Music Review: Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic - Dawn Of The Cycads

Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic was formed out of the ashes of Mission Of Burma. Guitarist Roger Miller folded the legendary post-punk band in 1983 due to severe tinnitus. He began collaborating with fellow Bostonian Erik Lindgren, with whom he had previously appeared with in the band Moving Parts.

Lindgren's studio provided the perfect environment for Miller's quieter piano pieces. When the duo's "Pulse Piece" was selected for inclusion in the Boston area sampler A Wicked Good Time, Birdsongs' career began in earnest.

In addition to Lindgren's formidable Moog talents, keyboardist Rick Scott and "tape manipulator" Martin Swope completed this initial Birdsongs lineup.

Dawn Of The Cycads contains all of the material the band released on the tiny Ace Of Hearts label. From 1983 to 1987, Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic released two EPs, one full-length Lp, and one live album. The live recording, Between Fires is from a 1987 show and contains seven tracks, all save a version of "Pulse Piece" were previously unreleased.

Listening to Birdsongs' music has always been a rewarding endeavor, but describing their music can be a challenge. The New York Times once called them "The world's hardest rocking chamber quartet." Their music owes a definite debt to the minimalism of Phillip Glass and Steve Reich, but there is much more to it as well.

Birdsongs are best represented by their sole full-length LP, Magnetic Flip (1984). The band stakes out a pretty wide territory here. From the opening rocker "Shiny Golden Snakes" to the reflective "Final Motif," this record is a tour de force of styles.

Birdsongs show their classical chops ala Emerson, Lake & Palmer with "The Rite Of Spring (Excerpts)," then go in a completely opposite direction by covering the Rocky and Bullwinkle theme. Best of all is "Terry Riley's House," a tribute to the minimalist pioneer.

Of the two EPs, Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic (1983) and Beat Of The Mesozoic (1986), I prefer the first one. Maybe I'm just a sucker for a great melody, but tracks like "The Orange Ocean" and "Sound Valentine" really define the quieter side of the band for me.

Beat Of The Mesozoic finds the group exploring Jean Michel Jarre territory on "Scenes From a ..." and "Waterwheel." The title song is a very powerful rocker that caps off the collection in an appropriate manner.

One of the coolest aspects of Dawn Of The Cycads is the extras included on disc 2. They can be accessed from any computer, and include gig posters, set lists, reviews, even sheet music to four of the songs. There are also some dioramas for fans to cut out and play with, which I assume were included in the original vinyl releases.

For Birdsongs Of The Mesozoic fans, Dawn Of The Cycadscan hardly be beat in terms of their early career. Believe it or not, they are still around, nearly 30 years later. Keep on rocking in the opera house, guys.

Book Review: I, Doll by Arthur "Killer" Kane

I, Doll is the perfectly ambiguous title for the autobiography of Arthur “Killer” Kane, late of the New York Dolls. His life was first and foremost defined as a founding member of the band. He sometimes referred to himself as Arthur Doll.

I, Doll could also pertain to the manner in which the group's status grew over the years. In the eyes of some, including Morrissey of The Smiths, Kane was an “idol.”

Finally, there are the poverty years, spent in L.A. The entire modus operandi of the Sunset Strip hair metal bands was based on the New York Dolls template. Kane watched this scene explode in the 1980’s, while he sat on the sidelines, idle.

None of his music, or even his appearance in the great 2006 film New York Doll prepares a person for the immediacy of Arthur’s writing. I, Doll covers just the first 16 months of the Dolls career. And it ends before they even landed a record contract. But what he has to say about that period is incredible.

The stories of their early days on the streets of NYC are hilarious, and Kane puts the events into perfect context. In 1972, Nixon’s America was engaged in a culture war defined by the length of a man’s hair. Meanwhile, The Dolls thought the only people on the planet who even remotely resembled them were David Bowie’s Spiders From Mars.

Clearly there was a gap between what the New York Dolls thought appropriate and what the rest of New York City did. Each member of the band rode the subway in full costume on the way to rehearsal or gigs. They went to local bars that way and played suburban gigs fully dragged out.

As only truly charismatic characters are able to, the guys always somehow escaped serious injury. But their near-misses are funny as hell. Especially the one that took place in a sleazy bar with David Bowie in tow. That was the last time he hung out with the Dolls.

The band secured a residency at the Mercer Arts Center in Manhattan, after a particularly well received gig, and that is where their legend was born. I wish Kane had more to say about those shows, but he admits that he was pretty wasted throughout this period.

The book ends with the New York Dolls’ first appearances in England, and the experience is just heartbreaking. As anyone who knows their history will attest, founding drummer Billy Murcia never made it back. Kane saw him two hours before his death, and it is obvious he blames himself, even though there is no reason to.

