Wadsworth Mansion - Wadsworth Mansion

Wadsworth Mansion
Wadsworth Mansion
Sussex SXBS 7008
1971

When I was a kid I really liked this Rhode Island band's lone hit single "Sweet Mary" which I heard on the radio.  When I stumbled across their album many years later, I bought it, happy to finally have my own copy of the song.  I was disappointed when I actually gave it a spin, the song seemed a lot less vibrant than I remembered.  I chalked that up to the folly of youth until I heard the single again and realized it was different from the album version.  I'm not sure if they used a different take, but the single has instrumental overdubs and the vocals sound like they are higher in the mix.  The single is punchy and exciting, the album version sounds heavy and slow although in truth the songs move at about the same pace.  The ending is different as well, although curiously there are also two different endings for the single version, one fades out and one ends abruptly with a brief instrumental flourish on guitar and piano.  The album ends with a longer and different flourish on guitar followed by an elongated piano flourish and then some light applause.  I don't think there is any question that the single version is superior, but the album version has grown on me a bit, it has a sludgy quality I kind of like.  If you've never heard the song, it is a riff-driven rocker with a swampy groove and elaborate, almost doo-wop style vocal harmonies, sort of like Creedence Clearwater Revival crossed with the post-Capitol Beach Boys.  It is a simple song about a guy returning to his girlfriend back on the farm.  It was written by the band's lead vocalist and keyboard player, Steve Jablecki who also wrote most of the songs on the album with some assistance from his bandmates; Mike Jablecki (drums), John Poole (bass) and Wayne Gagnon (lead guitar.)  Nothing else on the album comes close to "Sweet Mary" most of it is generic early 70s rock.  The album sounds bland, there is very little variety in the instrumentation or musical texture, it could use more of the overdubs that brightened up the single version of "Sweet Mary."  My favorite song after "Sweet Mary" is "Let It Shine," an upbeat hippie-flavored song.  Some of that good feeling extends to "Havin' Such A Good Time" which has a weak melody, but a joyous chorus.  "City Gardner" [sic] is another nondescript tune redeemed by a catchy chorus.  "I Like It" is a solid, hard rocking tune reminiscent of Sugarloaf.  It really cooks.  "Long Haired Brown Eyed Girl" is the only song not written by a band member, it is credited to Leo Genereux who was in a fellow Rhode Island band called Benefit Street.  Oddly enough, considering its New England origin, it is a pretty convincing slice of southern boogie, not particularly good but it does rock.  "Michigan Harry Slaughter" is a blatant retread of "Sweet Mary" but without the hooks or the charm.  "Queenie Dew," "She Said She Would," and "Goodbye" bore me.  Is this album worth seeking out?  Probably not unless you are really into the 1970s.  Most people should just pick up the 45 of "Sweet Mary."  Recommended to fans of the Doobie Brothers.  

Smile - The Beach Boys

Smile  [The Smile Sessions]
The Beach Boys
Capitol T 2580   [Capitol T-27658]
1967  [2011]

