The Season for Miracles
Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
Motown 5253ML
1970
This is a reissue of the second Christmas album released by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles which was originally issued on Tamla as TS307. I put it on to trim the tree this year and found it very pleasing. It features an engaging mix of original songs and traditional carols. The traditional carols are given Motown style arrangements with strong rhythm sections over which the Miracles deliver typically dynamic vocal arrangements with stimulating harmonies. I particularly like the driving performance of "Go Tell It On The Mountain." They also offer up lovely performances of combined melodies of "Deck the Halls" with "Bring a Torch, Jeannette Isabella" and "Away in a Manger" with "Coventry Carol." "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" is given a jazzy arrangement by Wade Marcus that features terrific ensemble singing by the group. It is one of my favorite tracks. In contrast the sappy arrangement of Mel Torme and Robert Wells' classic "The Christmas Song" leaves me indifferent despite the gorgeous vocals. "Jingle Bells" is basically indestructible and easily survives its Motownization. Among the original songs the most striking one is "A Child is Waiting" by Joe Hinton and Patti Jerome. It is not a Christmas song, but rather a song endorsing adoption, but with its generosity of spirit and heart-warming message it fits in well with the rest of the album and gives the record an uplifting finish. The originals also include two songs by Stevie Wonder and Syreeta Wright. "I Can Tell When Christmas is Near" is the better of the two. It is driven by a catchy piano riff and features a lively performance by the group. "It's Christmas Time" is also piano driven but is more sedate emphasizing Robinson's sensitive vocal. It recounts the events around the birth of Jesus. Robinson wrote "I Believe in Christmas Eve" which is also a religious song but has enough of a pop flavor that I still find it very appealing. Ron and Deborah Miller's "The Day That Love Began" previously appeared on Stevie Wonder's 1967 Christmas album. I find the song corny and don't really care for either version but I give the edge to Wonder for a more convincing vocal. "Peace on Earth (Goodwill Toward Men)" by Jimmy and Ann Roach is the most undistinguished of the original songs but it is still pleasant to listen to. The absence of any real standout songs keeps this album from being an essential Christmas record and I would prefer more secular Christmas songs, but this is still a very worthwhile record that should appeal to most fans of the group. Recommended to religious Motown buffs.
Really Really Happy
The Muffs
Sympathy for the Record Industry SFTRI 749
2004
I was listening to "She Rocks" on KXLU a few weeks ago when I heard them play a bunch of Muffs songs to open the show. At first I was delighted, but then I realized this could not be good unless Kim Shattuck was there with them in the studio. Alas that was not the case, she had died of ALS and they were playing a tribute to her. I was shocked. I had just seen her and the Muffs at a show a few years ago where Shattuck performed with her usual exuberance and vitality. ALS seems a particularly cruel disease for someone who was such a dynamic and energetic person. Even as she was dying she had the will and determination to complete the final Muffs album which I find touching and inspiring. This was the Muffs' fifth album. My favorite record of theirs is "Blond and Blonder" but I don't have it on vinyl. I love this one almost as much though, so I think it is a worthy record for a tribute to her. It is more subdued than the first four albums, more power pop than pop punk with a cheerful feel to it as reflected in its apt title. Long time fans might miss the force of the earlier albums, Shattuck rarely even cuts loose with any of her trademark screams. I find it charming myself and appreciate her attempt to change her style without sacrificing her integrity. She delivers 17 delightful pop songs that make me feel really really happy just as advertised. There are several songs in the familiar Shattuck style - noisy, fast-paced, riff driven songs like "Freak Out," the ebullient "Really Really Happy," "The Whole World," the frenetic "By My Side" and the scream-laden "Oh Poor You." There is a more pronounced pop feeling and melodic sound to "A Little Luxury," "How I Pass the Time," "I'm Here I'm Not" and one of my favorite cuts, "My Lucky Day" with its exhilarating "wooo's" driving it home. Numerous songs have a traditional, retro pop sound like "Something Inside," "Everybody Loves You," the doo-wop flavored "Fancy Girl," and the girl group sounding "Slow." I really like the bouncy "Don't Pick On Me" which sounds like a Monkees or Raiders cover. "And I Go Pow" has a similar garage band sound to it. "My Awful Dream" is the most unique song on the record and one of the more unusual songs in the Shattuck catalog. It is an acoustic performance that showcases the expressiveness of Shattuck's voice as she croons the angst laden lyrics. It even features a harmonica solo. I love it. The album closes with the introspective "The Story of Me" in which Shattuck examines the contradictions within her but seems to be happy with who she is which sums up this album rather nicely. As much as I love the earlier Muffs albums, I have to admit that this one appeals to me more in many ways. I was quite taken by the ferocious energy and youthful humor of the debut album and "Blond and Blonder" back in the 1990s, but now that I'm older I'm appreciative of the maturity and sensitivity of Shattuck's music on this album. No one is ever going to mistake her for Joni Mitchell or Leonard Cohen, but there is a grace and purpose to her lyrics on this album that I find engaging. Although pop appeal has always been apart of her style, I greatly enjoy the more pronounced melodicism on this album. The growth displayed on this record makes her premature demise even sadder for me. I would have loved to hear what directions her music would have taken as she grew older. She was such a special artist, so bold and creative, I'm really going to miss her. Recommended to fans of Cub.
