JOHNNY CASH – Everybody Loves a Nut – (Columbia) – 1966

Johnny Cash - Everybody Loves a Nut

They certainly do.

But everyone loves someone who is deadly serious and can be pontificated over.

Generation X did that to Johnny Cash and his Rick Rubin recordings.

But, Johnny put out Christmas albums, kids albums, gospel albums, and this, an album of humorous songs.

The songs, though, cover a range of “humorous” styles. There are funny songs, satire, sharp songs with a point to be made, silly songs and, yes, “nutty” songs.

Johnny has framed the songs in a folky country sound. That distinct Johnny Cash sound we know is there but it comes with more folk stylings. This is not surprising as Johnny always had a fair bit of folk music in him and you can hear that going back to his earliest Sun recordings in the 50s.

I suspect he may have accentuated that folky sound because a couple of the songs are folk themed and some are humorous comments on folk music acts. The American folk music boom was still alive but slowing down by this stage. Cash, himself, was probably drawn to the material about folk bands because he knew them pretty well having played the Newport Folk Festival in 1963 and 1964 (as he would again later). Likewise, he would have known the old folk songs when growing up, and perhaps the humorous folk songs are meant to be a sort of "you guys are all too serious about folk, folk is also about making the audience happy also, not just telling them their troubles which they already know about"

Having said that even the songs with gentle humour have something more serious to say about the world, which reminds me a little of Pete Seeger’s albums for kids.

Cash’s songs are definitely not for kids.
 
Cash also only wrote or co-wrote two songs on the album but it seems that the other songs were written for him or he found amongst demos as he has selected a group which hang together well. There are a couple that sound out of place so I assume they may have come off another session and are used a s filler. the album's material was recorded between March 12, 1965 – January 29, 1966 which would indicate that could be the case.

Likewise, I don't know if Johnny set out to make a humorous album or if someone at Columbia just rounded up  those songs from different sessions thinking it would be a good idea.

I'm sure there are Cash-ophiles out there who would know the answer to that.

Tracks (best in italics)

  •  Everybody Loves a Nut – (Jack Clement) – the title and the statement of faith on the album.
  •  The One on the Right Is on the Left – (Clement) – excellent send up of folk bands and the folk revival of the time.  Quite pointed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_One_on_the_Right_Is_on_the_Left
  •  Cup of Coffee – (Elliott) – sung with Ramblin' Jack Elliott . Ramblin Jack isn't the only one ramblin' on this one. Are they pissed? Coffee is not what they are drinking. It is quite infectious in a sort of "I'm going over to my mates place for a drink and sing a long" type of way.
  • The Bug That Tried to Crawl Around the World – (JR Hall, Cash) – a song about a bug achieving greatness in its struggle.
  • The Singing Star's Queen – (Jackson King, Bill Mack) – A song about a singer called "Waylon" and songwriter Jackson King is a pseudonym for Waylon Jennings.
  • Austin Prison – (Cash) – I'm not sure if there is anything humorous about going to jail for killing your woman, though some may disagree.
  • Dirty Old Egg Sucking Dog – (Clement) – a silly song.
  • Take Me Home – (Clement, Allen Reynolds) – another song that is not particularly humorous. A man who has been roaming and wandering longs for home and family. Co-writer Allen Reynolds went on to produce a lot of Garth Brooks hit albums.
  • Please Don't Play Red River Valley – (Cash) – A very funny song about "learning folk".
  • Boa Constrictor – (Shel Silverstein) – quite, light by the writer of so many Dr Hook songs. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shel_Silverstein
  • Joe Bean – (Bud Freeman, Leon Pober) –  Bud Freeman was a jazzman and Leon Prober worked on Hollywood soundtracks. They had written all the songs for the humorous great album “Songs of Couch and Consultation” sung by Katie Lee in 1957, but this song, originally done by Homer & Jethro (a humorous country act) on their "Go West” album of 1963, isn’t really humorous or maybe it is. It’s about a man going to the gallows on his birthday. At first I thought the song, was a piss take and then I thought it was serious, and then ironical. I’m not sure what to make of this song though it is quite good.

And …

A hoot …. I'm keeping it.
 
Chart Action

US
Singles
1966:   The One On The Right Is…              Country Singles         #2
1966:   The One On The Right Is…              Pop Singles               #46
1966:   Everybody Loves A Nut                   Country Singles         #17
1966:   Everybody Loves A Nut                   Pop Singles               #96
1966:   Boa Constrictor                                Country Singles         #39

Album

1966  Everybody Loves A Nut  Country Albums  #5 
1966  Everybody Loves A Nut  The Billboard 200  #88 

England
Singles

Album
1966  Everybody Loves A Nut  Country Albums  #28 (his first charting album in the UK) 

Sounds

http://recordlective.com/Johnny_Cash/Everybody_Loves_a_Nut/8546d6ff-c1da-32c8-8171-13a7bc287158/

The One on the Right Is on the Left
mp3 attached

Johnny Cash – The One on the Right is on the Left

Dirty Old Egg Sucking Dog
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9X3iF6ntXQ

Others
humorous Cash
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYctbbWWzzo
 
Review
http://www.allmusic.com/album/everybody-loves-a-nut-mw0000869176

Bio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Cash

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:aifrxql5ldae~T1

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/johnny-cash-biography/8a7dc5e427e37bc048256c9c001c84cc
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Clement

Website

http://www.johnnycash.com/

Trivia

  • Personnell: Johnny Cash – Vocals, Guitar, Harmonica /  Luther Perkins, Norman Blake – Guitar /  Bob Johnson – Guitar, Flute, Banjo /  Marshall Grant – Bass /  W.S. Holland – Drums /  Bill Pursell – Piano /  Jack Elliott – Yodel /  The Carter Family, The Statler Brothers – Background Vocals.
  • Not surprisingly the cover art was drawn by Mad magazine cartoonist Jack Davis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Davis_(cartoonist)


 

Posted in Country | Tagged | 1 Comment

JOHNNY RIVERS – Blue Suede Shoes – (UA) – 1973

Johnny Rivers - Blue Suede Shoes 01

Johnny does a covers album.

Well, Johnny was never adverse to covers anyway.

Normally, three quarters(or more) of the songs on any of his albums are covers. He wrote, but rarely.

What he does is add his “go go” beat to the songs or otherwise turn them around to satisfy his stylistic desires.

And, usually, this works (on me) because Rivers knows what he is doing and he happens to like music I otherwise like.

I had said this in another comment on him: “I never had much time for Johnny Rivers in my youth. He always seemed neither here nor there as I thought he was a MOR act just playing some rock n roll….. On the plus side it seemed that a lot of people who I quite liked, liked him. Also his albums were in abundance in op shops…. The more I listened the more worth I found in his music. I’m still not sure that he will make the upper echelons of my favourites but what I have found, with the passage of time, is a singer who is very smart, knows his music, understands his historical context and can sing and excite when needed… And that is enough … isn’t it?”

Look to my other comments for background on Johnny but it is fair to say that “old school” rock “n” roll is something he was brought up on and loved. In the mid to late 60s he became a little more contemporary and “introspective” (didn’t everyone post Dylan?) but ultimately he was a rock n roller at heart.

This album, luckily, came out at a time when the complexity and introspective excesses of the late 60s and early 70s were being readdressed by a turn to old school rock.

Bowie put out “Pin Ups” (1973) as a tribute to his 60s influences, Bryan Ferry put out “These Foolish Things” (1973) with many of his favourite 50s and 60s tunes and “Another Time, Another Place” (1974), Dylan put out “Self Portrait” (1970) and “Dylan” (1973) (the last against his wishes) both with a fair chunk of covers, Nilsson put out “Pussycats’ (1974) which, also, had a fair amount of covers, The Band put out “Moondog Matinee” (1973) and John Lennon put out “Rock n Roll” in 1975.

And, arguably, putting aside blind fan devotion aside (for example I prefer Bowie over Rivers but his covers album is not as good) this is as good an album as any of the others and certainly better than the Dylan, Bowie and Lennon LPs.

