2012 Summary

I liked two observations on the Mayan snafu:  1) We were reading the calendar upside down so it's really going to happen in 5105; and 2) The tequila was ready and they forgot what they were working on. 

Just a bit of info on the year 2012 for the regular readers, most of whom reside in the US.  I thought you'd be interested to know that 55% of the hits this blog receives come from OUTSIDE America.  It's not surprising to me since I post on so many international acts.  What I want you to see are the artists with the most page views.  There were several in a virtual tie for Show; Ladyhawke, Killing Joke, Rival Sons, Susanna Hoffs, Steven Wilson DVD, and Dead Can Dance.  A clear Place goes to the Scissor Sisters (a negative review, no less).  The overall winner, with four times the views of the Sisters is Angus Stone.  Probably helped that I had one of the first two reviews of it in the world, as my post happened days before the record was on sale anywhere. 

How many do you own?

As far as my preferred records of the year, a few come from long-time favorite artists of mine;  Bangles, Chuck Prophet, Cold Chisel, Europe, and Joe Bonamassa with Beth Hart (it's her record, officially).  I've had a little history with three others; the aforementioned Angus Stone, Mystery Jets, Mark Knopfler.  Three rookies (to me, that is); Maccabees, Hey Ocean!, Amanda Palmer. 

The best album I reviewed this year, technically a 4thQ release in 2011, comes from Steven Wilson, "Grace For Drowning."  Since writing the post, I've started calling it the best album of the century.  Try as you may, I doubt you'll convince me otherwise...

You should own some of these...



I've got ten new discs in the rotation and I'll get to them in a couple of weeks.  Until then, have a safe and happy holiday season!

Tame Impala "Lonerism"

"Super Explosive Psychedelic Electric Candyland" was the comment that made me smile.  As the first couple of spins progressed, I heard essentially the same thing as their first record, "Innerspeaker," but the songs did not grab (BTW, it would behoove you to click the links to the other posts...I hate repeating myself...).  During spin #3, it hit me...some of that distorted noise is actually keyboards this time.  Utilizing every studio effect known to man in the psychedelic daze, one can make a guitar sound like anything desired.  Innerspeaker did so.  So now you have tweaked keys replacing a substantial portion of six-string.  There is such a sludge of effects it's difficult to tell...and band leader, Kevin Parker, will use them all in one song.  This time it's overkill. 

The debut record barely cracked the Heatseekers chart here in the States, but it did garner critical praise along the way, including mine.  Based on that, "Lonerism" was highly (oh my, a pun) anticipated, peaking at #34 on the Billboard 200.  I heard WPRK playing several tracks... 
   

Bet that thrilled the tiny demons in your brain, you know, the ones from your Lucy Sky Diamond days, or the cactus pudding you used to ingest, or the silly'shroom tea parties.  Anywho, that's the latest single from the album.  I picked the first single as a winner, too.  It's nice to know I still have the ear for a potential hit (oh, damn, another pun).  Just so you know, I listen to these records first before doing any research.  I don't want any preconceived notions clouding my environment.  I'm surprised that the singles are sequenced in the back half of the album, as well as the one other track I intend to retain. 

That's right, people, Ye Olde Mad Rocker isn't keeping the entire sophomore effort.  If you are one of the many who have jumped on this wagon with "Lonerism," you owe the debut a party-favoured spin.  I like guitar...

Beth Hart "Bang Bang Boom Boom"

 

As I mentioned in my previous post, I rarely, if ever, conduct any research on a release prior to listening.  Don't want any bias trickling into the process.  Been spinning this off and on for seventy days now, feeling especially guilty this month about dawdling towards a post with the holidays almost here.  Finally, I reached my decision on "yea, whole album," or "nay, just a few cuts to keep," and started poking around in search of some intriguing videos to play for you.  Guess what?  My frustration for dragging of feet was unfounded.  The damn record won't be out in the U.S. till 2013, and her label narrows it down to "first half."  What the f@(k?  Now how in the hell does that happen?  If you'll click on this post about her collaborative album with Joe Bonamassa a little over a year ago, you will get my historical take on Hart, but why would a record company loiter with the release date when the previous record was the biggest charter of her career?  I was literally stunned.  Obviously, "Bang Boom x 2" is available overseas but I'm unable to find any performance numbers.  I see she's been promoting all through Europe doing shows and meet & greets, even sitting down and playing a piano with fans singing the lyrics.  Beth Hart is a changed person...

...and it shows in her songwriting and versatility on this album.  The team is essentially everyone 'cept JB (and there is news of Hart and JB going back in the studio next month to do a second album with an anticipated street date in May...now wouldn't that be some shit if it drops here before this one?) and I believe Ms. Hart has turned a corner and learned from her surroundings.  These songs aren't as dark and woe-is-me as before, and I like how she's adapted more blues into her repertoire.  Here is the title track official video...



Not as much of the warble in her voice, either.  As you know, I don't normally like to link vids with a quarter-mil in hits, but the one above was the only thing I could find quickly from the new album, the one that may not be out domestically for six months.  And I like the song...very catchy.  My supposition is you'll hear it in your head for a couple of days now.  But I needed something else for you to hear, and I almost went with another BH & JB track, but alas, thanks to a French radio station, I finally found one of the best lyrical songs for you...



Catchy, as well...

My decision?  "Yea, whole album."

These don't need any help...

...but I bought them and they both will make the collection.

 

Six Grammy nominations...the largest single-week sales for the year...finally crossing over to Country radio and charts...and all without my assistance..........snicker...

 

Actually, I believe I prefer "Sigh No More" to this one.  I'm not going to link the post I did on it, but if you really want to look it's from April, 2010, just a couple of months after its domestic release.  Two short months later I saw them at Bonnaroo and posted how thrilled I was that the crowd was so into them.  I swear to you, I was standing right behind this guy...

 

As far as "Babel" goes, I will say I was disappointed that I had to wait until the back half of the record to find a couple of songs that had my head bobbing and my foot stomping the floorboard of the car.  Far and away, the best track is this one, taken from the historic Ryman Auditorium a full six months prior to the album's release...



Love the strings, the horns, and I swear a touch of synthesizer.  Can't wait to see how many trophies they win on 2/10/13.

 

 

 

 

Highest debut ever for Muse at #2 and two more Grammy nominations.  I don't see them winning either this time, though.  Tough competition in Jack White, Black Keys and that Sprinklestone fella.  Can't really call it a "Rock" album...more "Alternative,"...less Queen-like, only brief hints of Zeppelin and Sweet.  Has one outright dance track and even some Skrillex-type noise.  The first single, "Madness," is the nominated rock track but the winner would have been the album's opener...