My Tennessee Mountain Home
Dolly Parton
RCA APL1-0033
1973
I bought this several years ago in an antique store in Jamestown, ND - the home of the World's Largest Buffalo (it is a giant statue.) I sometimes buy country albums from the 1970s for artists I really like even though almost all of them were primarily singles artists. If I were smart I'd just buy compilations. The two big exceptions to that are Willie Nelson and Dolly Parton. Since they mostly wrote their own material, their albums have a higher quality than the single plus filler formula most of their peers employed. Parton made many fine albums in the 1970s but this is my favorite. It is a concept album focused on her childhood. The cover of the album depicts the house she grew up in and there is a picture of the home she was born in inside the gatefold along with pictures of her as a child as well as some family members. It also has liner notes written by her father and mother. The album begins with "The Letter" in which she recites a touching letter she wrote home when she first came to Nashville in 1964. The only music is a harmonica playing "Home Sweet Home." "I Remember" is a heartfelt tribute to her parents. It is enhanced by her gift for evocative descriptions. "Old Black Kettle" is a lively tune that describes cooking with the kettle of the title and provides a rosy picture of growing up in the country. "Daddy's Working Boots" as you probably can guess pays homage to her hard-working father. Parton has always had a way with symbols and metaphors and the boots serve that function in this song. "Dr. Robert F. Thomas" is an ode to the doctor who delivered her as a baby. The song celebrates his good deeds and perseverance as a country doctor. Side one concludes with "In the Good Old Days (When Times Were Bad)" which is a remarkable song that vividly describes her hardships growing up with mixed feelings of nostalgia and relief as reflected in the chorus when she sings "no amount of money could buy from me the memories that I have of then, no amount of money could pay me to go back and live through it again." The song is an old song that she originally released as a single in 1968 but it fits the theme of the record so well it is hard to blame her for wanting to re-record it for this album. On a record suffused with nostalgia, it provides some much needed realism. Side two begins with "My Tennessee Mountain Home" which was the single off the album. It is an idealized vision of her childhood that has great resonance. Its emotional impact is a testament to her genius as a songwriter and a performer and it is one of my favorite songs in her enormous catalog. "The Wrong Direction Home" describes how she misses her mountain home. In "Back Home" she joyously does return home. "The Better Part of Life" is more nostalgia enlivened by her richly expressive remembrances. "Down on Music Row" recounts her early experiences in Nashville. The story she tells is very detailed and celebrates RCA which is a little misleading since she did not sign with RCA until years later. Still it makes for a happy ending and gives the album some satisfying closure. I have to admit that the sentimentality and nostalgia that permeates this album would probably annoy me in the hands of a lesser artist. Parton's skill with imagery and her incomparable sincerity as a vocalist are able to convince a city-slicker like me that she really did have a wonderful childhood growing up impoverished in the country. It also helps that her musical accompaniment is so tasteful and subdued, allowing her voice and the lyrics to convey the feelings in the song. She is so full of love for the subjects of her songs, that she charms me and persuades me of the truth of her vision. This is a flawless album that is essential for Parton fans and recommended to anyone looking for a little warmth and affection to brighten up their lives.
Aretha Live at Fillmore West
Aretha Franklin
Atlantic SD 7205
1971
This was the first Aretha Franklin album that I owned. I bought it as a teenager in the used record store that briefly existed in my suburban home town. It was a small enough store that I could go through all the records in the pop music bins which is how I noticed it. My taste in soul back then was more Motown than Atlantic. I was familiar with Franklin's big hits but I was not yet a fan. This album totally changed that, but I originally bought it primarily because it was recorded at the Fillmore which I was obsessed with at the time. It is still my favorite of Franklin's live albums. It was re-released in a greatly expanded version on CD covering all three of her nights at the auditorium including King Curtis' performances. I'm sure it is wonderful but I'm happy with this smaller sampling. It is a flawless album, over forty-five minutes of greatness. The vinyl version kicks off with her explosive performance of "Respect" taken at a much faster pace than her classic single. It is an amazingly energetic performance that blows me away every time I hear it. At the end of the song Franklin promises the audience that they will enjoy her show as much as any they have ever seen. It is a bold promise but I think she delivered. She changes pace with Stephen Stills' "Love the One You're With" which she slows down and makes it sound like a gospel song. It is a brilliant interpretation that I greatly prefer to Stills' own version. She also makes Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water" sound like a hymn. She sings it with such feeling and passion, she absolutely slays me. I like the original but it sounds stilted and phony in comparison. The most remarkable cover on the album is her uptempo performance of the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby." Supported by propulsive back up vocals from the Sweethearts of Soul, Franklin utterly transforms the song into an exciting and upbeat workout. Curiously she sings the song in the first person which makes it seem more personal. I think the Beatles' melancholy version is more suitable for the lyrics, but Franklin's cover is a lot more fun. Her biggest challenge on the record is taking on David Gates' sappy "Make It With You." I've always loathed the original single by Bread. It is a testament to her genius that she makes this lightweight song seem powerful and meaningful with her heartfelt performance. Side one concludes with a lively version of "Don't Play That Song" which was a hit for Ben E. King in 1962. Franklin covered it on her album "Spirit in the Dark" in 1970. I am a fan of King and like his