Pssst! Things are kinda quiet here, but.............

 ................if you jump into the crazy time/space wormhole vortex below:

You will magically wind up..........................HERE! 

See you on the other side!

Phoenix Rising - the rebirth of the Court (Part Three)

 

The last time I wrote about Crimson was quite a long while ago. Indeed, the last update on this blog was over a year ago. It may be overdone if unfortunately true to reiterate how the current state of the world feels quite different from the way things were even a few months ago. So too the world of my own life  has followed unexpected paths leaving little time to write, especially about music. Yet, there has been plenty of listening and processing. With a brief pause available I considered tidying up here a bit with one of the loose ends gnawing at my conscience - the promised third Crimson entry. 

Not that anybody particularly gives a hoot one way or another. It's just about the least important thing I can think to do with nobody clamoring for the closure but me. Then again, when King Crimson rebounded with a new personnel and sound in 1973 it would appear that nobody asked for this kind of music then either. The effect is still jarring and baffling today. See and listen here:

There is so much WTF going on - angular melodies, hyperkinetic rhythms - a musical language known seemingly to only the participants onstage. Have audiences caught up with this yet? Well, if the current success of Crimson is any indication, perhaps so. I can only imagine what the world of 1973 might have thought of the above performance. While the striking image of the album cover continues to be a popular visual among progressive music fans (makes for nice t shirts!), what about the music contained therein? 

As I mentioned in the earlier Crimson posts, this era of KC has been my least-favorite to listen to. I don't pull these records out too often. I have to be in one of "those" moods. Considering the short time percussionist Jamie Muir spent in the band (he left before the year was out due to nervous exhaustion) maybe the music was too "hot" to handle for too long. Even Fripp pulled the plug just before the release of the Red LP, not quite two years later. On record at least the sound was dialed in better than the video footage I've seen like this raging performance:

I'd hope the sound was better at the actual show. Must have been since the audience goes quite wild at the end. Easy Money maybe, but not easy listening! Actually, as I gradually pieced together the records I was missing from this era it was a happy discovery indeed when I noticed how good the live USA album was! Quite a different animal than Earthbound that's for sure. 

When it comes to the Larks Tongues era Crimson, I keep wondering if there's something I'm missing in the appreciation department. Not that I don't like this version of the band - maybe just a little less fanatical than most? Oh, I totally get the influence though. Every modern, heavy prog band owes its existence to these guys. Maybe the jarring nature of the material kept me from noticing the underlying sophistication of what is happening musically. Who knows? Yet only a few weeks ago I had a real eureka moment............

Under the right circumstances, art can provide an apt soundtrack when least expected. I took the Steven Wilson remixed Lark's Tongue CD along to a drywall and spackle job I'd been dreading and BINGO! It was like hearing the record properly for the first time. The struggle of the job (not my line of work by trade mind you!) fit the music PERFECTLY. I really liked the remix too. Even worse, I was playing the disc on a little portable CD player (which actually sounded pretty darn good!). Yes, this is sheer heresy isn't it? I mean I really fell in love with the album for the first time. Okay, so I'm not quite ready to throw down the bucks for the big box set exactly, but I felt I captured the hidden splendors of this music finally.......FINALLY!

It had been a long road from when I first heard Starless and Bible Black in high school. Yep! Heard it on cassette in a friend's car, went out and bought the CD which stalled me. 

 

I liked about half of it and was generally unmoved by the rest (mostly the improv stuff). So that's where it all landed for the longest time. I think the next move (years later) was a copy of Lark's Tongues on LP. When the first track exploded out of my speakers I thought "Holy crap this must be the LOUDEST record I've ever heard!" It was around the time when the 5.1 remixes were emerging that I wanted to give this era a better hearing since I KNEW I was going to buy all those discs anyway (all of them just amazing). It took a bit to cobble them together and a bit longer to play the surround versions, but when I did - WOW! I became very fond of Red by which time I'd also set my mind to seeing the band live........

Ah, but this was 2016. I'd been following how Crimson was reviving again in 2014 and grousing about missing my chance to see them that year - like every other time since 1984. Drat. What really captured my attention interestingly enough was the popular video of the new 3 drummer band performing "Starless". For SOME REASON - this performance hit me emotionally. It just seemed to become an anthem of sorts for me.........lots of change and foreboding in the future in those days. There's a strange dignified sadness that permeates the music. 

So, even though I'd had Red on LP and CD, etc.....I associate "Starless" with the 2016 / 2017 time in my life. I did get to see Crimson twice in 2017....both amazing performances! And "Starless" was the emotional peak each time. I really wonder if Fripp understood something about that composition - something that really spoke to people in those days. Still does for me. Which is yet ANOTHER break from accepted wisdom that King Crimson's music is more cerebral than emotional. If anything I've discovered even more emotional depth from the various albums in recent times (I've got a whole new outlook on "Islands" these days as well). 