When is a covers album a covers album?

It’s arguable that most of Elvis’ LP output could be called covers albums. Well, that is the case, at least, when he wasn’t having music written for him or pitched to him. But, in all fairness, his songs don’t always come off as covers because he was a supreme interpreter and one where his stylistic personality (often) overshadowed any earlier memory of the song.

Not always, but very often.

Rivers has a distinctive style but doesn’t always make the songs his own.

What he does have is smarts and a rock ‘n’ roll attitude.

Rather than try to make the songs his own he just plays them straight with a “go go” beat, albeit a rootsy, organic “go go” beat which is in tune with the times (1973). On this album we have 50s rock, 60s soul, 60s folk rock, 50s R&B and it works because Rivers has approached most songs from this roots perspective. (he had dipped his toe into this well with his previous album “L.A. Reggae” from  1972). Rivers also produced the album, so clearly he knew what he was looking for. Interestingly, he called Side I (up to "Solitary Man") "1955 – 1965" whilst Side 2 is called the "Boogie Side". Rivers dedication and enjoyment is palatable, so much so that you don’t feel you have to compare the songs (as much) to the original versions.

This stripped down rootsy interpretation would in some ways anticipate the (later period) Flaming Groovies, NRBQ, Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds.

Tracks (best in italics)

  • Blue Suede Shoes   – (Carl Perkins) – a pretty good cover pitched somewhere between Elvis’ version and the Carl Perkins original, both from 1956.
  • Medley:  Searchin'   (J. Leiber/M. Stoller) / So Fine    (J. Otis) – a smart medley of the Searchers 1957 #3 hit with the Johnny Otis which was a hit (#11US) for The Fiestas in 1959.
  • It's Allright   – (C. Mayfield) – The Impressions hit (#4US, 1963) with horns and all – nothing is added.
  • Hang On Sloopy   – (B. Russell, W. Farrell) – The McCoys had a #1US in 1965 with this (and The Vibrations had a #26US in 1964 under the title "My Girl Sloopy"). This version is well done and updated to the 70s without being trashy. Nice keyboard work also.
  • I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better  – (G. Clark) – The great Gene Clark Byrds song (from 1965) has been covered by everyone. This version is not as sublime as the original but is quite rollicking and a lot of fun. But, the song was great to start off with.
  • Solitary Man  – (N. Diamond) – This Neil Diamond song from 1966 (also, done by many others) suits Rivers perfectly. His performance is good (and a little gruffer than the original). Diamond didn't have a hit with it until 1970 (#21US).
  • Over The Line  – (M. Omartian, P. Dahlstrom) – Patti Dahlstrom wrote this with Michael Omartin and the song seems to be an original, or at least, not a charting hit for anyone. It's a funky horn driven workout.
  • Willie And The Hand Jive  – (J. Otis) – Johnny Otis again. Here he had a hit with the song in 1958 (#9US) with his Johnny Otis Show. This is funky and well done.
  • Got My Mojo Workin'   – (P. Foster) – First recorded by Ann Cole, but a hit for Muddy Waters in 1957 (#9US). Rivers seems to following Elvis' arrangement of the song from his “Love Letters from Elvis” album of 1971. It was not the first time Johnny had covered a song Elvis had done and it would not be the last. His version here is good but not the carnal explosion that is the Elvis version.
  • Turn On Your Love Light  – (D. Malone, J. Scott* ) – The Bobby Bland hit (#28US) from  1961. This is an excellent version.

And …

A good party album…. I'm keeping it.

Now if I could only find some like minded people to come to my party.
 
Chart Action
 
US
Singles
1973 Blue Suede Shoes  The Billboard Hot 100 #38

Album

England

He never had any chart action in England.
 
Sounds
http://recordlective.com/Johnny_Rivers/Blue_Suede_Shoes/d1d93194-3e1f-3c5a-9b77-a0006c059731/

I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better
mp3 attached

Johnny Rivers – I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better

Others
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAc0FKyBgks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuJm1VgeJD0
 
Review
http://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-suede-shoes-mw0000846996
 
Bio
http://www.johnnyrivers.com/jr/images/one_sheet_bio.pdf
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/johnny-rivers-p118948/biography

Website
http://www.johnnyrivers.com/jr/index.php
 
Trivia

  • In praise of cover art. The picture doesn't do the sleeve justice but there is a lot of thought in here. The sleeve is textured with raised ridges framing the picture of Johnny in the middle. Shoeless, he is, despite the name of the album. That picture lifts (it seems to be a postcard) and underneath it printed into the sleeve is a pair of  blue suede shoes. The album title is likewise raised  and done to resemble shoe laces. It's not Sgt Peppers but thought still went into it.
  • Muscians: Backing Vocals – Herb Pederson, James Hendricks, Michael Georgiades , Bass – Joe Osborn, Congas, Instruments [Special Effects] – Gary Coleman, Drums – Jim Gordon, Guitar – Dean Parks, Larry Carlton, Piano, Organ, Backing Vocals – Michael Omartian, Saxophone – Jackie Kelso, Jim Horn, Trumpet – Chuck Finley, Producer, Vocals, Guitar, Backing Vocals – Johnny Rivers
     

Johnny Rivers - Blue Suede Shoes 02

Posted in Rock & Pop, Rockabilly and Rock n Roll, Roots Rock | Tagged | Leave a comment

JOHN HIATT– Two Bit Monsters – (MCA) – 1980

John Hiatt - Two Bit Monsters

I have quite a few John Hiatt albums but of the ones I have heard he hasn’t really “done it” for me.

I do have this feeling that I should like him more.

I feel that because I like what he is doing but the end results don’t convince.

The exception (of the few I have heard) is his “Bring the Family” album which I recall reviewing in the University of Queensland student paper, Semper, sometime in 1987.

That album was confident, slick but ragged around the edges with perceptive lyrics. It really did seem to nail the times (1987) and place (Reagan’s America) in both a social and personal emotional way.

Hiatt, though, had been plugging away in the music industry since 1970.

Wikipedia: "John Hiatt was born in 1952 (in Indianapolis, Indiana) to Ruth and Robert Hiatt. When Hiatt was nine years old, his 21-year-old brother Michael committed suicide. Only two years later, his father died after a long sickness. To escape from the stress of his early life, Hiatt watched IndyCar racing and listened to Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, and the blues. In his youth, Hiatt reports that he and several others stole a Ford Thunderbird, a crime for which he was caught by the owners but got away with, posing as a hitchhiker. He learned to play the guitar when he was eleven, and began his musical career in Indianapolis, Indiana as a teenager. He played in a variety of local clubs, most notably the Hummingbird. Hiatt played with a variety of bands, including The Four-Fifths and John Lynch & the Hangmen.
 
Hiatt moved to Nashville, Tennessee when he was eighteen years old and got a job as a songwriter for the Tree-Music Publishing Company for twenty-five dollars a week. Hiatt, who was unable to read or write scores, had to record all 250 songs he wrote for the company. He also began playing with the band White Duck, as one of three singer-songwriters within the group. White Duck had already recorded one album before Hiatt joined. He wrote and performed two songs on their second album, In Season, one of which was the hit "Train to Birmingham" (1972). Hiatt performed live in many clubs around Nashville with White Duck, and as a solo act".

He recorded his first solo album, in a roots rock style, in 1974.

It flopped.

For the next ten or so years he was a critical darling though not a commercial success.

More often than not Hiatt is compared (usually unfavourably) to Elvis Costello. The comparisons are apt as they both come from the same musical sphere and have similar voices.

Sometimes, things happen tom people independently of each other. Then again, sometimes, there are links between people who you wouldn’t even expect know each other. I don’t know if Hiatt and Costello knew each other in the early days (they do now – they performed a duet in 1985) but their musical careers have dovetailed each other from the start.