 

Bellamy has a great voice coming out of that small frame of his.  Their stage show will keep your attention.  I saw them on the Absolution tour and I believe there is a video available from the Glastonbury performance.  The arena tour comes to the States next year and be sure to get there early to see opening act, Dead Sara.  I just may have to find a way to see them this time around. 

One more track from this album, "Another One Bites The Dust"...





That was too easy...  Has a momentary minor morph into a Scissor Sisters riff.  Overall, "Jude 2nd Law" takes an adventurous shift, demonstrating an evolving band.  Mumf & the Boys basically mined the same vein.  Here's hoping they throw a few more wrinkles in the mix next time. 

 

Gary Moore "Blues For Jimi"

 

Hard to believe he's been gone nearly two years.  I'm hoping they release the new material he was working on at the time of his death, but in the interim, this is available in audio and video form.  Recorded in London five years ago, this concert was a tribute to the Live at Monterey show forty years earlier and had just been reissued on Blu-Ray.  It's a power trio performance of precision with Moore's true take on JH style and a very capable rhythm section.  You'll notice from the cover shot above that former Experience members make guest appearances.  Mitchell passed away roughly a year after this performance and I've seen "rusty" used as a descriptor for his playing during the three songs, but technique was never his strong suit anyway.  Cox sounds great on vocals, especially here...



Don't misunderstand, I always liked Moore's voice, but I'd rather hear him singing his own material.  As far as the fret work goes, please...I can only think of two others remotely capable of this quality, SRV and Frank Marino.  As a matter of fact, Marino would have been an inspired choice to sing & play at this show. 

The entire 75-minute concert can be seen online.  It won't be hard to find.  It is a pristine recording, clean and clear, and it features most every Hendrix song you'd expect.  Highly recommended for old farts like me...

Amanda Palmer & The Grand Theft Orchestra "Theatre Is Evil"

 

A couple of months ago, I kept seeing headlines combining The Flaming Lips and Erykah Badu.........????????????   Guess one should never be surprised by anything Mr. Coyne concocts.  Not being a big Badu fan, I didn't investigate the controversial video.  I happened to notice an additional story about a new version that featured Amanda Palmer and also noticed the famous song covered in the video.  At the time, I believed it was The First Time Ever I Saw, or heard, of Ms. Palmer...snicker...



Well, HELLO there!  Guess I didn't read far enough in the news stories to know what I was getting into.  Wasn't necessarily moved by the Roberta Flack cover so I searched no more.  Over the following couple of days, however, my beloved WPRK played several tracks from Ms. Palmer's new album and the assorted DJs were positively giddy about the release.  I liked what I heard so I added it to my "get" list and off I went to my favorite site.  The other five records on the list were no-brainers (see K. Chambers- S. Nicholson) so AP & the GTO was the only newbie. 

And "Theater Is Evil" may be one of this year's best.

Right off the bat there is this heavily produced, glam-ish David Bowie/Alice Cooper/Ian Hunter feel.  How awesome is that track?!  The next four songs are each worthy of radio play, one of which is the current single...



About mid-way through this video, I said out loud to no one in particular, "Christ, I'm in love."  As an artist, of course, as she apparently disdains males.  I noted throughout the album that she has a mannish-sounding voice at times so maybe there's a connection somehow.  Anyway, there is an awful lot of Cars-like melodies across the record and one song screams The Knack.  She even drops "my sharona" in the lyrics but it's spelled "cherona" and used appropriately for its ancient meaning.  Still, I know she had a wry smile on her face as she composed the song.  Speaking of lyrics, these are deserving of your attention.  They aren't the standard drivel prevalent in most of today's music. 

By now I had learned this wasn't my first time hearing Ms. Palmer.  I recalled that I liked what I heard by The Dresden Dolls back in '03, but that was when I was unwillingly exiting the retail music business and entering my self-imposed 30-month hiatus from new tunes.  I now also know that she grew up in Massachusetts and hence The Cars overtones, per chance.  Based on the five artists/bands I've referenced, it should be obvious that those of you in my age demographic could enjoy this record by a person close to your daughter's duration of life.  One commenter on a video, judging by his profile picture to be over 50, said "Theatre..." is the best thing he's heard since Magical Mystery Tour (I can't say I would go quite that far).  Another poster hypothesized that those who disliked the album held IQs under 90.  Now that's funny...and probably true.  The record isn't spotless, however, as it contains, without a doubt, the worst song I've added to my collection in recent memory.  Can't do it.  I'm going to take the unprecedented step of deleting this seven-minute turd of a song and rerecord my disc.  It's tragic there is something that bad on this album.  It's a piano-only, Torn Anus-type song (substitute three letters and you'll know who it is).  Yuk.

My final accolade for Ms. Palmer is this:  I'm going backward to get her previous album. 

Kasey Chambers and Shane Nicholson "Wreck & Ruin"

 

If you know me personally, you are aware of my twelve-year love affair with Kasey Chambers.  When "The Captain" came out at the beginning of the century, I was smitten.  She was pitched to the country market domestically, but the album wasn't what I would call completely country.  Influenced?  Certainly.  Minor success in the States with her first three albums but massive in her native Australia, selling multi-platinum and winning several ARIA awards.  Her fourth album was enough of a departure from the country-leaning predecessors that it wasn't allowed on the Country charts.  It still debuted at #1. 

Then came the first collaboration with hubby Shane.  Here is that post from back in the early days of my blog.  Real country...bluegrass, even.  Expertly done.  Her next solo was a 4th Q release in 2010 called "Little Bird."  If you read through the post, I had hoped for a US release.  Well, I guess my research was a bit suspect as Sugar Hill did release it a couple of weeks after the overseas bow, and it had roughly the same impact on the charts as any of the others, i.e., not much. 

So now we have the second release by the husband & wife team and if you call yourself a fan of folk or Appalachia music, you need to obtain a copy of W&R.  Here is the title cut...



Two and a half minutes of country bliss.  The basic version of the album contains twelve more tunes like that, clocking in at a brief 34 minutes.  You can download it for $5 and find the CD version for as low as $8.  I purchased the Deluxe Edition with five additional songs and not one of them is inferior to the regular tunes.  Are they worth the extra fiver?  Undoubtedly.  I could not find any of them for you to see/hear here, so enjoy the 2nd single from the album.  You Civil Wars fans should buy this while you wait (patiently?) for new music from them...



If Kasey Chambers decided to make a polka record, I'd buy it...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

12/9   A quick note...  I originally intended to produce this post by essentially referring to a fellow blogger from Australia who, like me, isn't doing this for monetary gain but for the love of sharing great music.  I wanted my domestic readers to get the view of a local, Aussie fan.  I asked for permission to link her post, but due to an unfortunate circumstance I had to quickly leave home for a week without receiving her approval.  I cobbled something together and headed out the door.  Now I have the go-ahead so here it is.  If you are a Country Music fan, I suggest you read more from Sophie's blog than this singular post.  You may expand your horizons...  Jolene:  The Country Music Blog    

Steven Wilson "Get All You Deserve"

 

I can count the number of music videos I've purchased in the past ten years on one hand...and it's three more than the number of movies I've bought.  About eight years ago, I paid for Phish "It" and in early 2010 it was Joe Bonamassa at the Royal Albert Hall.  The moment I heard "...Deserve" was available, I searched for a teaser and found this...