 I was sad to learn of John Wetton's passing, though he fought a brave battle in his last days. I was also sad to discover the cancellation of the summer 2020 shows Crimson had planned in the US due to the New Plague. There are SO MANY important things to think about - personally for me and otherwise seemingly. The frustrating reality is that the already tired expressions still ring true - the uncertainty, anxiety, grief, the loss......... It may be too early to "look back" on how we survived if that's what we're doing. Though it isn't too early to appreciate beauty where we can find it. My own path has reflected a technicolor range of miraculous love and loss and change - grasping truth from the ashes of pain and grief. It's been a ride through the depths, eyes glued on the hopeful horizon. Sometimes it takes everything falling apart for a new and better and truer phoenix to take flight. That's what I think about when I hear this music - still an inspiring companion, especially in the toughest of times. 

Keeping a light in the window until next time....................

Who Are You - An Evolution

Who Are You is an interesting song to use as a way to compare the playing styles of the various drummers that played live with The Who. Of course, the basic form of the song took shape with Keith Moon still in the band, but it would be his last album sadly. Other drummers managed to put their own style into the music - who did it best? Who? Who?

Early Jam from Oct 1976:

Kilburn '77

The recording session featured in the movie:

Here's a link to the whole film in better quality: https://archive.org/details/TheWhotheKids_are_alrightfilm1979


1979 with Kenny Jones:

1989 with Simon Phillips:

2015 with Zak Starkey

If Bob Can Sing So Can You!

 There are times when, against the grain of all rational signals not to do so, having a little faith in the universe might be the best option for sanity preservation purposes. Sanity, or whatever variant along that slippery slope as can be hoped for, seems like a scarce resource in the world these days. Maybe its nothing new. History tells us that turmoil can be as common as change. Perhaps the two go hand in hand. Where's this all going?

Change. New Year. Different horizons. Every new year can be a time for reflection. This blog has been, for me, an opportunity to use the writing process to give shape to my own reflections using music as a guideline. Although I've had some wonderful visitors here, my ongoing quest has been to document my theories, reactions and questions for my own sanity. And maybe to pass along the word on current vibrations I've encountered. Hey, John Peel I ain't! But there was only one of him.

I have to admit to being fairly amazed at the changes that I've witnessed (musically and otherwise) since I started this blog many years ago. The resurgence of vinyl LP culture was totally unexpected, yet I'm glad if it has helped people connect with great art in a new and meaningful way. The kinetic pleasure of watching the record spin while digging great sounds must have been grossly underestimated. It's fun! What is a bit sad is knowing that each one of the different record labels – from the big ones (like Columbia) to the little independents – tells the story of the rise and fall of industry in the United States. Vinyl record manufacturing was such a big business, it employed many people working in many factories around the country. Those days may be gone forever, but at least there's an emerging market again to both employ people and bring inspiration and enjoyment to consumers. Music delivers! Like the new White Denim album for instance - great stuff!

 

This place has been a mechanism for me to track a little bit of that trend and to dip my ear into some of the product. And there's A LOT of new music out on vinyl. I've tried to spotlight some of that here. Yet, I know I can't hear it all and I'm only one person with two ears and only so much time and money to devote to the cause. If you stumbled upon this blog it will be readily apparent I am no threat to the likes of David Fricke, Richie Unterberger and any of the other great music writers of our times. I just like to check out new (and old) sounds and I like to write.

What I've discovered over the years of maintaining this blog is how different the process of connecting with new music is compared to when I was in my teens and twenties – before the internet. I have been quite stunned over the variety and quality of rarely-heard moments of musical genius made more widely available because of the internet. Even though I was in a band with Murali Coryell for a bunch of years in college, I never knew about these great shows featuring Larry Coryell, Jack Bruce and Mitch Mitchell! Let alone, here's a live recording on u-toob:

  Wow! It is even possible to have access to some great musicians via social media platforms and music discussion sites. It may sound like a bunch of fan-boy BS, but one of the first musicians I connected with on facebook was Dave Davies. Not that I had the nerve to strike up a conversation with him, but because of some things he posted I ended up having a major puzzle of my life solved for which I'm beyond grateful. It is literally FREAKING AMAZING times to be a music fan.

Shows. How about shows? I'm still buzzing from seeing the Roger McGuinn and Chris Hillman “Sweeheart of the Rodeo” 50^th Anniversary concert at the Egg in Albany back in September. Y'know what? Frig it – I saw THE BYRDS that night, man. It may have been two Byrds and Marty Stuart with his excellent group The Fabulous Superlatives. But that night I heard THE BYRDS and it blew my mind. I got goosebumps on top of goosebumps. I didn't want it to end. I wanted to move into that reality permanently. For any lucky folks who got to see that – you know. Just beautiful stuff. Heck, I even bought Marty Stuart's record on vinyl and it's good. I'd see those guys on their own without their fine feathered friends. 

