Road%20(40th%20Anniversary%20remastered%20CD)%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00I480SGG%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">single disc version</a> of GYBR is available, and very affordably so. But if you're so inclined, go for the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I480SDE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00I480SDE&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=AGKNJGJYDCIXMQTC%22%3EGoodbye%20Yellow%20Brick%20Road%20(40th%20Anniversary%20Deluxe%20Edition)%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00I480SDE%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2 disc set</a>, though if you've read this far, you've been suitably warned.<br />
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I would encourage those of you with high end Surround systems to pick up the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I48RA76/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00I48RA76&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=NHXHVZV2IPVGC6SS%22%3EGoodbye%20Yellow%20Brick%20Road%20(40th%20Anniversary%20HD%20Pure%20Audio%20Blu-Ray%20album)%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00I48RA76%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HD Pure Audio Blu-Ray</a> edition, as 2 readers have already told me about the superior listening experience it provides. Those with turntables should consider the excellent <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00I480SAC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00I480SAC&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=2MVGWIZEZLQKHWKV%22%3EGoodbye%20Yellow%20Brick%20Road%20(40th%20Anniversary%20Edition%20-%202LP%20Vinyl)%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00I480SAC%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">180 gram vinyl</a> 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.Bill Sammonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769240239901253919noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766932736151480924.post-90615411257335183942014-11-15T09:00:00.000-06:002014-11-15T11:15:04.306-06:00Lake Street DiveSometimes, 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.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PEDLE0EvtJYDtbDneIwaC-5q1cnhg67sSTLAaOWHBQWVaGFYvfK_fBU3Nj5QdxxTDZU4mRkVCKau8IVJUn7Nv3BKRb12qh5DULsiO_uEoaC47l2mWfsDYx5bQCPBSMEgXi1tSZ1h7EQ/s1600/LSD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7PEDLE0EvtJYDtbDneIwaC-5q1cnhg67sSTLAaOWHBQWVaGFYvfK_fBU3Nj5QdxxTDZU4mRkVCKau8IVJUn7Nv3BKRb12qh5DULsiO_uEoaC47l2mWfsDYx5bQCPBSMEgXi1tSZ1h7EQ/s640/LSD.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Street Dive</td></tr>
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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."<br />
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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 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_7/187-4618000-2844639?url=search-alias%3Dpopular&field-keywords=rachael%20price&sprefix=rachael%2Cpopular%2C294" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">solo albums</a> 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."<br />
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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.<br />
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Here's "I Want You Back", shot prior to the release of their 2012 EP, "Fun Machine".<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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."
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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.
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On the Kool Kovers <a href="https://www.facebook.com/koolkovers1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>, 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!<br />
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You can, and should, buy music from Lake Street Dive at their <a href="http://lakestreetdive.portmerch.com/stores/home.php?cat=635" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Online Store</a>. 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.Bill Sammonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769240239901253919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766932736151480924.post-86246308501286042442014-11-08T08:57:00.000-06:002014-11-08T08:57:55.450-06:00Love Buzz<div dir="ltr">
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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?<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Shocking Blue</td></tr>
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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.</div>
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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!</div>
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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.<br />
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Considering that <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=the%20shocking%20blue&linkCode=ur2&sprefix=the%20shocking%2Cpopular%2C273&tag=fantasti07-20&url=search-alias%3Dpopular&linkId=M5HRPLFTEZIMFOAO%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Shocking Blue</a> 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.<br />
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I would think that by now, every last shoebox has been gone through in the search for any remaining unreleased material by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nirvana/e/B000APW4NG/works/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=Q6JO5JAEXLP7TTR6%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nirvana</a>. 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.</div>
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Bill Sammonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769240239901253919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766932736151480924.post-4862977071073514102014-10-31T09:30:00.000-05:002014-10-31T09:33:42.233-05:00Evil Woman<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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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.<br />
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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.
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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.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The UK 45 of "Evil Woman"</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crow, 1970</td></tr>
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"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.<br />
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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).<br />
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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".<br />
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"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.<br />
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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.<br />
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The music of Crow is available again through the <a href="http://www.sundazed.com/shop/artists.php?artistID=513" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sundazed</a> 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 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ERXKYOS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00ERXKYOS&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=VTSUEQVHZKQVFXAX%22%3EBest%20of%20Crow%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ERXKYOS%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, or through your local music merchant.<br />
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Most, if not all, of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Black-Sabbath/e/B000APYU06/works/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=YPI4JY2C6EZ4NT4Y%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Black Sabbath</a> 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 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IJMZWKO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00IJMZWKO&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=LP57WN7FXCIDWYGM%22%3EComplete%20Albums%20Box%201970-1978%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00IJMZWKO%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">boxed set</a> of their 8 releases for Warner Brothers.<br />
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Have a safe and fun Halloween!</div>
Bill Sammonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769240239901253919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766932736151480924.post-35878643938747729702014-10-25T08:59:00.001-05:002014-10-25T08:59:48.438-05:00Heart Of The Sunrise<div dir="ltr">
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.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes in concert, 2013</td></tr>
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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!)<br />
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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.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Former Yesmen Rick Wakeman & Jon Anderson</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVTKtmSpMRax0JhmXTjlcaUvwIC8h8XoAhQmIjynQd_aAgtX8iGabXAB4YdYLsvMtYsMtxPViZWLymDH3YAyx4lZEldku-2D63Mg_JTUjjN8zWmNqID9ITTYeMQWmbVFn79abtAVNnH64/s1600/electric+wurms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVTKtmSpMRax0JhmXTjlcaUvwIC8h8XoAhQmIjynQd_aAgtX8iGabXAB4YdYLsvMtYsMtxPViZWLymDH3YAyx4lZEldku-2D63Mg_JTUjjN8zWmNqID9ITTYeMQWmbVFn79abtAVNnH64/s1600/electric+wurms.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Electric Würms</td></tr>
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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 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KE3B660/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00KE3B660&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=WONL3G5JNVJSMZV3%22%3EWith%20a%20Little%20Help%20From%20My%20Fwends%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00KE3B660%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Beatles cover album</a> 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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The Electric Würms EP is available online at iTunes and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KXNL6ZW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00KXNL6ZW&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=UZTZLSILFHD4TLGL%22%3EMusik%20Die%20Schwer%20Zu%20Twerk%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00KXNL6ZW%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, 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 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Flaming-Lips/e/B000AQ0QDU/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&qid=1414162124&sr=1-2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=DUSEQS2EU74ZP6JQ%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Flaming Lips</a> is procurable on both CD and vinyl as well. Seriously, who needs drugs when you've got this stuff?<br />
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The now monumental catalog of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Yes/e/B000APWVSY/works/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=ZMMFBDBKRI6IEOD6%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Yes</a> 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 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FAQW2RS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00FAQW2RS&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=FK2OMS3JLHRKJBIN%22%3EThe%20Studio%20Albums%201969-1987%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00FAQW2RS%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">boxed set</a> 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 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DP4M6FK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00DP4M6FK&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=35LR42SYCS6IN62N%22%3EHigh%20Vibration%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00DP4M6FK%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Super Audio CD</a> box set. Yes completists will want this far more affordable <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000JBXOQC/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000JBXOQC&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=7H4KBCF734PZEHHP%22%3EEssentially%20Yes%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000JBXOQC%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">5 disc box</a> 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.</div>
Bill Sammonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769240239901253919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766932736151480924.post-57515117228884024612014-10-18T08:54:00.000-05:002014-10-18T08:54:17.039-05:00Everybody'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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Lennon, Anne Murray, Harry Nilsson, Alice Cooper & Micky Dolenz</td></tr>
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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".<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fred Neil in New York, mid-60's</td></tr>
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"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.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A recent vinyl reissue of the "Fred Neil" album</td></tr>
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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".</div>
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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.</div>
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Here is the rarely heard original recording of "Everybody's Talkin'", as performed by Fred Neil.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bob Dylan, Karen Dalton & Fred Neil. New York 1961</td></tr>
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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 <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fred-Neil/e/B000APAB7W/works/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=EDZHIG7ZLSMD35AN%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, or in the Folk section of your favorite independent emporium of musical curiosities.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wKQAImSVlThOgduT8tdAFAZzzHSkcsE5ieKe6pIFDBRJuDQfTLc1G0vBPm4IQjYrOdUw4IQZKaBTpTdstmm_MNktRQgvNZe7XWVHZMAB9zHYy3oP9r4I1pSqOTyyCBU1brTI3PsA348/s1600/nilsson+box.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3wKQAImSVlThOgduT8tdAFAZzzHSkcsE5ieKe6pIFDBRJuDQfTLc1G0vBPm4IQjYrOdUw4IQZKaBTpTdstmm_MNktRQgvNZe7XWVHZMAB9zHYy3oP9r4I1pSqOTyyCBU1brTI3PsA348/s1600/nilsson+box.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a>The music of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Harry-Nilsson/e/B000APW67A/works/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=CCPRKIRGGE5X5BUC%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Harry Nilsson</a> 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, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000631E5/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0000631E5&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=YUYJ5GHDGW3X7THO%22%3EHarry%20Nilsson%20-%20Greatest%20Hits%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0000631E5%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Greatest Hits</a> 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.