Interestingly, if anything, Costello (born 1954) borrows his voice from Hiatt who had been recording since the early 70s. Hiatt then (in the late 70s and in search of a career) borrows Costello’s punchy power pop punky sound (his first album was 1977) and attitude though with little success. Hiatt eventually finds his voice and a career (with commercial success) in the mid-80s with Heartland Americana (big Americana) something which Costello would then hop on to in the late 80s.

To this day, despite individual quirky sidelines, their careers seem like members in a mutual admiration society.

Costello, is perhaps the more savvy performer of his own material whilst Hiatt is perhaps, the better songwriter ……

Wikipedia: “Hiatt was working as a songwriter for Tree International, a record label in Nashville, when his song “Sure As I'm Sittin’ Here” was covered by Three Dog Night. The song became a Top 40 hit, earning Hiatt a recording contract with Epic Records. Since then he has released twenty one studio albums, two compilation albums and one live album. His songs have been covered by a variety of artists in multiple genres, including Bob Dylan, The Searchers, Willy DeVille, Ry Cooder, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Joe Bonamassa, Willie Nelson, Three Dog Night, Joan Baez, Paula Abdul, Buddy Guy, the Desert Rose Band, Jimmy Buffett, Mandy Moore, Iggy Pop, Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Dave Edmunds, Nick Lowe, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Rosanne Cash, Suzy Bogguss, Jewel, Aaron Neville, Jeff Healey, Keith Urban, Joe Cocker, Chaka Khan, Paulini and many others. The Dutch singer/songwriter Ilse DeLange recorded the album Dear John with nine of his songs”

This album comes from that point in time where Hiatt was looking for a career. He hopped on the new wave power pop band wagon and tried his hand at sharp, edgy songs like Elvis Costello and Graham Parker.

The trouble is they watered down the punch.

The album was produced by Hiatt (with Denny Bruce) and John Hiatt so this is the sound they were looking for.

I suspect that Hiatt is a singer songwriter (in style) and the straight ahead punch of new wave power pop doesn’t suit him, at least not from what I hear on this album. He just isn’t angry enough.

I’m sure some approaching middle age rock critics enamoured by the Beatles thought, at the time, that this was punky and edgy, but they were wrong.

It’s not bad but it’s not especially memorable and it is more than a little forced.

This is a pity as there are some good songs here that others could do a better job with, despite the fact that Hiatt wrote them. (Rosanne Cash covered "Pink Bedroom" and "It Hasn't Happened Yet").

Hiatt has the new wave cover art and image down pat – then again despite saying a thousand words pictures can lie.

Especially in rock where "image" sells units as easily as music.

Though not here.

This flopped.

Tracks (best in italics)

  • Back To Normal – a new wavish start with a touch of the punchy punky reggae / blue beat. The elvis Costello comparisons are valid but the lyrics are a bit naff and there isnt enough in the melody to make it memorable.
  • Down In Front – more power pop than anything else and not to bad because of it.
  • I Spy (For The FBI) – The obligatory could cover a la Graham Parker and Elvis Costello. Jamo Thomas had a Northern soul funk minor hit with this in 1966 (#98).I'm not sure what this is about but it’s not too bad.
  • Pink Bedroom – some Nick Lowe jangle here. Lame.
  • Good Girl, Bad World  – Bearable
  • Face The Nation – B grade Boomtown Rats.
  • Cop Party – The Costello angst it almost works on this ne
  • Back To The War – more of the same
  • It Hasn't Happened Yet  – One of the best songs on the album with a slight Ricky Lee Jones bounce.
  • String Pull Job – Not too bad but I have no idea what the song is about.
  • New Numbers – not for what I'm hearing. Groan.

And …

This is a hard one. There are some good songs and I do like some of Hiatt's’ later stuff. Will I wake up one day and get annoyed because I had gotten rid of this album?

Will there be some sort of a early Hiatt musical appreciation epiphany?

Maybe.

Probably not.

Who knows.

I may have to flip a coin on this one to see if it is kept.
 
Chart Action
 
Nothing no where.
 
Sounds

http://recordlective.com/John_Hiatt/Two_Bit_Monsters/946b416b-43f8-3e09-97d6-6b618832417a/

It Hasn't Happened Yet
mp3 attached

John Hiatt – It Hasn't Happened Yet

Others
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58hHVlZCfvM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTF17vc9HZY
 
Review
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Bit_Monsters
http://www.allmusic.com/album/two-bit-monsters-mw0000654552
 
Bio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hiatt
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/john-hiatt-mn0000812046

Website

http://www.johnhiatt.com/

Trivia

Merry Christmas all.

Posted in Power Pop, Punk and New Wave, Rock & Pop | Tagged | Leave a comment

ROD McKUEN – Sleep Warm – (EMI) – 1975

Rod McKuen - Sleep Warm

I love quoting myself.

Not because I think my words are wise but because I can fast track a comment because I have already said what I want to say.

In relation to Rod I have said this before on this blog:

"Rod McKuen is an acquired taste. His detractors would say he is pretentiously poetic, maudlinly romantic, ponderously repetitious, slightly narcissistic, boringly middle aged, full of middlebrow banality and  with a voice somewhere just below Bob Dylan on the dulcet tone scale. To me this is all true but how you take it depends on where you stand.
 
He certainly is poetic (and has published volumes of poetry to prove it), unashamedly romantic, thematically consistent, always world weary with an old mans (or a wise mans)  attitude even when he was young, and with a voice that sounds as if it had lived".

Rod’s voice always gave Dylan’s a run for its money in tone and always lent towards a guy having a conversation with you rather than singing. Here (1975) his voice has gotten even deeper, huskier and more conversational.

That doesn’t matter much as Rod’s strengths are in his message, or rather, his observations and his message.

And,

his observations and message have remained, as I have said, fairly consistent over the years.

And,

that is over a lot of albums.

So,

The observations and message have to be dressed up.

Once you are familiar with what he is saying an albums success depends on the tunes and instrumentation.

Rod in the mid-70s, from what I have heard thus far, is not his best period. It’s not bad but it doesn’t match his work from the 60s through to the early 70s.

There are quite a few covers here and Rod is quite happy to put his individual stamp on them. An this is impressive as h is covering the Beatles, Stevie Wonder and an iconic Goffin and King song.

Still, there is enough in here to sit down and drink your gin and tonic to.

And that’s what I like to do.

Sit down, have a drink and listen to Rod’s stories of love and loss.

The album produced by Rod McKuen and Wade Alexander and features wrecking Crew guitarist Billy Strange and Hungarian American lounge drum legend Tommy Vig on percussion.

Tracks (best in italics)

  • It's Amazing – (Rod McKuen – Petula Clark) – Petula Clark – I'm not sure how they hooked up but there is more Petula than Rod here
  • Since You Asked   – (Judy Collins) – there is more Rod here despite it being a Judy Collins song.
  • Here, There, And Everywhere  – (Lennon-McCartney)- a great reading of the Lennon-McCartney song done as a torch ballad in the sweet wee hours
  • I'm Almost There  – (McKuen-Andre Popp) – perfect McKuen with some continental strings
  • In Time – (McKuen-Peter Horton) – so so
  • Goodbye: Prose-Poem  – (McKuen) – McKuen the poet of romantic heartbreak, the poet of the lost love or broken love.  With the tinkling, slightly baroque piano, It's pure corn but it would be total crap in someone else’s hands. McKuen can get away with it …and that's enough.
  • Sleep Warm  – (McKuen) – This is more like it. Music aside the lyrics really do sum up a love that transcends possession. I'm not sure if anyone is possible of this superhuman love but perhaps it’s something to aspire to?