 

And there are more tales to tell for sure. I even have that last King Crimson entry to write up someday. Along with the Part Two for the Omniverse Edition. Yet, I've been feeling less inspired to chase after the New Music monster as a particular focus. If I run across something great I'll pass on the word here for sure. But I have new ideas for my other blog – Hyperprism – that I'm quite enthused about putting into motion. Increasingly I am discovering my listening is rarely tied to long stretches of any one genre. What captures my imagination is the smearing of boundaries between musical forms and genres. All too often, genre-specific language attached to music boils down to marketing. Which is not all bad, but that approach takes a little too much of the mystery out of the experience. And life is far too mysterious to be put into a little box.

So, if I am ringing in the New Year with a short-ish entry here – consider joining me over at the other blog for more wide-ranging adventures. Time for a little sonic off-roading! Onward.............

Exploring the Vinyl Omniverse: Part One

Welcome back dear readers / listeners. Before I proceed further, allow me to qualify – the records I am using for this segment (and its eventual sequel) were cobbled together over a period of several years. I am a busy human. I have a day job, family and all the pressures of modern life bearing down unrelentingly. The vinyl and writing thing are part of my entertainment. I don't watch TV and I haven't been to the movies in a whole lot of years! THIS IS MY DOWN TIME ACTIVITY. There are also a few months out of the year I have slightly more time to devote to my hobbies so what follows is a product of several years of research and reflection.........

Like a lot of folks, I like music. Certainly what appeals to me mainly is stuff of bygone days, but I've been checking out some new music the last bunch of years and I can dig some modern stuff too. I've even been to see some new artists in concert lately – I got to see White Denim, for instance. Great show! I will report more on that another time. Especially since the opening act was fantastic! That band was called UNI - from New York City. I enjoyed them so much I bought the three 7” discs they were selling at the show (unsure if they have other releases). Check them out!

My tastes in music really do run the gamut so I figured borrowing a term from Sun Ra might help illustrate what could be called THE OMNIVERSE of interests. Some of this is motivated just from fascination with records themselves. Albums that look offbeat, fringe and truly bizarre always catch my eye even if I've never heard the music before. I'm always on the lookout for cheap thrills especially – stuff that looks interesting that is cheap enough to take a chance on. I've had some real good luck at thrift stores and also in the dollar and five dollar bins at local used record shops. It dawned on me that I haven't really passed along some home runs and whiffs from this category I've managed to experience over the years. Keep in mind I have some very varied tastes – I can find enjoyment in nearly any genre – especially in those gray zones: groups or singers trying to cross over into some uncharted territory or maybe into a style they don't quite have a knack for. Good and bad can be very relative terms when it comes to music. Sometimes I'll take a chance and get burned. There are plenty of turkeys, but the golden nuggets are out there too. All set then?

Onward....................

Lets start with central Europe. A few years ago I stumbled upon a clutch of import LPs in a thrift store that looked kinda prog-esque to me. It also seemed like there was a larger collection they came from which must have been plundered by luckier folks than me. Still, I found this:
 Novalis – Visionen:

 This record is all-instrumental and was released in the early 80s, by which time Novalis had moved on from the label they called home in the 70s – BRAIN. I reckon most German rock band historians would agree that Novalis were past their heyday when VISIONEN came out, but I love this record!! It's become one of my most-played dollar-acquired LPs ever. I've managed to score a few earlier Novalis records on the BRAIN label, but VISIONEN is still my favorite. Not that I'm put off by German language singing.........here's another dollar record I really like from Germany in the early 80s....

Bap - Fur Usszeschnigge! 

  Bap is a great band name, first of all. The album has fantastic sound quality and reflects good pop/rock songwriting standards of the era. I don't know what the songs are about, but I like the music for sure. With so many overplayed 80s hits – the sound of quality early 80s rock that I don't know by heart is a breath of fresh air. It helps that I don't get hung up on having to understand lyrics. At the end of the day, it's the composition / performance / production that gets my attention. I have no idea how big of an act BAP was, but I'd have gone to see them back in the day!

Moving a bit further East.......the band OMEGA from Hungary

  The sleeve credits mention the album being recorded in West Germany in 1974. It was released on Passport Records in the USA in 1975 and mastered by the great Bob Ludwig! It is an excellent hard rock / prog type album with all the great production values of the mid-70s. Wonderful sound quality and plenty of mellotron included! What's more – the vocalists sang in English! Very enjoyable – though I didn't pay $1 yet still a “blind” purchase for me. Highly recommended.

Yet, even rock music from other countries is still rock music. I do like other vibrations – perhaps more conventional to the times in which the records were released, yet rarely heard these days. Let's move across the English Channel............

First up – the great Vera Lynn! Who could resist a pristine copy of Hits of the Blitz for $1? Not me!

Like most people I only knew Vera Lynn for her evergreen WWII hit “We'll Meet Again” - yet she is a wonderful singer and her talent is abundantly evident on this excellent LP. This LP really is a wonder to hear these days – and just think Vera Lynn is still alive in England to this very day. Think of that – she outlived Bowie!

Perhaps history will remember Val Doonican as a popular Irish singer (he certainly was Irish), yet he had a long-running TV show on BBC. And, of course, he was immortalized by the Bonzo Dog Band in their classic “Intro and the Outtro” - where I first heard the name.....and Val Doonican as himself! Hello there!!