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But if you're one of those that's just wild about Harry, then you simply can not bypass the outstanding boxed set, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CJCHJ8S/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CJCHJ8S&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=J4FG6AIYZT4UAE66%22%3EThe%20RCA%20Albums%20Collection%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00CJCHJ8S%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The RCA Albums Collection</a>. 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.</div>
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You should also know that there's a marvelous little Harry Nilsson <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000000FPE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000000FPE&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=SGSIWBNC252YGXLY%22%3EFor%20the%20Love%20of%20Harry:%20Everybody%20Sings%20Nilsson%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000000FPE%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">tribute album</a> 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.<br />
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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.</div>
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Bill Sammonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769240239901253919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766932736151480924.post-18766246767239749772014-10-11T08:19:00.001-05:002014-10-11T08:19:23.241-05:00Heartattack And VineI 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.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom Waits</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Hammond</td></tr>
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tom Waits, John Hammond & Charlie Musselwhite</td></tr>
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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."<br />
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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.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Hammond Sr. & Aretha Franklin, 1961</td></tr>
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It's worth noting that Hammond is the son of the legendary Columbia Records producer and talent scout, <a href="http://rockhall.com/inductees/john-hammond/bio/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">John Hammond</a>, 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.</div>
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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.</div>
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"Wicked Grin", along with the many other recordings of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/John-Hammond/e/B000APEEP2/works/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=UR6UBPDV7M4GFG6K%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">John Hammond</a>, 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.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tom-Waits/e/B000APAB9U/works/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=JE6J53DH72YNOUWU%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tom Waits</a> 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, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005Q3AF/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00005Q3AF&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=BILHOEGANUIDKBEY%22%3EUsed%20Songs%201973-1980%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00005Q3AF%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Used Songs: 1973-1980"</a>, 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.</div>
Bill Sammonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769240239901253919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766932736151480924.post-25740594442759727102014-10-04T08:35:00.000-05:002014-10-04T08:35:29.438-05:00(What's So Funny About) Peace Love And UnderstandingThe 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.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sleeve of the Nick Lowe single.</td></tr>
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"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.<br />
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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</div>
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brinsley Schwarz in Amsterdam, 1974</td></tr>
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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<br />
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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?<br />
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There are plenty of reissues of the original albums, as well as a few compilations of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Brinsley-Schwarz/e/B000ARA1FM/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&qid=1412361175&sr=1-8&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=JSKZTHKA7UC5JRAR%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brinsley Schwarz</a> music available at The Big A, or through your local, well-curated record shop. Well worth your investigating.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Nick-Lowe/e/B000AQ21U6/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&qid=1412361908&sr=1-1&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=46AYOXUI6UOQK63Z%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nick Lowe</a> 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!</div>
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I've said it before, and it bears repeating. Who of us, back in 1977, would have pegged <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Elvis-Costello/e/B000APURAS/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&qid=1412361464&sr=1-1&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=V5JBXNYRZCPOSBIA%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Elvis Costello</a> 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. </div>
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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.</div>
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Bill Sammonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769240239901253919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766932736151480924.post-51831603463121592882014-09-20T08:54:00.000-05:002014-09-21T11:05:26.304-05:00Review: Map To The Treasure - Reimagining Laura NyroIn most conversations about great songwriters of the 1960's, it's fairly common to hear the same names over and over, especially on what might be considered the first tier of songwriters. But there is a second tier that is bursting at the seams with talent that's no less great and loaded with names that most folks recognize. One of those many names is Laura Nyro. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laura Nyro, 1968</td></tr>
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Laura Nyro was one of those songwriters whose own recordings had their audience, but they didn't sell tons of records. Her fame came from the number of her songs that had been recorded by big name artists such as Barbra Streisand, The 5th Dimension, Blood Sweat & Tears, and Three Dog Night. In that light, it's interesting when you listen to Laura's recordings of her songs that were made popular by cover versions, as Laura's originals can often sound for all the world like demo recordings, as Columbia boss Clive Davis once suggested. But like many gifted artists, once you get past the hits and start listening to Laura's other material, you begin to realize the level of artistry that you're dealing with. There was quite a bit of intensity and depth in her music, and it can make the hits appear somewhat shallow in comparison. For these reasons and others, Laura's writing is often cited as highly influential by performers such as Rickie Lee Jones, Todd Rundgren, Kate Bush, and Elton John, who directly credits her with inspiring "Burn Down The Mission", from his 1970 album, "Tumbleweed Connection".<br />
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Fresh out of high school, Laura Nigro changed her professional name to Nyro, after trying out several others. She was fast becoming known as a songwriter and soon, "And When I Die" was recorded by Peter, Paul and Mary, earning Laura a then very respectable fee of $5000. She made her professional debut at the Hungry I in San Francisco, far away from her native New York, as a means of coping with stage fright. Shortly after, Nyro signed a record deal with the Verve/Folkways label. Producers unsure of Nyro’s piano ability used session pianist Stan Free on most of the cuts. Released in January 1967, "More Than A New Discovery" was not an immediate hit, but attracted a cult following. (In 1973, the album was re-titled "First Songs" and re-issued with a different song order by her new label, Columbia.) Nyro's second major public appearance of 1967 was at the famed Monterey Pop Festival.<br />
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More importantly, the album attracted a stampede of artists eager to record her songs. Among the songs on the album were "Wedding Bell Blues", "Stoney End", "Billy’s Blues" as well as "And When I Die". The 5th Dimension struck gold repeatedly with Nyro’s music by recording "Blowing Away", "Wedding Bell Blues", "Stoned Soul Picnic", "Sweet Blindness", "Save The Country" and "Black Patch". Other artists who had hits with her songs included Three Dog Night and Maynard Ferguson , both of whom recorded "Eli's Coming", Barbra Streisand hit with "Stoney End", and of course, Blood Sweat & Tears who had a huge hit with "And When I Die". Nyro was also seriously considering an offer from Blood Sweat & Tears to become their new lead singer, following the departure of Al Kooper. But her manager, David Geffen, had other ideas, bringing her to legendary Columbia producer, Clive Davis, who signed her as a solo artist. David Clayton-Thomas then became the new voice of BST in time for their landmark second album.<br />
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Just as a quick sample, I'm certain that most of you are familiar by now with The 5th Dimension's recording of "Wedding Bell Blues". It was one of their biggest hits and is also one of Laura Nyro's best known songs, but I'll bet that proportionally, fewer folks refer to Laura's as their go-to version. I'm a bit surprised that I've chosen this song to highlight, as I took an awful lot of guff about it back when The 5th Dimension's version was a hit, due to my name being Bill, so I suppose this is cathartic for me in some way. With all of that in mind, here's Laura Nyro's recording of "Wedding Bell Blues" from her 1967 Verve album, "More Than A New Discovery".<br />
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Nobody was more shocked at the 50th annual Grammy Awards in 2008 than jazz piano legend Herbie Hancock, when his album of Joni Mitchell interpretations, "River: The Joni Letters", won Album of the Year and Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Hancock had faced stiff competition from big selling artists like Kanye West, Foo Fighters, Amy Winehouse, and Vince Gill. "River" was only the second Jazz album to win Album of the Year in Grammy history; the first being the now-classic "Getz/Gilberto" by Stan Getz and João Gilberto in 1965. That's the one with "The Girl From Ipanema" on it.<br />
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Why I bring this album up is to point out that great Pop songwriting and traditional Jazz can intersect with most pleasant results. Granted, Joni Mitchell is one of our most gifted and adventurous artists whose musical influence far outweighs her record sales, but she is not alone in that. Lucky for us, those artists who are to follow, both women and men, who are inspired by Joni's work, and by that of Laura Nyro, will likely bestow us with works of great power and imagination in the years to come. It does make me sad just a bit to know that the most virtuosic artists of their respective time are rarely rewarded with sustainable sales of their music during their peak run, and especially after the hits slow down. The respect and accolades always seem to come later, after they've left us, or in Joni's case, retired.<br />
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But the reference to Herbie Hancock's breakthrough success with his Joni Mitchell album also applies to today's featured recording. Pianist Billy Childs recently released his new album "Map To The Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro". Like Hancock, Childs wisely invited some of the best instrumentalists and female vocalists of our time to assist with bringing the songs of a profoundly gifted songwriter to new life. By working directly with them on the interpretations, instead of simply having the ladies do their vocal over an already done arrangement, these recordings acquire a depth that would be impossible otherwise.<br />
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There's plenty more that I could tell you about this album, but this short video will give you more useful information about the project in 6 minutes than I could in several paragraphs. So, with that in mind, kick back and enjoy.<br />
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This is the sort of project that is a whole 'nother kind of tribute album. It's one thing to ask different musicians to contribute their signature piece of the puzzle and then assemble them into a whole. That approach is perfectly fine, and it usually works well. But it's quite a different thing to create a fresh, new interpretive foundation, and then add the extra spin of the individual vocalists' take on each song. The results here are fantastic, and I'm certain that Laura Nyro herself, if she were still with us to hear this music, would be humbled and thrilled. Both Billy Childs and producer Larry Klein have much to be proud of here. The album is now available at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KLOCPLW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00KLOCPLW&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=X3YIZNOR333MGXN5%22%3EMap%20to%20the%20Treasure:%20Reimagining%20Laura%20Nyro%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00KLOCPLW%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, or your local indie record shop that hopefully has a decent selection of Jazz.</div>
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Laura Nyro left this life at the age of 49, due to ovarian cancer. There's a surprisingly thorough biography of Laura on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laura_Nyro" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a> that is actually more informative than her own <a href="http://www.lauranyro.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a>. There is also a documentary film about Laura, to be called "December's Boudoir" that is in progress. They are in the funding stage and are seeking any and all film footage of Laura that may be out there. The music of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=laura%20nyro&linkCode=ur2&sprefix=laura%20%2Cpopular%2C203&tag=fantasti07-20&url=search-alias%3Dpopular&linkId=FKGS47WRRK2BDABM%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Laura Nyro</a> is not only in print, but has been recently remastered. If you don't feel the need to own every one of her albums, there is a fine <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000024J7A/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000024J7A&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=4HFCQ3WYQOW57HUX%22%3EThe%20Best%20of%20Laura%20Nyro:%20Stoned%20Soul%20Picnic%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000024J7A%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">2 disc anthology</a>, which Laura herself had signed off on prior to its release in 1997. There's also a couple of 'Essential' collections out there too. Whichever route you choose, they'll all lead you to a good place.</div>
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Bill Sammonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769240239901253919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766932736151480924.post-3677388220150075042014-09-13T08:21:00.001-05:002014-09-16T11:24:25.603-05:00Review: Here Comes The Reign Again - The Second British Invasion<div dir="ltr">
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Hey, remember the 80's? I barely do and I was there. Truth is, the 80's are a little foggy for me now, but such were the times. I do remember the revolutionary and nearly immediate takeover of cable TV by MTV Music Television in '81. This was back when they played music, all day and night, non-stop. It seemed that in very short order, we had gone from what we now call Classic Rock into Punk and New Wave, and now we've got this Flock Of Haircuts or something, with this guy who looks like Hawkman singing about Iran and how far away it was. What the hell was that all about, anyway?<br />
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What it all meant was that this Second British Invasion represented a huge shift in the Pop music climate. Sure, many of the great Classic Rock bands were from England, as well as the Punks, and there were plenty of American Rock bands making their mark on the charts all that time too. But by the mid-80's, it was the British bands that ruled the day. Despite all the Reagan Era, Rambo-esque, USA rah- rah that was going on at the time, if it was a Pop hit, it was probably British.