version, but when Franklin covers a song, it becomes hers. Side one is devoted to showing the hippies that she can beat them at their own game with her absolute dominance of some of their classics. Side two showcases her own music. It opens with her and Ted White's "Dr. Feelgood." It is a slow, smoldering blues that gradually builds in strength leading to some explosive vocal pyrotechnics that take my breath away. It is a sensual song but at the end she takes the audience to church with her incredible spirit. Which is an appropriate segue for her performance of "Spirit in the Dark" which is her spiritual ode to the power of music. It is an incredibly compelling performance and just when you think it can't get any better than this, she brings out Ray Charles, literally her only peer in soul singing. What a thrill it must have been for the audience to see the King and Queen of Soul together on that stage. Charles slows down the tempo for a funky interpretation of the song featuring a dazzling call and response with Franklin. Then Charles takes Franklin's place at the electric piano and delivers a smoking piano solo that gets me bopping. Charles resumes singing and rouses the crowd with his mesmerizing gospel style vocal. At the end of the song Franklin proclaims him to be "the Reverend Righteous Ray" to which I can only reply "Amen!" When I heard this song as a teenager it instantly converted me into a fan of soul music. I had never heard anything like it and it still thrills me all these years later. This album is a must buy just for that song alone. The record comes back to earth to conclude with her robust vocal on Ashford and Simpson's "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)" which had been a hit for Diana Ross the year before and I suspect she picked it just to show Ross who is the boss. What a show! The band is excellent and Franklin is inspired. I wish I could have been there. This is one of my favorite live albums. It has so much feeling and atmosphere, it is everything a good live album should be. I consider it one of her essential recordings. It fully displays her unparalleled skill as an interpreter and the boundless expressiveness of her voice. Recommended to fans of Ray Charles, her only rival when it comes to the soulful interpretation of pop music.
It Hurts To Be In Love
Gene Pitney
Musicor MS3019
1964
Gene Pitney was basically a singles artist. If he ever recorded an essential album, I have not heard it. His albums generally contain a hit single or two and a bunch of filler so most people who are not big fans should probably just pick up a compilation. I'm a moderate fan but I like Pitney's voice enough to pick up his albums when I run across a bargain. Since his records are relatively easy to find and generally not expensive, I've ended up with a bunch of them. I rarely play them but I enjoy them when I do. This is my favorite of the ones in my collection. The album begins with a bang with Pitney's soaring melodramatic performance of Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil's "I'm Gonna Be Strong" which was a top ten single for Pitney. The song showcases Pitney's range and strength as a singer, but it is a little over the top for my taste. My favorite version of the song is Jackie DeShannon's cover of it on "This is Jackie DeShannon" and I also prefer Tim Rose's performance of the song on "Tim Rose." It is followed by "Walk" by Howard Greenfield and Helen Miller which is a charming, jaunty song that lightens the mood of the record. Van McCoy's "I Love You More Today" is a pedestrian and sappy country-flavored ballad that Pitney makes listenable with his emotional vocal. The record picks up again with the upbeat and poppy "Who Needs It" which was written by the successful British songwriting team of Len Beadle and Robin Conrad (a pseudonym for Peter Callender.) It has a British Invasion sound and is one of my favorite tracks on the album. "Follow the Sun" was composed by Peter Udell and Gary Geld who wrote Brian Hyland's big hit "Sealed With a Kiss." The song has a rhythm and blues sound to it which Pitney bolsters with his robust vocal. "Lips Are Redder On You" was written by legendary British producer Joe Meek. It is a cheerful poppy song that Pitney puts over with ease. Side two opens with another Greenfield/Miller composition "It Hurts To Be In Love" which was a top ten single for Pitney. The song was originally intended for Neil Sedaka and Pitney recorded his version over the original Sedaka backing track, I think I still hear Sedaka on the background vocal. It is an extremely catchy and appealing song, one of my all time Pitney favorites. Al Kooper wrote "The Last Two People on Earth" with Bob Brass and Irwin Levine. Blues Project fans should not get too excited, the song is utterly mediocre although the science fiction theme is kind of interesting. The main reason I bought this album was to hear "That Girl Belongs to Yesterday" which was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. The song was deservedly a hit single in England where it was the first Jagger/Richards song to crack the top ten. The song sounds nothing like the Rolling Stones, but its dramatic character is perfect for Pitney's emotional style. It is my favorite track after the title cut and the album is worth buying for it alone. "E se domani" is an Italian song written by Giorgio Calabrese and Carlo Alberto Rossi. I presume this is the same version that appeared on Pitney's Italian language album "Gene Italiano" released earlier in the year although I have no idea why it was stuck on this album as well. This old-fashioned song is fine if you like that sort of thing but it does not fit in with the rest of the record at all. "Hawaii" is another Kooper/Brass/Levine composition. I would not say it is better than "The Last Two People on Earth" but it is a lot more fun. The album concludes with "I'm Gonna Find Myself a Girl" by Ray Adams, Elaine Adams and Valerie Avon who were in the English pop group, The Avons. It is a subdued but enticing love song that features a double tracked vocal from Pitney that reminds me of the Everly Brothers. It gives the album a pleasant finale. Six of the twelve tracks on this record are memorable and worthwhile which is a good ratio on a pop album in the mid-1960s. As a result I play this album as much as I play my Pitney compilation album. If you are a Pitney fan, it is well-worth seeking out and probably would appeal to most fans of pre-Beatles pop music. Recommended to fans of the early Warner Bros. Records era Everly Brothers.
