Pearl Harbor and the Explosions
Pearl Harbor and the Explosions
Warner Bros. BSK 3404
1980
The Bay Area had a pretty lively punk/New Wave scene while I lived there, mostly centered around the Mabuhay Gardens club in North Beach. It was largely ignored by the local mainstream media, but the local PBS station used to cover the avant-garde art scene and occasionally included the music scene as well in some late night programs which is where I first saw video art and where I also saw a few New Wave videos. One of them featured a video from this local band. I was enamored of all things New Wavy and was taken by the video, particularly the charismatic lead singer, Pearl E. Gates. They performed their song "Drivin" which became a local hit. The band never really made it nationally and fell apart a few years later and I ended up buying their album as a cutout. At the time I was so naive that I thought of this as cutting edge, but listening now it sounds pretty tame. The group was a lot more pop than punk, although the sound is very New Wave with the propulsive beat and Gates mannered singing style. They remind me of some of the funkier New Wave groups like Pylon or the Talking Heads. "Drivin'" was a great single. It has an irresistible bass riff worthy of Tina Weymouth and a fun, hiccupy vocal from Gates. "You Got It (Release It)" is a soaring power pop song with nice guitar licks from Peter Bilt. "Don't Come Back" with its martial drumming and jerky rhythms and "Keep Going" with its quirky inspirational lyrics sound like outtakes from "Talking Heads 77". "Shut Up and Dance" is one of the harder rocking songs on the album, it reminds me of the Knack. It will definitely get you moving. Side one is one bouncy tune after another, perfect for a dance party. Side two is not as much fun. "The Big One" is tedious, once the beat slows down you notice how repetitious and simplistic the lyrics are. "So Much For Love" sounds like the Talking Heads doing a disco song. "Get A Grip On Yourself" is so David Byrne-like that it borders on plagiarism. The side ends on a high note with the fast tempo "Up and Over" which gets me bopping big time although it drags on a bit too long. This album has its flaws, it is derivative and the lyrics are bland to the point of being mundane, but as far as New Wave records go, you could do worse. There are real drums and no synths and Gates is an engaging singer. It is not pretentious and it is full of energy. Recommended for Talking Heads fans who wish David Byrne wasn't so weird.
Vs.
Pearl Jam
Epic 53136
1993
I was up in Seattle over the summer and I heard some guys on the radio talking about Pearl Jam's 20th anniversary which shocked me. It made me feel old because to some extent I still think of Pearl Jam as a modern group. I could hardly believe it had been 20 years already since the release of "Ten." I was never a huge fan of the group, I think I liked them more for what they represented than their actual music - the battle with Ticketmaster, their respect for their fans and the indie ethos, their political activism and anti-Bush rhetoric and their commitment to vinyl. I recently saw Cameron Crowe's new movie about the band, "Pearl Jam Twenty." It is a great film, one of the best documentaries about a band that I've ever seen, I was enormously impressed and even moved by it. In one of my favorite clips, Eddie Vedder holds up a CD of "Ten" and tells the camera that he wishes it was an album instead. My thoughts exactly. This was the first record of theirs that I bought and I mostly bought it because I was so pleased that the group was still releasing albums on vinyl. In those dark days, vinyl seemed doomed and Pearl Jam's almost quixotic effort to keep the format alive deserved my support. I wasn't sorry I bought it though, it is a terrific record and it remains my favorite of all their albums. The album kicks off with the high energy "Go" with Vedder pleading for something or someone to "don't go out on me." His manic vocal is full of desperation and urgency and Mike McCready shreds his way through a killer guitar solo. It is followed by the tortured "Animal" which is another outstanding rocker. "Daughter" is a classic song about a child with a learning disability. There is a glimpse of Vedder and Stone Gossard composing the song in "Pearl Jam Twenty." "Glorified G" is a sarcastic anti-gun song, Vedder has never been shy about flexing his liberal muscles and I admire him for that. "Dissident" is another classic song that describes a woman who shelters a fugitive and then turns him in. Vedder's powerful vocal on it is one of my favorites. "W. M. A." is about racism (it stands for White Male American) and features some wonderful tribal-style drumming from Dave Abbruzzese. It ends a great side of music. Side two opens with the ferocious "Blood" with Vedder screaming invective at what I assume is the media. "Rearviewmirror" is the poppiest song on the album with its hypnotic riff and catchy chorus. Vedder is still pissed though, he is trying to escape from his tormentor in his car. The funky "Rats" pointedly compares rats to humans with rats coming out on top. I don't share Vedder's fondness for the rodents, but I do enjoy his scathing comments on human bad behavior, the man does have a lively sense of outrage (to borrow an expression from Andrew Sarris.) "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town" is yet another classic song. In contrast to the aural assault on most of this hard rocking album, it is a quiet song about a woman in a small town who encounters an old flame which leads to a rumination about small towns and the passage of time. It is one of the most beautiful songs in the Pearl Jam canon with a warm, heartfelt Vedder vocal. The anger returns with "Leash" a song of youthful rebellion with the memorable chorus "drop the leash, drop the leash, get out of my fucking face." The slow moody ballad "Indifference" concludes the side. It is a depressing song, although the line "I will scream my lungs out till it fills this room" could easily be Vedder's personal credo. Thus ends one of the best albums of the 1990s. Happy anniversary Pearl Jam, I'm so glad you guys stuck it out, those are twenty years to be proud of. Recommended to people who think rock music should really mean something beyond the ringing of a cash register.
