RIP Coolio

Since I write about music, I’m often tempted to write about musicians who passed, but not sure always when. It can be a full time job if one would do just that (so thank you @Rest_In_Peace) In September, rapper Coolio passed away at aged 59. Coolio’s braids, generally party-style lyrics and B-movie career seemed to make him a 90s novelty. His legacy oddly overshadowed by a beef with Weird Al when he said he had refused to grant permission of “Gangsta’s Paradise” for parody. (Coolio had long since made peace with this feud, pointing out that if Michael Jackson thought it was fine with it (and MJ was the biggest singer in the world) then why should Coolio complain). I saw Coolio live in concert at the Lollapalooza 1995 Second Stage. In retrospect, I won’t hold that performance against him. If I went to a Courtney Love concert and started rapping in the parking lot, I doubt I’d have a very high ceiling of success, no matter how talented I was. This post isn’t the proverbial burial of Coolio though, I really did come here to praise him. Gangsta’s Paradise (like the movie it was associated with, Dangerous Minds) is so serious, it is ripe for parody, but it’s also perfectly constructed. It is one of those songs that sounded so fresh that it literlaly turns the Radio on its edge Coolio’s career yielded the three Top 5 songs everyone might remember, but also three other songs in the Top 30. That’s not a bad tally. Also per Wiki, his 2006 album Return of the Gangsta, propelled by a duet with Snoop Dogg, charted in Europe. Until I looked it up, I didn’t remember 95s “Too Hot” which was a remake/tribute to the Kool and the Gang song with lyrics about safe sex. I do better to remember 96’s basketball themed “All the Way Live” which I recall getting quite a bit of video play at the time. Ditto the reflective after-world post-Crossroads slow jam “C U When U Get There”. No surprise though, the best songs are the ones that everyone knows. Breakthrough “Fantastic Voyage” marries personal narrative to Parliament funk. But, even better in my view is sequel “1..2..3..4 (Sumpin’ New)”. In fact, you might think I am taking the piss, it’s really one of my favorite songs ever. It takes a sample from Jazz trumpeter Tom Browne, and then, of all things, adds a vocal from an early 80s novelty rap song parodying BBC broadcaster Alan Whicker- and, of cours,e the ubiquitous “Good Times” riff by Chic for all the ingredients- to which Coolio was the perfect rapper to bring it home . A song that simultaneously can fit in on 90s nostalgia radio between Green Day and Mariah Carey or throwback Hip Hop stations in between Nas and Tupac.

Cold Weather Music

Everything is cyclical and at various points, I have decided to do topical playlists. Today reminded me of one I made with songs about cold and/or bad weather. The Choir- It's Cold Outside Joy Division- Ice Age Robert Cray Band- The Forecast (Calls for Pain) JJ72- Snow Bangles Hazy Shade of Winter (#betterthantheoriginal ?) Nick Cave and the BadSeeds- Fifteen Feet of Pure White Snow Tom Waits- Cold, Cold Ground Marc Almond- Heart on Snow Rod Stewart -Mandolin Wind What would you add?

Branson & the Dolly Stampede

We went to Branson which is a fairly close (5-6 hour) drive. I hadn’t been in 20 years. That cliche Branson of 2000 is slightly changed. You won’t see Ray Stevens Theater or Jim Stafford or Andy Williams or Yakov Smirnoff or the Oak Ridge Boys. The last time I went I saw Mel Tillis and Boxcar Willie. Both have passed of course, but name performers are a thing of the past. More Generic performers leaning strongly toward impersonators and Christian theater are the rule of the day (and don’t fear Shoji is still there, too). Trying to find some of the best experiences in the area, we landed on Dolly Parton’s Stampede. Dolly is probably the one artist that is universally loved by everyone now that Johnny Cash has passed (I suppose Willie Nelson is on the list too. The Stampede is dinner theater with a focus on horses and Americana and a history of America with Buffalos, comedy and home style cooking. Think of essentially Wild West and a country music version of Medieval Times. It is unsurprisingly patriotic. I didn’t expect Howard Zinn, of course, at the same time I thought it was a fairly well done Midwest red state take on what makes the country great. I was surprised the competing groups were still being divided by North and South- surely, better terms could be thought of, though of course, it was meant to be innocuous. In recent years, Dolly has changed the name which previously had been the Dixie Stampede. Without a doubt, this is a place that recognizes its audience (older Conservative and white) and I recognize that. But it was fun and it was well done and if it aimed for patriotism, it at least did so in a unifying non-partisan way. Branson style is as much about spectacular entertainment as it is about productions that tend to be heavy handed, gimmicky and preachy. One has to do a certain amount of homework, so it was nice that Dolly’s Stampede held up to her name. The food was good, service solid and the trick riding was fun to watch. I was entertained. If one finds themselves in Branson and looking for something to do, I’d put it in the short list.