Did not know the song but it was a helluva track!  But dammit, one of the main reasons I don't buy concert videos is the overuse of edits.  I can't stand it when there are thirty a minute!  I actually had to look away while I listened to the audio.  Found another clip and felt the same way.  Caused me to reconsider the purchase. 

A couple of weeks go by and my wife gets a coupon from one of her membership retailers, hands it to me and says "get something for yourself."  As soon as I bandage my chin I head to the retailer's website and find that the deluxe version is still available (Blu-Ray, DVD, 2 CD's).  Ahhh, why not?

The first thing I did was pop the CDs into the car player.  Most everything is from his two solo records, and since his last release is one of this century's best, I was prepared for disappointment.  Had no faith in the ability to recreate much of it in a live setting.  And, honestly, I wasn't blown away, but it was the car environment and I recalled that "Grace For Drowning" did not translate well in those surroundings, either.  So I waited a few days till the wifey was out of town for the evening, closed the blinds, dimmed the lights, cranked up the surround system, poured a TN whiskey, indulged in a small amount of party favours, and popped the DVD in the player...

...if I had seen this concert in the flesh I would have had to change my shorts afterwards!  I heard Yes, Rush, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Phish, Chick Corea/Return To Forever and Billy Cobham, to name a few.  To pull that shit off live is impressive.  More so is the fact that Wilson spends a large portion of the show basically conducting the band.  He struts from musician to musician, all around the stage, punching the air and stepping to the rhythm.  Then he'll sit at a keyboard for a few noodles, get up and walk to the mic to sing a few lines, go back to the rear of the stage and strap on a guitar for a power chord or three.......the rest of the band KICKS ASS!  It's as if Elgar was conducting his own "Pomp and Circumstance" and jumped down from the stand to grab a cello to start wailing away!  Yes, all the visual edits were a bit tedious, but they make more sense in the context of the whole program.  Wilson's imagery partner of the past ten years or so, Lasse Hoile, puts on a show for your eyes while the band plays on.  There had to be subtle differences between the sets night to night as no click tracks were used and as Wilson said about his guitarist, "...he can't play the same run a second time, so why should we?"  Speaking of band members, I did not know most of them, but I can tell you that the keyboardist played with some guy named Miles Davis and the bassist was a member of Kajagoogoo.  Never in a million years would I have thought to use those two names in a sentence, and they are in the same band...wow.

Wilson liked this group so much that he employed the lot of them to do his third solo, which has finished recording and is set for a late February drop.  Check out the guy manning the board...



For Wilson to employ Alan Parsons is a sign that he is focused on the music this time, saving himself from double duty on the knobs.  Wilson has already remixed King Crimson and Jethro Tull back catalogs, so to get Parsons off his considerable laurels says much about the respect each has for the other.  I eagerly await "The Holy Drinker."

Only European tour dates announced so far, but I know he's scheduling North America again.  Please, please come somewhere remotely close to Florida...

The Sheepdogs

I do believe it was Greg A. who alerted me to this band.  Don't recall the clip but the question was whom did the song sound like.  It was a dead ringer for Burton Cummings/Guess Who, so I looked them up.  Damn if they weren't from Saskatoon...a favorite song by the Guess Who was "Running Back To..."  So I made a mental note to be on the lookout for them in the future... 

...which arrived two months ago and I just pulled this self-titled release from the player.  There is absolutely nothing new or ground breaking musically about this 45-minute record,

but if you are in my age demographic and this doesn't put a smile on your face then you might as well curl up and crawl back into your stale old musical cubbyhole! 

Don't know how these Canadians sound so Southern...well, partly because the album was tracked in Nashville, but there are Allman Bros. w/ Warren Haynes stylings, Skynyrd musings, Blackfoot sounds, Molly Hatchet moments and what could pass for a rewrite of ZZ Top's "Cheap Sunglasses."  Speaking of rewrites, there's a flat out rip of the Yardbirds "Shapes Of Things" and the currently obligatory Norman Greenbaum riff that morphs into a Gary Glitter-type beat.  You can hear part of it one minute into this video...



You should also hear the Los Lobos influences that I jotted down throughout the plays.  I also noted a little CCR here and there and then I discovered they had opened for John Fogerty on a recent tour, so that probably explains it. 

The Sheepdogs grows better with every spin.  I will certainly make my way to see them if they get to Orlando.

Dokken "Broken Bones"

 

Another submitted selection.  Hey, if you want to provide me with a copy of something relatively new, no more than five months since release, I'll give it the treatment.  Be prepared, though, I am brutally honest. 

The guitar work is still the best thing about a Dokken record.  When I saw the current slinger's name, Jon Levin, a faint bell sounded from deep in the bowels of my brain's musical chamber. 

Mr. Levin was recruited by Warlock just as Doro was going solo in the very late '80's.  And here he is with her back in 1989 alongside journeyman drummer Bobby Rondinelli...



I'll sell you that poster if interested.  Got plenty of others from the old music store days that I'll part with for a few $'s (all the Mikey J's were sold when he passed).   

Never thought much of Don Dokken's voice or songwriting skills. Best thing about the band used to be George Lynch's guitar work. With "Broken Bones," Don D is still singing and writing and Lynch is long gone. Care to guess my opinion?  The opening track and single offered an eyebrow-raising start...



...but the remainder was back to status quo.  Couldn't even listen through the one song Dokken didn't write. 

Thanks to the above video, "Broken Bones" isn't a total flusher like fellow LA band Great White's latest effort.

Elbow "Dead In The Boot"

 

I have three of the previous five albums by Elbow but knew something was awry when this one crossed my path.  The others were spaced apart by 2+ years apiece, so when "Dead In The Boot" arrived not eighteen months after "Build A Rocket, Boys!," I was suspicious.  And I was right.  DITB is a collection of B-sides which span the band's career.

"B-side" generally evokes a runner-up mentality but I never viewed it in that manner.  When I bought a 45 as a kid, I got two songs, not just the hit.  The Beatles singles started it but they were always considered double A-sides.  It was "Goodbye" on the flip of Elton's "Levon", Chicago's "Colour My World" and "I'm A Man" were B's.  The most outstanding in my mind was a few years later when my friend, John Pattie (where are you?), and I flipped "Another Park, Another Sunday" and declared the B-side the true hit.  Sure enough, a few months later, "Black Water" became the Doobies first #1. 