For many years my most treasured CD has been a bootleg reconstruction of the lost 1967 Beach Boys album, "Smile."  Like many Beach Boys fans, I've been fascinated by this album ever since I first learned of its existence.  I'm not going to go into the background of this album because it is way too complex and mysterious for my humble blog (there is an excellent book about it by Domenic Priore if you are interested.)  Nonetheless I think it is the most crucial event in the Beach Boys' long, turbulent history and I've longed for it to come out on a legitimate release on vinyl.  Of course much of it was on the Beach Boys" "Good Vibrations" CD box set and various tracks were reworked for some of the Beach Boys albums that followed its non-release (most notably on "Smiley Smile") but that is not the same as a unified album.  Then Brian Wilson decided to release his own version of "Smile" re-recorded by his new band and as much as I enjoyed that album, it also made me unhappy because I figured that now he would never sanction a release of the original recording.  But then to my amazement and joy, this album was announced and I happily bought it the day it was released.  I knock Capitol Records often, but this one they got right.  It is in mono just as Brian intended and even has the original catalog number assigned to it back in 1967 as well as a 1960s rainbow inner label.  The album itself is gorgeous.  Frank Holmes original artwork was retained for the cover and the booklet inside the gatefold cover.  It has a facsimile of the original back cover intended for the 1967 release and a back cover that shows the true running order of the album with the additional tracks added to the album for its modern release.  There is some question of what the original track sequence for "Smile" was supposed to be, but there is universal agreement that "Our Prayer" is the proper opening track.  It is a gorgeous a cappella song with wordless vocalizing from the group that segues into an excerpt of the old doo-wop song "Gee."  It is followed by the masterful "Heroes and Villains" which shows Wilson at the height of his creative powers.  He takes his catchy riff through numerous permutations in a tour de force of arranging and marries it to brilliant lyrics from Van Dyke Parks evoking the myths of the old west.  It is among the greatest of all Beach Boys songs.  It leads into the oddly titled "Do You Like Worms (Roll Plymouth Rock)" which features more impressive arranging from Wilson including a reprise of the riff of "Heroes and Villains" along with Hawaiian themes and enigmatic lyrics that refer to Native Americans.  "I'm In Great Shape" is barely even a fragment of a song lasting less than 30 seconds as it describes farm life.  "Barnyard" expands on the farm theme complete with animal sound effects.  "My Only Sunshine (The Old Master Painter/You Are My Sunshine" offers slow string driven fragments of the two old pop songs mentioned in the title.)  "Cabin Essence" features amazing lyrics from Parks describing growing wheat on the Great Plains and building the transcontinental railway.  This was apparently one of the songs that the other band members objected to as being too obscure to understand but it seems pretty clear to me.  Musically it is very strong, alternating between bucolic countryish segments and a harder section driving the line "Who ran the iron horse."  This ends side one and the first movement which depicts American history and life on the American heartland.  Side two opens with the chamber pop song "Wonderful" which is beautifully sung by Brian.  In a delicate and poetic manner it describes a girl losing her virginity and growing up.  "Look (Song For Children)" consists solely of the word "child" (with an occasional "the" added) paired with a bouncy tune with carnival elements to it.  "Child is Father of the Man" expands on this adding the phrase "father of the man" to the "child" chant.  These two songs go on for over 4 minutes combined but are never boring thanks to Brian's arranging skills.  The side concludes with the magnificent "Surf's Up."  I first heard the song on the Beach Boy's 1971 album of the same name which I picked up as a teenager.  It blew me away and was the genesis of my interest in the lost album it was intended for and gave me a life long respect for Brian Wilson's musical genius.  This is another one of the songs that the other band members ridiculed for being incomprehensible.  I beg to differ.  In stunningly poetic language Parks describes upper class emptiness and a night out at the theater which ends with the song's unhappy hero finding redemption in the magic of a child's song which reprises the musical theme from "Child is Father of the Man."  The song is blessed with more arranging wizardry from Brian as well as a moving, heartfelt vocal from him (joined by Al Jardine for the concluding polyphonic finale.)  I consider the song a pinnacle in pop music art, a triumph in every aspect of songwriting.  Brian would never write a better song than this.  