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Music Review: The Tymes - So Much In Love

2012-01-27T12:11:00.000-08:00

Oh, how simple it once was. With a perfectly rhythmic 4/4 snap of the fingers, a melodious whistle, and the line “How sweet it is, to be young and in love” we are off into the gorgeous doo-wop world of The Tymes’ “Wonderful Wonderful.” It is but one of the 17 tracks that make up So Much In Love, a killer collection of this vastly underrated five-piece group.

With doo-wop considered such an “ancient” form of rock 'n' roll, we tend to think of big names such as Frankie Lymon or Dion, if we think of the music at all. I guess it is just sort of the nature of the beast. Music is by definition disposable. Never more so than today with ringtones and iTunes, but I will save my rants about that for another column. What we have here is an amazing doo-wop group who are nearly forgotten today.

My personal connection is probably of little interest to anyone, but I think it provides a little context to my discovery of this fantastic group of vocalists. I am old enough to remember George Lucas’ first hit film, American Graffiti (1973). While being an undeniably excellent movie, I think that the soundtrack itself had an even bigger cultural impact. It went triple platinum, but more importantly (for me at least) it introduced me to music that was simply not played on the radio at all in 1973. Songs like “Why Do Fools Fall In Love,” and “Goodnight, Well It’s Time To Go,” just knocked me out.

In researching this piece, I was actually very surprised that The Tyme’s most famous track “So Much In Love” was not on the American Graffiti soundtrack at all. It certainly belonged there, but was not included for probably contractual reasons. I may as well finish my digression here by saying that “You Little Trustmaker” from 1974 was my introduction to The Tymes, and I was more than a little disappointed that that cut is not included on So Much In Love, again most likely for contractual reasons.

Be that as it may though, these 17 tracks (including the five “bonus” cuts) are wonderful. There is an indescribable magic to songs like “Almost,” “My Summer Love,” and their version of “The Twelfth Of Never” that is simply a lost art.

The Tymes knew exactly who they were, and even though some thought was obviously put into the arrangements - there was no question as to how the finished product would sound. The adjective “magnificent” is the one that comes to mind here. Certainly great care was taken to preserve the original tapes, and to remaster them - but the performances were spot-on.

It may seem strange to evoke Frank Zappa to wrap up a piece about The Tymes, but I find it fascinating that directly after his scathing indictment of the hippie culture with We’re Only In It For The Money, he recorded a loving tribute to doo-wop titled Cruising With Ruben And The Jets. He understood (and loved the form) unconditionally.

Whether or not Zappa’s respect of this type of music makes any difference to you is probably irrelevant, but I found it interesting. In the end, the doo-wop of The Tymes is a nearly perfect introduction to this style of music. I think that for music fans who have never really been exposed to the music they will be pleasantly surprised at just how great it is. Although So Much In Love will most likely be greeted as little more than your parents’ (or grandparents’) music - and geared towards the nostalgia market, I think that is a shame.

Hearing the blends of vocals, and arrangements of The Tymes is revelatory. They had something very special, and for those who occasionally like to take a chance on something “different” - this is one rewarding CD.

Article first published as Music Review: The Tymes - So Much In Love on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Cat Stevens - Tea For The Tillerman (Limited Edition SACD

2012-01-24T03:05:00.000-08:00

What a treat it is to listen to Cat Stevens again. I’m sorry, but his departure from music is missed by a lot of us. This is not the place to discuss his change in identity to Yusuf Islam - because it is irrelevant here. But the new SACD release of his classic Tea For The Tillerman was something I found irresistible, for a couple of reasons.

Number one was the fact that I just happen to love this album. Number two may seem a bit odd, but it is nontheless true. After being shocked at hearing just how incredible the SACD version of Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here sounded - I honestly wondered how this process could improve such a delicate, acoustic recording as Tea For The Tillerman.

The answer is that it feels like you are right in the studio with him. Most Stevens’ fans consider this to be his finest album - I know I certainly do. Tillerman contains the hit single “Wild World” but there are many who would argue that there are even better tracks contained on this 11-song collection. The opening song “Where Do The Children Play?” is one. “Hard Headed Woman” did receive quite a bit of airplay back in the seventies. Try “Miles From Nowhere,” and “Father And Son” for a couple more fantastic tunes.

My curiosity was what more the SACD format could add to an acoustic recording like this. It was surprising. With an album like Floyd’s Wish You Were Here, one could pretty well figure out that the various sound effects they used would benefit from the process. Yet with such a straightforward acoustic recording as Tillerman, I really wondered what could be added.

The re-mastered edition of Miles Davis’ classic Kind Of Blue was the template for me. I had come to know the original LP pressing of that album so well by the time it came out on CD, I was very excited to hear it in a re-mastered context. Originally, they did nothing but transfer the LP to CD. What a disappointment. Then somebody got a clue, and actually went back to the masters and pulled out all of that awful tape hiss that had been there from the beginning. As previously mentioned in this review, it was like you were actually in the studio with the sextet while they were recording.

The SACD release of Tea For The Tillerman has very much the same effect. In 1970, when the album was recorded - recording technology had advanced quite a ways since 1959. Then again, only 11 years had passed, and going back to the original tapes and using 2011 technology has made quite a difference. I am not really good at summing up the reasons for this, so will defer to the quote the SACD people’s use as the official way of explaining why this format is so superior:

“The SACD layer of hybrid SACDs offers much higher fidelity than regular compact discs, containing up to four times the musical information. Hybrid SACDs are designed for CD-quality playback on conventional systems, including home and car stereos, portable CD players, computer CD- and DVD-ROM drives, and DVD players.”

Now I have to say that my system is not any sort of super-audiophile set-up in any way, yet the SACD edition of Tea For The Tillerman has never sounded better to these ears. I am the first to sneer at audiophile hype. Yet this SACD Haromonia Mundi is indeed worthwhile. If you love this record as much as I do, then you will notice the difference right off.

I’ll sign off by saying that this is the definitive version of Tea For The Tillerman. And honest to (name your deity), I really miss the artist who once called himself Cat Stevens.

Article first published as Music Review: Cat Stevens - Tea For The Tillerman (Limited Edition SACD) on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Lisa Smirnova, G.F. Handel - Die Acht Grossen Suiten (The Eight Suites Great Suites)

2012-01-20T19:06:00.000-08:00

The term “prodigy” is one which is so over-used, it has become almost meaningless. Yet I cannot think of a more apt description for a pianist who made her United States debut in no less a venue than Carnegie Hall - at the age of 20. Lisa Smirnova is her name, and her new ECM Records release is Die Acht Grossen Suiten (The Eight Suites Great Suites).

The Suites were composed by George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), and though not as famous as some of his other works, are nonetheless absolutely beautiful in their virtuosity. Handel is probably best known for his Messiah, and Water Music Suite. He was an extremely prolific composer though, and there is much, much more to his legacy than those very recognizable pieces. The Eight Suites is a perfect example.

Lisa Smirnova’s recording may help to popularize the Suites a bit. One of the difficulties I have had in educating myself about classical music has been the challenge of simply where to begin. There are so many different versions of famous compositions in existence, that it becomes almost overwhelming when trying to choose the “best” edition. I have come to trust the ear of Manfred Eicher (founder of ECM) a great deal. With that in mind, I decided that Lisa Smirnova’s renditions of The Eight Suites might be worth looking into.

Thankfully, Mr. Eicher’s instincts were correct. As previously noted, it can be a challenge to just guess at which performer’s version of a given piece will be most appealing. Even though the compositions themselves do not vary, the ability of the artist at hand can make a huge difference.

What I found in listening to Lisa Smirnova’s playing is a technical virtuosity, combined with a very obvious “feel” for the nuances of each of the suites. This may stem from the fact that she began working on the project some five years ago, back in 2007. She not only gained a masterful understanding of every note, but with that intimate knowledge, has been able to add her own personality to the music as well.

For this non-musician, the distinction is crucial. It moves what are truly imaginative, and very inviting suites of music into a whole other realm. While it is not my intention to compare Lisa Smirnova’s version of The Eight Suites to the literally hundreds of other recordings of them available - I must say that her interpretations are outstanding.

The packaging of this release is also worthy of note. I have been a long time fan of the ECM label, as much for the quality of the music, as for the manner in which it is presented. Die Acht Grossen Suiten certainly lives up to ECM’s reputation for paying as much attention to the supplements as to the music itself. Not only are there highly informative liner notes, but there are also facsimiles of Handel’s original, hand-written compositions included. I found these original hand-written pages, which are nearly 300 years old - to be an extraordinarily inspired touch.

Lisa Smirnova’s Die Acht Grossen Suiten is set for release on January 24, 2012. In every way, it is a marvelous way for ECM to ring in the new year.

Article first published as Music Review: Lisa Smirnova, G.F. Handel - Die Acht Grossen Suiten (The Eight Suites Great Suites) on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Various Artists - Fo(u)r Burials Compilation

2012-01-19T13:45:00.000-08:00

The compilation Fo(u)r Burials was originally released in 2008 — and is being marketed as the most extreme “doom” collection ever. Flenser Records is a San Francisco label that has just re-released the disc. Well hell’s bells — that was a description that caught my eye, and I had to check out just how “deathly” this compilation was.

I hate to make this joke, but I have to. The career of the likes of Justin Bieber is a far more frightening prospect to me than anything on this album. There are plenty of the dreaded “descending Satanic tritones” (as Johann Matheson described them in the 18th century). Probably the most well-known example of this sound is the song “Black Sabbath” by Black Sabbath. It was considered beyond evil by some; the chord progression itself supposedly summons Lucifer upon command.

Well, we all know how that went. It appealed to those who had had enough of the Up With People gang — and good grief, many of those people even enjoyed a bong-hit or two as well. As far as turning anyone into a living gargoyle though, as far as I can tell it was only Ozzy’s prodigious drug-taking that had any lasting effect. And then one day G.W. Bush invited him to the White House.

So let’s move away from the selling of this as the most evil recording one could possibly imagine, and actually listen to it. What we have here are four pretty great (and lengthy) tracks. There is no question that this music is intended for a specific audience. I think that was a mistake, but then again, I wouldn’t know how to market it any better than Flenser, with statements like, “This four-track album reeks of desolation, the gnashing of teeth, and virulent decay.” Well, okay, but then again, I used to be afraid of Mortiis.

With band names such as Mournful Congregation, Loss, Orthodox, and Otesanek, what the freak else are you going to do? The problem is, all four of these groups deserve a lot more attention than being shoved into the “demonic” ghetto.

Otesanek’s “Seven Are They” opens the disc, and it is the “heaviest” song here. It almost exclusively uses the tritone in form, and the “Cookie Monster” vocals (which are such a cliché at this point) are the other most noticeable element. But what happens after they have established their “darkness” is the first example of why I recommend this album so highly. The band is just too talented to stop there, and the song moves into a much more progressive place. They just can’t help themselves, I guess.

Loss’s “(To Pass Away) Death March Towards My Ruin” has much the same effect. Despite repeating the line “I become death, death is the seed from which I grow” for the first 3:12 of the song, they then find themselves at a dead-end, and move into a far more interesting direction. Having established their bona-fides, Loss are just too damned good to stay in such a one-dimensional spot. It gets deeper and darker, and one heck of a lot more interesting as they musically move much further up or down the line (depending on your perspective).

It is Orthodox who own the album. “Heritage” either makes Fo(u)r Burials, or breaks it — again depending on your point of view. I was shocked at the directions this 18:33 track took. So amazed in fact that I listened to it three times in a row just to make sure that my initial impression was on track. Whatever the term “progressive rock” means today, and how it could possibly relate to the (self-described) genre of “extreme doom” was not something I had ever even considered. And yet, here it is.

From the low-key opening, to the nearly Gregorian chant-like period that follows, through the gradual build-up in tempo, this song is truly hypnotic. If there was ever a reason for people to be frightened of so-called “doom” music, “Heritage” is absolutely it. No matter what your particular biases are, there is no denying the fact that this piece of music as the work of musicians far beyond the need for hype. I don’t care what Orthodox’s music is called. These are not kids in a garage trying to write music to scare their parents, or to impress their friends with. The sophistication of “Heritage” blew me away.

The final track on the album is “Left Unspoken” by Mournful Congregation. It’s pretty “deathly,” I guess. A mournful congregational piece with some surprisingly insightful lyrics, here are its opening words:

“I’m failing to bring forth peaceful emotions, for a reason I cannot perceive. But for a moment I am lost, in my own mind, alone.”

I am not sure if my review of Fo(u)r Burials adequately explains just how impressed I am with this album. The whole death metal/doom/gloom/goth business is just too ripe for parody — and I realize that some of that is reflected in this review. Despite the over-the-top hype about this being some of the most “dangerous” music you will ever hear, very few people take any of it seriously. All of my (probably unfunny) jokes aside, this is a CD that that shows a group of talents which merits much more than the usual Halloween face-paint, and predictable music and lyrics.

Listening to Fo(u)r Burials may not automatically send you to meet the man with the pointed tail, and (heaven forbid) a pitchfork in hand. But it just might introduce you to some music you would otherwise never hear.

To put it bluntly, this is a pretty goddamned great collection.

Article first published as Music Review: Various Artists - Fo(u)r Burials Complimation on Blogcritics.

Book Review: If You Like Monty Python... Here Are Over 200 Movies, TV Shows, and Other Oddities That You Will Love by Zack Handlen

2012-01-14T17:53:00.000-08:00

The new series of books from the Hal Leonard publishing empire called If You Like is a fascinating one. The books are actually released under the Limelight Editions imprint, but I suppose that is only of particular interest to bibliophiles and probably the Limelight employees. What the If You Like books do is point readers towards other material they may enjoy as fans of the subject matter at hand.

The first of these was fully titled If You Like The Beatles…Here Are Over 200 Bands, Films, Records, and Other Oddities That You Will Love by Bruce Pollock. The idea was so good that it was carried on with If You Like The Sopranos… Here Are Over 150 Movies, TV Shows, and Other Oddities That You Will Love. This is one of those great ideas that could (and should) go on forever. Neat stuff.

The latest is If You Like Monty Python…Here Are Over 200 Movies, TV Shows, and Other Oddities That You Will Love. One thing I have to say right off the bat is how much I enjoy the variety the company is employing here. The Beatles is a pretty obvious choice, but The Sopranos is a little out of left field. And as great as Python were, they are still (at least in the U.S.) considered relatively obscure.

One thing I really enjoyed about this book is the way Handlen opens it - with a discussion of the roots of the comedy of Monty Python. While it may not be a stunning revelation that the members of the troupe found inspiration in the Marx Brothers, his mention of Charles Schulz’s Peanuts was a bit unexpected - as was Bob Newhart’s 1960 debut comedy LP; The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart.

As the book progresses, Handlen details the history of Monty Python’s various works, plus the many other programs and such that they inspired. It is no surprise that Saturday Night Live and SCTV are included. But there are some pretty cool connections the author makes which I intend to look into as well. Although I have seen Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange (1971) many times, the mention of it in this context is interesting, and provides me with yet another excuse to watch it (as if I needed one).

Surprising connections one may not have initially made are what make the If You Like Monty Python I book such a worthwhile read. This is a great series, and I certainly hope that the publisher continues with it.

Article first published as Book Review: If You Like Monty Python... Here Are Over 200 Movies, TV Shows, and Other Oddities That You Will Love by Zack Handlen on Blogcritics.

Book Review: Chuck Jones: The Dream that Never Was edited by Dean Mullaney & Kurtis Findlay

2012-01-14T13:54:00.000-08:00

In the world of animation, there are very few names that loom as large as that of Chuck Jones (1912 - 2002). While at Warner Bros., Mr. Jones was responsible for some of the most memorable cartoon characters ever created. These include The Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, Pepe Le Pew, and Marvin The Martian - among many others. His work was nominated for eight Academy Awards, which he wound up winning three times - plus a fourth Honorary Academy Award in 1996 for "the creation of classic cartoons and cartoon characters whose animated lives have brought joy to our real ones for more than half a century," as the official statement read.

To put it simply, Chuck Jones was a legend in his field. He had one spectacular failure, however, which is almost never discussed. In the new IDW book Chuck Jones: The Dream That Never Was, edited by Dean Mullaney & Kurtis Findlay, we are introduced to Crawford - a character Chuck worked on in various formats for a period of 27 years. In the end, the legacy of Crawford was as a daily comic strip run in a few newspapers from January to May of 1978.

The nine-year old Crawford was semi-autobiographical in nature, although Jones added and subtracted personality traits over the years. He was initially to be introduced to the public in 1962, on the first Road Runner TV series. The character did not quite fit the tone of the show and wound up on the cutting room floor. This was to be the case time and again during the 1960s and ‘70s, until one day the opportunity arose for Crawford to become a syndicated newspaper comic strip.

By this time, Crawford had been refined numerous times. Jones had developed various proposals for a TV show starring Crawford, and during this time had fleshed out the character considerably. For various reasons though, much of it simply bad luck - the proposals were never picked up. So when the opportunity arose to bring Crawford to life in the newspapers, Chuck went for it.

Opinions vary as to why Crawford the comic strip only lasted for five months before being pulled, but that of Robert Reed - who was president of the Chicago Tribune - New York News Syndicate is telling; “I think it was a bit too sophisticated for the public and the editors,” he said.

Chuck Jones never really gave up on Crawford though. As late as 1989, he was still working on trying to get a version of it up and running as a Saturday morning cartoon show. It remains unproduced, and that was the end of the line for the dream that never was.

The long history of Chuck Jones’ attempts to bring his pet project to life are fascinating, but there is a great deal more contained in The Dream that Never Was than that story alone. The book contains a plethora of storyboards for the various projects, which shed some intriguing light on his working process.

The coolest feature of the book is the reprints of the strips themselves though. The name of the strip had become Crawford And Morgan, and detailed the adventures of Crawford and his friend Morgan. The dailies are in black and white, and the Sunday editions are in full color. There is also a section of unfinished and unpublished strips, which are quite illuminating as well.

IDW is a publisher whose reprints of classic comic strips I have long respected, but this one is a little different. With Chuck Jones: The Dream that Never Was, we get not only the strips, but quite a fascinating story of the one unfortunate failure of a true animation legend. As much as Jones had personally invested in Crawford, he actually did not care to publicly discuss it. In his 1999 autobiography Chuck Amuck, he does not even mention Crawford, which is kind of sad.

Thanks to IDW though, we now have the full story of Crawford - and it is as intriguing a story as one is likely to come across in the world of animation.

Article first published as Book Review: Chuck Jones: The Dream that Never Was edited by Dean Mullaney & Kurtis Findlay on Blogcritics.

Music DVD Review: PJ Harvey & Seamus Murphy - Let England Shake: 12 Short Films by Seamus Murphy

2012-01-11T11:44:00.001-08:00

Does anyone remember the short-lived “video-albums” era? Back in the early eighties when MTV was all the rage (and actually played music videos), some of the more adventurous artists made videos for each song on their record. Thus, the VHS (and sometimes Laser Disc) Video LP was born. Devo’s The Men Who Make The Music was supposed to be the first of these, originally set for release in 1979 as the world’s first Video LP, although it was not actually released until 1981. There were a number of others as well, but obviously the format never caught on, and was abandoned.

I mention this because the very idea of such a project seemed to have pretty well died 30 years ago. So it was a pleasant surprise to hear that the always adventurous PJ Harvey had decided to work with photographer Seamus Murphy on such an undertaking. Let England Shake: 12 Short Films by Seamus Murphy is a fascinating document of two extremely talented individuals coming together to produce something quite extraordinary.

Polly Jean Harvey has been actively recording for 20 years now. From the very start, she has been an artist with a singular vision. Her 1992 debut Dry garnered a lot of attention, and no less an artist than Kurt Cobain called it one of his all-time favorite records.

Seamus Murphy is primarily known for his photography. His 2008 book Afghanistan: A Darkness Visible is perhaps his most famous work. In it, his unflinching camera captures some brilliantly haunting images of the war torn land. A Darkness Visible is not “simply” a series of photos of a country ravaged by war though. It tells a story through the camera. We begin with images of a very old land with a very deep history, which has been in many ways undisturbed for centuries. Then his unflinching lens is turned towards the ravages of the war. It is a disturbing, and genuinely powerful book.

For an artist of PJ Harvey’s undeniable creative force, the choice of Seamus Murphy to film “videos” for her songs makes perfect sense. The resulting DVD turned out to be a brilliant combination of music and imagery.

I found the accompanying text by Mr. Murphy to be a wonderful addition to the package. In it, he writes a few paragraphs for each song, and the choices he made to accompany them. It provides a rare insight into the creative process, and although not particularly “necessary” to enjoy the DVD - it does add a very illuminating element to the set.

I found the combination of PJ Harvey and Seamus Murphy on Let England Shake: 12 Short Films by Seamus Murphy to be an unqualified success. Their respective talents compliment each other in ways that are both natural, and often surprising.

Taken together, this is a collection that works fantastically well for both artists, and one which is well worth seeking out.

Article first published as Music DVD Review: PJ Harvey & Seamus Murphy - Let England Shake: 12 Short Films by Seamus Murphy on Blogcritics.

Book Review: The Future Remembered: The 1962 Seattle World's Fair And Its Legacy by Paula Becker and Alan J. Stein

2012-01-10T13:02:00.000-08:00

For starters, I just have to say that The Future Remembered: The 1962 Seattle World’s Fair And Its Legacy is an absolutely gorgeous book. For area residents such as myself, the book has an obvious appeal. But it is much more than simply a beautiful memento of a huge event in local history. Although the Cold War was in many ways at its “hottest” point in 1962, there was also an incredible sense of optimism about the future. The Century 21 Exposition (as the Fair was officially called) reflected this.

The most lasting monument to all that the Expo represented is The Space Needle. Long before Starbucks, Microsoft, or grunge, when most people thought about Seattle (if at all), it was the Space Needle that probably came to mind. As silly as it sounds, it is our Eiffel Tower — even if it does look like it was lifted straight out of The Jetsons.

Although The Future Remembered is an over-sized, coffee-table book, there is plenty of text, and the story of how the Seattle World’s Fair came to be is quite a tale. The initial impetus for it goes all the way back to 1955, with plans to celebrate the golden anniversary of the 1909 Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition. It was to be a relatively small-scale “Festival of the West,” set to occur in 1959.

The world changed on October 4, 1957 with the Soviet’s launch of Sputnik. The sudden realization that the Cold War had entered a new and much more frightening phase was lost on nobody. The acronym MAD, which stood for "Mutually Assured Destruction" was appropriate, because that is where the world stood. While I in no way mean to minimize the very real casualties of war in Korea, Vietnam, and other disputed areas, a great deal of The Cold War was a war of propaganda as well. The Space Race was on.

The Seattle World's Fair went from being something of a celebration of the growth of the Western United States, to the Century 21 Exposition — where our dominance of all things “futuristic” was to be shown off. The project quickly grew into an opportunity to present the U.S. as the world’s leader in technology. With this new focus in mind, big Federal dollars started rolling in — and things that the city of Seattle itself would never have been able to fund alone, started to be considered

Besides the Space Needle, the Monorail remains a lasting Century 21 Exposition addition to the city. For all intents and purposes, it is pointless. The Monorail runs on elevated lines, for a little over a mile — from the Seattle Center, to Westlake Center (which is a downtown mall), and back. It is undeniably cool, but serves no real purpose other than as a tourist attraction.

The Seattle Center itself serves in many ways as our version of New York's Central Park. It is 74 acres in size, and while not quite in the center of Seattle, it is close enough to warrant the designation. Key Arena (which was originally called The Coliseum) has hosted thousands of concerts over the years, as well being the former home as our sadly departed Seattle SuperSonics basketball team. The Pacific Science Center is another wonderful legacy of the Exposition.

In many ways, The Seattle Center is the beating heart of Seattle. There have been far too many additions and subtractions to go into here, and that information is more appropriate for a study of the city as a whole, rather than in this celebration of the 21st Century Exposition. Still, The Future Remembered does discuss the ongoing role the Fair continues to have on the city.

There is a story told here that is fascinating in scope. Part of this is the historical context, which is written in an informative, yet very entertaining style. The other is the plethora of photos, diagrams, and ephemera that fill the 300 large-sized pages. Whether one's interest is simply a well-written discussion of the origins of a local landmark, or as the best source for information regarding a very specific time and era that Seattle found itself a major part of, The Future Remembered covers it all.

For these reasons — and more — this history of the Century 21 Exposition is indispensable. It is available from a number of sources, one of them being the publisher HistoryLink , whose full catalog is worth taking a look at as well.

Article first published as Book Review: The Future Remembered: The 1962 Seattle World's Fair And Its Legacy by Paula Becker and Alan J. Stein on Blogcritics.

Music Review: The Michael Nyman Band - Michael Nyman

2012-01-09T17:16:00.000-08:00

Michael Nyman is probably best known to the general public as the composer of the soundtrack to the acclaimed film The Piano (1993). Nyman had been composing and recording for years prior to The Piano, and the debut of the Michael Nyman Band - simply titled Michael Nyman, was originally released in 1981. The LP has been out of print for years, and mint-condition copies of it have been trading for big bucks in the collector’s market for a long time now. I have no idea why it has taken so long, but Michael Nyman has finally been released on CD. For one thing, the release proves that the album’s stellar reputation over the years was well-deserved. It also shows just how well these types of reissue projects can be done, if the people behind them care enough to do it right.

Mr. Nyman’s music employs a wide variety of stylistic approaches. Michael Nyman is at times soothing, adventurous, and always intriguing. While it is thoroughly enjoyable on its own terms, there is a depth to the compositions that adds a powerful element. The original vinyl release was broken up with five songs on side one, and the 21:09 “M-Work” filled the second side.

It was no mere happenstance that Michael Nyman was chosen to compose the soundtrack of The Piano, for he had been scoring films for years. One of the more celebrated directors he has worked with is Peter Greenaway. A great deal of the music on Michael Nyman comes from his work on the early films Greenaway directed. Then there is “In Re Don Giovanni,” which as the title indicates - references Mozart’s Don Giovanni. It is a curious deconstruction of the “Catalogue Aria” from Amadeus’ famous opera.

As previously mentioned, Michael Nyman contains a variety of different musical forms, but it is by no means a “difficult” listen. I know that some people are put off by the very idea of classical music, thinking that it is too demanding, and necessitates a great deal of knowledge to fully appreciate. Let me state categorically that this is not the case with Michael Nyman. Knowing some of the history and sources of the compositions is nice, but certainly not a requirement to fully enjoy this recording.

The CD has been issued on the aptly titled MN Records label, and is distributed by the Harmonia Mundi company in the United States. The packaging is noteworthy also. The digi-pak case is a tri-fold affair, and contains an informative booklet, along with reproductions of the two posters which accompanied the original LP release.

For those of us who have been curious about this album for years, but not quite willing to pay collector’s prices to hear it, the CD release of Michael Nyman is a welcome event. For those so inclined,
MN Records has quite a number of other releases by the artist, and is worth a look.

I have been looking forward to the opportunity to hear this fine album for some time now. The reissue kicks off 2012 in style, and is a recording which should appeal to a wide variety of listeners. It is a very impressive album, both in the music, and in the packaging.

Michael Nyman is set for release on January 10, 2010.

Feral House: The Only Books That Matter

2012-01-08T16:32:00.001-08:00

Sure, it’s a take on old slogan CBS Records once used to describe The Clash. I’ll never forget the sticker on Sandinista!, which described the group as “The Only Band That Matters.” Well, screw ‘em, I doubt they are going to sue me over recycling it. In the case of Feral House, that cliché is probably going to taken as an insult though. The books they publish certainly “matter,” but they go far beyond that silly term. As a publisher, Adam Parfrey is absolutely fearless in what he chooses to release. Daniel Ellsberg was once called “The Most Dangerous Man in America.” That’s a little closer to what J. Edgar might have said about Parfrey, but who knows? The old cross-dresser may have had him locked up on general principles by now.

Adam Parfrey has been kicking at the barn doors for some time. The only problem is that most of the sheep inside are content to watch Two And A Half Men or the occasional “political” debate. You know, the ones where we pretend there is a difference between the Republicans and the Democrats.

Judging from a few of Feral House’s titles, my guess is that Parfrey sees right through the political show, and knows full well who really runs the country. Of course books such as Babylon’s Banksters and Inside The Shadow Government are always dismissed as paranoid conspiracy theories - and the authors are painted as dangerously demented. Or they are simply killed, as was apparently the case with Danny Casolaro - who was researching what he termed The Octopus. This was to be his connect-the-dots expose of the ongoing vast conspiracy between government, industry, and all sorts of free-lance mercenaries. Feral House’s The Octopus: The Life and Death of Danny Casolaro is just one of the many “must reads” in their catalog.

My apologies for the digression. The number of Feral House’s books in-print is over 100, and each one could be called a “must-read” for various reasons. This is beginning to sound like a lengthy advertisement for the company, but I assure you - I have never even met Adam Parfrey. I did talk to him on the phone once, for about 30 seconds, and it was pretty clear he was extremely busy filling orders and such. So there's the old "full disclosure" business - out and in the open. Regardless of any of that though, I have read at least ten Feral House books, and can say without reservation that each one has exceeded my expectations. A couple of links to my reviews here might help illustrate this:

American Hardcore: A Tribal History by Stephen Blush

Speed, Speed, Speedfreak: A Fast History of Methamphetamine by Mick Farren

Since this is an entry in my personal blog, I get to say whatever the hell I want, without worrying about what or how an “editor” might deem appropriate. So I am going to take a moment to explain where the interest, and this resulting piece came from.
Does anyone remember The Church of the SubGenius, “led” by Rev. Ivan Stang? In 1988 he published a book titled High Weirdness by Mail - A Directory of The Fringe: Mad Prophets, Crackpots, Kooks & True Visionaries. Today it would be called High Weirdness by E-Mail, but back then, you actually wrote out letters to the places that interested you, and requested info and items from them. I went nuts - must have sent off at least 50 inquiries, some with a dollar or two inside - most of them with nothing but a return address.