I'm not going to rehash my history with Elbow here (you can click the link in paragraph one for that), but there was a 30-month gap between the end of my retail music career and returning to WPRK in which I blanked on any new music.  That empty period was the window in which Elbow's "Leaders Of The Free World" was released and I missed it.  Many consider it the band's best album ("Seldom Seen Kid" is my fave) and now I think maybe they were right because the only keepers on DITB are from that period.  One track could have been a Masters Of Reality tune and another could be mistaken for David Byrne.  I'm torn on going back to find out, though.  Maybe "Leaders..." was just so damn fine that they couldn't put everything on it, but it could also be a "Sam's Town" by The Killers, which was patently awful.  The discarded sessions from that record ("Sawdust") turned out to be far superior to the original. 

The remaining B's of DITB are cast-offs for a reason.  As a whole, DITB is too restrained, too downbeat, too monotone, too cerebral for a complete uninterrupted listen.  This album smells of a contractual obligation.  I am fearful the band is on the verge of phoning it in and there are allusions to that possibility.  After the grand display of this summer's Olympic Games which featured plenty of Elbow's compositions (I kept yelling at Bob Costas to shut the fuck up so I could hear them), I hope that's not the case.

Since these are all old tunes, there really isn't any quality video easily available to link for you.  I stumbled, however, onto this hour-long set from 2011 at Glastonbury.  It is well worth your time...

Mark Knopfler "Privateering"

I don't own the first Dire Straits or Knopfler solo or soundtrack but had a hand in selling quite a few.  Super saturation on radio and MTV if I ever wanted to hear any.  Doesn't mean I didn't like them, just knew I would never play one on a personal level.  After leaving the retail biz in '03, I never bothered to search his work out until "Get Lucky" in '09.  Some good tunes but still didn't pull the trigger on a purchase.  Saw "Privateering" on my release schedule, noted it was a double disc, sampled a few of the tracks......wait, was that blues?...then another...and another...wait, is that Kim Wilson of the Fabulous Thunderbirds blowing harmonica?........well, I'll be damned.  I'll take it!

Since I purchase from an international site, I come across many recordings unavailable in the US, but I never dreamed this was one.  I bought it a couple of weeks after its early Sept. release and was truly digging the record as a whole.  Wondered how it was doing domestically and pulled up the Billboard Top 200.  Scrolled through the entire list and nada.  Knew that couldn't be right as he's been a fixture on the Top 200 with all his solos.  Well, I'll be damned, again!  It's available in every country in the world EXCEPT America...WTF!  It has to be a major label spat as the album is Mercury/Universal and his US company is Warner Bros.  When are the old coots at WB going to join the 21st century?  Crying shame, too, since this record positively screams Grammy.

Multiple nominations and probable wins, that is.  Certainly the most complete album of his career and the old farts in NARAS love to reward the long-time musical veterans.  Besides the large dollops of the blues, there is plenty to like for the faithful.  He doesn't abandon the Celtic-tinged songs...



...folk stories or the rocking tunes, they just aren't as predominant this time around.  And I love it!  The record sounds like it was fun to make.  Knopfler said this is his best band ever and thoroughly enjoying the supporting tour.  He has two more weeks in the States with Bob Dylan (I'll bet this CD is for sale at the merch table) before going back to Europe.  I'd love to see this tour if he was coming to FLA and I'd guarantee my early arrival to see his set and early departure to miss Dylan's (past his prime by at least two decades). 

There isn't a lot of quality footage online but I want to play one of the blues tracks from the record, so here is one using stills from the tour...



Oh, yeah, the guitar work is pretty good, too.  There isn't a turkey in the twenty tracks.  One day I'll check out all the additional selections from the deluxe versions.

One of 2012's best.

Simeon Soul Charger "Harmony Square"

 

Read about this band on some German music site and was very surprised they were American, based in northeast Ohio.  The story is that a couple of Germans on vacation in NYC saw them live and were so blown away that they changed their flight to stay and see the band again.  For the next year, the tourists tried to convince the band to come to Germany.  Finally giving in, they arranged a two-week tour and everything started to click.  They've played many more times over there since and developed quite a fan base in Europe.  As you should be able to tell from the cover art, they are into "psychedelicrock."  This is how they describe "Harmony Square" on their website:
   
"An elaborate story about an alien circus descending on Earth to offer transcendence to a sea of oppressed humans." 

Thar's some chemicals in them thar brains...



Man, I hear LOTS of Crack The Sky in the first single.  Other artists that I hear hints of are Bubble Puppy, Blitzen Trapper, Beatles (blue years), Queen, City Boy and the singer from Klaatu.  I actually hit on three or four of their listed influences published on their Facebook page.  These are the others:
"David Bowie, Pink Floyd, The Kinks, Davis Lynch, Jethro Tull, Jimi Hendrix, Stanley Kubrick, Existentialism, Led Zeppelin, The Universe, Mahavishnu Orchestra, The Violent Femmes, Can, Dr. Suess, Ingmar Bergman, Shel Silverstein, The Residents, King Crimson, The Decemberists, Leonard Cohen, Robert Anton Wilson, Queens of the Stone Age, Dreams, Radiohead, Muse, Time, Terrence McKenna, Primus, Black Sabbath, Rage Against the Machine, TRex, The Animal Collective, Of Montreal, Grizzly Bear, Velvet Underground, Them Crooked Vultures, Tom Waits."
I omitted a couple of which I had no clue who/what they were...and I could have dumped a few more, but I wanted you to have the opportunity to giggle.  One more video from their YT channel...



I love things like this.  On the downside, however, it's a 67-minute rock opera in one continuous track that is broken into fifteen pieces and it gets monotonous about a third of the way in.  I will keep about twenty-five minutes of it and that should be plenty. 

Great White "Elation"

 

Why this band continues to use the same name after the disaster nearly ten years ago that killed 100 fans is absolutely beyond belief.  And there are two versions of Great White out there?!  That's just plain stupid. 

 

"Elation" is by the group sans Jack Russell.  The record was submitted for review by Bobbed Kilts Productions.  I don't own any Great White and did not give this any consideration upon its release in May.  Felt guilty every time I rang up a sale for these guys back in their heyday.  Believe I actually made a staffer complete the transaction if I happened to notice any Great White CD in a customer's hands.  Did not want to be held accountable. 

 

So here goes.........If you are remotely interested in this record, save your money and go back into your collection and pull out any Aerosmith, AC/DC, Whitesnake or Guns N' Roses CD and spin it instead.  You'll be glad you did.

 

I'll quote BKP's take on this album..."FLUSH!"

