April 25th, 2008
Here’s a true lost gem from my collection. This is a long-out-of-print, UK-only compilation album from Elvis Costello’s old label Demon (they were a huge force in getting reissues of ’60s psychedelia and ’70s country-rock back on the market as well as keeping ’80s blues obscurities front & center). Issued in 1984, I picked this up on a whim, knowing that Costello had already turned me on to the likes of Hank Williams, George Jones, Gram Parsons, and Bobby “Blue” Bland. The guy just has impeccable taste.
This album rocks and swings, strolls and dives. You’ll hear the best of the ’80s US blues-rock scene represented: a fledgling Robert Cray (back when he was still “Young Bob”), the legendary Dr. John, recently-deceased blues violin virtuoso Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, and a healthy dose of Johhny Copeland. Filling in the cracks between tracks are Johnny Adams, James Booker, the LeRoi Brothers, and Duke Robillard.
I was able to track down all these tunes on different albums in my collection… and enlisted Brian’s help to rip my original vinyl for one track that could not be found anywhere (and can’t be denied): The Moonlighters’ “I’m Gonna Put A Bar In The Back Of My Car And Drive Myself To Drink.”
I’ve scanned the original LP sleeve for inclusion as iTunes album art (thoughtfully locating all the best pubs in West London) and sequenced the tracks in their original order. This is great music for driving, for working, for BBQing… just plain great music.
Proves the ’80s weren’t all shit!
Album download (85MB ZIP)
Posted in Musings | 4 Comments »
Tags: blues, music, rock
February 14th, 2007
Twenty years ago today, the valiant blarings of the “Mighty Met” – classic rock when all rock was classic – was demolished and replaced by the Valium dribblings of “new age” smooth jazz station “The Wave“. Fans at the time called it the “Valentine’s Day Massacre” and indeed it was a brutal shock. For certain, the one-two punch of disco and “new wave” music in the late ’70s and early ’80s helped to push SoCal radio dials towards KIIS or KROQ, but think about this… how many “classic disco” or “classic new wave” format stations are around today? That’s what I thought.
Launched in 1968, arguably the finest year music has and will ever witness, KMET was different from other stations at the time. Playing thirteen-minute long prog-rock songs interspersed with political observations about Vietnam, Nixon, and anything else the DJs chose to, The Mighty Met rallied an army of loyal listeners who proudly displayed their “whoo-ya” bumper stickers upside-down (just like the billboards did).
A KMET staple every Sunday night was Dr. Demento – a bizarre top-hat wearing prankster who played songs like “Pico & Sepulveda”, “Dead Puppies Aren’t Much Fun”, “Fish Heads”, “Kinko, the Kid-loving Clown”, and “I’m My Own Grandpaw”. If you ever wonder why people who were teenagers in the late ’70s are a little mental, Dr. Demento is the most likely culprit.
I also remember DJs with names like “Jazzbo” Collins, Tom Donahue, B. Mitchell Reed, and of course Paraquat Kelley (if you don’t know, you had to be there). These were the classic-style DJs – deep-voiced, probably smoking as they spoke, rambling on about whatever they wanted to, playing whatever they felt like. Like the Lester the Nightfly, only real.
Rest in peace, KMET – you are not forgotten. Not with a jingle like that.
p.s. click the button for a little treat.
Posted in Musings | 1 Comment »
Tags: kmet, music, nostalgia, rock
January 1st, 2007
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The Life Pursuit
Belle & Sebastian
Genre: Pop |
Scottish popsters hit California and revel in the sound of glam rock, lounge, R&B, even “Brady Bunch” AM pop. This album’s a hell of a lot of fun with quirky lyrics and an insistent bright yellow happy face as its heart, the kind of music that makes you want to drive a convertible down PCH.
 – Clip: “The Blues Are Still Blue”
 – Amazon.com
 – iTunes Store |
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Modern Times
Bob Dylan
Genre: Rock |
| It’s been a great year for Dylan fans. At age 65, he started his DJ career with XM Radio’s “Theme Time Radio Hour” – a weekly hour-long program of music both popular and obscure chosen by Dylan and wrapped around such themes as “Guns”, “Divorce”, “Friends & Neighbors”, and “Thanksgiving Leftovers”. Delivered by Dylan with a mix of sideways humor and personal vignettes, the program shows a side of Dylan we never knew existed. Here all along, I thought the guy was sitting at home listening to Blind Willie McTell and now he’s professing his admiration for Difford & Tilbrook!But Dylan has his own music to make as well, and he does so with a sense of ease, humor, and perfection I haven’t heard since 1971′s New Morning. While that album found Dylan in the midst of fatherhood and at a crossroads in his career, this one features Dylan (in essence) rocking on the porch – sharing his insights and still questioning, still wondering.