So what was I going to do when I saw The Many Shades of Val Doonican for $1? 

 This is very middle of the road folksie pop music yet it is refreshing today to hear such simple heartfelt music. And this LP includes Val's version of “Elusive Butterfly” which reminds me – I sent Bob Lind a facebook friend request that he has yet to respond to – the wonk! As if he has better things to do! Harrumph. At any rate, I'm likely to keep the Val Doonican record since hearing his brogue reminds me of the many happy times I spent at the Keegans' house down the street from where I lived in Queens – where Suzy was my earliest friend. Her parents sported thick accents that were quite musical to hear – wonderful people to me as a young lad growing up in New York City. Managed to re-connect with Sue before she married in the fateful year of 2001. Where's she gone now? Lost track. Ah, well.......

Speaking of the Bonzo Dog Band.........I was lucky to score a vinyl copy of their reunion LP from 2007 Pour l'Amour Des Chiens

  

I remember well the excitement of reading how the Bonzos were reuniting for some shows in England during that time. I so wanted to hop a plane and score a ticket to witness firsthand, yet it was not to be. I got the DVD and LP instead. I wish I'd have ordered the Pink Half of the Drainpipe T-shirt being offered on the website..........blast! Ah, with my luck I'd have worn it to a bare thread by now anyway. Why don't I see these being sold on ebay? Please don't tell me the unsold stock was destroyed. Oh, the horror! Anyway, some folks didn't like the new album. Tough noogies – I did. So there you go.

Other notable British bands I've checked out without hearing the music first have been:

DRUID (I like this better than YES “Relayer”)

FAMILY – Bandstand (really knocked me out) 

GREENSLADE (gets better with each spin) 

 In each case I saw the LP in the bins and just bought it without sampling on youtube first. I know this seems like reckless behavior or just plain stupid. However, there is a certain thrill of being confronted with a record or group you've not heard before and exploring right from the vinyl get-go. Literally, some classic albums do not translate onto digital well AT ALL. And I'm not one of those holier-than-thou, analog-only types. I love my CDs and I do like hearing things on youtube if I haven't seen the records before. But at least two albums did not really spark with me until I broke down and ordered original LP copies: Robert Wyatt's Rock Bottom and Judy Henske & Jerry Yester's Farewell Aldebaran both puzzled me until I heard the vinyl records. Maybe I just heard bad digital copies – who knows? So I like to at least give music a first chance on vinyl if I can.

But it isn't just about rock music. Speaking of Judy Henske – she's one of my favorite folkie / rocker border creature singers. While she would ultimately define her own style based on her own unique personality, she began in the folk idiom in the early 60s. One of her first appearances on vinyl was as a member of the Whiskeyhill Singers. There was only one LP on Capitol and I have both mono and stereo copies (stereo platters were much less common in those days – surprised I scored one in nice condition):

 The record sticks quite close to the typical cheerful folk group formula all the rage in the early 60s. Though not as cloying as this record I pulled out of the dollar bin for laughs –  

The Serendipity Singers were not too many paces removed from Up With People! Oh well......nice early stereo sound on this record though, if that's your bag........... 

 My bag for folk is more likely to include Judy Henske and Fred Neil than The Cheerful Chirpees that's for sure. I know I've written about my fascination with the “folk” category before. It seems to me that the “folk” tag means you can start out with an acoustic guitar and eventually wind up doing all manner of crazy stuff. In some ways, Townes Van Zandt was folk. Marc Bolan was folk. Donovan was folk. And they all surely got up to pretty strange stuff along the pathways of their varied careers. Certainly by the late 60s and early 70s, the notion of the folksinger would give way to the singer-songwriter. The influence of Dylan and the Beatles would be evident since the singer-songwriters would mostly perform original material instead of public domain material or evergreen folkie chestnuts. In some ways, the folk boom of the early 60s was a way for white singers to remind white audiences that there were songs from varied cultures they might enjoy. Yet, the versions the white audiences heard were the white singer interpretations mainly. By the late 60s, many listeners were able to experience the original music from the original artists – no matter the ethnic origins. So the shift could then move to – the interior of the heart and mind of each songwriter instead of a musical geography lesson. Exploration of inner space instead of outward space (as opposed to outer space – something very different). Here's an example of a record that sits uncomfortably around several possible genres which makes it fascinating for weirdos like me. And I bought it because the album cover tipped me off that this could be interesting. Certainly is!!

Andy Zwerling – Spiders in the Night

 These days I imagine the music might be described as psych-folk. Not a bad description, yet I reckon at the time of release (1971) Zwerling was considered just another singer-songwriter. The instrumentation is sparse and focused on acoustic guitar / electric bass instrumentation. Really - not far off the folk path. Yet, the music has something in common with the third, self-titled Velvet Underground album stylistically speaking. Zwerling's album was produced and birthed by two folks who would later contribute to the punk music movement within a few short years: Richard Robinson and Lenny Kaye. Zwerling is not exactly punk though the lyrics can be unsettling – more in the Velvets style than the Ramones, certainly (though Zwerling does have a bit of a Joey Ramone vibe going visually). It is a fascinating record and well worth checking out if you've been feeling far too secure and comfortable and social. It will cure you fairly quickly of all that stuff! Ha!