Rival Sons "Head Down"

I wish I could remember who suggested this band to me earlier this year.  Kim S., was that you?  Anyway, the track heard first was good enough for me to investigate some of the others and damn if they weren't impressive, too.  Then I started hearing it on my beloved WPRK.  Sounded mighty fine coming through the auto audio system.  "Well, let's get this bad mamma-jamma..."  Started to seek it out and discovered it had been released in the early summer of '11.  I already had at least ten other recent releases in line and couldn't justify acquiring an album that I wouldn't post on for another couple of months, so I decided to wait for the next one.  Fortunately, I did not have to wait very long.

This arrived September 17 and I had it two days later.  Just took it out of the player last week.  Here is where I would put the opening video, but the band's VEVO channel doesn't allow embeds so fuck 'em.  Some fellow in Britain has provided this in-depth sampler of the entire record. 



About 9 minutes in you'll come to track 7, one of my favorites.  Sort of comes off like early Grand Funk Railroad doing a "Spirit In the Sky" riff.  About half of the 8:20 of Manifest Destiny (Pt. 1) is a wailing guitar solo and the closing track brings to mind Roy Orbison/Chris Isaak/Tim Buckley.  The kid can sing.  I had to look to see if Joe Bonamassa was guest vocalizing.  Also heard a little Paul Rodgers, too.  Most of the descriptions I've read on the band mention Led Zeppelin or Black Crowes, and I guess I get that.  I envisioned black & white footage of the British Invasion of the 60's, specifically jotting down the Animals, early Who, Cream and the Rolling Stones.

"Head Down" is far superior to anything The Black Keys have ever done and I like it better than Kings of Leon, too.  My money says that Jack White is a fan.........it's better than his record as well...

Robert Cray Band "Nothin But Love"

 

Jumped on this guy's bandwagon when he started out on Hightone Records in '83.  The album with Albert Collins and Johnny Copeland a couple of years later was spectacular.  He won a Grammy the following year and had an extremely successful world tour.  Took too long to follow up after that, in my opinion.  The records started sounding the same and I leapt off the wagon in '97. 

Started reading some very positive reviews about this new album and noticed hot-producer-of-the-moment, Kevin Shirley, was manning the board.  I've always liked Cray's vocals, his fret work is usually very concise, and the big releases for the 4th Q hadn't dropped yet when I ordered this five weeks ago.  Wish I had waited...

As I told a friend on Facebook the other day as we traded comments on the new Donald Fagan, "...it sounds fine but I don't need more of the same ol', same ol'."  That statement applies to "Nothin But Love."  I think owning five RC albums is more than enough.  The sweet vocals are still there and the musicianship across the band is fine, but the songs themselves are too sterile and similar to everything he's done before.  Not a total disappointment...



Live from Fordham University last month.  Best song on the record for many reasons.  But I had to make it to the last track before a big smile came across my face.  It's a live version of  "You Belong To Me," a 60-year-old track most famously recorded by Jo Stafford and also charted for Dean Martin and Patti Page.  You may recall it in the Shrek movie or Bob Dylan's version in Natural Born Killers.  The live setting smokes...makes you tap your feet and nod your head. 

In other words, skip this album and use the money to see him in concert domestically before Christmas.   

Ian Gillan & Tony Iommi: WhoCares

 

Got wind of this when Jon Lord passed away three months ago and wondered aloud on my Facebook page if we would get anything more than the charity CD single.  These three guys plus Iron Maiden and ex-Pat Travers drummer Nicko McBrain and former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted equals a pretty serious supergroup.  They had originally put the two songs out to continue humanitarian aid for those affected by the Armenian earthquake of 1988.  Some of you may remember the Live Aid-styled reworking of "Smoke On The Water" with Gillan, Iommi and Lord, along with a host of metal stars.  A charity album and video were also part of the project, as well as a cover of Zeppelin's "Rock And Roll", of which McBrain was involved.   All these guys had developed a bond with the country's people and their plight and some twenty years later were trying to raise funds to help build a music studio.  Who said metalheads don't have a heart?

I honestly did not know that the single was a year old.  I had hoped for a full album of new material.  The two tracks were outstanding.  Sadly, it will never be.  What we have now with this double CD collection is a couple of lifts from previous albums and several rarities, mostly featuring Gillan.  One of my favorite Black Sabbath albums was "Born Again," which had Gillan in the band.  Meaner and heavier than anything Ozzy did.  A direct lift from the record is "Zero The Hero."  Another song was called "Trashed," but this version was  rerecorded a few years ago by essentially Deep Purple with Iommi on guitar.  I liked the original better and may now have to digitally upgrade my worn out cassette copy of "Born Again." 

You know what?  There are a couple of 4 1/2 minute videos that sample the tunes from each CD.  One minute in, you'll see the liner listing the tracks and assorted info.  I'll let you do that before I wrap up...

   




I really like the fourth track from CD 1, which is a twenty-year-old song with a Greek star of some magnitude.  You'll see the name of British metal legend Glenn Hughes on two songs from 2005.  Need I say more about that?  The last three songs from disc 2 are highlights for this Ian Gillan fan.  The Garth Rockett thing happened after DP's "House Of Blue Light" and is impossible to find.  What a great live rock and roll song, and it sounds like Brian May on guitar, though I know it isn't.  "...Blind Man..." was originally recorded in the Machine Head days but only released as a B-side.  DP never played it as long as Blackmore was in the band, but Gillan has used it many times over the last twenty years.  This version is from a radio performance with only Steve Morse accompanying on guitar.  The final track was a warm up jam done here in Orlando in 1995 while DP was recording their first album with Morse as the permanent guitarist.  Once you get past the drunken silliness at the beginning, you get a toe-tapping blues workout that absolutely smokes.  Great way to close the collection. 

This is a "preaching to the choir" kind of release, a stroll down Mad Rocker Memory Lane, heavier on Gillan than Iommi, but it's outstanding.  A 9 on a 10 scale.

Sea + Air "My Heart's Sick Chord"

 

Found this at the same time as Hey Ocean! and happened to line them up back to back in the changer's rotation.  Lots of similarities and subtle differences.  Sea + Air is a husband/wife duo from Germany, though the missus is of Greek heritage, and I'll describe their music as art pop.  It's a shade darker and more melancholy overall than HO!, possibly influenced by more male lead vocals.  Only the two members, each will play up to five instruments within one song in concert.  Here is a live version of a track from the album...

   

Yep, that's a harpsichord, and it appears on several songs.  He grew up with one in his house and used to listen to Bach baroque pieces.  He also played drums in a punk band.  She was a folklore dancer never allowed to sing, and she can play a bass with her feet...  Go figure.  They had been at the music game since the turn of the century but finally got the break they needed when they opened for Whitney Houston on the European leg of her last tour.  Hell, they were probably better than Whitney was...  "My Heart's..." was recorded shortly thereafter in the first half of last year and they have been on the road supporting it since.  Only in the last couple of weeks, though, has the record seen worldwide release.  I knew from my first spin that something would come from this song, and sure enough, it is the first official single, partnered with PETA (I support the idea but not their methodology...they are basically a terrorist organization).  The band put the video on their YouTube channel two days ago...