It ends the second movement which deals with childhood.  The third movement on side three explores the theme of the elements of the planet: wind, water, fire and earth.  It opens with "I Wanna Be Around/Workshop" which links a jazzy instrumental version of the Johnny Mercer song with the sounds of tools in a workshop.  It is followed by the childlike "Vega-Tables."  I have to admit that the first time I heard the song (on "Smiley Smile") I disliked it, but now I find it completely charming.  The song may seem silly but there is some clever wordplay from Parks and it is lavishly arranged by Brian with complex vocal harmonies supporting Jardine's lead vocal as well as Sir Paul McCartney loudly chomping celery in the background.  "Holidays" is a simple bouncy instrumental that also has a childlike flavor to it.  It leads into the gorgeous melody of "Wind Chimes" which is beautifully sung by Carl Wilson.  The first part of the song is played on a marimba or vibraphone type instrument which replicates the sound of a wind chime and then there is a more elaborate instrumental passage with multi-part vocal harmonies and a full band.  "The Elements: Fire (Mrs. O'Leary's Cow)" is often cited as evidence of Brian's mental deterioration since he apparently came to believe that performing the song led to actual fires breaking out in Los Angeles.  The song does sound kind of sinister, probably the creepiest thing Wilson has ever written.  It is a swirling instrumental driven by a propulsive siren-like musical pattern.  The session excerpts from this song (not included on the record) are quite astonishing and well worth seeking out.  "Love To Say Dada" is a return to a childlike tune with the repeated refrain of "water" and "wah wah" delivered over an exotica style melody.  There is a brief reprise of "Our Prayer" and then the side concludes with the band's immortal "Good Vibrations" arguably the greatest single of all time.  The album version is basically the same as the single until towards the end of the song where a tropical vocal passage (sounds like they are singing "hum de dum") is inserted and there is a different, prolonged outro as well.  This is the end of the reconstructed "Smile" album.  Side 4 features assorted bonus tracks beginning with "You're Welcome" which was recorded during the "Smile" sessions and originally appeared as the b-side of the "Heroes and Villains" single.  Many "Smile" fans feel like this was meant to bookend "Our Prayer" on the album, presumably slotting near the end as it does on some "Smile" bootlegs.  It resembles "Our Prayer" vocally and is largely percussion driven.  It is followed by stereo mixes for "Vega-Tables" and "Wind Chimes" which sound terrific.  There is a five minute plus track of session highlights and a stereo backing track for "Cabin Essence."  It is interesting to hear the way the song was put together and to get a clearer idea of all that is going on beneath the vocal.  The side concludes with a brief session excerpt and a beautiful stereo mix for "Surf's Up."  I'm happy to hear it again, I never get tired of it but I would have preferred to have Brian's demo version which I really love and don't have on vinyl.  I'm thrilled that this album has finally come out, but I'm not pleased with the sequencing.  The potential track order of "Smile" is something fans like to speculate about, Brian Wilson has maintained that there wasn't a definitive order when he abandoned the record.  This album follows the sequencing that Wilson and Van Dyke Parks came up with for Wilson's re-recorded version of the album which comprises three movements.  It is hard to argue with the creators' wishes, but like a lot of "Smile" fans, I think the album was originally designed for just two movements.  One side for the Americana songs and one side for the elements songs.  The second movement is so slight (barely 10 minutes long) it could easily be folded into the other two.  The problem with the second movement is that it moves "Surf's Up" into the middle of the album, whereas it ought to be the concluding song, it sums up all the themes of the record and its majestic melody makes it an ideal concluding number.  Even with the questionable sequencing, this is still a magnificent record, it amazes me that Brian chose to shelve it after all that work.  Reportedly the release of "Sgt Pepper" caused him to think that "Smile" would be overshadowed by its success.  I suppose that is true, "Sgt. Pepper" was more in touch with the zeitgeist of the era and would have inevitably had a bigger cultural impact, but artistically I think this album is equally strong.  1967 saw a lot of great albums released, but I think only "Sgt. Pepper" and Love's "Forever Changes" can approach this in songcraft, originality and artistic vision.  It holds up amazingly well, a timeless masterpiece.  Its boldness and inventiveness take my breath away and I'm so happy that it has finally come out.  Recommended to people whose favorite Beach Boys' album is "Pet Sounds."  That used to be mine too, but now it is this.