Now, not all folk music involves acoustic guitars. Some is made entirely with shakers, oil can drums and the human voice. Behold – George Coleman “Bongo Joe” 

 This has to be heard to be believed, hence the clip here:

 Yes, the whole record sounds like this. Frig it – I call it “folk music”. You can call it blues. I don't care. George Coleman was pure, undiluted, straight-up - I mean we're talkin' FOLKS here! I searched for a long time for this album. It was more a matter of figuring out where it came from! Since there aren't many oil can bangers out there it was only a matter of time – courtesy of internet searching. Thanks to my good friend Pete who tortured my mind for a few decades by including a snippet of this on a tape he made for me a long time ago. It was nearly as bad a mystery as the Inez Andrews mystery I had to solve, but that story will wait for another time..............

When I spotted this next LP in a $1 bin I was aware of Jim Glover's long association with Phil Ochs. It could be argued that had there been no Jim Glover, the Phil Ochs that we all know may not have emerged as he did. Jim Glover was a friend from early times and reportedly showed Ochs how to play guitar and introduced him to left-wing politics. Jim would record several LPs in the 1960s with his wife as a folk duo – Jim and Jean. There were a few albums released on Vanguard Records that I haven't bumped into yet. Jim's solo album  No Need To Explain looks to be a private pressing, yet his professional chops are intact. 

 The songs are uncompromising in their allegiance to 60s-era values and perhaps not suited to either the radio or the ethos of the times. Glover is his own man here. If the popularity of his outlook was on the wane when this record came out, his true believer status would surely lead him to the right people to support him. While never reaching stardom, his artistry is worth checking out. At the end of the day I really like Glover's voice, his songs and his guitar playing. What else can we ask for? This record is kind of like the extra album everyone hoped Fred Neil would put out, but never did. Jim Glover kept it going and that's appreciated – even if it is a long time away from when this record was released to now.

Glover's influence on Phil Ochs' political interests are echoed in the next record I pulled out of a $1 bin. Little did I know that Violetta Parra was a respected folksinger from Chile in the early part of the 20^th century when I rescued her album. 

 She was also a major influence on the Chilean folksinger Victor Jara who was brutally murdered in 1973 as a result of the Pinochet overthrow of the Allende government. Victor Jara was a friend of Ochs and later in the 1980s, Paul Kantner immortalized Jara on the first track from the KBC Band album. It is interesting to note that Jara's murderers have finally been brought to justice THIS VERY MONTH!! About friggin time. See here: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jul/03/victor-jara-ex-military-officers-sentenced-in-chile-for-1973-death

At any rate, Jara's mentor in folk music is a fascinating character in her own right, though she led a troubled life and had a similar end to Ochs, alas. I have to say as I listened to her record I didn't quite understand the lyrics, but the urgency and artistry of her music came across loud and clear – I need to track down some English translations of her lyrics. Violetta Parra is a seminal figure in the folk music of Chile and, indeed, world music. Her contributions to music continue to reverberate. Check her out!

Now, here are two examples of feminist-inspired creativity, but in my view one done RIGHT and one done, well, let's say “I don't think so”. Let's start with the good news..........

 Mountain Moving Day is a split-artist record. Side One features The New Haven Women's Liberation Band and Side Two features The Chicago Women's Liberation Band. This is a fairly early release from Rounder Records in 1972. Rounder would issue many quality titles from a wide variety of premier artists and continues to do so – NRBQ, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Lowell Fulson – and many more. Rounder continues to be one of the longest-surviving independent music labels around. This early women-centric release may appear to be too topical to take seriously, however there is a LOT of great creativity happening in the playing. Both groups contribute extended song forms with direct and forthright lyrics, yet the music itself has a fantastic looseness and freedom to it – though not in the free-jazz sense. It is especially noticeable in how the ensemble performances unfold. I'll bet both groups were awesome to hear live. This is a record which takes the Women's Movement seriously and elevates the cause. Released at a time when male groups dominated the charts and the industry, these brave musicians would lead the charge that has resulted in more involvement of women at all levels of the music industry today. Bold creative music is always great to hear.