Album Review: Swami John Reis- Ride the Wild Night

In 2022, Swami John Reis released his first solo album. Which doesn’t feel like much of an event, because Reis is so prolific under so many names. If you don’t recognize the name right away, you will likely recognize his work in Rocket from the Crypt, Hot Snakes or Drive Like Jehu. But he might be the busiest guy on music this side of Mike Patton, as a member of the Back Off Cupids, Custom Floor, the Sultans, the Night Marchers and a few more. In 2015, he collaborated with the Blind Shake for the album Modern Surf Classics. Indeed the new album Ride the Wild Night isn’t even Reis’s first album of the year. That would be the self titled Plosivs debut- the band formed with Pinback’s Rob Crow and RFTC/Against Me drummer Atom Williard. Like Jon Spencer, who also has a new album out, Reis is a rock lifer. And although Spencer atypically is being lauded for his new album, the two generally have been plugging away (as Uncut points out) without the kind of spotlight of say, a Jack White. Maybe Reis and Spencer don’t need critical appraisal for raw rock. I mean a song titled “Do You Still Wanna Make Out?” probably doesn’t need deep analysis (and oddly, isn’t in the Top 3 of weird song titles here). What it is though is raw rock that often reaches the high marks of the Rocket from the Crypt catalog. I haven’t give much thought for what a solo Reis record might sound like, but this is it. Reis has a real ear for pop and there’s at least three songs that could hang with a greatest hits. There’s also a few surprises - “I Hate My Neighbors…” adds synth, and it’s piano on “Days of Auld Lang Syne”. Ultimately though, this album is the definition of “it is what it is” - 60s garage rock, puerile lyrics and a good dose of shambolic swagger.

Album Review- Gogol Bordello- SOLIDARITINE

I’ve been a big Gogol Bordello fan since the beginning. Like ordering the first two records from Rubric back in 02. Like the Pogues, the energy (and sheer surprise) of the first two records were harnessed enough for more mainstream accessible records that are high watermarks- 2005s Gypsy Punks and 2007s Super Taranta. I would suggest (unlike maybe some of their contemporaries) the band really hasn’t made a bad record. Of course, with time, like any band, I am not sure any of the last three records are essential. Of those three, the last one, 2017s Seekers and Finders- a self produced record after two records with big name producers- Rick Rubin and Andrew Scheps (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Adele, Metallica, Audioslave)- is perhaps, given the bands strength as a live act, no surprise the best. It would not be a shock that current events would inspire a punk band from Ukraine to make a great record. Solidaritine is that record. Perhaps Gogol Bordello is best when treated as a punk act. Steve Albini had seemingly got it right on Gypsy Punks and Solidartine pairs the band with producer Walter Schriefels known for his stints in Youth of Today, Gorilla Biscuits and Quicksand. That connection is deepened by a cover of Fugazi’s “Blueprint” and “The End of the End of Eras” adds Bad Brains vocalist HR with nods to “Sailin On” Yet even on these songs, it sounds like Gogol Bordello, not some kind of musical makeover forcing them into a sound they don’t fit. Of note, other guest stars are Ukrainian poet Serihy Zhadan and Ukrainian pop band KAZKA. Interestingly, these moments may be the best of the album, when the punk moments meet more anthemic sounds. Solidartine is a nice surprise. A high point for a punk band 20 plus years into making music (surely tough for any punk band even when it’s the Ramones, Bad Religion or DOA or whoever).

Album Review- Andrew Bird- Inside Problems

Where to start with Andrew Bird? I go back a ways to early albums which played off musical eccentricity. I read his bio as being an ancillary member of Squirrel Nut Zippers and attributed those characteristics to his music. At the time, I heard a musician staking out his lineage to Beefheart and Waits. A friend of mine was one of the very earliest supporters (even before my 2005 dalliances) and his music fandom (I think) tends towards jam bands (Bird indeed has music on Internet Archive which tends to be a jam band heavy platform). Coming at another angle- he is alt folk and modern indie (Decemberists, Dr Dog, Father John Misty) leaning into the more eccentric side of singer songwriters like Sufjan Stevens, Beirut, Magnetic Fields, Ben Folds and Eels. It’s then not much of a stretch to think Bird could be a distant cousin to actual comic music like Jonathan Coulton and Weird Al Yankovic. In 2019, Bird released My Finest Work Yet which doesn’t account for people’s tastes, but was one of his most accessible records and I thought fitting of the title. It really showcases his witty lyrics and his ears for melody. Inside Problems feels like a counter to that. If Finest Work was his What’s Going On, well , he’s too quirky to record a Let’s Get It On, but let’s say this focuses on ummm inside problems. If Bird is going to do whatever he wants, he is using this time to throw some evidence of great American songwriting in his CV. There’s no “Sisyphus” here (there’s not many songs that great anywhere) but there’s some great melodys and grooves. A lot has been made of the song “The Night Before Your Birthday” which is Bird is at his most Lou Reed like - on an album that also features a song called “Lone Didion”, a song called “Stop N Shop” which might not exactly sound like the Modern Lovers, and “Never Fall Apart” another song with auditory nods to Reed But it’s not quite the “spot the influence” game that makes the album a winner, because the album is at its best when these sounds go into the proverbial mixer to bring Bird at his most accessible. Bird is still likely to remain a “love him or hate him” proposition but if you gave up on him during the decade since Noble Beast, this is a good time to jump back in.