Rocking the World
Earth Quake
Beserkley JBZ-0045
1975
"Rocking the world?" Rocking California is more accurate. This is a live album drawn from shows this Bay Area band played in California. They played my high school back in the mid-1970s. I did not go largely because I had never heard of them, but judging from this album I missed a good show. The record consists mostly of covers which is probably part of why they never became popular outside of their home turf. Their three original songs are weak in comparison. "Power Glide Slide" is the best of the trio. It features a lumbering heavy riff laid over a straight ahead boogie that helps disguise that the song is otherwise so undistinguished. It glides into a frenetic rave up that is straight out of the Yardbirds' playbook and must have been exhilarating to see live. The similarly riff-driven "Mr. Security" is a generic rocker that is entertaining but forgettable. I find "(Sitting In the Middle of) Madness" to be tedious but the crowd seems to dig it, maybe you had to be there. They may not have very good songwriters, but the group did have excellent taste in cover songs. The record kicks off with a high voltage interpretation of Bobby Troup's "Route 66" which is one of the best versions of this much covered song that I have ever heard. They load up the song with guitar noise and a relentless driving beat that gets me bopping. Their version of the Easybeats' "Friday On My Mind" suffers from weak vocals. John Doukas' lead vocal is labored and screechy and the band's background vocal is feeble. Musically they transform the song from power pop to an energetic boogie which was probably fun to see live but I don't really approve of the changes. The band sticks pretty close to the original arrangement of the Small Faces" "Tin Soldier." Vocalist Gary Phillips can't match Steve Marriott's performance, but he gives it a solid effort. The song is too similar to the original to be interesting, but I adore the original so I'm not complaining. The band kicks out the jams on the Velvet Underground's "Head Held High." It is really exciting and must have been thrilling to see live. I consider it the highlight of the album. The final cover is the Electric Light Orchestra's "Ma Ma Ma Belle." Bassist Stan Miller takes the lead vocal but he isn't up to the challenge and often sounds strained. I like the band's raucous work out on the tune though, it is much more lively than the original. It gives the album a dynamic finish. I enjoy this album but I don't play it very often. It is basically the 1970s equivalent to a garage band album. Nonetheless I admire the band's commitment to full-throttle rocking out which was an all too rare commodity back then unless heavy metal counts. Recommended to fans of the J. Geils Band and Faces.
It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin'
Johnny Tillotson
Cadence CLP 3058
1962
Several years ago I was browsing the vinyl in a thrift store when I came across a couple of Johnny Tillotson records in very good condition. I flipped one of them over and was irked to see there was writing on it until I realized it was autographed. I'm not a big enough Tillotson fan to get excited about that, but I felt a pang when I saw the record was autographed to Teddy. Teddy obviously was a big fan and since this vintage original pressing was in such good condition presumably treasured this album. The fact that the record was in a thrift store suggested to me that Teddy had died and Teddy's heirs disposed of this record in the easiest manner available to them aside from the trash. There was no way I was going to leave this record to rot in a thrift store, so I bought both albums to give them a good home for a few more decades (hopefully.) I've always thought of Tillotson as a pop artist, but this album consists largely of country music classics. The liner notes aptly describe the record as "Johnny Tillotson's Favorite Songs of Loneliness" as it is loaded with heartbreak songs. I'm not adverse to a good heartbreak song, but a steady stream of 12 of them makes for pretty dreary listening. Tillotson is a good singer with a tender expressive voice, but he lacks the depth to put over many of these songs. He is hopelessly outclassed by Hank Williams on "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" and "I Can't Help It (If I'm Still in Love with You)" and fares even worse taking on Patsy Cline with "I Fall to Pieces" and Cline and Andy Williams on "Lonely Street." He does better with Brenda Lee's "Fool #1" but I still prefer her version. He's not mature enough to put over songs like "Funny How Time Slips Away," Faron Young's "Hello Walls" or Jim Reeves' "Four Walls." He benefits from the more pop-flavored arrangements of "Take Good Care of Her" and especially Hank Locklin's "Send Me the Pillow You Dream On" which was a top 20 hit for him. He does great with Irving Berlin's oldie "What'll I Do" which proves surprisingly suitable for a country arrangement to which Tillotson adds a little teenage melodrama to give it extra oomph. The best song is easily Tillotson's own composition "It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin" which was a big hit single on both the country and pop charts. It is a classic heartbreak song that Tillotson sings with convincing feeling. Aside from the title track this is a marginal record but I do enjoy it. The songs are all good and the arrangements by Archie Bleyer are tasteful and restrained by countrypolitan standards. Tillotson is a very likeable singer with a pleasant voice. However with his boyish tone and smooth style I do think that he is much better at singing pop. Recommended to fans of Ricky Nelson.
