Back from travels, here's a sampling of some of the inexpensive as usual vintage vinyl I scrounged along the way:
Joe Wilder Quartet - "Jazz From Peter Gunn" [Columbia, '59] Small combo renderings of Mancini's soundtrack tunes with Milt Hinton and Hank Jones, perhaps surprisingly not including the famous title theme
The Everly Brothers - "The Hit Sound Of" [Warner Bros, '67] Late mono pressing, all cover tunes including killer 'House Of The Rising Sun' and 'Good Golly Miss Molly', certainly not their best on the label but all the post-Cadence (and British Invasion) WB material typically goes underappreciated if you ask me
The Hobbits - "Down To Middle Earth" [Decca, '67] Garage-psych silliness souvenir
Webb Pierce - "Cross Country" [Decca, '61? stereo] An all time great jacket photo of Webb in blue and gold custom suit and even more outrageous car interior (cowhides, fancy tooled leather and - get this - hundreds of silver dollar coins plastered everywhere, plus two pearl-handled pistols, one serving as the shifter), contains big hit 'Heartaches By The Number'
Peter & Gordon - "Hot Cold & Custard" [Capitol, '68] Formerly hitmaking duo's swan song was actually somewhat of an artistic breakout, boasting many originals and flowery-brassy Brit-psych orchestrations -- won't be mistaken for The Beatles, The Bee Gees or The Hollies, but not bad either
Johnny Adams - "Heart And Soul" [Shelby Singleton Int'l] Circa-1970 collection of contemporary Memphis plus vintage New Orleans sides from one of the masters
Show Of Hands - "Formerly Anthrax" [Electra, '70] Mostly turgid and not very interesting organ/guitar psych both heavy and light, with touches of baroque and, bizarrely, bluegrass thrown in for a bit of variety, covers Van Morrison, Richie Havens and Jimi Hendrix but none to very worthwhile effect
Alice Cooper - "The Last Temptation" [Epic, '94] Dutch pressing, surprisingly solid late Alice, concept album to accompany three-part Marvel Comic graphic novel series is just good hard rock first and foremost, sound more palatable than the antiseptic domestic CD (though I don't actually know if an analog master was used)
Marvin, Welch & Farrar - S/T [Capitol, '71] Vocal rock with Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch, two founding members of legendary British instrumental group The Shadows
Billy Taylor Trio - "Right Here, Right Now!" [Capitol stereo, '64] The pianist with Oliver Nelson-arranged big-band backing including Joe Newman, Thadd Jones, Phil Woods, Clark Terry, Grady Tate
The Replacements - "Hootenanny" [Twin/Tone, '83] Had my original vinyl copy of this essential indie classic stolen from a friend's college dorm room the year after I got it, nice to find one again for a dollar
Herb Geller - "Fire In The West" [Jubilee stereo] Lesser-known West Coast altoist early 60's sextet date, title juxtaposes the prevailing "cool" sound of that place and time, with Kenny Dorham (here spelled "Kinny Durham"), Harold Land, Ray Brown, very nice stuff and a mint disk
The Hullaballoos - "On Hullabaloo" [Roulette, '65] Second and final set from the dyed-blond contingent of the British Invasion (possibly the ugliest and least talented too), features mostly Buddy Holly covers and creations from the period American songwriting team Duboff-Kornfeld, including one really great standout track in "I Won't Turn Away Now"
Marvin Hamlisch - "The Swimmer" Sndtrk [Columbia, '68] Starring Burt Lancaster, based on John Cheever's subtly surreal story about a former husband and career man in tragic denial who literally and figuratively tries to swim his way home through a virtual river of backyard pools in toney suburban Connecticut, a very evocative film of the period and a personal favorite of mine, been looking for years in search of this soundtrack if it existed, cheesy harpsichord-pop heaven
Texas Slim - "I'm Gonna Kill That Woman" b/w "Nightmare Blues" [King 10" 78 rpm, '49] Solo guitar/vocal sides by the psuedonymous early John Lee Hooker in seemingly unplayed mint shape, my best find of the trip to say the least (in a roadside garage thrift shop for $.50 cents -- I have no idea as of yet what it might be worth)
Few French-Canadian 60's garage rock 45's, including the Hou-Lops covering (but not crediting) DC's own Chartbusters Beatlesque minor hit "She's The One", Les Jaguars "Supersonic Twist" echo-laden instro guit-mangler workout, and Les Lutins snarling "Laissez-Nous Vivre" (roughly translates I guess as 'leave us alone to live', or vernacular to that general effect)
(Plus scored a small trove of cheap [$3-$5] CD cut-outs, including Lee "Scratch" Perry and Joe Gibbs Trojan label reggae/rock steady collections and several early ones by The Searchers, and Status Quo when they were still a psych-pop band...) |
Likewise Rush (even though I presume you and I will almost never listen to the things the other one comments on)! |
20/20 - (self titled, Portrait 1979). The opening cut, "Yellow Pills", went on to become something of a touchstone of the burgeoning West Coast power pop movement, eventually lending its title to a compilation series and a fanzine devoted to the genre. I had dinner the other night with a friend who had moved out to LA back then to be a part of this scene and he mentioned this band, so it's been on my mind.
"Performance" (soundtrack, Warner 1970). Mostly Jack Nitsche and Ry Cooder stuff, best known for Jagger & Richards' "Memo From Turner", plus apearances from Randy Newman, Buffy Stainte-Marie on 'mouth bow', and The Last Poets' immortal "Wake Up Niggers". Skipped the Merry Clayton cuts...
Davie Allan - "Old Neck and New Strings" (Dionysus, 1990). The 60's biker-flick fuzz-guitar instro king returns. Strong as hell.
In the car CD during the day: The Duke, Jazz Party and Far East Suite. |
McCoy Tyner - Extensions (rec. 1970, UA 1972) The cover design echoes the iconic graphics of the National Geographic journal, and pictures an assembly of African villagers, while the liner notes offer quotes from the Quaran (sic) and praise to Allah. I won't ponder on how some perceptions may have changed since. The music - four longish Tyner compositions - combines reserved intensity with great beauty, in that subtly exotic, modal vein which instantly evokes Coltrane and the 60's ferment. Alice Coltrane brings her harp, with Wayne Shorter, Gary Bartz, Ron Carter, and Elvin Jones. The recorded sound of Tyner's piano could have been a tad better served, but overall a deeply soul-satisfying record.
Dexter Gordon - One Flight Up (Blue Note reissue, rec. about 1965?) With Donald Bryd, Kenny Drew, Art Taylor, and an 18-year old Niels-Henning Orsted Pederson on bass, recorded in Paris. The highlight is Bryd's side-long "Tanya".
Gil Evans - Great Jazz Standards (orig. Pacific Jazz, rec. 1959) Listened all the way through a UA/Blue Note vinyl reissue from the mid-70's, then switched to a Capitol CD reissue from the late 80's. The mastering is night and day different (and neither is ideal), but the wonderfully colorful music is what sticks. Compositions from Bix Beiderbecke to Monk to Clifford Brown to John Lewis, but Evans' own "Theme" closer may be the most tantalizing cut of all. That great 'jazz orchestra' sound which propelled the classic Miles collaborations with Gil.
The Animals - Love Is (2LP, MGM, 1968) This one was from the other day. The last record made under that group's name before Burdon went solo, although the 'group' is in it's fourth or so version here. Guitarists are John Weider and Andy Summers (of Police fame, with erstwhile Big Roll Band compatriot Zoot Money on bass and keys). Averaging just two cuts per LP side, there's an excess of psychedelic noodling here as was the regrettable trend at the time, obscuring both some decent original tunes and a few ill-advised covers alike, but the three tracks on Side One (River Deep Mountain High, I'm An Animal, I'm Dying - Or Am I?) and some flashes elsewhere among the endearingly spacey jams indicate this could have been a killer single-disk album with some judicious pruning. Nevertheless, fans should pick this up if they find it cheap, but it's pretty uncommon, I'm guessing 'cause it probably didn't sell worth beans. |
As one or two of you may have noticed (or not! :-), I've stopped posting to new threads for many months now. But Slipknot1's thread idea is something I had once thought of starting myself, right around the time I cut way back over here. So I feel justified in making this a semi-regular exception, and will enjoy doing so since it concerns music and not gear.
On the TT: British Invasion night with LP's from one-shots Ian & The Zodiacs, and a couple from two-shot'ers The Zombies. (No intentional "z" theme here, it just worked out that way.) Last week I saw The Zombies for the second time since Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent rejoined forces again about three years ago. They're currently out touring with Arthur Lee & Love (also the second time I've seen them in the past year), who I must say surpassed them as the opening act on a double bill right out of my grooviest 60's dreams.
In the CD (home and car): Art Blakey titles (The Big Beat, The Witch Doctor, Mosaic, Buhaina's Delight, Orgy in Rhythm [all Blue Note], & The Jazz Messengers [Impulse!] ) recently added to ever-growing AB collection are in constant rotation. Rudy van Gelder was a busy busy man. I grew up across the street from a friend whose father actually knew Bu, from back when he worked as maitre d' at a long-defunct NY club called the Cork & Bib where the Messengers used to gig. When he was alive he used to tell the story of how once when the band crashed at his pad for the night they were so bleary-eyed, they left the next morning having neglected to pack AB's drums in the van; after they got a couple hours away they realized their blunder and had to double all the way the back again to retrieve them. Nothing but the posh life for those beboppers in the 50's folks. C'mon now: how cool is it to be able to say, "I remember the time Art Blakey left his drums at my house"? Fagedaboudit! |
Thanks Rushton, and thanks also for your posts on the Ralph Karsten/Atma-Sphere situation, which I'm still trying to get my mind around (the situation that is, not your posts, which have helped). I didn't originally plan to offer commentary on my listening material, but now I find I can't really help it, and if I don't feel like yakking a bit about something I played, I simply don't list it. |
Time to dispense with consistency in my short tradition of providing anotation, only because I don't have the time right now...this covers tonight plus some odds and ends over the past few days:
Original LP issues:
Nilsson - The Point (Soundtrack, RCA, 1970)
"Mississippi" Fred McDowell - Vol. 2 (Arhoolie, about 1966?)
Thelonius Monk - 5 By Monk By 5 (Riverside [stereo], rec. 1959)
Fats Domino - I Miss You So (Imperial, about 1961?)
The Impressions - This Is My Country (Curtom, about 1970?)
The Equators - Hot (Stiff, 1981) Ska revival.
Clyde McPhatter - Golden Blues Hits (Mercury [mono], about 1961?)
The Beach Boys - Sunflower (Brother, 1970)
The Turtles - Battle Of The Bands (White Whale, about 1967?)
CD reissues/collections:
The Daktaris - Soul Explosion (Desco, late 90's?) 70's Afrofunk.
The Crossfires (AKA The Turtles) - Out Of Control (Sundazed, '95) 60's Surf and novelty.
We The People - Declaration Of Independence (Collectables, '93) 60's garage punk.
George Abdo & His Flames Of Araby Orchestra - Belly Dance! (Smithsonian Folkways, '02)
The Nightlighters - K-Jee (RCA/Collectables, '91) Early 70's funk.
Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich - The Singles (BR Music [import], '99) 60's British pop-rock. |
Turntable:
Rodrigo - Conciertos: Andaluz, de Aranjuez/The Romeros/Alessandro & San Antonio SO (Mercury Golden Imports) The composer himself adds a liner note affirming that The Romeros' "...color, authentic musicianship, and virtuosity on guitar...permits them to present truly extraordinary interpretations." (The Concierto Andaluz was commisioned by Celedonio Romero and dedicated to his guitar-playing sons.) All fans of Miles Davis'/Gil Evans' "Sketches Of Spain" need a good version of the Concierto de Aranjuez around, and this one is.
