Journey Through Dark Heat

Album of the Day #176: BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD

2010-02-11T11:11:00.000-05:00

Artist: Buffalo Springfield

Title: Buffalo Springfield

Year: 1966/1967

Label: Atco

Songs:

First Release: Go And Say Goodbye*/Sit Down I Think I Love You*/Leave*/Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing**/Hot Dusty Roads*/Everybody's Wrong*/Flying On The Ground Is Wrong**/Burned**/Do I Have To Come Right Out And Say It**/Baby Don't Scold Me*/Out Of My Mind**/Pay The Price*

Second Release: For What It's Worth*/Go And Say Goodbye*/Sit Down I Think I Love You*/Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing**/Hot Dusty Roads*/Everybody's Wrong*/Flying On The Ground Is Wrong**/Burned**/Do I Have To Come Right Out And Say It**/Leave*/Out Of My Mind**/Pay The Price*

Written by: *Stephen Stills and **Neil Young

Produced by: Charles Greene & Brian Stone

Thoughts: It's truly amazing how much great material groups were able to produce in the 1960s with such short lifespans. Buffalo Springfield lasted just two years, releasing three records and one hit single. The group was lead by three men with huge egos, all of whom would go on to make significant impacts on the rock world in their own right. Neil Young, Stephen Stills and Richie Furay were the three guitarists, with Stills singing his own songs and Neil's songs split between Richie and himself. Bruce Palmer played bass and Dewey Martin played drums, although anyone could really have filled those roles, I think. Palmer and Martin never really stand out as important pieces of a band that seemed cursed from the start.

Their first record, however, has the image of a functioning, working band. The songs, even on the first version, are brilliant, even if the love songs seem to stand on the side of being excruciatingly cliche. How Atco decided songs like "Go And Say Goodbye", "Flying On The Ground Is Wrong" and "Hot Dusty Roads" were unsuitable for single releases is insane.

Stills and Young's songs (especially Young's) are vastly different from songs they would write later in their careers, but they are still great. Young's love songs dominate the record, with Furay singing the majority of them. It's hard to believe that the same man who wrote all those nasty songs on On The Beach is the same man who wrote the beautiful "Do I Have To Come Right Out And Say It". Stills' love songs are much less conventional, but his early brilliance doesn't show until the Furay-sung "For What It's Worth" came out.
"For What It's Worth" came out after the initial issue of Buffalo Springfield as a single-only track. Atco felt that since the original version didn't sell so well, rather than include it on their next album, they would just re-issue Buffalo Springfield with song added at the beginning (screwing up the fantastic intro that is "Go And Say Goodbye") and take off "Baby Don't Scold Me", which was easily the worst song on the album.
The CD version of the album includes the mono version of the original album and the stereo version of the second version on one disc. This means that we miss the mono version of "For What It's Worth" and the stereo version of "Baby Don't Scold Me" (both versions of the album had mono and stereo versions). It's not that big a loss, but considering that even with both editions of the album on one disc, there's still twenty minutes of disc space left, they would have made nice bonus cuts.
I think the album is pretty good, but it's not really one of the greatest ever. None of the songs on this album that aren't on their hits set are revelations. Their next album is where it's at, though.

Album of the Day #175: BIGGER THAN BOTH OF US - Daryl Hall & John Oates

2009-12-20T09:40:00.000-05:00

Artist: Daryl Hall & John Oates

Title: Bigger Than Both Of Us

Year: 1976

Label: RCA

Songs: Back Together Again*/Rich Girl**/Crazy Eyes*/Do What You Want, Be What You Are+/Kerry++/London, Luck & Love ^/Room To Breathe^/You'll Never Learn+/Falling**

Written by: *John Oates, **Daryl Hall, +Daryl Hall & John Oates, ++Daryl Hall & Sam Dees and ^Sara Allen, Daryl Hall & John Oates

Produced by: Christopher Bonds

Thoughts: Bigger Than Both Of Us is a good record, showing Hall & Oates at the height of their mid-70s creativity. During this period, they got three hit singles, "She's Gone", "Sara Smile" and "Rich Girl", before languishing at the bottom of the charts, only to come back in the early '80s.

This album might feel a little empty - it's just nine songs and runs barely 35 minutes - but it's got some great material. Aside from "Rich Girl", side one is pretty bland, with the really cheese-ball "Do What You Want, Be What You Are" and John's terrible '60s tribute opener "Back Together Again". It does end with "Kerry", which is a lot better than the side two opener, "London, Luck & Love". The rest of side two actually features a string of great songs. Daryl's rocker "Room To Breathe" and John's really cool "You'll Never Learn" are great. Daryl's extended closer, "Falling", is pretty interesting. It's kind of like "Everytime I Look At You" on Abandoned Luncheonette except with synthesizers.

There's really not much to say about this record other than it's a cool one and if you like Hall & Oates, you should have no problem enjoying this one.

Album of the Day #174: MUD SLIDE SLIM AND THE BLUE HORIZON - James Taylor

2009-12-09T21:10:00.004-05:00

Artist: James Taylor

Title: Mud Slide Slim And The Blue Horizon

Year: 1971

Label: Warner Bros.

Songs: Love Has Brought Me Around/You've Got A Friend*/Places In My Past/Riding On A Rail Road/Soldiers/Mud Slide Slim/Hey Mister, That's Me Up On The Jukebox/You Can Close Your Eyes/Machine Gun Kelly**/Long Ago And Far Away/Let Me Ride/Highway Song/Isn't It Nice To Be Home Again

Written by: James Taylor, except *by Carole King and **by Danny Kortchmar

Produced by: Pater Asher

Thoughts: To start his career, JT put together a fantastic string of three albums highlighted by fantastic singles and peaceful album tracks that could make even tensest person relax.

On James Taylor and Sweet Baby James, Taylor provides the fresh air that many records lacked. They're relaxing embraces of peace and quiet. Plus, it's just the stuff that laid the ground-work for the singer/songwriter explosion that he found himself at the head of.

However, Mud Slide Slim And The Blue Horizon is a much more laid-back affair that features songs that beg for release. It's obvious that Taylor wants to escape the fame he's found. "Riding On A Rail Road" on side one and practically the entirety of side two is just Taylor begging to go back to the homes he's familiar with. It's like he took "Carolina In My Mind" and extended it by a half-hour. The wonderful thing about this album's lyrics, though, is that even though so many of these songs focus on the same topic, they are so varied that you almost never realize it. "Riding On A Rail Road" is akin to "Sweet Baby James" and "Fire And Rain", but "Let Me Ride" is more like the rockers that he would write throughout the rest of the 1970's.

The remaining songs are as amazing as you might expect them. From the rousing opening of "Love Has Brought Me Around" to the sad story of a lost soul in "Hey Mister, That's Me Up On The Jukebox", JT covers a lot of ground. There's also three centerpieces to this record: the two singles and the title track. Carole King's "You've Got A Friend" is timeless no matter who does it, but the way he sings it is even more tender and (dare I say) 'genuine' than King's version. You genuinely believe that Taylor is going to escape that piece of plastic and help you through your troubles. "Long Ago And Far Away" is a touching story that only Taylor could sing. Then, there's the side one closer, "Mud Slide Slim". Now, this is what I'm talking about. Everything about Taylor that I love is wrapped up in it - from the great lyrics to his amazing vocals. I love the way he sings "'Cause there's nothing like the sound of sweet soul music/To change a young lady's mind...". That's a classic line.

Maybe I'm gushing over this record too much, but it's hard to find fault in a record I enjoy so much. I will say that the album could use a really good clean-up by Warner. It's a shame that neither this album nor Sweet Baby James has ever been re-issued in a superior form. The vinyl version of this album sounds so crisp and intimate that it puts the CD to shame.