Having a Rave Up with the Yardbirds
The Yardbirds
Epic BN 26177
1965
This was the Yardbirds' second American album and has no British equivalent being cobbled together from singles, unreleased tracks as well as four cuts from their British debut album "Five Live Yardbirds." It was probably puzzling to the original buyers. There are two versions of "I'm a Man" and side one sounds very different from side two, almost as if they were recorded by different bands, and in a sense they were since side two features an uncredited Eric Clapton on lead guitar and side one features Jeff Beck instead. The liner notes don't even mention that side two is a live recording from the previous year. Despite this shoddy packaging the record is fantastic, full of essential music. It opens with "You're a Better Man Than I" written by Mike Hugg of Manfred Mann. It has long been one of my favorite Yardbirds songs. It is a social protest song with a folk rock sound driven by a propulsive bass riff and jangly guitar lines until Jeff Beck's explosive fuzzed out guitar solo that goes from raga to psychedelic in a thrilling manner. His solo is a hard rock landmark and shows that Beck was the most creative rock guitarist of his era prior to the rise of Jimi Hendrix. "Evil Hearted You" was written by Graham Gouldman and displays his typical gift for a well-crafted catchy pop song. It was deservedly a hit single in England. The
song is punctuated by loud slashing guitar chords that emphasize its
gloomy nature until the surprisingly upbeat bridge section. Beck delivers a subdued but powerful solo. Bo Diddley's "I'm a Man" was essentially the Yardbirds' unofficial theme song. The song stayed in their repertoire for the entire history of the band and was released in versions by all three lead guitarists for the band. Beck delivers the studio version here, Clapton was on the live version from "Five Live Yardbirds" on side two of this album and Jimmy Page performed on the expanded version the band developed late in their career as heard on "Live Yardbirds." The Beck version is easily my favorite. The song is driven by the familiar Bo Diddley shuffling beat that gradually builds in force to the most amazing rave up the band ever did. Beck and Keith Relf on harmonica trade licks until Beck goes berserk. He races down his guitar neck and until he runs out of room and starts striking his strings percussively. It is tremendously exciting. I've listened to it hundreds of times and it still floors me. "Still I'm Sad" was written by the group's bassist Paul Samwell-Smith and drummer Jim McCarty. It was the flip side of the "Evil Hearted You" single in Britain and was a hit in its own right there. It is a complete change of direction from the rest of the album. It is slow and despondent with Relf's vocal supported by a quasi-Gregorian chant background vocal. I like it but I'm glad the rest of the album is different. "Heart Full of Soul" is another terrific Gouldman contribution and the band's second most successful American single after "For Your Love." It is a compelling song bolstered by raga-style fuzz guitar runs from Beck. Side one concludes with the band's searing workout on Tiny Bradshaw's "The Train Kept A-Rollin'.'" I mentioned in an earlier post on the "Blow-Up" soundtrack that I thought the version of this song the band performed in that film (under the title "Stroll On") was the greatest hard rock song the band ever did, but this version is equally impressive. It opens with Beck imitating a train whistle on his guitar and then explodes. The guitar riff that drives this song is relentless and overwhelming. Just when it seems like the song can't get any hotter Beck unleashes his second solo which is completely incendiary. This remains the most irresistible hard rock I've ever heard, an absolute masterpiece. Side one of this album is an incredible side of vinyl, the pinnacle of mid-1960s hard rock. There was nothing like this before in rock history and it established the foundation for decades of hard rock to come. Side two is old-fashioned in comparison. It was recorded only a year earlier but it feels more like a decade. I'm fond of "Five Live Yardbirds" but the band's approach to rhythm and blues, while exciting, was not all that far removed from the original songs. The style is similar, they just played faster. I think Epic largely made the right choices in the four songs they selected for this album although I would have substituted "Too Much Monkey Business" for "I'm a Man" since it already appeared on side one in a superior performance. Vocalist Keith Relf was not up to the challenge poised by Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightning" but the band makes up for it with the energy of their performance. Relf's harmonica blowing is engaging and the song features two dynamic rave ups. This was my favorite track on "Five Live Yardbirds." Relf and the group can't match the vocal firepower of the Isley Brothers on "Respectable" but instrumentally it is ferocious with the band noisily attacking the song at a breathless tempo concluding with a manic rave up performed at phenomenal speed. The Clapton version of "I'm a Man" has a similar arrangement to Beck's studio version but is less highly charged. Relf's fine harmonica work dominates the first portion of the song as well as the first rave up. Clapton takes charge in the second rave up but does not have much of a solo and the call and response with Relf that helps drive the Beck version is largely lacking in this version. Side two finishes with another Bo Diddley song "Here 'Tis." This is another fast tempo song which features some of Clapton's finest guitar work with the Yardbirds as he lays down some blistering licks. There is an excellent studio version of this song with Jeff Beck that the band cut for the TV show "Ready Steady Go!" which I slightly prefer although it is not as energetic as this one. I'm generally hostile to American record companies monkeying around with a band's catalog and crafting phony albums out of it, but in this case I can't deny that I really love this album. I think it is easily the best of the four Epic albums (excluding comps and live records) and although you can get the best songs here on just about any Yardbirds comp, I think fans might still want to seek out this record which is not hard to find and generally less expensive than the other Epic albums. I feel it has historical significance and even has a bit of an aura to it. Recommended to Jeff Beck fans.