Manfred Mann - Mann Made (Ascot, 1966) The Mann and his band (as opposed to the Earth Band), post-Do Wah Diddy Diddy and pre-Quinn The Eskimo. The best original tune here is titled "L.S.D.", and its lyrics make (what appears to be) no further references whatsoever to what those letters normally stand for (but a band I used to play in did cover it). Also includes a cover of hometown DC blues guitar hero Bobby Parker's seminal "Watch Your Step".
Chad & Jeremy - Of Cabbages & Kings (Columbia, 1967) One of those quintessential '67 albums, with everything including the kitchen sink thrown in, along with a credit line informing us that the whole affair was "Arranged and scored by Chad Stewart" (Jeremy Clyde wrote the songs). If their psychedelic cover pic raiment and love beads don't let you know what you're in for, then how about the song titles that comprise Side Two?: "The Progress Suite, Movements 1 thru 5 - 1)Prologue 2)Decline 3)Editorial 4)Fall 5)Epilogue". Great production by Gary Usher.
Ravi Shankar - Charly (Soundtrack, World Pacific 1968) I really need to see the movie (a Sterling Silliphant adaptation of the Daniel Keyes novel "Flowers For Algernon", which I haven't read either). For one thing, it's got Claire Bloom in it. For another, the Main Title theme, written (but not on paper scores) like all of it by Ravi himself, rips off Erik Satie. Jazzy West Coast session cats galore, like Bud Shank, Tom Scott, Ray Brown, Laurindo Almeida, Bob Bain, Bill Plummer, Milt Holland, and more, all mixed up with sitar and tabla, mmmmm....
Diskolater:
John Coltrane - Coltrane (Impulse!, rec. 1962, Deluxe 2-disk 2002 reissue) Almost literally "Out Of This World". Makes your system sound ten feet tall - which is not incidentally also about how tall this music will make *you* feel (or at least me). With McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Elvin Jones.
The Fleshtones - More Than Skin Deep (Ichiban, '98) Only if you can proudly claim "I'm Not A Sissy" anymore! Or don't be and go see 'em live, to get real rock'n'roll again. |
Sonic treats, leftover after Halloween:
Hank Garland - Jazz Winds From A New Direction [Introducing The Modern Guitar Of] (Columbia [mono], 1961) Nashville C&W studio legend goes to swingsville, with Gary Burton on vibes, Joe Benjamin on bass, and Joe Morello on drums. I wish all of you could hear this record: not, I suppose, the type of sound that's considered accurately realistic today, but talk about your ear-candy - this toothache-sweet aural truffle practically sounds like it was recorded in a bonbon factory! Turn up this hugely atmospheric confection and instantly transform any system into big'ol corner horns powered by vintage zero-feedback SET tubes - lucsious and exciting are two words that come to mind. And that describes the music as well, which never sacrifices inventive arrangements or genuinely soulful artistry in getting its hot-licks thrills; my only complaint is that it's too short! Snap this one up if ever you come across a copy. (Cover photo is also tres cool for those into Gibson archtops - not to mention MG drop-tops.)
The Jacques Loussier Trio with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - Bach: Brandenburg Concerto #5/Air On The G String/Prelude #2 In C Minor (London Phase 4 Stereo, 1969) Maybe the most successful combination of the trends of piano trios playing jazz arrangements of Bach plus small jazz groups fronting symphony orchestras? Or maybe just the only attempt at it? Whatever, this really works, being at least as good as the earlier Loussier Trio 'Play Bach' series. Somewhat unbelievably, the orchestra and group never step on each other's toes, and swing hard together right through some very complex arrangements. The alternately jazzy and bluesy cadenzas integrate perfectly with the orchestral movements, tying together time signature changes with a lot of dynamic variety and structural interest. The balances are about ideal, the strings and woodwinds sounding lush and spacious while the trio is satisfyingly present and yet part of the whole. The overt sound of the record is quite pleasing like most Phase 4's, yet even though my copy is pristine, there perhaps seems to be something a slight touch 'off' about it in a 'modulated' sort of way, as if possibly there may have been a subliminal-level tape-flutter, disk-cutting, or amplifier power-supply breakthrough problem in the mastering chain, but not enough to preclude listening enjoyment, or for me to even really be sure of for that matter. |
File under inexplicable combos:
The Crusaders - The 2nd Crusade (Blue Thumb, 1973) Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't. Most of the time I feel like giving preference to The Jazz Crusaders 60's acoustic material, but sometimes I've got to get that (plain old) Crusaders 70's electric groove on. Hi Siliab!
V.A. - "Flex Your Head" (Dischord, 1982) Every few years or so, I pull out thee harDCore punk sampler and remind myself that you really had to be there - which I was in large part, but am no longer.
V.A. - "Ear-Piercing Punk" (Trash, early 80's?) Long-OOP 60's garage punk comp featured a cover designed to look like it contained '77-era material; I wonder how many people this has fooled over the years. Still some of the most arresting sleeve art ever, and a totally hot comp besides. Happy to say I own original 45's of two of the sixteen great singles represented: "I Need Love" by The Third Booth, and "Enough" by The Bohemian Vendetta. (Wish it were more, but I don't pay collector prices for these slabs, I dig 'em up on my own.) To me this stuff still wears better today than most anything made in later years that actually called itself punk.
Jerry Cole & The Stingers - Guitars A Go Go! (comp., Beatrocket 2000, orig. rec. 1963-66) Collected tracks from four budget-bin surf/hot rod instro LP's (out of roughly 80 he was responsible for, in a variety of genres and under a variety of pseudonyms). A widely-recorded session man, you might know Cole best (even if you don't actually *know* it) for the ringing arpeggiated riff that's the signature of the inaugural Monkees smash "Last Train To Clarksville". I do own a couple of the original supermarket-special LP's, but Sundazed's 180-gram pressing holds up better in the microwave... |
Since last I spun...
Don & The Goodtimes - So Good (Epic, 1967) Sunshine pop plus. Dig that impeccable Cali studio sheen backing the multi-part harmonies, all wrapped up courtesy the aforementioned Jack Nitzsche's arranging and producing talents. Despite a surfeit of catchy tunes and a history of prior singles that sold well regionally in the Northwest (and a regular gig on Dick Clark's Where The Action Is), this turned out to be their lone LP. They morphed from a prototypical stompin' white R&B band along the lines of such compatriots as the original Paul Revere & The Raiders, The Sonics, and The Wailers, but perhaps just a bit late in the game to make it big like the Raiders did.
[Speaking of The Sonics, have you dug the new Land Rover TV ad which features their brutal version of The Sharps' classic "Have Love Will Travel"? The pairing of a luxury SUV and this primal punk pounder is just as ludicrous on its face as previous similar campaigns in recent years (such as Iggy's "Lust For Life" selling cruises) to be sure, but you can't help enjoying hearing this stuff coming through the tube, and I smile at the fact that those at whom the ads are aimed probably never heard of the stuff...]
Ray Bryant - Dancing The Big Twist (Columbia 6-eye stereo, about 1961?) One of my fav jazz pianists and composers turns in the obligatory dance craze cash-in disk. Good, but not as outstanding as his earlier dance craze effort, Madison Time (prominently featured in John Waters' Hairspray movie). Players include Mickey Roker, Buddy Tate, Harry Edison, and Ray Barretto among others.
The Chico Hamilton Quintet - The Chico Hamilton Special (CSP reissue, orig. Columbia rec. 1960) The eternal answer to the seldom-asked question, what is the best jazz group to have featured cello and flute? Not conceited 'chamber-jazz' devoid of swing, but simply bracingly singular music that follows its own path in a most subtle and satisfying way.
Dead Boys - We Have Come For Your Children (Sire, 1978) Still doesn't hold a candle to their '77 "Young Loud and Snotty" debut, but not much does.
Big Joe Williams - Nine String Guitar Blues (Delmark, probably about 1970, maybe recorded earlier) This is a record my father bought at my urging when I was in my early teens. He liked the fact that I was into the blues, and I got to listen to the record without having to buy it myself. When I put this on tonight, I realized - which I hadn't before - that I also have a couple of these tracks on a Delmark blues compilation CD I picked up cheap last summer. So naturally I compared the sound between LP and CD, and was pleased at how close the two were timbrally, which tends to confirm the overall accuracy of each leg of my playback chain (although I did slightly prefer the LP, which sounds just a bit less forward, edgy, and granular, and lacks the incipient distortion on vocal peaks present for some reason on the CD, presumably a remastering artifact).
Gerry Mulligan Meets Paul Desmond (Verve, 1957) The baritone and alto chase each other around over Mulligan's pianoless bass and drums rhythm section. Their copious counterpoint was apparently improvised without prior rehearsal. |
Not much over the past several days - raking leaves, Thanksgiving, sports on TV, and then I tore apart the system and vacuumed and cleaned everything down, and readjusted my shelf heights to make way for the ExactPower so I could get it off the floor. The tube monoblocks are removed 'cause my upgrade coupling caps just arrived and it's off to the tech shop they go, so the backup SS stereo amp has taken up residence for the time being. During the last 24:
LP:
The Jimi Hendrix Concerts (2LP, Reprise 1982) I have to admit I do not yet own any of the more recent Experience Hendrix silver disk reissues or compilations, so for all I know this release may be obsolete now, but that doesn't mean there's anything wrong with it either, except for some naturally variable sound quality among the different venues. Seems mastered a bit on the mellow side though, which some might consider a good thing given all the distortion (of the performances, that is).
CD:
The Equals - First Among Equals (2CD, Ice UK import collection, 1994) Eddy Grant's original band, he of "Electric Avenue" and "Romancing The Stone" 80's fame. The Equals were a genre-busting, racially integrated late-60's English band that combined elements as diverse as ska, British Invasion-style pop, Caribbean calypso, American-style R&B, psychedelic rock, and bubblegum (their minor American hit was "Baby Come Back" in '68, on RCA). The Clash covered their song "Police On My Back" for the Sandinista album, and several English and Australian 60's bands covered other of their tunes.
The Blue Things (expanded reissue, Rewind/BMG 2001, orig. rec. 1964-'67) Midwestern garage-beat, folk-rock, pop-psych band originally on RCA (one of that label's first post-Elvis signings of a rock band in the 60's, before the Jefferson Airplane, recorded with good sound at their famed 'Nashville Sound' studio by Felton Jarvis). Derivative but but quite accomplished and enjoyable period stuff for fans of bands like The Beau Brummels, The Lovin' Spoonful, etc. |
Right before we left for the holidays...
VA - Phil Spector's Christmas Album (Warner re-ish LP, prob. late 70's/early 80's, orig. 1963) The heavyweight classic of all times and still champeen. Like the man says, Back To Mono! Darlene Love, The Ronnettes, The Crystals, Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans, and The Wall Of Sound - and that ain't no lump of coal. HoHoHo! |
Polyvinylchloride:
Dark - Round The Edges (Arkarma Italian Import reissue, orig. rec. 1972) English power trio acid-psych/hard rock sound, not unreminiscent in spots of early Black Sabbath or Hawkwind. I didn't know anything about the band or the provenance of the original release before stumbling across this disk; from the repro it looks as though this may have been a limited-edition vanity pressing at the time, and this copy must itself be a relatively recent limited edition, with a textured-stock gatefold jacket plus booklet and in 180g pressing.
