Review: Beyond Belief - A Tribute To Elvis Costello

As I asked in a previous article, 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.

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 indie band collection that flew way under the radar, and an album assembled by the Rhino label 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, "Right To Chews".

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.

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.

The evolution of Elvis

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.

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.

Here's a brief sampler of 3 random songs from the album. Enjoy.

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.

I would be greatly remiss if I didn't tell you that 100% of the proceeds from the release will go to the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, 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.

You can acquire the album at the Spyderpop Records website, which has links to buy the CD direct from the label, or you can visit CD Baby 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, The Time Machine, featuring DJ Michael McCartney playing many of the tracks from the album, along with a phone interview with co-producer John Borack.

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.

Review: Here Comes The Reign Again - The Second British Invasion

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?

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.

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.

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!

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!

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!

Bleu

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.

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".

Tracy Bonham

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!

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.

Graham Alexander

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.

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?

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 Facebook page, the minute they become available. Do yourself a solid by supporting this fine album, and independent music in general.

UPDATE: Here's the pre-order link to the album at Bandcamp!

Review: Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute To Motley Crue

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.

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.

Witness if you will, Exhibit A. I know for sure that Hank didn't do it this way.

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.

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.

"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".

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 Big Machine. 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.

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!

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?

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.

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 Amazon, where you can check it out for yourselves. There's also a video, if you have the stomach for it.

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.

Review: I Saved Latin! A Tribute to Wes Anderson

Wes Anderson

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.

Unlike most of his contemporaries, Anderson's musical choices are often far more subtle, with a decided leaning towards the so-called 'twee' side of Indie Pop, but that certainly has its own merit. Marc Spitz wrote about this quality in an article for Salon 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". *

The ever-widening appeal of Anderson's films has already spread far beyond his initial core audience of 20-something urban hipsters 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.

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.

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.

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 Amazon or iTunes pages if you like, but here's a few full-length examples for you to consider. Enjoy!

The album, "I Saved Latin" is available from Amazon, or should you prefer, direct from the record label, American Laundromat Records. Soundtracks and scores from the individual Wes Anderson films can be found at your local, well-curated emporium of indie music, or at The Big A.

Of particular interest for those who dig musical curiosities is "The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions" 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.

* 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.

Review: Drink A Toast To Innocence - A Tribute To Lite Rock

It is often said that in order for someone to be successful in a business venture, it is critical that they find their niche; their own unique position in the market, and address the needs of that underserved market segment. Andrew Curry has certainly done that in spades by producing a terrific new tribute album that focuses on a specific timeframe and sub-genre of popular music.

The album, "Drink A Toast To Innocence - A Tribute To Lite Rock" is a giant 28 song collection, spread over 2 CD's that are packed to the brim with excellent renditions of Lite Rock songs from the late '70's and early 80's. There will also be a 10 song vinyl edition. Sorry, but no 8 tracks or cassettes.

If you're 35 or older, you know every one of these songs and can probably sing along with them too! But age is no restriction on your potential for enjoying this music. These newly recorded tribute versions are performed by current independent bands and individual musicians who may not yet be familiar names, but I assure you, all of them are worthy of wider recognition for the quality of their songcraft.

Album Producer Andrew Curry

The idea began as a playlist on a Facebook page. Lite Rock fan Andrew Curry assembled a countdown of what he thought were the 20 greatest Lite Rock songs of all time. Curry described these songs as "the soundtrack of my youth". Eventually, the idea of doing a real album of cover versions developed and it was time to make it happen. The project was pitched on the fundraising website, Kickstarter and achieved its $10,000 goal in just 3 weeks! That should tell you something about not only the enduring popularity of this music, but also the costs involved in putting an album like this together. Things like song licensing, manufacturing & promotional costs add up quickly.

Contributing Artists David Myhr & Eytan Mirsky

Andrew's next task was getting musicians on board to record the songs. The first ones to sign on were Eytan Mirsky and Andy Reed (of An American Underdog). But Andrew recently told me, "I had an interesting sort of dance going with Mike Viola before he finally agreed. But when he did come aboard, it made securing other artists much easier to do. After all, I'm hardly a household name."