From the epilogue written by “Killer’s” wife of 30 years, this was to be the first of a multi-part autobiography. Kane blamed singer David Johansen and the management firm of Leber-Krebs for the failure of the group’s career.

Kane felt that Aerosmith were the first of the New York Dolls rip-off bands, with KISS a close second. The fact that they were both managed by Leber-Krebs didn’t help matters any. His bitterness comes through pretty strongly at times.

The book was written a couple of years before the fantastic reunion seen in New York Doll. The film is the perfect postscript to I, Doll. The band were amazing at Morrissey’s Meltdown Festival, and Kane is endearingly humble as a happy librarian for the Mormons. It’s too bad he passed just three weeks after the Dolls reunion, I’m sure volume two would have been great.

This is probably the most inside, and honest account of the early New York Dolls we will ever see. By turns funny, poignant, frightening, even spiritual, I, Doll is one of the rock ’n roll reads of the summer.

DVD Review: Bob Dylan - 1978-1989: Both Ends Of The Rainbow

The years 1978 to 1989 were rough ones for Bob Dylan. Both Ends Of The Rainbow is a two-hour DVD featuring interviews with musicians and journalists about this period. It also features numerous video clips, including many live versions of songs written and recorded during this 11-year period.

The combination of interviews and performances on this DVD paint of vivid picture of an artist in crisis. It is unfortunate however that Dylan himself chose not to participate in this documentary in any way.

The DVD starts out with a brief discussion of Dylan’s 1978 LP Street Legal, the disappointing follow-up to his acclaimed Desire. Following it's lackluster tour, Dylan was introduced to the Vineyard Christian Fellowship by members of his band.

The reverberations of Dylan’s conversion to Christianity have resonated in his career in various ways ever since. The most obvious results were the trilogy of "Born Again" records he released between 1979-82. Slow Train Coming, the first of the three, was positively received for the most part, and charted at number three on Billboard.

Interviews conducted for this DVD with journalists and former musicians make it clear that had Dylan stopped here, his audience would have most likely remained intact. But it was not to be.

Saved and Shot Of Love were vilified by critics and the public. In his on-screen interview about Saved, Johnny Rogan says simply: “It was a catastrophe.“ The third and final recording of this era, Shot Of Love was produced by Chuck Plotkin and he mentions how much better he thought the LP could have been had Dylan allowed him to actually produce it.

Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespear are both interviewed on the DVD for their contributions to Dylan’s 1983 Infidels album. Although Infidels is by no means Blood On The Tracks, it certainly had it’s moments. The live footage of Dylan singing “Jokerman” at the time is a highlight.

For the following six long years Dylan seemed adrift. Whether it was his disastrous performance at Live Aid (which the footage confirms) or the rotating musicians and studios he utilized, nothing seemed to work.

Empire Burlesque, Knocked Out Loaded, and Down In The Groove lacked all sense of purpose, marking a troubling first for Bob Dylan. They were generic “Eighties” music in every sense of the word, and for the most part, pretty awful. The many interviews with musicians, journalists, and producers recorded especially for this DVD set testify to this, and to what might have been.

One day Dylan received a call from old friend George Harrison, who wanted to use his home studio to record a few demos with “some friends.” The friends turned out to be Roy Orbison, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne. The five settled on The Traveling Wilburys as a name.

Their record was a smash in 1988, and showed Dylan the way back out of the wilderness. Rather than chase the MTV flavor of the moment as he had been doing, it was time for Dylan to get back to basics, and just be himself again.

The two-hour DVD ends on a positive note with the 1989 release of Oh Mercy, hailed as one of his all-time best by some. It was unquestionably his best since Desire at least, which the critical and fan response bore out.

The 1990s were just around the corner, and would present a whole new set of tribulations, and accomplishments. But that is a story for another documentary.

The few extras included in this set are fairly unimpressive. There is an eight-minute feature concerning some interviews Dylan gave in '79-'80 to various radio stations, and a text-only biography section for the 17 contributors who appear in onscreen interviews.

Both Ends Of The Rainbow is advertised as a two-disc set, which is technically correct. But the second disc is an audio-only CD featuring an hour’s worth of radio interviews from '79-'82, the heavy-duty Christian era. Interesting but hardly essential.

For serious Bob Dylan fans however, I think the two hour DVD is essential. Both Ends Of The Rainbow sheds a lot of light on events that were somewhat bewildering at the time for many of us. In that regard, it is recommended.

Music Review: Art Pepper - The Art History Project

One of the best autobiographies ever written is Straight Life: The Story Of Art Pepper. The book chronicles the life of the finest alto sax player of the post-Charlie Parker era. It is also one of the most honest accounts of a man devastated by heroin addiction I have ever read.