The Best of Cilla Black
Cilla Black
Parlophone PCS 7065
1968
I'm a fan of female English pop singers of the 1960s but my taste runs more toward rock and soul oriented singers like Dusty Springfield and Billie Davis. My interest in Cilla Black is largely driven by her connection to the Beatles. A fellow Liverpudlian, she was part of the Merseybeat music scene and was managed by the Beatles' manager Brian Epstein. She recorded for the same record label as the Fabs and was produced by George Martin. She recorded several Lennon/McCartney songs that the Beatles never released, three of which are on this album. None of these songs sound anything like Beatles songs. Her first single from 1963, "Love of the Loved" came from the Beatles. The Beatles never recorded it for a record but you can hear their version on the bootlegs of the Decca audition tapes. It reminds me of the cabaret-type songs that McCartney liked to do, such as "Besame Mucho." Black's version is much better than the Beatles version, George Martin gives it an elaborate big band arrangement and it swings quite nicely. "Step Inside Love" was written for Black's television show by McCartney. It is just about impossible to imagine the 1968 Beatles recording the song, but there is a goofy informal performance of it by them on "Anthology 3." It is my favorite of Black's Beatles' songs, particularly the soulful chorus. "It's For You" is another McCartney song that I don't believe the Beatles ever recorded. It has a nice arrangement from George Martin and it was a U. K. hit for Black. She also covered "Yesterday" but doesn't really bring anything new to it. Black had success with Burt Bacharach/Hal David songs as well. Her 1964 recording of "Anyone Who Had a Heart" was a giant hit in England. She also had a big hit in the U. K. with "Alfie" which Bacharach arranged for her. I'm not a big fan of the song, but her performance of it is quite dramatic. Her gift for dramatic vocals is also evident in her soaring vocals for "What Good Am I," "Where is Tomorrow?" and especially "You're My World" which was her only hit in the United States. Black was a talented singer, but she gravitated towards "easy listening" mainstream pop performances, however her cover of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" is soulful and suggests that she might have been able to follow Dusty Springfield into more rhythm and blues type material if she hadn't chosen to go the cabaret route. "Sing A Rainbow" also follows a different direction than most of her songs. It is a gentle, almost twee performance that reminds me of Mary Hopkin or the early Marianne Faithfull. I don't think it is really a style that suits her though, it wastes that giant voice of hers. This record is a little too middle of the road to be completely satisfying to me, but I enjoy most of it. Recommended for fans of Sandie Shaw and Petula Clark.
Short Sharp Shocked
Michelle Shocked
Mercury 834 924-1
1988
I was a fan of Michelle Shocked in the early 90s but she dropped off my radar after the release of "Kind Hearted Woman." It wasn't that I no longer liked her music, I just didn't notice it anymore, which is one of the consequences of going the independent route I suppose. Over the summer I saw she had a local gig so I decided to check it out and see what she has been up to. It was a fun show, she did a lot of the older tunes that I knew and I liked the newer stuff as well. Much of her repertoire was drawn from this, her second album, and I liked the show so much that I pulled out this album for the first time in many years and gave it a spin. It was the first record of hers that I bought and I mostly bought it because I was so taken by the cover photograph which shows her getting arrested at the 1984 Democratic Convention in San Francisco. I remember the Convention quite well, I had a summer job in the city at the time, but I didn't participate in the protests which practically paralyzed downtown, in fact I went to Russian River with my girlfriend to escape all the hubbub. Given the cover photo and her punky haircut, I was expecting something militant and something rockish, so I was surprised when I first played it to find that the music was folksy and country-flavored as befits a woman from East Texas I suppose. The only real rock song is her collaboration with the punk band M.D.C., the unlisted track "Fogtown" which is a description of the seedy underbelly of San Francisco. This song first appeared as a folk song on "The Texas Campfire Tapes." The only militant song is "Graffiti Limbo" which is about police brutality. There is also a cover of Jean Ritchie's "The L&N Don't Stop Here Anymore" which has elements of social commentary to it but I think it is more of a lament than a protest song. "If Love Was a Train" is a swinging, bluesy love song and "When I Grow Up" is a silly love song with a driving beat. The lovely "Memories of East Texas," "V. F. D" and the rollicking "(Making the Run to) Gladewater" are unsentimental reminiscences of her life in Texas. My favorite song is "Anchorage" which is about an old friend from Texas and the different paths their lives have taken since they left Texas. It was the highlight of her live show for me. Musically this is mostly tasteful country rock well-played and arranged by a solid bunch of musicians. Shocked has a warm and inviting voice and the music is personal enough to keep me interested. Recommended to fans of Lucinda Williams and Shelby Lynne.