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More often than not, I enjoy tribute albums. I really do, and it doesn't take too much for me to be completely satisfied with one. If the artist or genre being feted is someone or something that I can appreciate, the recorded results sound like some heart and positive energy and hard work went into it, and the album's concept makes sense, then it will probably be a good album. Usually the tribute albums that don't work sound as though they are under-rehearsed, ill-planned, or the project is little more than a forced effort in marketing and didn't really mean anything to anyone involved with it.<br />
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Fortunately, none of that negative stuff is the case with today's subject at hand, "Here Comes The Reign Again: The Second British Invasion". Like its 2013 predecessor, "Drink A Toast To Innocence: A Tribute To Lite Rock", this album is clearly a labor of love, which album producer Andrew Curry was able to impart to all of the participants, so 3 cheers to everyone involved with this project!<br />
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One distinguishing characteristic of 80's Pop songs was that strong production techniques shoved their way to the forefront. In some cases, producers like Hugh Padgham and Steve Lillywhite became marquee names themselves, as much or more than the musicians. I spoke with a songwriter last year who told me that his 1986 album "was far more (the producer's) record than mine". The dominant presence of typical 80's production work leaves anyone who is covering an 80's song with the options of doing their version of both the song and the production, or separating the two and simply playing the song as they would do it, had they written it themselves. So, with all that said, let's get to the music!<br />
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Our winner in the former category is The Corner Laughers, and their stellar rendition of "Our House" by Madness. This track was an early favorite during my first listen to the album, so I was glad to see that the band produced a video for the song, which cleverly replicates the look of a typical 80's MTV video. The production values of the Madness recording are there too, but you get this band's take on them as well, so bonus points for originality. The Corner Laughers also got my vote as the band whose album of original material I would buy unheard, based solely on this terrific cover version. Enjoy!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bleu</td></tr>
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Regarding those who were able to skillfully recreate the production values of the original, I have to salute Bleu for his faultless rendition of Simple Minds' classic from "The Breakfast Club", "Don't You Forget About Me". Secret Friend also scored major production points for their take on "West End Girls" by Pet Shop Boys, which, to my ears, is also one of the best sounding tracks on an album that's chock-full of great audio. Some phat low end on this one.<br />
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I'm finding it difficult to choose favorites from the rest of the album, which is an excellent problem to have, as there's so much really good work here. To me, good cover versions are supposed to sound like the musician doing the cover, while maintaining respect for the original song, so props go to Chris Collingwood of Fountains Of Wayne for his take of "Life In A Northern Town" by Dream Academy, and Cliff Hillis for the horns on Nik Kershaw's "Wouldn't It Be Good". An American Underdog did a great job with Howard Jones' "Things Can Only Get Better", and Linus Of Hollywood also scores highly with "Everytime You Go Away", which Daryl Hall wrote, but it wasn't a hit until Paul Young covered it. The Davenports have themselves a infectious, hand clapping, Power Pop rave up with the Wham hit, "Freedom", while People On Vacation do some rightful justice to Bananarama's "Cruel Summer".<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tracy Bonham</td></tr>
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Now, for the most original renditions. I definitely enjoyed the recasting of another Howard Jones song, "No One Is To Blame", as not only a lilting reggae tune, but also as a male/female duet by Eytan Mirsky and Alyson Greenfield. Nice work, you two!<br />
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Next up is Tracy Bonham's arresting performance of Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This". Bonham captures everything that was eerie and unsettling about the original and amplifies that with her sparse arrangement. Less is, indeed, more.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Graham Alexander</td></tr>
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The one track on the album that's likely to raise an eyebrow or two is Graham Alexander's brave rewrite of "They Don't Know", the Tracey Ullman hit written by Kirsty MacColl. It's done as not only a stripped down ballad, but the point of view has been altered completely with just a subtle change of some key lyrics in the chorus. I know that some people will freak out and slam the door on it because it's so different from what they're used to hearing, but if you love the song that much, then, to be fair, I will advise another listen. The true merit of any song is often proven in the fiery furnace of reinvention, and I believe this song emerges from the heat not only unscarred, but stronger from the test. And so, I salute Graham Alexander for having the stones and the vision to take this great tune into compelling new territory. Work like this is the distinct mark of an artist.<br />
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Music is, first and foremost, entertainment, and therefore should be fun for the listener. This album is a front-to-back blast from your past! The bottom line is that "Here Comes The Reign Again" provides further conclusive proof that independent musicians and producers are far more capable of turning out tribute albums of superior quality that are fun, imaginative, musically engaging, and above all, genuine, than any major label has demonstrated for themselves in recent years. There's such an abundance of top notch work on this album that I couldn't discuss each of the 27 tracks here, lest this article turn into a small book. But know this; the album's producer has a fairly long list of great British 80's songs, some that are considered signature to the genre, that weren't chosen by anyone to cover for this album. Enough for, dare I say it, Volume 2?</div>
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We'll have to wait and see about that question, but first, this album needs to become as successful as it deserves to be. It's scheduled for release on Tuesday, September 30. If you didn't jump in during the successful Kickstarter campaign, you'll be able to get the album as a hard copy CD, a digital download, or both at iTunes, CD Baby, and Bandcamp. Direct links will be posted in this article, and on our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/koolkovers1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a> page, the minute they become available. Do yourself a solid by supporting this fine album, and independent music in general.<br />
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UPDATE: Here's the pre-order link to the album at <a href="http://currycuts.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>!</div>
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Bill Sammonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769240239901253919noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766932736151480924.post-22025373075687322652014-09-06T08:55:00.001-05:002014-09-06T08:55:48.251-05:00Life's A GasIt's amazing what happens to music when it feels like I haven't thrown it onto the digital Victrola since it was new. Lots of previously hidden details in familiar material present themselves for what I'm perceiving as the first time, even though they've been there all along, of course. Maybe it's just decent mastering that's far better than it was in the 1970's. The records I'm talking about are by the cosmic dancer himself, Marc Bolan and his band, T.Rex.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rare photo of the entire T. Rex band, not just Marc Bolan</td></tr>
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T.Rex was an English rock band fronted by guitarist, singer and songwriter Marc Bolan. Formed as Tyrannosaurus Rex in 1960's London as a Folk duo, their 1968 debut album, "My People Were Fair and Had Sky In Their Hair... But Now They're Content To Wear Stars On Their Brows" (yes, really), reached #15 in the UK. But in the early 1970's, they achieved worldwide mainstream success as a Glam Rock band.<br />
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Following a gradual waning of commercial success during the mid 70's, T. Rex ended in 1977, when Bolan was killed in a terrible car wreck. The car was driven by his girlfriend, <a href="http://koolkovers.blogspot.com/2013/02/tainted-love.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gloria Jones</a>, an R&B singer with her own history on the Pop charts. It is unfortunate that the notoriety of this accident still follows her to this day.</div>
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Most everyone is familiar by now with their big hit "Bang A Gong (Get It On)". For most folks, the tune sums up the T. Rex experience in 3 short minutes. but their sound was so much more than that one song. The album "Bang A Gong" came from, "Electric Warrior", is considered a must have for any self-respecting collection of Rock music, along with the equally essential follow up album, "The Slider", which may as well have been titled "Son Of Electric Warrior". Man, what a lewd, sleazy batch of Glitter Rock 'n Roll this is! Specifically, Bolan was very good at writing those slow, sexy, grinding grooves that must have launched the careers of ten thousand strippers. The music wasn't complicated and lyrically, it often got kinda post-hippie spacey. But T. Rex definitely had an instantly identifiable sound all their own. The unique backing vocals of Flo & Eddie (Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan from The Turtles, and later, Frank Zappa's Mothers) can clearly be heard on many T. Rex tracks, and are as much a part of the band's sound as any other instrumentation.<br />
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But a lot of people forget that, like their peers of the day, Led Zeppelin, acoustic music was just as much a part of the sound of T. Rex as the electric bump 'n grind. Many of Marc Bolan's best songs were at least based on an acoustic rhythm track, including this one from "Electric Warrior", optimistically entitled "Life's A Gas". </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">A vintage Mutron Octave Divider. In this condition, it'll run you $950 & up.</span></td></tr>
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Guitar equipment companies have been trying to stuff the sound of Jimi Hendrix into one stompbox pedal for as long as I can recall, although in fact, it was a chain of specific components that made up his sound. But one analog device surfaced in the late 60's that Hendrix had employed to great effect. This device was called an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octave_effect" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Octave Divider</a>, although it's available under several different names today. What the unit does is to replicate an identical note 1, 2, or more octaves above or below the note being played. Like any effect, it can be pushed to an extreme, as Metal musicians have discovered, but as we usually find, it is best used judiciously. You can hear Jimi using it on "All Along The Watchtower", during the instrumental section prior to the last verse. Marc Bolan definitely played through one of these on his recording of "Life's A Gas". You can also hear it in Jimmy Page's solo on "Fool In The Rain" from Led Zeppelin's "In Through The Out Door".<br />