I asked Andrew at what point was he certain that the idea had wings. He replied, "I knew the project had real potential when Michael Carpenter submitted his video for "We Don't Talk Anymore". It showed that a major figure in the power pop world took this thing seriously enough to put in that extra work to help make the record buzzworthy. I had gotten a few tracks submitted by the time Michael sent me his video, and I really dug them all. But that specific moment is when I thought, "You know? This thing might actually work."

All the way from New South Wales, Australia, here's Michael Carpenter's video version of "We Don't Talk Anymore", originally a hit for Cliff Richard back in 1979. Nice job, Michael!

Kelly Jones

Other artists made less involved, but no less impressive initial entries. To present her idea for the England Dan & John Ford Coley song, "I'd Really Love To See You Tonight", Kelly Jones sent Andrew Curry a demo that was recorded on her iPhone! The song has a very gentle, sweet feel in that lo-fi demo version. The song was recorded properly in a studio for the album, but I can't help thinking it would have been a nice touch to work in the iPhone recording for the early 1st verse or so, since the song is about a phone call anyway.

Brandon Schott

As for other interesting stories, there are a few. But one of the best is about Brandon Schott's version of the Andrew Gold hit, "Thank You For Being A Friend". Brandon had the idea that a song about friendship should include lots of people (friends and fans and family) in the background of the song. So he put together a choir of people that included not only his parents and his kids, but also a bunch of other artists from the tribute album itself. Included in the background vocals are David Myhr, Andy Reed (of An American Underdog), Steven Wilson (of Plasticsoul), Joe Giddings, Paul Bertolino, Michael Simmons (of Popdudes), Eric Kern (of Vegas With Randolph) and radio personality Michael McCartney, who did the great K-tel style voiceovers for the Kickstarter fundraising videos.

Willie Wisely

There's only one song on the entire album that makes me itch a bit and that is Willie Wisely's percussion-heavy take on Atlanta Rhythm Section's "So Into You". After repeated listens, I feel that the track could have been greatly improved by doing a "single edit"; shortening the song and eliminating some distracting vocal excesses during the last minute or so, but the overall production is interesting. Willie certainly picked up on the "voodoo in the vibes" lyric in the first verse of the song. I do have to say that I was surprised to see that this track is to be included on the vinyl edition of the album. While this recording has merit, I'm not sure that it's one of the best choices to represent the album on what amounts to a 10 song sampler.

Vegas With Randolph

However, I do have my personal favorites, like this first rate version of the Little River Band's "Cool Change", done by Vegas With Randolph. THIS, my friends, is how to do a cover! It completely respects the song, keeping all signature parts intact, yet it sounds like the band who's playing the song; putting their identity on it, but not in an overwhelming way. By the way, this song does not appear on the vinyl version and it should.

Then, there are the musicians that do their darndest to replicate the original recording as best they can. Hailing from sunny Southern California, here are The Popdudes with their excellent version of Walter Egan's "Magnet & Steel". This makes me smile. If you like toy pianos, this is your jam!

There are almost too many highlights to mention without including the entire list of songs, but in particular, I got a charge out of Bleu's excellent replication of Player's "Baby Come Back"; still the best Hall & Oates song that Hall & Oates didn't write. Other favorites that scored high in originality include Mike Ruekberg's "Believe It Or Not", Greg Pope's reworking of Poco's "Crazy Love", Paul Bertolino's version of "Just Remember I Love You" by Firefall, and The Davenports' energetic take on "Just When I Needed You Most".

In conclusion, the best cover versions are, as my wife says, "different enough so it's fresh, but the same enough to where you can sing along if you want." I completely agree, and this collection is chock-full of recordings like that. In my many years of enjoying tribute albums, I have heard the good, the bad and the very ugly. This project is obviously a labour of love for the producer and for the musicians who played on it. In fact, there's so much consistently good material in this collection, from one track to the next, that I honestly feel that this is easily one of the very best and most enjoyable tribute albums ever done by anybody, and I do not say that lightly, folks. This album is a great one and you should go buy it right now.

Here's what's on the CD's.