What I am Listening to : TOY

To badly paraphrase a certain former Secretary of Defense, you are born with the artists you have, not the ones you wish you had. For me, the 80s were a nadir for some great artists- The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and David Bowie. While also mining the treasure of his previous records, I do follow on all of his new material. I actually am an advocate for his 90s work. Flawed sure, but it’s not as bad as it seems Tin Machine has become a punchline, but the album is fine. I do think Black Tie White Noise is not good, but I love the ambition. Outside is ambitious and flawed, though certainly it would be a highlight in anyone else’s career. I know not everyone loves Earthling, and it’s got a 90s production vibe, but it’s a great beginning to end listen. Hours similarly misses some hopeful artistic heights, but has more good than bad. For some “off” decades, I’d still take Bowie over the decades of most any other artist. Admittedly, time brings perspective but there’s some great moments in there. Which brings us to “Toy” - an interesting idea of an album of older Bowie songs getting new life. Famously, it was shelved and eventually Heathen was the next release. Heathen is as good or better than anything 20 years before it. While it got some plaudits, I feel it was probably deserving of more. I’m not sure Toy would have moved the needle of the listening public. It seems the risk outweighs the reward. We will never know of course, but Heathen seems like the more acceptable product. Ironically perhaps, as much as I dutifully bought every Bowie product hitting the market, I didn’t chase down the bootlegs that seemed to get shared heavily on the internet. 20 or so years later, listening to Toy doesn’t particularly strike me like his other releases. I find it a very average album and I can only imagine that would have been my reaction back then. One unfavorable Big Media Outlet review says Toy's flaw is it that it has 60s melodys and 90s production. It is an interesting discussion of course. As a Bowie fan, I don’t prefer Toy over many of the albums I already mentioned, but I am glad we have it. I don’t know the right answer, but outside of releases that seem purely exploitative, I hope artists can understand the reverence that comes with this posthumous product. In death, it likely gets received the way Bowie intended it- a product for the fans, not to be reviewed by the critics. So hopefully you will see my jabs at Toy are not meant to insult. It is “extra” product. Bowie (or whoever made the decision) - much like Tin Machine- was torn by commercial pressures and sharing material with his fans. Lastly, there’s some great moments on Toy. Much as previous generations might dig through B-sides- there are unearthed treasure here. Additionally, from an artistic point of review, it makes me wonder if it helped Bowie transition to Heathen- with its well selected covers and the approaching return to creative peaks. On the extended box, one of my favorite early Bowie songs is “In the Heat of the Morning” which I hadn't heard until the Beeb sessions discs were released.

Loretta Lynn: An Appreciation

Let me start by saying traditional country music isn’t very hip and cool. Now, there’s a crowd that appreciates it (which I fall into). Johnny Cash broke through 20 years ago and there are a few songs you will hear in a non country bar like “Jolene” or “Mama Tried” but they are few and that has only happened recently. And yes, a big country single sampled Webb Pierce last year but that age has gone It, however was the sound of my childhood when I spent time with my Grandma, which was often So this isn’t the Loretta Lynn appreciation post you thought it would be. I don’t need to tell you what a badass Loretta was. “Coal Miner’s Daughter” is on the short list of best populist American song ever written, and you can imagine how much competition that category has. There is the saying that Lynn has had more songs banned from country music than all male artists combined. She herself has listed 8 including legitimate classics like The Pill and X Rated. Check out the Cocaine and Rhinestones podcast for a breakdown of why that claim is likely true. At age 72, when most artists are resting on their laurels, she made the ambitious and acclaimed Van Lear Rose with Jack White. But this is not a post about that. There are plenty of places you can read about her place in history. I often was left with my grandma’s cassettes which were a history of country music. Now, it didn’t extend to that present moment (a time I actually followed the country charts and they were exciting) but it had a lot of the Nashville Sound orchestral ballads of the likes of Jim Reeves and Eddy Arnold through the countypolitan 70s and the Urban Cowboy sound of the early 80s. Now, there are some great moments in country. I recognize that now and I recognized that somewhat then (for example, Freddy Fender wasn’t particularly exciting but he has some great moments), but I was looking for those kind of moments in what was not easily accessible music for me. I found it. Now, top of the list was Hank Williams, but I have written about him at length. The artist that stood out to me was Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn. Conway and Loretta are on the shortlist of country royalty. There’s George and Tammy (and George and Melba), Porter and Dolly (and Kenny and Dolly) and Johnny and June and in modern revisions, Emmylou and Gram, but there aren’t many others. Even if I wasn’t a big Twitty fan, there was something undeniable about the pairing. Oh come on, regardless of genre, is there a better back and forth duet than “You’re the reason our kids are ugly”. There was authenticity when the two sang which showed up in classic songs like “After the fire is gone”. These songs were 180 degrees from what I was otherwise listening to at the time, but it was the most compelling of a long list of possibilities. There’s a lot of Conway and Loretta references in Blake Shelton’s #1 “Honey Bee”. Country music has changed a lot but it will never forget Conway and Loretta.