Album of the Day #173: IMAGINE - John Lennon

2009-12-08T17:58:00.003-05:00

Artist: John Lennon

Title: Imagine

Year: 1971

Label: Apple/EMI

Songs: Imagine/Crippled Inside/Jealous Guy/It's So Hard/I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier/Gimmie Some Truth/Oh My Love*/How Do You Sleep?/How?/Oh Yoko!

Written by: John Lennon, except *by John Lennon & Yoko Ono

Produced by: John & Yoko and Phil Spector

Thoughts: Despite the fact that the world reveres the title track, the album itself is not perfect. Its ten tracks are heavily produced, with Spector's "Wall of Sound" being more intrusive than on any other solo Beatle record he produced. It truly is amazing, considering the stripped down approach that we are all so thankful he gave John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band.

To me, the number one transgression is the over-use of strings. Hard, dirty blues songs like "It's So Hard" does not need strings. It completely wrecks the song. The only good thing that John did with Elephant's Memory was the rocked-out version of the song on Live In New York.

The best part of the record, though, is George Harrison's incredible solos. His solo in "How Do You Sleep?" is just breathtaking. (Thankfully it overtakes Spector's strings.) Then there's his dobro playing on "Crippled Inside".

John's songwriting is also at a peak here. He matured from the straightforward, emotional "laying-it-all-out" style of Plastic Ono Band to a more commercial style. You might think this doesn't work, but it results in songs like "How?" where you don't know whether the singer is emotionally lost or just in love. "Imagine" is "Give Peace A Chance", but without the silly mantra and "Gimmie Some Truth" is, like the Plastic Ono Band songs, blatant and in your face (plus, it's a perfect side two opener). "I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier" overstays its welcome a bit (it's kind of like Imagine's "Well Well Well"), but then there's "Oh My Love", probably one of John's best love songs.

All in all, I think Imagine does deserve to up there with the greats. It's not as good as Plastic Ono Band, but it gets the job done, despite being a mixed bag (a very good, incredibly awesome mixed bag).

Top 5 Worst Beatles Solo Albums

2009-12-04T09:26:00.003-05:00

It's true that the Beatles, especially after they broke up, are not immortal. They made some serious mistakes after they separated, so this list is to celebrate their worst of the worst!

BAD BOY - Ringo Starr, 1978 - Of course, Ringo was going to get the top spot. There is nothing rewarding about listening to this album. From the terror of his "Where Did Our Love Go?" to the freak-show "Monkey See - Monkey Do". Maybe "Old Time Relovin'" is good, but one song does not make an album good.
PIPES OF PEACE - Paul McCartney, 1982 - At some point of your career, you have to make a truly unlistenable album. Paul came close throughout the 1970's with Wings, but at least Wild Life came with a few rewards. Pipes Of Peace has nothing rewarding. The songs might seem enjoyable on the surface, but that's all they are. There's nothing here that goes beyond the surface. Sure, Paul isn't the Beatle we expect to be introspective, but things like "Sweetest Little Show" or "The Other Me" don't help fix Paul's reputation.
SOME TIME IN NEW YORK CITY/LIVE JAM - John & Yoko/Plastic Ono Band, 1972 - The year 1972 was the worst year for the Beatles in the 1970s. Aside from Paul's three bizarre singles and Ringo's "Back Off Boogaloo", Some Time In New York City was the only Beatles release of the year. This is truly a terrible record from start to finish. The fact that John only has three solo lead vocal jobs doesn't help. On top of that, none of them are his best. "Woman Is The Nigger Of The World" is easily the worst protest song he ever wrote. "John Sinclair" is good, only because of his steel guitar playing. "New York City" is a rambling, pointless sequel to "The Ballad Of John & Yoko". As for Yoko's songs....well, at least "Sisters O Sisters" has a good rhythm.
RINGO THE 4TH - Ringo Starr, 1977 - When I first got this, I thought this was the worst Beatles solo record...then I heard the above and figured out that it could get worse. Anyway, the thing abouth Ringo The 4th, aside from the fact that it's numerically incorrect, is that Ringo's voice is totally shot. The songs themselves are actually half-way decent ("Sneaking Sally Through The Alley" and "Can She Do It Like She Dances?" are actually two of my favorite Ringo songs), but Ringo just sounds drunk out of his mind for the majority of the record.
DRIVING RAIN - Paul McCartney, 2001 - The trouble with Driving Rain is that it's just too god-damned long. There's some fantastic material on it ("About You", "Lonely Road", "She's Given Up Talking", "Your Way" and "From A Lover To A Friend"), but there's so much crap hanging around it ("Riding To Jaipur", "Back In The Sunshine", "Driving Rain" and "Spinning On An Axis"). On top of that, Paul's voice, like Ringo's on Ringo The 4th, is shot. He strains it to the point where you can feel it hurt.

Wow, that was actually harder than I thought it was going to be. Why no George? Well, I honestly don't think he ever made a truly bad record. Dark Horse and EXTRA TEXTURE have some pretty bad moments, but overall, I find them enjoyable records. Also, the avant garde John & Yoko albums don't count, simply because I don't have them. Because of that, I think it would have been unfair to consider George's Electronic Sound. Archival releases also had to be thrown out (which really just means that I couldn't consider John's Anthology, since that's the only real 'archival' release by any of them). Finally, Give My Regards To Broad Street could have been thrown in, but that's a soundtrack with only three new songs and the majority of those re-recorded were Beatles songs.

Album of the Day #172: PRIVATE EYES - Daryl Hall & John Oates

2009-12-03T18:53:00.003-05:00

Artist: Daryl Hall & John Oates

Title: Private Eyes

Year: 1981

Label: RCA

Songs: Private Eyes [Sara Allen, Janna Allen, Daryl Hall & Warren Pash]/Looking For A Good Sign [Daryl Hall]/I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)/Mano A Mano [John Oates]/Did It In A Minute [Sara Allen, Janna Allen & Daryl Hall]/Head Above Water/Tell Me What You Want [Sara Allen & Daryl Hall]/Friday Let Me Down/Unguarded Minute/You Imagination [Daryl Hall]/Some Men [Daryl Hall]

Written by: Sara Allen, Daryl Hall & John Oates, except where noted

Produced by: Daryl Hall, John Oates & Neil Kernon

Thoughts: If there's one album by Hall & Oates that should be in everyone's collection, it is easily Private Eyes. Seriously, the three singles on this album are probably the best of the early 1980s and 28 years later, they're just as powerful.

The fact that there's no filler here also helps. None of these songs feel like throwaways, although the fact that Daryl is the more prolific of the two is annoyingly evident. John gets just one solo credit, "Mano A Mano", which is the silliest track on the record, but also a pretty good one. It, along with "Friday Let Me Down", is his only lead vocal, meaning that his role in the duo is rather questionable. He doesn't provide a unique sound to the backing vocals, which turn out to sound like the most robotic, dated parts of the album, behind Daryl.

To me, this is the one annoying piece of Hall & Oates. Based on the six albums that I have, they don't consistently create a unique harmony, like the ones that we associate with some of the classic duos (The Everly Brothers and The Righteous Brothers come to mind). It always feels like they simply take turns singing lead on a song. Thankfully, the two have such distinct vocals that it makes the songs vary from one to the next, but the beautiful harmonies we hear on "Sara Smile", "She's Gone" and "Rich Girl" don't creep up to much on this album or the next.

The singles on Private Eyes are as good as anything else. "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" is one of the most haunting singles ever and probably the only time a drum machine was put to good use. "Private Eyes" is a fantastic opener and "Did It In A Minute" has a fantastic hook ("Ya did it, ya did it, ya did it in a minute!"). Although there are no songs on here that could have also been singles, the album tracks are still great pop gems. "Looking For A Good Sign", "Tell Me What You Want" and "Your Imagination" are definitely highlights.

It is also interesting that the overall album does have a very dark tone, with songs about rejected love and stalkers, but isn't that what all '80s songs are about?