My mailbox became a treasure trove of truly strange fun. Hell, I even subscribed to the Flat Earth News for a while.

This is where I discovered Amok Press, who published a book I had been searching out for a long time. You Can’t Win by Jack Black is one of the greatest tales I have ever read. William Burroughs called it his all- time favorite book, which was what set me out "on the trail" initially. I must confess to having read that book a good ten times over the past 20 or so years. I’m not going to review it here - just trust me on this one. It is fantastic.

Anyway, since I was so impressed with that purchase, I decided to order another Amok item: Apocalypse Culture - edited by Adam Parfrey, and featuring an awesome cover painting by Joe Coleman. It is another five-star item, and there is even a second volume, which I intend to order one of these days.

Besides the discovery of Amok, High Weirdness also introduced me to the dearly departed, but beyond description Loompanics catalog. I am a life-long resident of the Seattle area, and when I found out that Loompanics were based in Port Townsend, WA - I was thrilled. That small, very artistic community is only a ferry-boat ride away. Or you can drive the roughly 50 miles to it over the Narrows Bridge.

About a year ago, I interviewed J.G. Thirlwell aka Foetus (among many other pseudonyms) here. We talked off the record for a while, and Adam Parfrey’s name came up (as a friend of Thirlwell’s). I was shocked to discover that he had located Feral House (he calls it “Feral Acres”) in Port Townsend, WA. Not that it matters, but I wonder - out of all the possible spots he could have based his business at, why there? Maybe it has something to do with Loompanics, or maybe not. Who knows, and basically who cares? Just fodder to fill my blog with I guess.

Anyway, I just wanted to tell a very long story about how and why I think Feral House is so cool. My blog gets oh… maybe one reader a day - but thanks, I wish I had something to offer you, maybe an old issue of The Flat Earth Society newsletter, huh?

If you have had your fill of Oprah’s Picks (or what the fuck ever), The Fringe is a pretty cool place to visit. From what I can tell, Feral House is the best place to go for the “out of the ordinary” type of material that I crave.

There is actually much more to the story of Amok, Adam Parfrey, and the whole underground scene he continues to be a major part of. His connection to J.G. Thirlwell is obviously something interesting, and from what I understand, there is also another publishing firm under the “Feral Acres” umbrella. We get a lot of rainy Sunday afternoons here in Seattle, which tend to entice me to write more about what I consider to be a very unique time in the "underground" 20 or so years ago. Check back in, and check out Feral House. as well.

Music Review: Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here SACD (Limited Edition)

2012-01-07T18:10:00.001-08:00

The term SACD is short for Super Audio Compact Disc. I realize that people often wonder whether such audiophile products are worth the additional expense, or are simply a marketing ploy. After listening to the new SACD edition of Pink Floyd’s classic Wish You Were Here, I can say that without a doubt, there is very noticeable improvement over the sound of my original “regular” copy of the disc. It is really quite remarkable, even on my thoroughly average-priced equipment.

To quickly lay out the basics of what the SACD has to off, I will quote from the Amazon.com site’s explanation of the format: “The SACD layer of hybrid SACDs offers much higher fidelity than regular compact discs, containing up to four times the musical information. Hybrid SACDs are designed for CD-quality playback on conventional systems, including home and car stereos, portable CD players, computer CD- and DVD-ROM drives, and DVD players.”

Those are obviously the type of officially-sanctioned words that nobody uses in actual conversation. “Is SACD really worth the extra money?” is the significant question. Based on both the sound quality, and the exquisite packaging it is presented in is a resounding “Yes.” In my opinion, the APO Company, who have licensed the album for this SACD release - have done an outstanding job.

When it comes to superstar bands, few are bigger than Pink Floyd. Both Dark Side of The Moon and The Wall continue to sell in incredible numbers. Between those two blockbusters came the relatively lesser-known Wish You Were Here and Animals. Both of those albums sold quite well also, but there is a reason Pink Floyd is sometimes referred to as “the biggest cult band in the world.” I would argue that for both the subject matter, and the music itself, Wish You Were Here is the ultimate Pink Floyd “cult“ artifact.

With a band of Floyd’s stature, their history is pretty well-known. By 1975, they were a very different group than the one they began as in 1967. They formed in 1965 around the incredibly charismatic Syd Barrett (1946-2006), and released their debut The Piper at the Gates of Dawn in 1967. Whether due to Barrett’s prodigious LSD intake, or latent mental illness, (most likely a combination of the two), he broke down, and was replaced by David Gilmour in 1968. The specter of their founding “lost genius” haunted Pink Floyd for the rest of their days. In fact, much of The Dark Side of the Moon dealt with madness.

Wish You Were Here confronts “the subject of Syd” straight on. The nine-part “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” opens and closes the album, and accounts for over two-thirds of its running time. The “Crazy Diamond” is Syd Barrett, and the lyrics are heart-breaking;

“Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun. Shine on you crazy diamond. Now there’s a look in your eyes, like black holes in the skies. Shine on you crazy diamond.”

The music evokes both a sense of melancholy and virtuosity. David Gilmour’s first guitar solo, at around the 7:50 mark during the first part, is magnificent. It expresses the sadness the members feel at having reached such heights without their original visionary - better than the words themselves. The majority of “Shine On” is musical, there are but three stanzas in which Roger Waters expresses his thoughts on his lost friend. Guest appearances on Floyd albums were rare, but saxophonist Dick Parry was asked to add his sax to the closing portion of “Shine On (Part 5)”. He had previously appeared on the Dark Side tracks “Money,“ and “Us And Them.“

Parry’s sax leads us out of the internal madness of Syd Barrett and into the lunacy of the “real” world in “Welcome To the Machine.” This is another amazing Pink Floyd track, from the crystal-clear mechanized sounds that open the song up, to Gilmour’s strummed acoustic guitar, to the synthesized rushes that carry us inexorably along. It again references Barrett, although a bit more obliquely this time;

“You dreamed of a big star, he played a mean guitar. He always at in the Steak Bar, he loved to drive in his Jaguar.”

With the success of Dark Side of the Moon, the members of Pink Floyd had certainly reached the level of Rock Stars. The phoniness of it all is the subject of the next cut, “Have A Cigar.” A year later, snarling punk-rockers would point to this song as Exhibit A in their diatribes against “whining, spoilt rock stars.”

Fair enough, but “Have A Cigar” is a scathing indictment of the corporate music world. The best Pink Floyd “in-joke” is contained in the line “Oh by the way, which one’s Pink?” The little-known Roy Harper was probably the ultimate “musician’s musician” in England in the seventies. Led Zeppelin paid specific tribute to him on their third album, with the song “Hats Off to (Roy) Harper.” Pink Floyd went even further. For the first time in their career, they brought in an outside vocalist to sing one of their songs. It is not David Gilmour or Roger Waters singing “Have A Cigar,” it is Roy Harper.

The plaintive title track is next. While it could be construed as the description of a disintegrating marriage with lines such as “We’re just two lost souls, swimming in a fish bowl, year after year,” my perception is that it goes much deeper. It seems unlikely that the words “So, so you think you can tell heaven from hell, blue skies from pain,” as being directed at anyone other than Syd Barrett. The catch in the voice during the line “How I wish, how I wish you were here,” confirms this impression for me.

Parts 1-5 of “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” open the record, and run 13:38. The 12:29 of Parts 6-9 close Wish You Were Here out, and bring us back to where it all began. But not really. There is a completely different energy to this portion of the piece than to that of the first. Just as a side note, for whatever mysterious reason - Syd Barrett actually showed up at the studio while the group were recording the track. It was the first time they had seen him in eight years. Spooky, huh?

For a classic example of record company stupidity, check out their attempt to put all of “Shine On” together as one long song. On the 2001 two-CD compilation Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd, the piece was edited down to a single 17:32 track, titled “Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-VII).“

I would argue that even more so than Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here is a fully realized suite with an internal logic that makes very little sense when taken apart. Sure, FM radio (and later Classic Rock radio) picked out “Welcome To The Machine,” “Have A Cigar,” and “Wish You Were Here” to play as stand-alone tracks. And those songs actually work just fine that way. But “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” was not designed as a stand-alone song. It really cannot be heard properly when taken out of the context it was originally presented in.

As previously mentioned, the SACD sound quality is light-years beyond the previously available versions. But the packaging of this set is worthy of mention as well. The Hipgnosis studio designed the original artwork for Wish You Were Here, and the images they came up with were brilliant. To me, the loss of the graphics which used to accompany albums is the biggest drawback of the digital age.

For the Wish You Were Here SACD release, this loss has been mitigated by some very creative thinking on the part of the people at APO. The oversized package contains six postcard sized reproductions of the famous artwork which was featured on the LP. There is also an eight-page booklet, with more pictures, the lyrics, and the credits. It is a very nice work-around to the inherent problem of reproducing the original intent and impact of the album as a whole in this smaller scale.

Wish You Were Here defines the “most popular cult band in the world” because out of the over two hundred million records the group has sold over the course of their career, very few really know of the real-life Greek tragedy Wish You Were Here represents. This is one of the deepest, saddest records I have ever heard. And every note of it rings absolutely true.

The limited-edition Wish You Were Here SACD will be available this Tuesday, and is an excellent example of a record company actually “getting it right” for a change. If you are fortunate enough to even have a local record store in your area anymore, they might even bring in a copy. If not, Harmonia Mundi is the U.S. distributor, and are worth checking out for this, and many other exemplary items.

Article first published as Music Review: Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here SACD (Limited Edition) on Blogcritics.

Music Review: The Girls from Petticoat Junction - Sixties Sounds

2012-01-06T00:59:00.000-08:00

Petticoat Junction belonged to a television world so vastly different than that of today, it is almost unimaginable. The series ran from 1963 to 1970 on the CBS Network. With the huge success of The Andy Griffith Show (which debuted in 1960), the network began programming all sorts of “rural” sitcoms. These included The Beverly Hillibillies, Green Acres, Petticoat Junction, and TAGS’s replacement, Mayberry R.F.D. Then occurred what has become known as the Rural Purge. CBS cancelled all of those whimsical series in 1970, to embrace a new, more socially-relevant type of television.

Petticoat Junction’s slot on Saturday nights at 9:30 was filled by The Mary Tyler Moore Show, beginning in September 1970. I bring all of this history up as background to one of the more curious releases to come along in the waning days of 2011. The Real Gone Music label has just issued The Girls from Petticoat Junction: Sixties Sounds on CD, and it is as much a blast from the past as the TV show itself.

The connection between television and music has been a long and fruitful one. We need look no further than The Beatles’ appearances on Ed Sullivan to confirm this. But prior to that, there was plenty of what we now call synergy between the two. Besides the other variety shows, and American Bandstand, Ricky Nelson’s career had been launched on The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet back in 1957.

The Girls from Petticoat Junction were Linda Kay Henning (Betty Jo Bradley), Meredith MacRae (Billie Jo Bradley) and Lori Saunders (Bobbie Jo Bradley). These attractive young women were definitely the “eye-candy” of the show, and they all acquit themselves quite well as vocalists. The 30-minute disc contains 11 tracks, including the “bonus” Petticoat Junction theme. Surprisingly enough, this is the first appearance of much of the material. Initially, I had assumed that this was a re-release of a long deleted LP. Not so, however; after the poor chart showing of the first couple of singles, Imperial Records shelved the project and all of the recordings have sat in the vaults until now.

The first single was “I’m So Glad That You Found Me” b/w “If You Could Only Be Me,” released in 1968. It was a flop, although both songs are an effervescent breath of late Sixties AM radio pop. Undaunted, Imperial and The Girls tried again, with something a little closer to the spirit of the show, “Wheeling, West Virginia” b/w “Thirty Days Hath September” is from 1969. The 45 came and went quickly as well, although “Wheeling, West Virginia” itself is quite good, and was written by the team of Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield.

Unsurprisingly, Imperial Records cut their losses at this point, and those four tracks represent the entire recorded legacy of the trio. Since the project was initially conceived as an album, though, there were also a few solo recordings made, which have remained unreleased until now. The oddest of these has to be Lori Saunders’ take on The Beatles’ “Rain.” She also turns in a credible version of The Youngbloods’ “Get Together.“ Linda Kay Henning took a shot at another established hit with her version of the 5th Dimension’s “Up, Up & Away.” Linda also recorded a song titled “There’s Got To Be A Word,” written by Don Ciccone.

Prior to all of this, Meredith MacRae had recorded some material for Capitol Records - most likely based on the fact that she had appeared in the Frankie Avalon/Annette Funicello beach movies. Her big single “Who Needs Memories Of Him” b/w “Goodbye Love” came out in 1967, and was even promoted on Petticoat Junction. Curt Massey’s full 2:13 single “Petticoat Junction” wraps up this collection nicely.

Although The Girls from Petticoat Junction is obviously a curio item, it holds together quite well. Phil Spector’s famous Wrecking Crew group of studio musicians provided the background for many of the tunes, and the songs sound much better than their poor chart performances might suggest. Like the TV show itself, this album is an enjoyable reminder of a very different time in TV-Land.

Article first published as Music Review: The Girls from Petticoat Junction - Sixties Sounds on Blogcritics.

Book Review: What If They Lived: Hollywood's Lost Stars by Phil Hall

2012-01-06T00:46:00.000-08:00

The premise of What If They Lived? is pretty straightforward. Authors Phil Hall and Rory Leighton Aronsky profile 48 film stars who died prematurely, and speculate on their careers had they lived. This is a game anyone can play — indeed many of us probably have. For one thing, there is no wrong answer as to what Heath Ledger or James Dean might have accomplished had they lived past 30. For another, it is something of a dark pleasure to think of what might have been.

What sets the book apart from the purely speculative about these stars’ pre-empted lives are the detailed biographies of each. The 48 entries are broken down into a simple format. There is an introductory piece as to the overall impact the actor or actress had on Hollywood, then a discussion of their life and career, followed by the big question “What if they lived?”

The book is presented in chronological order, thus we begin with Robert Harron (April 12, 1893 - September 5, 1920). Harron’s most famous role was in D.W. Griffith’s landmark The Birth Of A Nation (1916). The final entry is Natasha Richardson (May 11, 1963 - March 18, 2009). Richardson is probably best remembered for her role in the Lindsey Lohan remake of The Parent Trap (1998).

As far as notable films go however, Heath Ledger’s Academy award winning performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight (2008) is the latest entry in the book. There is quite a gulf between the silent Birth Of A Nation and The Dark Knight, and What If They Lived? tells the story of the intervening years through the abbreviated lives of some of Hollywood’s finest performers.

Some of the more intriguing stories are those of Lon Chaney, Ernie Kovacs, and Leslie Howard. All three men died tragically — and while their careers were in full bloom. Chaney was cut down by throat cancer in 1930, Howard is believed to have been shot down by German fighter planes in 1943. Kovacs was senselessly lost in an auto accident following a party at Milton Berle’s house in 1962.

In addition to these sad and tragic losses there are of course the notorious and scandalous deaths as well. The first of these is the woeful tale of Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle. Wrongly accused of murder, Arbuckle was worn down and blacklisted by an incessant campaign of innuendo, spurred on by the Hearst newspaper chain. He died penniless of a heart attack at the age of 46.

Three of the most famous Hollywood deaths belong to women. The deaths of Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, and Anna Nicole Smith are all explored in some detail. Hall and Aronsky’s speculations on what these women might have achieved had they lived are interesting, if not particularly groundbreaking.

What If They Lived? is a very enjoyable read. The bite-sized entries are nice, stand-alone pieces, perfect for browsing randomly, or read cover to cover. Especially in the case of the silent film era stars, there is a wealth of information easily accessible to the casual fan. Far from being sensationalist, What If They Lived? is a solid Hollywood history told through a unique perspective. It is definitely an enjoyable and thought-provoking read.

Article first published as Book Review: What If They Lived? by Phil Hall and Rory Leighton Aronsky on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Joachim Nordwall - Ignition

2012-01-04T23:23:00.000-08:00

Joachim Nordwall is a musician who works in the self-described genre of “Psychic Broadcasting.” Ok, I am the first to agree with anyone who thinks that description is more than a little pretentious. The term most people would probably apply here is “ambient.” And again, there are a lot of music fans out there who consider the very idea of ambient music pretty damned pretentious as well. As I think is abundantly clear, it is practically impossible to give a quick, shorthand name to what Mr. Nordwall’s music is. Despite these semantic challenges, I have to say that his recent Ignition CD is an outstanding piece of work that would appeal to a wide variety of music fans - if only they had a chance to hear it.

Contrary to popular belief, Brian Eno did not invent ambient music, although he did coin the term, and his description of what he had in mind is still the most concise definition I have heard; “It can be either be actively listened to with attention or as easily ignored, depending on the choice of the listener."

I have found myself in both frames of mind while listening to Ignition. For the purposes of this review, I listened closely to all 49:22 of the single title track that makes up the CD. What I found were actually at least three seemingly full compositions, seamlessly blended into each other. Only Joachim Nordwall knows exactly what his intentions were - I am going by what I hear.

The way the album plays to me is like a three-act play. And within each act there are three distinct components. Basic stuff; a beginning, a middle, and an end. The longest segment is the first, which runs for approximately the first twenty minutes. He may well disagree, but this section seems to be a fully realized piece. Back in the old vinyl days, I am certain it would have occupied all of side one of an LP.

Depending on how you hear it, the remaining nearly half-hour of music could be divided into two, three, or even four clearly identifiable pieces. However it breaks down is clearly up to the individual listener, and as is obvious by the presentation, Joachim intended the entire 49:22 piece to be listened to as a whole.

At the root of it all is a recording that I would call a sound-sculpture. Although the press release prominently mentions drone as a big part of the music, I disagree. There are works by OM, Current 93, and even Ravi Shankar where I consider the drone to be a major factor. That is not really the case with Ignition. What I hear much more prominently is the type of background environments that Kim Cascone provided for The Heavenly Music Corporation, or even what Brian Eno himself did.

All of that is to say that drone is not really the term I would use in describing the music of Ignition. The picture I would use to best describe this music is that of a wave. Although the music is markedly different, the Polygon Window (aka Aphex Twin, aka Richard T. James) album Surfing on Sine Waves is as apt a profile as anything I can come up with.

There is a depth, and (dare I say it) adventurousness to this record that is not easily categorized. For anyone who already is familiar with music like this, I will say that Ignition absolutely belongs in the exalted company of the artists previously mentioned.

For those who may be curious, my recommendation is whole-hearted. By its very nature, Ignition is a word of mouth item - but isn’t that the type of cool thing to discover once in a while? Ignition has been released on Joachim Nordwall’s Ash International record label. Since there are about 12 record stores left in the entire United States, you might want to check out Nordwall’s distributor Forced Exposure for sales info.

Book Review: Frank: The Voice by James Kaplan

2012-01-03T22:58:00.000-08:00

There have been a couple of books about Frank Sinatra (1915-1998) published over the years. Well, more than a couple. Type his name into Amazon’s database, and you will come up with an astonishing 4,860 available titles. What more could possibly remain to be said about him? In Frank: The Voice author James Kaplan begins by presenting a side of Sinatra that is too often ignored. Namely, that the man was a musical genius.

He often referred to himself as nothing more than a “saloon singer.” How hilarious. Sinatra was many things, but humble? Please. As a life-long fan, I have often wondered what exactly made Frank Sinatra’s music so special. As it turns out, it was good old-fashioned hard work. He had a fantastic voice, without question. But he would read through the lyrics, word by word, to inhabit them. It was the type of dedication that someone like Horowitz brought to the piano, or Segovia to his guitar. The fact that Frank made it look so effortless was especially impressive, considering just how seriously he took his work.

I found the descriptions of Sinatra’s process fascinating. Despite his recognition as perhaps the greatest singer of the twentieth century, so many other books barely acknowledge it. And when his music is discussed, it is almost always about his collaborations with Nelson Riddle on Capitol or his later Reprise/Warner Bros. recordings. As fantastic as that material is, the fact is that it was all recorded after he had reached the magic age of 40.

In contrast, the narrative of the new 786-page book Frank: The Voice ends in 1954, when he was just 38 years old. The climactic event was his winning the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Maggio in From Here To Eternity (1953)

It was a bold move by the author, and one that certainly sets The Voice apart from the usual Sinatra biographies. Probably the most famous previous Sinatra book was Kitty Kelley’s His Way (1988). The two could not be more different, in fact to even compare them to each other is a bit of a joke. Kelley’s stock in trade is salacious gossip, and there is no question that Sinatra’s life provided plenty of fodder, even without juicing it up. Kaplan does not shy away from this aspect of “Frankie’s” life either, although it is presented in a far less hysterical manner.

The life of Frank Sinatra was many things, but dull was never one of them. The career arc alone is a fascinating story. Reading about the early days when nobody took him seriously, to the “bobby-soxer” era, then his fall from grace serves to humanize the icon. Then there is the dark side. His abandonment of his family for Ava Gardner, the friendships with various Mafiosi and other bits are not pleasant. Topping it off with fabulous wealth which was spent so recklessly that most of the time he was practically bankrupt, and we are presented with one hell of a tale.

Maybe the wildest aspect of all is the fact that Sinatra still had another 50 years to go after he won that Academy Award. Kaplan has done a marvelous job of making this biography a real page-turner. The man was incredibly complex, and The Voice reflects it all. Here’s hoping that Mr. Kaplan decides to write the rest of the story, because he did a hell of a job with part one.

Article first published as Book Review: Frank: The Voice by James Kaplan on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Klaus Schulze - Big In Japan: Live In Tokyo 2010

2012-01-03T22:22:00.000-08:00

Klaus Schulze has been at the forefront of German electronic music for over four decades now, and shows no signs of letting up. After his recent well-received collaborations with Dead Can Dance vocalist Lisa Gerrard, Schulze traveled to Japan for a few solo appearances. Although the most common criticism of his music is that it is too repetitive - even boring, I find it to be nothing of the sort. Schulze’s latest live recording, Big In Japan: Live In Tokyo 2010 may contain some extended tracks, but dull? Not at all.

The set opens with “The Crystal Returns” (38:03), which is a re-imagining of “Crystal Lake,” from his 1977 Mirage album. To be honest, there is very little in common between the two pieces other than their titles, but that is fine. What is obvious to those who consider themselves fans of Schulze is the huge amount of value he places on improvisation. While he clearly has a structure in mind at all times, the places he takes the music are what keep it so intriguing for us.

Nothing on Big In Japan is as intriguing as “Sequencers Are Beautiful” (39:00) though. As the title indicates, this is a sequencer-led track. The sound of Schulze’s vintage equipment is marvelously retro by the way. The opening segment of the cut features Klaus playing electric guitar, which is a rare live occurrence. Later a drum machine is added to the mix, which recall some of his rhythmic experimentations during the eighties and nineties. Midway through, a soothing ambient tone takes over - which carries the tune along for the duration.

The second CD of the set begins with the longest track “La Joyeuse Apocalypse” (46:35). Again, this is for the converted. The opening bars here immediately caught my attention as they remind me so much of David Bowie‘s “Warzawa,” from his Krautrock-influenced 1977 album Low. This is another very adventurous composition, with a plethora of moods described along the way. The remaining two pieces, “Nippon Benefit” (14:10), and “The Deductive Approach” (12:12) are also noteworthy, if for their brevity alone.

Big In Japan was originally released in Japan as a box-set, limited to 500 copies. This domestic edition contains the two CDs, and a DVD of the performance. Without the DVD one would be hard pressed to know that this is a live recording, as there is no audible crowd noise at all.

The ambient, electronic space music of Klaus Schulze may have limited appeal in today’s Gaga-world, but it is a rare treat for some. Big In Japan is a very worthwhile addition to his monumental catalog of work over the decades.

Music DVD Review: Klaus Schulze and Lisa Gerrard - Dziekuje Bardzo

2012-01-03T22:02:00.001-08:00

Although the Klaus Schulze/Lisa Gerrard concert DVD Dziekuje Bardzo has been out for a while now, it has been somewhat difficult to find until recently. With that in mind, I thought a review of it might be of interest to some of our readers.

Both of the artists have impeccable credentials. Klaus Schulze is a Krautrock legend. He was a founding member of Tangerine Dream, and left them to form Ash Ra Tempel, in 1971. But it was as a solo artist that Schulze really hit his stride. Beginning in 1972 with Irrlicht, Klaus has released somewhere upwards of 200 albums. As one-half of Dead Can Dance, Lisa Gerrard is Goth royalty. While the “Goth” tag is far too limiting for the ground-breaking work her and Brendan Perry engaged in, it is the one most people use to describe the group. Her otherworldly vocals added a stunning element to the DCD oeuvre, and deservedly gained her a rabid cult following.

Klaus Schulz and Lisa Gerrard have always held a great affinity for each other’s work, and in 2008 recorded the Farscape album together. This was followed by the live Rheingold, and their most recent live outing, Dziekuje Bardzo (which translates to “Many Thanks“ in Polish).

The concert was recorded in Warsaw, and in front of some of Klaus Schulz’s most ardent fans. In 1983, while Poland was still behind the Iron Curtain, Klaus Schulz decided to stage an eight-city tour of the country. The red tape and bureaucracy he had to go through to get this approved must have been enormous, but he eventually succeeded. The purely instrumental nature of his music may have been a contributing factor. After all, how could a censor object to lyrical content when there were no lyrics at all?

As we all know though, music tells a story, with or without words. There is an atmosphere in the quirky ambience of a record like Moondawn that offered something new, uncharted, and fascinating. For the people of Poland, the beautiful electronic soundscapes Schulz created must have made for a wonderful (if temporary) refuge from the grim reality of life under the Soviets.

His 2008 concert with special guest Lisa Gerrard marked the 25th anniversary of the historic 1983 tour. He acknowledges this in his brief opening remarks, which were warmly received. To me, the circumstances add a powerful element of emotion to the event. But the program Klaus and Lisa presented that night was fantastic on its own terms as well.

Dziekuje Bardzo features 90 minutes of artistically challenging, emotionally engaging, and intellectually stimulating work. The opening segment of the DVD “Shoreline 2,” is spellbinding. There are a couple of times when I correctly predicted the direction of the next few stanzas, but most of the time I had no clue. It is a marvelous thing to be able to witness the act of creativity as it happens.

The second and longest of the three selections is titled “Bazylika NSJ.” The regal Lisa Gerrard joins Klaus onstage, and adds her ethereal voice to a varied, near Wonderwall Music environment. The “brief” 22-minute “Godspell” closes the set, again with Gerrard and some fantastic Moog music from Klaus.

The DVD also include a bonus 30-minute feature titled “In The Moog For Love,” which is a documentary of the proceedings. It is an interesting, backstage look at the preparations for the concert, and offers some insights into the easy banter and friendship that these two artists enjoy.

Although the pairing of Lisa Gerrard and Klaus Schulz may have seemed unusual at first glance, it works wonderfully. The combination of her voice and his keyboards is magical, and the evidence is right here on Dziekuje Bardzo. Many thanks indeed.

2012 Music Collaborations

2011-12-29T16:21:00.000-08:00

It is always interesting when musicians of a different stripe get together. They all seem to try it at one point or another. The big news in 2011 was the Lou Reed/ Metallica album Lulu. It was fantastically awful in all the right ways. These old geezers trying to shore up their exhausted “rebellious” credentials together was doomed from the start. But who doesn’t enjoy a spectacular disaster? It was entertaining, if nothing else.

Some collaborations have worked beyond all expectations. Remember Santana’s Supernatural album back in 1999? It was a huge hit, and the song “Smooth” with Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20 still sounds great all these years later. Before that there was Frank Sinatra’s Duets (1993), which even though the “duets” were recorded separately, still sounded great. And speaking of duets recorded separately, there was the huge Natalie Cole/ Nat “King” Cole version of “Unforgettable” that topped the charts in 1991.

Here then is a list of the collaborations I would like to see happen in 2012:

1. ELO and ELP - "ELOPE"

2. Lil Wayne and Earth, Wind & Fire - “Riker’s Wonderland”

3. Adele and Keith Richards - “Some Junkie Like You”

4. Rihanna and Buster Poindexter - "We Found A Martini"

5. Florence and The Machine and Kraftwerk - "Enuff Z’nuff"

6. Ian Anderson and The Weather Girls - “It’s Raining Aqualung”

7. Taylor Swift and The Jerky Boys - “Sparks Fly (Outta My Ass)”

8. Humble Pie and Lady Gaga - "Buy It!"

9. Kate Smith and Katy Perry - “Hello Everybody (Gonna Eat You Up)”

10. Michael Jackson and Amy Winehouse - "Pills, Thrills, and Bellyaches"

So there you have it, the pairings I would like to see in 2012. Sorry Amy and Michael fans, but I heard they were both Happy Mondays fans.

Happy 2012!

Music Review: Rammstein - Made In Germany 1995 - 2011

2011-12-28T20:22:00.001-08:00

While it was Nine Inch Nails and Ministry who first brought the combination of industrial and metal to the masses in the late eighties, Rammstein took things to a whole new level. Their live shows are legendary, and their music remains as explosive as their name suggests. Being a German band, one might logically assume that they hail from Rammstein, hence the name. In fact, they are actually from Berlin. The name is a shortening of their original moniker; Rammstein Air Show. It is a reference to the worst air-show disaster in German history, at Rammstein in 1988. Have they no shame? In a word, no. Rammstein have done it their way for nearly 20 years now, and show no signs of letting up in the slightest.

For a group who have enjoyed huge worldwide success from the very beginning, it is a little surprising that they have waited so long to put out a retrospective collection. Made In Germany 1995-2011 is a 16-track “greatest hits,” which also features one brand new track, “Mein Land.” The song shows that the band have lost none of their outrageousness, and the beach-party video for it is hilarious.

For whatever reason, the band have chosen to heavily focus on two of their six studio albums here. Of the 16 songs included on the single CD edition of Made In Germany, nine are from Mutter (2001) and Reise, Reiese (2004). That leaves but six songs from the four remaining albums. I’m not complaining though, this is as solid a collection as anything we could ask for.