Unicorn - Blue Pine Trees (Capitol, 1974) Unpreposessing, somewhat generic, but uniformly winsome mixture of post-Beatles Brit-pop and post-Byrds country-rock, produced by Pink Floyd's David Gilmour (who also guests on pedal steel). Imagine Badfinger imitating the Flying Burrito Brothers covering Dwight Twilley tunes and you'll be in the general neighborhood.
Magic Sam's Blues Band - Black Magic (Delmark, about 1969) Second-gen Chicago electric blues guitarist/singer was infuential with his updated, smoothly soulful yet intense blend of Muddy Waters', B.B. King's, Bobby Bland's, Otis Rush's, and Sam Cooke's takes on the blues (but with his own distinct stamp, both vocally and instrumentally), he died tragically young. Often cited as a main progenitor of of the blues-soul crossover approach that later made Robert Cray a broad-appeal star.
Polycarbonate/aluminum:
Classic Reggae: The DeeJays (compilation, Music Club/Demon 2001, orig. rec. late-60's thru early-70's, Trojan Recordings) Prime cuts of the 'sound-system' kings like U Roy, I Roy, Big Youth, etc., in the eccentric genre that spawned Dub and contributed to the foundation of Rap.
Lee Morgan Quintet - Take Twelve (Jazzland/Original Jazz Classics/Fantasy '89, orig. 1962) The trumpeter's first date as leader after leaving Blakey's Jazz Messengers, with Clifford Jordan t.s., Barry Harris p., Bob Cranshaw b., and Louis Hayes d. For a guy who's mainly remembered today for his funky-bop jukebox hit "The Sidewinder", Morgan remains one of my personal favorite composers and players of the era, and I have yet to discover a run-of-the-mill album from him (another one who died too young, by violence at a club in 1972). The uptempo stuff is typically varied and invigorating, but the nicest thing here may be the beautifully elegiac "A Waltz For Fran", which sounds neither like a usual jazz waltz nor a usual jazz ballad, but rather stately and meditative, like gentle waves lapping upon a sandy shore at sunset, with a simple but satisfying melody that sticks in the head, delivered with tender tone and touch. |
Albert Collins - The Cool Sound Of... (TCF/Hall mono LP, 1965) The electric blues guitarist's rare debut long-player, and one of my nicest recent thrift store scores in excellent condition for the princely sum of $.80 cents. Among the several 'cool'-themed titles: "Frosty", "Sno-Cone", and "Don't Lose Your Cool". Albert's been a personal guitar hero of mine since I was in my teens and first dug his late-70's Alligator effort "Ice Pickin'", and I was glad to be able to catch him live at a small club back in '82 (just days after I turned legal :-) Though I've owned this music on an import reissue for many years, the original's cover-art pastel of a frosty highball on the rocks with an orange slice, maraschino cherry and a swizzle stick, plus the selection of hep-cat DJ endorsements on the back ("Albert Collins has got to become the next James Brown!" "AC's a bad motor-cycle!" "He puts the foxes away!" "This guitar-pluckin' fool from Texas is plumb out of his mind!" "Our 50,000 big watts aren't big enough for the big rockin' sound!") are a total hoot.
Billy Mure - Supersonic Guitars (MGM stereo LP, early 60's) Sessioneer leads a five-guitar army with three drummers in a set of accelerated, rocking dance instrumentals that recalls mid-period Ventures crossed with the studio wizardry of tape-echo multitrackers like Les Paul, Chet Atkins or Jorgen Ingmann, except that the liner notes claim everything was recorded live in the studio as you hear it: "...no tricks in the recording - no over-dubbing or re-tracking, no artificial sound effects - just pure actual sound of the widest spectrum caught as precisely as the recording mike ever has!" And: "Your living room becomes a miniature Cape Canaveral and your hi-fi rig a musical launching station as Billy Mure blasts off in sound!...Your passport into musical space - an album that will send you out of this world with each new play!" Cover photo of a Navy fighter jet in flight and titles like "Guitars In Space". Yeah baby!
Heifetz - Bach/Concerto For Two Violins in D Minor (w/Erick Friedman 2nd v., Sargent/New SO of London, RCA Living Stereo LP LSC-2577, 1961) Side One is Beethoven's "Kreutzer" Sonata with Brooks Smith p., recorded in a different space with lesser sound, but Bach is more my bag anyhow. Though there's an unobtrusive touch of coolish steel in the strings atypical of many earlier shaded dogs, this recording (Side Two) erects an immersive cathedral of sound that's immediate and enthralling, and the playing ain't shabby either.
Outkast - Big Boi & Dre Present... (LaFace/Arista CD, 2001) Compilation from their first four albums '94-'00 plus three new bonus tracks, released to consolidate the success of the hit single "Ms. Jackson" and paved the way for the Rap duo's superstar breakout to come. Smart, imaginative, idiosyncratic and fun in ways I find most modern hiphop is not, and works the ol' woofers well too. |
Catchin' up...
Barney Kessel & Friends - Barney Plays Kessel (Concord Jazz LP, 1975) All Kessel compositions. The friends include Victor Feldman, Jake Hanna, Milt Holland and Jimmy Rowles.
Marvin Gaye - What's Going On (Tamla LP, 1971) IMHO one of the few truly great *albums* - as unified works of art - to have been done in the medium (any genre), plus one of the most original.
Kenny Burrell - God Bless The Child (CTI LP, 1971) One of my favorite jazz guitarists, he's the antithesis of pro forma flash. With Ron Carter b., Billy Cobham d., Freddie Hubbard t., Hubert Laws f., Ray Barretto and Airto Moreira pc., Don Sebesky string arr.
Victor Feldman - ...Plays Everything In Sight (Pacific Jazz LP, mid-60's) British-born LA session stalwart is credited with 20 different instruments in this one-man show of lightweight upbeat instros.
Ramsey Lewis Trio - Another Voyage (Cadet LP, 1969) The latter-day version of the Trio with Maurice White d. and Cleveland Eaton b., plus Phil Upchurch g. I probably own between 20-30 of this guy's records. While some may not consider the popular piano trio cats like Lewis, McCann, Jamal, Bryant, etc. to be 'real' jazz artists, I defy them to stay seated when this combo in its prime starts to swinging the hits. This very fine acoustic/electric set is toward the end of the really meaty part of his run. BTW, I saw Ramsey live and acoustic around 1990, and he's actually a monster pianist and musician, pop hits or no, with a wider range then he generally showed off back in the day.
The Four Seasons - Genuine Imitation Life Gazette (Philips LP, 1969) The group's last album, they probably seemed an anachronism by this time. But the humorously entertaining double-gatefold jacket does the faux newspaper concept 3 years before Tull's "Brick", while the graphics and mock-topical 'articles' mixed among the lyrics are chocked with self-deprecating inside jokes. The music's trendily rococo psych-pop montage is influenced by the likes of The Hollies, The Association, The Cyrkle, and The Left Banke - certainly a far cry from their falsetto, neo-doo-wop take on Brill Building pop of a few years earlier, if not as distinctive, catchy, or hit-bound.
Dr. Feelgood - Malpractice (Columbia LP, 1975) The original lineup with Wilko Johnson on guitar, at their peak on their second album. Among the hardest-edged of the so-called 'pub-rock' British roots rockers of the era: driving, single-minded, revved-up rhythm & blues.
Flamin Groovies - Teenage Head (Buddha expanded reissue 1999 CD, orig. 1971) The apotheosis of their 'American Stones' period (think "Banquet" thru "Exile"), before original vocalist Roy Loney (who came off as more of a cross between early Elvis and Them-era Van Morrison than Jagger) split from the group. The bonus tracks are raw-sounding cover jams, spotty fun but nonessential, and should be programmed-out for maximum effect when playing the powerhouse 9-song album proper, which triumphs despite its inherent derivative-ness due to the timeless combination of great rocking performances of great rock and roll songs, simple as that.
Johnny Carroll - Rock Baby, Rock It (compilation, Bear Family import CD, 1996; Warner Bros, Decca, and Sun singles and unreleased outtakes orig. rec. 1956-60) Texas rockabilly wildman in the mold of Elvis and Gene Vincent was one of the best of the genre, but like literally hundreds of others never scored a national hit (top barn-burner "Wild Wild Women" has often been included on VA comps). The usual fantastic Bear Family job of providing excellent sound and annotation.
Simon & Garfunkel - Live From New York City, 1967 (Columbia/Legacy CD, 2002) Two voices, one guitar, 19 stone-classic songs (possibly give or take one or two), boatloads of offhand-seeming but jaw-droppingly precocious talent, and a perfect performance, topped with wonderful concert hall sound. Both intimate and grand, timeless yet profoundly evocative of a particular moment in time, this precious artifact is revelatory and compulsory for anyone calling themselves a fan. |
Slipknot1: Right-o, that was their first and biggest hit, and also happens to be a Paul Simon co-composition (seems one of the group had backed S&G on tour). They recorded two other Simon tunes not done by S&G, but inexplicably turned down Simon's offer of another: "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)", which of course went on to become a smash for its author's duo act. The only other Cyrkle hit you'll usually hear on oldies radio is the great "Turn Down Day", a tune they discovered but didn't write, however there are many fine self-penned tracks in their brief 2-album + singles catalog.
BTW, legend says it was Brian Epstein, friendly with the group's manager, whose urging was key in prompting Columbia to release the "Red Rubber Ball" demo as a single - and that it was John Lennon, through Epstein, who suggested the name "The Cyrkle" for the band. True or apocryphal, the connection did subsequently enable them to tour with The Beatles in the US. A couple of members were also notable jingle writers, repsonsible for coming up with the 'Plop Plop, Fizz Fizz' (Alka-Seltzer) and '7-Up, The Un-cola' (which the band recorded for the ad campaign) slogans and jingles, among others. And now - as Paul Harvey says - you know the rest of the story (courtesy the liner notes of their Columbia/Legacy comp CD; I've also got the original LP's and several singles too :-) |
Hard to spin vinyl when you're cooking up a storm in the kitchen - too much running up and down the stairs. But to help get in the spirit of the season (I don't happen to celebrate Xmas, but I do enjoy a lot of Xmas-themed music - and food):
James Brown - Santa's Got A Brand New Bag (Rhino compilation LP, 1988) Including the immortal "Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto".
VA - Soul Christmas (Atco compilation LP, 1968) Stax and Atlantic artists including Clarence Carter, King Curtis, Otis Redding, Joe Tex, Booker T. & The MG's, Carla Thomas, Soloman Burke, and William Bell.
Slap on a CD and you can flail away in the kitchen for longer without worrying about your needle skipping merrily along in the leadout groove while you try not to burn something:
Dyke & The Blazers - Funky Broadway/The Very Best Of (Collectibles CD, 1999) The heaviest of 60's deep funk.
The Smoke - High In A Room/Anthology (Castle/Sanctuary British Import CD, 2002) English 60's mod/psych/pop-rock/hard-rock group best remembered for their drug anthem "My Friend Jack" (especially, for some reason, in Germany).
Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band - Express Youself: The Best Of (Warner Archives CD, 1993) Late 60's/early 70's loose groovin' soul/funk band filled the gap between Sly and bands like War and early EWF. I've noticed the title track being used in some TV commercial recently...
Otis Spann - The Blues Is Where It's At (Beat Goes On reissue, British Import CD 1994, orig. rec. 1966) The legendary Chicago pianist with electric touring band live-in-the-studio complete with audience, has Muddy Waters guesting on guitar, excellent sound and performance, loads of down-home atmosphere (Bob Thiele produced). Spann's resonant, laconic vocals somewhat recall Sonny Boy Williamson. Doesn't focus as much on the piano (but rather on the telepathically sympathetic g/g/b/d/h band) and is a little more rocking and up-beat than some of his better-known albums, though this wouldn't be a Spann record if it didn't boast a few nice slow drags.