Otis Blue
Otis Redding
Volt Records 412
1965
What is Otis Redding's best studio album? I know a lot of people pick "Dictionary of Soul" but "Otis Blue" gets my vote. On only his third studio album, Redding takes on the heavyweights of soul and triumphs everytime. His principal victim is Sam Cooke. I admire Cooke but as a singer he can't hold a candle to Redding. Redding takes "Shake" and makes it his own. No one will ever top his version. He also delivers an unbelievably moving performance of "Change Gonna Come" and makes the sappy "Wonderful World" sound sincere and convincing, no mean feat, just ask James Taylor. He makes Mick Jagger seem like a naive kid with his classic cover of "Satisfaction." He edges Solomon Burke on "Down In the Valley" and scores easy decisions over William Bell and the Temptations with his magnificent versions of "You Don't Miss Your Water" and "My Girl." His version of "Rock Me Baby" is definitive with some brilliant guitar playing from Steve Cropper. On top of all that he wrote three classic songs for this album. The passionate "Ole Man Trouble" would be a career topper for many artists and it is the weakest of the three. "I've Been Loving You Too Long," which Redding co-wrote with the great Jerry Butler, is pure emotion. Redding was justly famous for his energetic performances, but he could deliver a slow ballad with incendiary power as well. This song melts me every time I hear it. I think "Respect" is one of the greatest songs in the history of soul, a landmark in the history of pop music in the 1960s. Aretha Franklin's cover is the best version, but getting topped by the Queen of Soul isn't much of a disgrace and Redding's version is still pretty awesome in its own right. This is a perfect record, every song is great. My only complaint about it is the cover, no picture of Redding? Did some marketing clown think putting a cute white model on the cover would sell more records? Despite the dubious packaging, the vinyl inside is pure gold. This album established Redding as a true master, the greatest soul man of all time, one of the greatest pop performers of the 20th Century. I know I'm prone to hyperbole, but I really mean it, I've never heard a greater performer. The man was an absolute titan. Recommended for anyone who thinks that December 10, 1967 was just as much the day the music died as February 3, 1959.
Darker Days
The Connells
Black Park BPR 001
1985
I was only vaguely aware of the Connells in the 1980s which is odd considering how much I loved jangle pop back then. I read about them in rock mags and probably heard a song or two on the radio, but I didn't become a fan until the 1990s and then purely by accident. A friend of mine worked on a film called "Bandwagon." It was directed by a guy who was a drummer in an early version of the Connells and the movie was based on his experiences with the band. The lead singer of the Connells, Doug MacMillan, had a prominent acting role in the film. My friend invited me to a screening of the film and I really loved it. I was so impressed by it that I started buying the Connells' records and fell pretty hard. This was their debut album and it is an impressive one. The group takes the jangly sound of folk-rock and marries it to power pop with irresistible results, track after track of catchy, propulsive pop bliss. The opening track, "Hats Off," is a subtle attack on Ronald Reagan. It never mentions him by name, it could apply to any likable dimwit stuck in the past. It is one of my favorite songs on the album. "Holding Pattern" is a more enigmatic song, it seems to be about confusion and inertia. "Seven" is also vague with dreamy lyrics about a relationship. "Unspoken Words" is an introspective song about perception and feeling. "Darker Days (Version)" is my favorite song on the album and classic Connells. With its driving beat and chiming guitars, MacMillan's emotional vocal and soaring background vocals, it takes hold of me and never lets go. It is a song about escape and indecision. "Much Easier" is another song of inertia and indecision, the lyrics on this album sum up the experience of being a confused young person so well that listening to this album makes me feel like I'm back in college again. "1934" sounds different than the other songs presumably because it is written by guitarist/keyboardist George Huntley and the other songs are all written by Michael Connell. I think it is about a prisoner awaiting his release in 1934. "Brighter Worlds" is another mysterious song with a theme of escape. The album finishes with the short instrumental "Dial It." This album is very much a product of its time. Aside from a couple of songs, the lyrical intent is hard to understand, the songs are vague but evocative, producing moods and impressions without revealing concrete meanings, typical of college rock in that era. It is not as surreal as R.E.M. but it works in a similar way. Lines stand out to me but overall the songs tend to disappear into a lyrical fog. I do like that though, I find it stimulating. Musically, it is delicious jangle pop, pure rock and roll cotton candy, light, sticky and sweet. The songwriting is a little weak, there is a sameness to much of the music. It sounds great while I'm listening, but most of it doesn't stay with me when the record is over. They would have more memorable songs on their later albums. Nonetheless it is a thoroughly enjoyable record, a very worthy debut album. Recommended for fans of Let's Active and Game Theory.