Album of the Day #171: TAPESTRY - Carole King

2009-11-11T21:16:00.004-05:00

Artist: Carole King

Title: Tapestry

Year: 1971

Label: Ode

Songs: I Feel The Earth Move/So Far Away/It's Too Late*/Home Again/Beautiful/Way Over Yonder/You've Got A Friend/Where You Lead*/Will You Love Me Tomorrow**/Smackwater Jack**/Tapestry/(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman+

Written by: Carole King, except *Carole King & Toni Stern, **Gerry Goffin & Carole King and +Gerry Goffin, Carole King & Jerry Wexler

Produced by: Lou Adler

Thoughts: Carole King was the writer of so many amazing hits throughout the sixties with her then-husband, Gerry Goffin, but she had never had any success as a performer herself until Tapestry.

The album has since proven to be a cultural phenomenon that has survived over the years simply because it's pretty hard for such beautiful songs to age. This twelve song platter is really a kind of 'greatest hits' for King and it features many of the songs that were already familiar hits for others ("Will You Love Me Tomorrow" and "...Natural Woman" were standards by 1971 and James Taylor just had a hit with "You've Got A Friend"). It was kind of like her Freewheelin' album.

To try to pick a favorite from this album is a really tough thing to do, but if you really wanted me to chose, I would have to say "It's Too Late". It's such an amazing song about pain and heartbreak and, for some reason, those are the kind of songs I like. Of the obscure songs on the album, which in reality are those that weren't released as singles, "Home Again" is pretty good and the title track is really something else.

The truth about Tapestry is that it is literally a Murderer's Row of songs. I really love King's voice and would like to pick up a few more of her records, but she never reached the heights of Tapestry again. You have to admit, it certainly doesn't help when you unload all of your best songs on one album. Still, that's what makes Tapestry so great...song after song you already know. Plus, it means that there's no filler...all killer and in this case, the killer is a little Jewish girl from Brooklyn.

Top 10 Solo Beatles Records

2009-11-08T13:34:00.004-05:00

While it is very difficult to make a list of the top 5 Beatles albums, since they are all of fantastic quality, it isn't too hard to do a list of the top 10 solo Beatles records. So, without further ado, here are my personal (note the emphasis on personal) top 10 solo Beatles records:

Walls And Bridges - John Lennon (1974) - I have always felt that this is the one album that comes bizarrely close to what John had accomplished with The Beatles. If you can assign song 'types' to John's Beatles songs, there is one of everything on Walls And Bridges. There is the fantastic pop single ("Whatever Gets You Thru The Night"), the avant-garde nonsense ("#9 Dream"), the attack song ("Steel And Glass") and the insecure autobiographical climax ("Nobody Loves You...").
RAM - Paul & Linda McCartney (1971) - RAM works on so many ridiculous levels that it's amazing. Paul's whimsical side is given a steady dose of rock, accentuated by the staggering lead guitar of David Spinozza. The amount of musical styles Paul covers may make one think of the album as inconsistent, but if you can separate the songs, you realize each one has its' rewards.
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band - John Lennon (1970) – This album is in a league of its own. Sure, it might be the most emotional album any Beatle, or perhaps, musician has ever made, but the album lacks accessibility and is very hard to listen to on a regular basis. But, that’s what makes it so great – it tells the truths no one wanted to hear.
All Things Must Pass - George Harrison (1970) – George truly broke out with this album, pouring his heart and soul into it. The trouble is its length – a few songs could have been cut, like the second version of “Isn’t It A Pity” or the unremarkable jam disc.
Brainwashed - George Harrison (2002) – If you compare this to Double Fantasy, Brainwashed is the clear winner. Every song is fantastic and it makes you realize that George was taken from us far too early.
Back To The Egg - Wings (1979) – This is probably the dark horse of this list, but I think the album does have a decent amount of fantastic songs that allows it to hang around with the best of the Beatles’ solo records. Its trouble is the lack of completeness in some of the songs – imagine how great a fully developed “Love Awake” would sound? Or if “Spin It On” was more than just an awesome guitar riff?
Imagine - John Lennon (1971) – The one problem I have with Imagine as an album is that Spector went to town on it. If you thought “The Long And Winding Road” was saturated to the point of sappy, then you’re a person who probably doesn’t care for Imagine too much. (There is NO EXCUSE for “It’s So Hard” to have strings! NONE!) What saves it, though, is the fact that John’s songwriting is top-notch and the fact that the “Wall of Sound” is absent in both the title track and “Oh My Love” (one of John’s most beautiful songs).
RINGO - Ringo Starr (1973) – I had to get Ringo on the list. The truth is that he made some great albums, but only RINGO deserves to mingle with the best of the best. It’s filled with great singles, wonderful appearances from just about every important rock star in 1973 and you can’t forget Paul’s kazoo.
Band On The Run - Paul McCartney & Wings (1973) – Band On The Run is a classic to the point of cliché, but you have to admit that it’s great. There are a few bumps in the road (“No Words” anyone? I’ve never been a fan of “Let Me Roll It”, either), but there’s just too much good stuff on this.
Cloud Nine - George Harrison (1985) – George really swung for the fences on this one. Sure, it’s a Jeff Lynne production, which makes it sound very Jeff Lynne-y, but again, George wrote some great songs that are just so good that Lynne’s production doesn’t get in the way. (I limited myself to just two Jeff Lynne Beatle albums, both by George, because, let’s face it, they're both better than Flaming Pie.) Plus, it’s got “Got My Mind Set On You,” the last solo Beatle #1.

Honorable mentions: Tug Of War (Paul McCartney; 1982)/Mind Games (John Lennon; 1973)/Living In The Material World (George Harrison; 1973)/Flowers in the Dirt (Paul McCartney; 1989)/RingoRama (Ringo Starr; 2002)/Chaos And Creation In The Backyard (Paul McCartney; 2005)/Goodnight Vienna (Ringo Starr; 1974)/Somewhere In England (George Harrison; 1981)/Run Devil Run (Paul McCartney; 1999)/London Town (Wings; 1977)

Album of the Day #170: CHRISTMAS IN THE HEART - Bob Dylan

2009-10-31T11:50:00.005-04:00

Artist: Bob Dylan

Title: Christmas In The Heart

Year: 2009

Label: Columbia

Songs: Here Comes Santa Claus [Gene Autry & Oakley Haldeman]/Do You Hear What I Hear? [Gloria Shayne Baker & Noel Regney]/Winter Wonderland [Felix Bernard & Richard Smith]/Hark The Herald Angels Sing [Trad./Arr. by Bob Dylan]/I'll Be Home For Christmas [Walter Kent, Kim Gannon & Buck Ram]/Little Drummber Boy [Kathrine Davis, Henry Onorati & Harry Simeone]/The Christmas Blues [Sammy Cahn & David Jack Holt]/O' Come All Ye Faithful (Adeste Fideles) [Trad./Arr. by Bob Dylan]/Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas [Ralph Blane & High Martin]/Must Be Santa [William Fredericks & Hal Moore]/Silver Bells [Raymond Evans & Jay Livingston]/The First Noel [Trad./Arr. by Bob Dylan]/Christmas Island [Lyle Moraine]/The Christmas Song [Mel Torme & Bob Wells]/O' Little Town Of Bethlehem [Trad./Arr. by Bob Dylan]

Produced by Jack Frost

Thoughts: When rumors of a Bob Dylan Christmas record started, I quickly thought it was a joke and didn't think it was possible. Then, it happened and I figured I would laugh through all 45 minutes of it and completely ignore the fact that it might just not be that good.

Simply put, it's not that good. The record is certainly entertaining, though. I don't think Dylan himself is probably thinking of it as a serious studio album that should be put in the same category as Blonde on Blonde, Blood On The Tracks or "Love And Theft". In fact, I don't think it should be allowed within a ten-mile radius of those albums...it's better off hanging out with Dylan And The Dead.