The sound is fleshed out on record, as you should be able to hear.  It is well worth the ten or so bucks. 

I wish them luck as they begin another year on the road.  Don't think the States are on the itinerary since they were refused entry last year by Homeland Security (wonder what evil they are guilty of according to our government; intelligence...culture?).  Damn shame because The Plaza here in Orlando would be a perfect venue.

Hey Ocean! "IS"

A couple of years ago while obsessing about The Cat Empire, I saw that the Feline Monarchs had toured Canada with this Vancouver-based band.  Filed that little tidbit of info away in my cobweb-covered brain without writing it down.  Amazed that it weaseled its way back into my conscious mind (must be the gingko biloba) a couple of months ago when I saw this album on the Canadian charts.  Any association with Cat Empire is worth a listen, and Hey Ocean! did not disappoint.  In fact, it's one of the smartest releases of 2012. 

My genre designation for "IS":  Intellipop.  Catchy pop songs but more complex and layered, utilizing more than your normal instrumentation.  Hell, the album's opening riff is a thumb piano! 



Doesn't hurt that the focal point of the band is a buxom, bleached-blond (Canadian-style) bombshell with a pretty voice and musical ability.  I've learned that she is also a voice talent for some cartoon shows north of the border.  The other two male members of the band also sing well and obviously write some cool music.   They have major label backing with this album (just look at the additional musicians on the above video) and some amazing videos to show for it.  First-rate studio and producer, too, though I don't know who it is.  How the hell they are still relegated to opener status on concert bills or only ask $3 for a ticket to see them on their own is way beyond my understanding.  This band deserves Barenaked Ladies-like success.  That's some high praise, indeed. 

You heard a version of the record's first track.  About three tunes deep, I dictated a note feeling a happy vibe, but not the shiny-happy of the Asteroids Galaxy Tour.  Later, I felt the pop genius of Ladyhawke, but without the hard edge.  One of the true positives of this album is that the songs in their basic form are incredible.  Here is proof...





It's an absolute crime that this is not physically available in the United States.  Well, there are two domestic sites listed on Amazon that will send you one for approx. $9 plus shipping, or you can click here for the band's website and buy it digitally.  The version I bought had the Big Blue Wave EP attached and the cover of Phil Spector's "Be My Baby" is worth every penny.

Without a doubt, this is one of my favorite albums of the year. 

Storm Corrosion

 

Frontman from Porcupine Tree + frontman from Opeth = ambient music????  I'd have never guessed that in a million years.  It was all quiet atmospherics when I sampled the first thirty seconds or so of a couple of the songs, but I ASS U ME d the lengthy tracks would break into some prog/folk/metal hybrid.  Not even close.  Hell, there's percussion on about eight of the forty-seven minutes of music and probably less vocals than that.  Some reviews (which I wish I had read before purchasing) label it minimalist classical.  I'd say it's more New Age-y than anything.  My automobile is the environment for 95% of my music consumption and this album is too damn quiet for it.  There were no peaks to make me want to play this in the house.  Listen for yourself...



WAKE UP!   If you sat through all nine-plus minutes of that then you may have an interest in the entire project.  Back in the day when I was feelin' fine on 714's, melted onto a bean bag chair, this album would have worked.  Not today.  I don't have the patience to get it.  But it is not a total loss.  Track #5 has a "Welcome To The Machine" and/or "Animals" vibe to it.  Maybe that's why one commenter said this will be his new Floyd.  Hey dude, I hear you can still get some good 'ludes from South Africa...

The Chris Robinson Brotherhood "Big Moon Ritual"

The Black Crowes shot their wad with their debut in 1990.  Everything since has paled in comparison.  It is amazing to me that Chris Robinson still has a national career.  I figured he'd be dead by now or dried up so much that he could only play Wally's.  So why did I buy this?  Soft part of the new release schedule and it's sixty minutes spread across only seven songs.  It was shortly after the purchase that I read it had a Grateful Dead vibe.  Too late...never a Deadhead...only own one record (wanna guess which one?).  Certainly a Dead sound on the album's 12-minute opener.  As I soldiered through the required spins I cited a Doobie Brothers sound here, a Little Feat sound there, Widespread Panic across the board.  Here is the only track I'm keeping...



I'm sorry, but his voice just isn't good enough to carry an entire album.  A track or two, maybe, like the one above.  Once he shuts up, many of the instrumental passages are more than adequate, certainly Bonnaroo worthy...secondary stage, of course.

Dead Can Dance "Anastasis"

 

Their first album since 1996 and it is a microcosm of their decade-long musical history.  If you were ever a fan of DCD, you need this album.  For those of you who missed out on them the first time around, it's worth a try.  Originally from Australia, Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard found success in London with the 4AD label, along with This Mortal Coil and Cocteau Twins.  I found the music to be interesting and the album graphics outstanding.  Someone on my staff, though, always seemed to be more enlightened with the band than I, and being the gracious manager that I was (did I hear a snicker?), I passed all the promos out to my employees.  That's right, I do not own any DCD full-lengths. 

That will not change with "Anastasis."  Years ago, I believe I dubbed DCD "Gothic New Age," and that basically holds true still.  I've seen "ethnic fusion" and "dreamy world pop" used for this album.  I suppose those monikers are more apropos as it's been #1 on the World Music chart.  You may recognize Gerrard's name from her movie soundtrack work over the last fifteen years, most notably "Gladiator."  For her half of this album, I jotted down Cirque du Soleil because you could close your eyes and imagine you are at "La Nouba."  A paid reviewer who was less than enamored with the album called it "artsy-fartsy Enya."  Perry's contributions were more enjoyable for me with the album's opening track the highlight...



That same reviewer also called this the album's brightest moment, but "...it’s about as fun as a funeral procession...with Perry moaning like a half-drunk Vincent Price over a strangely unsettling orchestral trip-hop groove."  Overall, he said the album was, "...sort of like the soundtrack to a bad History Channel documentary."  Dammit, that's funny... 

The band is touring in support of this album and recently finished the U.S. leg.  You can find several fan cam videos on YouTube.  Lots of synths and a drummer.  It must have sold well because the album had a top 50 showing domestically on the overall chart along with the World #1.  They are doing Europe this month and 14 of the 17 dates are already sold out. 

As I said before, I'm not keeping the entire record but I will commit half of it to the hard drive.  As it turns out, it will be two by each member.  In fairness, let me offer up one of Gerrard's keepers...