Sam Cooke - Night Beat (Abcko reissue CD, 1995, orig. rec. 1963) A concept album of sorts, of intimate, late-night gospelly blues interpretations backed by a spare combo, roughly sequenced to build from hushed to exuberant through the set. Some of Cooke's best vocals and least distracting production on record, and very good sound too.
Joe Henderson - In 'N Out (Blue Note reissue CD, 2003 RVG edition, orig. rec. 1964) Tenor saxophonist leads the date with frequent collaborator Kenny Dorham t., plus Richard Davis b., and Coltrane's comtemporaneous rhythm section of McCoy Tyner p. and Elvin Jones d. The title is a pretty fair description of where this music is at in jazz terms. The used record store where I picked this up had both this RVG (Rudy van Gelder, the original recording engineer) remaster and the older 1994 CD version open for comparitive auditioning, which I did using their cheap DVD player through their equally cheap headphones. Despite the gear handicap, the sonic differences between the two redbook masterings were so stark they almost sounded like they weren't even the same recording. It's hard to know exactly what the differences really are, due to the inadequecy of the available playback system, but the older issue sounded much brasher, coarser, and more up-front, the new issue softer, smoother, more delicate, and considerably less in-your-face. In the store the old version almost sounded more exciting through that system, but through my own system the RVG sounds great (and not on the lean and bright side like some in the series) without lacking at all in excitement. That tells me something about all the non-RVG Blue Note re-ish CD's I've accumulated down the years, many of which seem to share a lot of fundamental characteristics shown by the older issue in the store.
Miles Davis - Sorcerer (Columbia/Legacy reissue CD, 1998, orig. rec. 1967) With Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams. I don't have another version of this recording to compare with, but this remaster - which was also remixed, for a box set from which this release was culled - sounds even better than the RVG above, and probably even better than I recall the 20-bit remaster of Kind Of Blue sounding, though that comparison is inherently skewed by the several years between the original recording dates, not to mention the different band. This effort, which followed its Shorter-era predecessors ESP and Miles Smiles and preceded Nefertiti and Water Babies, didn't sell very well (in obvious contrast to KOB), but I really like the music here and recommend checking this out if you're a fan who hasn't heard it yet. |
Sonny Rollins - Tenor Madness [Prestige reissue mono LP] With Red Garland, Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones. John Coltrane guests on the title track.
Sonny Rollins - Newk's Time [Blue Note Japanese reissue stereo LP] With Jones, Wynton Kelly and Doug Watkins. I especially like the unaccompanied sax + drums only treatment of "Surrey With The Fringe On Top". Rudy van Gelder recorded this date, and the stereo presentation is realistically understated - somewhat atypically for the era - rather than being rhythm in one channel and solo in the other. |
I've held off on 'Smile'. I have a friend, a veteran rock show-goer and sometime club booker, who went to the concert and proclaimed it the best show he'd ever been to in his life, period. That made me sorry I didn't take him up on his extra ticket offer despite the price.
But every time I see Wilson do some of this stuff on TV, I'm hung up by a few things. First, and last too for that matter, is that the man just can't sing anymore, at least on TV and I have to guess in concert either. Second, the instrumental backing quasi-sounds like the 60's studio orchestras they originally used in recording this material, but not quite; everything's just a little off, clearly not the real deal, no matter how much they may try to emulate the arrangements and use period instruments, etc. It makes me feel I'm listening to an imitation, both inauthentic and overly careful and reverent at the same time. The overall effect sounds somewhat stilted to me. Third, the backing vocals are not Beach Boys (even if the Beach Boys in this context were often just multiple overdubbed Brians). Forth, it keeps catching me out that the arrangements and lyrics for many of the Smile songs that did trickle out on other BB albums, and that I'm used to and like, are different as conceived for Smile. I'm not sure I want or need 'different' versions of these songs, even if the Smile versions were actually the originals. And fifth, I'm just not a huge fan of the Van Dyke Parks-style extended 'song-suite' method - Brian's tunes are so strong as stand-alone pop numbers, and I'm so accustomed to hearing many of these ones in that way, that the Smile settings often don't strike me as improvements, at least of what I've heard so far.
It took me a while to appreciate "Imagination", with it's extra handicap of over-reliance on contemporary digital-synth and reverb sounds that I abhor, and generally generic AOR backing band blandness. But though we weren't talking the second coming of Pet Sounds or anything, Brian's better songs still won me over in the end, taken on their own terms. That might be harder for me to do with Smile, since in my heart I'll always want it to be the Beach Boys, and it's just not. I'll be interested to hear what some of you guys think of it after several listens.
PS - Rushton: Why do folks so often feel they must make apologies for the sound of a harpsicord? What a cool-ass freakin' sound! I've always loved it to pieces, and really can't imagine anybody not liking it. Clanking of the mechanism and everything. And I never actually encounter complaining about it either - only acknowledging allusions to mysterious masses of people who allegedly can't stand it. But I will say that it's one instrument, perhaps above all others, that I never really heard a recording of reproduced properly (at least I *think* it's now properly) before my system reached a certain level of fidelity - quite recently actually. It's apparently very tough to do right, so maybe that has something to do with this supposed epidemic hatred of harpsicords (or at least harpsicord records?). But still, I've dug that sound even from when my system couldn't get it well, so I don't know. Just don't understand this one. |
Sorry. The least I should do to rehabilitate the instrument's image to the lurking legions of harpsichord-haters is spell it properly. Harpsichord! AG why can't we edit these posts so much anymore?... |
Rushton: RE your observation about most folks never having heard a harpsichord live, it is true that my earliest exposure to the instrument was an actual harpsichord, at the house of friends of my parents when I was a little kid. Though they didn't live in my neighborhood, their son and I were occasional playmates until maybe around age 8, so I had many opportunities so indulge my facsination for this instrument (which was how I felt from first sight/listen). I don't recall anybody from their family actually playing the thing though - it just looked so neat, and I would dink away on it until somebody got fed up and pried me off the bench. Contrast that with the piano (not that I don't love the piano today), which I was made to take lessons on and pretty much despised at around the same ages (except for jazz on my Dad's records).
I know a luthier in Paris - she's primarily reknowned for her period-style viola da gambas - who's made some awesomely beautiful Baroque harpsichords, but even if I could afford to commision one, I'm too late. She hasn't made one in probably close to 20 years; I think they're just too time-consuming, with too little demand, and she says she doesn't foresee ever doing another.
BTW, I'm a nut for harpsichord in pop contexts as well, which was a brief fad in the early-to-mid-60's. The Left Banke ("Walk Away Renee", known for its use of a string section) made a few good recordings featuring harpsichord. It remained popular as a movie soundtrack instrument through the late 60's and into the early 70's. One particular fav is a jazzy early-60's Henry Mancini bachelor-pad instro record called "Combo!, with lucsious RCA studio stereo sound, on which I believe Hank foregoes piano entirely in favor of harpsichord. It's the very definition of "ginchy"! |
Record Hop Time! I've been remiss to not list any of the 45's spun chez Zaikesman. Here's a good chunk of tonight's mostly 50's and 60's Rhythm'n'Blues stack, in no particular order. Set the preamp to mono and let 'em rip:
Willie West - Greatest Love b/w Hello Mama [Deesu]
Johnny Acey - I Go Into Orbit b/w What Am I Going To Do [Fling]
Lee Roy Little - Hurry Baby, Please Come Home b/w Let Me Go Home, Whiskey [Cee-Jay]
The Val-Chords - Candy Store Love b/w You're Laughing At Me [Gametime]
Mr. Bear and Jack Dupree - Walking The Blues b/w Daybreak Rock [King]
Bill Robinson and The Quails - The Cow b/w Take Me Back, Baby [American]
Chuck Leonard - Nobody But You Girl b/w Diddley Do [Crackerjack]
The Capers - Candy Store Blues b/w High School Diploma [Vee-Jay]
The Du Droppers - I Wanna Know b/w Laughing Blues [RCA Victor]
Rosco Gordon - Goin' Home b/w Just A Little Bit [Vee-Jay]
Freddie Bell and The Bellboys - I Said It And I'm Glad b/w Ding Dong [Wing]
Sam Hawkins - Hold On Baby b/w Bad As They Come [Blue Cat]
Billy Guy - Whip It On Me Baby b/w Women [Double L]
Lightin' Slim - Hoo Doo Blues b/w It's Mighty Crazy [Excello]
The Strollers - Crowded Classroom b/w We're Strollin' [Warner]
Gene and Eunice - Move It Over, Baby b/w This Is My Story [Aladdin]
Lee Edward and His Continentals - (I've Gotta Have Her) Need I Say More b/w (I'm Gonna) Be My Own Boss [Lantic Gold]
James Rivers - Bird Brain b/w Tighten Up [Eight-Ball]
The Four Tees - I Said She Said b/w Like My Baby [Vee-Jay]
Stoney Jackson and The V-Eights - Let's Take A Chance (And See) b/w Hot Water [Vibro]
Lula Reed - Rock Love b/w I'm Gone, Yes I'm Gone [King]
The Emperors - Karate b/w I've Got To Have Her [Mala]
"Candy" Phillips - Timber, Pts. 1 & 2 [Atlantic]
The Rivingtons - Weejee Walk b/w Fairy Tales [Liberty]
Bobby Marchan - Shake Your Tamborine b/w Just Be Yourself [Cameo]
The Sh-Booms - Short Skirts b/w Blue Moon [Atlantic]
The Pentagons - Down At The Beach b/w To Be Loved (Forever) [Donna]
Gil Blanding - La Ta Ta b/w Rules [Ready]
Barry and The Vikings - I Love You Yes I Do b/w Last Night [Jamie]
Bobby Moore and The Rhythm Aces - Hey, Mr. D.J. b/w Searching For My Love [Checker]
Barrett Strong - Yes, No, Maybe So b/w You Knows What To Do [Anna]
The Stokes - Young Man, Old Man b/w One Mint Julep [Alon]
PS - The occasional slow B-side might not get listened to all the way through... ;^) |
Charles Mingus - Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus (Impulse! CD reissue 1995, orig. 1963) As the snow falls down and my better half is still stuck at work, I'm happily ensconsed cranking up the soundstage to somewhat lifelike proportions and gittin' hit in my soul. |
Hey, that's easy. Try sitting through one side of "Greendale" while resisting the urge to pull out "Zuma" or "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" instead :-) |
Yes Spence, I believe you listed that selection above. Great record, among many of his of course. I think the CD sounds quite good, and to tell the truth about me, I basically never buy audiophile vinyl unless I happen to stumble across something used, that I want strictly for the music and don't already own. Have you compared the two reissue formats and found there to be a large difference? |
Cuscuna 'produced' the CD reissue #IMPD-170 (the actual remastering was done by one Eric Labson at MCA) - that import vinyl could simply be a transfer from this digital remaster, and barring some assurance to the contrary, my gut is that it probably is. |
BTW, does the LP have the CD bonus track "Freedom"? If not, this cut (with vocal) is justification enough for picking up the CD as well to make a comparison. |
If you do that you might wind up with a Rottweiler on your turntable... |
The Velvet Underground & Nico (Produced by Andy Warhol) - [Verve stereo LP, 1967] How lucky am I to have a girlfriend who owns a NM gatefold original pressing of this revolutionary classic (even if this one lacks the extra-valuable peelable banana sticker)? Even luckier that she still wears her blond hair the way late VU chanteuse Nico does in the jacket photos, long with bangs.
The Byrds - The Notorious Bryd Brothers [Columbia 360-stereo LP, 1968] And then there were three...