I sleep easy, I sleep gently
Knowing you sleep warm
Knowing that you'll always be
Safe and free from harm

I sleep softly, I sleep soundly
Knowing you sleep warm
Even if your holding in somebody else's arms

  • You Are The Sunshine Of My Life – (Stevie Wonder) –  another good reading of a classic, this time by Stevie Wonder
  • Miles To Go – (McKuen) – Pure McKuen – quite beautiful
  • Eldon, 4  – (McKuen) – a poem
  • Arianne   – (Christian Roudey – Martin Charnin) – wonderfully excessive with equal parts of Jimmy Webb and “MacArthur’s Park” and any number of Jacques Brel songs which is not surprising given Rod was a friend of Brel.
  • We Live On Islands – (McKuen – Hildegard Knef – Hans Hammerschmid) – Hildegard Knef  is a German actress (also in quite a few American and British films) and a singer. Perhaps Rod knew here when she was in Hollywood (and Broadway) in the 50s. In any event they somehow managed to get together to collaborate on this. I wish Rod would write a biography. This song is quite sad, as the title indicates.
  • And So Goodbye  – (McKuen – Leo Ferre) – very schmaltzy but quite affecting.
  • Will You Love Me Tomorrow?  – (Carole King – Gerry Goffin) – the magnificent song originally done by The Shirelles in 1960 is slowed down and done as a trad ballad, and it works. This is a tremendous interpretation.

And …

Where is my G&T?

And my swizzle stick.

…. I'm keeping this album.
 
Chart Action
 
Nothing, no where
 
Sounds

Here, There, And Everywhere 
mp3 attached 

Rod McKuen – Here There and Everywhere

Others
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9hgelVS-0I

a classic song and still relevant:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-l0o3tOXw0

with Johnny Cash
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26w-KYmbb3k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDhYuuCe8LM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNn_GPFz2Vs

Review

 
Bio

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_mckuen
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/rod-mckuen-mn0000243803


Website

http://www.mckuen.com/

 
Trivia

  • Wikipedia: “He was one of the best-selling poets in the United States during the late 1960s. Throughout his career, McKuen produced a wide range of recordings, which included popular music, spoken word poetry, film soundtracks, and classical music. He earned two Oscar nominations and one Pulitzer nomination for his serious music compositions. McKuen's translations and adaptations of the songs of Jacques Brel were instrumental in bringing the Belgian songwriter to prominence in the English-speaking world. His poetry dealt with themes of love, the natural world, and spirituality, and his thirty books of poetry sold millions of copies”.
Posted in Popular & Crooners | Tagged | Leave a comment

PAUL REVERE & THE RAIDERS – Revolution! – (Columbia) – 1967

Paul Revere - Revolution

There is nothing quite like a Paul Revere and the Raiders album.

To a relatively recent convert to their music, like myself, each album is a revelation.

They have always worked a kind of musical juggling act between trying to create original music on one hand and trying to stay alive as a working band which by necessity means compromise, on the other.

To a minor band compromising ones sound or aping whatever sound is currently popular is a no brainer. But, to a band like The Raiders it becomes a more difficult problem.

The problem lies in the fact that they are talented, have ideas and have their own sound.

Their solution is to integrate the new sounds into their sound without radically departing from their original path.

As I said in another comment on them on this blog: "The key to their success was their commitment to upbeat rock 'n' roll whilst acknowledging change, and they weren't precious about it as evidenced by the fact that sometimes they were "influenced" by bands that post dated them. They did, as I have said, keep their original sound, but unlike a slavish imitator or someone just jumping the bandwagon. Also they did this even through line-up changes though Paul Revere (the keyboardist) and Mark Lindsay (the vocalist) were the nucleus of the group which was lucky as Revere knew where to take the group and Lindsay could sing anything".

I labour this point because the perceived wisdom is like this from wikipedia: "Under the guidance of producer Terry Melcher, the group relocated to Los Angeles and increasingly emulated the sounds of British Invasion bands such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Dave Clark Five, and The Animals, albeit with an American, R&B feel"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Revere_%26_the_Raiders

The comments sound the same but there is a subtle distinction in there about how a band deals with new sounds.

And, that subtle distinction, I think, must fall in favour of The Raiders as being a great original band of the 1960s.

On this album the Raiders give more than the usual nod to the British Invasion and pop. It is perhaps a bit late in the piece but the sounds do not sound dated …and then, what is a year or two, even in the revolutionary 60s?

The other very obvious thing you pick up on is that this record is quite slick. The Raiders can be quite raunchy and rough when needed but they also had the knack for radio friendly (or rather TV friendly as they were a regular band on the US TV music show "Where the Action Is") sounds.

Mark Lindsay is a great rock vocalist…..he can be raunchy or slick or sometimes both.

Here, the west coast television / radio  "groovy" quotient is on high.

But I freaking love those sounds.

Sadly, there isn't any Sunset Strip outside my door for me to capitalise on this grooviness.

For more bio and background check out my other Raiders comments on this blog.

Tracks (best in italics)

  • Him or Me (What's It Gonna Be?) —  great pop which hasn't lost it's garage roots, though there is quite a bit of British invasion in it. Is this is what English garage would have sounded like if it had existed?
  • Reno — more of a garage song with tasty harmonica.
  • Upon Your Leaving — a ballad.
  • Mo'reen — great poppy rock which The Monkees would perfect
  • Wanting You — a slow intense burn
  • Gone – Movin' On — very groovy and quite seductive. Actually, it's a great song.
  • I Had a Dream –  (Isaac Hayes, Lindsay, Melcher, David Porter) — Isaac Hayes! Dave Porter was Hayes song writing partner at Stax records and they wrote many songs. Johnnie Taylor had a R&B hit with this in 1966. The song is a good one though it's southern soul roots are evident.
  • Tighter — a swinging groovy songs with some trippy sound effects . Groovy man.
  • Make It With Me —  another slow burn and a good one.
  • Ain't Nobody Who Can Do It Like Leslie Can — that's for sure. I'd like to meet this Leslie. Paul Revere sings on this (rather than lead vocalist Mark Lindsay). A humorous take off on Bob Dylan crossed with Sam the Sham and Benny Hill innuendo.
  • I Hear a Voice — trippy and meaningful in a Donovan kind of way.

And …

This is one of the best Raiders albums. They were on a incredible roll at the time… I'm keeping it.

Chart Action

US
Singles
1967  Him Or Me – What's It Gonna Be?  The Billboard Hot 100  #5 
1967  I Had A Dream  The Billboard Hot 100  #17 

Album
1967 #25

England
Singles
Album

nothing at all.
 
Sounds

http://recordlective.com/Paul_Revere_and_The_Raiders/Revolution!/d0099d5c-207d-3311-b713-ba1ad2a736cd/

Him or Me (What's It Gonna Be?) 
on TV
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRu5TDiHmEU

Gone – Movin' On 
mp3
sorry about the crackle and pop – my copy is so so…

Paul Revere & The Raiders – Gone Movin' On

Others
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84L7wRSg2Vk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xmv6lPfnocs
 
Review

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolution!
http://www.allmusic.com/album/revolution!-mw0000190323

Bio

http://www.goldminemag.com/article/the-musical-revolution-of-paul-revere-the-raiders
http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:h9fuxqugld6e~T1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Revere_And_The_Raiders
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/drake-levin-p98043/biography
http://www.allmusic.com/artist/terry-melcher-p19287/biography

Website

http://www.paulrevereandtheraiders.com/main.html
http://www.marklindsay.com/Welcome.html
http://www.myspace.com/paulrevereraiders
 
Trivia

  • The album is produced like most of the others from this period by Terry Melcher.
Posted in Garage, Surf and Frat, Rock & Pop | Tagged | 1 Comment

GENE PITNEY – She’s a Heartbreaker – (Musicor) – 1968

Gene Pitney - She's a Heartbreaker

Check my other comments for biographical details on Gene Pitney.

I have said this about him before: “Gene was a consummate (if occasionally melodramatic) vocalist. What he did do was take any song and not always make it his but certainly imprint it so you can’t mistake it for someone else. His operatic pop ballads are "classics" of the genre and define a lot of 60s pop. Having said that, operatic pop up-tempo ballads weren't novel (think Elvis' "It’s Now or Never" from 1960 or "Surrender" from 1961) but Gene made a career out of it. The emotion is worn on his sleeve and he created some of the most divine pop tunes of the 1960s. And as I have said before (elsewhere)  if you are going to do pop you can’t look for a better era than the 60s”.