Second Chapter
Danny Kirwan
DJM Records DJLPA-1
1975
I was sad to read that Danny Kirwan died last June after many years of mental illness. He was my third favorite member of Fleetwood Mac after Peter Green and Christine McVie and his tenure in the band from 1968 to 1972 is my favorite period of the band's discography. I have his three solo albums from the latter half of the 1970s and although none of them are essential, I like all three. This is my favorite, it was his solo debut. It opens with "Ram Jam City" which is a country-flavored seduction song. It is a catchy tune with a charming vocal from Kirwan. "Odds and Ends" is a slight love song that has a music hall flavor to it. Kirwan's exuberant vocal puts the song over for me. The record slows down for the romantic "Hot Summers Day" which reminds me of Paul McCartney. I could do without the sappy strings but otherwise I find the song appealing. The record changes direction again for the reggae style "Mary Jane." Kirwan delivers a fine guitar solo and the song has a strong pop feeling that verges on bubble gum. The music hall returns for "Skip A Dee Doo." Kirwan always had an affinity for this style of music and he does it convincingly while still maintaining a rock sound courtesy of his guitar work. It is yet another love song with rather inane lyrics. I don't think that lyric writing was one of Kirwan's strengths. Side one concludes with "Love Can Always Bring You Happiness" which is a McCartneyesque love song. The string arrangement gives the song a rich pop sound. Side two opens with the laid-back "Second Chapter." I always assumed that the title of the album referred to the second stage of Kirwan's career following his work with Fleetwood Mac, but the song with the same title is an obscure love song. I dig the sax embellishments but the string arrangement is heavy-handed. "Lovely Days" is a very pretty song with sensitive impressionistic lyrics. It is one of my favorite tracks. "Falling in Love With You" is an idyllic country-style song. The lyrics are trite but Kirwan's warm vocal makes them sound sincere. "Silver Streams" is an entrancing song that invites the listener into Kirwan's vision of blissful romance. Gerry Shury's arrangement is very successful and uses strings and brass to add vigor to the gentle melody. "Cascades" is very similar. It is another winsome evocation of romance with a sweet melody and pleasing arrangement. It gives the album a tender and endearing conclusion. This record shows the strength of the album format. None of the songs are particularly strong on their own, but programmed together they contribute to an overall feeling of harmony and enchantment. This album always makes me feel good when I play it and fills me with affection towards the artist. The lyrics are generally mundane, but they are effective and Kirwan sings them extremely well. My only complaint about the album is that Kirwan's guitar work is so subdued. He generally takes a back seat to the keyboards and orchestrations. Nevertheless the album is very satisfying and fans of low-key romantic 1970s pop ought to give it a spin. I think Kirwan was one of the more under-appreciated figures in rock music and I equate his mental decline with that of Syd Barrett as one of the more tragic stories in rock history. Recommended to fans of Paul McCartney's silly love songs.