The Chantays - Two Sides Of... [Dot stereo LP, 1966] The "Pipeline" guys return, unfortunately for the last time, as instro surf (or in this case, space) music was really already dead by this time. But wait - they also turn in a side's worth of very solid tough rockers in a contemporary Bobby Fuller-ish vein as well! The reverbelicious guit-workouts still rule though, with great evocative titles like "Beyond", "Greenz", "Retaliation", "Space Probe", and "Intercontinental Missle", featuring huge, lively sound that instantly transports your living room to a dance party at the rec center, and performances that, if they don't put sand between your toes and salt in your hair, then put the launch button beneath your finger and the thrust of the rockets at your back.
Billy Strayhorn - Live!!! [Roulette Birdland mono LP, probably about 1965] The Duke's man, with the Duke's men and his own timeless tunes.
The Nightcrawlers - The Little Black Egg [compilation CD, Big Beat British import, 2000] History of the folk-rocky Florida garage band, known for their minor national hit in 1965 of the title tune on Kapp records, and album by the same name which trickled out two years later.
The Astronauts - Rarities [compilation CD, Bear Family German import, 1991] Collected outtakes, singles and ephemera from the vaults not found on their RCA long players (which I'm happy to say I own the cream of), by the best surf band ever to come out of Boulder, CO (not to mention the only one; their big hit was the classic "Baja" in 1963).
Gram Parsons - GP/Grevious Angel [Reprise 2fer single CD, 1990, orig. 1973 and '74] |
Pursuant to Rushton's and my exchange re. harpsichord music above, these titles were enjoyed over the last couple of weeks:
E. Power Biggs - Bach On The Pedal Harpsichord [Columbia 360-stereo LP, probably mid-60's] In which we learn that 18-century organ composers like Bach often wrote and practiced organ pieces at home on a clavichord or harpsichord with organ-like pedals (the church organ and a man to work the bellows being only an occasional luxury), but that none of these instruments survive today in playable condition. The cover photo depicts the gorgeous modern instrument constructed by John Challis in what appears to be 100% Brazilian rosewood, unadorned, that looks like a harpsichord whose legs perch atop what, at first glance, you might mistake (as I did) for a reflection of the harpsichord's underside in a shiny black floor, until you notice the pedals in place of keyboard manuals.
Igor Kipnis - Bach: Complete Variations For Harpischord/"Goldberg"/In The Italian Style [Angel 2LP, 1973] Got this at an estate sale several years back, bearing a signed personal dedication from Kipnis on the rear cover dated June 14, 1977.
Rafael Puyana - The Golden Age Of Harpischord Music [Mercury Living Presence stereo LP, early 60's]
Rafael Puyana - Bach For Harpsichord [Mercury Living Presence stereo LP, early 60's] I can thank my late father's collection for these last two titles, in pristine condition. "The Golden Age" features many relatively obscure composers and pieces that stray far from a Bach-ian baroque mold.
Continuing on other fronts...
The Osborne Brothers - Modern Sounds Of Bluegrass Music [Decca stereo LP, 1967] The high lonesome sound meets Nashville, with banjo and mandolin backed by a rhythm section including not just acoustic guitar and bass fiddle, but also drums, electric guitar and pedal steel plus piano. The liner notes helpfully offer that this contemporary mix makes "the 'old' sound of bluegrass seem empty and unattractive". Thank goodness they cleared that up.
Jerry Reed - The Unbelievable Guitar & Voice Of... [RCA Victor Dynagroove mono LP, 1967] You might only remember him as Burt Reynolds' truck-drivin' stringbean of a sidekick from the 'Smokey & The Bandit' movies, but if so, you would only know half the story of this consumate entertainer, guitar-wrangler and songwriter, whose gifts are reminiscent of Chet Atkins and Glen Campbell crossed with latter-day Elvis and Jerry Lee. His Atkins-produced debut is a spritely genre-blender that might best be described as soulful country pop, delivered with casual charisma to burn.
James Brown - Nothing But Soul [King stereo LP, 1968] Soul Brother Number One's instrumental albums on Smash, predating this set (whilst his vocal hits were all recorded for King), generally only show his limitations as a wannabe organist and feature forgetable covers of rock and soul tunes not always associated with The Godfather. This less-common set is a whole different story. I don't know if JB truly is the organ player here, but the liner notes do make deliberate mention of his increasing skills on the instrument. Whatever the case, this burner, recorded with his regular horns/guitars/drums band, is head and shoulders above his other instro records and an excellent album in its own right, being both funkier than your typical jazz organ trio and jazzier than most funk instrumentals, with really great original tunes throughout.
Howlin' Wolf - Ain't Gonna Be Your Dog [Chess 2CD compilation, 1994] Collection of 42 rare and previously unreleased vintage tracks spanning from 1951-'69, by the all-time big daddy of the blues. |
The Madmilkman: You go guy! :-)
Siliab: "Incredibly dated, both musically and sonically" is a pretty fair description of my usual listening preferences... :-)
The Contours - Do You Love Me (Now That I Can Dance) [Motown reissue CD, 1988, orig. 1962] This OOP disk was the only straight re-ish of their lone original album (faithful running order, reproduced front cover art), but should be avoided for the ghastly hip-hop remix treatment given the classic title tune, which the outer sleeve totally fails to warn of. (The balance of the program, including the essential Smokey Robinson composition "First I Look At The Purse", later covered by the J. Geils Band, is presented intact.) Who could ever have thought such an idiotic desecration was an improvement that would get people to buy? To this day I believe this great early Motown male group, largely written for by Berry Gordy himself, has not been comprehensively collected, which seems a shame not just because the music is so fine, but because they only ever issued about 25 tracks during their brief history, so it ought to be an easy project to do right. Are you listening Motown?!
The Hollies - Dear Eloise/King Midas In Reverse [Sundazed expanded reissue CD, 1997, orig. 1967] This is how you do a reissue correctly: collect all the tracks from the US Epic LP along with the rest from the British version (entitled "Butterfly"} plus the associated single B-sides, include the original cover art and liner notes, plus add contemporary commentary and an interview with group leader Allan Clarke to go along with the reverentially remastered sound.
Ellery Eskelin - The Sun Died [Soul Note CD, 1996] NYC-based tenor man teams with Marc Ribot on guitar and Kenny Wolleson on drums to present a surprising re-take on the music of a seemingly unlikely inspiration, Gene Ammons.
The Undertones - Get What You Need [Sanctuary CD, 2003] The return of one the best punk-pop groups of the late 70's and early 80's (and the best out of Ireland; their 'hit' was the pubescent lust anthem "Teenage Kicks"), minus distinctive original lead singer Feargal Sharkey, but with original songwriters/guitarists/singers the brothers John and Damian O'Neill and songwriter/bassist/singer Michael Bradley. The album is a little uneven and not up to the level of inspiration embodied by the original band, but is nevertheless a hearteningly sturdy reunion effort. The material harkens back to the first two Undertones records, rather than the artier evolutions they pursued to great effect on "Positive Touch" and swansong "The Sin Of Pride". They played only a literal handful of US reunion tour dates to promote this last year - I was fortunate enough to catch the show and they were sublimely good, playing material from across their entire songbook as if the last 25 years had never passed. Contemporary disciples like the above-mentioned Green Day bow down to these guys every morning, noon and night. |
Herbie Hancock - Speak Like A Child [Blue Note reissue CD, 1987, orig. 1968] This could sound better, it's murky and mechanical. Maybe there's a more recent issue I should check out. The music deserves it.
The Artwoods - Art Gallery [Repertoire expanded reissue CD, 1995, orig. 1964-'67] Very fine Brit R&B group, more on the mod/soul side than the blues side, with touches of psych, will appeal to fans of keyboard-driven bands like The Spencer Davis Group, The Small Faces, The Brian Auger Trinity, etc. With eponymous leader/singer Art Wood, whose younger brother Ronnie you may have heard somewhere, and Jon Lord of Deep Purple fame on organ and Keef Hartley on drums. None of their tunes were originals, but their covers were varied, well-chosen, and not at all the usual fare (except for a few of the bonus tracks), with imaginative arrangements and excellent musicianship. But despite or because of those things, they were only a minor ripple in England and never had any US releases so far as I know. Remastered sound is quite clear and powerful on the original album tracks if a little exagerated in the treble.
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band - Safe As Milk [Buddha expanded reissue CD, 1999, orig. 1967] As with Zappa, I prefer the earliest stuff, when it was still rockin'.
The Rolling Stones - Aftermath [Abkco CD, 1986, orig. 1966] Listening to this today it struck me, as it does from time to time, that Jagger earned his keep as a lyricist back in the day, before the rockstar rot jet-set in. This sounds fine to me, maybe a bit forward in the low treble, but does the SACD reissue CD layer really sound that much better? My vinyls are in storage...
Nina Simone - The Best Of... [Philips stereo LP, 1969] Before I really got hip to Nina I was once in a used book store that sold records (always one of the best kinds of places to shop for records), where apparently a huge fan had unloaded (or had died and their family had unloaded) an impressive multitude of vintage Simone albums in nice clean condition. I perused them all but not knowing where to begin stupidly bought none, and by the time I realized my mistake they were all gone, so I'm forced to make do until I get lucky again (this disk is shiny as a new penny, but alas most of what I've unearthed of hers since that day has been good only for frisbee practice).
Lorrie & Larry Collins - Another Man Done Gone b/w The Lonesome Road [Columbia white-label promo 45, prob. late 50's] I don't think either of these tunes are included on my Collins Kids compilation LP (they were a teenage brother/sister Rockabilly novelty duo, for those unfamiliar), but again that record's in storage and I'm not positive. Scored this single in beautiful shape at an estate sale the other week and it's wild. The A-side is written by Johnny Cash and features Lorrie without Larry growling her way through a heavily produced, down-tempo minor-key weird-out with whip-cracking sound effects and wordless female chorus over a menacing bass line that's creepy as hell - Wanda Jackson's "Funnel Of Love" played at half-speed is all I can bring to mind to compare it to. At least as odd as the Captain above, and a whole lot sexier. |
Tonight, Jimmy Smith of course (hi Spencer). The very cleanest deep-groove Lex. Ave. Blue Note in my small collection, LP #1525 "The Incredible Jimmy Smith At The Organ Vol. 3". (With Donald Bailey, d. and Thornel Schwartz, g., plus graphically arresting Reid Miles cover of smiling Jimmy in a Francis Wolff profile shot with his index finger exuberently pointed straight into the camera, rendered in luscious glossy sepiatone with "JIMMY SMITH" across the top in orange-red letters 2 1/2 inches tall.) I have many later JS disks, mostly on Verve, but while the organ-trio format he pioneered got somewhat diluted, hackneyed and stale by the mid-60's, his 1956 debut trifecta still sounds fresh and exciting today. RIP |
I agree about Dire Straits. I don't own their records or listen to them now, but at the time, when I was in junior high school, the guitar work was a real ear-opener. I still know the solo to "Sultans Of Swing" in my sleep, the learning of which was a big step forward in my playing. |
Time for a kickstart...
The Dave Myers Effect - Greatest Racing Themes [Carole/GNP Crescendo stereo LP, mid-60's] Organ and fuzz guitar-driven hot rod instro's replete with overdubbed squealing tires and revving engines, as was the brief trend at the time. Several killer tunes, including an unlikely cover of jazz pianist Ray Bryant's "Shake-A-Lady".