On the other hand, the women's liberation movement must have seemed like a new trend to play up to – maybe not unlike the folk music boom of the early 60s. Musical trends can be fleeting things – why not try to attach oneself to a current wave of interest? This notion wasn't lost on Charles Mingus. He once purposely identified his music as “folk” in the early 60s. If it sells the product – who cares what you call it? In Mingus's case he already knew the value of his art. The marketplace is fickle, the longer trajectory of music history is time-tested. When music becomes too attached to a movement or a trend there is the very real possibility it can lose its impact years later. Such, I think, is the case with The Deadly Nightshade

Clearly this women-oriented trio had talent and the passion to bring their music before the public. And it must have been enough of a priority for Felix Cavaliere to put his energy into the record as the producer to pull on board a host of top notch musicians of the mid-70s and rock and roll legends to help in the proceedings. Steve Gadd, the Brecker Brothers and even Leslie West all play on this album. The credits read like a who's who of mid-70s modern music. As I'm starting to find out with projects like this – that should have been a red flag. As the songs roll by, I'm having a tough time trying to figure out who the intended audience was. There are so many cliches of the women's movement packed into each song lyric – yet the delivery is so jokey and lighthearted it makes me wonder who the joke is really on. Not that there is anything wrong with humor, it just sounds so misplaced here I am almost to the point of wondering “Are these women making fun of the women's movement itself?” Maybe I'm wrong, but despite all the effort by all the famous names involved the end product just sounds too silly to take seriously. What's even more concerning is the name / image used for the record label. I will resist the urge to include a photo (since I don't want people to draw the wrong conclusion about ME) – but why on earth would a major parent label (RCA in this case) sign off on a subsidiary label with an image of a white hooded figure with two holes cut out for eyes as a RECORD LABEL LOGO in the 1970s fer crissakes?? And for a supposed women's liberation record to boot? Sorry, but if I was a woman in this band and I was told the label my music was coming out on had that kind of image on the record I'd be insulted to say the least. Now I'm not suggesting there actually was a connection between this group and a violent hate group, but wow. Bad luck, maybe? I don't know anything more about the band, the musicians involved, where they wound up later on......yet the album raises more questions for me.......it's a puzzle for sure!

(Alright – I couldn't stand it anymore – I went poking around and sure enough Robert Christgau pretty much cut to the chase in a few sentences with his curt review: http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=2758&name=The+Deadly+Nightshade ). Wow. I was going to write something along the lines of The Deadly Nightshade makes Helen Reddy sound like Lou Reed, but hey I think Christgau threw the gauntlet down there didn't he? Oh well.........

As for thrift store $1 finds in the 70s female folksinger category I'd have to give a nod to 

The Magic Garden duo Paula and Carole  

for not only entertaining me as a wee lad, but also for having great voices and, rightfully, cheerful personalities. I think I liked this record more than my grandson did. Your mileage may vary.............

 Now I wish I found this Colonel Sanders record in a thrift store! I think this is one of the more well-known record covers made famous by the internet, so I was persuaded to grab this even though I had no idea what the music was on it. Not to worry! The music is actually very faithful to the original recordings of Herb Alpert hits by some other group. Actually it makes me wonder how Colonel Sanders got away with it. The tracks here sound VERY close in style and execution to the Herb Alpert versions. Well, I know which record cover I'd rather be looking at if I'm listening to this kind of music. No contest! 

 Actually, Herb Alpert had a much better sound – especially with guys like Hal Blaine on drums and all the other Wrecking Crew characters too. I really love the Herb Alpert records – and not just for the covers. I have to say – the Whipped Cream cover really is an iconic album cover. Anyone who doesn't have this in their collection – I can't fathom why not. There are still absurd amounts of these things sitting in thrift shops. And the music really is great – as far as easy listening goes. Highly recommended. Now if you're a record cover fanatic, you're likely to snag one of these too. 

Unfortunately, Pat Cooper's brand of comedy hasn't aged well. It's really saying something when I have to admit I enjoyed the side of the record with the goofy songs on it more than the comedy routine side. Actually, the first song on side two is called Pepperoni Kid and has an unusually similar storyline in the lyrics to Jim Croce's “Bad Leroy Brown”. Was Croce influenced by Pat Cooper? I'll leave that to you. At the end of the day, the album cover is still the best thing about the whole deal and that isn't saying much either.......oh well!! 

 Almost as thrilling as the Pat Cooper record is Grandpa Jones Yodeling Hits. Now I don't mind some good old fashioned down home yodeling every so often, but I can't decide if this record promised too much or too little. Everybody who watched TV in the 70s knew him from the Hee Haw show (though I imagine he was on the lower end of the reasons why folks tuned into that program!). I reckon his stature in the country music world was more respected than what was seen on 70s variety shows, but this record didn't do much to convince me he had more to offer than a pedestrian voice with the polite yodel thrown in – probably far too often for repeated listening. If anything, this album sounded a lot like a 60s Roger Miller album recorded on a day when Roger just wasn't feeling very funny, witty or inspired. Is there some unknown maverick side of Grandpa Jones' career that I'm not aware of? I wouldn't be sad to find out, but it sure isn't on this platter..........too bad!