By the late 1960s the 50s rockers and early 60s pop stars were finding the going hard. Many turned to more contemporary sounds and/or started writing their own confessional material to find their place in the music world.

It is perhaps surprising that Pitney (from the records I heard) didn’t really move into the singer songwriter style because he was quite adept at writing songs and started his career as a songwriter. He wrote “Hello Mary Lou” (for Ricky Nelson), “He’s a Rebel” (for The Crystals), "Today's Teardrops" (for Roy Orbison) and “Rubber Ball” (for Bobby Vee) to name a few.

What held him back, I suspect, was his voice.

And, by that I mean his voice was too good.

The guy could sing like a bird.

And when you can sing that well there is little impetus to concentrate on song writing.

Yeah, yeah, yeah ….I know there are exceptions.

But you can’t deny that there seems to be some inverse relationship between the quality of a singing voice and the number of songs written.

Anyway, Gene, at a time when anyone that can write is writing decided to put out an album like this.

To his credit, though, he is exploring new sounds as he was always quite musically inventive. His music may be pop but he was forever pushing it into new areas – recording albums in Italian and Spanish, songs in German, duet albums with country stars like George Jones, and throwing in folk, Broadway and standards to see how they would work.

The guy clearly had a keen musical mind.

Here, he is enamoured with blue eyed soul (white soul).

And, it’s heavily orchestrated blue eyed soul.

This type of heavily orchestrated blue eyed soul was popular in Vegas and especially in Europe so, perhaps, it’s not surprising that Gene tackles it, as he was incredibly popular in Europe.

And, anyway, the roots of the music had its origins, partially, in Gene’s early 60s music.

Gone is the teen angst which has been replaced with adult angst and, by and large, it works. It’s not perfect because it’s a slippery slide from here to English cabaret but what we do have is Gene’s great, expressive voice.

Tracks (best in italics)

  • She's a Heartbreaker – (C. Foxx-J.Williams) – quite a funky soul song not usually associated with Gene. He positively screeches. Of course his screech sounds like a person who can sing screeching as opposed to a non-singer screeching, and that’s a big difference, if you know what I mean.
  • Hate -(J. Williams-L.Harrison-B.Coley-C.Foxx)- This is the Gene Pitney we recognise.
  • (1-2-3-4-5-6-7) Count The Days– (Y.Williams-C.Foxx-B.O'Dell) – Pure pop …a familiar variation on “Mystery Train”, if you don’t believe I'm leaving you can count the days I'm gone. Still, with the count off this is catchy
  • Run Run Roadrunner – (J. Williams) – a vocal tour de force. None too subtle but powerful. Originally done by Jerry Williams on the same label.
  • Small Town Bring Down – (V. Poncia Jr-P.Andreoli) – a "big" song about "small town" and small minded people …a curious country cabaret sound is introduced. Originally by Tony Bruno (1968).
  • Yours Until Tomorrow – (J. Goffin-C.King) – typical Goffin & King – which means it's typically a cut above other material of the same nature. Originally by Dee Dee Warwick (1966) but done by Engelbert Humperdinck (1966), Alan Price Set (1966), The Monkees (1967), Florence Ballard (1968), Cher (1969) and many others.
  • Somewhere In The Country – (G.Tobin-J.Cymbal)- slightly haunting but partially forgettable.
  • Love Grows – (R.Cook-T.Greenaway) –  a great power ballad not the same as the Edison Lighthouse song from 1970 despite the same authors (!).
  • Heaven Held -(T.Powers-N.Sheppard) – euro pop balladry- naff. I’m not sure who did it first but Paul Slade, and The Cowsills all did it in 1968 also.
  • If I Only Had Time – (F.Delano-P.Delano) – written by French brothers(?). It’s cute Euro pop balladry  but ….

And …

The album starts off well, with the first side being particularly strong, but the second side slips a little. It has more to do with the style and song selections than Gene’s voice. The European cabaret aspects are dated but….it's Gene, so I'm keeping it.
 
Chart Action
US
Singles

1968  She's A Heartbreaker  The Billboard Hot 100  #16 

Album
1968 #193

England
Singles

1968 Somewhere In The Country #19
1968 Yours Until Tomorrow #34

Album

 
Sounds

She's a Heartbreaker
live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nuEAOufC6o

Hate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2rDAJvO-B8

(1-2-3-4-5-6-7) Count The Days
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z280G2n4oo
mp3 attached

Gene Pitney – Count the Days

Run Run Roadrunner
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfqLYgVdpAk

Small Town Bring Down
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acxhaPP_T-Q

Yours Until Tomorrow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU31Wthv0Qw

Somewhere In The Country
live
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTvx5-Fl4iw

Love Grows
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMkjZWr9-q0

Heaven Held
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN_7jFOsmmc

If I Only Had Time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLczssMakBw


Others
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zugy2rkSM7g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE8aWUo1AT0
 
Review

 
Bio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Pitney


Website
http://www.genepitney.com/
http://genepitney.webs.com/

 
Trivia

Posted in Blue Eyed Soul, Pop Rock | Tagged | Leave a comment

JOHNNY CASH – Hymns By Johnny Cash – (Columbia) – 1959

Johnny Cash - Hymns by

Johnny Cash was a devout man.

Too many times we try to remould the musician we admire into a variation of our own image.

It’s as if we say,

I can’t possibly like this person unless he is like me…

I identify with him because he is like me…

We have a special bond because he is like me.

Something similar from within draws you to the music, that much is true, but there is no need to redraw the rest of the man to make him fit nicely into the image you have created for him and for yourself.

I'm not sure why we need our heroes to be like us.

I’m not sure why we are forever re-writing history.

When we do this, at best we are just putting our “slant” on the man, at worst we are being intellectually dishonest.

Logic would suggest that there is bound to be traits, behaviours or beliefs that do not coincide with yours.

You can put them aside as peculiarities but, sometimes, they are central to that man and you can’t excise them from the whole..

And, with that in mind I can say, Johnny Cash was a devout man.

When Generation X discovered Johnny and his Rick Rubin albums it was a call to all the secular hipsters to cherry pick what they want from Johnny Cash whilst refusing to recognise his religious beliefs.

But, Johnny was a devout man.

His religious beliefs are not easily separated from his image or persona. Johnny’s secular music is infused with religion, mentions God often and more often than not looks towards spiritual redemption. Likewise his religious music beats with the movement, sings with the clarity and is as unequivocal in purpose as his secular music.

You cannot separate from the other.

I'm not a bible thumper by any stretch of the imagination but it seems to me that Johnny’s music is about faith and hope and to him that is based in his religious beliefs.

When Johnny sings secular songs about the woes of the world he is singing about man turning his back on God.

The drama in the music is in not knowing who is going to win.

When Johnny sings religious songs he is reaffirming his faith in God.

The drama is in finding out how he gets to that point.

The “devil’s music’ may be more fun but it only exists and means something if there is an something for it to oppose.

It’s hard talking about this stuff in this day and age.

The internet is littered with simplistic affirmations of God and religion but real life, at least in Australia, seems to have destroyed both religion and spirituality. The great god of hedonistic narcissism has replaced everything. When good deeds are done then, apparently, those acts are enough in themselves.

Johnny would argue otherwise. He would argue that you need faith.

And this is a man who was human, had faults, doubts, made mistakes and who suffered trials and tribulations.

But Johnny Cash was a devout man.

And that is why he made religious albums.

This is his first religious album. People often refer to his old label mate Elvis and his three gospel albums (not counting his Christmas albums  which had religious songs in the track listings) as the high-water mark of pop meets religion but he was practically a sinner in output compared to Johnny.

Johnny released another seven religious albums including narrative soundtracks

That other Sun label stalwart, Jerry Lee Lewis, also put out his fair share of religious music though, arguably, his demons were greater – or at least they were in his mind.