Bradley's Barn - The Beau Brummels

Bradley's Barn
The Beau Brummels
Warner Bros.  WS 1760
1968

The end of the line for the first incarnation of the Beau Brummels (although they would reunite periodically beginning in the mid 1970s and even record a few more albums.)  They had started out as a quintet on Autumn Records back in 1964 but had been reduced to just Sal Valentino and Ron Elliott by the time they recorded this in 1968 supported by a bunch of Nashville studio pros in Owen Bradley's Tennessee recording studio which gives the album its title.  It was a long way from their San Francisco home geographically but musically it doesn't stray too far.  It does have a countryish sound but most of the songs would not sound out of place amongst the arty folk rock songs on their preceding album, "Triangle."  The album begins with one of my all-time favorite Beau Brummels songs, "Turn Around" penned by Elliott and his usual writing partner Bob Durand.  This sparkling evocation of youthful romance was also a highlight on the Everly Brothers' "Roots" which Elliott helped arrange and which was recorded around the same time as this album and which it resembles somewhat.  The jangly guitars and Valentino's soulful vocal really send me.  Valentino sweetly drawls the love song "An Added Attraction (Come and See Me)" which he also wrote.  It is the most country-flavored tune on the album.  Elliott and Valentino co-wrote "Deep Water" which is one of the strongest songs on the record.  It has more jangly guitars and an urgent vocal from Valentino as he delivers the anxiety-laden lyrics.  Elliott's "Long Walking Down To Misery" is a folk rock song given the country treatment with another fine Valentino vocal describing how he lost his girlfriend.  Elliott's "Little Bird" is a pretty ballad loaded with symbolism.  The first side concludes with Elliott and Durand's rocking "Cherokee Girl" which paints a portrait of the title character using imagery of Native American folklore.  The song features a soaring vocal from Valentino and is given extra oomph from tasteful string overdubs.  It is another one of my favorite songs on the album.  Side two opens with the easy going "I'm A Sleeper" by Elliott and Valentino which features Valentino drawling from the perspective of a wishing well.  Elliott's "The Loneliest Man In Town" is one of the few songs on the album you can actually imagine a traditional country singer like Porter Wagoner covering.  It features the familiar down-on-his-luck theme so popular in country music and it sounds very country as well.  In contrast "Love Can Fall a Long Way Down" by Elliott and Durand is pure folk rock and one of the most impressive songs on the album.  It is dynamic and highly propulsive with some baroque rock overtones in the keyboards.  Valentino passionately delivers lyrics examining a deteriorating relationship in the wake of a bad party.  "Jessica" by Elliott and Valentino goes country rock for a song about heartbreak.  Randy Newman's "Bless You California" is the only non-original song on the album.  It is a rollicking, humorous song about aimlessness and manipulation with a sarcastic edge that stands out from the earnestness of the rest of the record.  It gives the finish of the album a bit of a bite to it.  This is my favorite Beau Brummels album, the songwriting is so strong and Valentino's vocals are so warm and powerful, the album really stands out as something sincere and original in a year full of self-indulgence and excess.  It is a shame that the record did not get the attention or sales it deserved and that the band broke up after its release.  It is about as good as country rock gets.  Recommended for people who prefer "Nashville Skyline" over "Wheels of Fire." 