When Rammstein’s debut album Herzeleid was released in 1995, German critics tripped over themselves to give a name to the music. What they eventually came up with was the awkward Neue Deutsche Harte - which translates to New German Hardness. It kind of reminds me of the even worse one the guys at Kerrang! created to describe bands like Def Leppard and Iron Maiden. Anyone remember the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal?

Made In Germany only includes one track from Herzeleid, “Du Riechst So Gut,” and it rocks hard. The album was not even released in the US until 1998, after Sehnsucht had broken the market wide open. 1998 was a long time ago, but I still remember how much of an impact that record made. It was huge, and crossed all the boundaries. One cool bit of trivia is that Sehnsucht is the only album sung entirely in German to ever reach platinum status in the United States.

Given all of this, I was a little surprised that Made In Germany only includes two songs from Sehnsucht. You certainly cannot argue with the choices though. Both “Engel,” and “Du Hast” show early Rammstein at their very best. “Engel” in particular became something of an anthem, and for years was their set-closer. The first time I saw them, it blew me away. There was plenty of pyro throughout the show, but they pulled out all the stops for “Engel.”

In the four years between Sehnsucht and Mutter, the band toured relentlessly, and released the live Live aus Berlin album. They came back as hard as ever though with the stuido albums Mutter and Reise, Reise. Five great tracks from Mutter are present here, and four from Reies, Reise.

For this fan, Reise, Reise is the band’s finest moment. There a number of themes running through the album. The overall concept is based on another airplane tragedy, that of the Japanese Airlines Flight 123 in 1985. It was the largest single-plane disaster in history. Of the 524 passengers aboard, only four survived. In addition to tracks such as “Mein Teil,” and “Keine Lust,” in which the band put themselves into the frames of mind of the passengers, there is “Amerika.” The song is a scathing indictment of George W. Bush’s America, especially our policies abroad.

Many of the songs on Rosenrot (2005) were initially recorded during the sessions for Reise, Reise, but in the final analysis did not fit the concept the band had in mind. They are not inferior in any way, as the title track itself clearly indicates. The most recent Rammstein studio release came in 2009, Liebe is fur alle da, German for “Love is there for everyone.” The video for “Pussy” once again set the censors into a tailspin, and featured the band simulating sex, among other delightful treats.

Finally we come to the new “Mein Land,” which is weirdly retro. Not so much a return to mid-nineties Rammstein, as much as a visit to the eighties industrial sounds of KMFDM or Die Krupps. It is an excellent nod to the past, which retains all the power and crunch the band are so renowned for.

Besides the 16-track “basic” edition of Made In Germany 1995-2011, there are two expanded versions. The Special edition includes a second CD of remixes done by friends and fans such as Faith No More, Laibach, and even the Pet Shop Boys. The mondo Super Deluxe package features the two Cds (fix), and three DVDs - with tons of footage and all of their videos. The set comes in a steel box, and includes a 240-page book. This one is limited to 1200 copies in the US, making it the ultimate Rammstein item for those who just cannot get enough of these Neue Deutsche Harte heroes.

Article first published as Music Review: Rammstein - Made In Germany 1995 - 2011 on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Gianluigi Trovesi & Gianni Coscia - Frere Jacques: Round About Offenbach

2011-12-22T22:07:00.000-08:00

I don’t know if I have heard a more pleasant sounding record this year. The combination of Gianluigi Trovesi’s clarinet with the accordion of Gianni Coscia is simply marvelous. Their latest collaboration, Frere Jacques: Round About Offenbach has just been released by the always reliable ECM label, and it is really something special. I am certainly not alone in this opinion, as the liner notes were written by none other than the famous author (and fellow Italian) Umberto Eco.

One of the joys of this album is in the humor the duo bring to the project. The title itself is a play on the old French children’s song “Frere Jacques,” coupled with the jazz-inspired Round About Offenbach. The nineteen tracks are more of what I would consider a tribute to Offenbach than anything else. Sixteen are credited to Trovesi and Coscia, but the inspiration is Offenbach, especially his famously unfinished operetta Les Contes`d’Hoffman (The Tales of Hoffman).

There is a great deal of fun being had by all here. For one thing, Offenbach’s work has always been looked down upon by music snobs, primarily because he so enjoyed parodying other composers. Fortunately for all concerned, his reputation has grown enormously since his passing in 1880. The approach Torvesi and Coscia have brought to their recording is varied, to say the least. The operetta form is certainly present in the Offenbach pieces, but the duo add a great deal of their own personalities to the project as well.

One of the more surprising elements they have added is jazz. You hear it most especially in the clarinet of Gianluigi Trovesi, but the accordion of Gianni Coscia is no mere accompaniment. In fact, the eighty year old Coscia seems to be playing at the height of his powers. By the way, the “young” Trovesi is 67. While mentioning the ages of the respective musicians in the context of a review of their album may seem a bit out of place, I just can‘t help myself. In our youth-oriented culture it is so refreshing to hear artists who absolutely dismiss the relevance of any age considerations.

All of the context and age considerations aside though, in the end, the only thing that matters is the music itself. And Frere Jacques: Round About Offenbach delivers one of the most entertaining, and enjoyable listening experiences I have had in some time. After over 40 years in the business, the taste of ECM founder Manfred Eicher is impeccable - and as usual, he also produced the album.

Frere Jacques: Round About Offenbach is highly recommended, one of the finest records ECM released in 2011.

For anyone interested in seeing Trovesi and Coscia at work, the recently released DVD Sounds And Silence should not be missed. This documentary about ECM, Manfred Eicher, and a number of the label’s artists is extraordinary, and features some fascinating footage of Trovesi and Coscia in various settings.

Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings - Collector's Edition Box Set

2011-12-09T22:49:00.000-08:00

Since leaving The Rolling Stones in 1992, Bill Wyman has quietly stayed busy with his Rhythm Kings. Formed in 1997, Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings have featured a rotating all-star cast in both the studio and live performance. The newly released five-disc Collector’s Edition Box Set contains the first four albums that the group recorded. These are Struttin’ Our Stuff (1997), Anyway The Wind Blows (1999), Groovin' (2000), and the two-CD live package Double Bill (2001).

Wyman’s status as a founding member of the Stones, plus his consummate playing ability led to a wide variety of guest stars on these albums. These include such artists as Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Mark Knopfler, Nicky Hopkins, Paul Carrack, Peter Frampton, Mick Taylor, and Chris Rea, among many others. The core members of the Rhythm Kings are drummer Graham Broad, singer-guitarist Andy Fairweather-Low, singer-organist Georgie Fame, guitarist Albert Lee, vocalist Beverley Skeete, horn players Frank Mead and Nick Payn, pianist Geraint Watkins, and guitarist Terry Taylor. Taylor co-wrote a good number of the originals with Wyman as well.

The operative word in the 66 songs collected on the Collector’s Edition is “roots.” But maybe not roots in terms of the roots of rock and roll, more the roots of Wyman himself. The various stylistic excursions on the set include blues, reggae, soul, gospel, jump music, early rock ‘n roll, even stuff that would have been right at home on seventies rock radio.

The main reason Wyman left the Stones was that he no longer wished to take part in their worldwide tours. This is the reason that the Rhythm Kings have only toured the U.S. once. As he puts it, “We don’t seem to go to another level because I just don’t travel anymore,” he says, “Whether it’s been the right direction or not, I don’t know, but I’ve enjoyed it.”

Enjoyment of great music is what the Collector’s Edition Box Set is all about, and it sounds like Bill Wyman and his friends have enjoyed themselves a great deal over the past decade and a half. It’s time for this well-kept secret to come out in the open. Wyman’s Rhythm Kings rock the house, without question.

Music Review: Rufus Thomas - Do The Funky Chicken

2011-12-09T22:42:00.001-08:00

Rufus Thomas was a veteran performer by the time he scored his biggest hit single, “Do The Funky Chicken.” In fact, he was 53 years old when the song went to number one on the R&B chart in 1970. He called himself “the world’s oldest teenager,” and was entertaining audiences right up until his death in 2001, at the age of 84. As part of the Stax Remasters series, Rufus’ Do The Funky Chicken album has just been re-released, and it is one hell of a party record.

Rufus specialized in something of a one-man soul review format, with horns blaring, a funky beat, comical lyrics, and plenty of shout-outs. To this end, Do The Funky Chicken is definitive. Leading off with the title track, the record is non-stop fun in a way that was quite unlike the typical radio fare of the day. “Let The Good Times Roll,” “Lookin’ For A Love,” and “Rufus Rastus Johnson Brown,” all have that tight, in-the-pocket swing that had not been heard on vinyl since the glory days of the late fifties and early sixties. Think “Shout,” or “Soul Man,” and you will get an idea of what Rufus was all about.

He was first and foremost a showman though, and there is plenty of “show” on this album to be sure. His two-part re-imagining of “Old McDonald Had A Farm” is a case in point. "Part 1 is done as a slow, gospel inflected introduction, while Part 2 goes for the funky jugular. Rufus also revisits his own past with a new version of “Bear Cat,” which he originally recorded for Sun in 1953. The song was an “answer” to Big Mama Thornton’s “Hound Dog,” which later became a massive pop hit for Elvis.

In addition to the eleven tunes contained on the original 1970 album, the CD includes eight bonus tracks. These run the gamut from his 1968 “Funky Mississippi,” to his final Stax single in 1974 “Boogie Ain’t Nuttin’ (But Getting’ Down).” Rufus Thomas was a one of a kind performer, old school before such a thing even existed, and Do The Funky Chicken finds him in top form.

Music Review: Buck Owens - Bound For Bakersfield 1953-1956

2011-12-09T22:36:00.001-08:00

Buck Owens became famous for what came to be known as The Bakersfield Sound. He hit big after signing to Capitol Records, but Buck had been kicking around southern California for quite a while before that. The new Bound For Bakersfield 1953-1956 collection contains 24 tracks recorded for various labels before he hit with Capitol. Although some of the material is pretty raw, Buck’s innate talent still shines brightly.

The set opens up with “Blue Love,” complete with some amusing studio chatter. This song was recorded in Hollywood, sometime in 1953, and is pretty primitive. Still, that high-lonesome voice of Buck’s is right on target. The rest of the material was recorded for release as singles, and for his debut album Buck Owens on the La Brea label. The sound quality of these later recordings is much improved over that of the original “Blue Love.”

Whether for historical record, or maybe just to pad things out a bit, a number of alternate versions of the tracks are included. These are invariably inferior takes, however their presence can be justified for the sake of including everything.
The singles he released for labels such as Pep, New Star, and Chesterfield certainly speak for themselves. No wonder Capitol signed him right up. Buck’s rockabilly “Hot Dog” (from 1956) is a classic, even though he released it under the pseudonym Corky Jones out of fear of alienating his country audience. Hearing his wailing guitar solo midway through is a thing of beauty.

“Rhythm And Booze” is even harder rockabilly than “Hot Dog." Showing his true roots though is “There Goes My Love.” This single really captures the Buck Owens Bakersfield sound he became so famous for. His voice is front and center, with a lyric (inevitably) bemoaning a lost love, with classic country elements such as pedal steel proudly on display.

One of the reasons Buck Owens has always been held in such high regard by country music fans is the fact that he turned his back on the “country-politan” style that became so prevalent in the sixties. Buck was having none of it, and it was not just an act of rebellion. Listening to “Sweethearts In Heaven” one could argue that some sweetening would improve it, in fact there are moments that practically cry out for strings. But what makes it so great are the unabashed cornball lyrics and melody, played with as uncompromising a twang as one could imagine. It is the perfect combination, and shows that Buck knew exactly what he was doing all along.

A few years later, Buck Owens received the ultimate “hip” validation when The Beatles covered his “Act Naturally.” Perversely enough, he squandered that by hosting Hee-Haw with Roy Clark a few years later. For a lot of people, it took Dwight Yoakam’s unabashed idolatry of the man to restore his cachet as a true country music pioneer. I am truly happy that his contributions to music had been fully appreciated by the public at large by the time of his death in 2006.

These early recordings show that he had it from the beginning, and are a must for fans of his music, and of the whole Bakersfield sound.

Music Review: Grateful Dead - Dick's Picks Number 34

2011-12-09T21:48:00.000-08:00

It seems like they were being called “The Good Old Grateful Dead” from day one. The moniker was perfect, because no matter what the conditions, the band always delivered. And seeing them play was only part of the reason one went to the concerts anyway. The cultural baggage that sometimes threatened to completely engulf them was always present. But with the passing of Jerry Garcia back in 1995, it all came to an end. We were left with the music, and what they left behind was an amazing body of work, especially live.

I am not a Deadhead by any stretch of the imagination, but I have certainly come to respect what they were all about. There have been a huge number of live recordings released over the past few years, and the Dick’s Picks collections are some of the best. Chosen by archivist Dick Latvala, the 36-volume Dick’s Picks present some of the Dead’s finest performances.

Dick’s Picks Number 34 concentrates on 1977. The three-CD set contains their full performance at the Community War Memorial in Rochester, NY on November 5, 1977, plus some tracks from Seneca College in Toronto on November 2, 1977.

By this time, the band had been touring for ten years, and even though there had been some changes in the lineup, they were a well-tuned machine. The replacement of original organist Pigpen with Keith Godchaux had come in 1972, and Keith’s wife Donna later joined in a backing vocal capacity. One of the knocks against the group was their lack of a strong singer. Well, that’s just the way it was, but Donna Godchaux’s backup vocals definitely helped.

The year 1977 also heralded one of the best albums the Grateful Dead had released in some time, Terrapin Station. Unfortunately they do not play the sidelong “Terrapin Station” suite, but they do pull out versions of the reggae-inflected “Estimated Prophet” and the traditional “Samson and Delilah” from the record.

Jerry Garcia’s guitar playing was always one of the highlights of a Grateful Dead show, and he did not disappoint the Rochester audience. Notable examples include the lengthy “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo,” “Eyes Of The World,” and “The Other One.” Phil Lesh gets a chance to step out with his “Phil Solo,” which leads into a marvelous version of “Eyes Of The World.” The most universal aspect of the Occupy movement has to be the ubiquitous drum circle, and we can credit or blame (depending on your point of view) Bill Kreutzmann and Micky Hart. Their relatively brief “Rhythm Devils” makes for a great introduction into the classic “The Other Ones.” The laconic “Good Old” Grateful Dead sound is also present, in crowd favorites such as “Candyman,” and “It Must Have Been The Roses.”

While the Rochester show provides the majority of the material on the set, there are also seven tracks from the Ontario concert they performed two days previously. The second version of “Estimated Prophet” is a powerhouse, and the crowd is obviously thrilled when the band pulls out “Truckin’.”

Jerry Garcia left us much too early, and his - and the entire band’s vibe is sorely missed. This 1977 concert is a prime example of what made them so special, quite apart from any of the “floating party” atmosphere that surrounded them. These guys could play, and when they were really inspired, were one of the best bands going anywhere. Dick’s Picks Number 34 captures one of those magic nights in 1977, and it is a welcome addition to their legacy.

Article first published as Music Review: Grateful Dead - Dick's Picks Number 34 on Blogcritics.

Book Review: The Beach Boys FAQ by Jon Stebbins

2011-12-09T21:39:00.000-08:00

The FAQ series of books from the Hal Leonard Publishing imprint offer a unique slant on the rock biography genre. By taking established artists such as The Beatles and Neil Young, and providing little-known facts, the FAQ books are able to add something constructive to our understanding of these artists, rather than simply repeating tried and true stories.

With The Beach Boys, this is a particularly effective approach. As much of a “genius” as Brian Wilson was, we have heard the stories endlessly. Yes, his father was abusive; yes, there was a sandbox underneath his piano; yes, Smile was an aborted masterpiece for decades. Blah, blah, blah. Author Jon Stebbins does repeat these tales — I guess no Beach Boys book is complete without them — but he adds a great deal more to the typical narrative.

My favorite chapter is “Sail On Sailor” which discusses in depth the albums made during the “lean” years. This would be the post-Smile period, from late 1967 to 1973. Albums that were consigned to the cut-out bin almost immediately upon release are finally given their due here, and it is a welcome reassessment. I must admit to a (former) willingness to go along with the crowd in regards to records such as Friends and Carl And The Passions Present “So Tough,” but The Beach Boys FAQ has convinced me to go back and listen with a more open mind to these efforts.

Stebbins has found a number of other intriguing avenues to explore besides the “forgotten” works of the group. The chapter titled “Rhonda, Wendy, Caroline…Who Were Those California Girls?” is pretty self-explanatory. Then there are “No Go Showboat: The Beach Boys' Image Problems,” and “The Fun Of Hating Mike Love.” Again these are self-explanatory titles, but the subject matter is not something generally found in other Beach Boys biographies. “The Fun Of Hating Mike Love,” in particular, is hilarious and deadly accurate.

As expected, there are whole chapters devoted to Pet Sounds and Smile, and the book even includes a press release about the release of the original Smile which was issued in March 2011. The Beach Boys FAQ contains a great deal of trivia, such as chapters about their most important live dates, solo albums, and their appearances in TV and film. This is not necessarily the most exhaustive Beach Boys book one will find out there, but it does contain a great deal of information that is not normally present in such accounts. As such, the Beach Boys FAQ is a welcome addition to the canon.

Article first published as Book Review: The Beach Boys FAQ by Jon Stebbins on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Throbbing Gristle - D.O.A.: The Third And Final Report Of Throbbing Gristle

2011-12-09T21:18:00.000-08:00

How far can one stretch the concept of avant-garde before it snaps? When it comes to art, specifically music, what is the final breaking point of “extreme?” Of course the answer is highly subjective, possibly philosophical, and most definitely pointless. And yet…

Those are the types of thoughts I have when listening to Throbbing Gristle’s second album, D.O.A.: The Third And Final Report Of Throbbing Gristle. Nobody who enjoys such “nails-on-chalkboard” fare as Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music or John Coltrane’s Ascension ever admits it, but I will: Part of the fun of listening to this type of music is the sheer macho madness of it all. How much can you take is definitely a part of it. Another is the hilarious over-reactions it inspires in others. The fact that the perpetrators are likely laughing their asses off, as well (while maintaining the straightest of faces), only adds to the overall amusement factor.

All of this is to say that of the three TG studio albums proper, D.O.A. is the most…well, the most. It is not music as noise for the sake of noise, however. There is a method to the madness, and as a musical entity the band show definite growth from their previous Second Annual Report.

Artists to the core, there is a definite symmetry to D.O.A. Lucky 13 is the number of tracks, of which four are solo efforts. I am reminded of Ummagumma by Pink Floyd, which was broken up in a similar fashion. Although there is nothing quite as brilliant as “Several Species Of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together And Grooving With A Pict,” the attempts are still admirable.

Let us begin with the late Peter “Sleazy” Christopherson’s “Valley Of The Shadow Of Death.” It is to the memory of “Sleazy” that the deluxe, two-disc reissues of all five of TG’s original Industrial Records’ releases are dedicated after all. “Valley” is a brutal, spoken-word, tape manipulated piece, which more than lives up to its title.

“Weeping” is Genesis P-Orridge’s starkly terrifying contribution, one which I would advise even the vaguely depressed to avoid for the sake of their own sanity. The subject matter is reportedly his breakup with fellow TG member Cosey Fanni Tutti, and it is a harrowing account. Cosey herself delivers “Hometime,” possibly the most disturbing track on the record. Finally we come to Chris Carter (who Cosey left Genesis for), and his “AB/7A.” The tune reflects his love for both Kraftwerk and ABBA, the latter of which (in their own way) may be the most “extreme” band ever.

The remaining nine tracks are group efforts, recorded at various locations. “Death Threats” is a bit of frivolity from a deranged female “fan,” who seems quite convinced that the British Empire would be best served by the collective murder of TG. The band’s sense of humor remains intact on “United.” This was the single released between the first and second albums. Usually in a case like this, a group would include the single on their next record. TG bowed to convention by putting “United” on D.O.A., albeit in a speeded-up, 16-second version.

“Hamburger Lady” was inspired by a letter describing a burn victim (absolutely gruesome both musically and lyrically). The title track, “Walls Of Sound,” and “Blood On The Floor” stretch the boundaries of what is or is not “pop” music more than anything the band recorded before or since.

The second CD in this special reissue package contains live material recorded in 1978, the year D.O.A. was originally released. Two live versions of album tracks are included, “Hamburger Lady” and “I.B.M.” There is also a treatment of Second Annual Report’s “After Cease To Exist,” titled “New After Cease To Exist Soundtrack.” Other onstage highlights include the powerful tracks “Industrial Muzak” and “Cabaret Voltaire.” The 11-cut second CD closes with their non-LP single of 1978 “We Hate You (Little Girls)” b/w “Five Knuckle Shuffle.”

The five Industrial Records albums that have been reissued as special double-CD editions are The Second Annual Report (1977), D.O.A. (1978), 20 Jazz Funk Greats (1979), Heathen Earth Live (1980), and Greatest Hits (1981). Of these, their second (perversely subtitled Third And Final Report) is the most harrowing and powerful (not to mention disturbing) of the bunch. Although at the time, TG were mistakenly lumped in with the punk movement, they never had anything in common with the safety -pin set.

Their agenda was simultaneously more serious, and more amusing than anything their so-called peers issued that year. D.O.A. has also proven to have a lasting impact, and is a crucial chapter in the development of one of the most influential and important acts of the latter part of the 20th century.

Article first published as Music Review: Throbbing Gristle - D.O.A.: The Third And Final Report Of Throbbing Gristle on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Throbbing Gristle - The Second Annual Report Of Throbbing Gristle

2011-12-09T21:10:00.000-08:00

“Industrial music for industrial people” went the slogan. In 1977, everybody had a slogan. “No future” was a good one; in fact, it was a great one. “Music From The Death Factory,” accompanied by a picture of what looked to be an Auschwitz chimney, was not such a good one. “God Save the Queen,” an anti-royals hit single during the Silver Jubilee, was a hilarious stroke of marketing genius. Releasing a single that same year about the Zyklon B gas used to fuel the Nazi gas chambers—“Zyklon B Zombie"—was not, shall we say, hip, savvy marketing. And the music itself was no prettier.

Throbbing Gristle was the band, and their debut album The Second Annual Report came out on their own Industrial Records in 1977. TG were never remotely “punk” or even what came to later be defined as “industrial,” but they were one of the most important groups to come out of that whole time period. TG really were Artists with a capital “A,” and their vision was unrelentingly dark.

Thirty-four years later, Second Annual Report seems to have seeped out from Eddie Hazel’s guitar strings, and the incantation of George Clinton is evoked in the opening of “Maggot Brain”: “Mother Earth is pregnant for the third time, for you all have knocked her up. I have tasted the maggots of the earth, and was not offended.”

Genesis P-Orridge, Cosey Fanni Tutti, Chris Carter, and Peter “Sleazy” Christopherson found each other in the more extreme strands of the “legitimate” art world. A 1976 show they mounted, titled Prostitution and performed under the rubric of Coum Transmissions, completely scandalized the nation, and led to them being labeled by one paper as “Wreckers Of Civilization.” Check Simon Ford’s book Wreckers Of Civilization for an in-depth study of this event.

It was out of all this that TG was born.

So with all of these bona-fides in place, what exactly were the 785 original purchasers of Second Annual Report in for? Side one of the album opens with “Industrial Introduction,“ a 1:02 aural-oscilloscope which leads into three live versions of “Slug Bait.” Through the magic of editing, the takes from the I.C.A. London, Southampton, and Brighton all blend together as one piece. The four parts of “Maggot Death” begin with a studio version. We continue on with live recordings from the Rat Club in London, Southampton, and Brighton. Side two was the 20-minute soundtrack of the Coum Transmissions film After Cease To Exist. Think of some of the stranger post-Syd Barrett Pink Floyd moments from albums such as Ummagumma or Atom Heart Mother, and you have a starting point for this unexpectedly ambient excursion.

For many years, Mute Records had licensed the TG Industrial Records catalog for release, but that agreement came to an end last year. In honor of the late Christoferson, the surviving members of the band have remastered and reissued the original albums in deluxe packages. These include booklets featuring ephemera from the time period and full liner notes.

Each release also includes a second CD with live material and any singles from the era. In the case of Second Annual Report, there are seven live tracks, recorded between 1976-77, as well as both sides of their 1977 single.

“No Two Ways” was recorded live at the Hat Fair, Winchester in 1976. It is a raw, driving lo-fi journey into noise, and is representative of what these sound-terrorists excelled at. The remaining six live cuts were all recorded in 1977, at various locations. “Tesco Disco,” and “Urge To Kill” are particularly noteworthy.
The non-LP single released at the tail end of the year, “United” b/w “Zyklon B Zombie,” is another example of TG’s penchant for the unexpected. “United” is a surprisingly radio-friendly bit of early synth-pop. It would have been a beautiful thing if the football team of Genesis’ hometown (Manchester United) had adopted it as their theme song. “Zyklon B Zombie” is as ugly as its subject matter.

TG’s example and influence have been enormous over the years. They were prime movers in what RE/Search Publications called Industrial Culture, which includes SPK, Monte Cazazza, and Survival Research Laboratories, among others. These uncompromising artists may not have originated confrontation as a method of expression, but they carried on the tradition in a remarkably effective way.

Second Annual Report is where it all began.

Article first published as Music Review: Throbbing Gristle - The Second Annual Report Of Throbbing Gristle on Blogcritics.

Book Review: If You Like The Sopranos: Here Are Over 150 Movies, TV Shows, and Other Oddities That You Will Love by Leonard Pierce

2011-12-09T20:59:00.001-08:00

Of all the classic takes on the Mob, be them in the movies or on television - The Sopranos holds a special place. The show revolutionized both the way the Mafia is presented, and the very nature of TV itself. If You Like The Sopranos: Here Are Over 150 Movies, TV Shows, and Other Oddities That You Will Love is part of the If You Like series from Limelight Books. As the title suggests, this is book contains a number various films and shows that fans of The Sopranos may be interested in.

That description is the short version of what this book is all about. What If You Like The Sopranos really provides is something of a timeline, which traces the evolution of the media’s treatment of the Mafa through the twentieth century and beyond. We begin with the early movies such as Little Caesar (1931) and the original Scarface (1932). Author Leonard Pierce draws the parallels between Tony Soprano, and the characters played by Edward G. Robinson, and James Cagney in these pre-Code films.

The rise of Film Noir is next discussed, and as Pierce points out, the show had plenty of Noir-ish moments - especially in the dream sequences. The code of an outlaw family was the next big development, played out in movies such as Bonnie and Clyde (1967), and of course The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974), not to mention GoodFellas (1990).

The developments in television are also scrutinized, from the obvious The Untouchables, to the rise of the nighttime soaps. The rise of the running “story-arc” of such hits as Dallas and Dynasty in the eighties was a huge factor in establishing the format of The Sopranos. Perhaps most importantly was the development of HBO itself, without which - a series like The Sopranos would never have existed. As Pierce sees it, a perfect storm came together to spawn the show, and the timing of the debut in 1999 could not have been better.

After a discussion of The Sopranos itself, Pierce goes on to explore serial television post-Tony. These include such critical favorites as Deadwood, Mad Men, and Breaking Bad. The final chapter is titled “Welcome To America: Crime Drama For A New Millennium.” This intriguing section concerns other media, such as games (Grand Theft Auto), music (A Prince Among Theives by Prince Paul) and even books (the Underworld USA trilogy by James Ellroy).

As advertised, If You Like The Sopranos talks about a great number of films and TV shows (for the most part) that fans of the program should find interesting. There is a lot of good information packed into this relatively concise book.

Article first published as Book Review: If You Like The Sopranos: Here Are Over 150 Movies, TV Shows, and Other Oddities That You Will Love by Leonard Pierce on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Phil Spector - The Essential Phil Spector

2011-12-09T10:34:00.001-08:00

When all has been said and done, and you wonder if there really was anything there in the first place, just go back and listen to the music. It’s all there, just as he left it. For a few short years, Phil Spector managed to catch lightning in a bottle. He was a genius in the studio, without question. He was also quite mad, as we found out later.

As hard as it is to separate the man from the music though, we must. And with the new two-CD Essential Phil Spector collection, the full power of the mad genius in his prime comes flooding back. The set distills 11 years of recording down to 35 indispensable tracks. In contrast to the comprehensive seven-disc box set Phil Spector Presents The Philles Album Collection, The Essential contains not a hint of filler.

We begin in 1958, with The Teddy Bears’ “To Know Him Is To Love Him.” The trio consisted of Marshall Leib, Annette Kleinbard (later Carol Connors), and the 17 year old Phil Spector. It was recorded (appropriately enough) at Gold Star Studios - which he would put on the map as the hottest studio in L.A. In the early years, Spector also spent time recording in New York, where he co-wrote and arranged (uncredited) Ben E. King’s majestic “Spanish Harlem.”

Great things were happening for Phil on both coasts, but for many fans, the ultimate expression of his talent was found when he combined the two. When Spector brought The Ronettes out west to Gold Star, they created one of the greatest rock ‘n roll songs of all time with “Be My Baby.” It is a teenage pop symphony, and captures Spector at an all-time peak. From what I understand, it haunts Brian Wilson to this day.
Spector had a way with “girl groups.” His work with The Crystals on “He’s A Rebel” is another major highlight, as is everything he did with Darlene Love. Then he turned his sights toward the blue-eyed soul of The Righteous Brothers. “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” and “Unchained Melody” are both included here, along with the slightly lesser known “Ebb Tide.”

Legend has it that the relative failure of Ike and Tina Turner’s “River Deep, Mountain High” was the final nail in the coffin of the fragile young Spector’s ego. Who’s to say? It is a fantastic production, and the fact that the track never caught on commercially is just one of those inexplicable things. That was in 1966, but contrary to popular belief, Phil kept at it. The final track on The Essential is from 1969, “Black Pearl,” by Sonny Charles And The Checkmates Ltd.

Obviously a great deal has gone on in Phil Spector’s life since 1969. He famously recorded The Beatles, and John Lennon solo - not to mention The Ramones’ End Of The Century in 1980. Then there were the guns, the terrorism of Ronnie Spector…the stories are frightening, sad, and ugly.