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You can hear a vintage Octave Divider put to good use once again on this tube distortion and tremolo-soaked version of "Life's A Gas" recorded by Southern Culture On The Skids on their 2007 album of cover tunes, "Countrypolitan Favorites". The effect is such an important part of the sound of the song that you really couldn't do the song without it. It's also neat to hear the vocal recast as a male/female duet.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Southern Culture On The Skids</td></tr>
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Southern Culture On The Skids, also known to their fans as SCOTS, is an American rock band that was formed in 1983 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The band consists of guitarist Rick Miller, drummer Dave Hartman, and bassist Mary Huff. SCOTS' music is a blend of Rockabilly, Surf, Country, and R&B with a Punk edge mixed with rural trailer park humor, as evidenced in their songs "Cheap Motels", "Camel Walk", "Soul City", and the infamous "Eight Piece Box". But don't let the image and the goofy charm fool you. This trio is tight as a tick, and they play as a hard hitting, no nonsense rhythm section should after nearly 30 years on the road. They are well known for their wild live shows, which often includes throwing fried chicken and banana pudding into the crowd, and inviting audience members to dance onstage. A SCOTS gig is a guaranteed sloppy, sweaty mess of a party.<br />
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"Countrypolitan Favorites" was the 11th SCOTS album since 1986, so they've been busy over the years. Check out their <a href="http://www.scots.com/news.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a> for news and tour dates. There's even an <a href="http://www.scots.com/skidmart.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">online store</a> where you can buy stuff like T-shirts, CD's and vinyl direct from the band, because that's the best way to support the musicians whose work you enjoy! You can also find their music at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Culture-On-The-Skids/e/B000AQ11I4/works/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=7GYYMUBIVEYA4GKF%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, if that's what works for you. Go see 'em live when you have the chance, but count on doing some laundry the next day!<br />
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As I said earlier, any decent collection of 70's Rock absolutely must include both "Electric Warrior" and "The Slider" by T. Rex; preferably on vinyl. Both have been reissued recently in solid 180 gram editions at reasonable prices, so you vinyl junkies best hop to it, lest your cool factor fade. These 2 albums will serve your collection far better than any "Best Of T. Rex" compilation, of which there are several. For all you digital or CD folks, you can certainly find yourself some T. Rex (with bonus tracks) at your local emporium of musical oddities, or at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=t.%20rex&linkCode=ur2&sprefix=t.%20rex%2Cpopular%2C299&tag=fantasti07-20&url=search-alias%3Dpopular&linkId=XNFDHT55N5EO5WMB%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>. They have some good deals on the aforementioned vinyl editions too, but you should also visit online with our friends at <a href="http://store.acousticsounds.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Acoustic Sounds</a> as well. They're not the cheapest, but the customer service is first rate, and their care in packaging and shipping your records to you is without peer. Highly recommended, and a big thumbs up!</div>
Bill Sammonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769240239901253919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766932736151480924.post-11525743613766513682014-08-30T08:24:00.001-05:002014-08-30T08:24:05.656-05:00Senses Working Overtime<div style="text-align: right;">
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Jerry Garcia once said this about the popularity of The Grateful Dead. "The Dead are like brussel sprouts. Not everyone likes brussel sprouts. But those who do, really like them a lot". The same applies to British Pop wizards, XTC. Not everyone I know has heard of them, but I also have friends who have a good portion of their substantial discography on their shelves, myself included.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The men from XTC: Partridge, Moulding & Gregory</td></tr>
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XTC began as a New Wave rock band in Swindon, England, formed by songwriters Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding. The band was active from 1976 until 2005. Despite their long career, XTC were a performing and touring band for only six of those years, having retired from live performance in 1982. For the remaining years of their existence, XTC were a studio-based project involving session players around a nucleus of Partridge, Moulding and Dave Gregory. Their first singles, such as "Science Friction" and "Are You Receiving Me", presented a sharp, angular attack that worked well in the late 70's, but by the time of their 1982 album "English Settlement", they were morphing into a more polished, Pop-oriented sound, as best exemplified by one of their more popular songs, "Senses Working Overtime", which managed to reach #10 on the UK singles chart.<br />
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XTC never managed any sort of major commercial breakthrough in the US due to a number of factors. Their quirky songwriting and markedly British lyricism presented a challenge to stateside ears accustomed to Americanized English, despite the prevalence of new English bands at the time. Much like the music of the aforementioned Grateful Dead, XTC proved to be something of an acquired taste, though the styles of the two bands were night and day different. To this day, XTC isn't often thought of as an easy listen, though they were always very musical. Also, Andy Partridge's personal difficulties with extreme anxiety, which manifested as uncontrollable stage fright, directly contributed to the band permanently swearing off touring. XTC became a studio band exclusively, apart from occasional performances from radio stations, and a few TV appearances. This arrangement worked well for Partridge, but it inevitably affected the band's worldwide popularity, sales, and income.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">XTC's Nonsuch; the new 5.1 surround Blu-Ray edition!</td></tr>
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Management and contractual problems dogged the band throughout their career, but reached a peak in the early 90's. Around the time of the recording of the album "Nonsuch" in 1992, they found themselves having to reach a legal settlement with a former manager. Although most fans assume that there was some financial impropriety involved, the terms of the settlement imposed a gag on the band, which prevented them from speaking publicly about the matter.<br />
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Concurrently, XTC's relationship with Virgin Records had broken down. The final straw was Virgin's unfounded decision that XTC had no further prospects of charting. The band then asked that Virgin either allow them to renegotiate their contract or release them from it, but the label stalled for years until finally agreeing to release them after a change of management at the company. After leaving Virgin, Partridge had the band's accounts audited, and it was discovered that Virgin had withheld substantial royalty payments from them. The settlement of the accounts provided the group with much-needed cash flow, allowing Partridge and Moulding to install fully equipped studios and work comfortably from their homes, which they did for the next five years or so.<br />
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From their album "English Settlement", here's XTC with "Senses Working Overtime".<br />
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In the early 80's, I saw a bar band in Florida (whose name now escapes me) open their set with The Moody Blues' "Lovely To See You", which segued directly into "Senses Working Overtime". I was as gobsmacked as you can imagine, and went to see them play every chance I got. Theirs were the most tastefully chosen sets of cover songs I've ever heard. All killer, no filler. I subconsciously use them as a model for my band projects to this day.<br />
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There's always room for a thoughtful makeover of a song long thought too odd for the Pop charts, and that's the exact approach taken by singer/actress Mandy Moore on her 2003 album, "Coverage". This was Moore's 4th album, and as it turned out, her last one for Epic Records, who, like most major labels, has long been out of the artist development business.<br />
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But Moore, unlike most of her 90's Kid-Pop contemporaries, was focused on having her music evolve. Moore has often been praised by music critics for branching off and making her own music. Billboard stated "She has successfully dropped all the tacky accoutrements of her past and turned into a sweet, classy singer-songwriter whose charms are readily apparent". AllMusic wrote "Moore has smoothly evolved from adolescent starlet to mature songwriter, continuing to distance herself from the scene that launched her career one decade prior".<br />
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The album's production, headed by John Fields, was cutting edge in 2003, but now, it addles the record with a dated sound, much like the snare drum and synth tom sounds of the 80's. Moore admitted that her vocals were often laid down to a basic rhythm section track, then the production team would go in and 'fill things out'. Not my preferred way to make a record, but when you're on Epic's dime, you do it their way, especially when unbeknownst to the artist, it's your last shot on the label, and the bean counters want a hit.<br />
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As a finished product though, "Coverage" is actually a fine Pop album which overtly moved Moore several steps further from her musical past. While it wasn't successful, it is likable and admirable. Indeed, her choices of material for the album reflected a strong grounding in Pop's 70's and 80's past, as there are songs by Carole King, Elton John, The Waterboys, Joan Armatrading, Blondie, Cat Stevens, Joe Jackson, Todd Rundgren and others. Regarding the songs, Moore said, "I’m stuck in the 70's. I think I'll always have that kind of influence. Joni Mitchell, Harry Nilsson, McCartney, that's the sort of stuff I'm really inspired by". Moore also discussed "Senses Working Overtime" in a video interview, saying "It was one of the last songs we recorded. I love it and it's an incredible experience to play it live. The first time I heard it, I thought there was such a great smash hit of a song underneath this eclectic, eccentric rendition. I was kind of amazed that no one had covered it yet."<br />
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This is Mandy Moore's album-opening take on "Senses Working Overtime". I agree that this should have been a sizable hit, but there's a million reasons why good records fail. Go figure.<br />