The Art History Project attempts to tell Pepper’s story through music. It is a lofty goal, but one his widow succeeds at admirably. Laurie Pepper was Art’s co-author on Straight Life, and she knows his story inside and out.

Pure Art is the title of the first disc of this three CD set, and covers the years 1951 to 1960. Although he was addicted, and spent time in jail, the playing is surprisingly consistent. Pepper’s confident and unique phrasing is highlighted best with “Begin The Beguine” and his own theme “Straight Life.” It would be many years before he played this well again.

Hard Art is the title of disc two, which focuses on the years 1960 to 1968. This period reflects Pepper’s somewhat bewildered response to the New Frontier of Jazz. The influence John Coltrane held on him during this time was extreme. In fact, Pepper even changed from his signature alto sax to Coltrane’s tenor for a while.

Sadly, Art Pepper spent most of these years locked in San Quentin. During his occasional, and relapse-abbreviated paroles, Pepper managed to record most of these tracks.

Although this material is actually quite good, the Coltrane emulation borders on idolatry. It becomes a little embarrassing, having heard his talent before heroin and jail. Still, on songs such as “So In Love,” and “That Crazy Blues,” Pepper’s sax has a lot to say, even with the Coltrane-isms.

This was obviously a very dark and lonely period for him. It is to Laurie Pepper’s credit that these sessions are even seeing the light of day. They mirror a man lost, in every sense of the word

Consummate Art is the title of the final disc, and it is a great third act. Opening with Duke Ellington’s “Caravan,” it is clear that Pepper and the band are on fire. This is glorious music, harkening back to where he began. He has returned to alto sax, and plays with a style and verve that was seemingly lost. The Coltrane influence is now just a part of Pepper’s terrain.

Out of 41 total tracks, my two favorites are contained here. “Landscape” and “Mambo Koyama” were recorded live in New York City, just two months prior to his death. Both of these songs show a man in full command of his instrument, his talent, and his band.

The Art History Project is an excellent collection. All three discs stand up to repeated listens. But I think it works on a deeper level as well. The classic Behind The Music story is an obvious cliché, but no hair-metal guy ever did the kind of prison time this man did for drugs.

Art Pepper had it all, lost it all, and actually got it all back and more in the end. The Art History Project is the musical reflection of a man’s life lived on the edge

It is also one hell of a listen.

Book Review: Precious Metal: 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces by Albert Mudrian

Precious Metal is a compilation of articles from Decibel magazine’s popular “Hall Of Fame” monthly feature. It is an updated and expanded collection of the top 25 entries, and features interviews with all members of each group inducted.

Decibel prides itself on being the ultimate authority on “Extreme Metal.” Bands such as Cannibal Corpse, Napalm Death, and Slayer are typical examples. Whether it is death metal, black metal, grind-core or Lord knows what, the editors have chosen the most influential, and extreme acts ever to grace their Hall.

Some of the interviews are unintentionally hilarious. Take this quote from Carcass bassist Jeff Walker, discussing the band’s Necrotism - Descanting The Insalubrious: “It was pretty mainstream.”

Here are a couple of titles from Necrotism: “Lavaging Expectorate of Lysergide Composition,” and “Corporal Jigsore Quandry.” I swear dude, Rick Rubin is all set to turn these cuts over to Neil Diamond as we speak.

The period covered in Precious Metal runs from 1980 to 2001. The bookends are Black Sabbath’s Heaven And Hell to Converge’s Jane Doe. And there are some worthy stories in between.

I particularly enjoyed the Sabb’s frank discussion of how the band completely fell apart with the sacking of Ozzy. At one point, only Iommi and Dio were even into it, yet they managed to put together a record that stands up to anything the group ever did.

The interviews with Cannibal Corpse are pretty funny also. Back in my Ye Olde Record Store days, we used to yell out the song titles just to get a laugh. Nobody could be for real with something called “Entrails Ripped From A Virgin’s Cunt.” Or so we thought.

I love Corpse’s lyricist Chris Barnes‘ interview: “I’ve always taken pride in writing a storyline.”

Holy crap, what’s next? Norwegian death metal, of course. Burn down 1,000 year old churches, and murder your rival vocalist. Cool. But isn’t even murder a cliché after Manson? Come on guys, give me a break.

As a fan of extreme music in all genres, I had an inclination to like this book. Ending it in 2001 obviously opens the door to a volume two. I think the first one should have been a little more inclusive of the originators.

Beginning with Sabbath’s Heaven And Hell was a good start, and following it with Diamond Head and Celtic Frost made a lot of sense. But the prerequisite of interviewing every band member for inclusion is ludicrous.