Now, I don't think it's as horrid or as unlistenable as that disgusting record, especially since Christmas In The Heart at least has some charm to it. There's the fantastic "Here Comes Santa Claus" opening, the terrific "Little Drummer Boy" (which definitely is the best track here) and the beauty in "I'll Be Home For Christmas" and "Silver Bells".

Christmas In The Heart is definitely the first album since Under The Red Sky to not receive unanimous critical acclaim. The press seems divided into two camps: there's the people that think it's a complete joke or the people that think it's another example of Dylan exploring 'America's roots' and gave the album five stars. Personally, I'm a little half-and-half on it. As I said, there's some absolutely hilarious tracks ("Must Be Santa" is especially side-splitting, as Dylan name-checks every President since Nixon in the final verse) and then you have the religious Christmas tracks that Dylan appears to take completely seriously ("O' Little Town Of Bethlehem" is one of Dylan's great closing moments).

If you really like Christmas records, I say there's no reason not to get this, just so you can hear what a craggy old man sounds like singing Christmas carols (and you won't have to go to a retirement home to do it!). For those Uncle Scrooges of the world, you certainly won't want this. Oh, and if you are actually having trouble deciding if you should get the deluxe or the regular editions, get the regular. The deluxe just comes in a sleeve like Together Through Life, but the lone extra is a pack of five greeting cards with the album cover and envelopes!

#169: NILSSON SINGS NEWMAN - Harry Nilsson

2009-10-30T17:19:00.003-04:00

Artist: Harry Nilsson

Title: Nilsson Sings Newman

Year: 1970

Label: RCA

Songs: Vine St./Love Story/Yellow Man/Caroline/Cowboy/The Beehive State/I'll Be Home/Living Without You/Dayton, Ohio 1903/So Long Dad

Written by: Randy Newman

A Nilsson House Production

Thoughts: While Nilsson's first three albums seem to build on top of each other, Nilsson Sings Newman, his fourth, features an entirely different sound. Gone is the Spector-esque Wall Of Sound, as is the whimsical originality of Nilsson's own songs. Instead, it is replaced by the cynical songwriting and sly piano playing of a young Randy Newman.

The stark contrast makes the album seem, at least at first, like a disappointment. Nilsson was at the forefront of the pop world at the time, writing numerous songs that became hits for other people. Now, he was the one taking someone else's songs and making them accessible to the average buyer. However, if you forget that Nilsson is a songwriter himself, and you just think of him as a beautiful singer, you realize quickly that this album is a hallmark of 1970. The fact of the matter is that no one else was making a record like this in 1970. While it lead to a chart flop, it was a critical success in its time (it was actually named 1970's "Record of the Year" by Stereo Magazine).

For Nilsson, who doesn't play a single instrument on the record, these songs prove to be fantastic vocal exercises, from the harsh power of "Cowboy" to the heartbreaking command in "I'll Be Home". The remarkable thing is that the only voice you hear on this record is Harry's. The choir in "I'll Be Home" is all Harry and the backups in "Living Without You" is all Harry.

For Randy Newman, this record gave him a chance to get his name to a wider audience. He had been making records for a few years before this (in fact, only "Caroline" was specifically written for Nilsson), but never had any of the success that Nilsson was having. His piano-playing on the record also proves that this really should be billed as a "Harry Nilsson & Randy Newman" album. If Nilsson is the mouth, Newman is the heart. The best example of this is in "Living Without You", easily the best track here. As Nilsson belts out this ridiculous vocal performance, Newman's piano follows along, pumping like a heartbeat as Nilsson brings his vocal up. "Cowboy" also features some fantastic playing and so does the rest of the record.

There is also this really unique feature with this album. If you listen to it with headphones, you get the effect of hearing Newman's piano the way Nilsson did as he was singing in the studio. The piano is mixed so far behind the vocal that it sounds like it's in another room. Also, in a typically bizarre Nilsson way, some of Newman's talking was left in the master, so, for example, during the fade-out of "So Long Dad", you hear Newman instructing Nilsson on how to sing the end.

Simply put, this album is just an incredible listening experience. The only bad part - it lasts just over 25 minutes.

Feeding America "Christmas In the Heart"

2009-10-22T09:44:00.001-04:00

Sabbatical

2009-09-13T18:28:00.002-04:00

I'm taking a little break from "Album Of The Day". It's been a great run and it will continue, but right now I want to put all my energy to college and Every Little Thing! I hope all the members of the audience I built here can be transferred to that site, where I'm writing on every Beatles song. Thanks and I hope to see (and read from) you there!

The Beatles Remasters

2009-09-12T07:35:00.002-04:00

In case you're hoping for a full write-up on the stereo box set, I don't plan on doing one. Instead, I'm working on re-starting Every Little Thing. I already kicked it into gear with "Don't Bother Me" yesterday, so go check it out!

Remembering 9/11

2009-09-11T00:00:00.001-04:00

This is my right, a right given by God
To live a free life, to live in Freedom
Talkin' about Freedom
I'm Talkin' bout Freedom
I will fight, for the right
To live in Freedom

Anyone, who tries to take it away
Will have to answer, Cause this is my right

I'm talkin' about Freedom
I'm Talkin' bout Freedom
I will fight, for the right
To live in Freedom, yeah oh

Talkin' about Freedom
I'm talkin' bout Freedom
I will fight, for the right
To live in Freedom

Everybody talkin' bout Freedom
We're Talkin' bout Freedom
We will fight, for the right
To live in Freedom

Talkin' bout freedom
I'm talkin bout freedom
I will fight, for the right
To live in Freedom

I'm talkin' about Freedom
I'm talkin' about Freedom
We will fight, for the right
To live in Freedom

Paul McCartney's song "Freedom", performed at the Concert For New York City may be a little cheesy eight years later, but the fact remains: It's a nice little summation of people's feelings in the immediate months after September 11, 2001.

Now, this is primarily a music blog of course, but I would really like to publish my memories of that fateful day. Of course, anyone who would like to share anything here is fine with me. I welcome anyone to do so.

On September 11, 2001, I was at least a week into my first year of Junior High. It was East Junior High School in Brockton, Massachusetts. (For those that don't know, Brockton is a city about a 40 minute drive south of Boston.) It happened in the morning, as we all remember, so I was in my social science class, being held in the library. I remember about half-way through the class, another teacher ran in with a radio, interrupting whatever my teacher was covering. We couldn't turn on a television, since none of the TVs were plugged in and only connected to VCRs. After we heard all the commotion on the radio, the principal came on the intercom and explained to everyone what was happening. We finished the day out, so the first time I actually saw footage was around 2:00 that afternoon.

I remember that there was a lot of attention paid to Boston, especially since it was where the planes started. They lifted-off from Boston and I just remember how nuts that all was.

Anyway, I don't know anyone who knew someone who was there, but now that I go to a university in New York, I've heard a lot more from people who were so close to the event. Even though that's the case, being in the Northeast at the time was really scary, I think, especially in the Boston area.

I just can't imagine how it must feel to have been actually affected by the event. It was just a shocking event and I can't believe how long ago it was. Eight years ago, I was just eleven years old and it really is true - I remember it like it was yesterday. Back then, I was still dead-set on the idea that I was going to be Disney's next top animator. Now, I'm going to a school on Long Island, majoring in journalism and doing stuff I never dreamed of!

Anyway, on September 11, 2009, just sit back and remind yourself of what happened. It's impossible to forget...so don't.

Album of the Day #168: HOTEL CALIFORNIA - Eagles

2009-09-07T11:06:00.004-04:00

Artist: Eagles

Title: Hotel California

Year: 1976

Label: Asylum

Songs: Hotel California [Don Felder, Glen Frey & Don Henley]/New Kid In Town [Glen Frey, Don Henley & J.D. Souther]/Life In The Fast Lane [Joe Walsh]/Wasted Time [Glen Frey & Don Henley]/Wasted Time (Reprise) [Glen Frey, Don Henley & Jim Ed Norman]/Victim Of Love [Don Felder, Glen Frey, Don Henley & J.D. Souther]/Pretty Maids All In A Row [Joe Walsh & Jim Vitale]/Try And Love Again [Randy Meisner]/The Last Resort [Glen Frey & Don Henley]

Produced by: Bill Szymczyk

Thoughts: Oh, Eagles...How you've some how become the epitome of all that I hate about classic rock radio. How I despise turning the radio on and hearing some random song from your first Greatest Hits record! Oh, the times I've contemplated committing suicide after hearing "Hotel California" for the billionth time!