Then you go back and listen to The Essential Phil Spector again, and just marvel at what once was. It was an amazing run.

Article first published as Music Review: Phil Spector - The Essential Phil Spector on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Ray Charles - Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles Box Set

2011-12-09T10:21:00.000-08:00

There was a period of time in the late seventies when Ray Charles was “on the shelf,” so to speak. Just about every major artist goes through a period when they are out of favor for a while, it’s just the nature of the beast. Ask Johnny Cash, Springsteen, or U2 for that matter. While preparing to review the new Ray Charles box set, Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles, I had a look at what Dave Marsh had to say about Charles in 1978. In essence, his opinion was that Ray had committed virtual artistic suicide by leaving Atlantic Records for ABC-Paramount in 1959.

Wow. Maybe the guy was suffering from some form of rock-crit inferiority complex or something, because nothing could be further from the truth. The set contains 106 tracks, laid out over the course of five CDs, and presents a pretty convincing case that Ray’s time with ABC-Paramount Records was one of the strongest and most productive associations of his career.

Almost immediately, Ray recorded (one of) his signature songs with “Georgia On My Mind” at ABC. In fact, “Georgia” reached number one in the U.S. in November of 1960, just a year after he signed with the label. Granted, “Georgia” is far more middle of the road than the rollicking R&B numbers such as “What’d I Say,” or “Mess Around” he laid down at Atlantic. But Ray never abandoned that material either. See “Hit The Road, Jack” (1961) for starters.

There was so much more to what Ray Charles accomplished on ABC though than just the hits (although there were plenty of those). This is where both volumes of his landmark Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music were recorded, for one thing. Maybe more significantly, in that era of massive civil rights unrest, Ray Charles was treated as a major artist by the label. He was one of the first (black or otherwise) musicians to be given artistic control by his record label. Even The Beatles had to fight hard for that right.

Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles is brilliant in its simplicity. It contains every 45 RPM single (both A and B sides) released by the label from 1960 - 1972. What a way to follow a man’s career. Arguments can be made that there were interesting LP-only tracks that are omitted, but who cares? That is not the point of this set. The point is that this collection holds 106 absolutely prime Ray Charles songs, and that is good enough for me.

Article first published as Music Review: Ray Charles - Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles Box Set on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Keith Jarrett - Rio

2011-12-09T10:16:00.000-08:00

Greek philosopher Heraclitus is credited with stating; “The only constant is change,” some 2500 years ago. Although Ancient Greece is a far cry from Allentown, PA - it would seem that pianist Keith Jarrett has lived by Heraclitus’ dictum since he began playing professionally in the mid -sixties. After an acclaimed stint with Miles Davis, Jarrett began recording for the ECM label, and it is there that he has enjoyed his greatest success.

Beginning with the enormously popular The Koln Concert in 1975, Keith Jarrett’s uncanny ability to improvise full solo concerts has been remarkable. There really is nobody else in music working like this. Rio is his latest, a souvenir of the concert he gave in Rio de Janeiro in April 2011.

This two-CD set commemorates the first time Mr. Jarrett had appeared in the region in over two decades. The nature of performing a 100% spontaneously improvised set is so unique that it can never be duplicated. Interestingly enough, where Keith’s hands took him that April day in the wonderful acoustics of Rio’s Theatro Municpal, is to a series of 15 relatively short spaces.

While the times of each track vary, they average around six minutes. This is a far cry from 30-minute plus pieces on Sun Bear and other seventies-era recordings, but in line with something like his relatively recent Paris/London: Testament.

His compositions at the Theatro were nothing if not inclusive. We find Keith Jarrett exploring a wide variety of styles throughout the 15 cuts. These include excursions into what some may consider a more “traditional” jazz sound, as well as forays into other, more personal realms. As a listener, I find it fascinating how Keith can remind me one moment of the intense lyricism of a Bill Evans, then quickly move into a dissonance worthy of Ornette Coleman. And in keeping with his all-inclusive musical approach, Jarrett seems to highlight everything in between, even at the same time.

Rio is like the ultimate soundtrack to what Keith Jarrett was thinking/feeling that April day in Brazil, just a few months ago. It is beautiful, challenging, rewarding, and most of all just a very enjoyable two hours of music to listen to. The fans on hand made their appreciation obvious, and I will too. This is another wonderful document of one of the great musical minds of our era, hard at work.

Absolutely recommended for fans of Keith Jarrett, solo acoustic piano music, or both.

Article first published as Music Review: Keith Jarrett - Rio on Blogcritics.

Music DVD Review: The Definitive Miles Davis at Montreux 1973-1991

2011-12-09T10:06:00.001-08:00

Since Miles Davis’ passing in 1991, there have been a great deal of compilations and box sets released. The ultimate CD version has to be Sony’s 71-disc The Complete Columbia Collection. On the DVD front however, there has never been anything quite like the new Definitive Miles Davis At Montreux 1973-1991. This limited edition, ten-DVD collection of performances at the venerated festival is incredible, and an absolute must for every serious Miles fan.

The first disc is from his 1973 appearance, and captures Miles at a very interesting point in his ever-changing musical progression. After defining fusion with Bitches Brew in 1970, and A Tribute To Jack Johnson in 1971, Miles had moved into a very deep rhythmic arena. On The Corner was the title of the album, and was completely misunderstood by just about everyone for years.

One of the tunes that did not make the LP, but was later issued as part of the compilation Big Fun was “Ife.” Davis and his band work out a powerful 27-minute version of the tune here. It is a fascinating performance, full of surprises for everyone - including Miles himself at times. Nearly 90 minutes of interviews with such colleagues as Carlos Santana, Herbie Hancock, Charlie Haden, and Stanley Clarke (among others) follow, bringing the DVD up to a good two hours worth of content.

As his fans know, the following years were difficult ones for Miles Davis. He was in a serious accident, and while recuperating from that he went into a heavy period of drug use. It would be 11 years before he returned to the Montreux stage.

On July 8, 1984 Miles played two full sets. A glance at the song list reveals two very similar shows, but with Miles Davis, no two appearances were ever the same. Most of the tracks hail from his recent albums Decoy and Star People. In both the afternoon and evening concerts, “Star People” is an early highlight. Miles also performs the Cyndi Lauper tune “Time After Time,” which would be a key track of the forthcoming You’re Under Arrest LP. His version of the pop song was controversial in some quarters, but such concerns had little affect on Miles. The ballad remained in his set for the rest of his life.

The Montreux Jazz Festival had a standing rule that the same artist would not be booked for consecutive years. This was thrown out the window in the case of Miles Davis. He not only graced the stage on July 14, 1985 - he would again play twice on the same day. He was enjoying a peak period in his resurgence, both live and in the studio. This year also saw the recording of two albums, You’re Under Arrest, and Aura. He and the band burned up the Montreux stage during both concerts that day as well.

The opening medley alone is worth the price of admission: “Theme From Jack Johnson; One Phone Call/ Street Scenes; That’s What Happened.” The group then swings into “Star People,” a version of Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature,” John McLaughlin’s “Pacific Express,” and many others over the course of this over two hour performance. The evening’s set is just as powerful. It would also be the last time Miles played twice on the same day at the festival.

Although they only performed once on July 17, 1986 - the band Miles Davis assembled that year was one of his most memorable. For this show, Miles brought in guitarist Robben Ford, keyboardist George Duke, and alto saxist David Sanborn. The results are a spellbinding two-hour concert.

For the 1988, 1989, and 1990 shows, Miles and his band were as strong as ever. It is clear that the Prince of Darkness had found his muse at Montreux, it is a place that clearly inspires him. All three of these appearances highlight material from his final phase, when he was recording for the Warner Bros. label. His interest in keyboards, and collaborations with Marcus Miller are the driving forces.

What is likely Miles Davis’ single most famous concert was his performance at Montreux on July 8, 1991. This is one of his last shows, as he would pass away a mere three months later. For the only time in his career, Miles looked back - to honor the memory of the late Gil Evans. With Quincy Jones conducting the orchestra, Miles played tunes from the classic Evans-arranged albums Birth of the Cool, Miles Ahead, Porgy and Bess, and Sketches of Spain. It was a one of a kind night, and Miles is in amazing form, even in his obviously frail state.

When the 20-CD collection The Complete Miles Davis at Montreux 1973-1991 box was released in 2002, it created quite a stir. The music he made at every festival appearance was superb, and the 1991 Gil Evans tribute was rightly hailed as a one of a kind performance. But to see the Master at work onstage is something else again. And to now have a set containing all ten Montreux concerts is unbelievable.

The Definitive Miles Davis at Montreux 1973-1991 DVD box is a magnificent tribute to the man with the horn, and one that is not likely to be topped anytime soon.

Article first published as Music DVD Review: The Definitive Miles Davis at Montreux 1973-1991 on Blogcritics.

DVD Review: Brideshead Revisited - 30th Anniversary Edition

2011-10-30T14:57:00.000-07:00

It has been thirty years now since Brideshead Revisited originally aired on the British ITV network. The landmark Granada mini-series was big in every sense of the word. The production took a full two years to be realized, and featured an amazing cast, including Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir John Gielgud, Clair Bloom and Jane Asher, to mention a few. It also launched the career of Jeremy Irons, in his role as Charles Ryder. Brideshead originally aired in 11 parts, and had the country spellbound for the duration of its run. The response was similar when later shown in Canada and the United States. To this day, Brideshead Revisited is considered one of the greatest British series of all time.

The first thing one notices about Brideshead is the pace. This is a big story, told on an even bigger canvas, and nobody is rushing anything. The titular estate, Brideshead is enormous, and absolutely beautiful. Even today, it feels like such a privalige to be able to bask in the sumptuous landscapes and buildings of the property. You truly feel as if you have been transported to a different world.

The series is based on the book by Evelyn Waugh, first published in 1945. The opening scene finds us with Army captain Charles Ryder in 1944, who is establishing a secret Brigade Headquarters at Brideshead. It is a place he had not been to in years, and holds great significance for him. While gazing at the rolling lawns and enormous buildings, Captain Ryder is transported back to 1922, when he first met Sebastian Flyte, whose family owned the home.

Sebastian and Charles became great friends while students at Oxford all those years ago, and the series proceeds from 1922 all the way up to 1944, following their lives and those around them. It is a story of deep love and respect, for Charles became a surrogate brother to Sebastian, and virtual member of the Marchmain family.

Through Charles’ eyes, we see this family of great wealth living the aristocratic life, seemingly without a care in the world for many years. Of course, there are so many deceptions, and disappointments along the way that it takes a seventeen-hour mini-series to do the story justice. An underlying tenet of the book was the Catholicism of the Marchmains, which is shown to be a source of hope, pain, hypocrisy, and finally something in which Charles Ryder is unable to grasp. The simple leap of faith that happens at the end of the patriarch’s life, and an event nobody but his daughter believed would ever happen.

Brideshead Revisited was unlike any previous mini-series or “soap.” In fact, the care and expense that went into each episode is so deep, that they come across as individual films rather than chapters of a TV series. Although the subject matter is quite different, what it reminds me of in many ways is a show that came along 20 years later, The Sopranos. The quality really is that high.

Having never read Waugh’s Brideshead, I can only say that I was spellbound by the adaptation. Quite frankly, I did not realize that anyone was working this hard, and this well in British television 30 years ago. Brideshead really and truly is a magnificent accomplishment.

Included in this Acorn Media 30th Anniversary package of Brideshead Revisited are a wealth of extras, including a wonderful 2006 documentary on the making of the series, titled Revisiting Brideshead. There are also commentaries, photo galleries, and a viewer’s guide.

In the end, Brideshead Revisited won a total of 17 international awards, including an Emmy for Sir Laurence Olivier. It has also been voted the tenth greatest British program of all time. Frankly, it is about the best one I have ever seen. Do yourself a favor and take the journey to Brideshead, it is a world unlike any other, and a deeply satisfying series.

Article first published as DVD Review: Brideshead Revisited - 30th Anniversary Edition on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Bachman-Turner Overdrive - Not Fragile (24K+ Gold CD Edition)

2011-10-30T14:01:00.000-07:00

This may be my ultimate “guilty pleasure” album. Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s Not Fragile was one of the first LPs I ever saved up my allowance to buy, down at the old Pay ‘N Save drugstore. It was a tough choice between this and Road Food by The Guess Who. “Clap For The Wolfman” rocked, but it was no “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet.”

At the time, I had no idea that Randy Bachman used to be in The Guess Who; I just liked BTO better. Looking back however, it is a little strange. Reportedly, Bachman left TGW because of his Mormonism - evidently they partied too much. Yet Not Fragile was one of the hardest rock albums of 1974. And you know what? It still sounds great.

With the replacement of Tim Bachman by Blair Thornton on second lead guitar, the five-piece completely gelled. Both Randy Bachman and Fred Turner wrote some of their finest material for this album, which went all the way to number one. Thornton proved his songwriting mettle right off as well, with “Free Wheelin.” It was the instrumental B-side to “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet,” and is credited with giving the single a second life. The song had fallen to number 34 after hitting number one, then rose to number eight when disc jockeys began playing the flipside. On the album, “Free Wheelin” is listed as “Dedicated to Duane.”

In another bit of BTO trivia, I gotta say I love the origins of the title. Not Fragile is a blunt, blue-collar response to prog, as in being “Not” Fragile by Yes. The crate of gearshifts on the cover makes it pretty clear that these guys are no panty-waist art rockers anyway, and BTO fans call themselves “Gearheads” to this day.

With cuts like the title track, “Roll On Down The Highway,” and “Blue Moanin,” Not Fragile was Bachman-Turner Overdrive’s finest moment. To put it into context, I would compare it to Def Leppard’s Pyromania, which came out in 1983. Both were state of the art hard rock, perfect for radio and one of the few that both men and women agreed on without hesitation. Listening to the album today, it sounds effortlessly clean all the way through. Yet that was an illusion. BTO had a couple more hits later on, but they would never repeat the success of this one.

I think I need to take back that “guilty pleasure” distinction. There is no guilt in digging Not Fragile; it’s a classic. To that end, it is the latest 24K + Gold Edition CD from the Audio Fidelity label. In this process, the top layer of the CD is made out of real gold, rather than the standard and often imperfect aluminum. The end result is a remarkably clean and “warm” sounding disc, with the original analog depth intact.

I find it to be a delicious irony that a record which probably sold more on 8-Track tape than any other has been given this audiophile treatment. But Not Fragile is certainly as deserving of the approach as any other, for it was one of the best albums of that era. Now if we can just get those folks at Audio Fidelity to work on Road Food, we’ll really have 1974 covered.

Article first published as Music Review: Bachman-Turner Overdrive - Not Fragile (24K+ Gold CD Edition) on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Stefano Battaglia Trio - The River of Anyder

2011-10-30T13:51:00.000-07:00

The Anyder River is the largest river in Sir Thomas More’s Utopia, and provides pure water for the island’s inhabitants. It also provides an evocative title for Italian pianist Stefano Battaglia’s latest collection of music, as the compositions themselves have a purity all their own. As Battaglia states, “I set myself the task of writing songs and dances uninfluenced by the sophistication of contemporary musical languages, striving to shape pieces that might have been played on archaic instruments a thousand years ago. I think of it as a kind of music before the idioms.”

Along with Salvatore Majore (double-bass) and Roberto Dani (drums), Battaglia has indeed reached into a mythical past for the ten compositions that make up The River of Anyder. There is a timelessness to a piece such as “Arayat Dance” that is undeniable. In the opening segment, Majore’s bass is played to sound as exotic as a sitar, while Battaglia and Dani hang back. Later Stefano’s piano comes in to take full command of the song, with Roberto’s crashing cymbals in seeming full acquiescence.

The titles come from mythical places such as Tolkien’s Minas Tirith, Sir Francis Drake’s Bensalem, and legendary lands such as Ararat. Each piece evokes a particular sound, very different from the other. Battaglia seems to have a wealth of textures at his disposal, which serves him well. There are far too many musicians who have only one way of playing. This is not to condemn anyone’s “signature” style; it is just to say that on The River of Anyder, Battaglia manages to continuously find different inspirations which render the various titles a special significance. The names serve a deeper purpose than as simply randomly chosen imagery.

The prevailing mode of the River of Anyder is that of a jazz trio, although that is a very trite description. Like most of what ECM releases, there is so much more going on in the music than these simple descriptive terms are ever able to convey. The River of Anyder is as much a spiritual journey as it is a CD of great music. Battaglia underscores this in the included booklet by presenting excerpts from such beautiful minds as Rumi, Rimbaud, Hildegard con Bingen and the Black Elk of the Oglala Sioux. We are offered an eclectic mix of philosophy and literature, which perfectly mirrors the blend of musical styles that fill the record.

On a quiet autumn day like today, there is a magic to this music, and to the words that accompany it as well. If the River of Anyder provided pure water for the Utopians, Battaglia’s River of Anyder provides a purity of sound for the rest of us.

Article first published as Music Review: Stefano Battaglia Trio - The River of Anyder on Blogcritics.

Music Review: The Gurdjieff Folk Instruments Ensemble - Music of Georges I. Gurdjieff

2011-10-30T13:43:00.000-07:00

George Ivanovich Gurdjieff (1866-1949) was born in Armenia, and set out to explore the mystery of human existence at a young age. His search took him from Armenia, to the Middle East, Central Asia, India, and North Africa. The folk music, sacreds, rituals, and dance he absorbed on these travels would come to serve him well. Settling down in the 1920s, Gurdjieff dictated some 300 melodies to his pupil Thomas de Hartmann.

Gurdjieff’s most prolific writing period coincided during the biggest upheavals of modern times, World Wars I and II. Drawing from a variety of world religions, his constant quest was to find a way for man to coexist in a peaceful manner. But maybe all of his writings were for naught, because what he achieved musically seemed to render this goal plausible by itself.

Nowhere can this be better heard than on The Gurdjieff Folk Instruments Ensemble’s Music of Georges I. Gurdjieff. The thirteen-piece ensemble is led by director Levon Eskenian, and play a wide variety of non-traditional instruments. Although Gurdjieff’s music has been recorded by various artists over the years, including Keith Jarrett’s Sacred Hymns in 1980, most have been piano recitations.

The Music Of Georges I. Gurdjieff is much more “authentic” sounding with the use of such traditional instruments as the duduk, blul, oud canon, kamancha and others. All 17 tracks on this album are relatively short, and work in a variety of capacities. For one, there is just the pure enjoyment of hearing many of these ancient, soothing hymns, chants, and songs played as they were meant to be played. There is a “world music” element to this, but not in the pretentious manner that term often connotes. Rather, the pieces are heard in a much more organic way. You see, when Gurdjieff was traveling, he was memorizing these tunes, then having them transcribed later. So none of these ever feel like field recordings.

The second manner in which this Music can be heard is as a wonderful accompaniment to the writings of Gurdjieff. While he loved music and travel, the true quest for him was a spiritual one. It seems his hope was to find either the “one true answer” or construct it out of the various religions he studied.

In any case, he music he returned with, and has been recorded by the Gurdjieff Folk Instruments Ensemble is fascinating, and a great introduction to one of the true Renaissance men of the early twentieth century.

Article first published as Music Review: The Gurdjieff Folk Instruments Ensemble - Music of Georges I. Gurdjieff on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Chick Corea / Stefano Bollani - Orvieto

2011-10-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

Chick Corea has long been a master of improvisation. Whether in a solo or group context, his abilities to create magic out of thin air have never failed to impress. He also pioneered the relatively recent development of two-piano improvisation, by working with players such as Herbie Hancock, Friedrich Gulda, Nicolas Economou, and Gonzalo Rubalcaba. For his first ECM recording in 27 years, Corea was teamed with Stefano Bollani for an advanced class in two-piano improvisation.

The two have been playing together since 2009, mostly at Italian jazz festivals. The performances captured on Orvieto are from the Umbria Jazz Winter Festival, where the duo played several nights of concerts. The musical program they have chosen reflects their eclectic roots. Between such Corea/Bollani originals as the opening “Orvieto Impression No. 1” and closing “Blues In F,” the pair cover a great deal of stylistic ground.

The first of these is the bossa nova king Antonio Carlos Jobim, and his “Retrato Em Branco E Preto.” Corea and Bollani’s fingers seem to dance around each other in the first few bars of the tune, then settle in for a riveting display of the melody, all the while never losing sight of what the other is doing. The near-telepathic interplay between the two is fully on display here. As Bollani has stated, “It is as if one mind were controlling four hands.”

An early highlight comes when the two tackle Fats Waller’s classic “Jitterbug Waltz.” The tune has always been a great piano showcase, and in this environment, both Corea and Bollani give it their all. Another universally acclaimed jazz legend is Miles Davis, and he is honored here with a rendition of “Nardis.”

Both Chick Corea and Stefano Bollani seem to have been looking toward South America a bit this night. They include a second Antonio Carlos Jobim track here, “Este Seu Olhar,” as well as a Corea original, “Armando’s Rhumba.”

With their concluding “Blues In F,” the two finish as they began, with some wonderfully inventive improvisation. Their styles run the artistic gamut and are on display not only on this final piece, but throughout the 75-minute concert. Chick Corea and Stefano Bollani are both outstanding improvisers, and the proof of it is right here on Orvieto. Here’s hoping they get out of Italy for a bit, and bring some of this magic to a US tour soon.

Article first published as Music Review: Chick Corea / Stefano Bollani - Orvieto on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Ricardo Villalobos & Max Loderbauer - Re: ECM

2011-10-30T13:31:00.000-07:00

There have been plenty of unusual releases this year, but so far nothing has surprised me as much as Re: ECM. Berlin-based Djs Ricardo Villalobos and Max Loderbauer have reimagined 17 tracks from the acclaimed label, to create a truly unique set. They use the term “sound-structures” rather than “remixes” to describe their work, but the terminology is academic. What the duo have achieved with these jazz and new music compositions is to cast them in a whole new light. The results are a striking blend of tape loops, minimal beats, instrument sounds, and silence.

“Immersing oneself in the productions of ECM, one learns a lot about the optimum sound experience. We too have the paramount rule of making no compromises where sound is concerned.” say Villalobos and Loderbauer.

Of the seventeen tracks contained on Re: ECM, I certainly do not hear any compromises. What the mixmasters have fashioned here could never be mistaken for dance music, but Re: ECM is quite possible the ultimate chill-out record.

This is by no means the first ECM album to utilize electronically manipulated sounds to achieve a goal. Nils-Petter Molvaer’s remixed Khmer from 2007 comes immediately to mind. There are are also catalog releases by the Music Improvisation Company and Karlheinz Stockhausen to be considered. But Re: ECM is the first to take a various artists approach, and to allow outside Djs to do as they please with the original takes.

The duo were careful in their choices. “We chose specific ECM productions that offered parts where instruments, voices/choirs, and atmospheres were self-sufficient and isolated in the room,” they say. The use of ECM as source material could not have been more logical then, seeing as how one of producer Manfred Eicher’s stated goals with each recording is to fully utilize the dynamics of sound and silence in the studio.

To this end, Re: ECM becomes far more than just an assemblage of doctored tracks, but rather a journey unto itself. Whether initially planned this way, or the result of happy coincidence, the two-disc set has a definite structure about it.

The minimalistic approach of the first track, “Reblop” (Christian Wallumrod) sets the stage nicely. This begins with an interesting piano loop, morphing into a great, stand-alone piece by the end. This introduction to the record works perfectly as it shows what Villalobos and Loderbauer are working towards, without being so radical as to completely derail the project.

From there we venture into ambient territory for a time, and are slowly introduced to some minimal beats. These are used as tastefully and discreetly as any other element, and add a great deal to pieces such as “Rensenada,” (Bennie Maupin), and “Reblazhenstva,” (Alexander Knaifel). As the set continues, things become a bit darker. The ever-present ambient tone takes on a more sinister character during “Retikhiy,” (Alexander Knaifel), and “Rekondakiom,” (Arvo Part).

The works of composers Christian Wallumrod and Alexander Knaifel seem particularly suited to the method of Villalobos and Loderbauer, as they utilize five and four songs from each respectively. Placing the two composers back to back to conclude the set seems to wind things up in a suitably perverse fashion. Knaifel’s “Resole” has a soothing, almost transcendent tone which eases ones mind in a satisfying way. The duo clearly did not wish for the experience to end on such a note however, as their treatments of Wallumrod’s “Redetach” display. My nickname for this one is “ECM Nervosa.”

Re: ECM is another unexpected release from the people at this endlessly intriguing label. It is definitely one worth checking into for fans of ambient music, chill-out, and most especially of the label itself.

Article first published as Music Review: Ricardo Villalobos & Max Loderbauer - Re: ECM on Blogcritics.

DVD Review: Sounds And Silence: Travels With Manfred Eicher

2011-10-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

The ECM (Edition of Contemporary Music) record label is now in its 42nd
year, and remains as mysterious and uncompromising as ever. This is primarily due to the fact that ECM is a nearly total reflection of founder Manfred Eicher. In fact, there has never been a label that has enjoyed such long-term success, while retaining an owner's hands-on approach as ECM.

In an attempt to understand this enigmatic music figure, filmmakers Peter Guyer and Norbert Wiedmer followed Eicher across Europe, and to South America, capturing him working with a number of artists. Their film Sounds And Silence: Travels With Manfred Eicher is a fascinating glimpse of life behind the curtain.

The movie begins with rehearsals in the medieval St. Nicholas church of Tallin, where Arvo Part and Manfred are working to achieve the optimum sound for an upcoming performance. Their association dates back to 1984, when ECM’s New Music series was launched with Part’s Tabula Rasa.

From Estonia, we follow Manfred to rehearsals in Athens, then to The Prince Regent’s Theatre in Munich, and then to the Serassi Cinema Theatre in the Italian town of Bergamo. Mr. Eicher then boards a plane to Argentina, where we are introduced to a very different world. In all of these encounters, Manfred Eicher is seen studying, listening, and offering quiet suggestions as to how the sound may be perfected. At times, this may be through the use of silence even, which is where the film gets its title.

In the midst of these travels, Manfred also ventures home to Munich and the headquarters of ECM. The austere offices are striking for their sterility. For a company that specializes in music as passionate as that of ECM, it is a bit of a shock. The building seems better suited to a meeting of the Politburo than to a creative endeavor. It seems to be an integral part of the ECM enigma however, appearances aside.

Among the many artists Manfred works with over the course of this 87-minute documentary are Marilyn Mazur, Jan Garbarek, Dino Saluzzi and Anja Lechner. Each of these musicians have very unique sounds, yet as Greek composer Eleni Karaindrou notes, “Wherever Manfred works, he is one hundred percent involved. That is the nature of his passion. He devotes himself to the moment and is entirely committed to the artist he is recording.”

The recent DVD release of the film includes some bonus materials. These feature a video (of sorts) for Manu Katche’s “Playground,” and the original theatrical trailer.

For those who have followed this remarkable label, and have been as curious as I have about the man behind it all, Sounds And Silence is indispensable.

Article first published as DVD Review: Sounds And Silence: Travels With Manfred Eicher on Blogcritics.

Peter Koppes: Australia’s Cinematic Master Of The Guitar

2011-10-30T13:03:00.000-07:00

Peter Koppes is a founding member of one of Australia’s finest rock bands, The Church. Over the course of their 31 year career, the group has experienced their fair share of ups and downs. One thing that has never wavered however, is their dedication to the music. To this end, in addition to his work with the band, Koppes has recorded two EPs and five albums of solo material, and is presently hard at work on his sixth.

The recent two-disc Misty Heights & Cloudy Myths collects 33 tracks of Koppes' solo work, and serves as a handy introduction to some of his best material. The music is of a much more personal nature than his collaborative efforts with The Church. One thing that is immediately noticeable is the incredible variety of atmospheres and textures that inform these songs.

What I found striking was just how suitable so many of his recordings seem to be for use in television and film. When asked about this this, Koppes says, “my publishers have always asked me to send my instrumentals in to be presented that way, which is something I am finally beginning to do.”

His instrumentals would definitely do the trick. Take “Grasshrooms” for instance. Described as “a testament of the ingredients alluded to by the title, especially the crossing over chromatic movement in the middle section,” it is fairly trippy, but not in an off-putting way. Koppes' pop sensibilities are far too deeply ingrained for anything like that to ever happen.

More to the point would be the cinematic quality of songs such as “Caravan” and “Arabia” off the Water Rites album. The time he spent in Morocco in 1978 apparently had a lasting effect on him. Both of these tracks exude a haunting whiff of Middle Eastern intrigue. In fact, nearly everything on Water Rites has a larger than life element that practically cries out to be paired with celluloid.

What he seems most excited about today is a new guitar device he has been using, which apparently is very similar to the one Neil Young employs on his latest album Le Noise. “It is a special harmonizing effect that produces something of an orchestral sound,” says Koppes. “I am using it in a very folk-music direction, and adding this modern guitar/orchestra sound to it. It sounds something like a Mellotron, in fact.”

Koppes’ devotion to music has been a nearly life-long pursuit. In addition to guitar, he plays bass, drums, piano, mandolin, and is now learning bass recorder. He is also teaching music on a one-on-one basis, which seems to give him a great deal of joy. “It is one of the most beautiful things I have done,” he says, “teaching music to children.”

Even with The Church off the road for the moment, he is still gigging. His most recent “show” was as his kindergarten-aged son’s school, where he performed Joan Jett’s “I Love Rock ’N Roll” for a rapt audience of youngsters.

This is not to imply that he has lost his interest in more adult oriented music. He plays drums for Psychedelia, a side band. They stick to small gigs in and around his hometown in Australia, playing a mix of classic psyschedelic music such as the legendary phased-out “The Real Thing” by Russell Morris, a huge Aussie hit in 1969.

It was songs like those that prompted Peter and Steve Kilbey to form their first band in 1974. They called themselves Precious Little, and were something of a glam-rock affair. But psychedelic music was never far away from Koppes’ mind, as evidenced by his continuing development of a guitar sound that added much more to the music than simply notes and chords.