Love at the Bottom of the Sea - The Magnetic Fields

Love at the Bottom of the Sea
The Magnetic Fields
Merge MRG439
2012

I had tickets to see the Magnetic Fields show at the Orpheum in support of this album last year.  At the last minute my wife stood me up, so I took my son instead.  I had some trepidation about this, his taste runs more toward Incubus and Linkin Park but he was willing to go (I think he liked the band's name) even though he'd never heard them.  I expected some configuration of the band like on the album with electric instruments, synthesizers and percussion.  Instead it was an unplugged show driven by piano, cello, acoustic guitar and harmonium.  I figured my kid would hate it, but to my relief he liked it quite a bit.  There is just no denying the immense pop craft Stephin Merritt brings to his music.  He appeals to me, he appeals to my teenage son and he'd probably appeal to my mom.  His lyrics are clever and charming, loaded with originality, insight and word play, his tunes are full of hooks and strong melodies.  I adore him and all his records, he is one of my favorite artists and I had a great time at the show.  This is the tenth full length album from the Magnetic Fields and it is typically excellent.  The band shows no sign of decline or staleness.  It opens with "God Wants Us To Wait" which is about a girl who wants to put off intercourse because of her religious convictions.  I love the line "you might like to kiss the dew on my hem" which surely must be a reference to Leonard Cohen's "Sisters of Mercy."  It manages to be erotic and humorous simultaneously.  The song has an 80s synth pop feel to it with heavy reverb and a mechanical vocal from Claudia Gonson that perhaps symbolizes the robotic nature of some fundamentalists.  "Andrew in Drag" is classic Merritt and my favorite song on the album.  It is about a rich, straight kid who falls hopelessly in love with his straight friend Andrew after seeing him in drag on stage.  It is a poppy song effectively crooned by Merritt in his low key baritone voice.  "Your Girlfriend's Face" is about a spurned lover who hires a hit man to mutilate her rival's face and kill her ex-boyfriend.  It is another synth heavy song with the light, bouncy tune providing an ironic counterpoint to the dark, nasty lyrics that are sweetly sung by Shirley Simms.  "Born For Love" is a seduction song.  It is a slow, wheezy song with a lugubrious vocal from Merritt.  Poppiness returns for the bouncy "I'd Go Anywhere with Hugh" which is about an unrequited love triangle, the singer loves Hugh who loves the person who loves the singer but none of the loves are reciprocated.  Since the singer is a woman, it makes for some complicated gender issues in the triangle.  "Infatuation (With Your Gyration)" describes how Merritt likes watching his lover dance.  It sounds very 80s synth pop with an appropriately dance oriented rhythm track and an ensemble vocal on the chorus.  In "The Only Boy in Town" the singer wishes that there were no other boys around to tempt her to be unfaithful to her lover.  Who else but Merritt would rhyme "nonce" with "France", heck who besides him would even use a word like "nonce" in a pop song?  The lyrics are humorous but the music is plaintive and lovely, suitable for a romantic teen ballad.  In "The Machine in Your Hand" Merritt wishes he was his lover's cell phone so he'd be closer to that person.  It is more synth pop with a punchy beat.  Side two opens with "Goin' Back to the Country" which is about a gal who's fed up with the city and wants to live the simple country life.  The song mixes country music and synth pop with predictably awkward results.  You'd never expect Merritt to wander into Incredible String Band territory but in "I've Run Away to Join the Fairies" he sings of leaving the mortal world because of an unhappy love affair to enter the magical world of fairies even though they mock him just as his former lover did.  If you think "fairies" is a double entendre here, you are more cynical than me although you may very well be right.  With a noisy synth pop backing track and a sincere vocal from Merritt it is a surprisingly effective song.  Gonson sings "The Horrible Party" which is about a rich girl who is desperate to leave a decadent party where people are taking drugs, having sex and "using the slang they picked up from the proles."  It is a rollicking waltz with another cacophonous backing track.  Gonson also sings the venemous "My Husband's Pied-a-Terre" which describes a love nest where "a minx gets minks to wear" from the singer's very unfaithful husband.  Outside of France what other rock songwriter would rhyme "derriere" with "pied-a-terre"?  It starts out slow and gloomy driven by mournful cello lines and then shifts gears as the synth pop kicks in for an upbeat finale.  In "I Don't Like Your Tone" Merritt sings that he likes the words his lover says, but not the tone in which they are delivered.  It is a slow synth laden tune which Merritt croons with relish.  In "Quick!" Simms advises her lover to think of something to make her stay because she is ready to walk out on their relationship because she is tired of being attacked which inspires the classic Merritt couplet "between your outrageous remarks, like the mating calls of sarcastic sharks."  It is has a terrific hook and has lots of pop appeal.  This is my other favorite song on the album.  The album concludes with "All She Cares About is Mariachi" which seems to be written just so Merritt can come up with rhymes for "mariachi" including "hibachi," "Liberace" and "Saatchi & Saatchi."  It is a very slight but funny song about a girl who'd rather dance than make love.  It has a dolorous vocal from Merritt backed up by choppy synth pop with a slight Latin flavor.  Just your typical Magnetic Fields record.  People sometimes complain about Merritt repeating himself, but I prefer to think of it as consistency and besides no one else makes records like this.  The guy is a true original with his own instantly recognizable style.  I admire that.  Merritt is also criticized for the impersonal nature of his music.  I can relate to this, most of the artists I most admire write deeply personal music like Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, John Lennon or Neil Young to name a few.  Slick impersonal music usually bores me.  Merritt is so gifted, so entertaining that I don't have a problem with him.  The guy is a great storyteller, his songs are so original and charming that they win me over despite their lack of depth.  Aside from Sir Paul McCartney I can't think of another rock songwriter who has such a knack for knocking out silly love songs and what's wrong with that?  Recommended to New Order fans who dig Cole Porter.