This album hit Billboard’s #1 (as if it mattered), making Dylan the oldest artist to have achieved that distinction – and it’s his first #1 album since 1975′s Desire. Not bad for an old man.
– Clip: “Spirit On The Water”
– Amazon.com
– iTunes Store |
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All the Roadrunning
Mark Knopfler & Emmylou Harris
Genre: Country |
What may seem like an unlikely combo at first glance pays off — on first listen. The lead for vintage British shufflers Dire Straits meets the eternal queen of country-rock on a good-time and heartfelt road trip. Rest easy, this spin’s in the hands of professionals all the way.
– Clip: “This Is Us”
– Amazon.com
– iTunes Store |
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Till the Sun Turns Black
Ray LaMontagne
Genre: Soul |
“The Other Ray In My Life” knocks it out of the park with his second (official) effort, mixing whispered pleas with unashamed Otis Redding clonework, right down to the Muscle Shoals Steve Cropper licks. Again and again, LaMontagne draws inspiration at 33 1/3, from Stax to James Taylor. Opening the album with a Ram Dass meditation just makes it all the better.
– Clip: “Can I Stay”
– Amazon.com
– iTunes Store |
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Alpacas Orgling
L.E.O.
Genre: Pop |
The shiny pop bubblegum of E.L.O. has always been a guilty pleasure for me. I’ll crank it when no else is around to witness high-fructose corn on parade. Now it turns out I may not have been the only one… some guy calling himself “Bleu” out of Boston has teamed with other afficiandos Mike Viola, Matt Mahaffey, members of Chicago and… [whispering] Hanson [/whispering] to record an homage to the ‘70s FM Beatles-meets-Phil Spector sound of Electric Light Orchestra. The word on the street is that Producer Of The Gods Rick Rubin acted as go-between, speaking directly to Jeff Lynne, then passing along specific ideas that would mimic Lynne’s idiosyncratic recording techniques from back in the day.Jeff Lynne’s trademark tones are all over this little slice of synthesized licorice pizza… the drum beat heavy on the twos and fours, the robo-voices, the orchestral faux-grandeur, graceful George Harrison-ish slide guitar, the undeniable hooks that lodge themselves deep in the cranium like a Jujyfruit on a dental crown. Added just for kicks are beguiling, smirking lyrics like:
“Come on, you gotta lotta life to live
You gotta lotta love to give
Even if it’s just a bunch of New Age junk”
Sample the whole album at the label’s official site here – and check the iTunes Store for two extra tracks, including a semi-a capella fruity rendition of ELO ’s “Don’t Bring Me Down”.
Just be sure to brush and floss when you’re done listening.
– Clip: “Goodbye Innocence”
– Amazon.com
– iTunes Store |
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The Trials of Van Occupanther
Midlake
Genre: Rock |
This is a solid, rock-steady album that’s been soaking for years, absorbing the purest essences of Fleetwood Mac, Allman Brothers, Fairport Convention, Neil Young, and Gene Clark. With inspiration as solid as that, who cares if the sound borders on derivative? “Out of time” might be a more appropriate descriptor – with its narratives flowing from the mist of a colonial diary across creepy cover imagery… all filtered through 94.7 KMET circa 1974.
– Clip: “Roscoe”
– Amazon.com
– iTunes Store |
Posted in Musings | 1 Comment »
Tags: country, music, pop, rock, soul
November 2nd, 2006
I found this animated GIF stowed on my hard drive – a relic of Steely Dan’s 2000 tour. They had these amazing graphics (sometimes stills, sometimes animations, sometimes video) going on the screen at the back of the stage while they played – a different one for each song.
Click the image at right for a new window which will play “Bodhisattva” and its accompanying (and dizzying) animation. It’s cool stuff, they should consider putting out a DVD of these graphics with the music.
Two notes:
1. Katie told me once that they used this song during P.E. at her elementary school during a game of “Musical Chairs” – that’s one hip teacher.
2. She laughs at the line “sparkle of your china” – my sisters grew up calling the hidden female anatomy “the china” and Katie has continued this proud tradition.
Posted in Musings | No Comments »
Tags: family, katie, music, nostalgia, rock
May 22nd, 2006
I thought if I finally did this, I’d be able to get those a capella “93 KHJ” jingles out of my head. I may have been wrong. Click the logo at right for a pop-up window which will play over an hour of classic early ’70s Southern California pop, complete with jingles and a couple commercials. It’s all been edited into a seamless presentation and saved in glorious AM-quality mono. You’ll need to have QuickTime installed.