Do You Believe in Magic
The Lovin' Spoonful
Kama Sutra KLP 8050
1965
This is a vintage mono pressing of the debut album by The Lovin' Spoonful that I bought used while I was in high school. I was a big fan of the band back then, they were probably one of my ten favorite groups at the time even though they had broken up many years before. They are no longer one of my favorites but I'm still fond of them. This is arguably the weakest of the three albums produced by the original line up but it is still very worthwhile. It is loaded with covers of old blues songs which makes it a bit grittier than their other albums. My favorite of the covers is "My Gal" which I'm otherwise totally unfamiliar with. It has humorous lyrics and a pounding beat with plenty of guitar noise from Zal Yanovksy. It is among the hardest rocking songs in the Spoonful catalog. I also like the jug band style "Fishin' Blues" which dates back to the 1910s. It defines the good time music sound that the Spoonful were famous for. The rollicking "Blues in the Bottle" was originally recorded in the 1920s and the band's performance has a country feel to it. The vocal is winningly sloppy and Yanovsky delivers a solid guitar solo. The more relaxed "Sportin' Life" is undermined by a pedestrian vocal that fails to convey the despair of the lyrics although I dig John Sebastian's harmonica solo. "Wild About My Lovin'" has a similarly laid back sound bolstered by some stimulating guitar licks from Yanovksy. There is also a blues instrumental credited to Sebastian called "Night Owl Blues" presumably in honor of the band's residency at the club, the Night Owl Cafe. They may claim copyright on it but it is basically a standard slow blues driven by Sebastian's wailing harmonica with Zanovsky chipping in with a smoldering guitar solo at the end that fades out too quickly for my taste. There are a few non-blues covers as well. "You Baby" was written by Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil and Phil Spector and was originally released by The Ronettes in 1964. The Spoonful's cover sticks pretty close to the original's arrangement and it sounds very out of character for the band. Minus the Spector wall of sound and Veronica Bennett's passionate vocal, the song is a pale shadow of the original and it does not fit in with the rest of the album. The band fares better with their folk-rock version of Fred Neil's "Other Side of This Life" which is far more suitable to their sound. There is also the band's terrific workout on "On
the Road Again" which is credited to Sebastian but it is essentially a rocked
up cover of the song of the same name that the Memphis Jug Band
recorded in 1928. The Spoonful version is very engaging and reminds me
of the early Grateful Dead who also performed the song. It adds
credence to the story that the Dead supposedly were inspired to give up
folk music and take up rock when they heard the Spoonful. The true strength of the album lies in John Sebastian's three songwriting contributions. His exuberant paean to the wonders of music, "Do You Believe in Magic," thrilled me when I first heard it on oldies radio as a young teen and it remains one of my favorite Spoonful songs. The song boasts an irresistible drive and jangly folk-rock guitar which is always a winning combination for me. "Did You Ever Have To Make Up Your Mind" is an exploration of adolescent romantic indecision with a catchy melody and a humorous vocal. "Younger Girl" is another memorable song. Sebastian's vocal effectively captures the yearning of the lyrics and the bass, guitar and autoharp give the song a dense string sound I find very appealing. These three songs are essential. You could get them on just about any Lovin' Spoonful comp of course, but if you are more than a casual fan of the band you should seek out this album. It consistently demonstrates the band's instrumental prowess, particularly Yanovksy's underrated guitar skills, and it is eclectic and entertaining as well. I would place it among the best American rock albums of 1965. Recommended to fans of the Jim Kweskin Jug Band and the early Grateful Dead.
Six Covers Vol. 2
Veronica Falls
Bella Union Bellav383p
2013
I was unhappy when I saw that Veronica Falls had broken up a few years ago after only two albums. They were my favorite group and their music appealed to me like few bands ever have. Most of the bands that I have loved either went on too long for me to mind when they broke up (like R. E. M.) or broke up before I loved them (like the Beatles.) The only comparable experience I ever had was with Sleater-Kinney and they eventually got back together. I had hoped that might happen with Veronica Falls too, but last year their drummer Patrick Doyle died at the age of 32 ending those hopes. I adored his crisp, muscular drumming and his vocal contribution to the band's trademark multipart harmonies was an essential part of their sound. I've already blogged about "Veronica Falls" and "Waiting For Something To Happen" so I offer up my thoughts about this mini-album as a tribute to Doyle. It was the second of the two homemade tour souvenir records the band recorded of cover songs, although by the time they came to play here in Los Angeles in 2013 it had already sold out and I had to find a copy on the internet. The record opens with "Is Anybody There?" based on a version by Home Blitz (who I had never heard of) of a song originally recorded by the punk band Cock Sparrer (who I had heard of but never listened to.) I checked out both of those versions and Veronica Falls' cover beats both. Driven by Doyle's pounding beat and a polyphonic vocal the band makes the song their own. It would fit comfortably on either of their albums. "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" is of course the Bob Dylan classic from "Bringing It All Back Home." I was dubious at first but the song responds well to the Veronica Falls style particularly the jangly guitars and vocal harmonies. "Teenagers" was originally by the punk band The Rats who I had never heard of when I bought this. I like the original, but Veronica Falls' cover shreds it. The song is ideally suited for them and the teenage angst expressed in the lyrics is very much like their own music. I'm a big fan of "Bury Me Happy" by the Australian band The Moles from their wonderful album "Untune the Sky," but as much as I love it, I prefer the Veronica Falls version mostly because of Roxanne Clifford's vocal. Otherwise they are similar although Veronica Falls' performance is more forceful particularly with Doyle's drumming propelling the song. It is my favorite cut on the record. "Timeless Melody" was originally by the La's on their classic self-titled album. It is another song I'm a big fan of. Both versions are terrific but I give the edge to Veronica Falls mostly because of Clifford's voice. "What Deaner Was Talking About" was released by Ween on "Chocolate and Cheese." I'm not a big Ween fan although I like that album and their version of the song. Veronica Falls' version is very similar only with better singing. It is the song that sounds the least like a typical Veronica Falls song, but I still enjoy it. This a minor record but I still love it. Veronica Falls recorded so little music that I treasure any opportunity to hear them even if they are playing other people's songs. It is also a record that provides ample opportunity to appreciate Patrick Doyle's talents both as a drummer and a singer and to mourn his premature passing. Recommended to fans of The Bangles.