East Is East - Pepi Ginsberg

East Is East
Pepi Ginsberg
Park The Van  PTV 47
2010

The first (and only time) that I heard a Pepi Ginsberg song on the radio I wondered if it was Lene Lovich making a comeback.  She has a rather unconventional singing style that caught my attention right away.  She swoops and soars around the music, gushing and slurring the words with her passionate and ebullient voice.  Back in the 1980s quirky New Wave female singers were as common as synthesizers but the kids nowadays seem to prefer conventional singers like Lana Del Rey which is probably why I never hear Ginsberg on the radio.  I liked her so much that I sought out her record and I'm glad I did.  This is her second full length album on Park the Van ( I don't believe that the first one was released on vinyl.)  The album opens with the aptly named "Shake This" which delivers a staccato guitar rift over a bouncy rhythm track punctuated by martial drum beats.  It is about making a change in a relationship.  "Lost River" is another propulsive tune with an exuberant vocal from Ginsberg.  It is a Dylanesque and poetic description of a journey.  Her language is very evocative, you can tell she has a literary background.  She slows things down a bit for "East is East" aside from the frenetic chorus.  The song is about finding direction both literally and metaphorically.  She delivers "Mercury Tide" over a simple pulsing tune that gradually builds in strength as she sings about surrendering to a love relationship.  Ginsberg abandons the funkiness that pervades side one for the more conventional sounding ballad "Coca Cola."  The lyrics are anything but conventional though, they are highly poetic and abstract.  I wish she provided a lyric sheet.  I believe this is another relationship song but it covers a lot more ground than that.  It is a very impressive song that reminds me a bit of Patti Smith.  Side two opens with "Gravity in 20/20" which is a choppy, pounding tune that looks back on a relationship.  "Navy and Sand" is one of my favorite cuts on the album.  It is a jumpy, funky song with abrupt shifts in tempo that reminds me of the early Talking Heads or Pylon.  It provides a framework for one of Ginsberg's most energetic vocals.  I think it is about love, although it is probably about more than that.  "Kid" is another bouncy, catchy song that manages to be very descriptive while remaining enigmatic.  I think it is about escape but maybe it is just about casual sex.  The spare arrangement of the folky "Coal To Diamonds" puts all the focus on Ginsberg's pretty vocal as she reminisces about a past relationship.  The album ends with the punchy "Summer Sick as Love" which evokes the sensations of summer while describing yet another past love.  As much as I like Ginsberg's literary style of lyric writing, I'd be happier if I knew what she was singing about more often.  I find myself getting lost in her lengthy descriptive passages which are colorful but ultimately obscure.  I would welcome a more direct approach at least some of the time.  The album carries me mostly because of the vocals.  The music is pleasant and engaging but not all that memorable, it is Ginsberg's voice that holds my attention and keeps me coming back to this record.  Hooray for quirkiness!  Recommended to people who wonder what it might sound like if Kate Bush imitated mid-1960s Bob Dylan.