I have been a fan of Koppes’ since first hearing “The Unguarded Moment” on the local college radio station way back in 1982. His playing is incredibly expressive, and is an essential component of their sound. While The Church are anything but a “formula” band, their music is by definition collaborative. This is one of the reasons why many of us are such fans of his solo material; it allows him complete freedom to indulge a virtually unlimited sonic palette.

Maybe Hollywood will one day take notice of this. Based on his huge body of work over the past 31 years, I think Koppes could have an extraordinary second career making music for television or film. For now though, we have Misty Heights & Cloudy Memories. It is a fantastic glimpse into the musical soul of one of Australia’s finest musicians. And its remarkable Technicolor qualities are designed to take you just about anywhere you wish to go.

Whether Koppes is eventually accepted by the Hollywood film community or not, he is living well on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. Between kindergarten gigs, small shows with Psychedelia, and teaching guitar to young students, he appears a happy man. Of course if all else fails, he can always go back to The Church, who are second only to AC/DC as musical ambassadors from the land down under.

Article first published as Peter Koppes: Australia’s Cinematic Master Of The Guitar on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Vladimir Horowitz - Horowitz Plays Liszt

2011-10-30T12:55:00.000-07:00

October 22, 2011 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Franz Liszt. The Hungarian-born pianist was revered in his time as perhaps the greatest who had ever lived. Liszt was also a composer, conductor, and teacher. It could be argued that Liszt was the first “rock star” as well. When he heard that plans for a Beethoven monument were in danger of being scrapped due to lack of funds, he began touring incessantly. He performed across Europe for eight years, and became supremely popular.

In fact, it was during this time that a new, and very strange phenomena first occurred. Newspapers called it “Lisztmania,” and it swept the Continent. Hysterical women fought over his silk handkerchiefs and velvet gloves, which were torn to pieces to become souvenirs. It is said that his electrifying stage presence led his audience into a nearly hypnotic state. While two centuries may have lessened this type of rabid devotion, the passage of time has not at all diminished his influence in classical music.

In honor of this bicentennial of Liszt‘s birth, Sony Classical is celebrating with a slew of Liszt releases. One of these is the brilliant four-disc Horowitz Plays Liszt collection. It is a masterful pairing, as Vladimir Horowitz is considered by many to be the greatest pianist of the twentieth century. The two share not only accolades, but approaches to interpreting music as well.

As Camille Saint-Saens said of Liszt, “He did not superimpose his will on the composer’s, but endeavored to reach only the heart of the music and lay bare its true meaning.” This semi-improvisational method was applied by Horowitz to the music of Liszt. “How do I know what I think until I hear what I play?” he asked his critics. As mentioned in the accompanying booklet, “He [Horowitz] enjoyed living dangerously.”

He was also very particular in the Liszt pieces he chose to perform. In this collection there are numerous duplicate selections. For instance, there are no fewer than five different takes on Valse oubliee No. 1, recorded in 1930, 1951 (two versions), 1975, and 1986. There are two of Au bord d’une source (1949 and 1975), two of Petrarch Sonnet No. 104 (1951 and 1986), and two of the B Minor Sonata (1949 and 1977).

While all of this material has been previously released on various labels, this collection provides an outstanding opportunity to hear the compositions of the 19th century’s finest pianist played by the 20th century’s finest pianist.

Article first published as Music Review: Vladimir Horowitz - Horowitz Plays Liszt on Blogcritics.

Book Review: Unmasked: The Forgotten Origins of Hollywood's Most Famous Western Heroes Edited by Tom Roberts

2011-10-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

Black Dog Books specialize in reprinting classic stories from the long-ago era of pulp magazines. Those anthologies had their heyday in the early part of the twentieth century, and while many may dismiss them as “old fashioned,“ they are nothing of the sort. As publisher Tom Roberts has repeatedly shown, there is a treasure trove of great writing contained in those dusty pages.

A favorite genre for the company is the Western. I have always been a fan of the books of authors such as Louis L’Amour and Max Brand, but had never had access to really early Western material before now. With the publication of Unmasked: The Forgotten Origins of Hollywood's Most Famous Western Heroes, Black Dog Books has taken the reprint idea to a whole new level.

The stories contained here are the literary origins of such famous television and movie heroes as Hopalong Cassidy, The Cisco Kid, and Zorro. The fourth and arguably most famous is The Lone Ranger, who did not actually originate on the printed page, but rather on radio. When the character’s popularity took off, the decision was made to launch The Lone Ranger magazine in 1937, where our hero’s exploits were first documented on the printed page.

Clarence E. Mulford’s Hopalong Cassidy was very different from the one we came to know from television. The original character had a limp (hence his nickname) and a penchant for rowdy behavior. As Francis N. Nevins writes in his introduction, “Welcome to the world Mulford made! Sanitized cowboys keep out!”

The first Hopalong Cassidy story appeared in the December 1905 issue of The Outing Magazine. The remaining five followed from April to August 1906. When the stories were later anthologized into book form, there was a great deal of alteration done by editors, either by cutting some sections to pick up the pace, or adding new material to create continuity. Thankfully, Black Dog has gone back to the originals and published these short stories exactly as they were originally written.

Although I have been watching repeats of The Cisco Kid on television for decades now, I had no idea that he was created by one of the greatest American writers of the early 1900s, O. Henry (William Sydney Porter). The story originated in the June 1907 issue of Everybody’s Magazine. “The Caballero’s Way” was the only Cisco Kid tale O. Henry ever wrote. Rather than the white knight character we came to know through television, O. Henry’s Cisco was a bad-ass outlaw.

Zorro has enjoyed an amazing run of popularity over the years. The other characters in Unmasked hit their peaks in the 1950s, when Westerns were all the rage. But Zorro managed to linger on, long into the modern era with films such as The Mask Of Zorro (1998) and The Legend Of Zorro (2005).

His first appearance was in the All-Story Weekly magazine in 1919. “The Curse Of Capistrano” was serialized over a five week period. In Unmasked, editor Tom Roberts chose to print the second episode of the serial, which picks up and advances the action at a crucial moment in the story.

Finally, we come to The Lone Ranger. As previously stated, he did not originate on the printed page, but on radio. As the popularity of the character steadily grew, the decision to launch The Lone Ranger Magazine was hatched. The story included in Unmasked is “The Masked Rider’s Justice,” which actually appeared in the second issue of the magazine, dated May 1937.

The Unmasked collection of stories provides a fascinating glimpse these characters in their early, development stage. And thanks to the respect Black Dog Books has for the source material, they appear here exactly as their authors intended. For a host of other imaginative Westerns from the early days, and a great deal more, check out Black Dog for yourself.

Article first published as Book Review: Unmasked: The Forgotten Origins of Hollywood's Most Famous Western Heroes, Edited by Tom Roberts on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Shirley Brown - Woman To Woman

2011-10-15T12:44:00.001-07:00

"Phenomenon means having your first single record...'Woman To Woman'...sell a million in eight weeks," reads the opening liner notes of Shirley Brown's 1974 debut album, Woman To Woman. The song finds Brown confronting "the other woman" over the telephone, and is surprisingly direct. Over a seductively sweet blend of soul instrumentation, Shirley lays down the law to a lady named Barbara:

"It's only fair that I let you know, that the man you're in love with...he's mine. From the top of his head to the bottom of his feet, the bed he sleeps in and every piece of food he eats."

The opening monologue (or rap) was a technique made famous by Isaac Hayes with his classic version of "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" in 1969. Barry White had borrowed it for most of his early seventies hits, but Shirley Brown was the first female vocalist to top the charts with this approach. She had already paid plenty of dues by the time of her "overnight" success. Shirley had caught the ear of Albert King in 1961, when he heard her perform at the Harlem Club in Brooklyn, Illinois. She was just 14 years old. King recruited her to open for him, and she spent the next 13 years touring the so-called "chitlin' circuit" with the bluesman.

"It Ain't No Fun" was the follow-up single to "Woman To Woman," and went to number 32. It is a bluesy, late-night ballad, with her lamenting, "It ain't no fun being in love all by yourself." Midway through we find Shirley delivering a monologue to her girlfriends about her good-for-nothing man. "I've Got To Go On Without You" was originally intended as the A-side of the single, but radio chose "It Ain't No Fun" instead. It is a shame too, because "I've Got To Go On Without You" is a terrific song. Shirley's singing on many of the album's tracks point to a gospel background, very much like her contemporaries the Staple Singers. I mention this because "I've Got To Go On Without You" sounds very much like the music the Staple Singers were making at the time.

Although never released as a single, "Passion" should have been. There is a sexiness to Miss Brown's delivery here that is a long way from the church choir. She reminds me of a female Teddy Pendergrass on this one, ready to reach out through the speakers to make love to you. The original LP ended with "Between You And Me," a funky statement of purpose from a woman who knows exactly what she wants. "Come on baby, lets get it on," is not sung as a Marvin Gaye seduction, but rather as an urgent call to action. On this tune, our lady is anything but passive.

As part of the new Stax Remasters series, Woman To Woman has just been reissued in its entirety, along with some bonus tracks. When Albert King first brought her around to Stax, she recorded three Aretha Franklin tunes as demos. Her versions of "Ain't No Way," "Respect," and "Rock Steady" have never been previously released, and each sounds great. The real wonder, though, is her seven-minute take on Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered." This is a remarkable bit of interpretation, and available for the first time here as well.

When "Woman To Woman" topped the soul charts in late November 1974 it became the final hit single for Stax Records. The label closed the doors for good the following year. Shirley Brown has fared considerably better than her former employers, and continues to perform and record to this day. She will always be best known for "Woman To Woman," though, and the album it came from remains a high point of mid-seventies soul.

Mindhacker: 60 Tips, Tricks, And Games To Take Your Mind To The Next Levelby Ron Hale-Evans and Marty Hale-Evans

2011-09-14T13:52:00.000-07:00

First of all, the title Mindhacker: 60 Tips, Tricks, and Games To Take Your Mind To The Next Level needs a bit of explanation. The word hacker is used here in its original context, not in its later criminal association. The term dates back to the early sixties at MIT, and was defined as, "A person who enjoys exploring the details of programmable systems and stretching their capabilities, as opposed to most users, who prefer to learn only the minimum necessary." It had nothing to do with the malicious mischief later associated with it, such as ID theft and the like. True hackers are intent on the intellectual quest to gain knowledge, never to harm others.

It is in this spirit that Mindhacker has been published, and it is full of various strategies for us to improve our brain functions. The book focuses on ways to improve performance in nine distinct areas. These are memory, learning, information processing, time management, creativity and production, math and logic, communication, mental fitness, and clarity. The 60 tips, tricks, and games mentioned in the title are referred to as “Mind Hacks.” and are associated with each chapter. They are not equally distributed, however. For instance, the “Creativity and Production” section features 11 hacks, while three others only have five.

The book is not meant to be read as a straight narrative though, or as a textbook. In the “Introduction,” the authors encourage us to flip through the chapters to the ones that intrigue us most, then use those lessons as a jumping off point to other sections. In this type of usage, we mimic the brain, which tends to work in that way on its own.

Short-term memory is something I struggle with, and so that is where I began. Taking the age-old, string-around-your-finger method to remember things is an easy metaphor to begin with, so we are shown other ways to expand on this rudimentary technique. They suggest that the string should not just refer to one particular thing, but rather a whole “string” of related items, so that the whole string can represent an entire course of action.

Keeping a checklist is another simple, but very effective tip as well. After explaining a study at Johns Hopkins University, where nurses were instructed to follow doctors prepping for surgery with a ten-point list of basic steps, the results were pretty incredible. Over the course of a year, post-op infections had previously ran at 11% for patients, but with the checklists in place, the rate of infection dropped to zero. This was seen as evidence of an over-familiarity on the doctors part. The basics such as washing their hands and such were so second nature to doctors, that they often overlooked minor items on the list, which the nurses were able to remind them of.

The real life application of this would be for someone who has a morning routine, yet always seems to forget something. This is definitely a problem for me. Armed with a checklist every morning however, it becomes very simple to take all you need at one time. I like the final line on this list also, “Prepare tomorrow’s list.”

In the “Creativity and Productivity” chapter, I found the Hack 35: Ratchet to be very useful as well. The concept here is that when faced with a big project, work incrementally. Funnily enough, in this case blogging is mentioned first. It is a small and easy way for each of us to build up our writing skills, entirely at our own pace. Using small time is another excellent point. “Whenever you have half an hour, or even 15 minutes with little to do, consider how to fill it,” they write. Small jobs such as folding a pile of laundry, cleaning off the table, or reading an article are some examples of productive things that can be done. By using small time to complete small tasks, soon you will find the big tasks completed.

Besides the tricks and tips, there are also games one can play to make learning these lessons more enjoyable. They have even included various online resources for those who wish to delve deeper into the project. Many of these are accessible on the website for Wiley Books

The examples mentioned are just a couple that I found immediately useful, but this book seems like one I will return to again and again. Areas that may not seem as pressing to me today may well become very important to me tomorrow, and Mindhacker may be my best hope yet in fighting off senility.

Article first published as Book Review: Mindhacker: 60 Tips, Tricks, And Games To Take Your Mind To The Next Levelby Ron Hale-Evans and Marty Hale-Evans on Blogcritics.

Book Review: The Man Who Found Zero: Eary Science Fiction and Weird Fantasy from The Black Cat, 1896-1915

2011-09-12T10:26:00.000-07:00

One of the earliest science fiction digests was The Black Cat. It was published from 1895-1920, then unsuccessfully revived in 1922. The glory years came under the leadership of the magazine’s founder, H.D. Umbstaetter (1851-1913), who had a knack for discovering great unknown writers. The Man Who Found Zero: Early Science Fiction and Weird Fantasy from The Black Cat, 1896-1915 is a collection of 24 short stories from The Black Cat, and it is a fascinating look at turn-of-the-twentieth century sci-fi.

The back cover blurb calls this “More of your great-grandparents’ science fiction,” which is a reference to the previous Black Dog Books collection from a magazine called The Argosy. It was another early fantasy digest, and contained some great stories, but I am partial to The Black Cat. For this reader, the sheer weirdness factor cannot be beat.

Take “The Transposition of Stomachs” by Charles E. Mixer. In this tale, we find a self-described “gourmet” with a delicate constitution. His proposal to a longshoreman acquaintance of enormous girth is to pay him to trade stomachs. When this works, the longshoreman then goes into business for himself, exchanging stomachs with all and sundry for money.

Then there is “The Annihilator of the Undesirable” by Clifford Howard. In this story the narrator discovers an ad that claims to permanently remove anyone the buyer deems “undesirable.” To test this, he anonymously hires the man to remove a town tramp, and watches as the fellow literally vanishes into thin air. When the Annihilator himself shows up to inform his former customer that he is now in his sights, the twist ending is worthy of The Twilight Zone.

In fact, many of these stories are very reminiscent of The Twilight Zone. Although it is true that most of this material was written over a century ago, this by no means diminishes their incredibly imaginative qualities. I find myself as thoroughly enthralled in fantasies such as the frozen in time narrative “In The Sierra Madres” (Newton Newkirk) today as I think I would have been in 1901, when it was first published.

It is not just the fantastical elements of these short stories that make them so compelling though. As we reach the end of “When Time Turned” (Ethel Watts Mumford), the bittersweet realization that it is an account of a man who has lived his life backwards from the time of his wife’s death is heartbreaking. In this and many of the others, we are given tales that work both on the supernatural and natural levels. Like all good fiction, the interpretation is left to the reader to decide.

Jack London is the most famous name to grace these pages. His first published story was “A Thousand Deaths,” and appeared in the May 1899 issue of The Black Cat. It is a wild piece, about a man discovering a process to liquefy people, cleanse them, then bring them back to life. It just so happens that his experiments are done on his own wayward son, and when the old man starts talking about vivisection, the tables are turned.

Editor Gene Christie has selected a great assortment of short stories for The Man Who Found Zero. While a few of the references may be obscure today, the imaginative nature of this material is as vibrant as ever. It may be "your great-grandparent’s science fiction," but it is as good or better as anything you will find on the shelf today.

Article first published as Book Review: The Man Who Found Zero: Eary Science Fiction and Weird Fantasy from The Black Cat, 1896-1915 on Blogcritics.

Music Review: The Dramatics - Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get

2011-09-12T10:21:00.000-07:00

The early seventies saw some of the most gorgeous soul music ever made. The Stylistics, The Chi-Lites, and Blue Magic all used strings, heartbreaking lyrics, and transcendent falsetto voices to create some of the most bittersweet songs of their time. The irresistible “Oh Girl“ by The Chi-Lites and “Sideshow” from Blue Magic are a couple of examples. Perhaps the finest of all was “In The Rain” by The Dramatics.

The song is a masterpiece of studio construction. Writer and producer Tony Hester recorded the group’s vocals before they went out on tour. While they were away, he had added the storms and falling rain which so perfectly dramatize the raw emotion of the track. As singer Ron Banks says, “When we returned from the road, we knew we had a smash.”

“In The Rain” turned out to be The Dramatics’ biggest hit of all time. In typical record company style, though, the song was almost never released as a single. Stax Vice-President Al Bell did not believe in it at all, but thankfully was eventually persuaded.

Bell’s reluctance may have been due to the previous hit the group had enjoyed, “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get.” This is the other side of the soul renaissance of the early seventies. Funk was all over AM radio back then with tunes like The O'Jays’ “Backstabbers,” and The Isley Brothers’ “That Lady.” The Dramatics fit right in with “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get,” followed by the number sixteen R&B-chart single “Get Up And Get Down.”

As part of their current Stax/Volt reissue program, The Dramatics’ Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get album has just come out. For those who may only know them the hit singles, let me assure you--the whole thing is great. One of the difficulties of the LPs that produced many of the chart-topping R&B songs was the amount of filler on them. This is definitely not the case with Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get though. For funkified album cuts, try “Mary Don’t Cha Wanna,” and “Hot Pants In The Summertime.” On the ballad side, “Thank You For Your Love,” and “Fall In Love, Lady Love” are winners as well.

Although listed simply as bonus tracks, the extra material is actually the entire follow-up record, A Dramatic Experience. It is a complete mystery to me as to why Stax are not trumpeting this fact, because the second album is easily as strong as the first.

A Dramatic Experience was originally slated to appear as The Devil Is Dope, which then would have been the title song. This was deemed too provocative however, and changed at the last minute. In any event, the primary focus remains on the inner-city drug problem. “The Devil Is Dope,” “Jim, What’s Wrong With Him?” and “Beware Of The Man (With The Candy In His Hand)” specifically address the situation. All three give off a heavy Superfly vibe, and should be heard by fans of the Pimps, Players and Private Eyes genre.

The ballads are also outstanding. Two of these, “Fell For You,” and “Hey You, Get Off My Mountain,” were R&B charting singles. The songs are note-perfect displays of sweet soul music at its finest.

For those of us who savor this period, Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get is a gift. It also shows that without a doubt, The Dramatics were one of the most underrated groups of the era.

Article first published as Music Review: The Dramatics - Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Sonny Rollins - Road Shows, Volume 2

2011-09-12T10:19:00.000-07:00

Last year the legendary Sonny Rollins turned 80, and decided to celebrate by having a party at New York’s Beacon Theatre. Four of the six tracks on his new Road Shows, Volume 2 were extracted from that night, and one of them made history.

There were a number of artists who played guest slots that night, and Jim Hall was once of them. Among a very few others, Hall virtually defined the role that guitars would play in jazz. He guests on Beacon opener “In A Sentimental Mood.” Hall plays the tune in his inimitable style, and it is the perfect introduction for the evening.

The smooth-swing of Hall’s guitar is one thing, but for the next track the music gets a little wilder. Among those who showed up to play “Sonneymoon” are the great bassist Christian McBride, and John Coltrane’s former drummer Roy Haynes. What truly stunned the crowd, though, was the appearance of Ornette Coleman on alto sax. Although Coleman and Rollins have known each other for well over 50 years now, this marks the first time the two have appeared onstage together. The back and forth between these two men is remarkable. Each has his own singular style, and hearing them trade off this way is simply magic.

It would be hard to top that, and to his credit, Sonny goes back to his regular band to knock out two more classic tunes. Both "I Can’t Get Started” and “Rain Check” were recorded that night at the Beacon with Roy Hargrove (trumpet), Russell Malone (guitar), Bob Crenshaw (bass), Kobie Watkins (drums), and Sammy Figueroa (percussion). Each are a fantastic example of a jazz band working at all levels.

This same outfit, minus Hargrove’s trumpet, recorded the two tracks that frame the Beacon songs on Road Shows, Volume 2. Both “They Say It’s Wonderful” and “St. Thomas” were recorded in Japan, about a month after the Beacon show. “They Say It’s Wonderful” opens the proceedings in an appropriate way, offering Sonny’s working band the chance to shine before the guest stars arrive. In closing, “St. Thomas” is also a perfect choice, as it incorporates that old showbiz cliché’: “Always leave ‘em wanting more.”

In that regard, the entire set works extremely well. It never ceases to amaze me how long a man with the talent of a Sonny Rollins can remain active in music. His sax playing is as colossus (to borrow an old LP title) as ever, and his band is on fire. Here’s looking forward to his 90th bash.

Article first published as Music Review: Sonny Rollins - Road Shows, Volume 2 on Blogcritics.

Music DVD Review: Emerson, Lake and Palmer - 40th Anniversary Reunion Concert

2011-09-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

The night was perfect for the 40th anniversary concert of Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Playing before a huge crowd at the High Voltage Festival, ELP took the stage just as the sun was beginning to set. For the next 90 minutes or so the gods of prog graced us with their presence, and those halcyon days of the seventies were back.

ELP opened with the classic “Karn Evil 9: First Impression Part 2” from Brain Salad Surgery. When Greg Lake belted out those famous words; “Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends,” the crowd was ecstatic. His vocals were spot-on, as they were throughout the concert. He was especially strong during two of his signature songs, “From The Beginning” and “Lucky Man.”

“Lucky Man” is famous for Keith Emerson’s monumental soundscapes in its closing segment. Since it is just not possible to recreate those tones on modern equipment, Emerson brought the old gear with him. Watching him play his ancient Moog beast, with its old dials and hundreds of patch cords everywhere, looked cool as hell.

The other instrumental powerhouse in the band is drummer Carl Palmer. While his kit may not be quite as over the top as that of Neil Peart, it comes close. Palmer was all over the skins, often a blur of motion, and the physical workout looked pretty intense. At one point during his solo, he very theatrically took off his shirt, revealing his pudgy chest for all and sundry.

Towards the end of the show, Keith Emerson offered up his trademark destruction of the organ bit. He went all out too, beating the crap out of it, and then sticking knives in. Eventually he tipped the organ over, where it lay on the stage, howling in pain.

For me, the slowest portion of the evening was “Pictures At An Exhibition.” At 20 minutes in length it was a bit much, although the strobes and onstage explosions at the end were still pretty great.

MVD Visual has just released Emerson Lake and Palmer: The 40th Anniversary Reunion Concert on DVD and Blu Ray. The set features the full concert from July 25, 2010, plus some bonus materials. The most impressive of the extras are three new interviews conducted with Keith Emerson, Greg Lake, and Carl Palmer.

After all the trials and tribulations Emerson, Lake and Palmer have been through over the years, it is gratifying to see them together again. They still put on one hell of a show too.

Article first published as Music DVD Review: Emerson, Lake and Palmer - 40th Anniversary Reunion Concert on Blogcritics.

Book Review: The Brotherhoods: Inside The Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs by Arthur Veno

2011-09-12T10:12:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, those mean, bad-ass outlaw motorcyclists that scare the piss out of middle America are referred to as “bikies” in Australia. I think if you went up to a member of the Hell's Angels in the U.S. and called him a "bikie" you would get your ass whipped pronto. But that is about the only difference between the biker gang member down under from any of his brothers around the world.

Professor Arthur Veno has been studying the outlaw bikie phenomenon since 1981, and has been granted remarkable access by the Aussie clubs over the years. His new book The Brotherhoods: Inside The Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs is the result of his research, and provides a fascinating insight into their world.

The obvious comparison would be to Hunter S. Thompson’s 1966 Hell’s Angels: A Strange And Terrible Saga. But they are two fundamentally different books. Where Thompson got inside the club out and rode with the Angels, Veno takes a different approach. Although it is obvious that he has gotten to know some members well enough to be trusted with certain things, he is always an outsider.

The Brotherhoods certainly does not shy away from the subjects that make the outlaw bike culture so dangerously intriguing. With chapters such as “Bombs And Bastardry,” “On The Nose: Clubs And Drugs,” and “Chicks And Ol’ Ladies,” there are plenty of examples of outrageous behavior. The book has a definite voyeur appeal. While most of us do not wish to live the life, it is fascinating to view from a distance.

The look of The Brotherhoods is particularly appealing, for it is filled with pictures. It is so beautifully put together, with a faux leather cover, and tons of photos as to make a great coffee-table book. The tea and crumpets crowd would probably salivate over it too.

Ever since The Wild One film, and the emergence of the Hell's Angels, the outlaw bike culture has seemed to be a strictly American affair. The Brotherhoods shows us that the lifestyle has permeated every corner of the globe. It is a captivating study with some amazing photographs, and definitely worth a look.

Article first published as Book Review: The Brotherhoods: Inside The Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs by Arthur Veno on Blogcritics.

Book Review: Fante: A Memoir by Dan Fante

2011-09-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

John Fante’s Ask The Dust is one of the finest American novels of the Twentieth Century. It was also basically lost for 40 years after its 1939 publication. In fact, it may have remained forgotten forever had it not been for a drunken poet by the name of Charles Bukowski.

The Bukowski connection is telling, because the legacy of alcohol runs deep in the Fante family. Fante: A Memoir is the autobiography of Dan Fante, John’s son. His recollections of growing up with a hard-drinking father who abandoned his art for decades to write for Hollywood are both heartbreaking and hilarious.

John Fante was an old-school Italian, a man for who wine, friends, and gambling always came before family. Reading Dan’s account of those years is fascinating. He describes a Southern California that is gone forever, and sounds idyllic, from the outside at least. It also sounds like he went through hell.

Dan Fante got out of the house as quickly as possible, first by working as a carny at Pacific Ocean Park. As he describes it, POP was the sleaziest carnival show in town. The fresh paint and ocean beach initially worked to mask the true identity of the place, but it came through anyway.

The bulk of the book is taken up with Dan’s experiences in New York. He left to put as much distance as he could between him and his unhappy childhood home, and wound up spending 18 years there. Fante’s vivid recollections of what the city was like during the sixties and seventies are powerfully evocative. His time there reads like an extended version of Midnight Cowboy, in all of its down and out glory.

There are flashes of insight throughout. Fante occasionally gives himself “the cure,” with dire results. This was in the years before much was known about alcoholism, and the various ways the author tries to deal with his problem are harrowing.

When he finally returns to California in the late seventies, John Fante’s diabetes has him pretty debilitated. It is heartwarming to find the two making up all those years later. John encourages Dan with his writing, and Dan comes to understand just how incredibly talented his father always was.

John Fante lived to finally get some recognition for books such as Ask The Dust and Wait Until Spring, Bandini. But he would not live long enough to see John Fante Square in Los Angeles’ old Bunker Hill neighborhood.

Dan Fante definitely has inherited his father’s talent for a well turned phrase, and Fante is bittersweet remembrance of days gone by.

Article first published as Book Review: Fante: A Family's Legacy of Writing, Drinking and Surviving by Dan Fante on Blogcritics.

Book Review: Just My Type: A Book About Fonts by Simon Garfield

2011-09-12T10:04:00.000-07:00

Blame it on Steve Jobs. As a young man searching for something interesting to study, he audited a calligraphy class at Reed College. Jobs became fascinated with the myriad variety of fonts, a.k.a., typefaces he was exposed to. Ten years later he decided to incorporate an assortment of fonts into Apple's Macintosh computer. It would prove to be a popular addition. When Microsoft's Windows added the feature later, interest in fonts by the general public skyrocketed. And with Just My Type: A Book About Fonts, we now we have an entire book devoted to the subject.

Author Simon Garfield's often hilarious study of all things font-related was initially published in England in 2010, and became a surprise hit. With that in mind, Gotham Books have just published it in the United States.

A major reason for the book's success has to be the quality of Garfield's writing, and the way he makes such a seemingly dry subject come to life. Consider this sentence from a description of the Helvetica font: "On the upper deck, the G has both a horizontal and vertical bar at a right angle, Q has a short straight angled cross-line like a cigarette in an ashtray, and R has a little kicker for its right leg."

The very first font was Gutenberg Textura, introduced with the Gutenberg printing press around 1450. Over the course of the book, the author walks us through the history of printing and type, and it is a lively journey. In so many ways, a government, business, or individual's choice of font creates the de facto first impression.

For example, there is the Comic Sans font. Developed just in time for inclusion with Windows 95, Comic Sans became ubiquitous almost overnight. Just a few years later however, there were people so incensed by it that websites such as Ban Comic Sans sprung up.

On the other side of the coin, a man by the name of Tobias Frere-Jones developed a typeface he called Gotham in 2000. It was moderately successful for the first few years, then 2008 rolled around. Barack Obama chose to use Gotham for all of his printed material, and the popularity of the font exploded. Frere-Jones now happily takes full credit for Obama's presidential win. In a wonderful bit of irony, this dyed-in-the-wool Democrat's creation has now been adopted by the other side. First Sarah Palin, and now the Tea Party have gone Gotham.

Another intriguing font fact is their misuse in the movies. The Coen Brothers film The Hudsucker Proxy is a case in point. In almost every detail, they meticulously depict the 1950s, from Hula-Hoops, to beatniks, and men in grey flannel suits. But the font used in the newspapers of the day is Bodega Sans, which was not designed until 1991.

In between stories of the uses and misuses of fonts, Garfield takes "Fontbreaks." These quickies focus on specific fonts such as Futura. Developed by Paul Renner in 1924, it has been the typeface used by Volkswagen for decades. It is also the font chosen for the plaque left on the moon by the astronauts of Apollo 11, in 1969.