Now, I'm not pulling the cynics card on the next two records since I happen to like a lot of faith-based music. Mahalia Jackson, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Inez Andrews and the Staple Singers are just essential listening in my book. Even Elvis's gospel records are awesome. Love it. When I was in junior high school, I was exposed to a genre I never knew existed – modern Christian rock music. Sure, I'd heard songs like Spirit In The Sky on the radio. And Jesus is Just Alright. Good tunes. But I never knew there was a whole circuit of professional Christian rock musicians. At one point I was invited to see the group Petra up in Albany. They put on a great show, even if the music wasn't terribly memorable. What I liked less was the roundup at the end of the show where they – who were “they”? - pulled the “unsaved” people to designated areas so they could be “saved”. I was a person of faith at that time and I took offense to be identified as someone who wasn't and said as much. There's nothing quite like being herded up by a bunch of people who have decided you are not enough like them in some bizarre ritual to magically MAKE you like them (to satisfy some unseen fetish you can only guess at). Well, I suppose there certainly is WORSE than that, but it sure taught me something about people in general and those folks in particular. I'd sooner take the Groucho Pledge – not sure I want to be in a club that would extend membership to a fool like ME (that kind of thing). 

 All of that aside, I was astounded to see an entire industry designed to offer safe alternative sonic options – supposedly in a style of music normally associated with concepts like rebellion and freedom and just being crazy in general?? I'm still confused and fascinated by the whole thing, so when I spotted a couple of early 80s Christian Rock albums in the $1 bins – had to investigate. Amazingly, the Rick Cua album was a totally rockin', professional sounding and catchy-as-hell (oh God, sorry!). I really liked the song about the Holy Spirit and the song Crossfire too. On some tracks the drummer listed was Joe English – hey! He was in Wings for Paul McCartney's return to the concert stage in America in 1976 (good concert film – catch it if you can). I'd heard Joe English found religion a long time ago. He certainly was a talented drummer. This record was super enjoyable from a musical standpoint. Like I mentioned – anything well recorded and performed from earlier decades of music can be interesting regardless of the popularity, etc.... So this is a fascinating artifact. If the record really sucked I would have pulled it off the turntable. But I kept it on. Alright! 

 Now, much to my own surprise I had the same reaction to the Pat Terry record. The cover and the title really made me chuckle. Gangster? Terry was looking pretty mild and safe on that cover. I was ready to make fun of this record, but once again I was won over by the overall musical quality of what was on those grooves I just kept the platter spinning. If anything, Pat Terry's songs were just as faith-oriented yet his delivery was a lot less preachy than Rick Cua. Despite this – both records reflected more commercial talent than The Deadly Nightshade album! These two guys sure could construct excellent modern music – stuff that was radio-ready in those times. Yet, the only radio that might play them would be the faith-based radio. It's a whole industry and circuit unto itself.

Annnnndd.....for the thrilling conclusion of this overly-long entry is the POLAR OPPOSITE of the above two albums. I discovered a whole pile of the following record at a thrift store many years ago and was saving it for just the right moment. I only bought two – one for myself and another for a good friend of mine who I had a feeling might get a kick out of it. Yet – I'd never heard it before because it has to be one of the most DIY things I've ever seen in my life.......

 John Konopa - Praise the Lard!

 The record itself was professionally pressed – that is obvious. However, the cover....oh wow. This was an obvious labor of love and lack of funds. Plain white sleeve with cutout hole to reveal song titles – alright, fine. The other lettering.....hang on. These things were printed on an old DOT MATRIX printer. Okay, well the copyright date states 1987. Yep, that's about right. My family had a pretty kickin' dot matrix printer. Used to do all sorts of fancy banners and stuff. Yeah – different fonts just like this. Wow. What is really impressive is the BACKWARDS printed section - “X-rated” backwards?? That's pretty sophisticated in a low-budget kind of way. I really should have bought all of the records that were dumped there. Dangit! I had a hunch this was going to be good. And sure enough - John Konopa delivered in the songwriting department. The music itself sounds like early karaoke / Computer music in the 1987 style. But its those lyrics. Konopa was a very harsh critic of religious belief. Hilariously so! He also has a Holy Spirit song (like Rick Cua above), but Konopa uses fun analogies like “Sacred Sparkler” - I'm DYING!!! There are a lot of unexpected lyrical twists throughout the album. In a way he was a like a one-man irreverent They Might Be Giants. Heavy on the irreverent!

But the religious side of the record is nothing compared to the, um....other side. I really don't want to post the titles because I'm still trying to keep this blog as family-friendly as I can. Suffice to say, if the material on the second side has any grounding in autobiography I learned way more about Konopa than I ever needed to know. Unfortunately I also found an obituary for John online. He left the planet in 2010 and there were some very pleasant reminisces from his neighbors posted on the obit page. There was reference to his being an accordion player and composing music on synthesizers – though no mention was made of the record above. Should I be surprised? Honestly – as unsavory as the material is John certainly had a sense of humor, didn't give a hoot about speaking honestly of his criticisms of religion and didn't mind making himself the subject of his own jokes. I can't say his music was for everyone, but this is the kind of stuff that keeps me digging in those unusual places.

I'm still on the lookout for fringe thrills from the dollar bins. And there's MORE to the story here because this is only Part One and I've bombarded you enough for one entry. So until next time – keep seeking and keep listening!!