I have one piece of advice to offer for complete enjoyment of this album:  play only after dark...

Panic Room "Skin"

 

I usually have some tangible information on artists new to me before seeking them out for a sampling and/or purchase, such as couple of good reviews or a recommendation from a trusted source.  Not this time, though.  Did you ever, historically speaking, of course, walk into a record store with nothing really on your mind to purchase?  All the time...  The greatest example I have was in early 1982 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.  In the Fall of the previous year, I had dropped everything in Tennessee to take a job in Pompano Beach, relocating in a mere five days, happening upon an elderly lady moving out of an upstairs studio apartment on N. Riverside Drive.  This was on Saturday and my new job started Monday.  I helped her move her things to her new unit downstairs and she called the landlord to convince him to let me take her old place.  I thought the rent was pretty steep for a studio but I had zero time remaining to continue my housing search.  Little did I know the ocean was two blocks east.  So that's what the white crust is on the windows, salt.  I couldn't afford a night on the town or anything remotely similar but I could walk to the beach anytime I wanted.  Couldn't go out to eat so I taught myself how to cook.  My entertainment?  A bag of good weed and my music.  Drove to the record store on US 1 in Ft. Liquordale and started wandering the aisles.  Guy kept pushing this new band on me with some song about "Iran," but I was intrigued by an album cover, a drawing of a broken statue on the steps of what had to be a church since the band's name was The Church...out of Australia no less, one of my favorite locales for music.  That was enough for me.  No clue what it sounded like.  The Church is one of my Top 5 bands of All-Time......Flock Of Seagullshit, my ass! 

 

The times have changed but the idea remains the same.  Instead of holding a 12x12 album package in my hand, I now view a thumbnail of the cover, the artist and record name, the track listing and times, and a genre.  If intrigued, I will sample the first few songs.  Awesome = buy, boring = shitcan, marginal = investigate list.  On a later date I will return to sample the last half of the record.  If it's borderline again, I'll buy it.  It's earned three spins. 

 

So that's how I ended up with Panic Room.  Liked the name and cover.  The stated genre was "progressive rock" and five of the eleven tracks clocked in at six minutes or more.  First note I made was at the fourth song on the initial spin..."What did I hear in this?"  Once I got over the shock that it wasn't prog-rock (I should know better...my site is less than 100% accurate when it comes to categorizing), I started to sense that what I had was a perfectly serviceable record of a female-fronted, adult-oriented rock band with a heavy dose of strings. 

 

None in the live setting but they are all over the CD.  Conducting a bit of research on the band, I found the strings were new on "Skin", their third album.  I sampled parts of one of the earlier releases and they seemed to rock more, probably enough to earn the "prog-rock" designation.  I would label the current album as "dramatic," not progressive.  Bands that popped into my head while listening were the Cranberries, Texas, All About Eve and Quarterflash without the sax. 

This is a fine record to play in the background at your dinner party, but I doubt anything will reach out and grab one of the guests enough to query as to who it is.  I still think I'll keep about half of it...

Tuatha Dea "Kith & Kin"

 

When Bobbed Kilts Productions said he had some music for me that he obtained from the Grandfather Mountain (NC) Highland Games in July, I assumed he meant traditional Scottish music with bagpipes and such, not the Proclaimers or Big Country.  Silly me, why did I not think Celtic, a collection of influences and ancestry, like the Pogues, Waterboys or Corrs.  Well, a collection of influences and ancestry is exactly what's going on here, and it's not just Western European.  Toss in some African drums, maybe a little anvil(!), and a didgeridoo from Australia into the mix of standard instrumentation, and add the fact that the band hails from Gatlinburg, TN, you have the unique collection of which I speak.  This is straight from their Facebook info section:  "...eclectically mix Scotts Irish, new age, traditional and modern day music to produce a unique variety and blend of rhythm and melody."  No shit! 

First note I made at the outset of the CD was Pink Floyd, followed by Big Pig (video for reference)



The note for the second track was "tribal Jefferson Airplane," but unfortunately, the song is way too long at 11:24.  Edit down to 5:30 and it would be fantastic.  Another tune invoked the spirit of Ronnie James Dio!  It wasn't until track six, "Mulligan Stew," of the record's eight that I got what I originally anticipated.  You can find a video of it on YouTube.  Here is a video of the song-most-likely-to-be-called-a-hit...



The record is full of great vocals, male and female, and the band is obviously fueled by the power of rhythm.  The only regret I have is the electric guitar has an amateurish sound in the mix on most of the record.  Give the guy an equivalent share and you have a complete bona fide winner.

They have a website that looks to be only a few months old.  Check it out here and prowl around it like I did.  There are links to all their social sites, too.  Looks like they do a few long road trips for shows and will be down Florida way in a couple of weeks.  Most importantly, visit the music store tab and buy a song or two or the complete album.  It's impressive...

John Hiatt "Mystic Pinball"

When I saw this come across three weeks ago, I figured it as a reissue or B-side compilation.  Wrongggggg!  I shouldn't be surprised, though, as he is a prolific songwriter.  Capturing Kevin Shirley again to produce may have had something to do with this releasing thirteen months after "Dirty Jeans..." Shirley is the "hot" man at the boards these days.  "Mystic Pinball" isn't nearly as slick as the previous record, or nearly as countrified, and that would usually bode well in my book, but I don't find the songs to be as strong.  Last year's model was one of the best of the year, this one I'm keeping five tracks.  Here is one of them, the album's opener...



Taken from the current tour.  He hits Orlando next month.  Hope I have the chance to go.  "Mystic Pinball" is available tomorrow. 

Pat Travers "Blues On Fire"

 