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"Coverage" is available new or used, at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000DFZZX/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0000DFZZX&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=QDVRQ422WKJ2LVCC%22%3ECoverage%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0000DFZZX%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>. Since even a brand new copy can be had for super cheap, like less than $3 cheap, I'd suggest you opt for the Limited Edition, which features different cover art and a bonus DVD. It's all about content and value here, people.</div>
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The extensive catalog of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/XTC/e/B000AQ0ASG/works/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=JQGH4QVUA425IFT7%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">XTC</a> can be found at Amazon, of course, but you never know what you'll find at your local, well-curated record shop. Fans of XTC tend to be collectors, so things like vinyl and box sets get snapped up fast and hoarded, driving up the price. For those of you who are curious about their music, as well you should be, I will heartily recommend this 2 disc <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KR74JHQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00KR74JHQ&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=6YWAWL3LS7R4QQYA%22%3EFossil%20Fuel%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00KR74JHQ%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">singles anthology</a>, which gives you a solid overview of the band's musical history and is available new for well under $20. XTC, like many of their British peers, were always focused on singles as stand-alone releases. For fans and audiophiles, there is the new Blu-Ray audio reissue of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EG0MVOI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00EG0MVOI&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=GRK5SI7LGFWXLOJU%22%3ENonsuch%20[Blu-ray]%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00EG0MVOI%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Nonsuch"</a>, which admittedly is aimed at a niche audience, but contains a truckload of high quality content, and therefore, at about $20-25, is a value-added bargain.</div>
Bill Sammonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769240239901253919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766932736151480924.post-4752509579604284932014-08-23T10:16:00.000-05:002014-08-23T23:32:49.348-05:00Review: Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute To Motley Crue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It would seem, according to a recent browsing of the Top 40 Country chart, that Country music is woefully one-note at the moment. I lay the blame squarely on a trashy trend known as "Bro Country", a wincingly awful hybrid blending Country with elements of Hip Hop, Hard Rock, and Pop. The performers are basically a bunch of indistinguishable douchey guys, whose choices in chain-walleted apparel are often one step away from Ed Hardy, singing about trucks, truck beds, headlights, rolled-down windows, painted-on jeans, Daisy Dukes, plenty of alcohol, moonlit makeouts, and sex on river beds beside old red dirt roads. Female singers have not been exempt from trying out their version of this anomaly, and though they are squarely in the minority, it's not an improvement. When your song lyric is basically a check list, it's not songwriting, it's Bro Country.
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There’s also a pervasive trend of addressing females as "Girl", like it's an attractive thing to say to women who presumably have names, and it's not even close to the same way The Temptations sang "My Girl". Bro Country dudes are yelling out "Gurrl!" in a manner that Tarzan might if he knuckled his way into a honky tonk. Now, granted, Country music has a long history of stock subjects, as noted by Steve Goodman and John Prine in their classic song "You Never Even Called Me By My Name", which included Mom, being drunk, prison, rain, pickup trucks and trains. So it might seem that not much has changed, but it has. It's gotten a lot more cliched and dumbed down.<br />
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Witness if you will, Exhibit A. I know for sure that Hank didn't do it this way.<br />
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Over the years, there's been a ton of assorted tribute albums saluting individual bands and artists, as well as entire genres of music. They can vary in quality from being heartfelt and sublime, to feeling like it was slapped together with total disregard for any connection to truth. This past week saw the release of such a tribute album, and it's one that gives rise to the hope that Bro Country may have finally jumped the shark, as it inevitably will.<br />
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There's something about real cowboys that differentiates them from just another guy wearing a hat. Come to think of it, the same thing applies to bikers. There are two things that I've learned about real cowboys and real bikers. First, you cannot simply put on the clothes and be one of them. You have to earn it. The other thing is that both of those groups of people are willing to spend large sums of money on having a good time. That part may apply somewhat to the Bro Country lifestyle, but the first part negates all of it. Fake is fake, and that's the core of the problem I have with this disturbingly bogus tribute album. Perhaps because of all the cliches that Bro Country has adopted, there's a sense of falseness about it, like there's really nothing there underneath all the pretense.<br />
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"Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute to Motley Crue" is as false and contrived a project as I could ever imagine. There is absolutely nothing even remotely "outlaw" about any of the participants. Rascal Flatts? Leann Rimes? Former "Hootie", Darius Rucker? Cassadee Pope, from the TV talent show, The Voice? Even The Mavericks, who aren't a bad band at all, sound embarrassed to be there. Someone must have promised them "exposure".<br />
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Going by the roster, this project appears to be a total fabrication from the record companies' hellhole of a marketing department. Heck, even the music conglomerate that put this out is called <a href="http://www.bigmachinelabelgroup.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Big Machine</a>. They appear to own Nashville at the moment, as well as most of the artists on this album; to the point where it amounts to being a label sampler, so that should tell you something.<br />
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Also, the word "outlaw" apparently means not a damn thing anymore. Waylon, Cash, and Hank Sr. would be rolling in their crypts with laughter, making jokes about "I remember my first beer". Any current performers who truly are on the outer fringe of not only Country music, but other genres as well, should distance themselves from the term "outlaw" as quickly as possible, if this is what it has come to mean. That definitely includes our co-conspirators and subjects of this musical travesty, Motley Crue themselves!<br />
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I would wager with confidence that back in the 80's and 90's, absolutely none of the performers on this album would have anything to do with the likes of Motley Crue, who provided good reason to lock up your daughters, your wife, your liquor and prescriptions, the dog, and probably any livestock too. In their day, The Crue were outlaws; Les Enfants Terribles for real. Now they're just tired old survivors who are in the midst of one final tour, which a friend of mine referred to as a new version of "Weekend At Bernie's". Also, they're inexplicably allowing Alice Cooper to open for them. Alice may be an old survivor himself, but he ain't tired, and is reportedly blowing Motley Crue right off their own stage, night after night. Can you imagine your band having to follow Alice Cooper? That's insane. Who made that decision?<br />
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Truly, the album title should be your first clue to the deception. Anyone who knows anything at all about how tightly controlled and highly conservative the Nashville music business machine is, knows that "Nashville Outlaws" is as contradictory a term as jumbo shrimp. Maybe that's their out; they're telling us right up front that it's a sham.<br />
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Normally at this point in an article, I would provide a streaming track or two for your listening enjoyment. That means that I would have to buy the music myself, either hard copy or digital, because that's the right thing to do. In this unique case, I am publicly refusing to spend even one thin dime on this stupid release, and I highly recommend that you, dear reader, follow suit. The album might be good for a grim chuckle, but that's no reason to justify it with any monetary response. If you must subject your ears to this cacophony, here's a link to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00LCT487E/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00LCT487E&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=VLIB3PW3EKNB4G2E%22%3ENashville%20Outlaws%20-%20A%20Tribute%20to%20Motley%20Crue%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00LCT487E%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, where you can check it out for yourselves. There's also a <a href="http://youtu.be/tG5GVxALPpM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">video</a>, if you have the stomach for it.<br />
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I can't recall the last time a collection of cover songs got under my skin like this one has. Unless this really is your sort of thing, you should avoid this album to the point where it won't even sell in the cutout bins, which is the fate it richly deserves. Shame on all involved parties for foisting this mess on the unsuspecting public.</div>
Bill Sammonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769240239901253919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766932736151480924.post-45546641588730106852014-08-16T08:53:00.002-05:002014-08-16T08:55:26.438-05:00Review: I Saved Latin! A Tribute to Wes Anderson<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wes Anderson</td></tr>
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The films of director Wes Anderson, much like the work of fellow auteurs Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese, are as well discussed for their musical soundtracks as they are for their visual presentation. Having established a popular body of work in fairly short order, Anderson is one of those rare directors who understands the inherent value of choosing musical accompaniment that will enhance a scene or plot development without ever trampling on it. Yet it's the music that we often recall when we are describing a particular scene in conversation.<br />
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Unlike most of his contemporaries, Anderson's musical choices are often far more subtle, with a decided leaning towards the so-called '<a href="http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-11-18/entertainment/ct-ae-1120-twee-20111118_1_twee-indie-wilde" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">twee</a>' side of Indie Pop, but that certainly has its own merit. Marc Spitz wrote about this quality in an article for <a href="http://www.salon.com/2014/03/25/it_isnt_easy_being_twee_why_the_wes_anderson_aesthetic_is_good_for_everyone/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Salon</a> earlier this year, when he said, "Nobody, but nobody, has owned their Twee more than Wes Anderson. Curiously, by not self-consciously backing off from his signature style, he got stronger and his films became deeper, not, as some critics claimed, a bit shticky. The films themselves are full of triggers, like the cameos by beloved Anderson collaborators like Owen Wilson and Bob Balaban, and of course, Bill Murray, and the quotable missives to his devoted, such as "Rudeness is merely the expression of fear" in 'The Grand Budapest Hotel'. It reminded me of that line in The Smiths' song, "I Know It's Over", where Morrissey sings, 'It’s so easy to laugh, it’s so easy to hate. It takes strength to be gentle and kind'. Morrissey was another giant who owned his Twee, and never sold it out". *<br />