Rock 'N' Roll - John Lennon

Rock 'N' Roll
John Lennon
Apple SK 3419
1975

Last year I finally got around to reading Philip Norman's epic biography of John Lennon.  I've had it for years but could not bring myself to read it, partly because it is so freaking long (more than 800 pages) but mostly because I was afraid of what I might learn about my longtime hero.  Having read lots of Beatles books (including Norman's own excellent one) I knew Lennon was no choirboy and I was worried about reading things that might make me think less of him.  In actuality I came away from the book feeling even better about Lennon as a person.  Norman paints a sympathetic portrait of the man, he doesn't shy away from his bad behavior but puts it in context and I found myself respecting and liking Lennon more than ever.  It is a very informative book, I finally learned the backstory of this album which has always puzzled me.  I assumed that Lennon was returning to his roots in search of inspiration, but in fact the motives behind the album were a lot crasser.  Record mogul Morris Levy, a guy I've always despised for stealing copyrights and exploiting artists, sued Lennon for the resemblance of "Come Together" to Chuck Berry's "You Can't Catch Me" which he owned.  As part of the legal settlement Lennon agreed to record three songs from Levy's massive publishing catalog of oldies.  Lennon decided to make an entire album of oldies and brought in Phil Spector to produce.  Spector in full maniac mode made the sessions difficult even firing a gun in the studio and eventually walked off the project taking the master tapes with him.  Lennon took a break and recorded "Walls and Bridges" and then resumed the project without Spector, recording most of the album from scratch although the Spector tracks were eventually recovered and a few of them made the final album.  Prior to release Lennon gave a rough mix to Levy who promptly bootlegged it on an album sold on television.  The story behind the album is a lot more interesting than the album itself which consists entirely of well-known oldies given mostly faithful interpretations by Lennon.  He performs with affection and enthusiasm, there is no doubt that he loves the music and is good at it, but the album seems like a waste of time to me.  Back when it came out, I was very disappointed by it.  The Beatles had done such a great job energizing the many oldies they covered early in their career and they had recorded songs that weren't necessarily big hits or really well-known.  This album would be better I think if it had a few obscure or lesser known songs on it.  Instead just about every song is a famous classic.  I like it better now than I did back in the 1970s but I still don't play it much.  My favorite cut is his version of "Stand By Me" which comes close to besting Ben E. King's original thanks to Lennon's passionate vocal and a robust arrangement.  I'm charmed by his heartfelt performance of Lloyd Price's "Just Because" which benefits from a spoken intro and conclusion by Lennon.  I wish there was more of this informal quality to the album which is entirely too slick for my taste.  I also like his punchy version of Fats Domino's "Ain't That a Shame" although Cheap Trick's cover a few years later is better.  The most interesting track is a reggae influenced re-working of "Do You Want To Dance" which revitalizes the song the way a good cover should.  On the negative side there is a lackluster medley of Sam Cooke's "Bring It On Home To Me" and "Send Me Some Lovin'."  Lennon's uninspired take on Lee Dorsey's "Ya Ya" is even weaker.  I think the rockers mostly come off the worst on the album.  "Be-Bop-A-Lula," "Ready Teddy/Rip It Up," "Sweet Little Sixteen," "Slippin' and Slidin'," and "Bony Moronie" lack the manic intensity and urgency the Beatles would have brought to them (if you don't believe me listen to the Beatles' Star-Club recordings or the BBC sessions.)  Lennon's vocals are undermined by the lifeless, polished arrangements delivered by the studio pros backing him.  The exceptions are "Peggy Sue" which slavishly imitates the Buddy Holly original and the Spectorized cover of "You Can't Catch Me" which thanks to the noisy arrangement and Lennon's crazed vocal I prefer to Chuck Berry's original.  It really captures the energy that makes early rock and roll so exciting unlike most of the rest of the album.  I think the best thing about the album is the cover photo of Lennon taken by Jurgen Vollmer during one of the Beatles' visits to Hamburg.  It says more about rock and roll than the music on the album.  One thing that really strikes me about the record now that I didn't notice when it came out is how 1970s the thing sounds, more "Crocodile Rock" than "Rock Around the Clock."  Since I don't really dig the 1970s I don't think that is a good thing, but I suppose it beats pure imitation.  Recommended to people who think it would be cool if Jerry Lee Lewis jammed with Steely Dan. 