Posted in Musings | 1 Comment »
Tags: khj, music, nostalgia, orange county, pop, rock
January 28th, 2006
Shit like this makes me proud to be a Californian.
If you want to hear what the California we wish existed sounds like, close your eyes and imagine driving barefoot down a lush and winding mountain road towards the beach in a vintage convertible Mustang. It’s late afternoon, and the warm sun spatters through the oak branches overhead. The smell of the ocean and a nearby orange orchard in full bloom mix to soak your mind with their exhilarating perfume. Now listen to this.
Beachwood Sparks recall the finest late ’60s and early ’70s Southern California (especially Topanga Canyon) sound of The Byrds, The Mamas and The Papas, Gram Parsons, Buffalo Springfield — soaked in a four-story-high vat of Sid & Marty Krofft hallucinations — and delivered to a baffled future.
Yes, their music is dated to a specific time and place… but that’s a good thing. They’re not a cutesy novelty act playing Rickenbackers & pedal steel, trying to sound retro. They taked a beloved sound and run with it to create something new and of substantial quality. Vocal harmonies are perfect, playing is melodic and upbeat, and the production sound is lush and atmospheric.
Totally enjoyable. The members of the band put out just two albums and an EP (in 2000 & 2002), then moved on to other ventures (The Tyde, All Night Music, Mystic Chords of Memory).
Fittingly, Beachwood Sparks are now a thing of the past… just like their music.
Posted in Musings | No Comments »
Tags: country, music, pop, rock
January 1st, 2006
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Picaresque
The Decemberists
Genre: Pop |
| Boisterous and spazzy in the finest way, The Decemberists are a treat for the ears and the brain. Something about the perfect marriage of a band from Portland, Oregon and a frontman from Missoula, Montana (so that’s where the accent comes from) just plain works. Equal parts Advanced-Placement 19th-century Literature, college radio quirk, and genuine (if theatrical) artistry combine to make a one-of-a-kind experience. Major points to The Decemberists for bringing intelligent and challenging lyrics back to pop music.Plus, they sound great loud.
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Iron Flowers
Grey DeLisle
Genre: Country |
| Los Angeles-based voice artist Grey DeLisle (Powerpuff Girls, Fairly OddParents, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, and various LucasArts games) surprised me — and sold me — with a weepy, heartbreaking take on Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” laced with pedal steel…and is that autoharp? Is just gets better from there. Finally, a fresh voice in country/Americana or whatever you want to call it. DeLisle stands out in this way: she doesn’t remind me of Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, Emmylou Harris… she’s her own main chica. In a field of full of empty shells and disrespected legends, Grey DeLisle brings a welcome dose of reality. Backed with a fantastic band that knows when to rock and when to pinch it off, Iron Flowers creates an engrossing mood for driving, sittin’ and thinkin’ or just plain sittin’. Great, great stuff.
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12 Songs
Neil Diamond
Genre: Pop |
| Can it be? Neil Diamond without the cheese and the explosive, overdone arrangements and vocal stylings we know him by? Producer Rick Rubin (who honored the national treasure that is Johnny Cash in his final years with a spare, respectful sound that never shied away from The Man In Black’s dark corners) has worked his magic on this most unlikely subject. The amazing thing is: the man still has the exact same voice after all these years and Rubin’s “get-to-the-core” production highlights what have always been Diamond’s strengths: highly personal, sensitive yet still virile confessionals and declarations. Is this a serious, lasting work Diamond can be proud of? Hell, yeah it is.
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Belladonna
Daniel Lanois
Genre: Ambient |
| One of my all-time favorite albums is Harold Budd & Brian Eno’s 1984 ambient dreamfest The Pearl — which featured an up-and-coming Quebec native Daniel Lanois on pedal steel. I actually wore out that CD (didn’t think that was possible). Now, twenty-one years later, we’re treated to another vision-inducing masterwork. Somehow, these lush and grooving sounds recall the many formative journeys my friends & I took through the deserts of southern California — Joshua Tree, Anza-Borrego, Death Valley, Red Rock Canyon — and for that I’m thankful. Makes me want to get back out there again.
Lanois, as a producer (u2, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris), knows better than anyone how to express the power and the value of empty aural space. The kind of space that allows you, the listener, to enter into his world and travel along with him.
Do it, you won’t be disappointed. |
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Amos Lee
Amos Lee
Genre: Soul |
| The real deal. Amos Lee’s Blue Note debut album could have fallen right out of Mussel Shoals circa 1967 in some kind of time-warp. Damn, what a voice. I don’t care if he gets bigger and goes all commercial on us, I’ll always have this one. With this chunk of sweet, smooth, hickory-smoked soul, he sits comfortably next to ’60s/’70s Otis Redding, Van Morrison & James Taylor.