Album Review- Spiritualized - Everything Was Beautiful

My first real exposure to Spiritualized was 1997s Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space. It was not just a bit of a mind blowing album, it was also a bit of a slow burner. Think of it in terms of something contemporary to it like OK Computer or Urban Hymns or Time Out of Mind. It was loved but maybe not as celebrated, and as trends change, it remains a great album but never gets praised as a Radiohead/White Stripes/My Bloody Valentine style greatest album. Of note, I was never a big Spaceman 3 fan and as a friend of some pretty huge Jason Pierce fans, I know that his current direction is something that I enjoy a lot more than maybe others do. Everything was Beautiful is quite literally a continuation of 2018’s Nothing Hurt. Without context, it might be in the ballpark of any other Fat Possum release- some kind of modern gospel blues album created by a kid whose idea of country is that 70s era Rolling Stones and Flying Burrito Brothers. The guest list on this album includes Nikki Lane, one of the more exciting voices in alt country on “Crazy”. The lyrics feel intimate doubling down on a certain outlaw vibe. I can’t help but think of Mercury Rev, a band that I could write the same review about changing the reference to 98’s Deserter’s Songs and more explicitly embraced traditional country similarities by recording an album of Bobby Gentry songs. Yet what to make of an album with a song that is written as an homage to the Fun House Stooges. To crib from Waylon, I’m not sure that Gram Parsons would have done it that way. Nor would I feel comfortable saying this sounds like a different band than the one who recorded Ladies and Gentleman. Best Thing You Never Had sounds like something off Exile On Main Street, yes, but turns up the noise for a modern sound. Closer track I’m Coming Home Again sounds like it could be described a thousand different ways. It fits perfectly in that psychedelic/ Velvet Underground kind of way that won’t scare anyone who heard the previous songs off My criticism of EWB is that it isn’t much different from the last few Spiritualized albums (since And Nothing Hurt came out of the same sessions, that can hardly be a harsh criticism). My counterpoint is that those albums now seen steps to the goal of a fully realized album that is his best in a decade and reaches some of the highs of L&GWaFiS. 2022 - Fat Possum

Cover Posts- Going Up by Coil

Any discussion of covers has to include “Tainted Love” about as popular a song as there ever has been. I’m a big Soft Cell fan and Marc Almond always says he regrets pairing it with another cover “Where did our love go?” and shutting himself out of song royalties. (In 2002, Soft Cell recorded “The Night” - a Four Seasons song that was the band’s second choice in 1981, and a great song, but not the greatest song) I have no idea how that works when Rihanna samples that record, but I get it. When ever anyone talks to me about covers, I almost always bring up the Coil version of that song. I mean the original is great. Soft Cell brought it to an 80s nonstop erotic cabaret and Coil turned it into a dirge. It is often mentioned as a lament to the AIDS pandemic. It’s a moving piece of music I’m going to pick another unusual Coil cover though. If you’re not already aware, Public Broadcasting in the US shows a bunch of 70s and 80s British programs. I can’t imagine I was ever the target audience for some of the older sitcoms, but I became a huge fan of Are You Being Served. 2005’s Going Up is the theme to that 70s television program, and is also unrecognizable as such. Once again, it’s built into something more. In this case, a tribute to band cofounder Jhonn Balance who passed in 04 and the elevator (that on the show) that went to Men’s clothing is a more metaphysical stairway to heaven. 2005 - Threshold

Cover Tunes- Viva la Vida by Pet Shop Boys

I am not really a Coldplay fan, but I like a few songs and Viva La Vida is undoubtedly a great song. On the other hand, I am a big Pet Shop Boys fan. Here’s a couple of things that seem ironic 1- As an electronic duo, it would seem contrary that their live albums would be good. I don’t know about this particular band, but I often hear stories from friends who have seen the band’s peers in concert and usually there are bad reviews Now, the Pet Shop Boys aren’t your usual band, and I think they really try to make it a party. Additionally, the mixture of songs in medley form seems to work well. I may never get a chance to write about 2010’s “Pandemonium” - a fantastic live album- or some of their other live records, so this will have to do. So my statement is that even if it’s been a decade, I still love it. 2- Point two is that I really love the band’s choice of covers. Again, Neil Tennant is an amazing lyricist- one of the best of his generation - but the band has some well placed covers- Always on my Mind and Go West Anyway, I love this. That’s the post 2009 - Parlophone

Cover Tunes- Focus on "Der Kommissar"

One of my favorite songs of youth was Der Kommisar by After the Fire. That song was a cover of a song by Falco. As much as I love that song and as long as a career the band had (four albums), it it odd that i don’t think I have ever heard another song the band did I vaguely remember radio stations playing both versions, though I could be misremembering somewhat since Falco would have an American hit or two of his own later and there were other NDW artists who had English and German hits (Nena, Peter Schilling). While I prefer the After the Fire version as an English speaker and they add some variety to it, I definitely love Falco. Plus while I consider the After the Fire video one of the iconic ones of the time (among many of that time), credit to Falco for basically pulling it off with just a bluescreen What’s interesting is this little video which is, I think, an Australian countdown show where they play all the versions. I would not be surprised if radio statins did play the two back to back. But what people might not know, is with Faldo’s success and a rush to make it a hit internationally, not only did After the Fire do a version, but Laura Branigan performed a song that layered new lyrics over the same melody and gave us “Deep in the Dark”. I know I’m not a huge Branigan fan, but I can’t help but think how multi faceted she was. I can’t think of too many pop stars in recent years that would compare. I appreciate that “Gloria” is now at a classic level few songs reach. It is another case where artists are distilled to one or two songs. I mean she’s not in a genre I listen to much, but hey she had a voice. “Self Control” is on the short list of best songs of the 80s Anyway, I get a kick out of looking back at the days of Der Kommisar Fever.