...Sorry for the rude introduction, but I have never liked the Eagles, with their almost smug "I- Sound-Like-California" sound and this whole "easy going" garbage. You can tell me that they're great until you're blue in the face, but you're not going to get me to like the Eagles.

Thankfully, though, someone in the family bought Hotel California because otherwise, I would have ignored it for the rest of my life. Once you get beyond the annoying, over-played title-track, there are actually some fantastic album cuts and the other two singles (despite also being constant radio staples) are good. "Life In The Fast Lane" is something that just explains itself, with Walsh's killer lead guitar playing.

The album tracks I enjoy, particularly, are "Victim Of Love" and "Try And Love Again" (which easily could have been a fourth single). I think, though, the remaining tracks are a little overcooked. Both "Wasted Time" and "The Last Resort" overstay their welcome (particularly "Wasted Time", which is even given a string reprise to open the second side) and "Pretty Maids All In A Row" is saturated with strings to the point of rendering Walsh's vocal almost inaudible. Whenever I listen to this album, though, I want "The Last Resort" to be a little more punchy. It's long and doesn't really get that interesting, musically anyway.

I suppose if you already really love the Eagles, you probably own this album anyway. If you're not an Eagles fan, like me, I suppose this might be the only album of theirs you might want. I really have no plans on getting anything prior to Hotel California, just because I really don't want to hear all those singles again that I really don't care for.

Harry Nilsson Podcast

2009-09-06T08:54:00.002-04:00

You can find the brand new Journey Through Dark Heat podcast here.

Album of the Day #167: HARRY - Harry Nilsson

2009-08-31T18:49:00.009-04:00

Artist: Harry Nilsson

Title: HARRY

Year: 1969

Label: RCA

Songs: The Puppy Song/Nobody Cares About The Railroad Anymore/Open Your Window/Mother Nature's Son*/Fairfax Rag**/City Life**/Mournin' Glory Story/Maybe/Marchin' Down Broadway/I Guess The Lord Must Be In New York City/Rainmaker^/Mr. Bojangles^^/Simon Smith And The Amazing Dancing Bear+

Written by: Harry Nilsson, except *John Lennon & Paul McCartney, **Bill Martin, ^Harry Nilsson & Bill Martin, ^^Jerry Jeff Walker and +Randy Newman

A Nilsson House Production ("Open Your Window", "Mournin' Glory Story", "Marchin' Down Broadway" and "Rainmaker" produced by Rick Jarrard, remixed by Nilsson House Productions)

Thoughts: When you look at all the major artists out there, it truly is fascinating how many third albums prove to truly optimize everything there is to like about the artist.

HARRY, Nilsson's third album is exactly that. It defines Harry Nilsson as the wonderful songwriter and singer that reaches a dramatic climax with Nilsson Schmilsson. All the ingredients are there...the only thing missing was the commercial success to prove it.

The album kicks off with the amazingly cute "The Puppy Song" and then takes a complete left-turn with the old-timely "Nobody Cares About The Railroad Anymore". There's "Open Your Window", which, along with "Maybe" proves that he could pull off a fantastic, sentimental love song just as good as the next person. The rest of the originals are just as good, with the story of a homeless woman found in "Mournin' Glory Story" and the ode to American post-WWII optimism of "Marchin' Down Broadway". The single was the very pretty "I Guess The Lord Must Be In New York City". The song borrows a little bit of "Everybody's Talkin'"'s melody, but other than that, it is easily one of Nilsson's best songs.

Although Ariel Ballet had only one cover ("Everybody's Talkin'"), HARRY has five. "Mother Nature's Son" is a very faithful reading of The Beatles number, save for the interesting idea of swapping the brass for a full string section. Bill Martin's "Fairfax Rag" and "City Life" are perfect for Nilsson and fit well into the sense of nostalgic Americana that runs through the album. Martin also wrote "Rainmaker" with Nilsson. The fantastic track is too impressive for the fate RCA gave it (throwing a completely different mix on the B-Side of "Everybody's Talkin'") and easily proves that "Jump Into The Fire" was not the first time Nilsson rocked it out. Great performances of "Mr. Bojangles" and Randy Newman's "Simon Smith And The Amazing Dancing Bear" conclude the album.

HARRY proves that before "Without You" and the success of Nilsson Schmilsson, Nilsson was a force to be reckoned with. I only wish it had a better chart showing. Although "I Guess The Lord..." hit #40 on Billboard, the album itself stalled at #120. It really makes me wish I was around in 1969 to knock some sense into the people that bought the "I Guess The Lord..." 45 without buying the LP.

Album of the Day #166: SURF'S UP - The Beach Boys

2009-08-24T18:46:00.005-04:00

Artist: The Beach Boys

Title: Surf's Up

Year: 1971

Label: Brother/Reprise (now licensed to Capitol)

Songs: Don't Go Near The Water [Mike Love & Alan Jardine]/Long Promised Road [Carl Wilson & Jack Rieley]/Take A Load Off Your Feet [Alan Jardine & Gary Winfrey]/Disney Girls (1957) [Bruce Johnston]/Student Demonstration Time [Based on "Riot In Cell Block #9" by Mike Stoller & Jerry Leiber; New Lyrics by Mike Love]/Feel Flows [Carl Wilson & Jack Rieley]/Lookin' At Tomorrow (A Welfare Song) [Alan Jardine & Gary Winfrey]/A Day In The Life Of A Tree [Brian Wilson & Jack Rieley]/'Til I Die [Brian Wilson]/Surf's Up [Brian Wilson & Van Dyke Parks]

Produced by: The Beach Boys

Thoughts: Surf's Up is an album built on ironies. The Beach Boys were at the point of wanting to eradicate all expectations, so why not release an album with a title that conjures up happiness and days of summers long past....and a cover that featured a tired Indian on a worn-out horse based on a statue called End Of The Trail?

The Beach Boys are a group whose fame is built on energetic, positive songs of summer fun....so why not record an album with none of those songs on it?

How does this come together as one of the greatest albums of the 1970's? I don't know but it works...and boy, does it work well.

Mike & Al's ecologically conscious "Don't Go Near The Water" starts the album. This is another bizarre irony. Considering the first years of the Boys' existence were spent ushering people to the beach, this tells you to run away! The lyrics leave much to be desired ("Don't go near the water/Ain't it sad/What's happened to the water/Our water's goin' bad"), but the perfect harmonies and that wonderful ending certainly help out a lot. The remaining Mike songs aren't that good, what with the embarrassing and immediately dated "Student Demonstration Time". Al's "Take A Load Off Your Feet", a Sunflower outtake, is funny enough, but feels out of place around all these topical songs. "A Welfare Song" is a short piece that works perfectly as a companion to Carl's amazing "Long Promised Road". Speaking of Carl....

Like Dennis, Carl wasn't one of the Boys who was expected to flourish as a songwriter. On Surf's Up, though, Carl finally gets his shot. "Long Promised Road" and "Feel Flows" are easily the highlights of the record, although the majority of the lyrics were written by manager Jack Rieley. I really think "Long Promised Road" is the centerpiece of the record. At a time when most band's singles could run well over five minutes, filled with guitar solos to no end, the Boys come out with this powerhouse number at 3:33. Thankfully, the Boys aren't just another rock band.

Bruce's sole contribution is his nostalgic trip through time "Disney Girls (1957)". The beauty of the track lies in its' production. There are sparse backing vocals, allowing Bruce to give, probably, his best vocal performance as a Beach Boy.