There was even a movie titled Helvetica (2007), which took the ubiquity of the font as its premise. Director Gary Hustwit contends that on the streets of the world, Helvetica is so prevelant as to be like oxygen. You have no choice but to breathe it in.

Who knew font trivia could be so much fun? Simon Garfield did, and Just My Type makes the subject come alive in ways I never thought possible.

Article first published as Book Review: Just My Type by Simon Garfield on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Average White Band - Live At Montreux 1977

2011-09-11T14:39:00.000-07:00

Average White Band seemed to appear out of nowhere in 1974 with their worldwide smash, "Pick Up The Pieces." It was a funky slice of mid-seventies jazz, and fit the mood of the times perfectly. Not only was it a great song, but the group's back story was pretty interesting as well. For one thing, there was that name - not to mention where they came from. A multi-racial six-piece jazz-funk outfit hailing from Scotland was an unusual combination, then or now.

AWB continued to hit the charts with albums such as Cut The Cake, Soul Searching and the 1976 live Person To Person. For many years, the only available document of the band in concert was Person To Person, and I wore out my copy of the double LP. Back in the seventies, I think there was an actual law on the books that required live albums to be two-record sets. With Person To Person, there was really no getting around it, as "Pick Up The Pieces" took up all of side three by itself.

By the time of their appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1977, AWB's set had changed. On Eagle Rock's newly released CD Live At Montreux 1977, they open with "Pick Up The Pieces," which clocks in at a moderate 6:38, rather than the 18-minute version on Person To Person. They had tightened things up considerably by this time, although they do stretch things out a bit towards the end of the show. In any event, this single disc collection contains some excellent material.

Their choices are interesting. Four of the eight Montreux tracks previously appeared on Person To Person. The big surprise is that "Pick Up The Pieces" had been replaced as the show's centerpiece with a 14-minute version of "Cut The Cake." And on both, their final big-selling record Soul Searching is given short shrift. This is understandable on Person, because the album was not even out yet when the shows were recorded. But at Montreux, it was the one they were touring behind. The group's take on "A Love Of Your Own" is adequate, but what I was really hoping for was a live "Queen Of My Soul."

The big closer at Montreux is a 12-minute "I Heard It Through The Grapevine." Evidently they loved this song, because it also closed Person. Sure, "Grapevine" is a classic, as the many cover versions over the years have proven, if nothing else. Maybe I'm in the minority here, but I would have preferred something a little more original. In the end, it is hard to argue with music played this tightly however, and on that front AWB definitely deliver.

Live At Montreux represents a high point in the Average White Band's career. As the seventies wore on and the eighties dawned, there would be a series of misguided attempts to remain current, culminating in their 1982 breakup. Since then there have been numerous reunions, both for recording, and for playing the nostalgia circuit. It is a fairly common story for groups of this nature, and I might even go see them at the local casino one of these days.

But where it was really at for AWB was when they were setting stages on fire around the world in the mid-seventies. Live At Montreux 1977 captures one of those nights for posterity, and sounds great to these jaded ears.

Article first published as Music Review: Average White Band - Live At Montreux 1977 on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Rheinhold Friedl - Inside Piano

2011-09-11T14:32:00.000-07:00

Like many of the ideas John Cage proposed, the concept of prepared piano was originally thought of as scandalous. And like so many of his proposals, it was brilliant in its simplicity. What Cage did was literally prepare a piano before performance by attaching various objects to the strings to make them resonate as they never had before. These items were usually fairly small, such as bolts, washers, buttons, rubber bands, and the like. His experiments were first done in 1940and seemed to slowly catch on, with other artists expanding and refining the ideas in later years.

As mastermind of the Zeitkratzer collective, Rheinhold Friedl may have worked up the most significant new directions for piano, which he came to call Inside Piano. Where previous efforts tended to use the keys of the instrument to vary the sounds, such as striking them in particular ways, Friedl has chosen to open his up and play the strings themselves. This approach has led to a revolutionary way of playing the instrument. By bowing the strings, placing rocks and many other objects on them, Friedl's piano is able to produce previously unheard tones.

In fact, many of the pieces on his solo, double-disc collection Inside Piano sound as if a veritable orchestra is at work. One of the most inviting aspects of this over-two-hour set is the ways he explains each of its nine pieces in the liner notes. Beginning with the relatively short "evasions pour deplaire" 8:03, the composer wishes to expose the listener to the short, "harsh" effects of noise piano, by playing a series of springs on the springs.

With the listener now suitably prepared for what is to follow, Friedl delves into the longest track on the disc "l'horizon des ballons" (39:16). As he puts it, "It is almost a monadic piece concentrating on sounds produced with a metal tube on the strings. Starting scanty and unassertive, it takes almost ten minutes until the piano really sings before finishing much later with the vibrato sounds." Disc one is completed with "la consequence des reves" (11:42), and is constructed with diversified sounds, which serve to bring us back down to earth a bit.

The second disc opens with "l'espoir des grillons" (21:10), another lengthy track in which Friedl expands his sound palette. In fact, this one is most representative of what could be called the "orchestral" sound of his Inside Piano. During "ombres d'ombres" (12:12), the compser treats us to the sounds of wobbling objects on the strings, and their juxtaposing with contrasting materials. Of the nine tracks present here, I find this one to be the most evocative of something Bernard Herrmann might have come up with for a Hitchcock film.

"es cris des cantharides" (8:50) is described as a "short study of piping and scratching followed by another juxtaposition." "chevelure des cognasses" (8:46) uses vibrating tones along the strings to come up with a glorious sound, and is one of my favorite pieces. With "pendeloques de glace" (15:40) it seems the composer has one more elongated track up his sleeve. During this piece, the composer takes the vibrating strings to the lower registers, producing a deep and somewhat disconcerting sound at times. This all leads up to "la grimace du soleil" (4:09), or "the singing piano, which finishes the recording," as Friedl explains.

Inside Piano is a remarkable avant-garde work, but that should come as no surprise considering the quality of artists Friedl has worked with. Some of the more well-known names include Lee Renaldo, Lou Reed, and Merzbow, among many others.

Remember the old LP covers that used to advise record store clerks as to where to file various albums? The covers would say things like "File Under Pop," or "File Under Easy Listening." Friedl has his own categories listed on the back of his CD: "File under experimental, or contemporary music, or modern classic, or avantgarde."

I have always found this system rather humorous, but in Friedl's case it certainly makes sense. Inside Piano probably would not fit comfortably in between Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga at the front of the shop. No, I expect this set to be found deep in the experimental, classical section, and only by the truly dedicated fan seeking out the most extraordinary music.

Before closing, I would like to make a note about the incredible sound of the set, for it is magnificent. Rheinhold Friedl recorded these nine compositions at the Philharmonic Luxembourg last year, using a Steinway D-274 piano, and Neumann U87 and Neumann KM184 top-of-the-line microphones.

Inside Piano is a master class on composing and playing what is in effect a completely new instrument. It is an absolutely stunning achievement.

Article first published as Music Review: Rheinhold Friedl - Inside Piano on Blogcritics.

Book Review: Steampunk: The Art of Victorian Futurism by Jay Strongman

2011-09-11T14:28:00.000-07:00

If the term "steampunk" evokes a vision of the past and the future colliding, that is exactly as it is intended. In Jay Strongman's new book Steampunk: The Art Of Victorian Futurism, we are offered over 250 pieces of art that represent this relatively new movement. Many of these objects are absolutely beautiful, in a very oddly retro-futuristic mashup. The overall effect of the book is stunning.

To break it down, steampunk takes as its base the Victorian visions of the future as written by literary heroes such as Jules Verne and H.G. Welles. Captain Nemo's Nautilus submarine from Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea is a prime example. Simply put, the dichotomy between the gorgeous machinery of the late nineteenth century coupled with technology that was pure fantasy at the time is a major component of the style.

One of the more extraordinary examples of this is The Clacker. This was created by Richard "Doc" Nagy, a.k.a. Datamancer. It is a complete PC, retrofitted to look as if it belonged in an office of the 1890s. Each keyboard key is of the antique round style we have seen on the era's typewriters. There is a mouse which looks like a telegraph clicker, a wooden mousepad, bell-style speakers, and a monitor that looks like an apothecary cabinet. Painstakingly putting something like this together must have been an enormous labor of love, but it is something to see.

The Clacker is just one of the many highlights of this collection. While there are a number of three-dimensional objects like it, the majority of the pieces are digital artworks, paintings, and even drawings. In looking through the book, it becomes more and more difficult to actually come to a strict definition of steampunk, as the various artists combine a huge amount of elements into their work.

In the introductory chapters, Strongman mentions a large number of antecedents to what has become known as steampunk. And while the text is interesting, one can easily pick out what makes the artists tick by what they have produced. The concept of steam engines is obviously a big factor, but by no means the only one. There are beautiful renderings of zeppelins engaged in airborn battles, the aforementioned submarines, a steam-powered motorcycle, and many other types of transport.

The elements of goth have also crept into many of the artist's works. The English Moors are a popular setting, as is Dr. Frankenstein's laboratory (or ones like his), and crumbling castles and abbeys all play significant parts.

Steampunk is a window into a world of art with a vision uniquely 21st century, yet beholden to a past that never actually existed. Strongman uses the term "forgotten future" at one point, and it is this idea that seems central to the thesis. What forward-looking writers thought the future would look like 125 years ago is such a marvelous concept to build present-day artwork around. It is this type of thinking that powers (if you will) Steampunk. It is a gorgeous book, filled with imagination.

Article first published as Book Review: Steampunk: The Art Of Victorian Futurism by Jay Strongman on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Brainticket - The Ultimate Anthology Nektar - Retrospektive, Hawkwind Space Chase

2011-09-11T14:21:00.000-07:00

For progressive rock fans, there is an amazing tour going on this summer. Three of the most incredible seventies-era European bands have gotten together for a one of a kind US tour. The groups involved are Hawkwind, Nektar, and Brainticket - and these shows look to be every bit as wild as they were back in the heyday of prog.

In celebration of this event, Cleopatra Records have issued retrospective box sets for each of the artists participating. The label have always prided themselves on going the extra mile with these type of packages, and this series is no exception.

Of the three groups, Hawkwind are the most well-known. As indicated in the title, Space Chase 1980 - 1985 represents the early eighties incarnation of the band. The collection contains material from six albums, one EP, and a single. The list of guest stars is impressive, and reflects the amount of respect Hawkwind had amassed since thier 1969 debut. In addition to such names as Ginger Baker, Nik Turner, and Harvey Bainbridge is former Hawkwind member Lemmy Kilmister, who went on to form Motorhead. Lemmy always said that he was sacked from the band for "Doing the wrong drugs."

Nektar were always considered part of the German Krautrock scene, even though they were English. A big reason for this was the fact that they lived in Hamburg, but their music played a big role as well. The Nektar Retrospektive 1969 - 1980 is a two-CD affair drawing from a total of eight LPs, and a couple early singles from the days when they were known as Rainbows.

Nektar were a textbook progressive rock band, whose metiere was the long-form track. They really began to hit their stride in 1972 with A Tab In The Ocean's 15-minute title tune. In 1973 they upped the ante with one of prog's classic maneuvers. Side one of Remember The Future was Part I of the title cut, side two was Part II. By 1974's Down To Earth, they were writing a concept album about the circus, and appeared on the cover as clowns. Folks, you cannot make this stuff up.

Of the three groups, Brainticket are undoubtedly the most obscure. They didn't even make Julian Cope's 1995 book Krautrocksampler - the book that launched an awakened interest in the genre worldwide. Be that as it may, they were the real deal. Cleopatra have done an outstanding job with the Brainticket box set. There is no skimping on this four-CD set, which contains six full albums recorded between 1971and 1980.

Brainticket were primarily a vehicle for the unlikely named multi-instrumentalist Joel Vandroogenbroeck. Their debut Cottonwoodhill is probably their proggiest effort, and comes with one of the greatest album covers of all time. There is a veritable plethora of fantastic music contained here, all the way up to and including Biomechanoid from 1980. Again, the artwork is superior. Vandroogenbroek managed to secure the use of a powerful image from the hand of H.R. Giger.

All three of these packages come with much more than simply the music of these bands. Cleopatra have included extensive booklets chronicling each groups history, along with mini-posters, and even old-fashioned buttons. My suggestion is to get each one of these sets, familiarize yourself with the artists involved, then hit one of these once in a lifetime shows.

Article first published as Music Review: Brainticket - The Vintage Anthology, Nektar - Retrospektive, and Hawkwind Space Chase 1980 - 1985 on Blogcritics.

DVD Review: Robert Plant's Blue Note

2011-09-11T14:17:00.000-07:00

The "blue note" is one that very few artists in this day and age attempt. It denotes vulnerability, sadness, and most of all, a sense of loss. It is a note sung or played at a slightly lower pitch than that of the major scale in a song. It is also generally heard as the artist baring his or her soul.

Examples abound. I am drawn to a 14-year-old Leann Rimes singing the song "Blue" for one. That tune obviously hearkens back to Patsy Cline's version of Willie Nelson's "Crazy." Patsy had clearly listened to Hank Williams, and his (among many others) "You're Cheatin' Heart." Hank Williams Jr. called country music "White man's blues," and I believe him. How can anyone deny the link between Robert Johnson's "Hellhound On My Trail" and Hank Senior's music?

The arrogant thought that the blues, and the blue note arrived fully formed sometime in the early 20th Century is as understandable, as it is laughable. For musical "scholars," we only have the music of the recorded era to go by. But when you think about it, this fully-formed genre had to come from somewhere.

The somewhere is the main subject of the new DVD Robert Plant's Blue Note. Now this is not a scholarly treatise on musical history, but instead a journey of how this man followed his love of music step by step back. Not to where it "began," but at least (in 2011) as far back as made sense to him.

In Robert Plant's Blue Note, we eventually find ourselves in the deserts of North Africa. It certainly makes sense that the music that was a part of the culture hundreds of years ago would have been imported in some way with the people who were taken and turned into slaves. It also makes sense that the music of the Scots and Irish who left voluntarily for the new world would eventually mix with it.

But the blue note seems to be an integral part.

This two-and-a-half-hour DVD walks us through Robert Plant's journey from his hippie-era Band Of Joy with John Bonham, through Led Zeppelin, through his often misguided solo attempts, to his "redemption" with Allison Krauss.

It is a fascinating journey, filled with fantastic rare footage. There are also some very incisive interviews with the likes of Jimmy Page, Chris Dreja, and Robbie Blunt - among many others.

It is easy to dismiss Robert Plant as an ultimate seventies icon - and that image is certainly true. What Robert Plant's Blue Note does is show how far this artist has travelled since his time with Zep. And in the end, that is why I like this documentary so much.

The only extra worth mentioning is a piece with John Lomax III talking about Leadbelly, and Zep's version of "Gallis Pole," which they retitled "Gallows Pole."

Robert Plant will always be thought of as the golden god of Led Zeppelin. But as T-Bone Burnett so eloquently puts it in this documentary "Jimmy Page lives Led Zeppelin, Robert has moved on."

To be honest, I haven't bought a Plant record in years. But it sure is cool that the guy is still at it, and does not give one shit.

Article first published as DVD Review: Robert Plant's Blue Note on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Rockpile - Live At Montreux 1980

2011-09-11T14:12:00.000-07:00

"Switchboard Susan won't you give me a line..."

Rockpile were such a breath of fresh air when they appeared in 1980, it is hard to describe. The initial blast of punk had been co-opted into the more commercially appealing New Wave, and dinosaur stadium bands still ruled the world. Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Billy Bremner, and Terry Williams - collectively known as Rockpile, made rock 'n' roll fun again.

Although there would only be one "official" Rockpile album, titled Seconds Of Pleasure and released in 1980, there were actually four recorded by the group. The remaining three were released as solo Dave Edmunds (Trax On Wax 4 and Repeat When Necessary), and Nick Lowe (Labour Of Lust) efforts. This confusing situation was necessitated by the individual's conflicting record label commitments, which made tracking down the elusive "Rockpile" beast somewhat tricky.

When the call came from the Montreux Jazz Festival (unlikely as it may seem), the band had plenty of material to pick from. Thanks to the folks at Eagle Rock Entertainment, that show is now available as a new 16-track CD titled, Rockpile: Live At Montreux 1980. The choice of Rockpile to play this prestigious jazz festival was a little daring, but the guys clearly relished the opportunity to play together.

From the opening notes of "Sweet Little Lisa," it's on. The band's signature sound was a mix of rockabilly, power pop, and good old rock 'n' roll, which they combine to perfection on this track. "Sweet Little Lisa" is one of four cuts from the 1979 Edmunds-credited Repeat When Necessary. The other three are stellar as well, including "Girls Talk" (written by Elvis Costello), the barn-burning "Crawling From The Wreckage" (written by Graham Parker), and "Queen Of Hearts" (which would prove to be a huge hit for Juice Newton later on).

Nick Lowe's Labour Of Lust was recorded at the same time as Repeat When Necessary, and also released in 1979. Just imagine if these two records had been combined and released as a double Rockpile set. It could have been huge, as they say. But record company politics did not allow for this, and I suppose it is pointless to pose such a "What if" question. In any case, Labour Of Lust is certainly as good, if not a better record than Repeat. Strangely enough though, the lone representative from Labour is "Switchboard Susan."

Dave Edmunds was the first out of the box with a hit sing with "I Hear You Knockin'," from way back in 1970. Rockpile nail it with ease here, and the crowd is obviously thrilled. Finally the guys land on a classic Sun-era Jerry Lee Lewis number, "Let's Talk About Us," as this smoking show comes to a close. As Malcolm Dome writes in his liner notes, "It all passes in such a blur. Surely we can't have heard the set in its entirety?" Yet that was Rockpile.

As Lowe sings during his great "So It Goes," "So it goes, so it goes, so it goes, so it goes, where it winds up, no one knows." Personal and musical differences blew them apart shortly after this concert. None of that was evident onstage at Montreux however. The quality of the music they blasted out that night 31 years ago still sounds remarkably fresh. In fact, it sounds timeless. It would prove to be a short-lived situation, but when it worked, nobody could touch Rockpile. The proof is right here on Live At Montreux, which captures the band at the peak of their powers.

Article first published as Music Review: Rockpile - Live At Montreux 1980 on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Manorexia - Dinoflagellate Blooms

2011-09-11T14:04:00.000-07:00

I really have to wonder if there is anyone working in music today who is as prolific as JG Thirlwell. Just keeping track of his various nom de plumes is a challenge. As "JG Thirlwell" he is currently providing the music for the wonderfully subversive Venture Bros. show on Adult Swim. But that is merely the tip of the iceberg. Beginning the early eighties, he took the name "Foetus" to release his "rock" oriented music, with four-letter titles such as Nail, Limb, and his most recent Hide. Beyond that he has branched out considerably with Steroid Maximus and Manorexia.

Thirlwell's most recent release is Dinoflagellate Blooms, issued under the Manorexia moniker. As is the case with the previous Manorexia titles, Thirlwell finds interesting juxtapositions between relatively obscure scientific terms that have little (or maybe everything) to do with the instrumental music within. Personally, I always look forward to each Manorexia release, because this is where some of the man's most experimental sounds tend to wind up. Dinoflagellate Blooms is no exception.

There is a marked tendency to play certain tones off of each other during many of the album's 11 tracks. Those not familiar with Thirlwell's style might consider some of the results dissonant, but not if they are really listening. For example, the opening track "Cryogenics" begins with a segment that reminds me somewhat of where the Art Ensemble went during their magnum opus People In Sorrow. Like that very avant-garde 40-minute piece, "Cryogenics" has a great deal to say, although it is a much shorter track at only 3:18. What it does provide is a suitably thought-provoking beginning for a disc that gets very dark at times.

The very next cut, "Anabiosis," clocks in at 8:16, and is almost frightening at times. This is a new version of a tune originally comissioned for the Bang On A Can ensemble, and Thirlwell gives it a suitably over the top rendition. The lengthiest track is titled "Krzystl," and best sums up what I have always enjoyed about Thirlwell's music, no matter what name it is given. Beginning with what sounds like either breaking glass, or radio crystals exploding of their own volition, this is definitely not what one would call "easy listening." But Thirlwell has never been interested in simply traveling down the usual listener-friendly path. He unflaggingly expresses what is in his heart, and if that is not all peaches and cream, then tough luck.

For this listener, the physical and spiritual center of Dinoflagellate Blooms is "A Plastic Island In The Pacific." Like those of us who do not have our heads in the sand, it is obvious that Thirlwell is very disturbed by the recent discovery of a virtual island of plastic grocery bags and the like steadily growing in the Pacific Ocean. I just read about an extremely disturbing fact that one in ten fish caught in the Pacific have plastic debris in their stomach. How can that possibly be good? Manorexia perform a moving lament to this ominous development with the 7:26 composition.

The theme of mankind moving towards a slow, and inevitable suicide seems to continue through the remainder of the album. It may be the whole point for all I know, but with "Plastic Island's" title, it is spelled out specifically. One of the greatest things about instrumental music is that nothing is fixed; the listener brings whatever they want to the experience, nothing more or less. Continuing on from "A Plastic Island In The Pacific" is "Hydrofrack," which begins with what sounds like an electronic reproduction of a whale song.

"The Perfect Patsy" follows and may or may not signal a return to more mundane concerns. It is a compelling piece, in any event. The abbreviated (0:23) "Hoarse Platitudes" works as an introduction to "Vika," another intriguing track whose ambience suggests a song recorded underwater. "Kinaesthesia" is the longest of the second half of the disc at 8:47. This is a tour de force, with what could be construed as the sound of an emergency signal leading things off before a wave of powerful yet subdued sonics take over. Finally we come to "Struck" in which Thirlwell's vision seems to leave us at a crossroads between Armageddon, and possible peace with our environment.

These observations are mine and mine alone. I feel like I stand on solid ground with "A Plastic Island In The Pacific," but beyond that, I am just going with my heart. These opinions could be wildly off-base. This is one of the joys of listening to a recording such as Dinoflagellate Blooms though. Every exposure to it can lead to new insights, or none at all. The Thirlwell-designed cover art showing a series of hypodermic needles and capsules may offer some completely different clues for people as well.

In keeping with the artist's unflagging embrace of new technology, the set contains a bonus 5.1 DVD of the album besides the standard CD. The deluxe 2-disc set is available exclusively through Foetus.org. In a rare instance of adding a guest artist to a Manorexia recording, Kenny Wollesen plays autoharp and piano strings on "Cryogenics."

As Feral House publisher Adam Parfrey once put it, "Thirlwell always amazes me." I heartily agree - In his many guises over the past 30 years, JG Thirlwell has provided some of the most consistently fascinating music produced in any genre.

Article first published as Music Review: Manorexia - Dinoflagellate Blooms on Blogcritics.

Book Review: Eddie Trunk's Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal by Eddie Trunk

2011-09-11T13:53:00.000-07:00

Very few radio disc jockeys ever achieve much in the way of fame and fortune beyond their local markets. Sure, there is "King of All Media" Howard Stern, and back in the early days of rock 'n' roll we had such characters as Murray The K and Alan Freed. But in terms of household names, these are the exceptions that prove the rule.

Through his stubborn promotion of heavy metal and hard rock through the years, Eddie Trunk has become one of the most respected non-musicians in the field. His unwavering loyalty to the form brought him out of the swamps of New Jersey radio and into the largest market in the States, New York City. Despite his "perfect for radio" appearance (the guy is pretty chubby, as he readily admits), Trunk's That Metal Show on VH1 Classic has become one of the biggest hits the station has ever had.

For all these reasons and more, Eddie Trunk holds a special place in metal fan's and musician's hearts. So much so in fact, that for his 25th anniversary in radio, Judas Priest played an invitation-only party for him at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York. In fact, Rob Halford even wrote the Foreword to his new book, Eddie Trunk's Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. While there are tons of these types of collections on the market these days, Eddie brings something different to the task. Rather than simply offering short biographical sketches of the major bands in the genre, as most do, Trunk adds his personal reflections about the groups. It makes a big difference.

Most fans know the basics about groups like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, but reading stories of Eddie's personal encounters with the artists adds a whole new dimension. This type of writing could have easily degenerated into name-dropping and starfucking, but he does not come off that way. As a fan, his reactions mirror that of what any of his listeners would probably feel. It is a fine line to straddle, but Trunk makes it work.

The book contains 35 entries, arranged alphabetically. These include Metallica, Aerosmith, Guns N' Roses, and Iron Maiden - just to name a few. But the ones that are obviously close to Eddie's heart are the interesting choices. I don't think I have ever seen one of these books (especially one with only 35 artists) include Billy Squire as one of the essentials. But it Trunk's his book after all.

As mentioned previously, it is the personal reflections that make the book a cut above others. One of the unfortunate tendencies of those who consider themselves musical "experts" is the snob factor. Most rock/metal fans of a certain age cite Ozzy-era Sabbath as one of the first groups they got into. Not Eddie though. His honesty in telling us that it was the 1980 Heaven And Hell album with Ronnie James Dio that first turned his head is refreshing. He goes on to explain that only after hearing that one did he go back and get the double-LP best of collection We Sold Our Souls For Rock 'n' Roll, to get familiar with the Ozzy years.

Dio's passing in 2010 was keenly felt by his legions of fans, and Eddie Trunk was no exception. His many contributions to music are honored here with entries on Sabbath, Rainbow, and his own Dio band. In one of the sadder moments in the book, Trunk talks about hosting one of the memorial events for RJD. With a mixture of pride in being chosen for this honor, and profound sorrow at the occasion, he takes us there.

Besides recounting the basic facts of each performer, and his personal reminiscences, Trunk adds a couple of other intriguing elements to each chapter. One is "Eddie's Playlist" in which he ranks his favorite tracks by each group. His choices may or may not mirror the reader's, in most cases mine were completely different. Comparing yours with his is actually a lot of fun. For example, who but Eddie Trunk would pick "Child In Time" as Deep Purple's greatest song? Or "Hear About It Later" as Van Halen's? My favorite has to be his number one choice for UFO. Eddie goes for Strangers In The Night "whole album, top to bottom." I could not agree more with one of the most sadly overlooked double-live records ever.

Another cool bit is "Underground Classic" in which he singles one of a band's (or a solo member's) most obscure records for special praise. Left-field selections here include Van Halen III with Eddie Cherone (formerly of Extreme), and Carnival Of Souls by KISS. Finally there is a "Did You Know?" section with little known facts about each act.

All in all, Eddie Trunk's Essential Hard Rock And Heavy Metal is one of those rare guides to music that actually has something new to say. It is a
refreshing change from the standard fare, and recommended

Article first published as Book Review: Eddie Trunk's Essential Hard Rock And Heavy Metal by Eddie Trunk on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Rush - Roll The Bones (24+ K Gold Edition)

2011-09-11T13:48:00.000-07:00

As documented in the Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage (2010) documentary, the band have stubbornly gone their own way now for nearly 40 years. This was shown by recording what was thought to be commercial suicide with a side-long suite on their do-or-die fourth album, 2112 - or by including a reggae break (of all things) in their otherwise radio-friendly track "The Spirit Of Radio." As they explain in the film, the various paths they have chosen over the years always had to do with the music they liked, not what would sell.

This tendency was made crystal clear with their 1982 album Signals, the follow-up to their all-time bestseller, Moving Pictures. The general consensus was that Rush had gone New Wave. Don't get me wrong, with songs like "Subdivisions," Signals was a classic. But the new emphasis on keyboards was pretty different. For some of us, the eighties were a tough time to be a Rush fan. By the time of their 1987 hit "Time Stands Still" I had lost interest. From "Working Man" to Aimee Mann in 13 years was a little hard to swallow.

With their 1991 Roll The Bones release, the band seemed to realize this. While the album did contain some keyboards, their use had been dramatically curtailed. The result was a record that many saw as a return to form, and has taken its rightful place as one of their finest efforts. As if to signify this, Roll The Bones has been selected as the latest 24K + Gold Edition CD from the Audio Fidelity label. The process behind these releases is a meticulous one, and quite intriguing for those of us who appreciate the ultimate in sound quality.

The first step is the remastering phase, which is done from the original tapes. Once this task is complete, the digital master is etched onto the glass disc surface in real time by laser. From this, the CD is made out of real gold, rather than the standard and often imperfect aluminum. The end result is a remarkably clean and “warm” sounding product, with the original analog depth intact, as well as the convenience and precision of digital technology.

As for the album itself, as mentioned there is a much stronger emphasis on the guitar of Alex Lifeson. The fact that the guy has never really been credited as a master of the instrument is beyond me. His solo during "Ghost Of A Chance" is a prime example of his talent. Lifeson's playing has always been full of dynamics, with the high and low ends of the fretboard equally represented. But one of the traits that may be less obvious is his sense of rhythm. In "Ghost Of A Chance" these qualities are all prominently displayed.

The title track may feature keyboards a little more than on most of the other tunes, but it is so damned catchy you hardly notice. All three members are such remarkable musicians that it is almost pointless to single anyone out. Yet certain songs showcase certain talents. For drummer Neil Peart, his turn on "Face Up" is his most powerful on the record - especially during the tune's introduction.

Peart is also the lyricist of the group, and while his words have always shown a philosophical bent, his thoughts on Roll The Bones seem especially metaphysical. Even my least favorite of the ten tracks, "Neurotica" goes this route. You have to pay attention to the lyric sheet to pick up on this however, because the "Neurotica - Exotica - Hypnotica - Chaotica" chorus may drive you Nutica. Hey, it wouldn't be Rush if we didn't have something to gripe about, right? I think I speak for a lot of long-time fans when I say that Roll The Bones was a welcome way for them to begin the nineties though.

This new Audio Fidelity 24K + Gold Edition CD sounds much better to me than my 20-year old original disc does. I played a favorite cut, the instrumental "Where's My Thing?" from each version to compare, and the differences were surprisingly noticable. To paraphrase Charlie Sheen, this audiophile Roll The Bones CD is "Winning."

Article first published as Music Review: Rush - Roll The Bones (24K + Gold Edition CD) on Blogcritics.