A dead band-mate means your record will never qualify? That apparently is the story. Two quick examples: Master Of Puppets by Metallica, and Cowboys From Hell by Pantera. It wasn’t even drugs that killed these guys, and those are two of the most influential “extreme” (at least at the time) records I know of.

I understand that the conceit here is to interview every member of the band, and on that level Precious Metal works very well. My problem is with the missed opportunity of putting a true Top 25 of this music together. Nobody else is going to write it.

Precious Metal does one hell of a job with the self-imposed artificial restraints of the editors. As a fan, I would like to see them step out a bit further, and include records made by guys who are now dead.

Celebrating murderers who escaped the death penalty, and ignoring Cliff Burton and Dimebag Darrell makes no sense at all. Precious Metal is a great book on its own terms. As a definitive statement on the genre though, I find it sorely lacking.

Book Review: The History Of Independent Cinema by Phil Hall

Phil Hall’s recent The History Of Independent Cinema is a captivating look at the world of film from a different perspective than is customary. For those who may think of independent film’s “early days” as John Water’s Pink Flamingos, or even those by Andy Warhol, this book may come as a bit of a surprise.

The History Of Independent Cinema traces the origins of the art form all the back to the very first films ever produced. In fact, the semantics get a little tricky, because all films were by definition independent before the rise of the major studios.

Hall does an excellent job of describing the politics, and basic chicanery inherent in the rise of the big studios. Ruthless actions have been a hallmark of Hollywood since the very beginning. The first half of the book is a somewhat heroic story of autonomous underdogs trying to hold their own against a monopolistic system.

As a contributing editor to Film Threat magazine, author Phil Hall certainly knows his stuff. This book is filled with titles I had never heard of before, along with brief descriptions which encourage me to check many of them out. Films such as Nanook Of The North (1922), or Meshes Of The Afternoon (1942) sound fascinating, as does Carnival Of Souls (1962).

One of the more intriguing aspects of the book are the various “10 Most Important Independent Films Of All Time” sections. Hall has solicited seven of his peers to contribute their choices, with notes. Each entry follows a chapter. The various lists make for an interesting comparison.

It is probably unsurprising that the lists contain many well-known and recent titles in the genre. Reservoir Dogs, Night Of The Living Dead, and Easy Rider all make numerous appearances. And while they are all great, I think the real value in this book is in the more obscure titles you may find.

In any event, The History Of Independent Cinema is a story of a different Hollywood than the one we usually hear about. It is a riveting tale and a reminder that there is almost always something exciting bubbling just under the surface of the mainstream.

Music Review: Steve Kuhn - Mostly Coltrane

For those who may be unaware of ECM stalwart Steve Kuhn’s connection to John Coltrane, they actually played together for a few weeks in 1960. The first three months of 1960 saw Kuhn as Coltrane’s pianist at the Jazz Gallery in New York City.

They never played together again afterwards, but Kuhn was deeply influenced by the experience. Kuhn’s Mostly Coltrane is one of the finest of the many John Coltrane tributes to have emerged over the years. Kuhn’s longtime trio, which includes bassist David Finck, and drummer Joey Baron is supplemented by tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano.

Lovano acquits himself admirably in the Coltrane role, which is kind of a no win proposition really. You never mistake his phrasing for actually being Coltrane. But the arrangements and execution are done so respectfully as to make it a moot point.

One of the many impressive aspects of this set is the songs Kuhn chose to use. "Central Park West," "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes," and "I Want To Talk About You" were all part of the Jazz Gallery sets he played back in '60. They reflect the hard bop era that Coltrane was just transitioning out of.

Of the remaining ten tracks, eight are Coltrane originals recorded between 1964, and his final year, 1967. I like the fact that Kuhn began when he played with the man, and then followed JC’s journey through to the end.

“Welcome” from the 1965 album Kulu Se Mama opens things up perfectly, setting just the right tone for what is to follow. “Living Space,” also originally recorded in ‘65, but unreleased until the posthumous ‘98 disc of the same title, is another highlight.

Kuhn’s interplay with the band is so spot on, yet so different from what Coltrane’s pianists usually did. It begs the obvious question, what if Kuhn had stayed on?

The two remaining cuts are by Steve Kuhn. “With Gratitude,” is a beautiful piano meditation featuring some of his most reflective playing. It was a stroke of genius to close Mostly Coltrane with “Trance” though.

This amazing piece lays bare just how profoundly Kuhn has been influenced by his one-time band leader, and where those influences have taken him. “Trance” is a piano improvisation that works in captivating ways, and surprises like no other.

For this listener, Steve Kuhn’s Mostly Coltrane is about as good as it gets in paying tribute to a legend.