My introduction to radio at Jolly Rolly Colly's WPRK happened with my first college class, Speech 101 with the legendary Dr. Charles Rodgers, in the basement of what was then called the Mills Memorial Library.  The class was set up in the studio and the control room was behind the soundproof glass.  The station only operated ten to twelve hours a day that Fall of '76, so it wasn't on in the morning at all.  Since Doc was my advisor, I would meet with him in the afternoons around baseball commitments, so the station was on...and I was hooked.  Student-only operated, 75% classical programming, home basketball game broadcasts...that was it...hard to believe, huh?  Yet, I still wanted to be a part of it.  Took this naive, small-town boy a few weeks to work up the nerve to ask the station managing upperclasswoman from New York City about subbing on the student-programmed Rock portion of the broadcast day.  When the phone rang in my wing of the deserted freshman dorm at 8:35 PM, it was aforementioned station manager, Ellen Lyons (where are you?), asking me to do the 9 PM show.  I snatched up as many albums as I could carry and hustled to the basement, arriving at 8:50.  Ellen was in an obvious hurry as I received the five-minute Cliff Notes version of how to run a radio station.  It was 8:58 when she said, "That's it," and hit the door, looking back over her shoulder to say, "Have a nice holiday."  That's right, "holiday."  It was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, 90% of the student body had vacated the campus, and I wasn't doing just the 9 PM show that night, I was doing the entire weekend!  That was five hours a night through Sunday.  Needless to say, I made a billion errors; bad cues, wrong pots, open mikes (which wasn't that bad since I had no one to ask for help, the phone didn't ring, and I wasn't yet talking-out-loud-to-myself crazy), etc., so based on self-preservation I started playing the longest cuts I could find.  I was awful on-air, and not just that weekend, either.  I still have a cassette from part of a show from the end of my freshman year, and if you've ever listened to college radio, you've heard this voice; the slow, inarticulate, stammering monotone..."uh...that was...Rush......Working Man.........wow....I really like that one..."  Anyway, back to the longest tracks comment...initially, this allowed me several minutes to concentrate on what I was doing, consequently, making fewer mistakes.  As the weekend wore on, I got better at the technique of cuing and eliminating dead air, but I was still playing the longer songs.  This gave me time to sample literally hundreds of albums on the back channel, and this was when I discovered Pat Travers (whew...that's the longest f*#king intro yet!).  His first album was released that year and I was hooked on music :)  The debut had covers of Mabelline, Hot Rod Lincoln, Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights), and a JJ Cale song.  Of course, Boom Boom and Snortin' Whiskey hit it big from the live album that followed a couple of years later.  Speaking of live, I've probably seen PT in concert more than any other act in my lifetime. 

These were the only two I could find.  The first one was 1979.  Also saw him play on his birthday, but whether that was '78 or '80, that's too many bong hits ago.  I've got all of his albums from the first stage of his career.  He kept touring but quit releasing records for a few years.  Once he returned to the studio some twenty years ago, he switched to more blues based recordings and been cranking 'em out ever since.  I heard most of them and own a couple, but I'd rather see him play them live, which finally (YEA!), brings me to "Blues On Fire."  This is an entire album of obscure blues songs written before the World Wars.  Well, one is not so obscure since Led Zeppelin covered it on "Presence" (Nobody's Fault But Mine).  Pat's version does not improve on it.  There is another song called "Bulldozer Blues," which you will recognize, sort of, as "Going Up The Country" by Canned Heat.  Those guys were blues historians and knew that you can take some liberties with songs in the public domain or deemed "traditional."  I don't know if PT's version is true to the original either, but the tune sticks in your head. 

Basically, this album is a rocked-up version of eighty-five-year-old blues songs.  Well, all but one track by Son House, which is my favorite, and probably the most true to the original...



There is a plugged-in version on YouTube that's fairly righteous, too.  One comment says, "this is Pat's BEST album to date..he gets better with age man."  I can't possibly say that, but I will keep four tracks. 

Susanna Hoffs "Someday"

 

I honestly don't know where to start.  I have been in love with her since 1984, the debut year for the Bangles.  Best legs in rock and roll.  One of the most recognizable female voices in pop music.  Last year's Bangles album was a triumphant return to form.  Wasn't aware of this new solo effort in any shape or form.  So excited to hear it I pushed it ahead of a half dozen other things already in rotation. 

 

What a letdown...

 

One spin through the meager 31 minutes and I'm stunned by the lameness of the songs.  Her voice is front and center, framed by beautiful orchestration and production, but there's hardly a sharp hook to be found in the ten tunes.  She's got old pal Mitchell Froom (first aware of Froom thirty years ago with Ronnie Montrose' Gamma 3.  He went on to work with Crowded House, Indigo Girls, Los Lobos, Elvis Costello... he actually tinkled the piano riff in "Manic Monday") handling the knobs, and he works his magic with the background, but those songs...wimpy.  Primary co-writer with her is some newbie Nashville-based kid half her age, lucky bastard, and I just don't get it.  It's not just me, apparently, because the record has been out for two months and it hasn't sniffed a sales chart yet.  That may change as NPR has thrown their support to it, probably due to all the favorable press, one calling it "a musical love letter to the 60's" and others declaring it to be the best record of her career.  Not even close.  One of my first notes said "I wonder who convinced her this was a good idea?  Maybe her husband is going to do another Austin Power's movie and make this the soundtrack." 

 

The second run through the record gave me one track that stepped up just a bit...

 

Hey, I can still pick 'em.  Turns out it's the first focus song for the album.  I read an interview with her and she suggested multiple listens to get "the layers" she's intended.  OK.  The third, and final, spin produced one more marginal song that I'll keep.  I just couldn't bear to play it any more. 

If Bon Iver, Best Coast, or The Head & The Heart are in your collection, then you may enjoy "Someday."  Hoffs said her kids turned her on to First Aid Kit.  Oooh, bet they like it better than mom's. 

What's that old adage about a wig on a pig?  You can put a candy coating on a rabbit turd but it's still a rabbit turd...

Walter Trout "Blues For The Modern Daze"

 

 

First heard of him when he was part of John Mayall's reformed Bluesbreakers in the '80's, but he was no match for the other guitarist in the band, Coco Montoya.  Trout went solo the same year I came back to Florida to open the original Music 4 Less location in the tourist corridor.  Kept having all these Europeans ask for him by name so I added his band's CD's to the blues section.  They sold quite well, especially "Life In The Jungle" and "Tellin' Stories."  They didn't move me as much as I believed they should so I gave away all the promos, never retaining the first copy of anything.  Got a comp for a live show and all that changed.  This guy was smoke and fire in concert and to this day live performances are all I own by this man.

 

Which brings me to this new album.  Post spin one, I had noted that it started with some healthy promise...but that it would likely end up the same way, good in studio yet outstanding in concert.  By the time "...Daze" had wrapped up its 77 minutes for the third time, I had changed my mind.  Three spins, trust me, is a reasonable number to allow for the art to grab you.  Anything less is truly unfair.  Some of the lyrics were the first to raise an eyebrow, an infrequent occurrence these days.  The opening track from earlier, "Turn Off Your TV," "Lifestyle Of The Rich & Famous," and some of the lines in this new classic...

 

 

 

If that doesn't make the hair stand up on the back of your neck you are reading the wrong column...

The beauty to WT live is he doesn't play a song the same way twice.  There are several different videos of this same track online if you'd like to compare and hear for yourself.  I caught an interview with him explaining that this album was the most "live" thing he's ever done in the studio, so maybe that's the reason it finally rang the bell for me.  But it also begs the question, "Why wait twenty records to do one that way?"  One of the other major differences of this disc from all those preceding is there are actually a couple of tracks that would fit the definition of "radio friendly," and I don't mean "Rock" radio.    Never imagined saying that about a WT record. 

Then again, I never dreamed that "...Daze" would become the first complete Walter Trout album in my collection, either...