Music DVD/Book Review: ABBA: Thank You For The Music

2011-09-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

This is a strange package, a four-DVD and 116-page oversized book combination which celebrates the Swedish supergroup of the seventies. It goes without saying that their popularity has remained high over the years, so a tribute like this makes perfect sense. However, the content is a not quite what I'd expected.

First of all there is the disclaimer on the back cover: “This independent book and DVD set was made with complete editorial freedom. It is uncensored and not in any way associated with members of ABBA.” To me, this implies that there is lots of juicy information inside. Come on now, salacious gossip about these squeaky clean and formerly married two couples — how could one resist? A quick glance disabused me of that notion completely. Of course, this being a book and DVD combo, it is sealed, so the curious are forced to purchase it first to find out just what it is all about.

The only thing the members of ABBA could possibly object to is the level of adulation lavished upon them. This is no mere acknowledgment of the group’s impressive achievements; it is a bid for rock immortality. Throughout the book author John Tobler repeatedly compares ABBA to The Beatles. While both groups did have four members, both were active for seven years, and both acts sold millions of records, the similarities end there. Yes, ABBA were a major international success. But putting them on par with The Beatles? Please.

Being completely unauthorized, the set relies on outsiders to offer their perceptions of the group. These include members of the ABBA tribute band Bjorn Again, as well as other musicians and industry figures. By making this a four-DVD collection, one is given the impression that there is a ton of material contained within. Not quite. Each DVD clocks in at about a half an hour. This means that everything could have been put onto one disc, with room to spare.

The first two DVDs are volumes one and two of “ABBA: Rock Case Studies.” They feature interviews with various ABBA-related authorities who discuss the merits of songs such as “Dancing Queen,” “Fernando,” “Knowing Me, Knowing You,” among many other classics. The other two DVDs are concerned with ABBA Gold, the 19-song greatest hits collection released in 1992 that reignited interest in their career.

There are three parts to the book. The first (and lengthiest) is an essay by Tobler titled “Thank You For The Music.” In it he recounts the history of ABBA, from 1973 to 1981, and their subsequent breakup and activities afterwards.

For those who may be unfamiliar with the makeup of ABBA, the group was composed of two married couples: Bjorn and Agnetha, and Benny and Anni-Frid (Frida). By 1981, both marriages were over, but everyone seemed game to continue on anyway. Solo albums from Agnetha and Frida, and Benny and Bjorn‘s work on the musical Chess came first, however. When the various projects were completed and it came time to reconvene, though, it seemed nobody had any interest in working on another ABBA album.

“In Their Own Words” is a section of interviews with ABBA insiders and Frida herself. The Frida interview dates back to 1982, when she was promoting her solo album, Something’s Going On. The third and final section of the book is “ABBA Track By Track.” In this portion, Tobler breaks down all eight studio albums plus ABBA Live, song by song.

ABBA: Thank You For The Music is a celebration of this quintessential seventies band. It is an appealing package, although a little misleading. In any event, it is something that I am sure big-time fans will not be able to live without.

Article first published as Music DVD/Book Review: ABBA: Thank You For The Music on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Francois Couturier - Tarkovsy Quartet

2011-09-11T13:35:00.000-07:00

Soviet director Andrei Tarkovsky (1932-1986) used everything available to him to make films of dazzling complexity, yet deeply personal. His work was afforded lavish praise from nearly every quarter, except at home. In totalitarian regimes, genuine art is often considered to be subversive, even dangerous. One need look no further than a comment made by Hermann Goering to understand the mentality, "Whenever I hear the word culture, the first thing I do is reach for my gun."

Despite the hostile climate Tarkovsky faced behind the Iron Curtain, he was able to produce films that resonate with audiences to this very day. His often dreamlike sequences had a particular effect on a young French pianist by the name of Francois Couturier. Tarkovsy Quartet is the final chapter in Couturier's trilogy of recordings reflecting his profound respect for the director. The first two entries in the series, Nostalghia - Song For Tarkovsky (2005) and the solo piano work Un jour si blanc (2009), received widespread acclaim. I expect Tarkovsky Quartet will be greeted just as enthusiastically.

Tarkovsky Quartet also refers to the group of musicians Couturier assembled for this recording. In addition to Couturier's piano, there are Anja Lechner (violoncello), Jean-Marc Larche (soprano saxophone), and Jean-Louis Matinier (accordion). The instrumentation is eclectic to be sure, but blend together wonderfully. The music of Tarkovsky Quartet could be referred to as "classical improvisation," if such a term existed. Indeed, on paper this sounds like a true musical oxymoron. Yet somehow these artists manage to pull it off.

The disc opens with "A celui qui a cu l'ange," which is the epitaph taken from Tarkovsky's headstone, and translates as "To the man who saw the Angel." It is a beautiful piece, beginning with an elegiac piano solo from Couturier, which gives way in turn to each of the members own ruminations. As the eight-minute track progresses, it is clear that there is a strong compositional structure to it, yet there are also places for each to improvise. Obviously there is a great deal of discipline involved in making such a structured yet open arrangement work. It is something that the quartet excel at over and over on these twelve tracks.

I was immediately drawn to the variety of moods the music evokes as well. There are pensive pieces, such as "Maroussia" and "San Galgano," that are almost mournful in tone yet never maudlin. Dissonance is also a flavor Couturier does not shy away from. Both "Mouchette" and "Mychkine" explore some of the more uncomfortable territories of expression, but never in a truly off-putting way.

For this listener, the two most effective tracks are "L'Apocalypse" and "Doktor Faustus." As would be expected of pieces titled for two of literature's most compelling works, The Book of Revelation, and Thomas Mann's Doktor. Faustus, these excursions highlight the very best of what the Tarkovsky Quartet have to offer. From the meticulously structured outlines, to the ever-so free, yet simultaneously restrained moments of improvisation, this is a quartet with a nearly telepathic ability to play together.

"De l'autre cote du miroir" closes the set, and does so with a nearly hymnal effect. It is the perfect conclusion to this marvelous tribute. Andrei Tarkovsky described his filmmaking technique as "sculpting in time." The phrase applies to the quartet named in his honor as well.

Article first published as Music Review: Francois Couturier - Tarkovsky Quartet on Blogcritics.

Book Review: John Wayne Gacy: Defending A Monsterby Sam L. Amirante

2011-09-11T13:30:00.000-07:00

Imagine you are a lawyer, fresh out of the Public Defender's office and just starting out in private practice. Your first client will be one you will probably never forget, sort of like a first kiss or similar milestone. Now imagine that your very first client happens to be a fellow named John Wayne Gacy. As incredible as it sounds, this was the situation young Sam L. Amirante found himself in back in 1978. His new book, John Wayne Gacy: Defending A Monster has just been published, and it is a riveting account of what it was like to defend one of the most notorious serial killers in history.

On December 14, 1978, John Gacy called Amirante to ask his for his help in figuring out why the Des Plaines, IL police were watching him. The two were casual acquaintances, as Gacy was a low-level functionary for the local Democratic party, and Amirante had briefly met him once or twice at various functions. That phone call would prove to be the beginning of an unbelievable two-year roller-coaster ride for Sam, as he became the chief counsel in what (at the time) was referred to as "the trial of the century."

In all, Gacy confessed to having murdered 33 people - most of them younger men. One of his favorite targets were male prostitutes, usually guys who had little or no contact with their families, and very few friends. A great deal of the murders went unreported, as the men's disappearances often went unnoticed. The spree may have gone on indefinitely, had Gacy not become careless. His final victim, 15-year-old Rob Piest was working at a local pharmacy that Gacy was bidding a construction job on. In casual conversation, Gacy found out that Rob was saving up to buy a Jeep, but it was taking a long time because he was not earning much at the store. Like a hawk, Gacy swooped down on the teenager with an offer of a construction job, which would pay considerably more than what he was currently earning.

After his shift was over, Rob rode over to Gacy's house to discuss the offer, and was never heard from again. The difference between Piest and most of Gacy's previous victims was that Rob did not remotely fit the profile of a lost boy. He had a family that immediately knew something was wrong. There was nothing in Rob Piest's background to suggest he had run away or anything. His family life was stable; there had been no fights with his girlfriend, or anyone else for that matter. There were no troubles at school either. His family and the police very quickly realized that something had happened to him. They also knew that the last person he was with was John Wayne Gacy.

As the case slowly unfolds around Amirante, things just keep getting stranger and stranger. While the police are gathering evidence to indict Gacy, they quite naturally want to keep an eye on him so that he does not disappear. So they put him under watch 24 hours a day. But Gacy had an enormously engaging personality, and was able to befriend practically anyone. He had even had his picture taken with First Lady Roslynn Carter. So even though the police were investigating him for murder, they were friendly with him. In fact, they would often go out for dinner and drinks with him!

Then one day Gacy came into Amirante's office high as a kite on a variety of substances and spilled his guts. He confessed to all of the murders, and to where the bodies were buried - which was under his house. A few (including Piest) had been dumped in the river, but there were 28 skeletons to be extracted from beneath the Gacy home.

Sam Amirante (who is now Judge Amirante) takes us through all of the bizarre actions of his certifiably insane client, as well as the various twists and turns of the six-week trial. After confessing to his attorney, Gacy did so to the police as well - so there was never any question as to his guilt. The only defense possible was that of temporary insanity. But as we all know, that did not quite work out for Gacy. He spent 14 years on death row while the appeals process was exhausted, and was finally given a lethal injection on May 10, 1994.

I have read a few books about serial killers in the past, out of curiosity - but never anything quite like this. Hearing the defense attorney's side of things is a fascinating experience. One is able to see first-hand just how difficult the situation is. As Amirante notes throughout the text, he has an almost religious belief in our system of law, which is why he defended Gacy in the first place. His comments about people who said that Gacy did not deserve a trial, and should just be lynched hit home especially. As he notes, these are often citizens who consider themselves the most patriotic souls in America. Yet when it comes to the Constitution, and the fact that we are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, these people are the first to rush to judgment.

The horrific actions of John Wayne Gacy destroyed hundreds of lives, but Defending A Monster is anything but sensationalistic. The book reveals something I had never even considered before. And that is just how difficult it must be to believe in the rule of law so deeply as to defend the type of animal that John Gacy was. I am pretty sure I could not do it, but thank heaven for people like Sam Amirante who will. It is clearly a thankless job, which is born out by the numerous threats he and his family received.

John Wayne Gacy: Defending A Monster provides a very different perspective than that of the usual true crime books. As such, it is recommended.

Article first published as Book Review: John Wayne Gacy: Defending A Monster by Sam L. Amirante and Danny Broderick on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Ten Years After - A Space In Time (24K + Gold Edition)

2011-08-21T14:37:00.000-07:00

The lyrics “I’d love to change the world, but I don’t know what to do, so I leave it up to you,” were perfect for suburban post-sixties Boomers. They so encapsulated the zeitgeist in fact that the song “I’d Love To Change The World” by Ten Years After was immediately enshrined in the Classic Rock Hall of Fame. The album that boasted the tune, A Space In Time was a huge hit in 1971, and continues to be the band’s best-selling work.

The Audio Fidelity company was just reissued A Space In Time as a limited edition 24 karat gold CD, and it is an audiophile’s wet dream. The process behind these releases is a meticulous one, and quite intriguing for those of us who appreciate the ultimate in sound quality.

The first step is the remastering phase, which is done from the original tapes. Once this task is complete, the digital master is etched onto the glass disc surface in real time by laser. From this, the CD is made out of real gold, rather than the standard and often imperfect aluminum. The end result is a remarkably clean and “warm” sounding product, with the original analog depth intact, as well as the convenience and precision of digital technology.

Audio Fidelity focuses on classic rock releases, so it is likely that their audience is already familiar with the music. For those who may not be familiar with Ten Years After’s A Space In Time however, it is a great record. The haunting ballad “I’d Love To Change The World” is a bit of an anomaly, but fits perfectly. The real deal with the band has always been the incredible blues guitar of leader Alvin Lee.

Like a number of artists, Lee made his name on the Woodstock stage. TYA’s version of “I’m Going Home” is deservedly legendary, and Lee’s guitar work smokes. There are a number of cuts on A Space In Time that reflect his and the band’s love of the blues form. Opening track “One Of These Days” certainly qualifies as a leader in the British white-boy blues brigade. Over a heavy-duty 4/4 beat, Lee pulls out his slide and harmonica to emphasize this point.

A couple of the other notably bluesy numbers on the album are “Let The Sky Fall,” and “I’ve Been There Too.” The latter features the most fiery solo Lee plays on the record, and is a testament to just how good he is. Another factor in the popularity of A Space In Time is the variety of material on it. Besides the standard-issue blues, TYA were looking at other forms of expression. While “I’d Love To Change The World,” is the most effective ballad, it is by no means the only one included. “Here They Come” has a dreamy quality to it, and the strings on “Over The Hill” make it the most disconcerting track here. There is something about a band like Ten Years After slowing it down and adding violins that just sounds off - although it is a great tune.

Lee and company venture into rockabilly during “Baby Won’t You Let Me Rock ’N Roll You,” which may or may not have been referenced for Led Zeppelin’s later “Misty Mountain Hop.” Another stop the band make is at the roadhouse, during “Once There Was A Time.” This kind of music always brings to mind a good barroom brawl, and TYA do not disappoint. Finally we come to “Uncle Jam,” a two-minute Wes Montgomery-style jazz guitar piece to close the album out in fine form.

First timers will find a lot to recommend it in A Space In Time, without a doubt. For those who are already converted, the Audio Fidelity 24K + Gold Compact Disc Edition (to use the full name) is what you need for the ultimate Ten Years After experience.

Article first published as Music Review: Ten Years After - A Space In Time (24K+ Gold CD Edition) on Blogcritics.

DVD Review: The Death Of Andy Kaufman

2011-08-21T14:32:00.000-07:00

It seems that whenever a celebrity dies the conspiracy nuts come out of the woodwork. In the case of Andy Kaufman (1949 - 1984), the belief that his death was a hoax is so strong that people are still waiting for him to reappear. Because of the way he lived his life, and the various events he staged, Andy is a perfect subject for the whole “faked death” theory. The recent DVD release of The Death Of Andy Kaufman explores this phenomenon, and the various reasons it is still believed even 26 years after he passed.

A lot has been written about Kaufman in the years since his death. One of the main themes is that he was ahead of his time, which is certainly true. There is also the “performance art” aspect to his life, which had not really come into vogue at the time either. The stunts he pulled are legendary now. Wrestling women as the “inter-gender” champion and the subsequent feud with Jerry Lawler, performances at colleges where he did nothing but read The Great Gatsby, and his often disastrous appearances on late night TV were acts that his audience did not understand. Why is Taxi’s lovable Latka Gravas acting so strange, we wondered.

When it was announced that Andy was suffering from a rare form of lung cancer, many assumed that it was just another one of his pranks. His death in 1984 did little to quell the persistent notion. In fact, in death he became even more popular than ever. Acclaimed director Milos Forman’s Man On The Moon (1999) ignited a great deal of interest in his career, as did biographies by Bob Zmuda and Bill Zehme.

Bob Zmuda may have known Andy better than anyone. As his partner in crime, Zmuda played a huge role in Kaufman’s best-known bits. He often played a heckler at Andy’s concerts, but perhaps his most brilliant contribution was Tony Clifton. The character of Tony Clifton was invented as a sort of washed up Vegas-style lounge singer. The overweight, profane has-been was everything Kaufman was not. He smoked, drank, ate huge steaks, and caroused with cheap whores when not insulting his audience, all the while denying that he was Andy Kaufman. The hilarious revelation in Zmuda’s book was that half the time it was Zmuda himself playing Clifton, which made Andy’s denials partially true.

Playing with the media was one of the things the two of them craved, so in 2004 Zmuda honored Andy by bringing back Tony Clifton. Although it was never explicitly stated, the implication was that after 20 years, Kaufman was ready for the denouement of his elaborate ruse. Zmuda staged some Tony Clifton concerts in the Los Angeles area, but Andy Kaufman never showed up.

The Death Of Andy Kaufman is a new documentary by Christopher Maloney which investigates the whole faked-death phenomenon. I suppose a “spoiler alert” is in order here, because Maloney never finds any evidence supporting the theory. What he does find is Andy’s brother Michael, who he interviews at length. Michael Kaufman reiterates the basic facts, and that is about it. There does seem to be a tinge of bitterness in his voice when he mentions how show business people such as Bob Zmuda are the ones the media always go to for comments, rather than family members. But he certainly does not feel that Andy is still alive.

Maloney’s camera travels to suspected hiding spots of Kaufman, such as the homeless enclaves of Santa Barbera, and Taos, New Mexico. The Lama Foundation in Taos is an interesting stop. This pseudo-commune seems to be where Maloney expects to find Andy. The latter-day hippies who inhabit the place seem incapable of remembering what they had for breakfast this morning, let alone if someone resembling Andy Kaufman had ever lived there.

For believers, there are four main reasons behind the hoax itself. First is the fact that Andy had often discussed faking his own death, and spoke to Alan Abel about it. Abel had actually done it, among other pranks in his lifetime, and Andy was fascinated. Big surprise there.

The second reason has to do with hair. Again, the evidence is less than compelling. When Kaufman was being treated, his hair fell out. This is quite common with cancer patients. There is a famous photo of Andy with a mohawk, which he said he liked better than having bald patches all over his head. Later he was photographed completely bald. The big news here is that he did not lose his eyebrows or chest hair. The idea is that he simply shaved his head, and there never were any cancer treatments.

Next we come to the curious case of one Nathan McCoy. This was something I was previously unaware of, but Nathan McCoy is the psuedonym that Andy was checked in under at Cedars-Sinai when he died. It is very common for celebrities to check into places under assumed names, is it not?

Finally we come to the state of his career at the time. It was not doing well. He had been banned from Saturday Night Live, and Taxi had been cancelled. Even wrestling had pretty much played itself out, as the Lawler feud had finally ended. The thought is that since things were at such a low point, a faked death would be just the shot in the arm his public profile needed.

Flimsy evidence, to say the least. The Death Of Andy Kaufman breaks no new ground, except to flesh out what the conspiracy theories base themselves on. There is also plenty of public-domain footage of Andy in concert and wrestling. The interview with Michael Kaufman is probably the most intriguing aspect of it, as the family’s thoughts have never been publicized before. The only extra included is a ten-minute interview with writer/director Christopher Maloney.

In the Andy Kaufman tale, there is very little new ground left to be uncovered, as The Death Of Andy Kaufman bears out. Still, if one is interested in the reasons behind the whole affair, this DVD is worth watching.

Article first published as DVD Review: The Death Of Andy Kaufman on Blogcritics.

DVD Review: Deep Purple - Phoenix Rising

2011-08-21T14:28:00.000-07:00

They called it Deep Purple Mark IV. David Coverdale (vocals), Tommy Bolin (guitar), Jon Lord (keyboards), Glenn Hughes (bass), and Ian Paice (drums) made up this short lived, and final seventies edition of the band. For the past 35 years, it has been thought that no live footage of Mark IV existed. As sometimes happens however, accepted wisdom proved to be incorrect. The new Phoenix Rising DVD from Eagle Rock contains 30 minutes of the band playing live in Japan during their 1975 tour.

Although the entire concert was filmed, only five songs have survived: “Burn,” “Love Child,” “Smoke On The Water,” “You Keep Movin,” and “Highway Star.” This being the mid-seventies, the quality and editing leave something to be desired. The historical significance of the footage is undeniable though, as Tommy Bolin would be dead within months of the show.

Unfortunately for Bolin fans, his performance is severely limited. In the accompanying documentary “Getting Together” it is explained that he had slept for eight solid hours prior to the concert, on his arm. Bolin could barely move his fingers by showtime, and his playing is seriously compromised. He was so good with the guitar that he almost gets away with it, but not quite. Watching him strut around the stage like a peacock with platform shoes is pretty great though.

With Bolin practically sidelined, it is up to Jon Lord to take up the slack. He was always Purple’s not-so-secret weapon, and he steps up to the plate here in a big way. Lord’s solo during “Smoke On The Water” is a definite highlight, as is his synth turn during “Love Child.” Ian Paice’s drumming is power personified, and it is pretty amusing to watch Glenn Hughes ham it up with his bass playing. Listening to a hoarse David Coverdale croaking his way through the songs is the biggest drawback, but this was the end of the tour and he had probably blown it out.

The previously mentioned “Getting Together” is the other main feature of the set. In this 85-minute documentary, the various incarnations of the band are discussed. Both Jon Lord and Glenn Hughes were interviewed for this, and offer their observations about the history of the group. Hughes spends a lot of time discussing his cocaine addiction, while Lord explains the nightmare the band had in Indonesia just prior to the Japan concert. It is a fairly long story, but it sounds like the guys were lucky to get out of the country alive - one of their roadies did not.

As for extras, there is a more succinct re-hash of the Indonesia story, and an electronic press kit for the only album DP MK IV ever released, Come Taste The Band. This 20-minute piece about the record is actually quite interesting, with a fair amount of anecdotes I had never previously heard.

There are also a couple of booklets included in the set, featuring contemporary articles and pictures of the band. With all of this to recommend it, and despite the less than stellar performances, Phoenix Rising should appeal to most Deep Purple and Tommy Bolin fans.

Article first published as Music DVD Review: Deep Purple - Phoenix Rising on Blogcritics.

Book Review: Journey: The Untold Story by Neil Daniels

2011-08-21T14:23:00.000-07:00

Thirty years has a nice ring to it. The hippies never trusted anyone over 30, and as the high school reunion committee keeps reminding me, it is also the number of years since I graduated. Thirty years have passed since the peak of Journey’s popularity as well. “Who’s Cryin’ Now” and “Don’t Stop Believin” were more than hits on the radio, they were anthems. Before the advent of “chick flicks” we had “chick songs,” and Journey were the undisputed champs. If a guy didn’t have an eight-track of Escape in his car back then, he was usually home alone on Friday nights. Who’s crying now? It used to be me.

As big as Journey were, there has never been a major biography written about them. Neil Daniels has corrected the situation with his new book Journey: The Untold Story. As they say, discretion is the better part of valor - and the members of Journey certainly adhered to the tenet. Unfortunately for them, Daniels found out where the bodies are buried.

The biggest revelation has to do with LSD — musicians’ shorthand for Lead Singer’s Disease. I first heard of it when Eddie Van Halen was talking about David Lee Roth. According to Daniels, Steve Perry is an LSD hall of famer. In some ways it is understandable that the front man of the group would think that he was also in charge. Unfortunately for the vocalist, this is almost never the case. When it came to Journey, the situation was magnified by the fact that the rest of the band were virtually anonymous to the casual fan. In their mind, Steve Perry was Journey.

Daniels takes us back to the early days, long before Perry came along. As a matter of fact, Journey was formed out of the ashes of Santana’s first lineup. Keyboardist Gregg Rolie was onstage with Santana at Woodstock, and even sang their big hit “Evil Ways.” A 16-year old guitar prodigy by the name of Neal Schon made his first recorded appearance on Santana III in 1971. When Carlos decided to take his music in a heavy jazz-fusion direction, Rolie and Schon opted out and founded Journey.

The first three Journey albums were not very successful. There was a tendency toward instrumental self-indulgence, which was common in the early seventies. It worked for some bands, but not this one. By their fourth attempt, it was do or die time. Enter Steve Perry, and the Infinity LP. This is where the Journey story really begins for many. “Wheel In The Sky,” “Lights,” and “Feelin’ That Way” were all on Infinity and became FM radio staples.

There was more to the winning formula than the simple addition of Steve Perry though. Besides KISS, Journey were one of the first “branded” groups. Ever notice the distinctive, yet similar album covers and titles during their golden years? We had Infinity, Evolution, Departure, Captured, and Escape, all with artwork by Stanley Mouse.

One of the first big rifts in the band happened when Perry decided that for 1983’s Frontiers, he wanted to change cover artists. It was little more than a power play, but he got his way. With that fateful step, the slow dissolution of the group began.

Daniels spends as much time on the decline of Journey as he did on their rise, which is the only real drawback of the book for me. There were solo albums, Perry left and came back, then left again… the tribulations go on and on. While their later years are an important part of the story, the momentum has clearly been lost.

At my upcoming reunion I fully expect to hear plenty of Journey tunes, especially “Don’t Stop Believin'.” It is a classic, and who can deny the final song Tony Soprano ever heard? Just like The Sopranos though, all good things must come to an end, including the golden-era of Journey.

But Journey itself did not end. They are now firmly in Neal Schon’s control, after Steve Perry’s final departure in 1998. Gregg Rolie had left the group he co-founded way back in 1980. Journey now tour the summer nostalgia circuit with their new singer Arnel Pineda.

In Journey: The Untold Story, Neil Daniels chronicles the rise and fall of the AOR perennials with an eye to detail and a healthy amount of respect. It is a refreshing look at a group who were once almost universally reviled as “corporate rock” by magazines such as Rolling Stone. The book is a well-written account of the band‘s long history and is recommended. All we need now are the Foreigner and Styx exposes to complete the trifecta.

Article first published as Book Review: Journey: The Untold Story by Neil Daniels on Blogcritics.

Music Review: You - Electric Day, Time Code

2011-08-21T14:17:00.000-07:00

The duo who called themselves You were something of a post-Krautrock affair, whose first album Electric Day appeared in 1979. By that time the LP side-long atmospherics of fellow Berliners Tangerine Dream and Klaus Schulze were beginning to incorporate some rhythm into their “Kosmische Musik." You’s sound fit right into this new electronic world, even if they were somewhat overlooked at the time. Bureau B has just reissued the first two You albums, Electric Day and Time Code. Both provide a fascinating glimpse into this transitional era.

The title track of Electric Day opens the original seven-song set. It is a heavily sequenced piece, with a high beats per minute quotient. “Electric Day” is in no way a dance music track however. “Magooba” highlights one of the brilliant guests You mainstays Udo Hanton and Albin Meskes brought into the project. Guitarist Uli Weber contributes mightily to the tale, as he does later during “Zero Eighty-Four.”

The Spiegeltraum Studio where Electric Day was recorded saw a fair number of Krautrock titans come to visit. One who decided to join the proceedings was drummer Harold Grosskopf. At the time, he was drumming with the remains of Ash Ra Tempel, which was now being called Ashra - and was led by Manuel Gottsching. He had also drummed for Klaus Schulze at one point.

The sequencer patterns of Electric Day add a certain “futuristic” sheen to the affair, but it is Grosskopf’s drums that hold everything together. Nowhere is this better exemplified than on the 12-minute “Slow Go.” This song more than any other bridges the old, lengthy improvisational style of the seventies with the more refined sounds that would become common in the eighties.

One of the great things about CD reissues is the opportunity for bonus materials. In the case of Electric Day, the original vinyl release held approximately 39 minutes of music. The Bureau B CD adds another 33 minutes to the mix. And these four songs are in no way inferior tracks. In fact, I am hard pressed to tell you why these were not issued - because they are as great as anything on the album.

The sequencer-driven, 11-minute “E-Night” features barely audible, out of phase spoken-word interludes (in German) at a couple of particular spooky points. Weber’s guitar apocalypse towards the end of the cut must be heard to be believed. Another strange and forward looking extra tune is “H. Rays Identity.“ The weird pre-videogame soundtrack is a uniquely intriguing vision. It is the sound of the future, as heard through the prism of the past.

You’s second effort, Time Code took four years to complete - and was released to an indifferent public in 1983. For Time Code, Hanten and Meskes were on their own. It often sounds as if the ghosts in their machines are having nightmares.

Their ambivalence about their musical role is reflected in some of the song titles. “Future/Past,” “Time Code,” and “Taurus-Fantasia” all seem to exist on a purgatory plain somewhere between the islands of old and new. The fact that all of their music is instrumental just adds to the delicious mystery of intent.

Time Code also pays tribute to the Dusseldorf electronic “power-plant” of Kraftwerk. Ralf and Florian’s place in music history was secure by 1983 with classics such as Trans-Europe Express and The Man Machine behind them. The way in which You touch upon their predecessor’s triumphs is fitting. They simply add glorious (wordless) harmonies to their electronic compositions. It is a very effective means of grounding the intangible synth-sounds with the human (and tangible) sounds of the duo.

The bonus tracks on Time Code are not as extensive as those of Electric Day. Only two appear. Both are eminently worthwhile however. Despite its title, “Controlled Demolition” is not the industrial strength, early Einsturzende Neubauten-style ear-drill one might expect. In fact, it is actually quite pastoral. This “kinder, gentler” side of You is further explored on “Zone Black,” which reminds me an awful lot of Jean-Michele Jarre’s landmark Oxygene.

You were a pair of German musicians caught up in a most interesting time. Although albums from any of the surviving Krautrock stalwarts in the early eighties make clear how awkward the period was, nothing captures it quite the way You do. Theirs is a lost chapter in the evolution of the genre, and one with a curious story all their own.

Article first published as Music Review: You - Electric Day, Time Code on Blogcritics.

Book Review: The Ultimate Bar Book by Andre Domine

2011-08-21T14:14:00.000-07:00

Like it or not, alcohol has been with us for centuries now, and its popularity shows no signs of letting up. The huge (and aptly titled) Ultimate Bar Book contains everything anyone might ever want to know about the subject of spirits. The book covers the history of alcohol, the most popular types by region, cocktail recipes, and more booze trivia than you can shake a (swizzle) stick at.

The Ultimate Bar Book is a nice title, but at over 800 pages, it is almost an encyclopedia. The tale begins with the distillation process, which dates back at least to the 13th Century BC Sumerian people. Whether they were actually producing alcohol at the time is still a matter of debate, but by the mid-12th Century AD, the manufacture of al-kuhl was in full-swing in Europe.

Early reports of the revelatory properties of hooch were ecstatic. Quoting from the book: “Initially said to be a miracle substance capable of turning inexpensive metals into gold, they [alchemists] soon interpreted it to be a kind of universal medicine believed to grant health, strength, eternal youth, and wisdom.” Some of us still believe that, actually.