The Rock-A-Teens - Woo-Hoo [Roulette mono LP, 1960] There's been a TV commercial running recently that uses The 5,6,7,8's cover version of the title tune (a wordless falsetto 'woo-hoo, woo-hoo-hoo' repeated over boppin'th'blues changes), and it does have a crazy way of sticking in your head (not that I can recall who it's advertising). This Virginia group seems something of an oddity, in that: they debuted playing what is for the most part quite countrified rockabilly music at the time when that genre's historic practitioners were moving on stylistically; rockabilly wasn't generally a music that had been associated with groups per se (unlike, say, doowop); they actually got to record a nationally-distributed album as minor one-hit-wonders who were of course promptly never heard from again. It's a good'un though, and I believe Norton reissued it.
John Lewis Presents Contemporary Music - Jazz Abstractions: Compositions By Gunther Schuller & Jim Hall [Atlantic mono LP, about 1960] With Ornette Coleman, Scott LaFaro, Eric Dolphy, Eddie Costa, Bill Evans, George Duvivier, Jim Hall and others including The Contemporary String Quartet. The highlight is Schuller's side-long "Variants On A Theme Of Thelonius Monk (Criss-Cross)". The album bears a dedication to LaFaro, who was killed shortly before its release. This type of 'third stream' modern jazz/modern classical fusion music hasn't always aged so well, and some of what's here is pretty pretentious, but in limited doses I like this stuff when it works.
Daughters Of Albion - (self-titled) [Fontana LP, about 1968] Leon Russell-produced, guy-svengali/girl-singer duo consisting of songwriter/guitarist Greg Dempsey with Kathy Yesse. The jacket (a dreaded UniPak gatefold) makes you think you're in for some lame hippy-dippy self-indulgence, replete as it is with a set of 3 colorful 'big-eye' cartoon mini-posters depicting the happy, hairy couple demurely naked while engaging in such Aquarian Age psychedelic pastimes as holding flowers and flying upon a cloud-dragon (that is, once you get past the strange, out-of-focus black and white cover shot). But surprise surprise, the album is actually a succinct, highly enjoyable and accomplished pop-rock delight, featuring Russell's typically astute baroque orchestrations, concise tune running-lengths, fine singing, snappy guitar work, smart lyrics, and musical hooks galore. Recommend fans of West Coast 60's pop snatch this obscurity up if you ever stumble across it (to the best of my knowledge it's never been reissued but ought to be, though the curious can probably download it). Yesse went on to record under the name Kathy Dalton in the 70's.
The Five Americans - Progressions [Abnak LP, 1967] The "Western Union" guys return, good as ever. Very talented group that straddled the line between garage-rock and bubble-gum pop, in the vein of Paul Revere & The Raiders, Every Mother's Son, and The Ohio Express (musically that is, not in sales).
The Monkees - Head [Canadian RCA/Colgems LP, 1968] Not the more common "Headquarters" LP, but the soundtrack to the band's ill-fated trip-flick collaboration with Jack Nicholson. The music's not gonna make anybody forget their earlier mega-records with Don Kirshner in charge, but neither is it anywhere near as questionable as the movie was - in fact, it's mostly not bad at all.
The Clovers - Five Cool Cats [Edsel, British compilation LP, 1984] Collects much of the cream from this seminal rhythm & blues vocal group's 50's Atlantic sides, including "One Mint Julep" and "Your Cash Ain't Nothing But Trash" (before they switched to United Artists under the auspices of Lieber and Stoller and hit big with the original "Love Potion No.9").
Miles Davis - E.S.P. [Columbia LP, 70's reissue, orig. 1965] Picking up the "Sorcerer" expanded reissue CD I listed above has sent me back to some of the other Shorter/Carter/Hancock/Williams group recordings - the last period of Miles' evolution I'm into.
The Stillroven - Cast Thy Burden Upon... [Sundazed compilation LP, 1996, orig. rec. 1966-68] Good Minneapolis-based garage punk/psych group that never broke out of the Midwest with their handful of small-label singles.
A quick visit to the discard pile...
The Young Fresh Fellows - Totally Lost [Frontier LP, 1988]
Faces - First Step [Warner LP, 1969]
Chuck Berry - The London Sessions [Chess reissue LP, orig. 1972]
Jefferson Airplane - Takes Off [RCA reissue LP, orig. 1966]
My 'discard pile' is historically actually a place where records go to be ignored for years and then exhumed to see if my mind's changed again.
But despite the Faces LP being an original gatefold issue (temporarily still bearing the by-then-obsolete group name "Small Faces"), I don't think anything could alter my dim view of this supremely boring bump in the road. It's just hard to fathom how the same core group of musicians who were concurrently busy making Rod Stewart's landmark early solo records, and who would soon make some very good ones under their group moniker, could put out such an energy-deficient dud as this 'debut'. The closest thing to a decent song here is Stewart's "Three Button Hand Me Down", which is merely a highly inferior retread of his own contemporaneous "An Old Raincoat Won't Ever Let You Down". The cover photo is great, the music and performances a tedious waste of time.
The Young Fresh Fellows record I want to like more than I do, and suspect it will always remain thus.
With Jefferson Airplane, I've decided that all I really require (though maybe that's too strong a way to put it) are "Surrealistic Pillow" and "Crown Of Creation", complemented by the "2400 Fulton Street" early anthology (I have a very low tolerance for the San Francisco sound and most hippy music in general). I happened to catch the Airplane/Starship performing for free on the beach in Santa Cruz in front of a hometown crowd the summer before last, and must say that unquestioned geezerdom doesn't excuse them from being as predictably yawn-inducing as they were IMO.
Supposedly "The London Sessions" is Chuck's best-selling LP ever. Well, I guess that certainly isn't his fault. I love the guy to death, but I don't need to keep cobbled-together toss-offs made even by the likes of him. I got this rereleased version to see if the remastering job could raise my interest since I never listen to my original copy, but now it's time to quit while I'm behind. The lesser-name Brit backing units are criminally unswinging (sorry to pick on Mr. Kenny Jones twice in one post), and Chuck didn't exactly write any new standards for the occasion. Long live rock and roll, of which "My Ding-A-Ling" ain't never gonna be a great example. If you want a Chess "London Sessions", stick with the quite good Howlin' Wolf or Muddy Waters, though none are necessaries next to the peerless originals. |
Recapitulating some recent spins...
Gloria Jones - Come Go With Me [Uptown mono LP, 1965] Pop-soul singer best known for the original version of "Tainted Love" (an international smash for synth-wave duo Soft Cell in the early 80's), here in her album debut, produced and written-for by the versatile Ed Cobb, who's known more for his work with garage rockers The Standells and The Chocolate Watch Band (and had once been a member of the easy listening vocal group The Four Preps!). Jones later married glam-rocker Marc Bolan of T. Rex.
The Isley Brothers - Soul On The Rocks [Tamla stereo LP, 1967] They were only associated with Motown for several singles and two LPs, the other being the hit-single-entitled "This Old Heart Of Mine". This one features "Got To Have You Back", covered in the early 80's by Ireland's The Undertones.
Esther Phillips - Set Me Free [Atlantic 2LP compilation, 1986] Collection spanning 1964-1970, presented in original mono and stereo with unreleased bonus tracks.
Tyrone Davis - Can I Change My Mind [Dakar stereo LP, 1969] His debut preceded big hit "Turn Back The Hands Of Time".
The Manhattans - Dedicated To You [Carnival mono LP, 1965] Long-running soul stalwarts' debut. Any record featuring "The Boston Monkey", "Manhattan Stomp", and "Teach Me (The Philly Dog)" is A-OK by me.
Little Junior Parker - Driving Wheel [MCA reissue LP, orig. Duke label LP 1962] Outstanding rhythm & blues from the "Mystery Train" man, with fantastic sound to boot, was re-ished more than once, snag on sight.
Andre Benichou - Jazz Guitar Bach [Nonesuch mono LP, mid-60's] More like 'Surf Guitar Bach' with all that reverb and twang, plus groovy supporting group The Well-Tempered Three. Hey, if it was good enough for Edward Tatnall Canby to write the liners, who can turn up a snooty nose? Love the transcriptions and this record.
Memphis Slim - Rockin' The Blues [Charly import CD, 1992] Collected late 50's Vee-Jay sides of the pianist/singer featuring the smokin' guitar of Matt Murphy, who you might recall from the Blues Brothers movie.
Wayne Shorter - The All Seeing Eye [Blue Note reissue CD 1994, orig. 1965] With Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, and Ron Carter among others. Nat Hentoff's liners state that the title refers to God looking over the universe before His act of Creation (but isn't that a logical contradiction?). By turns thematic and free-form, more cacophonous and less obviously song-oriented and swinging than most of Shorter's contemporaneous work, can be challenging or even irrating but has its rewards for the patient and adventuresome.
Milt Jackson - Statements [Impulse! expanded reissue CD 1993, orig. 1962] With Hank Jones, Paul Chambers, and Connie Kay from one session; Jimmy Heath, Tommy Flanagan, and Richard Davis plus Kay from another. This is certainly a nice record, but overall I think I prefer his Atlantic sides.
Dinah Washington - What A Diff'rence A Day Makes [Mercury CD reissue 1984, orig. 1959] Those who hold that CDs made so early in the game will invariably sound unlistenable should avoid this one, which although it doesn't sound like an LP, does sound like it probably offers a pretty good view of the mastertape.
Get With The Beat - The Mar-Vel' Masters/A Lost Decade Of American Rock And Roll [Rykodisc CD, 1989] Amazing collection of hillbilly obscurities from the 50's and 60's recorded by producer/honcho Harry Glenn for his Indiana-based Mar-Vel' ("Hits Of Tomorrow, Recorded Today") and associated labels, and originally compiled on the Cowboy Carl label in the mid-70's. Highly recommended for all fans of raw'n'rural rockabilly and honky tonk, with great, honest small-studio high fidelity sound in the manner of Buddy Holly's New Mexico sides.
Wynder K. Frog - Out Of The Frying Pan [Edsel/Island reissue CD, 1995, orig. 1968] Brit session organist Mick Weaver's public alter ego - funky, jazzy instro covers and originals, produced by Gus Dudgeon and Jimmy Miller. Good fun.
The Rolling Stones - Metamorphosis [Abkco reissue CD, 2002] The first of the DSD remasters that I've tried, so of course I decided to start with the oddest duck in the catalog. I don't have an SACD player, and I haven't yet had a chance to compare this to the LP.
Jason Falkner - Author Unknown [Elektra CD, 1996] I was never a big Jellyfish fan, but I do dig about a good half of what's here (mostly the first half). One-man-band post-everthing power-pop of some considerable musical ingenuity and accomplishment, if not necessarily emotional impact.
Outkast - Stankonia [LaFace/Arista CD, 2000] This is about as 'down' as I get with rap today.