Finally, the album concludes with Brian's trilogy. "A Day In The Life Of A Tree" is probably as autobiographical as Brian would ever get in a song, but the vocals are handled by Rieley! Why? The story goes because Brian thought "he sounded like a tree"! Van Dyke Parks even makes an appearance during the ending, with Brian making a quick cameo.

"'Til I Die" is easily one of the most heartbreaking songs you will ever hear. It's just amazing, proving that Brian's talents as an arranger, producer, songwriter and vocalist never left him.

The album finishes with the SMiLE demo "Surf's Up". The majority of it was recorded during the original 1966 sessions, with bass, vocal and synth overdubs. Carl's 1971 lead vocal, added to Brian's 1966 vocal is interesting, but it pales in comparison to Brian's original demo on the Good Vibrations box set. A short piece, called "Child Is The Father Of The Man", ends the track, which is perfect. There's a really cool story in Peter Ames Carlin's book Catch A Wave, about the sessions when the Boys were finishing the track in 1971. Brian initially refused to have anything to do with it, since it brought back tough memories of the SMiLE debacle, but when he heard that they couldn't figure out how to finish the song, he relented and ran to the studio (just downstairs in his house) to perform a quick rendition of "Child Is The Father...".

Surf's Up probably is one ingredient short of perfect, though. It's missing Dennis. Reiley was worried that the album would be too Wilson-heavy and Dennis' songs were the casualties. "4th Of July", "Lady (Fallin' In Love)" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice To Live Again" were all shortlisted for the album. "4th Of July" is a beautiful, short number that would have fit perfectly on the album and appears on Good Vibrations. "Lady" was the flip-side to the Dennis Wilson & Rumbo 45 in 1970 (and a new version was recently released on the Summer Love Songs compilation). "Wouldn't It Be Nice To Live Again" has not only never been officially released, but it's never been bootlegged. Dennis wanted to close the album with it, thinking it would be a perfect segue from "'Til I Die", but Carl fought for "Surf's Up" to take that spot. All this is really annoying, considering the album's 33 minute run-time!

Still, Surf's Up is a fantastic record and it helps that it's packed with Sunflower on CD.

Album of the Day #165: SUNFLOWER - The Beach Boys

2009-08-24T09:05:00.005-04:00

Artist: The Beach Boys

Title: Sunflower

Label: Brother/Reprise (now licensed to Capitol)

Year: 1970

Songs: Slip On Through [Dennis Wilson]/This Whole World [Brian Wilson]/Add Some Music To Your Day [Brian Wilson, Joe Knott & Mike Love]/Got To Know That Woman [Dennis Wilson]/Deidre [Bruce Johnston & Brian Wilson]/It's About Time [Dennis Wilson, Bob Burchman & Alan Jardine]/Tears In The Morning [Bruce Johnston]/All I Wanna Do [Brian Wilson & Mike Love]/Forever [Dennis Wilson & Gregg Jakobson]/Our Sweet Love[Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson & Alan Jardine]/At My Window [Alan Jardine & Brian Wilson]/Cool, Cool Water [Brian Wilson & Mike Love]

Produced by: The Beach Boys

Thoughts: There are some albums that defy description. There is no other way to describe it other than listing the entries in a Thesaurus for "awesome". Sunflower is easily one of these albums. My most recent listening of this album was with the new Capitol Vaults vinyl reissue, meaning that calling its' sound crystal clear would be an understatement.

The greatest thing about Sunflower is that it truly is a Beach Boys album. No single member of the group overshadows another. It's not Pet Sounds, where Brian was at a creative apex. All five members of the group add their unique talents that make the Beach Boys....well....The Beach Boys.

If there's one song on the album that proves this, it is "Add Some Music To Your Day", probably one of my favorite Beach Boys songs. All six get a shot at vocals, except Dennis. To me, it really epitomizes everything that the Beach Boys stood for, which was that you just needed some music and all would feel better.

While Dennis misses lead on "Add Some Music...", his creative burst that began on Friends goes super nova on this album. "Slip On Through", the amazing, grabbing opener and the funky "Got To Know That Woman" add to the frantic musical variety on side one. Then there's the amazing "Forever", written with future Pacific Ocean Blue co-producer Gregg Jakobson in the middle of side two. I probably don't have to go into details about how beautiful the song is, but you have to hear it in order to understand its' sheer beauty.

Brian co-wrote some amazing songs with Mike (particularly the haunting "All I Wanna Do") and Al, but probably his best contribution is the one-minute-fifty track "This Whole World", another jaw-dropping piece of music.

Carl only gets a writing credit on "Our Sweet Love", but his real showcase is the Dennis/Al song "It's About Time". Here, that rock 'n' roll voice that would develop over the Jack Reiley albums (Surf's Up, Carl & The Passions and Holland) makes its' amazing debut.

Al, for his part, has writing credits on some of the album's best songs, but unfortunately never gets to sing lead. Still, he is such an integral part of the harmonies that he did make audible contributions (particularly the "do-do-do"s in "Our Sweet Love").

Mike does his usual amazing vocals, especially with the really pretty performance on "All I Wanna Do". One of Mike's really amazing traits is his great bass vocal, which really helps the unique blend of harmonies on "Forever" all come together (and Brian's hi-parts towards the end of the song call for a shout-out).

Finally, there's Bruce, who co-wrote "Deirdre" with Brian and contributed his wonderful side two opener, "Tears In The Morning".

The album closes with "Cool, Cool Water", which had been in development since 1967. Parts of the SMiLE bit "I Love To Say Da Da" were worked into it and made it onto the final version you hear at the end of Sunflower. The song's inclusion convinced Warner that the album was releasable, but as an album filled to the brim with such good songs I don't know how they could have thought that the rest of the album was weak.

The album is available as a two-fer with Surf's Up, which was also just released by Capitol on vinyl. The new version of Sunflower is really something else. The LP is housed in a gatefold cover that almost replicates the original LP. Of course, the Warner and Reprise logos are now replaced by Capitol logos and the copyright information is edited, but otherwise everything is right there. That gatefold is easily one of my favorites! The inner sleeve is rather cute in that it replicates what the cover would have looked like had the Boys kept the Add Some Music title. This is a fun idea and kudos go out to whoever came up with it! The LP's label also replicates the orange Brother/Reprise labels that adorned all of the Boys' 1970s Reprise releases (with the Capitol logo, of course).

To sum up, buy this album now. Maybe my ears are clouded because I love the Beach Boys (probably a little too much), but I don't know how anyone could not like this album.

Why My Favorite Woodstock Was Created By A Guy Named Shultz

2009-08-19T18:30:00.006-04:00

The 40th anniversary of Woodstock just passed and you're probably wondering why I didn't write anything on it. To tell you the truth, I wasn't there, so obviously, how why would I appreciate it as much as people who were there do? I like a few of the groups that went there, but surprisingly, most of the artists that I know and love did not go. The Beatles weren't there. The Beach Boys, despite being at an artistic high, were so un-hip, they probably weren't even invited. Bob Dylan was in his "I want to be a family man" phase, recording Nashville Skyline and Self Portrait.

Lots of important events happened in 1969 that have already experienced their 40th or will experience it. Abbey Road and Yellow Submarine will reach 40. (The anniversary of Abbey Road's cover shot just passed.) Friends reaches 40. Nashville Skyline hits 40. Countless other great albums turn 40, too.

But, beyond music there's a lot of other, vastly more interesting things hit 40.

We sat through hours of moon landing coverage that bored us to death.

How about Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid turning 40? What a great film that is!

Monty Python's Flying Circus first aired in 1969 on the BBC. Now, where would we be without that show?

It's the birth of Wal-Mart! Ugh...

SALT I negotiations begin.

Sesame Street first aired. Rubber duckie, you're the one...

...and of course, Nixon became president.