I suspect Elvis started the trend. He was the first rocker to do gospel as gospel. The gospel fervour and passionate signing had already, arguably, affected his rock and pop. Then, in 1957, partially in response to his phenomenal rise to the top and all the surrounding press about the destruction of western civilisation, Elvis sang a traditional gospel tune on his final appearance on the Ed Sullivan show and then he slipped into a studio and recorded gospel tunes for an EP record. Those tracks in 1957 may have been a peace offering but they were songs that were from Elvis’ youth that he could do in his sleep and they are, accordingly, heartfelt.

They also did well in the charts.

Johnny Cash was cut from a similar cloth. Here Cash digs into his own (similar) background. He throws in some self-written spiritual numbers and then, like Elvis, he does them in a variation of the style he has become known for.

For him, like Elvis and I expect Jerry Lee Lewis, this faith and the music that reflects it takes him back to his youth. That youth (for all of them) may have been monetarily poor and full of hardship (have you heard of “The Great Depression”?) but there is something reassuring about childhood. And going to church on Sunday and singing hymns was part of that childhood. As they got older and wanted to relax (to fight doubt, pain and the pressures of fame) singing hymns probably transported them back to their youth.

It’s not an accident that at the recording of an impromptu jam session involving Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash made on Tuesday December 4, 1956 in Memphis (“The famed “Million Dollar Quartet” recordings) that a full one quarter of the songs they do are spirituals.

For me, despite the fact that most of these songs did not exist in the Catholic Hymnal I used as a kid, I get a comfort out of listening to religious music that I don’t always get with other forms of music.

And I'm not talking about fucking contemporary Christian rock.

I'm talking hymns.

Old hymns.

Or,

things that sound like old hymns.

The beauty of Johnny, and Elvis and Jerry Lee, is they reach back and do old hymns straight but they inject their personalities into the music.

Here Cash is throwing country into the gospel and (not surprisingly perhaps) the mix works.

For me, this trad religious music (along with Benedictine Monk and Gregorian chants) lightens the mind, releases a heavy heart and, importantly, unlike Christian rock, never makes me want to kill someone.

You can take the religious message or not.

You don’t have to,

but,

you must realise

that,

Johnny Cash was a devout man,

and

this is a devout album.

and

you can’t separate that devoutness from the man or the music,

whether it be religious or secular.

Tracks (best in italics)

  • It Was Jesus  – (J. Cash) – Very much a Johnny Cash song. Johnny spelling out his faith very clearly in this narrative about Jesus.  
  • I Saw A Man  – (A. Smith) –   A quiet and subversive song (well, subversive in these secular times). Jesus is a man, and he is the son of God.
  • Are All The Children In  – (J. Cash / O. Greene) –   Johnny loves a history lesson and this is a song as a spoken narrative lesson. Malarkey 
  • The Old Account  – (Arr: J Cash) –   You have to love the versatility of Johnny’s familiar chunk a lunk beat.        
  • Lead Me Gently Home    – (W.L. Thompson) – A gentle ballad asking for God to "lead me gently home"       
  • Swing Low, Sweet Chariot  – (Arr & Adapted: J. Cash) –  a beautiful song and , here, done in a pure old country style.        
  • Snow In His Hair  – (M. Pack) –  a song about a man and his father in the usual country “you must respect your dad like you respect God” fashion. Quite effective.       
  • Lead Me, Father  – (J. Cash) – Johnny eschews his usual beat and lyrics as he follows the usual calling on God to “lead me”    
  • I Called Him    – (J. Cash/ R. Cash Sr) –  Pure Cash in beat and delivery. This is the usual “calling on God and he alway answers and pulls me through”. Is this faith or positive thinking ? Whatever gets you through the night I say.
  • These Things Shall Pass  – (S. Hamblen) –  very reverential – everything will, pass in death,  God is King etc.        
  • He'll Be A Friend  – (J. Cash) –     God is a friend and will guide you     
  • God Will  – (M. Wilkin / Loudermilk) –     “when no  one will, god will” guide you and lead you  –  familiar lyrics ….. but good.

And …

This album shows how individual a talent Cash was. His personality is etched across the standards on this album as clearly as it is across the self-written songs. It’s not perfect but …it massages my brain (especially on a Sunday morning) …  I'm keeping it.

Chart Action

Sounds

http://recordlective.com/Johnny_Cash/Hymns_by_Johnny_Cash/f4897ee4-a351-36f8-b8b0-5a5b8e14f764/

Swing Low, Sweet Chariot  
mp3 attached

Johnny Cash – Swing Low Sweet Chariot   

I Called Him

mp3 attached

Johnny Cash – I Called Him

Others

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdccVUX8bZs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vec4xM9SNmQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LswawDxfGrw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtLYJ4STuXY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbq-5wsuyq4

interview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLjskiusfMo

Review

http://www.allmusic.com/album/hymns-by-johnny-cash-mw0000658244

Bio

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Cash

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:aifrxql5ldae~T1

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/johnny-cash-biography/8a7dc5e427e37bc048256c9c001c84cc

Website

http://www.johnnycash.com/

Trivia

  • Wikipedia: “Cash left Sun Records because Sam Phillips wouldn't let him record the gospel songs he'd grown up with. Columbia promised him to release an occasional gospel album; this was a success for him to record. The album was Cash’s first and most popular gospel album, and is an example of traditional hymns set to country gospel music”
Posted in Alt Country, Country, Gospel | Tagged | Leave a comment

THE FIRM – Mean Business – (Atlantic) – 1986

The Firm - Mean Business

Fuck this is disheartening.

Listening to crap by a band I have never heard of, or otherwise disdain, is hard work.

Listening to crap by a band I love is soul destroying.

This is in the middle.

That is, it’s disheartening listening to crap by a bunch of guys who I like in other bands.

wikipedia: “The Firm were a British rock supergroup comprising former Free and Bad Company singer Paul Rodgers, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, and Manfred Mann's Earth Band and Uriah Heep drummer Chris Slade and bass player Tony Franklin”.

The band were a basically a studio band with some touring done as a lark (I suspect). wikipedia: “In subsequent press interviews, Page had indicated that the band was never meant to last more than two albums”.

This is their second (and final) album.

I should like this a lot more.

I should like this a little.

I don’t like this at all.

Granted this type of rock was generally antiquated post punk but that didn’t mean it couldn’t exist and still be relevant. The trouble is the 1980s recording techniques ruined many a mainstream act and this is a great example of that. Jimmy Page is still great, and you can hear his guitar trying to unleash itself, whilst Paul Rodgers voice isn’t as muscular as it once was, but it still suits the music. But, ultimately, the music has been de-balled.

This is fisher price hard rock for the mainstream.

The trouble was, times changed.

If you are going to play dinosaur rock you want your dinosaur to be sprightly and more than a little annoyed with his change in environment.

Here the dinosaur has accepted its change of environment.

That is slow death.

The mainstream 80s tried to do away with guitar by making everything synth and keyboard based. OK, that’s a simplification but I advocate that the essence of that is true. In the early to mid 1980s it’s only in the underground scene where guitars sounded like guitars (and drums like drums for that matter). People will say “wtf are you talking about Willis, err Frank, I can hear guitar here”. I respond with: listen to The Lime Spiders, The Cult, The New Christs, The Wipers or any hundred other underground bands, then you will hear guitar.

I’m not advocating all rock should be guitar based …. I’m happy for people to throw an accordion in … but this type music (at least instrumentally) as perfected by Jimmy Page is all about the guitar (err, Ok, all about the guitar and convincing vocals … sorry guitar wankers)

To get over the “dinosaur” tag the music was rebadged “arena rock”, which is apt: mainstream rock in big stadiums. The funny thing is that a lot of these bands had smoke, swagger and knew how to pump a live venue but they got too popular and so they had to play big venues. The sheer size of the stadiums changed their sound (perhaps unintentionally).

Before you knew it other people were trying to emulate that stadium sound and the music became a dog chasing its own tail.

It’s crap.

And worse still, there are no nuances and everything sounds either BIG or PRETENTIOUS.

If this was recorded in the 1970s it would sound 100 times better to my ears. I was (and am still) happy to play Free's first two albums and Led Zeppelin's first six albums.