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The ever-widening appeal of Anderson's films has already spread far beyond his initial core audience of 20-something urban <a href="http://theinkandcode.com/why-the-term-hipster-needs-to-finally-die/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">hipsters</a> to suburban families desperately looking for cinema entertainment that is intelligently written without being smug; films that are pleasant to watch, earn their laughs, and have a minimum of dark crimes or explosions, if any. Personally, I see nothing wrong with that at all, so you'll likely find me queued up for a ticket.<br />
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There are soundtrack and orchestral score CD's available for most, if not all, of Anderson's films. But today, we are presenting an album that offers a bit of a twist befitting the quirkiness of Anderson's work. The album, "I Saved Latin! A Tribute to Wes Anderson" is a perfect little gift for fans of Anderson's musical soundtracks, being a 23 song, double CD that features a variety of Indie musicians covering songs from the Anderson films "Bottle Rocket", "Rushmore", "The Royal Tenenbaums", "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou", "The Darjeeling Limited", and more.<br />
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Being of an older vintage of hipster myself, I do find it interesting that several of these cover versions are new takes on 60's and 70's songs by the likes of The Who, Love, The Zombies, Cat Stevens, The Bobby Fuller Four, Velvet Underground, Scott Walker, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, and David Bowie. In Bowie's case, the covers are a double-down. For the film, "The Life Aquatic...", Bowie's songs were sung by Brazilian musician Seu Jorge, save for two. I imagine that saved the production a large bundle of cash that would have been spent on licensing all of the original Bowie tracks, but it also contributed greatly to the humor and the environment of the movie.<br />
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The performances on "I Saved Latin!" are by current musicians who may be new to you, such as Juliana Hatfield, Mike Watt, Kristin Hersh, Matt Pond, Tea Cozies, Margot & the Nuclear So and So's, Freelance Whales, and lots more. But if you don't know them now, you will soon. You can scan the 30 second samples on the album's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IJXJAIS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00IJXJAIS&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=MFVVFZF4B4HMMLVW%22%3EI%20Saved%20Latin!%20A%20Tribute%20to%20Wes%20Anderson%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00IJXJAIS%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a> or iTunes pages if you like, but here's a few full-length examples for you to consider. Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGAPYZL8IGjUEMXraY7ZfjidA8RAvFsiF_AXUYjq9Qpb-lx9kLSNe_wPPci7jBphfZn2SIN4CFRwgHjyK9VwC_EHU4T9BD02L2sVHSpqu575I2h4dUNZrLUxHA8iKdvLCer5rIm547iBE/s1600/seu+jorge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGAPYZL8IGjUEMXraY7ZfjidA8RAvFsiF_AXUYjq9Qpb-lx9kLSNe_wPPci7jBphfZn2SIN4CFRwgHjyK9VwC_EHU4T9BD02L2sVHSpqu575I2h4dUNZrLUxHA8iKdvLCer5rIm547iBE/s1600/seu+jorge.jpg" height="320" width="318" /></a></div>
The album, "I Saved Latin" is available from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00IJXJAIS/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00IJXJAIS&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=6EQLAG5PKXT4AWCQ%22%3EI%20Saved%20Latin!%20A%20Tribute%20to%20Wes%20Anderson%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00IJXJAIS%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, or should you prefer, direct from the record label, <a href="http://www.alr-music.com/main.php?content=shop&no=alr-0032" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">American Laundromat Records</a>. Soundtracks and scores from the individual Wes Anderson films can be found at your local, well-curated emporium of indie music, or at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=wes%20anderson%20soundtrack&linkCode=ur2&rh=n%3A5174%2Ck%3Awes%20anderson%20soundtrack&sprefix=wes%20anderson%20soundtrack%2Cpopular%2C191&tag=fantasti07-20&url=search-alias%3Dpopular&linkId=REZ37Z7NLPZ7HQKL%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Big A</a>.<br />
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Of particular interest for those who dig musical curiosities is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BRD6T4/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000BRD6T4&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=OFJI3TRVYSYKZ4D3%22%3EThe%20Life%20Aquatic:%20%20Studio%20Sessions%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000BRD6T4%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions"</a> by Seu Jorge, who not only had a role in that film as an actor, but also played a handful of Bowie songs solo with acoustic guitar, singing them in Portuguese. This collection features the whole of that Bowie session, which means Jorge's six songs from the soundtrack, plus seven other Bowie tunes and one playful Jorge original entitled "Team Zissou". Bowie completists should be on this one like snow on Christmas.<br />
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* The quoted section from the Salon article by Marc Spitz was edited for punctuation and space limitations. There is a link to the full article provided above. - Ed.Bill Sammonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769240239901253919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766932736151480924.post-61727473946031402452014-08-09T08:24:00.000-05:002014-08-09T11:17:04.011-05:00Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Smiths</td></tr>
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As a certain forthcoming tribute album will amply demonstrate, British bands all but owned the 80's. They were plentiful and inescapable worldwide, largely due to the new international phenomenon of Music Television; which functioned, for all purposes, as a 24-hour promotional channel for the major record labels. But any time there has been a saturation of the Pop market with any new thing, there must, and will be, a backlash to some degree. Which leads us, maybe not directly but inevitably, to The Smiths.<br />
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I know that The Smiths are now revered as one of the most important bands of their time. But it's never been made clear to me exactly why The Smiths were so important until very recently. Now, before some of you get all up in a lather about this, please consider that, along with other moody British indie bands of the time like Echo and The Bunnymen, The Cure, or Joy Division, perhaps they just didn't resonate with me for whatever reason, and that should be ok. Any given music either turns you on, or it doesn't. As memory serves, I was simply into other music at the time; music that I perceived as a little more positive, or dare I say, happier. Somehow, either actively or passively, I managed to dodge that whole post-punk movement.<br />
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I know I didn't relate to the melancholy romanticism, or the protracted sense of ennui I heard in Morrissey's lyrics. Nonetheless, I've felt that some of the music of The Smiths could be enjoyable enough, though only to a point, with no small thanks going to Johnny Marr and his atmospheric guitar work, which balanced Morrissey's carrying on. It's been said that the singer is the salesman of the song. Sorry, but at that time, I wasn't buying.<br />
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Perhaps Morrissey struck me as pretentious, but his lyrics and vocal stylings are also the kind of things that tap directly into female teenage angst, which is something that no male will ever understand completely. Come to think of it, that may be the key to their lasting appeal, right there. Well, that and the fact that The Smiths and their brethren appealed greatly to the punks and the goth kids who needed something that was not "Born In The USA" or Huey Lewis or Duran Duran to relate to. As the 80's faded into the 90's, many of those alterna-kids started bands directly because of The Smiths' influence.</div>
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To their credit, The Smiths saw themselves primarily as a singles band. Even after Morrissey had been on his own as a solo act for some time, he'd put out several singles, but did not issue a proper album until "Viva Hate" in 1988. Now, that concept has genuine merit. It's something that I see independent artists like Marshall Crenshaw reverting to as a means of having more flexibility with their releases. Issuing singles and EP's allows them to strike as the mood suits, rather than waiting to finish writing and recording a dozen or more songs that complement each other enough to work together as an album. Never mind that it's also much cheaper to do things that way.</div>
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Today's featured song is the plaintive "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want", and it comes from the post-breakup compilation "Louder Than Bombs"; an album long used by fans to introduce those unfamiliar with the band. The song was first released as the B-side of "William, It Was Really Nothing" in 1984. The Smiths have become icons of their era, and so their catalog of 4 original releases is now far outweighed by collections of assorted hits and misses, b-sides, remixes, and other ephemera. Their fans are dedicated enough that they will buy nearly anything by the band, or its members, and honestly, isn't that the sort of devotion that any band would hope for?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Dream Academy</td></tr>
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One of the many British bands that appeared on the Pop charts during the mid- 80's was the trio known as The Dream Academy. With a sound as synth-laden as any of their contemporaries, The Dream Academy also were smart enough to keep an ear on other musical developments of the time.<br />
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Following the success of their singles "Life In A Northern Town" and "The Love Parade", the band were keen to record a song by The Smiths. According to notes by Nick Laird-Clowes, they wanted to do their version of "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" in order to "show people at the time who were calling them 'miserablists' what great songwriters they really were". The Dream Academy booked a studio with David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, worked out an arrangement, and recorded the song in a day. Gilmour played bass, programmed the Linn Drum, and produced the track with Laird-Clowes. The single peaked at #83 on the UK Singles Chart. The instrumental version of the song is the better known recording, since it was used in the film "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" (during the Art Institute scene), along with another Dream Academy song, "The Edge Of Forever". The song was also featured in the John Hughes film, "Pretty In Pink", which took its title from a Psychedelic Furs tune. It appeared again in the prom scene of the Drew Barrymore film "Never Been Kissed", but was not included on the soundtrack CD, for some reason or another. Here's the vocal version.<br />