Cover Tunes- Under My Thumb by The Who

I always find it a bit weird. when rock legends cover their peers. For example, on the incredible Join the Dots boxed set, the Cure cover Joy Division and Depeche Mode. In 1967, The Who covered The Rolling Stones to support raising bail for a Keef n Mick drug bust with the single “The Last Time” and the b-side of “Under my Thumb” Perhaps one day, someone should curate a compilation of all the songs inspired by the Stones getting in trouble (the Clash’s 1977 “Jail Guitar Doors and the Stones’ own “We Love You”) “Under My Thumb” hasn’t aged well lyrically, though that is up to debate (more on Wikipedia which has a few theories including one about it being about a guitar) Musically, however, that fuzzy bass and marimba- it’s a classic I wouldn’t suggest trying to Out-Stones the Stones but there are a couple of versions of some significance. Canadian band Streetheart (a precursor to Loverboy) had a top 20 hit in Canada in 1979. It gets described as a disco rock hybrid, but if I didn’t know any better, I would have guessed mid 80s Glam/Arena rock. I can definitely see the appeal. Social Distortion did a revved up version in their style in 1996 The Who’s cover eventually landed on the expanded edition of their Odds and Sods collection. YouTube comments can be brutal but I actually like the cover. Not saying it’s better, but it does sound like a Who song. Keith’s drumming propels it and it feels like a Pete and Roger song of that time. 1967 - Track

Cover Tunes- Kronos Quartet - Purple Haze

I think the Kronos Quartet is great I’m embarrassingly not overly well versed in their work outside of knowing quite a bit about their career and the Nuevo disc. Perhaps a deep dive is needed some day Their career is so vast, you should just go lot their Wikipedia page, but I will try. So here goes, I think the Kronos Quartet are probably the musical act that would be the best entry into classical music from a rock fan’s ears. (I could surely be forgetting someone and Frank Zappa probably had that title before he passed, but that feels like a proper statement. They have worked with some of the biggest modern classical names- Part, Gorecki, Reich, Glass, Riley and the aforementioned Zappa. They have recorded with a who’s who of music- Cafe Tacuba, Pat Metheny, Asha Boshle, Taraf de Haidouks, Dave Matthews, Nelly Furtado, Amon Tobin, Faith No More, Joan Armatrading and The Tiger Lillies. They have performed live with McCartney, Bowie, Waits, Bjork, the National, and Allen Ginsberg. I would have to say their biggest commercial moment that I can recall was the Requiem for a Dream soundtrack. In 1986, they recorded their self titled album for Nonesuch Records and ended it with a cover of Purple Haze. I think most everyone would agree that it’s a fitting tribute to someone who was really a great American composer. I do see the comments on the YouTube page and it’s not perfect - you have to make room for Mitchell and Redding’s contributions, too but it’s pretty fun. 1986 - Nonesuch

Cover tunes- Heart Full of Soul- Chris Isaak

I love a good cover song and wanted to post a variety- some serious, some funny, some known, some obscure. I’m going to start with a fairly straightforward cover. The original is a classic- - The Graham Gouldman-penned "Heart Full Of Soul". A 1965 hit for the Yardbirds. A #9 hit in the US and #2 in the UK I have to admit that even if there are better singers than Keith Relf, I can’t imagine anyone else singing it. I also have seen performances of it (and lip synched or not) my brain goes to Jeff Beck rocking out. This song was the first single Beck played on after Eric Clapton left the band. I won’t spend much more time here but if you don’t know, I’m a pretty big Yardbirds fan. I heard this cover a long time ago and it can be found on the self titled 1987 Chris Isaak album. I am a big Chris Isaac fan. He’s such a left field performer in comparison with other artists of his time. He has spent a lot of time converting classic 50s rock but I love his original work even more Anyway, I have to admit this is a pretty neat cover- really adding *ahem* soul to the original. I feel I’d be remiss not to add Rush covered the song in 2004 for the Feedback EP. I’m not the hugest Rush fan, and I suspect if you are, you’ve probably heard it already. But if not, look it up- it feels like. Modern version- faithful to the original, but doing it in a way that would probably cause many modern listeners to prefer it 1987 - Warner Bros

Cover Tunes- Focus on Roxy Music- More Than This

Many moons ago I would blog about a lot of cover songs- some big hits, some obscure, some sincere, some humorous, some better, some worse. Years, even decades later- I am going to take a week to revisit a few and ask who prefers the cover and who prefers the original. I will post 3 or 4 couplings and I will try to do every day this week- but I might skip a Sunday or Saturday- depending So, one of my favorite band's is Roxy Music. I was hooked when I heard their debut. It is a near perfect album. I cannot overstate how much I like "ReMake/ReModel (and Virginia Plain for the matter, which was added to the US edition). It is proto-punk, it is space rock, it is Stooges-style jazz punk. It is perfection. From there, of course, where do you go? Country Life is nearly perfect, too, and there are gems throughout. I bought the Ferry/Roxy compilation early in my teens, but it has been worthwhile to go deeper. When I got into music, Ferry was a fairly successful solo musician, even though his style didn't line up with a lot of what was on radio or MTV. I have always liked his solo career, but only have really begun to love it in recent years. Ferry is no stranger to covers, of course. This single (More Than This from 1982 Roxy Music swansong album Avalon) followed their cover of Lennon’s “Jealous Guy” (which is another great original/cover pairing where both songs are classics) and would make it 10 #102 on the US charts. I would be here awhile if I named all of Ferry’s covers but “A Hard Rains A Gonna Fall”, “Like a Hurricane", "In the Midnight Hour" and “Lets Stick Together" are well known, and he did an entire album of Dylan covers in 2007. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the two Bryan Ferry Orchestra albums, which are essentially Ferry covering himself in 1920s/30s/40s styles and are fantastic. Yes, I had my doubts, but love these records. As far as 10,000 Maniacs, their version went to #25 in 1997. As much as I love the original, the cover is one of my all time favorite songs. Like so many 90s bands, I felt their was so much hype about the 10,000 Maniacs at the time, but I really was a fan. In retrospect, they seem such an unlikely crossover hit (and to continue the thread- their most famous hit was a cover of a song that was a hit for another musician- and probably that musician's most famous song- and it was also a cover. I suppose that's a tribute to all involved- Natalie Merchant and Patti Smith were fantastic performers on top of being amazing lyricists). The ironic thing is I never did chase down the Mary Ramsey album. I surely need to someday. I feel she was in a spot where she was never going to make anyone forget Natalie, but unlike say, Gary Cherone, she was an integral part of the band because of her relationship with John Lombardo in Maniac sideproject John and Mary, and playing on a couple of "Our Time in Eden tracks and the MTV Unplugged album. Of note, the song became a popular concert cover over the years for Blondie and Robyn Hitchcock and of course, all probably remember it was sang by Bill Murray in Lost in Translation.