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Magic Time
Van Morrison
Genre: Pop |
| Dim the lights and have a cocktail. Van the Man is in the house. The legendary voice returns to top form with this gentle, romantic, and warm bit of heaven. Here’s a man who knows what he does best and how to do it. He’s comfortable moving between jazz ballads, houserockers, and Celtic tunes… all his with trademark blue-eyed soul.
Easily one of his best albums in recent memory.
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Z
My Morning Jacket
Genre: Rock |
| Louisville, Kentucky rockers MMJ settle into their skins with their latest release. The welcome addition of keyboards to their lineup helps to expand their sound beyond the biker bar and into progressive territory. “Off The Record”, in particular, recalls classic late ’70s and early ’80s rock with its poppy hook and an extended, meandering instrumental bridge. I hear echoes of Neil Young (as always), but now Elton John and The Doors have popped their heads in for a visit.
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Who’s Your New Professor
Sam Prekop
Genre: Pop |
| Mellow and airy, Sam Prekop is perfect Sunday-morning fare. Make that just about any morning. Jazzy progressions, laid-back vocals… this little beauty sounds like a heavy-lidded smile.
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Transistor Radio
M. Ward
Genre: Pop |
| It’s a big challenge to sum up the finest of American music, but somehow M. Ward pulls it off. I hear Billie Holiday, old Delta blues, ’30s crooners, Hank Williams… and he even drops in The Beach Boys & J.S. Bach for good measure! The sound of the record swings from back-porch picking to crackly 78 RPM mono to ambient fuzz guitar effortlessly, and Ward holds it all together with his timeworn and friendly voice.
The guy’s a one-man Smithsonian!
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Prairie Wind
Neil Young
Genre: Rock |
| Reflecting on his childhood in Toronto, Ontario, the death of his father, a near-fatal brain anuerysm, and the post-9/11 Bush-era America, Neil Young treats us to another in his (intentional or not) series which began with “Harvest” in 1972, and continued with “Comes A Time” in 1978 and “Harvest Moon” in 1992. Familiar face Emmylou Harris (there she is again!) joins Young on a few tracks, Hammond organ legend Spooner Oldham adds to the vibe and Neil even breaks out his old pedal-pump church organ for “When God Made Me”.
It feels like Neil Young keeps coming back to this sound for solace during the most trying stages in his life, and in a way, his need to communicate with us with this very organic and honest music establishes a library of support we can reach to when we need a familiar shoulder to lean on during our own struggles. |
Posted in Musings | No Comments »
Tags: ambient, country, music, pop, rock, soul
September 19th, 2005
Gram Parsons was a loser.
Let me back up: Gram Parsons was a visionary talent, a “big picture” mind, an under-appreciated genius — but one who wound up robbing himself and the world of his art. A quick overview of his life may help explain my initial assessment.
Cecil Ingram Connor III was born November 5, 1946 and raised in Waycross, Georgia and Winter Haven, Florida – the son of wealthy parents (they owned the Cypress Gardens attraction). His father shot himself in the head on Christmas Day when Gram was 13; “Gram” later took his stepfather’s name Parsons; his mother died of alcohol-related malnutrition the evening of his graduation from high school. With a hefty trust fund in his pocket, Gram split Down South for Ivy League in 1967… and his stint at Harvard lasted just a few months (during which he recorded what many consider the first country-rock album, The International Submarine Band’s “Safe at Home“). Bored and restless, he left for Los Angeles, where he met The Byrds’ bassist Chris Hillman in line at the bank… and from there quickly joined The Byrds, making his sound into their sound with “Sweetheart of the Rodeo.”
Over the next few years, Gram started an offshoot band with Hillman called The Flying Burrito Brothers and recorded the first version of “Wild Horses” (allegedly written for Parsons by the Stones), got in a motorcycle accident riding with “Papa” John Philips, spent two years in exile with friend Keith Richards and the Rolling Stones in the south of France… and developed an insatiable appetite for alcohol (Sauza Conmemorativo in particular), marijuana, all manner of pills, cocaine, heroin… you probably know where this is going by now.
He returned to the States in 1972, determined to square his life away and get serious about his music. He drafted Elvis Presley’s TCB backing band (featuring the legendary James Burton on guitar) and a hot new singer he found named Emmylou Harris and recorded his finest work in 1972′s “GP” and 1973′s “Grievous Angel”.
Shortly after finishing recording, he and a few friends went out to Gram’s favorite getaway spot in the desert of Joshua Tree, California. Even though Gram had reportedly quit drugs, lost weight, and was down to tumblers full of tequila morning to night, the damage had already been done. He died of a massive heart attack at age 26.