The vinyl edition will include:
SIDE ONE:
1. Steal Away - Mike Viola
2. The Things We Do For Love - David Myhr
3. I'd Really Love To See You Tonight - Kelly Jones
4. We Don't Talk Anymore - Michael Carpenter
5. Escape (The Pina Colada Song) - Eytan Mirsky

SIDE TWO:
1. Baby Come Back - Bleu
2. More Than I Can Say - Linus Of Hollywood
3. Thunder Island - An American Underdog*
4. Shake It - Cliff Hillis
5. So Into You - Willie Wisely

(* Thunder Island is a vinyl exclusive!)

The album will be available on Monday April 29th, but you can pre-order the CD or the download version right now on Bandcamp. On the 29th, the full album will be available there and will also find its way onto the usual outlets like CD Baby, Amazon and iTunes. The official website, MonstersOfLiteRock.com, is where you will be able to find links to where you can get the album on the 29th. It's up and running now, so you can sign up via email to be notified when new info is available.

Kover Albums: Drink A Toast To Innocence

Through the looking glass of Facebook, I've been able to make contact with some musicians & regular fan folks who enjoy a fun musical sub-genre known as Power Pop. Who can resist strong, positive, melodic rock with killer harmonies and more songwriting hooks than a fishing lure? Not me. I'm in!

One day, I happened upon a Facebook page for a concern known as Monsters Of Lite Rock. The page is essentially an ongoing playlist for their favorite songs from the mid to late 1970's when pop singles got a little.. fluffy. Think of groups like Firefall, Little River Band, England Dan & John Ford Coley, Seals & Crofts and The Carpenters, along with the many individual one hit wonders and you'll have a handle on their concept. If there's a radio station in your town with any resemblance to the word 'magic' in their call letters, there's a solid chance it's a lite rock station.

Well, sure enough, the folks at MOLR have decided to produce a full length tribute CD filled with choice cover versions of classic soft rock singles. The title, "Drink A Toast To Innocence" is a nod to a lyric from one the softest of the soft-rockers, Dan Fogelberg. The album is scheduled for release in the spring, so it isn't available quite yet, but so far, the lineup looks like this:

Linus Of Hollywood - "More Than I Can Say" (Leo Sayer)
Vegas With Randolph - "Cool Change" (Little River Band)
An American Underdog - "Thunder Island" (Jay Ferguson)
Eytan Mirsky - "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" (Rupert Holmes)
David Myhr - "The Things We Do For Love" (10cc)

Brandon Schott - "Thank You For Being A Friend" (Andrew Gold)
Mike Viola - "Steal Away" (Robbie Dupree)
The Popdudes - "Magnet & Steel" (Walter Egan)
The Sonic Executive Sessions - "On & On" (Stephen Bishop)
Paul Bertolino - "Just Remember I Love You" (Firefall)
Willie Wisely - "So Into You" (Atlanta Rhythm Section)
Throwback Suburbia - "I Love You" (Climax Blues Band)
The Davenports - "Just When I Needed You Most" (Randy VanWarmer)

And that's just who's in so far. Apparently, there will be a bunch more. If the names of the artists doing the covers aren't familiar to you yet, please trust me, they're all really great! There aren't any audio samples out yet, but I do have a K-Tel inspired video preview for you, direct from MOLR and it's pretty darn snappy. Enjoy!

If the rest of the album is half as good as these teasers, it'll be a must-add to the Phillydog's Kovers Kollection! I don't know yet if the album is going to be available on vinyl, but if it were, I'd be really happy about that. I have doubts that we'll see 8 tracks or cassettes though.

I'll put up a post on the Kool Kovers Facebook page when I hear about a solid release date. By the way, if you visit that page and "Like" it, you'll get a notification whenever there's a new post on this blog! So please head on over and do so. Sure would appreciate it. Thanks!

Anyway, now that you've had a proper introduction, here's a YouTube link to a bonus full-length video from the album! It's Australia's finest, Michael Carpenter, with his awesome cover of Cliff Richard's 1979 hit, "We Don't Talk Anymore". Crank this one up! I seriously think this version is way better than the original.