Album Review- Dave Stewart- Ebony McQueen

One of my favorite “lost” albums is “Greetings from the Gutter” - a 1995 album by Dave Stewart. But more about that later. The Eurythmics were definitely one of the biggest bands of the 80s. I don’t think it’s surprising that the two ensuing solo careers don’t match the level of the duo previously. (Ok, perhaps the only issue with Annie Lennox’s career might be she chose to go a different direction than what I would have preferred). In retrospect, perhaps Stewart was more successful than anyone might have guessed. “Lily was Here” featuring saxophonist Candy Dulfer was a Top 15 chart hit in the US in 1990. I can’t find any chart information on Stewart’s Spiritual Cowboys album but it had decent sales and exposure based on my experience. “Gutter” isn’t a perfect album by any means, but one of its biggest strengths is how deftly Stewart navigates through various genres. I bring that album up as an introduction to Stewart’s latest album. “Ebony McQueen” is solo Stewart on steroids. It is being marketed as a biography, a musical, a possible film, a photo book and a five disc album set. At 26 tracks and just over 80 minutes (the old standard CD running time), it’s certainly a double or triple album and surely more Stewart than anyone will ever need. Like Gutter, it never quite nails that perfect Eurythmics radio single. But it also has those moments that impress. Once again, The Beatles, Kinks and Bowie influences are on display, mixed with a variety of Caribbean, blues and theatrical sounds. It will be one of those albums that critics likely get right- a bit of indulgent mess that only the artist will love. Dave either knowingly or unknowingly prods the critic with a song called “What’s the F*cking Point”. Still, there’s some good stuff here and I suspect there are a few listeners that will gravitate to this album like I did to a Stewart album nearly 30 years ago. 2022 - Bay Street Records

Album Review- Steve Earle- Jerry Jeff

ONE NAUGHTY WORD NEAR THE BEGINNING of the video- Hope the performance makes up for it- otherwise skip to about 45 seconds in Steve Earle is one of my favorite artists. His recent album is the third in a trilogy of tributes to his mentors- Townes Van Zandt, Guy Clark and Jerry Jeff Walker. As a fan, these are generally among my least favorite Earle albums and reviewing almost seems unfair. Because these are homage pieces and jumping on points for new listeners. Are tribute albums ever going to be better than the real thing? No but they serve a purpose and you can’t be too harsh on a artist for putting out heartfelt product, and to be fair I am not all that familiar with the depth of these men’s work. (As an aside, I really do love the JT album and artistically think it is well done. It sounds like a Steve Earle album and is different from the originals in all the right ways. It is the kind of album that one will enjoy and then sit right down and listen to both versions) A couple of things stand out - one is Steve seems to slip into a Jerry Jeff persona. Earle has put himself in the position where he obviously wants to respect the music. Which leads to the second thing, when you listen to JJ it’s clear where Earle got his influence especially when he does some rambling of his own, or sings a particularly pensive song. Oh and I probably should remind that Earle is one of my favorite, if not my favorite artist, so this isn’t criticism. Jerry Jeff is a fine listen. If I am pushed to review, I will say that it’s not quite as good as Guy in what I would expect to return for repeated listening but it sure does it what it advertises, and that was getting me to check out the work of one Jerry Jeff Walker. 2022 - New West