So, I guess it's a hip thing to say that Woodstock didn't do anything. It's also hip to say that the Beatles really aren't any good (that's not true), that Citizen Kane really isn't that great a movie (maybe not the best ever, but it is a great movie) or that Disney has deteriorated to the point of making money off of rich brats (well, that is true). Still, the truth is that Woodstock was just an event. It was a very important event, mainly to those who were there. What political and/or world-changing events resulted from Woodstock? Not much. It was just a music festival where a large bunch of people experienced peace, love, drugs, mud and music. The fact that it was a singular event where some iconic musicians performed has to be one of the main reasons it gets attention....either that or the fact that so many of those who went are still alive.

Plus one other thing: I'm a journalism major and it really pains me to see all the news media swamped with covering these anniversaries. I think it's OK to say "Oh, today's the anniversary of Woodstock!", but to dwell on it like they did was more than just annoying. The moon landing was significantly more important and it got just as much coverage. Still, the fact remains, anniversaries are not news. They did not happen now. What I want to hear on the local news is what happened around the corner, the traffic and weather. What I want to hear on the national news and read in The New York Times is what's going on with the two wars we have, the recession, the problems in Iran, the problems in Africa, health care and whatever other important problems we have.

Now, I'm going to get off my mountain and go back to my music.

Album of the Day #164: McGEAR - Mike McGear

2009-08-13T07:27:00.003-04:00

Artist: Mike McGear

Title: McGear

Label: Warner Bros.

Year: 1974

Songs: Sea Breezes [Bryan Ferry]/What Do We Really Know? [Paul McCartney]/Norton/Leave It [Paul McCartney]/Have You Got Problems?/The Casket [Mike McCartney/Roger McGough]/Rainbow Lady/Simply Love You/Givin' Grease A Ride/The Man Who Found God On The Moon

Written by: Paul McCartney & Mike McGear, except where noted

Produced by: Paul McCartney

Thoughts: In 1974, Paul McCartney was apparently looking for something to do, just about the same time his younger brother, Mike, also known as Mike McGear, left his latest group (apparently called Grimms). So, Mike got Paul to produce a single "Leave It" for him, which lead to the creation of a full album, called McGear. Paul brought in Wings (Denny Laine, Linda McCartney & Jimmy McCullogh) and drummer Gerry Conway to do the basic tracks. He even co-wrote most of the album with Mike.

The set kicks off with a funky cover of Bryan Ferry's "Sea Breezes" (I'm not a Ferry fan, so I don't believe I've ever heard the original). McGear's vocals are very unique and nasal. Right away, though, Paul is using that unique vocal to his advantage. He's not going to push his brother into directions that he can't go, but Paul will put it to the test. The strings don't get in the way that much either. "What Do We Really Know?" is Mike's writing credit on the album. It's a speedy number, highlighted by fantastic drumming by Conway and lead guitar by McCollough. The funny thing is that towards the end, it becomes some fake gospel thing, what with the backing vocals (the unmistakable Denny/Linda harmony), before devolving into a jam. "Norton" is a funny track, probably coming from Mike's comedy heritage. "Leave It" was the single, and it's a very punchy track, accentuated by fantastic saxophones. It also features the entirety of the original Wings line-up, with Denny Seiwell (drummer on RAM, Wild Life & Red Rose Speedway) on drums. "Have You Got Problems?" closes the first side and it's like many of these songs. Paul is playing with tempo...where for one minute it seems like the songs is a slow barber-shop shuffle, the next minute it builds up speed, before it goes back to the saxes of the barber-shop.

"The Casket" is a somber number that opens side two and was written with poet Roger McGough, who collaborated with Mike throughout the latter half of the sixties (and also apparently wrote some of the dialogue in Yellow Submarine). Paddy Maloney's Aeolian pipes make the song definitely unique! "Rainbow Lady" is pretty nifty with some really cool synthesizer work (think Ringo's "Six O'Clock", another Paul song), credited to Linda. Paul also gives a heavy dose of fantastic backing vocals. "Simply Love You" is a silly love song (ha! literally) that really does nothing for me, although the bridge is pretty nifty. "Givin' Grease A Ride" is extremely funky, with great guitar work and punchy horns. It kind of feels like "Helen Wheels - Part II", but it is about a minute too long. The album finishes with "The Man Who Found God On The Moon", an artsy six-minute track that is a little over-blown and, like the last track, is much too long. The song seems a little formless, making it seem as if it's even longer. Still, the performance is pretty good and it's kind of cool to hear the brothers doing a duet towards the end.

I think this is a good album. Obviously, you're not going to mistake him for Paul, since Mike brings a less international-identity to his music. (It seems as if Mike has more trouble hiding his accent than Paul does while he sings.) Of course, it also is not something that anyone outside of the Beatle realm might even care to listen to. I picked it up at a Beatle convention on vinyl as it is nearly impossible to find the CD issued in 1992. This is the last time Mike would appear in the music business, as he went on to make his name as a photographer....and I'm pretty sure we all know what Paul went on to do.

Album of the Day #163: GLAD ALL OVER - The Dave Clark Five

2009-08-05T09:57:00.003-04:00

Artist: The Dave Clark Five

Title: Glad All Over (Featuring "Bits And Peices")

Label: Epic

Year: 1964

Songs: Glad All Over/All Of The Time/Stay [Maurice Williams]/Chaquita/Do You Love Me [Berry Gordy, Jr.]/Bits And Peices/I Know You [Dave Clark & Lenny Davidson]/No Time To Lose/Doo Dah [Clark & Ryan]/Time [Dave Clark & Lenny Davidson]/She's All Mine [Dave Clark]

Written by: Dave Clark & Mike Smith, except where noted

Produced by: Dave Clark

Thoughts: At the start of the British Invasion, there was probably only one group that could attempt to compete with the Beatles (before the Stones, of course) and that was the Dave Clark Five. Clark was a business man, so probably one of his finest accomplishments was having full control of his songs. He was a pretty good writer too, churning out a brilliant number of singles. He was never able to make a good, consistent LP though and the only way to get any of his music on CD is a fantastic 2 disc out-of-print hits collection called The History Of The Dave Clark Five, even after he was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.

The group gained fame in the US in early 1964, shortly after "I Want To Hold Your Hand" hit #1, with "Glad All Over". Of course, another single followed in the form of "Bits and Pieces" and then "Do You Love Me". Then, an album had to be made, assembled from his UK LPs by Epic, resulting in Glad All Over (Featuring "Bits And Pieces"). I have the LP (in glorious "Electronically Re-Channeled" [a.k.a.: FAKE!] Stereo) thanks to discovering it in my aunt's collection.

It kicks off with the title track, probably one of the most energetic, pounding and insane singles from the early sixties. "Glad All Over" is just a pure triumph of pop, summed up in two minutes. Right from the start, the Clark's drumming assault, combined with Danny Payton's perfect sax playing and Mike Smith's frantic vocal, make it pretty obvious that the DC5 is a unique group. The album tracks get a pretty cool start with the fantastic "All Of The Time", save for Lenny Davidson's bizarre guitar solo. I love the harmonies during the bridge ("Please don't make me blue..."). Following that is the strangest version of "Stay" I have ever heard. It sounds like Smith is being backed up by cavemen! Still, he manages to give an amazing performance. "Chaquita" is a fun, sly (kind of sexy) Latin-tinged instrumental, but more or less feels like all the other instrumentals on early sixties rock records, meaning that it's a junky filler.

Their fantastic "Do You Love Me" cover closes the first side. It's a pretty good take on it and obviously was another smash single for them.