In the 17th Century, upper-class Londoners developed specific tastes for the brandies of the Cognac region of France. Thus the first “top shelf” liquors were born. The enjoyment of spirits was quickly adopted by all the classes however, a process that was accelerated a great deal with the Industrial Revolution.

Nobody really knows the origins of the word “bar,” although the book offers a number of plausible legends surrounding it. It was certainly in common usage by 1862, when Jerry Thomas published his definitive Bartender’s Guide.

The bulk of the book is taken up with discussions of the most popular types of alcohol from around the world. Photo-filled chapters in this section concern Cognac and other brandies; whiskey and bourbon; grain spirits (vodka, etc.); rum and tequila; absinthe; vermouth; liqueurs; and fortified wines (sherry, etc.).

Following this insightful trip around the world, and each region’s specialties comes the recipe section. There are 160 specific drinks included in this department, with 20 of them nonalcoholic or “virgin” concoctions. There are a few that look absolutely amazing. In the pousse-café’s (or rainbow drinks), different colored liquors are stacked atop each other in the glass for a stunning effect.

The picture of a blend called a 4th of July, which has a red, a white, and a blue layer is unbelievable. The ingredients are very simple: Grenadine, Blue curacao, and Batida de Coco. If you pour them into the glass slowly in that order, you will have a drink that is red on the bottom, blue in the middle, and white at the top. Pay attention to the book’s description however: “This is likely to please every American. Whether it also tastes good is another question.”

The grossest-looking drink I have ever seen is also included. It is called a Prairie Oyster. This is one of four mythical “hangover cures,” which also includes that old standby, the Bloody Mary. Here are just a few of the ingredients that go into a Prairie Oyster: one raw egg yolk, Olive oil, ketchup, Tobasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and Cognac. Sounds like we should call Eddie Vedder, because it’s time for a hurl-jam.

One of the most amazing bits of trivia I came across in book is where the U.S. fits in on a per-capita consumption level worldwide. Thanks to the massive amount of advertising we are inundated with, as well as the constant reminders about drunk driving, I figured we were way up there on the list. The truth is, we rank number 50 out of 115, with an average yearly intake of 11 pints. In contrast, the Russian Federation is number three, with 42 pints per person. Number one is the Virgin Islands, at a whopping 57 pints, while number 115 is Morocco, with a meager three fluid ounces per person per year.

For drinkers and non-drinkers alike, there is a great deal of fascinating information about these magic elixirs. The book was designed to give the individual all the information they would need to set up the greatest bar ever, a goal it definitely achieves. But The Ultimate Bar Book manages to be more than a simple guide. This is a funny, informative and endlessly interesting tome, and a book I thoroughly enjoyed.

Article first published as Book Review: The Ultimate Bar Book by Andre Domine on Blogcritics.

Muisic Review: R.E.M. - Lifes Rich Pageant (25th Anniversary Edition)

2011-08-21T14:09:00.000-07:00

Coming off the dark and mysterious Fables of the Reconstruction, R.E.M. were poised for a more direct approach with their fourth album. Lifes Rich Pageant would be produced by Don Gehman, who had just finished work on John Cougar Mellencamp’s outstanding Scarecrow. The clear and distinct sound Gehman is famous for is the most obvious benefit of bringing him on board. Also, the songs that R.E.M. were writing were much more straightforward than previous efforts. When these elements came together in the spring of 1986, the result was one of the band’s greatest recordings.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Lifes Rich Pageant, Capitol/ I.R.S. have just issued a lavishly packaged, two-CD box set. Like the commemorative editions of Murmur, Reckoning, and Fables of the Reconstruction, the Lifes Rich Pageant (25th Anniversary Edition) one has some great bonus materials. All of that would be so much fluff, though, if not for the music of the original album. And as any R.E.M. fan will tell you, the 12 tracks the group recorded all those years ago were some of their best ever.

The album begins with “Begin The Begin,” an unequivocal statement of purpose for the group. Over Peter Buck’s marvelously staccato lead guitar, Michael Stipe declares his intentions, “Let’s begin again, like Martin Luther zen." Bill Berry’s drums drive the tune forward, and are clearer sounding than ever before. The ethereal background vocals of Mike Mills make an outstanding counterpoint to Stipe, while his bass holds the whole thing together.

These traits coalesce even more completely on the first single, “Fall On Me.” This haunting, medium-tempo cut addresses a topic the band has shown a particular affinity for: its concerns over environmental issues. As if to emphasize the point, the very next track is “Cayuhoga.” The song is about the toxic-waste-filled Cayuhoga River, in Ohio. As one of the most polluted rivers in the nation, the Cayuhoga would regularly catch fire.

Continuing the soft political vein of the record is “The Flowers Of Guatemala.” This intricate ballad is a near-perfect construction, in large part due to the guitar of Peter Buck. His solo in the mid-section offers a sublime commentary on Stipe’s stream-of-consciousness lyrics. In contrast to the more candid statements Stipe would make in the future, “The Flowers Of Guatemala” is shaded. The song's subtext is of the shameful conduct of the U.S. towards the people of Guatemala in the early eighties.

Lifes Rich Pageant has been unfairly categorized as R.E.M.’s political record, but as the title suggests, there is much more going on here. Exhibit A would be “Underneath The Bunker,” which is a salsa number, of all things. In a more traditional style comes “I Believe,” where country, and specifically honky-tonk music, is explored.

The other side of the coin is represented by “These Days” and “Just A Touch.” Both tracks show the harder-edged side of the band, albeit with a pop sensibility. In fact, “Just A Touch” nails the punk/power-pop combination that contemporaries Husker Dü were so well known for.

“Swan Song H” has received a lot of attention over the years. There is a similarity (in spirit at least) to what Mickey Newbury created with his “American Trilogy.” Like a lot of the subject matter on Fables Of The Reconstruction, R.E.M. are curious about their Southern heritage. The paradoxes of being young, white musicians growing up in Georgia are rich. “Swan Song H” concerns Civil War-era pirates, and the acoustic ballad sounds like nothing else on the album.

The final track is a cover of The Clique’s “Superman.“ To end such a powerful album with a tune like this is just plain weird. But they do a good job with it. Maybe the idea was to just keep us guessing. Or maybe it was more sinister, for they do begin the song with some sampled dialog from a Godzilla film.

Besides the remastered original album, the 25th anniversary edition of Lifes Rich Pageant has a bonus disc featuring 19 previously unreleased demos, recorded in March 1986 at John Keane’s Studio in Athens, Georgia. Except for “Superman,” the entire album is previewed. There are eight additional tunes, including such greats as “Rotary Ten” and “Mystery To Me.” Also included in the package is a poster-sized reproduction of the album cover, postcards, and a newly commissioned booklet with an essay by noted rock writer Parke Puterbaugh. The whole set is housed in a sturdy lift-top box.

Lifes Rich Pageant is without a doubt one of R.E.M.’s very best efforts, and this 25th Anniversary Edition is a fitting tribute to it

Article first published as Music Review: R.E.M. - Lifes Rich Pageant (25th Anniversary Edition) on Blogcritics.

Book Review: Hard Time - by Shaun Attwood

2011-08-21T14:04:00.000-07:00

“English Shaun” Attwood was a British expatriate living the high life as a stockbroker by day, and an Ecstasy-dealing raver by night. The combination of big money and lots of drugs is always a bad one, but it became a nearly fatal one for him. You see, Attwood’s crimes took place in Phoenix, Arizona — home of the notorious Sheriff Joe Arpaio. The abuses, graft, violent conflicts of interest, and other crimes committed in Arpaio’s jails have been documented before. But never by someone who spent two years inside.

Attwood’s new book, Hard Time: Life with Sheriff Joe Arpaio in America’s Toughest Jail describes the conditions of the (then) young man’s stint in these “temporary” holding facilities. The author was being housed in these jails before being actually sentenced to prison. The reason he was unable to bail out was that his was set at $1.5 million, a figure much higher than Arizona’s finest murderers routinely receive. The result of his ordeal is this sickening account of absolute sadism under the guise of law and order.

The jail environment is not supposed to be a pleasant one. But how bad should it be allowed to get? It seems Sheriff Arpaio’s mission is to find out just how far he can push things. The inmate death toll under his watch is the highest in the nation. In these jails, an integral part of the food supply is baloney sandwiches, made from moldy bread and a green baloney that is delivered in boxes stamped “Not Fit for Human Consumption.”

There is no system of air-conditioning at all (remember, this is Arizona — where temperatures often top 100 degrees), and the medical care is non-existent. Evidently the cockroaches feed off the pus generated by the MRSA-infected sores of spider bites.

While reading Hard Time, I often cringed at some of the situations Attwood described. Some of these instances seem to come straight out of the old HBO series OZ. While the author admits his guilt right up front, and expects to do prison time, we need to remember where all of these deaths and other atrocities are occurring. Sherriff Arpaio’s jails are holding people accused of crimes. Nobody there has been convicted or sentenced yet. Have we reached the point where the mere filing of a charge is enough to send someone to this type of hell hole?

Shaun Attwood was eventually sentenced to nine years in prison for his drug activities. He has since been released, and now speaks to teens as an anti-drug crusader. He also says that the two years he spent waiting to be sentenced in Arpaio’s jails were far worse than the nine he spent in prison.

What makes Hard Time so readable is Attwood’s obvious talent as a first time writer. There is no “woe is me” tone present, or prevarication about his being non-violent crimes. He takes his lumps, but he also shows just how ridiculous the whole situation there is. For example, he claims that he had never seen as much crystal meth on the outside as he did on the inside. Meth is a particularly nasty drug to have floating around in an already extremely dangerous environment. He is very lucky to have survived for two years.

There are also a number of humanizing moments, that he and his various cell mates share over time. These little glimpses of humanity in the midst of such squalor open up this tale to the rest of us. I certainly could not help wondering what I would do if faced with such a situation. Yes, of course, jail is intended as a deterrent, but this is like being thrown into the lion’s den.

Hard Time is a fascinating first-time book, and an eye-opening look at what is going on in the Phoenix jail system. This trampling of basic human rights needs to be addressed. Unfortunately, it seems Arpaio has so much power as to be immune. Just ask the former publisher of Arizona’s New Times newspaper, who was arrested in 2007 while investigating the abuses of the jail system. The investigation ended immediately.

Hopefully Shaun Attwood’s new book will cast more light on this intolerable situation. It is a harrowing, and at times oddly humorous account of life in hell. I only wish it was a fictional tale, because things like this should not be going on in America today. Hard Time is eye-opening, to say the least.

Article first published as Book Review: Hard Time: Life with Sherriff Joe Arpaio in America's Toughest Jailby Shaun Attwood on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Velvet Monkeys - Everything Is Right

2011-08-21T13:55:00.000-07:00

With “Roadrunner,” Jonathan Richmanpioneered a Velvet Underground meets the Romper Room kids kind of sound. The VU influence of minimalism and drone was tempered with Richman’s sense of innocence - which provided an excellent contrast. This combination would lie dormant for many years before it become the basic K Records aesthetic - but before that we had Velvet Monkeys.

Everything Is Right was the 1981 debut of Velvet Monkeys, and was initially released on the bleeding-edge format of cassette tape only. The group was led by future indie-icon Don Fleming, who has remastered the 30-year-old tapes for this CD reissue. Besides Fleming’s guitar and vocals, the Monkeys consisted of Elaine Barnes (keyboards, vocals), and Stephen Soles (bass). In the tradition of all great rock bands, they had a succession of drummers - no less than three appear here.

The disc begins with “Everything Is Right,” a song that perfectly encapsulates what the group were all about. Fleming’s deadpan delivery of lines such as “Everything is right, everything is coming up roses” sounds irony-free. Of course this is highly unlikely, given the fact that they were a Washington D.C. band in the first-flush of Reaganism. What Velvet Monkeys pioneered was a way to have your cake (or jellybeans) and eat it too.

Their sense of fun is what comes through the most. With songs like “Drive In,” the foursome share their love of the simple pleasures of the drive-in double feature. In 1981, such things still existed. Other mood-lifters include a cover of “The Creeper” and “Velvet Monkey Theme Song.” As we all know, every band shoud have a theme song.

Velvet Monkeys were definitely not living in a vacuum. There is an experimental side to them that may have been obscured in the early days, but was clearly there. Whether intentional or not, “Any Day Now” has a great deal in common with the sound Martin Hannett produced on Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures album. Don Fleming may disagree with this, and it may have just been something in the air at the time. Still, there are remarkable similarities.

For the CD release of Everything Is Right, three live tracks are added for our listening pleasure. They are from a New Year's Eve 1981 show at a club called The Chancery in D.C. The tunes are raw as hell, and it sounds like everyone was having a damn fine night. Of course the conservatives were well on their way to putting an end to the hedonistic good times, and D.C.‘s own Minor Threat would soon spawn Straight Edge. But Velvet Monkeys were pointing the way to a very different type of punk rock, albeit one that would come of age many years later.

What is most apparent in listening to Everything Is Right is the profound effect it had on Beat Happening (whose debut appeared in 1984). Beat Happening’s homegrown label K Records even specialized in cassette-only releases at first. As is fairly common knowledge, the only tattoo Kurt Cobain ever had was of the K Records logo. And Velvet Monkeys themselves would one day record for K, in 1989.

But in 1981, all of these developments were a long ways off. Everything Is Right was a pioneering recording, and one that proved to have a lasting impact. It has also been nearly impossible to find almost from the start.

Thirty years is a hell of a long time, especially in the fickle world of music, yet
there is nothing dated about this disc. The amateur exuberance and obvious joy at just playing make the whole thing sound as fresh as ever. Everything Is Right is guaranteed to put a smile on your face, even if it is usually as frown-frozen a mug as Margaret Thatcher’s.

Article first published as Music Reiview: Velvet Monkeys - Everything Is Right on Blogcritics.

Book Review: Worst Ideas Ever by Daniel B. Kline & Jason Tomaszewski

2011-08-21T13:49:00.000-07:00

We all have had those “What were they thinking?” moments. Whether it was New Coke, or Michael Jordan leaving basketball for baseball, or the creation of the XFL — some decisions just boggle the mind. Authors Daniel B. Kline and Jason Tomaszewski have collected 42 all-time great mistakes in their new book Worst Ideas Ever: A Celebration of Embarrassment. Written in a breezy style and including representative photos of each debacle, this is one of the most genuinely funny books you are likely to find.

One big reason is that outside of a couple of instances, e.g., The Hindenburg disaster, nobody gets hurt in these anecdotes. Well, just about everybody involved takes a battering in the pride department, but they had that coming. Leading the hit parade is possibly the biggest corporate embarrassment ever, the introduction of New Coke in 1985. The ludicrous idea was to replace Coca-Cola with a “new and improved” formula.

Immediately upon introduction, the response to New Coke was a deafening public outcry, and after a brief period (79 days) “Coca-Cola Classic” was brought back. New Coke hung on for a couple of years, but was eventually scrapped, presumably along with the executives who had approved it in the first place.

The book is broken up into five categories of study: “Food & Drink,” “Stuff,” “The Arts,” “Sports,” and “Media & Politics.” Under “Stuff” we find items such as “The In-Car Phonograph.” I never really knew the story behind this doozy, but Kline and Tomaszewski lay it all out, and the whole thing is just ridiculous.

In 1956, Chrysler actually offered this as an accessory on their De Soto, Dodge, and Plymouth models. Ignoring for the moment the obvious difficulties of playing a record in a moving vehicle, there was another problem. The contraption only played 45rpm singles. That means that every three minutes or so you would have to change the record!

Every one of these entries is hilarious, in a hard-to-believe kind of way. When you think back on the Conan/Leno Tonight Show fiasco perpetrated by NBC, or when AOL swallowed Time/Warner in 2000, it boggles the mind to realize that nobody batted an eye at the time. I’m sure there are plenty more examples of monumentally stupid decisions that have been made over the years. For now though, Worst Ideas Ever, the book and the up-to-the-minute blog, collects some of the funniest, and most clueless examples of bad decision making of all time.

Article first published as Book Review: Worst Ideas Ever: A Celebration of Embarrassmentby Daniel B. Kline and Jason Tomaszewski on Blogcritics.

Book Review: Giants of Rock: Led Zeppelin Box Set by Guitar World

2011-08-13T13:25:00.000-07:00

As a subject for retrospectives, only The Beatles top Led Zeppelin. But where The Beatles’ impact was as much cultural as musical, with the mighty Zep it was almost all about the music. Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Bonham and John Paul Jones created a hard rock din of unparalleled majesty, which was generally dismissed by contemporary critics as so much noise. Those of us who were listening to something as gorgeous as “That’s The Way” on Led Zeppelin III knew the real score, and that was all that mattered.

Although Rolling Stone and Creem did not get the band, guitar magazines certainly did. In the case of Guitar World, all of the extensive coverage they have lavished on the band came after the fact. The magazine began publishing in 1980, the year Zeppelin called it quits following John Bonham’s death.

Guitar World’s new box set Giants Of Rock: Led Zeppelin contains some very cool stuff. The main attraction is the DVD: How To Play The Best Of Led Zeppelin. In this three-hour plus instructional disc, Guitar World’s Jimmy Brown takes us through four Zeppelin classics, note-for-note. The four songs are: “Rock And Roll,” “The Song Remains The Same,” “Stairway To Heaven,” and “Since I’ve Been Loving You.” Brown’s step-by-step examples are painstakingly precise, and should allow even the most novice player to be able to eventually play these classics.

Also included are three magazines. The first is the November 2010 “Collector’s Issue” of Guitar World, with Jimmy Page on the cover. Not only does this one celebrate the 40th (!) anniversary of Led Zeppelin III, it does so in 3-D. Yes, the ephemeral (one hopes) fad of all things 3-D proved too much for GW to resist, so we get glasses and the requisite fuzzy photos to go along. The magazine also offers a great deal of coverage about a landmark album that arrived in stores some 30 years ago, Pink Floyd’s The Wall.

The second magazine is a six-song collection of guitar tablatures. This is a form of sheet music for guitar players, where the notes are diagrammed out on the strings of the guitar. The songs are an interesting mix: “Black Mountain Side,” “Celebration Day,” “Good Times, Bad Times,” “Misty Mountain Hop,” “The Crunge,” and “Whole Lotta Love.” I have never met anyone who has considered Zep’s James Brown tribute “The Crunge” an essential one to learn, but here it is nonetheless.

The third and final magazine is the one I found the most interesting. This is simply a collection of five previously published Led Zeppelin articles from Guitar World, dating back to 1991. What has kept the periodical in business all these years is the tremendous knowledge and care their writers put into their work. These five articles contain all kinds of little known facts about the band and their music, and make for a rewarding reading experience. Rounding things out are two guitar picks, each with an image of The Hindenburg screened onto them.

The tally: one DVD, three magazines, two guitar picks, and a handsome cardboard box to display it all in. I’m a fan, and my recommendation is based on that fact. There is quite a bit of information here, most especially for those of us who struggle with learning the songs. Also “The Complete Story” magazine (consisting of the previously published articles) is very worthwhile. All in all, Alfred Publishing has managed to put together a unique box set of all things Zeppelin.

Article first published as Book Review: Giants of Rock: Led Zeppelin Box Set by Guitar World on Blogcritics.

DVD Review: Spectacle: Elvis Costello with...(Season 2)

2011-08-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

Was Elvis Costello really the angry young man who would storm off the stage after 45 minutes, and turn up white noise to clear the hall? It is hard to believe he was once such an asshole after watching him as the consummate host of Sundance’s Spectacle: Elvis Costello with… series.

Recorded at the Apollo Theatre in New York, the show is one-hour mix of interviews and performances, featuring some of the greatest names in music. The second season of Spectacle has just been released by MVD as a two-DVD set, and it is outstanding.

Only seven episodes were produced for the second season, as opposed to 13 for the first. Nevertheless, the quality is high - and Elvis’ guests are uniformly top-shelf. Take the very first program of the season, with Bono and The Edge. Elvis banters easily with the members of U2, showing them a poster of a gig they all performed on in 1980. U2’s name is barely legible at the bottom of the flier. “Then whoosh, to the moon - Red Rocks and setting everybody on fire,“ Elvis says.

There are so many brilliant musicians who took part in the second season, it is hard to whittle the list down to a favorite performance. However, the third episode of the season is a strong contender, with a band made up of Allen Toussaint, Richard Thompson, Nick Lowe, and Levon Helm. Their take on “The Weight” with Elvis is a big highlight. New York being New York, plenty of celebrities are in the audience. In this one Steve Buscemi is seen rocking out, and grinning ear to ear - possibly for the first time ever.

Mary-Louise Parker turns the table on Mr. McManus during the fourth show. In this one, the host himself is the guest. During the interview he discusses how he and his peers used to hide their influences. To be the 1977 version of politically correct, you could not admit an affinity for Van Morrison or The Band. The show is all solo Elvis. He even performs one of my favorite “angry young man” tunes, “I Don’t Want To Go To Chelsea.”

Bruce Springsteen fans may be the biggest customers for this set. The season ended with a two-part session with the Boss, which is typical for a guy who prides himself on four-hour marathon concerts. Some of the songs performed over the course of the two episodes include “She’s The One,” “The Rising” and “Pretty Woman.”

As for DVD extras, there is the behind the scenes documentary Spectacle: Elvis Costello with…Inside Notes - which is hosted by Co-Executive Producer David Furnish. There are also three bonus songs, of which I found Bono and The Edge’s version of “Allison” to be the most intriguing.

Spectacle: Elvis Costello with…Season 2 is a great mix of interviews and music, with some of the greatest names in the business. And the host ain’t so bad either.

Article first published as DVD Review: Spectacle: Elvis Costello with...(Season 2) on Blogcritics.

Music Review: Amina Alaoui - Arco Iris

2011-08-13T13:07:00.000-07:00

The term “world music” is one of the most ridiculous tags ever. After all, isn’t all music world music? The implied condescension is repulsive, but thankfully an artist has arrived who is worthy of such an appellation. Amina Alaoui’s ECM solo debut, Arco Iris, is a stunningly beautiful album, filled with musical elements that really do seem to span the globe.

It all stems from the depth of musical knowledge Amina has spent her life amassing. Born in Fez, she was originally schooled in the Moroccan Gharnati tradition. She has also studied European classical music, medieval chant, and Persian song forms. One of the many brilliant aspects of Arco Iris is her ability to blend these influences into a style all her own.

The songs she has chosen are an eclectic mix; some of their texts and melodies date back over 1,000 years. Among the sources set to music are mystic poems by St. Teresa and the 11th century King of Seville, Al Mutamid Ibn Abbad.

A great deal of credit must also go to the group Amina assembled. They are Saifallah Ben Abderrazak (violin), Sofiane Negra (oud), Jose Luis Monton (flamenco guitar), Eduardo Miranda (mandolin), and Idriss Agnel (percussion, electric guitar).

Appropriately enough, the disc begins with the unaccompanied voice of Amina on the traditional Andalusian chant “Hado.” From there we move into “Buscate en mi,” with words by Santa Teresa de Avila (1515-1582), set to music by Alaoui. As is the case throughout the album, her choices are impeccable. The piece opens with a lonely violin, which is soon joined by flamenco guitar, and topped with her soaring vocals. The poems have been translated into English for the booklet, which only adds to the overall sense of wonderment. Consider the first few stanzas: “Let nothing trouble you. Let nothing frighten you. All is ephemeral. God alone is immutable.”

This is the level that Amina is working at, and every one of the 12 tracks is extraordinary in its own way. I found the nine-minute “Ya laylo layl” to be worthy of special mention, however. With words supplied by Ibn Zaydun de Cordoba (1003-1071), and music by Amina, this piece is one of the few that feature the full band playing together. A welcome twist occurs at the end, with a particularly unconventional flamenco guitar solo from Jose Luis Monton. The guitarist arranged “La Morillas de Jaen,” which is another superior track. This is the most aggressive piece on the record, and a virtual guitar extravaganza.

The final two cuts are the most personal of the set. “Que fare” was written by Amina, and features the only amplified instrument on the record. The electric guitar accompaniment is supplied courtesy of her son, Idriss Agnel. The disc closes with the title track, her song of praise to the “Arco Iris,” or rainbow.

This is a brilliantly conceived and executed collection of songs, and seems to have appeared fully-formed, and without precedent. ECM followers may have had an inkling that something like this was coming, however. Amina’s first appearance on the label came in 2009, on Jon Balke’s Siwan. It was another extraordinary blend of unexpected sources, with a sensibility similar to that of Arco Iris.

The intent was to recreate “what was lost to the bonfires of the Inquisition.” The medieval territory of Andalusia is the spiritual center of Siwan, a place where Muslim, Christian, and Jewish scholars freely exchanged ideas. For this collection of early music, much of the poetry was composed to Spanish translations. One of Amina’s central roles was to reshape the material around the original Arabic versions, which she then sang with a deep empathy for the form.

Among the multitude of players that Balke employed for the project is the legendary Jon Hassell. His involvement would seem to signal something of a modernist approach to all of this, but that is not the case. His contributions fit perfectly with the underlying themes. Special note should also be made of the 12-piece Barokksolistene (Baroque Soloists), who add a tremendous amount of flavor throughout.

While Siwan is a much different project than Arco Iris, both contain some of the most appealingly adventurous music one is likely to hear. The glue that binds the two recordings together is the remarkable voice of Amina Alaoui. Her talent, and desire to find common ground between all forms of music is a quality that is extremely captivating. She is very definitely an artist to watch, and Arco Iris is one of the finest records I have heard this year.

Article first published as Music Review: Amina Alaoui - Arco Iris on Blogcritics.

Book Review: Hollywood Hellraisers: The Wild Lives and Fast Times of Marlon Brando, Dennis Hopper, Warren Beatty, and Jack Nicholson by Robert Sellers

2011-08-13T12:52:00.000-07:00

Hollywood Hellraisers concerns the lives of four iconic movie stars; Marlon Brando, Dennis Hopper, Warren Beatty, and Jack Nicholson. Two of them are still with us, two are gone - but all left an indelible mark on Hollywood.

The book is basically a four-part biography. Each of the men started out poor, but developed a keen interest in acting early on. Marlon Brando was born April 3, 1924 in Omaha, Nebraska. His was an abusive, alcoholic family, and he left it behind at the age of 19. Four years later, on December 3, 1947 to be exact - Marlon Brando became a star. His role as Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire became the hottest ticket on Broadway.

Dennis Hopper came into the world on May 17, 1936, on a wheat farm in Kansas. He was only five when he lost his father during basic training before shipping out to join the war. In 1946, his father returned from the dead. Jay Hopper had been recruited as a spy, and his whole death had been a ruse. The entire event haunted Hopper until the day of his own death, and may in large part explain some of the self-destructiveness he later displayed.

Warren Beatty arrived in the world March 30, 1937 - three years after his sister Shirley MacLaine. They had a pretty normal upbringing in Richmond, Virginia, although both had their eyes on show business. Warren was still in high school when Shirley hit the big time. Sibling rivalry demanded that he become a bigger star.

Jack Nicholson was born (appropriately enough) in Neptune, New Jersey, on April 22, 1937. His situation is the strangest of the four, as he did not find out until the age of 38 that the woman he thought was his mother was actually his grandmother. And his “sister” had actually been his birth mother. Nicholson was already a rich and famous movie star by the time of the discovery, and acted unfazed by the whole thing. But it must have been devastating, especially as both had already passed away.

From these beginnings, the four Hollywood hellraisers conquered the world of film, each taking their own path. After brilliant performances in The Wild One (1953) and On The Waterfront, (1954) Marlon Brando perversely took on the worst roles imaginable - for the money. He was box-office poison for most of the sixties, and the studios would not touch him. Francis Ford Coppola had to convince Paramount to take a flyer on him for The Godfather (1972). Yet Brando came up with one of the most unforgettable characterizations ever, and won an Oscar for his role as Don Corleone.

Wild man Dennis Hopper’s self-destructive urges derailed his career practically before it began. Landing a bit part in Rebel Without A Cause, (1955) Hopper became enamored of James Dean. Unfortunately for Dennis, Dean had a bit of an attitude towards “the suits,” which he emulated for years.

Although Peter Fonda came up with the original kernel of Easy Rider (1969), even he agrees that it was really Hopper’s picture. The film’s profits changed the thinking in Hollywood virtually overnight, and ushered in a short-lived, but golden renaissance period. Without Easy Rider, directors such as Scorsese, Coppola, Lucas, and even Spielberg would have had a much tougher go of it.

Thanks to his habits, Dennis Hopper would not share in any of this. Although he enjoyed a celebrated role as the photographer in Apocalypse Now (1979), Hopper’s career did not really resume until Blue Velvet (1986). By then he had finally embraced sobriety. When he died in 2010, he had managed to rehabilitate his life and career - and after an incredible journey, was deservedly eulogized as a legend.

Jack Nicholson had been banging around in Hollywood for years before his big break. He worked in various capacities with Roger Corman throughout most of the sixties, until the call came for him to play the lawyer in Easy Rider. It made him a star, and enabled him to make such classics as Chinatown (1974), One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), and The Shining (1980). While Nicholson has made his fair share of duds, and his personal life has occasionally come under scrutiny, he seems to be well-adjusted to life as a movie star.

As author Robert Sellers shows us, Warren Beatty has never been remotely self-destructive. In fact, he has proven to be one of the shrewdest businessmen in Hollywood. Early on, the pretty-boy landed some television roles, most notably in The Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis, but it wasn’t until Bonnie And Clyde (1967) that he became a household name.

Beatty’s drug of choice was sex, and his chapters in Hollywood Hellraisers are not much more than laundry lists of the women he has had. He made some memorable movies after Bonnie And Clyde, including Shampoo (1975), and Reds (1981). After decades of (as the British author puts it) “shagging,” Warren Beatty finally married Annette Bening in 1992. Upon the news, The Washington Post asked “Is this the end of civilization as we know it?” The rest of us just yawned.

Still, like the other three subjects of Hollywood Hellraisers, Warren Beatty has reached iconic status. This is a breezy read about four fascinating characters, and contains some intriguing, little-known stories. It is definitely worth a look for fans of the actors, or the movies in general.