Album Review- The Dream Syndicate- Ultraviolet Battle Hymns and True Confessions

The Dream Syndicate have a rather fascinating story. Four albums in the 80s that solidify their reputation as one of the great American indie bands, though never quite breaking through like REM (to be honest, few did). Then a 20 year career for Steve Wynn which generally was well received. But nothing really prepared listeners for a second run of Dream Syndicate that has been surprisingly fulfilling. I got into the Dream Syndicate through a pretty obvious spot- the 1992 Rhino comp. That album called Tell Me When It’s Over is just about as close as one can get to perfect. It takes a bunch of the bands classic debut album and cherry picks from later records. The reunited Dream Syndicate is now four albums in and they all seem quite different. 2017’s How Did I Find Myself Here seemed drawn from the late 80s albums- with a focus on lyrics and smart songwriting. 2019’s These Times felt like a continuation but in retrospect, is also a bridge to 2020’s The Universe Inside. The Universe Inside felt like a big moment and a changed band. As with seemingly everything the band it has done, not everyone shared the same opinion- but at least this felt like the consensus that this was something special. This was a band bent on psychedelic jazz-influenced jamming. While “jam band” is a bad word in some circles, the album was pulling in from sources as disaparate as Coltrane, Crazy Horse and Hawkwind. The 21st Century iteration of the Dream Syndicate is so unpredictable from album to album that it is almost predictable that the follow up to The Universe Inside would be completely different. And it does, Ultraviolet Battle Hymns and True Confessions is a throwback to the band’s debut. That album had a heavy Velvet Underground influence - sparse instrumentation, over complicated lyrics, goth overtones and that sneaky subtle great guitar interaction - influential sounds that bubbled up most prominently in bands on the Alias Records and Flying Nun record labels in the late 80s and on a number of various major indie labels in that golden era of the 1990s. Dream Syndicate are now near the front and again at the end of that implied shades-wearing lineage that includes every one from Yo La Tengo to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club to Parquet Courts. It should be little shock that review of UBH&TC are once again all over the place, though most are highly complimentary. Personally, for me, I rather enjoy it. Like their debut disc, some songs are better but the whole collection hangs together quite well. I know comparing the two records is quite unfair, so I will simply say my experience of the record is that it is one that I can listen to in its entirety and want to do the same tomorrow. 2022 - Fire Records

Album Review- The Interrupters- In The Wild

One of my favorite bands of recent years are the Interrupters. It seems a requirement to mention the ska craze of the 90s that brought No Doubt and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones to the masses. It’s hard to say if the Interrupters will ever have that much fame. Though 2018’s Fight the Good Fight was in all definitions, a smash in terms of the brave, new music world. The new album In The Wild gives some insight on where the band’s heart lies. It’s got some cameos, but rather than some random guests, it seems like a very particular group of bands that pull as much from reggae and soul, as they do from ska. Bands that gravitated to traditional Jamaican sounds instead of pop radio. Those guests are Rhoda Dakar of the original 2 tone band The Bodysnatchers, 90s throwback ska band Hepcat and 201xs London ska punks The Skints. The band goes back a long way with Tim Armstrong (Rancid/Operation Ivy/Transplants). Aimee Interrupter and guitarist Kevin Bivona both appear in backing roles for Jimmy Cliff on his 2012 Rebirth album. Yet in many ways, the band seems to be just now hitting a full realization of themselves. A lot of critics have pointed out the turn the lyrics have taken toward the personal. That my conjure a mental image of some bookish Morrissey or Dylan musings. That’s not really a characteristic that goes well with ska. So I’m not sure lyrical heaviness is always for the best. Singles “In the Mirror” starts leaning closer to No Doubt than the Clash for example. But generally, the band gets the balance right. Also it seems counterintuitive for a band who gave us the scorching “She’s Kerosene” on the last album, the best moments on In The Wild often are when things slow down a bit. For me personally, I think I prefer the previous album, but there’s nothing wrong with In The Wild which has obligations to be radio-friendly, be taken as a serious work of art, and rock enough to keep up with the Operation Ivy/Green Day crowd. It shows a band that is going down a well traveled road, but doing things in a way that remains fresh. 2022 - Hellcat

Book Review- Out of Control: The Last Days of the Clash

I recently read Out Of Control: The Last Days of The Clash by Vince White. You might recall that I had recently watched the doc The Rise and the Fall of the Clash by filmmaker Danny Garcia. Along with Marcus Gray’s fantastic book The Last Gang in Town, these are about the only two places where post Mick Jones Clash history is recorded. Garcia’s film postulates that the Clash mark 2 are probably not deserving of their reputation, and were a great live band who were victims of a weird power struggle and one poorly mixed record. Vince White was the second guitarist for the Mk 2 lineup. Apparently he has become labeled an “unreliable narrator” for some of his activity on Clash message boards over the years, but I don’t doubt his story in the book. It doesn’t help of course, White always seems to be chasing women and drink, even having an affair with the band manager Bernie Rhodes’s girlfriend. But I don’t doubt the Jones-less Clash were a mess with Joe Strummer and Bernie Rhodes chasing past glories that were likely way out of reach. The Clash were dinosaurs in a scene with UK punk bands like the Exploited and American hardcore. Even if the 80s were defined political rock of the arena variety was covered by U2, the Police, the Fixx and others, Strummer had an antagonistic relationship with Bob Geldof, so you will notice the Clash missing from those contemporary big musical events. White is an interesting side to the Clash story. Rhodes and Strummer were interested in advancing the band with the sloganeering that was included on the inside of the sleeve for Cut the Crap. One example of conforming to the ideal, White shares the story of how he played the Stiff Little Fingers debut cassette on the tour bus, and then got in trouble because it wasn’t 50s rock or jazz, which was the only music allowed. White is an interesting observer since he generally does love punk, but doesn’t seem to be beholden to any of the legend. He joins the band because he passes the audition, but I think he would have done the same if the band was the Clash, Status Quo or Pink Floyd. You can’t blame Rhodes and Strummer for acting the way they did, wanting to make a new album that matched the fury of the debut, the ambition of London Calling and the look ahead futurism of Combat Rock. To accomplish this, ironically, they were rigid, even dictatorial. I don’t doubt for a minute that the three new band members were allowed very limited input on the band, nor do I doubt the album was worse for that. White’s story is probably better that he wasn’t beholden to the idol worship of the Clash. We get a side of Strummer that is human, flawed and tired. Same goes for Paul Simonon, Kosmo Vinyl and the rest of the gang. For Clash fans, it’s definitely worth the read. While you might end up not liking him, White can definitely tell a story. That said, if you are expecting a insightful rock memoir, this is definitely on the gossipy, trashy side of things, so be warned in advance. In finding the appropriate song for this story, I found there are an amazing amount of bootleg audio of Clash Mark Two on YouTube. As expected for the time, the quality borders on fair to awful, so I made what I could of the results. What I did find interesting was last year, Gerald Manns, a member of a German punk/metal band called Mutant Proof took to recreating Cut The Crap. I am surprised given the Clash's reputation that this hasn't been done before more offically, but Manns used software to isolate Strummer's vocals and then added a mix of bootleg audio and his own best estimation of the instrumentalism. I would recommend Clash fans to give the album a listen https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6ggjMklzIx0aCGDhE1FIS2HDu2WNLL17