There is an assumption that Page and Rodgers had too much to live up to and that this may have been better received if it was by and unknown group.

Rubbish.

You can’t polish a turd.

That is proved by the fact that, eventually, the original sound returned and groups like this were usurped by bands that were influenced by them the first time around: The Georgia Satellites, The Black Crowes, Guns n Roses etc.

The title is naff also – The Firm: Mean Business …. The Firm mean business – get it?

A positive: this album would be a lot worse if it wasn’t for Jimmy Page.

I haven’t heard The Firm's first album from 1985 which is supposed to be better but I am in no rush.

One question remains: would Jimmy Page autograph this if I burst through a line and held out the sleeve and a pen?

Tracks (best in italics)

  • Fortune Hunter   – (Jimmy Page, Paul Rodgers) – This could have been worse. The guitar is unmistakeably Page but its badly 80s mixed
  • Cadillac – (Page, Rodgers)  – oooohhh, it just got worse and that's bad. A slow grind both musically and on my brain. This is drek of the highest order (and it goes on forever)
  • All the King's Horses – (Rodgers) – passable.
  • Live in Peace – (Rodgers) – from Rodgers solo album in 1983. Fucking awful. This sounds like something from a bad action movie from the 80s where the hero has broken up with his girlfriend who worries about his safety. He sits , somewhere on the Jersey coastline, and looks out sea wondering what it’s all about.
  • Tear Down the Walls – (Page, Rodgers) – Silly, but quite listenable.
  • Dreaming – (Tony Franklin)- me too, of another record.
  • Free to Live – (Page, Rodgers) – OK this goes back to Bad Company territory and it's pretty good though not gritty enough. Rodgers voice hits all the right marks here.
  • Spirit of Love – (Rodgers) -any song with "spirit" in the title is going to be immediately suspect of pretentiousness. No? This one is clearly guilty. Die, die, die.

And …

Sell, sell, sell….I mean business!

Chart Action

US

Singles

1986 All The Kings Horses Mainstream Rock #1

1986 All The Kings Horses The Billboard Hot 100 #61

1986 Live In Peace Mainstream Rock #21

Album

1985 The Firm The Billboard 200 #17     

England

Singles

Album

1986 #46

Sounds

http://recordlective.com/The_Firm/Mean_Business/6af68d2d-745a-37b0-8370-131113122686/

 

Fortune Hunter 

MP3 attached

The Firm – Fortune Hunter

Others

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2cyqnWXdCA&list=PL1DBAD4810FB1A79C

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJf9vUmm7ic

Review

http://www.allmusic.com/album/mean-business-mw0000650144

http://web.archive.org/web/20090209182536/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/thefirm/albums/album/283305/review/5940533/mean_business

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mean_Business

Bio

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-firm-mn0000760417

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Firm_(rock_band)

Website

Trivia

Posted in Hard Rock, Rock & Pop | Tagged | Leave a comment

PAUL SIEBEL – Woodsmoke and Oranges – (Elektra) – 1970

Paul Siebel - Woodsmoke and Oranges

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m a sucker for anything on the Elektra label. I’ll give just about everything on that label a go and will always buy up when I find them in op shops.

This album wasn’t an op shop find but rather a cheap eBay win, thankfully.

I had read about Siebel before and knew the high regard (in cultist circles) he held but I approached with some trepidation because I have been let down before.

I wasn’t here.

This is beautiful music which serves as a great example of the merging of 60s folk, late 60s country rock and early 70s singer songwriter.

Biographical detail, Allmusic: “Siebel was born in 1937 in Buffalo, NY. Inspired by Hank Williams and Hank Snow, he taught himself to play guitar while in his teens. By the early '60s, after serving in the military, he began playing folk clubs, eventually moving to Greenwich Village, where he found support in the coffeehouse circuit. In 1969, a collections of demos he made with David Bromberg caught the attention of Elektra Records owner Jac Holzman, who offered a him a modest recording deal (reportedly he was only given enough money to finance four three-hour recording sessions). The resulting album, Woodsmoke and Oranges, was met with critical praise from the media, including Rolling Stone magazine. Despite the attention, the album and its equally praised follow-up, Jack-Knife Gypsy, sold disappointingly little. Aside from a live album released in 1981, Live at McCabes, Siebel hasn't released an album since”.

For a boy from Buffalo, New York I didn’t think his music would be as country as it is. Buffalo, New York hasn’t been frontier America since the time of James Fenimore Cooper I suspect (if I’m wrong forgive me Buffalo-ians).

But Siebel was into country: “I got into Jimmie Rodgers’ songs, which I thought fit very well into the folk idiom…I got to be known for doing country. No one in the folk scene was doing this, with the exception of perhaps Jack Elliott doing cowboy songs, not quite country. [The Jim] Kweskin Jug Band maybe did a little. And of course there was the Holy Modal Rounders doing it tongue-in-cheek — if you did it tongue-in-cheek it was okay, you couldn’t do it proper. I think I wanted to find a voice and a venue in the city folk scene and I used country. One of the problems I had in the ‘70s — country began becoming very popular and people approached me saying ‘Why don’t you go to Nashville?’ I was not a country singer, I did not want to go to Nashville; they could do that stuff better than I could. I would get a lot of ‘What are you doing singing country music? You’re from upstate New York!’ So if you were a banker from Georgia, you would’ve been more authentic?”

http://www.americansongwriter.com/2010/11/paul-siebel-journey-of-the-jack-knife-gypsy/

But like a lot of country lovers who have groundings elsewhere Siebel likes to play with the genre both lyrically and with melodies not associated with Nashville country. This, then, could be weird country or early alt country. It certainly is early country rock.

The recording itself has a touch of echo making it sound like a live show in a large barn with no one in the audience – perfect and probably prophetic.

But, despite the fact he Siebel is “playing” with the genre he is also, clearly, in love with it (a bit like Arlo Guthrie – though before Arlo hit his stride).

Likewise, its’ easy to suggest that the Dylan’s “Nashville Skyline” shadow hangs over this, because it does, but it’s a false shadow. It’s easy to assume Siebel was influenced by Dylan but that’s because they both happened to be into the same music and, I suspect, have similar sensibilities.

But, importantly, it seems they developed their tastes independently of each other. He takes his inspiration from Dylan’s inspirations not from Dylan himself, if you know what I mean.

I’m not knocking Dylan because he does have his slavish imitators but Siebel is a little older and seems to have arrived at the same point through his own methods, albeit slower methods.

Also Kinky Friedman, Jim Kweskin and Country Joe McDonald wouldn’t feel lost on this album.

You can also hear a lot of Phil Ochs in Siebel’s voice (wasn’t Phil on Elektra? ….that’s rhetorical) as he sings from high to low notes though, like Phil, never perfectly. This could be Phil Ochs singing country.

Again, though, Siebel has his own voice and his own vision.

I just point out that no man lives on an island.

Lyrically, Siebel tells tales of the marginalised with all their faults. Think Tom Waits doing a country album.

And that is what I get from it : stories about people on the fringes that are timeless (I hate that term as a musical description but it is accurate here). Some of these people I have met and some of the places described I have seen.

I can connect.

When I can’t connect personally doesn’t worry me as I’ve seen enough films to “transport” myself to the time and place Siebel sings about.

Either way I win.

Tracks (best in italics)

  • She Made Me Lose My Blues – A great start. A bouncy joyous song where the music perfectly matches the mood of the narrator. Think Arlo Guthrie doing honkytonk.
  • Miss Cherry Lane – avant-garde singer songwriter. What starts out as a standard singer songwriter goes warped with a touch of ragtime and then a crazy violin solo (by Richard Greene of Seatrain) which would do Stephane Grapelli proud before returning to relative normality. Lyrically this is one big slap down on a woman. Does this amount to misogyny? No, I think not, there are total cunts out there.
  • Nashville Again – a great country song.
  • Ballad of Honest Sam – another perfect country song but weird country leanings.
  • Then Came the Children – I have no idea what this song is about but the imagery is vivid.
  • Louise – this is a beautiful country lament, sort of like Elvis’ “Long Black Limousine” -by a person (a lady of the night) who hasn’t made it (in Elvis' song she hasmade it but comes home in a hearse). It is also quite Dylanesque circa the Band. It was covered by Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt and others.