No Roses
Shirley Collins and the Albion Country Band
Antilles AN-7017
1971
This is the 1976 American release of an album originally released on Pegasus in England. I consider it one of the best English folk-rock albums and it was made by an all-star line-up of English folk performers including the "Liege and Lief" line-up of Fairport Convention minus Dave Swarbrick and Sandy Denny. Ashley Hutchings (who had just married Collins) was the driving force behind the record which sounds a lot like his work with Fairport and Steeleye Span, but Collins herself had a long history as a progressive figure in English folk. Her 1964 collaboration with Davy Graham "Folk Roots, New Routes" is a favorite of mine and is often cited as a pioneering work in liberating English folk from its traditional strait-jacket as is her 1969 album "Anthems in Eden" in which (in collaboration with her sister Dolly) Collins explored new instrumental settings for traditional music. Still neither of those albums approach rock, which this album delivers in spades. The album kicks off with the beat of the drums and Collins launches into "Claudy Banks" which is a familiar folksong about a man who unrecognized by his lover tests her fidelity by telling her that her boyfriend is dead and observing her reaction. It sounds like Fairport Convention until the sax and bassoon kick in. It is followed by the charming "The Little Gypsy Girl" in which the title character induces a wealthy squire to marry her. It is driven by Tony Hall on the melodeon. The stately "Banks of the Bann" follows with some beautiful piano lines from Dolly Collins. It is about a poor boy in love with a wealthy girl whose parents reject him. "Murder of Maria Marten" is an amazing song reminiscent of early Neil Young and Crazy Horse. Three electric guitars rock out accompanied by a fiddle and a hurdy-gurdy supported by the rock solid rhythm section of Ashley Hutchings and Dave Mattacks. Richard Thompson takes the lead supported by Simon Nicol and Quiver's Tim Renwick and the result sounds a lot like the Fairport classic "Sloth" from "Full House." Collins' passionate vocal relates a dark ballad based on a sensational 19th Century murder case and the song alternates between chugging folk-rock and a mournful drone. It is a true folk-rock synthesis and displays the full possibilities of the genre. Side two opens with "Van Dieman's Land" which continues in a similar vein as Collins sings of poachers being exiled to Tasmania as punishment. It has a solid folk-rock backing with pipes and a concertina adding instrumental color as well as an ophicleide. "Just As The Tide Was A'Flowing" reminds me of the first Steeleye Span album, "Hark! The Village Wait," a resemblance heightened by Maddy Prior's presence as a harmony vocalist. It is a sweet song about a bride who misses her sailor husband away at sea. It sounds to me like phasing is applied to the concertina on the song and I'll bet that Hutchings got the idea from the Byrds. Folk singing stalwarts Lal and Mike Waterson as well as Royston Wood of the Young Tradition join Collins on the hunting song "The White Hare." It sounds more folk than rock as does the May Day dance song, "Hal-An-Tow." Rock returns full force on the closing song, "Poor Murdered Woman" with the redoubtable team of Hutchings and Mattacks laying down a forceful rhythm track on which Nicol and Thompson pile on ringing guitar chords with Dolly Collins adding gorgeous piano lines and Dave Bland playing the concertina. This tragic song of murder and class conflict gradually builds in intensity in the best Fairport style and Collins delivers one of her most emotionally powerful vocals. The song gives me chills. It is a great conclusion to a classic record, one of the most fully-realized and satisfying folk-rock records ever, it offers the best of both genres. Recommended for fans of "Liege and Lief" and "Full House."