Ralph Vaugh Williams - Film Music/RTE Concert Orchestra (Dublin)/Andrew Penny [Marco Polo CD, 1995] Themes and cues from the presumably British movies "49th Parallel", "Story Of A Flemish Farm", "Coastal Command", and "Three Portraits From The England Of Elizabeth". Never seen any of 'em, though apparently the composer scored music for 11 films in all, and I haven't seen or heard any of the others either. Hey, if it's not on Turner Classic Movies...but I have a feeling that this is the better way to enjoy the music. |
Roland Kirk - Domino [Verve Master Edition expanded CD reissue 2000, orig. Mercury stereo LP 1962] Considering how tough it would probably be to find a copy of the original record, unless you're very knowledgable or very fortunate, this could be one of the best classic jazz albums you've never heard. That's certainly how it struck me when I discovered this recently - I already owned a two-LP compilation of some of his later stuff on I believe Atlantic that never grabbed me all that much, but this set is a different story altogether. Kirk is perhaps best remembered for his astonishing ability to simultaneously play three horns at once, a tenor and two unorthodox instruments I gather he basically made up out of modified old saxophones, which he called a "manzello" and a "stritch". Ian Anderson fanatics also take note, Kirk was apparently the first to gain notice playing flute mixed with voice; a nose flute and siren whistle round out his stable of noisemakers here. Kirk, fresh off a stint with Mingus, is accompanied by a band including pianists Andrew Hill, Wynton Kelly, and Herbie Hancock from different recording dates, plus drummer Roy Haynes and others. Kirk alone handles all the wind instruments, changing over within songs at a flash, and playing unison lines himself on two or three together. Sometimes dismissed as a 'gimmick' player for his multi-horn and circular-breathing techniques, this record offers powerful evidence to the contrary; it's melodic, swinging, energetic, succinct, distinctive yet varied (from modal to funky to sweetly reflective, with the occasional brief embellishment of raucous free form), and above all greatly enjoyable music made by an artist with a clear, purposeful vision. Highly recommended to fans of post-bop small-band jazz, the remaster sounds great, and several of the bonus cuts are worthy additions to the ten originally included. This was Kirk's second record as leader (first with his regular band), and I fully intend to check out his debut ("We Free Kings") and subsequent releases ("Reeds And Deeds", "Rip, Rig, And Panic"), as listed in the updated liner notes. |
Rushton: You're welcome, and likewise on your own posts, even though classical obviously isn't (and I'm afraid never will be) my main bag. I never did see much point in simply enumerating disks listened-to without also commenting on them to some degree if possible.
Spencer: Have you heard the other Kirk titles I listed? For whichever you have, what is your opinion on those? And when was "The Inflated Tear" recorded and for what label? |
Mingus and me are tight :-) |
Actually, KOB, Sketches, and Bag's Groove aren't much like each other either, and that's a defining aspect of Miles' body of work overall. Neither would I consider BOTC to be particularly similar to any of the above for that matter. I'm not much of one for the electric material from In A Silent Way going forward, but briefly would recommend the titles Miles Ahead, Cookin', and E.S.P. if you don't have any of them already. Each one of those also represents a different period and group, with Miles Ahead being more like Sketches, Cookin' more like Bag's Groove, and E.S.P. representing the post-KOB, pre-Bitches Brew acoustic Miles. Check out Sdcampbell's posts on this general subject for a detailed examination. |
Dipping one toe back in the water...Past few days, sorry no commentary:
-----Elpees-----
Link Wray -- Great Guitar Hits [Vermillion, '6?]
The Beau Brummels -- Vol. 44 [Vault, '68]
The Kinks -- Face To Face [Reprise, '67]
Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds -- The Fabulous [Columbia, '66]
The Shadows -- More Hits! [EMI/Columbia (England), '65]
Hank Marvin -- S/T [EMI/Columbia (England), '69]
Roy Harper -- One Of Those Days In England (Bullinamingvase) [Chrysalis (Canada), '77]
The Raindrops -- S/T [orig. Jubilee, '63, reissue Murray Hill, '85]
Baby Washington -- With You In Mind [Veep, '68]
Blue Magic -- S/T [Atlantic, '74]
Ronnie Foster -- On The Avenue [Blue Note, '74]
Harold Betters -- Do Anything You Wanna [Gateway, '63?]
Johnny Hodges -- Used To Be Duke [Verve, '5?]
Johnny Hodges -- The Blues [Verve, '5?]
Johnny Hodges -- Perdido [Verve, '5?]
The Miles Davis Quintet -- Workin' With [orig. Prestige '59 (rec. '56), reissue Fantasy OJC, '87]
Lee Morgan -- The Rajah [Blue Note, '84 (rec. '66, unreleased)]
Doc Watson -- The Essential [Vanguard, '73]
Linn Barnes & Allison Hampton -- Forms And Fancies (Renaissance and Baroque Music for Two Lutes) [Oak Leaf, '83]
Plus many singles...
-----Ceedees-----
Dave Bartholomew -- Very Best Of [Bayou, '?? (rec. 50's)]
Link Wray & The Raymen -- "They're Outta Here," Says Archie [Rollercoaster (England), '04 (rec. '58, unreleased)]
Dee Dee Warwick -- I Want To Be With You (The Mercury/Blue Rock Sessions) [Hip-o, '01 (rec. '60's)]
Dee Dee Warwick -- The Atco Sessions [Marginal (Belgium), '95 (rec. 70's)]
The Searchers -- EP Collection [See For Miles (England), '89 (rec. 60's)]
Blue Ash -- Around Again [Not Lame, '04 (rec. 70's, unreleased)] |
I've been A/B auditioning some interconnects and power cords over the last few days, so I'm primarily listening to a few familiar disks I find useful for sonic evaluations, including stuff like Bill Evans' "Waltz For Debby" and The Buena Vista Social Club. (In addition to tweaks which involve the digital front-end, with those that affect the whole system or its back-end half I tend to do most of my preliminary auditioning with CD's instead of LP's, due mostly to the convenience factor of being able to repeat sections and tracks by remote control from the listening chair.) One of these recordings may be worth mentioning in particular, both because I consistently find it to illuminate subtle but musically meaningful sonic differences, and because most folks won't have heard it: Reknowned songwriter Jimmy Webb's 1996 CD on the Guardian label entitled "Ten Easy Pieces". Everybody recognizes Webb's famous 60's 'easy listening' pop hits as performed by others ("Galveston", "Wichita Lineman", "By The Time I Get To Phoenix", "Didn't We", the hideous "Worst That Could Happen", and the admirably infamous "MacArthur Park" are all included here), but this set features the man himself with just his piano and occasional light accompaniment (guests of note include Michael McDonald, Dean Parks, Marc Cohn and Shawn Colvin; there is no drum/bass rhythm section.) This material may not be everybody's cup of tea -- in many ways it generally isn't mine, in fact -- while the handful of 70's and 80's selections here are not nearly as strong or idiosyncratic as the older material IMO. And the recording itself is probably of debatable 'accuracy' or honesty from an audiophile viewpoint -- although relatively simple and unembellished, it's a studio product that doesn't make a pretense of adhering to a strict standard of 'naturalness' -- and anyway will not test a system's highest highs, lowest lows, or stretch its dynamic envelope to the bombastic limit. Not necessarily the most 'believable' or 'present' of recordings (it's close-mic'ed, so larger-than-life images and proximity-effect chestiness can threaten, though it never sounds bright or over-processed unlike most pop recordings), I've heard many that will make a system sound 'better' in terms of crystal clarity and spatiality, yet few that will so easily and reliably reveal system tweaks or changes. There's something about Webb's throaty, sinusy, rather rough (in the sense of seeming 'unschooled') vocals -- his baritone voice is equal parts smoke, honey, and not-quite-gravel ("mulch"?) around the edges -- together with the darkly rolling chords and bell-like arpeggiated figures emmanating from his piano (which, oddly enough, can slip at times into sounding, depending on the playback, as if it might in fact be not an acoustic piano but a digitally sampled one -- a point the instrument credit to "Young Chang - Kurzweil" leaves curiously open-ended, though I assume it's really acoustic), which along with the way the disk was recorded and for whatever combination of reasons, proves to be exceptionally sensitive to changes in the playback chain, especially within the all-important broad midrange. Whenever something (like a power cord swap) I'm trying to compare the effect of seems maddeningly elusive with other, potentially more confusing or obscuring disks, this is one I know I can pull out and feel confident of hearing whether and how the alteration in question impacts fundamental musical expressiveness and communication. I'm sure I wouldn't own this title if I hadn't stumbled onto it in a thrift store for $3 and decided what the hell, but I've grown to value it as an auditioning tool (and since I don't really listen to it for enjoyment -- not that I don't enjoy it in its way when I do -- I don't risk spoiling something I love by subjecting it to repetitive A/B's focusing on the sound, which can be a bummer when that starts to happen with stuff I actually care a lot about). Here's the Tower Records webpage with sound samples for anyone interested. At any rate, if you're a fan of these songs there's no arguing the authoritativeness of Webb's own interpretations of his compositions. |
Yes, J. Webb the man has really managed to fly underneath the public's radar all these years, despite how many people know his name and reputation as a songwriter. When I found this CD it was actually came as a bit of a shocker to finally see a face and hear a voice attached to the legend, neither of which at all matched my vague mental conception of who this guy 'was'. But Webb actually had several major-label records under his own name during his late-60's/early-70's heyday, and I'd like to find original copies of some of those. I took a flyer just now and typed in www.jimmywebb.com, and sure enough many more questions can be answered there. And if you jump to Tower's "Artist" webpage on him, it also appears he's got some sort of 4-disk series forthcoming next month. |
I was looking around and noticed that Webb got the Rhino Handmade 5-disk box-set treatment of his 70's albums -- 2,500 copies, all sold out, but brief soundclips are online (a copy is on ebay now for $277, set sale -- basically a $200 markup). Hard to tell from this if I'd really care to follow that deeply however; he's still pretty MOR, and I suspect that for my tastes the cream may have largely risen to the top with his 60's hits and selections from the two Richard Harris LP's, but I still wouldn't mind finding his first two solo LP's from '70 and '71. Here's a link to the liner notes from a reissue of the first LP. |
I took a couple out of town trips recently and of course bought many used records -- but had the chance to pick up original copies of two Jimmy Webb LP's, including his debut, and ultimately passed after checking them out on my portable player. Oh well.
Anyway, here's a sampling of what I did get (can't claim it's all on my TT tonight -- most of it still needs cleaning!):
Lee Morgan -- "The Lee Morgan Quintet" [Vee-Jay, 1965] He cut two LP's in 1960 for this famed Chi-town waxery ("Here's Lee Morgan" and "Expoobidient"), which this set apparently compiles tracks from. Liner quote from Lee in 'Downbeat': "Dizzy, Miles, Kenny Dorham, and maybe Thad Jones are the only modernists with an original style. I like a lot of other trumpet men...they're all good musicians, but they -- and include me -- we're all playing more of less alike."
The Beau Brummels -- "Beau Brummels '66" [WB] Their 'contemporary covers' LP, a mission beneath this group's considerable songwriting talent and one I imagine was mandated by their new label, but which they nevertheless more than did justice.
The Detriot Emeralds -- "I'm In Love With You" [Westbound, '73] The final LP of this criminally forgotten funky soul vocal group's original three on Westbound, good but not as great as the first (which I own), still searching for the second.
Link Wray -- "Bullshot" [Visa, '79] The best of his post-60's work IMO, largely the same group as on the 'with Robert Gordon' records but focused on instros.
Spencer Davis Group/Traffic -- "Here We Go 'Round The Mulberry Bush" Sndtrk. [UA, '68] Here goes Stevie Winwood around the group-go-round.
Baby Cortez -- "The Isley Brothers Way" [T-Neck, '70] Sounds like backing tracks from contemporaneus Bros. Isley albums with the vocals removed and organ added (the "Dave" was also apparently removed). Adulterated genius.
Billy Lee Riley -- "Big Harmonica Special" [Mercury, '64] Yes, the same BLR of Sun Records' "Flying Saucers Rock And Roll" and "Red Hot" immortality, and cat can blow. Seems they failed to tear it up at the discotheques to this one -- wow, how could harmonica miss? -- but loads of fun anyway. Tunes include "Bo Diddley", "Memphis", "My Babe", "Susie-Q", "High-Heel Sneakers", "Kansas City"...you get the picture.
Sonny Rollins -- "Alfie" Sndtrk. [Impulse!, '66] Been looking for a really clean copy for years -- score!