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"Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" has been covered by several other notable artists, including The Decemberists, The Halo Benders, Franz Ferdinand, OK Go, Deftones, Amanda Palmer, She & Him, Muse, Third Eye Blind, Josh Rouse, and even Hootie & The Blowfish! The song has become one of the most well-known songs of The Smiths' oeuvre, despite it being a B-Side, and is often performed by Morrissey at his concerts to this day.<br />
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You can find everything by The Smiths at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Smiths/e/B000ARA0TE/works/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=KLNSBMEWKS4V6R3L%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, who will very definitely let you get what you want, and then some. You should also have excellent luck finding vinyl, singles, and other Smiths-related odds and ends at your local, well-curated, indie record shop.<br />
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The original albums by The Dream Academy are long out of print, but findable affordably, for the most part. Thankfully, there is a fine, recently released <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KTZAJMA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00KTZAJMA&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=T5MYNYRAVRVZVZQQ%22%3EThe%20Morning%20Lasted%20All%20Day%20A%20Retrospective%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00KTZAJMA%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">retrospective</a> collection that's nicely remastered, reasonably priced, and comprehensive. I love anthologies like this that wrap up nearly all of a band's output in one tidy, chronological package.<br />
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With regard to that forthcoming tribute album I referred to at the top of this article, you need to head over to the Kickstarter page for <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/444321026/here-comes-the-reign-again-the-second-british-inva?ref=nav_search" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Here Comes The Reign Again: The Second British Invasion"</a>. All the info you need on the album is there. The project is 100% funded, so that's all done. A webpage where you can buy the album is in development, and we should have more information about that in a couple of weeks or so. Rest assured, we'll let you know.</div>
Bill Sammonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769240239901253919noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766932736151480924.post-25534892874788627742014-08-02T07:48:00.000-05:002014-08-02T07:48:30.293-05:00Low Rider<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCojHx1Bd0hXr3WzSAE5MEmXjpFBVY8bY34NrU_UxEQshzZMVypUWScFIkCpbGp7gCKUp4v8kY47trxC3omencuM7wLeclH4KZPhjHhxeCHyxMCKxUeAS5x0awCi6UyqFzHH5JWyWDwls/s1600/cdpile3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCojHx1Bd0hXr3WzSAE5MEmXjpFBVY8bY34NrU_UxEQshzZMVypUWScFIkCpbGp7gCKUp4v8kY47trxC3omencuM7wLeclH4KZPhjHhxeCHyxMCKxUeAS5x0awCi6UyqFzHH5JWyWDwls/s1600/cdpile3.jpg" height="192" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CD's: from yesterday's innovation to tomorrow's scrap heap?</td></tr>
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Some of us opinionated pundits will forever bring up our pet conspiracy theories regarding the foisting of overpriced CD's onto the music market of the 1980's and 90's as a way for the music industry to contain expenses and maximize profit margins; usually involving the forced obsolescence of vinyl. To be fair, it was a time when consumers were so dazzled by these shiny new discs that we were willing to dig deep and pay exorbitant prices just to have the latest and possibly greatest thing to occur in music reproduction since the advent of the Victrola. With no small measure of cynicism, I will say that the industry saw a gouge opportunity and we were more than willing to buy into it. I'm one of those consumers, and I accept personal responsibility for playing my part in the swindle. It resembled being sold a bill of goods by a suspect politician and replying, "I know you're an ethically bankrupt swine with ulterior motives, but I'm voting for you anyway because I like your presentation." And so it went for the next couple of decades or so. I also have doubts that musicians saw any increase in their compensation as a result of the high CD prices during that time. That's not how the machine works.<br />
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Ultimately, as things have worked out, that business model of the music industry has been proven unsustainable, as the very same technology that once generated obscene levels of profit for entertainment corporations, has kicked open the doors for the average musician; permitting them to produce and sell their own music without being vetted by less musically inclined corporate employees. This new reality is both a good and bad thing, depending on your own perspective. To many musicians, I'm sure it's wonderful, and we listeners are often glad to be able to hear their work that likely would not have been seen as financially viable by some bean counter. But sometimes, the work is the musical equivalent of having handed whiskey and car keys to a teenager. So maybe having a benevolent gatekeeper of sorts wasn't such a terrible thing after all? That query is still being debated.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEithkcIHHnEfFMMRcL_BEkk4vv4rlxomFVaYQ1pdJR-aFUdvXVkVTX3T-cp658MOFjtEZCbmPdJ_YX2U5UQnIl3AzGcWJx_jD2KTV9AfXJnk2C_BOdXUX4pnUhd2GpZi4GaiGLkZc178Cs/s1600/WaxAndWane-BarGraph02+copy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEithkcIHHnEfFMMRcL_BEkk4vv4rlxomFVaYQ1pdJR-aFUdvXVkVTX3T-cp658MOFjtEZCbmPdJ_YX2U5UQnIl3AzGcWJx_jD2KTV9AfXJnk2C_BOdXUX4pnUhd2GpZi4GaiGLkZc178Cs/s1600/WaxAndWane-BarGraph02+copy.png" height="190" width="320" /></a></div>
For all the industry-driven push toward permanent doom for vinyl record albums, especially during the 90's, I'm pleased to say that the format has rebounded rather nicely. They're now being manufactured to standards of quality that were previously unachievable. Records never really went away. They just went into storage for a decade or two. The fact that vinyl has been in hibernation for so long has made us older music buyers miss pawing through the bins like we miss those dusty old hardware stores with the creaky wood floors. It's nostalgia for sure, but with a reborn edge of an older technology that's been improved upon.<br />
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When shopping for vinyl records these days, I prefer to buy new pressings when possible, because they're made so well now and they sound better than ever before. The first and most important factor that I evaluate is "Will this music sound good on vinyl?", because not everything does. I have found that certain genres of music sound better, to my ears anyway, than others. Acoustic music of any genre, Soul, Jazz, and Classic Rock seem to fare best. I'd much rather listen to some John Coltrane on vinyl than say, Kraftwerk. However, as it is with CD's, it largely depends on the master recording that's used. I have purchased beautifully made vinyl editions that were sourced from a substandard master; such as the first Crosby Stills & Nash album. Very disappointing. But then you have recordings like Van Morrison's "Moondance" album, or "American Beauty" from The Grateful Dead that sound for all the world like they were recorded just last week! So yes, there's a bit of the old 'caveat emptor' involved, but trusting one's own instincts regarding any addition to our sagging vinyl shelves is often the best course.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicckWJP9TuTLBIXyiE8vU0MdoI2E_qSjuidIc39WS6v-9BDGu_TZSEa4z7nxIGEE_xDiKhx4b3yr5pl-80_UznMGy5Bkr25glSTUm63vWBX9GtLiPFPvAfSWqYTywFuazP8pxqG_WH5as/s1600/war+GH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicckWJP9TuTLBIXyiE8vU0MdoI2E_qSjuidIc39WS6v-9BDGu_TZSEa4z7nxIGEE_xDiKhx4b3yr5pl-80_UznMGy5Bkr25glSTUm63vWBX9GtLiPFPvAfSWqYTywFuazP8pxqG_WH5as/s1600/war+GH.jpg" height="313" width="320" /></a></div>
I am often surprised by what is available on vinyl, and what isn't, but certainly should be. A prime example is the music of the band War, who had a series of powerfully funky hits during their run of popularity in the 70's. Their music was made for vinyl and by any reasonable speculation, should sound fantastic on a freshly remastered 180 gram pressing. But their music is not in print on vinyl. Not yet anyway. I did find an old, used copy of their "Greatest Hits" album recently, but it sounds rather flat. I am certain that this music could be made to sound so much better, as evidenced by the CD version. One more for the wishlist, I suppose.<br />
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Here's one of War's best songs, "Low Rider", that adapted it's imagery from the Latino car culture of urban Los Angeles and personified it. This is a classic street groove that just won't quit. Crank it up!<br />
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As a bassist myself, I not only love this song, but I also really enjoy any opportunity to attend a musician's clinic when it's being presented by a musician of some accomplishment. It's a rare chance to have a little one-on-one time with musicians of note, and get some specific technical questions addressed that have nothing to do with the various celebrities they've worked with. These clinics don't happen near as often as I'd like, so I make every effort to attend them whenever possible, even if the person doing the clinic isn't a bassist. I believe that you can learn something from any good teacher, which makes for a more complete musical education.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gary Hoey</td></tr>
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Back in the mid-90's, I went to a clinic given by guitarist Gary Hoey. The event was sponsored by Fender, and part of Hoey's mission was to hawk the latest Fender gear of the day. That said, he was also there to promote his own recorded work and instructional media. The 90's were a peak era for players like Hoey, his guitar wizard compatriots like Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, and the dozens of also-rans who tried so hard to sound like those who inspired them while failing to establish their own unique voice on the instrument.<br />
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In 1994, Hoey provided one song to filmmaker Bruce Brown, who was making a sequel to his classic surf movie, "The Endless Summer". On the strength of that one song, and some subsequent demos, Brown hired Hoey to score the entire film. Hoey recorded 13 more tracks, start to finish, in 12 days. Here's Gary Hoey's update on War's "Low Rider", which is perfect music for some crazy surf footage. Again, loud is the only way to play this.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz1LZr8jzacRJPjC91dwCWJsWSRkj73eQh0Qc1GpLaUAgj9jsQAfvi4-O9vv3V9Iv3Pj0yBv-y8sppS-gjChcx9Kpu96K_U9jNQQkSTERtLQHK9xTAqAy3Dr51sknbNf3CgdaXqEueQ5w/s1600/Gary_Hoey_-_Endless_Summer_II_-_Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz1LZr8jzacRJPjC91dwCWJsWSRkj73eQh0Qc1GpLaUAgj9jsQAfvi4-O9vv3V9Iv3Pj0yBv-y8sppS-gjChcx9Kpu96K_U9jNQQkSTERtLQHK9xTAqAy3Dr51sknbNf3CgdaXqEueQ5w/s1600/Gary_Hoey_-_Endless_Summer_II_-_Front.jpg" height="317" width="320" /></a></div>