Yes, there was a strange thing after he died. Gram’s stepfather wanted the body buried in New Orleans with the rest of the family, but Gram had expressed a wish that his ashes be scattered in Joshua Tree to his “road mangler” and partner-in-crime Phil Kaufman. Gram’s body was stolen from Los Angeles International Airport by Kaufman and a friend, drunk off their asses, signing the name “Jeremy Nobody” and hightailing out to the desert, where they pulled off the road, carried the coffin a short ways, doused it with gasoline and set it on fire. Gram’s stepfather eventually got a hold of the remains and Kaufman was briefly arrested and charged $750.
But I don’t want to let the creepy/funny after-death story to eclipse what I have to say here…
Gram’s vision was one of unity – he sought to reconcile rednecks and hippies, liberals and conservatives — country and rock — in the chaotic days of the Vietnam War, the civil rights movement and the sexual revolution through what he called “Cosmic American Music”. His voice was unique in its frailty; his lyrics poetic and dark. And his impact on rock (and country) music extends to this day – from The Eagles to Elvis Costello, Tom Petty to The Jayhawks, Wilco to the entire “alt.country” movement. In all his work, there is not one dishonest note. In 2002, Rolling Stone asked Keith Richards who he missed the most from the old days… one name: Gram Parsons.
But ultimately, in the end…. Gram threw away the gift of his talent, unable to deal with the pain of his childhood. Many believe Gram Parsons would have been a headliner on the level of major artists instead of a footnote in music history had he not succumbed to his weakness. Who can say?
Posted in Musings | 2 Comments »
Tags: country, music, rock
January 1st, 2005
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Me & Mr. Johnson
Eric Clapton
Genre: Blues
Eric Clapton finally gets around to paying a direct, full-length tribute to one of his primary inspirations, blues legend Robert Johnson. A variety of arrangements highlight the perfect setting for each tune – and Clapton sounds like he’s having the time of his life. |
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Dios
Dios
Genre: Rock
Old-yet-new sounding rock debut from this Hawthorne-based group. Influences from the Beach Boys to Neil Young color this immediately likeable spin. A lawsuit from Black Sabbath washout Ronnie James Dio forced a name change to “Dios Malos”. I wouldn’t worry, they’ll go farther than that guy. Plus, on their web site they say they’re playing at Jabba’s Palace on Tatooine March 28th. |
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Bebel Gilberto
Bebel Gilberto
Genre: Latin
God Almighty, how I want to eat this woman’s voice. She sounds like honey-sweet chocolate-lime ice cream laced with something… unidentifiable. Something lucious and invigorating, soothing and sexy. |
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Land of the Sun
Charlie Haden with Gonzalo Rubalcaba
Genre: Jazz
Elevating (not elevator) deep, rich music from bassist Haden and pianist Rubalcaba. A collection of instrumental contemporary Mexican romantic ballads… and romantic it is.
You know what I’m talking ’bout. |
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Friends Seen and Unseen
Charlie Hunter Trio
Genre: Jazz
Way beyond the sun, way beyond cool, Hunter with his eight-string guitar and saxman John Ellis serve up one of the finest afternoon BBQ or evening cocktail albums I’ve heard. Points for quoting Prophet Omega in the album title. |
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The Ride
Los Lobos
Genre: Latin
Retrospective done right. Reflect on the last 30 (or so) years with some choice acquaintances (Elvis Costello, Mavis Staples, Robert Hunter, Richard Thompson)… an all-time class act. |
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Apropa’t
Savath & Savalas
Genre: Ambient
An ambient, comes-and-goes, dreamlike groove: trippy and soothing, drawing from influences as diverse as 1970s Brazilian pop & psychedelia, Afro-Cuban grooves, and Spanish folk music. Good for late-night mellow-out time or an early-morning recovery. |
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Live at 9:30 Club
Wilco
Genre: Rock
I like this ultra-clean soundboard boot better than their offical release, “A Ghost Is Born”. The production excesses evident on the album are absent, and in their place, we get to enjoy Wilco’s musicianship and sense of fun. |
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Smile
Brian Wilson
Genre: Pop
Like a gift from the past, Brian Wilson emerges from his muddy-minded history with this alien-sounding masterpiece. He’s clearly at the top of his game here… persistence paid off. |
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When It Falls
Zero 7
Genre: Electronica
Another late-night downbeat groove scene. Not much to think about, but sometimes the mood is more important. |
Posted in Musings | No Comments »
Tags: ambient, blues, electronica, jazz, latin, music, pop, rock