Friedrich Gulda -- From Vienna With Jazz [Columbia, '64] Have a couple of this classical pianist's other jazz dates, all good. Someone else would doubtless be more qualified than I to comment on his classical work and the controversies his jazz forays made in that world, but he's definitely the real deal on the keys and a memorable composer too, kind of like Andre Previn I suppose but without the pop schmaltz side.
Max Roach -- "Deeds Not Words" [Riverside, '6?] Repackaged collection of thee drummer's recordings featuring Booker Little, George Coleman, Art Davis, plus Ray Draper on tuba!
Terry Black -- "The Black Plague" [ARC, '65] A Canadian attempt at manufacturing a teen idol about a few years too late, this kid was apparently plucked off a Toronto TV dance show, dressed in Beatle duds while still sporting a Ricky Nelson hairdo, and hustled into the studio with a boatload of great Sloan/Barri tunes. He can even sing.
The Reds -- "Stronger Silence" [Stony Plain, '81] Have their late '70's A&M disks, this sounds a bit less punk and more new wave, but still with an edge, sort of like early Stranglers. Singer is reminiscent of the guy in Wire, even though they're from Philly.
The Astronauts -- "For You From Us" [RCA, '65] Same crew who proved Coloradans could surf on guitars with '63 classic hit "Baja", not as distinctive as their great early instro LP's but they do actually sing well too, and I prefer this to their more common 'live on campus' LP's from the in-between period.
Manfred Mann -- "The Mighty Quinn" [Mercury, '67] Song titles don't get much more Sixties than "Ha Ha Said The Clown" or "Semi-Detached Suburban Mr. James".
Roy Harper -- "Flashes From The Archives Of Oblivian" [Chrysalis, '74] 2-disk live concert set by the man Led Zep and Pink Floyd lionized. Front cover pictures him with his pants off and, um, matters well in hand so to speak, while on the back one he's sniffing his pit. Sleeve design credit reads, "Continuous Argument between Roy Harper and Hipgnosis (and it shows)". The orchestrated version of "Another Day" is beautiful beyond words.
The Esquires -- "Get On Up And Get Away" [Bunky, '68] Soul vocal group from Milwaukee who recorded in Chicago, the LP title splits right down the middle as the titles of their two hit singles. Sounds almost exactly like The Impressions, but no Curtis Mayfield involvement so far as I know. One of my best finds of the month.
Gun - S/T [Epic, '69] Power trio's debut (I already owned and dug the followup, "Gunsight"), and -- just as with Cream -- in the liners they're refered to as "The Gun". Includes UK hit "Race With The Devil", later covered to good effect by Girlschool. Lead guit Adrian Curtis would go on to revert his name back to Gurvitz and help lead an Army with Ginger Baker, completing the Cream-y circle. Rockingly avoids the sludge and blooze that infests most of these affairs, reminds me a bit of the Amboy Dukes.
The McCoys -- "You Make Me Feel So Good" [Bang, '66] Followup to the "Sloopy" LP (which I also have) features yet more Feldman/Goldstein/Gottehrer-produced and co-written gems, such as the insanely catchy "Say Those Magic Words", plus a killer version of Richie Valens' "C'mon Let's Go", and even one Rick Derrigner -- uh, Zehringer -- original to leaven the Pomus/Shuman/FGG onslaught. Rock'n'roll hootchy-koo indeed!
Jerry Goldsmith -- "Our Man Flint" Sndtrk. [20th Century Fox, '66] This souvenier from one of the ginchiest films ever made stands as proof that you can find almost anything if you hunt for it long enough. Bouillabaise never tasted the same again!
Jim Messina & The Jesters -- S/T [Thimble, '7?] Reish of '64 Audio Fidelity LP originally released as "The Dragsters". Yes, the same dude from Buffalo Springfield and Poco, who was half to blame for Loggins And Messina, started out as a surf/hot rod instro guitarist, a damn fine one too.
Best singles (not a lot of 45 action on this expedition):
Carl Perkins -- "Pink Pedal Pushers"/"Jive After Five" [Columbia, '58] The lead-off volley of his post-Sun career.
Storey Sisters -- "Bad Motorcycle"/"Sweet Daddy" [Cameo, '58] There was another Storey Sisters who were hillbilly country. These soul sisters were from Philly and this was their one-shot, incredibly motorvatin' R&B hit, featuring the great session guitarist 'Wild' Jimmy Spruill ("Kansas City", "Tossin' And Turnin'", "Fannie Mae" were just some of the bigger hits he played on). If you don't dance, you're dead. Vrun, vrun, vrun! |
LP's
Percy Sledge -- Any Day Now [comp. Charly, '84, rec. bet. '66-'73] "When A Man Loves A Woman"
Tiny Bradshaw -- Breakin' Up The House [comp. Charly '85, rec. bet. '50-'52] "The Train Kept A-Rollin'"
The Moonglows -- Their Greatest Sides [comp. Chess, '84 rec. bet. '55-'57] "Sincerely"
Deon Jackson -- His Greatest Recordings [comp. Solid Smoke, '84 rec. bet. '65-'69] "Love Makes The World Go 'Round"
Honey Cone -- Sweet Replies [Hot Wax, '71] "Want Ads"
Charles Mingus -- Let My Children Hear Music [Columbia '71]
Lambert, Hendericks & Ross -- Sing Ellington [Columbia six-eye mono, '60]
CD's
The Superfine Dandelion -- S/T [comp. Sundazed, '00/rec. bet. '66-'68] "Bottle Up And Go" (as The Mile Ends)
Hava Narghile -- Turkish Rock Vol. 1 [comp. Dionysus, '02/rec. bet. '65-'75]
Dance With Me -- The Autumn Teen Sound (Nuggets From The Golden State) [comp. Big Beat, '94/rec. bet. '64-'68] Autumn label co-founded by SF DJ Tom Donahue, best known for hits by Bobby Freeman and The Beau Brummels (not artists on this disk), most sessions produced by Sylvester Stewart AKA Sly Stone |
John Renbourn -- Sir John Alot Of Merrie Englande's Musyk Thyng & Ye Grene Knyghte [Reprise, '68] Reference-quality recording of fingerstyle steel-string guitar, w/hand percussion and flute. Along with Bert Jansch, one of the guys Jimmy Page got a lot of his acoustic ideas for Led Zep from.
Barbara Lewis -- Baby, I'm Yours [Atlantic, '65] Title hit and "Hello Stranger", to my mind a pretty sophisticated and mature pop song for a 19-year old to have written for her debut smash.
The Buddies -- Go-Go With [Mercury Wing, '65] Mike Curb-produced studio surf vocal group creation, plus some instros featuring guitar god Davie Allan, pre-fuzz.
The Spinners -- The Original Spinners [Motown, '67] Only Motown LP from a group much better known for their work on Atlantic in the 70's, includes some single sides going back to the early 60's.
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band -- Ricochet [Liberty, '67] Sophomore effort from pre-Bojangles, pre-"Circle" incarnation, when they were briefly an LA teen sensation before falling into temporary obscurity 'til the early 70's. A few too many sub-Lovin' Spoonful jug-band/old-timey/kazoo-silliness numbers for my taste, but still some strong tunes, including a couple written by a young Jackson Browne.
Hawkwind -- Quark, Strangeness And Charm [Sire, '77] The rocking numbers are almost punky: Syd Barrett meets Chuck Berry.
Testors -- New York City Punk Rock 1979 [Rave Up (Italy), '00] Formative band in that scene existed from '76-'81, toured US with Dead Boys but seemingly didn't stray too far in any other way. JT/Heartbreakers-like, faster and less distinctive but has the sound/attitude (don't let the goofy new wave sunglasses throw ya), and trashcan-o-phonic sonics guaranteed to rid any room of all audioweenies quick! Singer Sonny Vincent has since worked with a who's who of NYC, Midwest, CA and Brit punk personalities in various projects.
James Brown -- Ain't It Funky [King, '70] Yes it is.
Quincy Jones -- The Slender Thread (sndtrk.) [Mercury, '66] Flick starring Sidney Poitier and Anne Bancroft, with Telly Savalas, Ed Asner and Steven Hill, directed by Sydney Pollack and co-written by Stirling Silliphant, fairly gripping suicide drama I haven't seen in years but remember as being good (not on DVD I don't think). Like "A Patch Of Blue" in that it quasi-confronts issues of race by juxtaposing Poitier's typically idealized character against a situation of trying to save a white woman who literally can't see that he is black and leaving the possibility of romantic love unconsumated. Q's score has its spots but to me is not up to "The Pawnbroker" and some others, I'm guessing because his workload got ridiculous after he first zoomed to being a red-hot Hollywood composer.
Sonny Boy Williamson -- The Real Folk Blues [Chess reissue '87, rec. bet. '57-'63] If by "folk" you mean electric Chicago blues and none better. |
I love finding still-sealed older records. The other day I broke the seal on Ravi Shankar's "Improvisations" in stereo on World-Pacific from 1962, found for $2 in a bargain bin. It really feels like a privilege to be the first one to spin pristine vinyl that's over 4 decades old, and this didn't disappoint. A couple of the tracks are collaborations between Shankar's Indian trio and a few of the WP West Coast jazz luminaries, Bud Shank, Gary Peacock, Dennis Budimir and Louis Hayes. Beautiful music and sound.
Another SS one I found this week was The Church's "Sometime Anywhere" double LP on Arista from '94. I've had the CD for years, but hadn't seen it on vinyl before. I was very surprised to find this pressing may have one of the quietest surfaces I've ever heard -- more than once I've actually done a double-take to check whether I selected the right input or turned up the volume enough after dropping the needle in the groove, because I didn't hear anything before the music began. I'll be interested to compare it with the CD when I get a chance, as some of the extended tunes cover an usually wide dynamic range for a modern rock recording, particularly the epic "Two Places At Once", also released as an abridged single. (I believe this may also have been The Church's last recording issued on an American major label.) |
Mostly some old Columbias...
Miles Davis Quintet - Round About Midnight (6-eye mono, '57) His first for the label, with Coltrane, Garland, Chambers and Philly Joe. "Ah-Leu-Cha" is the highlight for me, managing to both slither and kick.
Miles Davis - Milestones (6-eye mono, '58) His next small-group effort for the label, following the orchestrated "Miles Ahead" with Gil Evans. Same lineup as previous but add Cannonball to make a sextet. Seems not quite as distinctively Miles in comparison, fine but also a tad generic, although the title tune's a stone classic. Trane gets off best of all. Of course, headier things were right around the corner.
Jimmy Rushing - The Smith Girls (6-eye mono, '61) Songs 'made famous' by Bessie and her sisters, this joint rocks and jumps. Featuring Coleman Hawkins and Buck Clayton with a full band.
Big Bill Broonzy - Big Bill's Blues (Columbia Adventures In Sound gold label mono, '58) Solo acoustic vocals + guitar, simply mic'ed with good presence, includes many between-songs spoken asides and even the sound of a bottle pouring into a glass to open "When I've Been Drinking". Derek & The Dominos fans, note "Key To The Highway"!
Gerry Mulligan-- "Presenting The Gerry Mulligan Sextet" (EmArcy, '55) The first of a trio of LPs the Sextet recorded for EmArcy in '55-'56. Featuring Zoot Sims, Bob Brookmeyer and Dave Bailey. Mesmerizing, swinging arrangements meld with sympatico group improv reminiscent of vintage dixieland in spirit. Has a Mulligan-penned tune y'all dig the punning title of: "Nights Of The Turntable" -- get it? Like some other 50's jazz EmArcys I own, this (pristine) disk sounds fairly muffled, but I've heard some of the CD remasters (not this one) and they've been significantly more open-sounding (as I'm sure the Mosaic LPs are), so it seems the session masters weren't the reason. |