Both the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000AOV6J/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0000AOV6J&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=POGVZZGZOJASYIDZ%22%3EThe%20Endless%20Summer%20II%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0000AOV6J%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">DVD</a> and Gary Hoey's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000002MRE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000002MRE&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=3Q2MPJF2E7FQZBBV%22%3EThe%20Endless%20Summer%20II:%20Music%20From%20The%20Motion%20Picture%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000002MRE%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">soundtrack CD</a> are still in print and available at The Big A. Both are recommended for your enjoyment, as is the original 1966 movie, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004COKS0W/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004COKS0W&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=F2C3E3K444P4Q64Q%22%3EThe%20Endless%20Summer%20[Blu-ray%20+%20Digital%20Copy]%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004COKS0W%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Endless Summer"</a>, now freshly remastered for Blu-Ray. Watching the original film now, it does appear dated, but no less authentic than when it was first shown in theaters. It's an engrossing time capsule of a much simpler era, which makes it a must-see. If you find that surf documentaries trip your trigger, then I must encourage you to check out the Hi-Def showpiece <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017LHK3Q/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0017LHK3Q&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=WBWU2PPSJQ4U2JLV%22%3EStep%20Into%20Liquid%20[Blu-ray]%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0017LHK3Q%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Step Into Liquid"</a> from 2008. Cowabunga, Mofo's!</div>
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The rest of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gary-Hoey/e/B000AP9MVI/works/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=NH734EJY4XHNLAMB%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gary Hoey's</a> musical catalog seems to be available without much difficulty. There's more info on his music, tour schedule, and other stuff at his <a href="http://garyhoey.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a>.<br />
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The music of War is just as essential to any collection of Funk/Soul music as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sly-&-The-Family-Stone/e/B000AQ2RZK/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&qid=1406561041&sr=1-1&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=BJXX7EB4H7ZSKNOH%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sly & The Family Stone</a>. If you don't have any of War's music on your CD shelf, then head thee to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/War/e/B000AQ3524/works/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=XMWUPVIUNSZORUOE%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, or your favorite local music emporium. I will recommend the career-spanning and very affordable <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004J2FJAQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004J2FJAQ&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=ADBSQGC5B7KBXOWZ%22%3EIcon%202:%20The%20Hits%20&%20More%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B004J2FJAQ%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Icon 2"</a> collection as a good starting point.<br />
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War has just released their first album of new material in over 20 years! The new album, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ITAPW56/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00ITAPW56&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=A2SBJSDQJV4GKBPK%22%3EEvolutionary-%20First%20New%20WAR%20Album%20in%2020%20Years%20includes%20Greatest%20Hits%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00ITAPW56%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Evolutionary"</a>, also contains a bonus reissue CD of the long out of print "Greatest Hits" album pictured above. Better yet, if you get it at <a href="http://www.bestbuy.com/site/evolutionary-best-buy-exclusive-cd-dvd-cd/5735051.p?id=3228485&skuId=5735051&st=war%20evolutionary&lp=1&cp=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Best Buy</a>, you also get a 2nd bonus of a live concert DVD! I cannot find any new reissues of War's music on vinyl, which is a shame. I'm sure there's plenty of old used copies out there, but wouldn't you much rather have a fresh one?<br />
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For more insight on the recent comeback of vinyl records, check out this excellent article on <a href="http://pitchfork.com/features/articles/9467-wax-and-wane-the-tough-realities-behind-vinyls-comeback/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pitchfork</a>.</div>
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Bill Sammonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769240239901253919noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6766932736151480924.post-83275359250449603942014-06-28T08:33:00.001-05:002014-06-28T08:33:50.193-05:00Summer Break!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Alright, all you Kool Kovers fans, it's that time of the year when we must put the laptop aside and go outdoors for awhile. I'm gonna hang out with the family, grill up some great food, lose a bunch of golf balls, play some music with my friends, maybe travel a bit, and just enjoy the Summer. It won't be long before we'll all be hunkered down and hibernating indoors during the long grey months of cold Midwestern Winter suckage. So I'm gonna go play outside while the sun is shining. I truly believe I need to move somewhere that's warmer year-round. Someday...<br />
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What all that means is, I'm taking the month of July off to recharge the creative batteries. The weekly Kool Kovers blog features will resume anew in August. But fear not, my friends. During the break, the blog's very own <a href="https://www.facebook.com/koolkovers1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook page</a> will be updated often with items of interest, as the whim of the muse dictates. There's bound to be some interesting musical news that will surface, and I'll be sure to post it for you. There's also well over 100 Kool Kovers articles on this website for you to go back and check out, if you've missed any over the past year or so.<br />
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I would also like to send out a great big "Thank You" in sincere appreciation to all of you who read this blog regularly, and to those who've slapped a "Like" on our Facebook page in recent weeks. Knowing that there are music fans worldwide, that find the time to enjoy this little project of mine, makes all the work that goes into it worthwhile.
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As a seasonal send-off, here's a stunning cover version of one of my all-time favorite Summer songs, Brian Wilson's "The Warmth Of The Sun", as performed by one of the best voices in any genre of popular music, Vince Gill. It's an emotional, melancholy song for sure, although the lyric resolves in a hopeful way, and was written by Brian and Mike Love in the wee hours of the morning on <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-love/jfk-warmth-of-the-sun_b_4318208.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">November 22, 1963</a>. But in my mind, that gorgeous melody takes me directly to a sun-drenched California beach every time I hear it. "The Warmth Of The Sun" also qualifies as one of the more amazing B-sides of the 60's, as it was issued on the flip side of The Beach Boys' October '64 single, "Dance Dance Dance", which peaked at #8. It should have been a #1 double A-side hit, but there was plenty of high quality competition for the top of the charts at the time.<br />
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Serious props go to Vince Gill and Brian's band for absolutely nailing this performance, which is from the "All-Star Tribute to Brian Wilson" concert, held at Radio City in New York, back in 2001. Keep a tissue handy.<br />
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You can pick up a used DVD of the entire concert at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005QAPR/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00005QAPR&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=WG5FRL64LRC3HW4U%22%3EAn%20All-Star%20Tribute%20to%20Brian%20Wilson%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00005QAPR%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a> for fairly cheap, but a new copy might be a tad spendy.<br />
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Nearly 30 years worth of music from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vince-Gill/e/B000AQ11J8/works/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&linkCode=ur2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=5VDHRLBEJCJRMBSD%22%3EName%20Your%20Link%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=ur2&o=1%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Vince Gill</a> is procurable through a variety of sources. His latest work, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D7JGL36/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00D7JGL36&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=QM52WW3AE6CHGBD5%22%3EBakersfield%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00D7JGL36%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Bakersfield"</a>, pairs him with steel guitar master, Paul Franklin, and reminds us that as good as Gill can sing, he's no slouch as a guitarist either. Good singin', good pickin'.<br />
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Everyone's music collection should include at least one decent Beach Boys <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008LA7RH0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008LA7RH0&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=Y3FK6KWWPESWQUTW%22%3EGreatest%20Hits:%2050%20Big%20Ones%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B008LA7RH0%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">anthology</a>. There's a few good ones out there, but I'd recommend the 30 song, single disc <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000093BDX/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000093BDX&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=G65AAXFTQRXANYB6%22%3ESounds%20of%20Summer:%20Very%20Best%20of%20The%20Beach%20Boys%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000093BDX%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Sounds Of Summer"</a> album as a solid starter.<br />
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Those of you who are not yet familiar with The Beach Boys' masterwork from 1966, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008LA7RM0/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B008LA7RM0&linkCode=as2&tag=fantasti07-20&linkId=VP73SP2NVRKOJKR5%22%3EPet%20Sounds%20(Mono%20&%20Stereo%20Remasters)%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?t=fantasti07-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B008LA7RM0%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20!important;%20margin:0px%20!important;%22%20/%3E" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Pet Sounds"</a>, are in for a real treat. I would encourage you to listen actively to this album, keeping in mind the context of the times, and the other music that was popular then. You will hear what the years have proven; that this recording is nothing less than a sublime work of musical genius.<br />
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Have yourselves a great July, and we'll meet again in August. Until then, Love and Mercy to all!Bill Sammonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09769240239901253919noreply@blogger.com0