West - Lucinda Williams

West
Lucinda Williams
Lost Highway  B0015615-01
2007

On the spur of the moment I went to a Lucinda Williams show on Thanksgiving Eve two years ago at the El Rey.  I was impressed by her exuberance and vitality in concert those aren't qualities I tend to associate with her recorded music which seems deeply personal and emotional, full of vulnerability and sadness.  That is certainly the case with "West" her 8th studio album.  "Are You Alright?" opens the album.  It sounds like it is directed at a lost lover or friend.  She delivers the song with the laconic moan of a vocal that is her trademark.  "Mama You Sweet" seems to be about her grief over the death of her mother - the album is dedicated to the memory of her mother and aunt.  Considering the misery in the lyrics - she practically makes grief sound like childbirth - the music is surprisingly mellow and pleasant, only the achy quality of Williams' vocal reflects the tone of the lyrics.  "Learning How To Live" sounds upbeat musically but it is also about loss, in this case the loss of a lover and trying to recover from heartbreak.  She concludes this cheerful side of music with "Fancy Funeral" which is a slow song that says it is better to save your money for practical everyday needs than to spend it on an expensive funeral that is not going to bring your lost one back.  Side two opens with "Unsuffer Me" which is one of my favorite tracks.  It has howling guitars and a slow heavy rock beat reminiscent of Neil Young as Williams sings of her desire for a lover to liberate her from her state of unhappiness which she equates with physical bondage.  She has always been good with evocative metaphors and descriptions.  I find her raw vocal very powerful.  "Everything Has Changed" in contrast is a gentle folky song that describes how her perception of the world has changed now that she has lost her love, joy and faith.  It is a pretty depressing song.  The side concludes with another of my favorites, "Come On."  This rocked up attack on a former lover who couldn't give her an orgasm is full of energy and anger, a welcome change from the melancholy tone of most of the album.  Side three begins with "Where Is My Love."  The song features some plaintive string lines but it is basically a sweet song in which she speculates about what her lover is doing.  Williams' raspy vocal has a lot of warmth.  The moody folk-rocker, "Rescue" starts out describing all the things a lover can't do for you, but concludes by hopefully acknowledging what a lover can do for you with the charming line that he "can tie some ribbons in your hair and show you that he'll always care."  I really like this song, it reminds me a bit of Sandy Denny's group, Fotheringay.  "What If" lists a lengthy series of unlikely events leading up to the last unlikely event, the payoff line "and we'd love one another in equal amounts."  Ouch.  It is a slow majestic country tune that benefits from a pretty string arrangement and Williams' wistful vocal.  Side four starts with the nine minute long "Wrap My Head Around That," an epic rant in which Williams vents her spleen at an ex-lover.  It is a remarkable song with a slinky hypnotic groove over which Williams sings and chants her vindictive lyrics.  It's a bit repetitious but it is so dramatic and compelling that I don't get bored, plus the band behind her really cooks.  "Words" also seems to be directed at an obnoxious ex-lover but it is mostly about the solace and joy she gets from writing songs.  In keeping with the positive feeling of the song, the folk-rock tune is upbeat and propulsive.  The album finishes with the lovely "West" which is a hopeful love song.  "West" is such a personal and honest album, it is almost uncomfortable to listen to, like overhearing two lovers quarreling next door.  It is made tolerable, even enjoyable by the music.  Williams may not be the most technically proficient singer around, but she sings with so much feeling and sincerity that I find her voice enormously appealing.  The band behind her is terrific and the album is intelligently produced by Hal Willner who I consider one of the best producers around.  This album is part of the series of albums Lost Highway re-issued to commemorate their 10th anniversary.  I have several of those albums and find them uniformly excellent.  It is pressed on clear vinyl in a handsome album package.  If you are a Lucinda Williams fan it is well worth seeking out, the woman's voice was made for warmth and vibrancy of vinyl, the next best thing to hearing her live.  I have to admit that when the sun is shining and everything is hunky dory, this is not the album I reach for.  However if it is late at night or I'm feeling blue, this album sounds great.  It is like commiserating with an old friend.  Recommended for fans of Tori Amos who wish she was a cowgirl.