Tribute to a Friend

A couple of weeks ago while on vacation, I received news that a friend had passed. It would seem to be necessary to point out that he had very human failings. I can’t speak to that. I wasn’t all that close to him, but in a very modern way, we talked often through social media and we often talked music. We were both fans of what you would call Outlaw Country but that term encompasses different things. For me it’s country filtered through rock years (Old 97s, Wilco, Hank 3) and the mid-to-late 80s neo traditionalists (Earle, Yoakum, Roseanne, Crowell, Lovett). For him it was more the traditional definition - Texas based singer songwriters like Ray Whylie Hubbard, Robert Earl Keen and Jimmie Dale Gilmore not to mention a strong attachment to those 70s outlaws like Willie, Waylon and David Allen Coe and Southern rock a la Skynyrd, Petty an Marshall Tucker. But, this did mean we had some overlap. He was a big fan of Red Dirt Music. This is a genre that has really become a movement with festivals, radio, Spotify playlists and the like in the last decade and he had his ear to the ground a few years even before mainstream media did. He was into Jason Boland and the Stragglers, Cody Canada (and his bands), Turnpike Troubadours, Corb Lund and Cody Johnson. It is made up of (mostly) Oklahoma based bands that play Country Music with those previously named influences also drawing in from blues, bluegrass and honky tonk. At its core, its those artists I listed above, but given the broader movement now attributed to it, some of my favorite recent artists (Cody Jinks, Hayes Carll) are now lumped in (I would say they’re more tangential than those I mentioned above, but so be it). If you listen to Country radio, the Influence has broken through to airplay - Luke Combs, Eric Church, Chris Janson, Morgan Wallen, Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton and so on- have drawn upon these artists to be proclaimed as a "new Outlaw Country movement". While we had two years of pandemic, 2022 has been the toughest year in my life in terms of loss. While most were acquaintance or coworkers, I have lost at least four people this year whose death really affected me. The pandemic definitely brings mortality to mind. I have gravitated to the idea that as long as someone still talks about a person, they are still really alive. Perhaps appropriately, his favorite artist was Gram Parsons, the renegade country rocker who died young and who is one of the biggest influences on this generation of Outlaws. It was Gram that played at the funeral “A Song For You”. 1973 - Reprise

Album Review - The Ninth Wave - Heavy Like a Headache

There are millions of Joy Division influenced bands. Millions? Probably not. Still maybe? There are of course some who became favorite bands of mine - the obvious (Editors, Interpol) to a variety of others (as varied as Sweden’s synth outfit Holograms to Los Angeles hardcore punks Cemento to dark wave favorites She Wants Revenge). U2 would certainly fall in this category, as would the shoegaze movement. All goth bands surely from and including Xymox, Sisters of Mercy and Christian Death on. Also come to think of it, a full list of industrial bands (Psychic TV wrote “IC Water” after all.) Like the Velvet Underground, it might be easier to list bands not influenced by them. A band as distinct as Arcade Fire or Sea Power may have mixed other influences but inevitably call to mind Ian Curtis and crew. Maybe a band mimics the umm… atmosphere of “Atmosphere” or “New Dawn Fades” or maybe it’s the Punk pulse of Disorder and She’s Lost Control. Glasgow’s The Ninth Wave are one of the latest to be painted by the Joy Division brush. Their second album Heavy Like A Headache could be their last as it was released simultaneously as the band announced a hiatus. The reviews generally have not been kind to this album, which seems a disservice. I can guess at the reason. The band splits vocal duties between its two members - Haydn Park-Patterson and Millie Kidd. Additionally, songs might rotate from inward looking Goth ballads to soaring arena anthems. Particularly on the anthemic songs, they have peaks that stand far above other tracks. It’s the kind of thing that will annoy record critics. That said,if the sound appeals to you, you might want to stay around for the whole thing. If you are not a huge fan of the genre, you still may find a few songs to cherry-pick for playlists. “What Makes You a Man” was in the Umbrella Academy and a couple others sound ripe for soundtracks. 2022 - Distiller Records