Well they all said Louise was not half bad

It was written on the walls and window shades

And how she'd act the little girl

A deceiver, don't believe her that's her trade

Sometimes a bottle of perfume,

Flowers and maybe some lace

Men brought Louise ten cent trinkets

Their intentions were easily traced

Yes and everybody knew at times she cried

But women like Louise they get by

Well everybody thought it kind of sad

When they found Louise in her room

They'd always put her down below their kind

Still some cried when she died this afternoon

Louise rode home on the mail train

Somewhere to the south I heard it said

Too bad it ended so ugly,

Too bad she had to go this way

Ah but the wind is blowing cold tonight

So good night Louise, good night

  • Bride 1945 – quite a cynical song about dreams which are false. Siebel doesn’t side with any of the characters but just makes observances about a life (possibly ) wasted.
  • My Town – a song reminiscent of Phil Ochs, again with vivid imagery.
  • Any Day Woman – advice given to the lovelorn by the narrator…. should you stay or should you go.
  • Long Afternoons – a love song per excellence. Pastoral and quite beautiful and thankfully uplifting. I like happy endings..

And …

Sorry about all the comparisons to other artists but Siebel is quite obscure so I'm just giving a point of reference though, ultimately, such comparisons do a disservice.

Siebel has his own voice and his own point of view.

And, it is an excellent and fully realised one …. I'm keeping it.

Chart Action

Are you kidding.

As if.

Sounds

http://recordlective.com/Paul_Siebel/Woodsmoke_and_Oranges/abb9f6e7-bb7e-3958-a193-db987839f643/

Miss Cherry Lane

mp3 attached

Paul Siebel – Miss Cherry Lane

Louise

mp3 attached

Paul Siebel – Louise

Others

Review

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodsmoke_and_Oranges

http://www.allmusic.com/album/woodsmoke-and-oranges-mw0000855684

Bio

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Siebel

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/paul-siebel-mn0000751117

http://www.uncut.co.uk/blog/uncut-editors-diary/the-lost-genius-of-paul-siebel

http://www.americansongwriter.com/2010/11/paul-siebel-journey-of-the-jack-knife-gypsy/

Website

http://www.myspace.com/paulsiebel

Trivia

  • Personnel: Paul Siebel – acoustic guitar, 12-string guitar, vocals /  David Bromberg – dobro, acoustic guitar, electric guitar/ Weldon Myrick – pedal steel guitar/  Richard Greene – violin/  Gary White – bass /  Jeff Gutcheon – organ, piano /  Don Brooks – harmonica /  James Madison – drums
  • So why didn’t Siebel make it? Perhaps Jac Holzman's (of Elektra Records) assessment of him is right when he suggested Siebel really didn't have the ambition necessary to make it in show business. He subsequently worked as a baker and a truck driver but has since come out and played a few live shows.
Posted in Alt Country, Country Rock, Singer Songwriter | Tagged | Leave a comment

MELANIE – Photograph – (Atlantic) – 1976

Melanie - Photograph

I do like Melanie and I’m surprised by how many albums she put out and, accordingly, how many I don’t have.

Is it worth having them all?

I don’t know until I have heard them.

So you are welcome to join me on this long magical journey of discovery. Much like Frodo in “Lord of the Rings” our tale will go on and on and through it we will experience the highs and lows of ….

Wait.

That analogy is unfair to Melanie.

Melanie was certainly a worker when it came to music as she certainly was busy throughout the 70s putting out 19 albums in the decade.

The eternal image of Melanie is the hippie chick with the guitar in hand, though, on record (from what I have heard), she is backed quite heavily with instruments. Even so, despite the guitar in hand imagery her voice is her most expressive instrument. She uses its entire range from a hoarse growl to a sub operatic scream and emotes effectively. Think a voice pitched like Dylan crossed with Joan Baez with the expression of a Peggy Lee.

It may be over the top occasionally but generally it is effective and I can feel the emotion she is singing about.

Sure, you have to be in sync with what she is doing or trying to convey but there are treasures there.

Accordingly, with instrumentation and music taking a back seat to voice, each album succeeds or fails on the strength of the material. Melanie is not afraid of a cover, and it doesn’t have to be old and obscure, and, she is quite adept with the pen herself.

To me a mix of originals and covers always entertains me on an album.

Hey it’s great to write a song because it shows off your writing skills. But the fact remains that you have written a song for your voice. Covering someone else shows another, undervalued, side of a musician – how they interpret someone else’s work.

Melanie’s covers sometimes fail but she actually interprets the songs and always injects her musical personality into them.

At worst we have a noble failure and at best we have song that has been taken somewhere else because of its (successful) interpretation.

Melanie on this album has also tried to incorporate other elements into her sound. Notice I didn’t say “update”. OK, there are some (then) contemporary singer songwriter and disco-ish stylings but there is also some jazz torch type sounds as well as trad pop and white soul influences.

See my other comments for biographical detail.

All songs written by Melanie unless otherwise indicated

Tracks (best in italics)

  • Cyclone – Contemporary Melanie, circa 1976, some disco and funk elements creeping in. Disturbing in a Melanie song but not enough to overbalance the song.
  • If I Needed You – There is a contemporary sound on this power ballad which is in Melanie's normal vocal style. Her usual vocal stylings are here including the cute, innocent quiver in the voice.
  • The Letter – (Wayne Carson Thompson) – not the slow burn of the original this is nevertheless a tour de force by Melanie.
  • Groundhog Day – a good singer songwriter song.
  • Nickel Song / Music! Music! Music! – (Stephan Weiss, Bernie Baum) – Melanie is in her familiar cutesy voice though, lyrically, the song is not cute at all. An excellent bouncy jaunt which is more than a little cynical.
  • Photograph – photographs and living ij memories and the past. A beautiful tune.
  • I'm So Blue – a late night smoky song a la Helen Merrill. Melanie does not have the jazz singers voice but this is a nice cross between a torch song and a singer songwriter song.
  • Secret Of The Darkness (I Believe) – This is in more familiar Melanie territory and she certainly sings the hell out of it
  • Save Me – more familiar Melanie stylings
  • Raindance – This is apparently a response to the critics and to playing music and is a great song up there with her best ballads.
  • Friends And Company – A magnificent end but to optimistic for my mates no doubt.

And …

This album is highly regarded by Melanie fans and it should be. It's one of Melanie’s best despite a move from the Melanie sound I love…. I'm keeping it.

Chart Action

US

Singles

1972 The Nickel Song The Billboard Hot 100 #35

Album

England

Sounds

http://recordlective.com/Melanie/Photograph/034718bb-cf66-3535-b91b-b8c17803435a/

Cyclone

live

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-3W5YXuZFE

Groundhog Day

live

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9BKw65HFok

Photograph

live

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbswIXoPoQg

Raindance

mp3 attached

Melanie – Raindance

Others

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKN6lYU5bZ4

Review

http://www.allmusic.com/album/photograph-mw0000546219

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photograph_(Melanie_album)

Bio

http://www.allmusic.com/artist/melanie-mn0000409670

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanie_Safka

Website

http://www.melaniesafka.com/home.cfm

http://freespace.virgin.net/robert_ian.smith/Melanie.htm

http://melaniemusicsociety.tripod.com/Mercurio/Mercurio.html

http://www.melanie-music.org/

Trivia

  • Backing musicians include David Paich, Jeff Porcaro who went on to form Toto, Jerry Scheff (bassist for Elvis) and Art Pepper doing the sax solo on “I’m So Blue”.

lMelanie - Photograph - Back Cover

The beautiful Melanie from the back sleeve.

Surely an influence on a generation of 80s

indie hippie chicks.

 

 

RIP: Lou

Posted in Singer Songwriter | Tagged | Leave a comment