Let's Go To San Francisco
The Flower Pot Men
TELDEC 6.26179 AP
1985
This is a German compilation of various tracks attributed to the Flower Pot Men, which was a studio group concocted to record tracks by John Carter who had a significant career behind the scenes in the 1960s British pop music industry as a performer, producer and writer. Side one features the four original Flower Pot Men singles on Deram Records running in chronological order. Carter and his frequent partner Ken Lewis wrote "Let's Go To San Francisco" which was released in 1967. It was the band's only hit single and the song that attracted me to the group in the first place. I collect songs about my former hometown and this is a particularly good one although like so many songs about the summer of love it is loaded with hippie nonsense. Flowers do not grow high there (unless they mean a different kind of high) nor is there an abundance of sunshine. The lyrics may be silly, but the music is wonderful. It is more sunshine pop than psychedelic with soaring vocals and effervescent harmonies bolstered by an elaborate poppy arrangement. It sounds like Brian Wilson producing the Tokens. The song continues on the B-side of the single with a slightly moodier arrangement. Carter and Lewis along with Russell Alquist wrote the 1967 single "A Walk in the Sky" which is an obvious attempt to exploit the success of "Let's Go To San Francisco." It features a similar sunshine pop arrangement with mildly psychedelic lyrics. The song is not as engaging as its predecessor but it is fun and it has a surprisingly somber break in the middle that I find interesting but which probably sabotaged whatever chance it might have had to be a hit. Carter wrote the B-side "Am I Losing You" which is a more conventional love song that has an evocative arrangement that makes it sound like a lost outtake from "Pet Sounds." Carter, Lewis and Alquist wrote the band's 1968 single "You Can Never Be Wrong" which flopped but I think it is lovely. It has a chamber pop sound and another elaborate pop symphony style arrangement which sounds like the Zombies jamming with the Left Banke. It is one of my favorite tracks on the album. The B-side was "Man Without a Woman" by Carter and Alquist which is a much more sedate track. It is a bit sappy but it sounds pretty. Deram dumped Carter for the band's final single in 1969. "In a Moment of Madness" was written by Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway and it sounds little like the band's previous work. It is straight ahead commercial pop that borders on bubble gum. It is pleasant enough if you like that sort of thing. The B-side, "Young Birds Fly," was written by Bill Swofford who as Oliver had a hit with his cover of "Good Morning Starshine." It was originally a single by the Cryan' Shames and this version is similar to theirs although less inspired. It sounds like the Association on a bad day. Side two is a hodge-podge of Carter tracks. "Journey's End" was written by Carter and his wife Gill Shakespeare (which is Carter's real last name) and first appeared as the B-side on a 1974 reissue of "Let's Go To San Francisco." The song was credited to the Flower Pot Men but I have no idea if they were really performing it. It doesn't sound much like the original band, it has more of a rocked up sound. It reminds me of the Moody Blues. "Mythological Sunday" was the B-side of a 1968 Deram single that the Flower Pot Men recorded under the name Friends because Deram had soured on the commercial appeal of the Flower Pot Men. It was written by Carter and Alquist. I think it is the most psychedelic track that they ever did although it also has a chamber pop flavor to it. It is one of my favorite cuts on the album. "Blow Away" was an unreleased Carter/Lewis track that is credited to the Flower Pot Men although it sounds unlike any of their officially released recordings. It sounds more like the Byrds on "The Notorious Byrd Brothers." It is a great slice of zonked out folk-rock that is easily the hardest rocking and most compelling track on the album. I can understand why Deram passed on it, but it is better than any of the official recordings except "Mythological Sunday." "Piccolo Man" was the A-side of the Friends single. It was written by Carter, Lewis and Alquist and it is pure bubble gum. It is easily my least favorite track. Carter and Lewis wrote "Let's Go Back to San Francisco" which was a sequel to their hit and sounds very similar to it, basically the song sounds so much like the original that it seems pointless. It was released as a single in 1981 under the name Beautiful People. Its B-side was "Silicon City" which was written by Carter and Shakespeare. It sounds nothing like the Flower Pot Men and a lot like the early 1970s Beach Boys. I'm very happy with this comp aside from the lack of discographical info. John Carter had an interesting career and deserves to be better known. The first three Flower Pot Men singles are delightful and the odds and sods on side two are appealing and eclectic. I can't claim that any of this is essential, but it makes me happy whenever I put it on and I'm very glad to have it. This particular record isn't easy to find, but Carter's work has been collected on a bunch of modern CD comps which are worth seeking out if you have a taste for sunshine pop. Recommended to Zombies fans who dig Brian Wilson.
