Doin' The Bird - The Rivingtons

Doin' The Bird

The Rivingtons

Liberty LRP-3282

1963

Awhile back I had a hankering to hear some Johnny Rivers and while I was leafing through my collection of his albums I noticed this album adjacent to them on the shelf.  I was very surprised because I had no memory of ever buying it.  I don't even know why I would have bought it because I'm not a fan of the group and I've never really liked the only song of theirs that I know, "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow."  I'm guessing that I came across a cheap copy at the flea market and took a chance on it out of curiosity.  That's what happens when you have too many records and your memory is deteriorating.  It's not a bad problem to have, since it is like getting a new record all over again although it has also resulted in me buying records I already have.  My memory has gotten so bad that I have created an inventory of my records that I can store on my phone which has eliminated the problem for the most part.  Anyway I pulled this out and gave it a spin and was genuinely impressed by it.  I have little use for novelty records which I think is a term that is apt for "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" and its retread on this album "Mama-Oom-Mow-Mow."  "Kickapoo Joy Juice" is also in this vein.  All three are driven by the nonsensical bass vocal riffs of Rocky Wilson Jr. and are inane in a mildly amusing manner.  The self-penned "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" is insanely catchy, a true ear worm that I can't really hate but which I can't really like either.  It created a new dance called "The Bird" which is depicted on the back cover of the album.  I tried it out and felt like an idiot.  "Mama-Oom-Mow-Wow" was also written by the group and shamelessly copies the hit but has a more fussy arrangement that is distracting.  The hit's simplicity was part of its stupid appeal.  "Kickapoo Joy Juice" lacks the deranged intensity of the other two songs which exposes the song's dumbness but I still enjoy the song for the most part.  The saving grace for all three songs is the quality of the vocals which rescues them from their idiocy.  Lead vocalist Carl White has a terrific voice reminiscent of Jackie Wilson and the group's harmonies are first rate.  Most of the remaining tracks are rhythm and blues bangers that they have applied their bass heavy formula to.  My favorites include a rocking cover of Billy Ward's "Have Mercy Mercy Baby" and their own jumping composition "Old Time Love" in which White sings his heart out.  The group can't come close to matching Little Richard's energy on "Long Tall Sally" and "Slippin' and Slidin'" but their versions are still quite stimulating.  They don't fare as well with "Unchain My Heart" which will always belong to Ray Charles and their version sounds tame by comparison.  Unchastened they also cover another song associated with Charles, "You Are My Sunshine" but this one is more successful.  It is a very passionate and dynamic performance and features one of White's strongest vocals.  The self-penned" Love Pill" gives Rocky a chance to sing a couple of verses himself and he doesn't come close to giving White any competition, but it is nonetheless an enjoyable track.  Their composition of "Happy Jack" is also fun.  Their self-penned "Standing in the Love Line" offers a respite from the goofiness of so much of the album offering a conventional rhythm and blues love song that shows the group can be compelling playing it straight too.  That is my biggest takeaway from this album.  It took a dumb gimmick to get this band a hit single, but they had the chops to be so much better.  I like their non-novelty songs so much that I feel sad that they were not more successful.  A group this good should have made a bunch of albums.  Maybe if their hit had come earlier, they might have, but coming in at the end of the doo-wop era blunted its impact as did the release of the Trashmen's even more idiotic cover of it "Surfin' Bird" later in the year.  For me this album is a happy surprise and I'm grateful I took a chance on it at some point in the past.  I'm a little embarrassed that I didn't appreciate its charms more at the time, but I guarantee I won't be forgetting I have it any time soon.  Recommended to fans of the Coasters.

The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole

The Christmas Song

Nat King Cole

Capitol SW 1967

1962

This is probably my favorite Christmas album of all time, although there are many others that I prefer musically.  I like Cole fine (particularly during his jazz period) but he's far from my favorite crooner.  I love this record because my parents had it and it is the first Christmas record I remember listening to.  I have to admit that as a child I was not all that happy with it.  It doesn't have any of the kiddie Christmas songs I loved back then.  "Deck the Hall" was the only song on it I really liked.  Fortunately I'm not a kid anymore and I mostly can't stand those kiddie songs unless they've been rocked up.  I have not even thought about trying to acquire some of those children's albums I liked as a kid, but this one I was happy to track down.  I actually have two of them.  This is my original which I bought used, but it has a little wear so when Capitol reissued it I bought a new one just to have a perfect copy.  I listen to both however.  The new one sounds great, but I like the warmth of the old one as well even with its crackles and pops which reminds me of my parents' old copy which was pretty beat up by the time my sisters and I got done playing it to death every Christmas.  This album is a reissue of Cole's 1960 album "The Magic of Christmas" but with the substitution of Mel Tormé and Robert Wells' great classic "The Christmas Song" in place of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" which seems like a generous trade to me.  The reissue also has superior cover art.  Cole recorded the song multiple times in his career dating back to 1946 but this generally is regarded as the definitive version.  I have never roasted a chestnut but this song evokes the feeling of Christmas in me more than any other.  Ralph Carmichael's orchestral arrangement is relatively restrained and I would miss it if it wasn't there.  Cole's vocal is incredibly rich and warm and he also adds a nice piano solo in the break.  For me it is the perfect Christmas song and I never get tired of hearing it.  It is such a great song that the rest of the album pales in comparison but it is still mostly engaging.  "Deck the Hall" has a lot of energy and almost swings in spots.  "Adeste Fideles" is one of my favorite tracks although I could do without the chorus.  Cole sings it with authority even in the Latin part.  He sings "O Tannenbaum" in German which I prefer to the English version.  I've never liked the song much, but his voice makes it compelling for me.  I don't really like "O, Little Town of Bethlehem" either and Carmichael's sappy arrangement doesn't help any.  Cole sings it beautifully but I still find the song dreary.  The album bounces back with a lively version of "I Saw Three Ships," I even like the support of the chorus for once.  Side one concludes with "O Holy Night" which shows off Cole's vocal skills to great effect.  I've never been able to sing the song myself, but he handles it with ease although I do find the chorus obtrusive.  Side two opens with "Hark, the Herald Angels Sing" which Cole's graceful vocal rescues from Carmichael's heavy-handed arrangement.  "A Cradle in Bethlehem" is the least famous Christmas song on the album and deservedly so.  I loathe it and off the top of my head I think this is the only recording of it that I have.  It is slow and devotional and no matter how prettily Cole sings it I'm never going to like it.  "Away in a Manger" is also devout and sappy, but I find it more palpable because it is a better song.  "Joy to the World" is appropriately jubilant and is one of my favorite tracks.  "The First Noel" suffers from a really heavy arrangement but Cole's vocal is fabulous, one of his best on the album.  I'm not a fan of the song but this is one of the best versions I know.  Carmichael redeems himself with a stirring arrangement of "Caroling, Caroling" which is an easy lay up for Cole.  This is another one of my favorite songs on the album.  It concludes with "Silent Night" which could have been written for Cole it suits him so well.  It is such a lovely and delicate performance, I find it much more moving than most versions of the song.  It brings the album to a tender and satisfying conclusion.  I react much differently to this album than I did when I was a kid especially since I'm now older than Cole was when he recorded it.  I really appreciate the feeling and depth that Cole brings to this music.  It is way too religious for my taste but I still love it although I would love it more with a few more secular carols.  It does have a pleasing consistency of tone and sound and if you are an adult and like Christmas I don't see how you won't like it.  I don't really like Christmas anymore myself and I still love this record.  Recommended to people whose idea of a nice Christmas is good company and a tasty cocktail.