The second side kicks off with easily one of my favorite singles of all time (I'm serious), "Bits and Peices". There's so much energy, what with the stomping percussion, great sax and insanely vocal by Smith! Surprisingly the second side is made up completely of originals, but where a side of Beatle originals is a treat to the ear, here it's kind of pedestrian stuff. "I Know You" is pretty good, but then you get something like "No Time To Lose", which is obviously a note-for-note rip-off of "Twist And Shout". Following that is the pure drivel and glop of pure shit that is "Doo Dah". There's no better way to describe this - I mean, what was Clark thinking? "Let's see, the Beatles appeal to all generations because they can pull of stuff like "Till There Was You", but they can't appeal to infants! Let's do "Doo Dah"! That way we can one-up them!"

Next is the total yawn-fest of "Time"...at least "Chaquita" was interesting. The album ends with "She's All Mine", which is like a Buddy Holly song meets the banging drums and vocals of the DC5. It's a pretty good ending, but it doesn't leave you with the same impression that the finales on Beatle albums leave you with.

Glad All Over is solid evidence why the Bealtes were the spear-heads and the only ones to survive the British Invasion (aside from the Kinks and Stones, but that was because they didn't try too hard at being the Beatles). Groups like the Dave Clark Five and countless others could only make singles and as the Beatles were quickly making clear, the only way you could survive was by starting to make albums. Glad All Over has about four good songs (the three singles, plus "All Of The Time"), but Meet The Beatles! had eleven.

Album of the Day #162: SPIRITS HAVING FLOWN - Bee Gees

2009-07-28T00:00:00.001-04:00

Artist: Bee Gees

Title: Spirits Having Flown

Label: RSO/Polygram

Year: 1979

Songs: Tragedy/Too Much Heaven/Love You Inside Out/Reaching Out/Spirits (Having Flown)/Search, Find/Stop (Think Again)/Living Together/I'm Satisfied/Until

Written by: Robin, Barry & Maurice Gibb

Produced by: The Bee Gees, Karl Richardson & Albhy Galuten

Thoughts: As their last disco album, Spirits Having Flown kicks off with a dazzling three singles in a row (even more ridiculous is the fact that they are all number ones). All of them are pretty great tracks ("Tragedy" being the best, of course). The gentle ballad "Reaching Out" and the reggae-tinged, laid back "Spirits (Having Flown)" round out the first side. Both songs are pretty good, but like most albums that have all the singles on one side, you almost hope that the second side lets you down.

"Search, Find" is actually a good opening for the second side, but to me feels a little bit close to "Tragedy". At least it allows Robin to go a little berserk with drawing out the "i" in "find". "Stop (Think Again)" is like this little lazy, slow moving ballad and it's kind of a sleeper. "Living Together" is a snazzy little rocker, providing for some cool vocal interplay between Robin and Barry. "I'm Satisfied" feels like the guys sat around and said "Well, we got the Chicago Horns, so we might as well give them a showcase", which is all the song really is. "Until" is really disappointing, since it just feels kind of ridiculous. I don't know what they were going for, but I think they missed it on that one. Good vocal, but that's about it.

I also have to give a good pat on the back to the Bee Gees' band. Drummer Dennis Bryon does a fantastic job throughout the album and keyboardist Blue Weaver has some nifty disco synth parts. Alan Kendall, though, is like an invisible guitarist, at least until "Living Together".

So, I found it to be a good record. It's not entirely dominated by disco, so I think it still holds up well today, but it's probably not one of their best records.

Album of the Day #161: JT - James Taylor

2009-07-27T15:37:00.003-04:00

Artist: James Taylor

Title: JT

Label: Columbia

Year: 1977

Songs: Your Smiling Face/There We Are/Honey Don't Leave L.A.*/Another Grey Morning/Bartender's Blues/Secret O' Life/Handy Man**/I Was Only Telling A Lie/Looking For Love On Broadway/Terra Nova^/Traffic Jam/If I Keep My Heart Out Of Sight

Written by: James Taylor, except *Danny Kortchmar, **Otis Blackwell & Jimmy Jones and ^James Taylor & Carly Simon

Produced by: Peter Asher

Thoughts: With the singer/songwriter fad on the wane by 1977, it was pretty obvious that James Taylor was going to be the one who would persevere and survive. This was obviously because he is such a versatile singer and JT certainly shows it.

JT was his last immensely successful record (and of course he still keeps making them), spawning three hits and filled to the brim with good album tracks. Not one of these songs are filler (OK, "Traffic Jam" probably didn't take a whole lot of thought, but it's too cool to throw out). It's a fantastic record and I find that songs like "Bartender's Blues", "Terra Nova" (with then-wife Carly Simon) and "There We Are" among some of his stuff. The rockers on the record sound very genuine, especially with Kootch's awesome "Honey Don't Leave L.A." What I mean by 'genuine' of course is that JT always sounds completely in his zone when he's doing the softer stuff like "Secret O' Life" and "If I Leave My Heart Out Of Sight", but when that guitar intro for "Your Smiling Face" comes on, you know that this guy could really knock your socks off for forty straight minutes if he wanted to. (Yes, I know that intro has to be Kootch playing but JT's singing steals the show.)

My conclusion is that this is an awesome record and easy to recommend.

Album of the Day #160: TRAFALGAR - Bee Gees

2009-07-22T16:48:00.005-04:00

Artist: Bee Gees

Title: Trafalgar

Label: Atco/Polydor

Year: 1971

Songs: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart*/Israel**/The Greatest Man In The World*/It's Just The Way***/Remembering*/Somebody Stop The Music^/Trafalgar***/Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself**/When Do I*/Dearest*/Lion In Winter*/Walking Back To Waterloo^^

Written by: *Robin & Barry Gibb, **Barry Gibb, ***Maurice Gibb, ^Barry & Maurice Gibb & ^^Robin, Barry & Maurice Gibb

Produced by: Robert Stigwood and the Bee Gees

Thoughts: After splitting up in 1969 and then coming back together only to produce an unsuccessful album, by 1971, the Bee Gees were probably desperate to come up with a hit. "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" was just that - the hit they needed. It gave them their first #1 hit in the US and is easily one of their best songs and certainly one I could listen to ad infinitum. As the lead off track to Trafalgar, it sets the tone for the rest of the album. There's certainly nothing rock-y about this LP, so it is just a set of smooth poppy love songs that the Gibbs are so perfect at making. "It's Just The Way", Maurice's showcase on side one, is probably the closest they get to rock on this album, with its' hammering drum parts from Geoff Bridgford and a good solo from guitarist Alan Kendall. The rest of side one is made up of Barry's great "Israel" and terribly romantic "The Greatest Man In The World" ("I'd be the greatest man in the world/'Cause I'd have the greatest girl in the world"....awwww). Robin gets his typical wistful ballad in the form of "Remembering" (it's far too similar to "I Started A Joke" and "First Of May" for me) and there's a great group harmony performance hidden behind the over-the-top strings by Bill Shepherd in "Somebody Stop The Music" (which also has a very sly ad-lib part during the fade-out).

The other side kicks-off with Maurice's lively (well, compared to everything else) "Trafalgar". What really sticks out to me is this fantastic bass line during the ending when the guys are singing "Trafalgar! Trafalgar!" over the drums and guitar. "Don't Wanna Live Inside Myself" was the second single, but was a terrible failure. The song is actually pretty good, with probably some of the most powerful vocals on the album, but the problem might have been that the public thought it sounded too much like "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart". The rest isn't that memorable. "When Do I" sounds like Robin suddenly went to the studio with amnesia and forgot how to sing. "Dearest" is another Robin sleeper , but "Lion In Winter" is pretty funky (especially since Shepherd's orchestration is kept to a minimum). "Walking Back To Waterloo" is a dramatic closing to an album housed in a package that emulates the tumultuous Napoleonic Wars.

Overall, the album is pretty good, but you can't help but feel that a lot of the stuff on it feels too much alike, especially Robin's material. He's suited to sing one style of song (the moving ballad), so when you stick more than one of those on an album they get kind of boring.

I'm kind of annoyed that I only have this on vinyl and I hope Rhino gets to it soon (we'll still have to see Cucumber Castle and 2 Years On first, neither of which I have on any format).