The Long Haul

Whew! Just snapped this photo at the end of side one........man it had been awhile since I'd spun this Dylan record. Infidels was released in 1983 - that's 35 years ago! Longer between then and now compared to when Dylan's first LP came out (1962) and the above LP (21 years). Bob Dylan was younger in 1983 than I am now. Ain't time a beeeach? Yet, there is stuff on this album that sounds eerily current, at least topic-wise. One of the least-loved songs on Infidels is the track "Union Sundown" - essentially lamenting in 1983 that nothing is made in the USA anymore. If the effects of globalization were just emerging in 1983 when Dylan wrote the song, those effects are still reverberating down to our present times in ways all too obvious. Even on a personal level it is astounding to hear this song all these years later having lived through the fallout and watched its consequences on my family. It certainly provides a sobering sense of context - what is evident in the current climate has been a LONG time in the works.

Funny enough - I have some nice memories connected to this Dylan record, as cynical and bitter as most of the songs may be. I played a cassette tape of the album in the family car around the time I learned to drive - especially the summer of my graduation from high school. Driving gave me a new sense of freedom - a hope for the future I hadn't felt before. And Infidels provided some of the soundtrack to that time in my life. And, on an objective note, this Dylan record was one of the best of that era for him. Probably the best Dylan record before his 1997 comeback with Time Out Of Mind (though I think his upswing started with the first Traveling Wilburys album and the 1989 release Oh Mercy!). Infidels is a strong release with memorable material. I don't know how often it comes up among the Bob experts, but I dig it. But it sure is a long time away from 1983 to now.............

Time. It has also been awhile now since I started this blog. Back in 2011 the vinyl LP revival had not yet hit its stride - now the whole Record Store Day event happens twice a year. There are more local record stores thriving in the last few years - certainly more than there were in 2011. There is plenty of great new music and old music coming out on vinyl - no shortage of great discoveries to plunder for years and years to come. And the new product isn't letting up. I am confident my thirst for new sounds will continue to be satiated for, well, the rest of my natural life - with any luck a good long while down the road!

Speaking of Record Store Day 2018, I didn't realize a release of particular interest was seeing the light of day - a nice LP collection of Beverley Martyn's early singles pressed on cloudy-clear vinyl!

Luckily, my local RSD connection had what was most likely the ONLY copy available and I bagged it. Between listening to this excellent collection and the first of the two John and Beverley Martyn records released on Warner Brothers in 1970 (Stormbringer!) I gained a renewed appreciation for Beverley's wonderful voice.

She really had something special going on - not just a lovely sound, but a particular edge to her delivery that sets her apart from the other great English girl singers of the era (Sandy Denny and Linda Thompson and Jacqui McShee being the others). I really can't get enough of what happened when Beverley stepped up to that microphone - totally unique and brilliant. So glad I scooped up that Record Store Day release! And just as a reminder, Beverley put out a nice LP of new material a few years ago titled The Phoenix and the Turtle. Any new music from this special lady is a cause for celebration. If you haven't heard it - check it out!

Now, just to illustrate I haven't given up on new music quite yet, I decided to take the plunge on a few new LPs from King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard. This new band from Australia is pushing the boundaries of music and how it is consumed in some surprising ways. I hadn't quite realized the band made a decision to release FIVE new albums during the course of last year (2017). I bought two of these and am close to snagging the other three and ANY OTHER albums they have out because:
A. The music is awesome    and.......
B.  The records look fantastic!!! See here:

The LP directly above - Gumboot Soup - is the latest release. Excellent progressive neo-psychedelic jazz-rock is the best description I can come up with. The LP above that, titled Polygondwanaland is a totally unique situation. Follow the link to get the whole story, but suffice to say it was released as a totally Public Domain item to encourage anyone who wanted to press their own copies on vinyl. The version I bought was merely one of what some estimates suggest are up to 169 different variations on this record. And, oddly enough, the music is WONDERFUL. This is a totally unique approach. I certainly never heard of such a thing. Yet, I get it. Good on these guys. Where does it all lead? Only time will tell. I actually saw a clip of the group performing on a late-nite TV show (can't remember which) and was fairly baffled. With two drummers and lots else going on from a pretty large ensemble, it really seemed like cacophonous racket. Which is all well and good, but I figured (accurately) perhaps not all these folks had to offer. What will future people make of all this? Well, I just hope there's a future available for inconsequential concerns like that to exist in. Remaining hopeful in that regard...................

A few weeks ago I took an opportunity to try something different. I snagged a ticket to see Steven Wilson live! It was the first show in the US for his "To The Bone" tour. The venue was one I'd known of forever but had never been to - The Egg in Albany, NY. There were some tickets available for a reasonable price so I took the plunge. Now, the only Wilson album I have heard to date is the one pictured above - The Raven That Refused To Sing and other stories. As much as I enjoy vintage prog I hadn't really been exposed to much modern prog. The Raven release was very much influenced by classic prog and I'm sure did a lot to bring new fans to Steven Wilson's music. In the meantime I also got a copy of The Raven on blu-ray disc (for the 5.1 mix) and I got the next album Hand.Cannot.Erase on blu-ray as well. Trouble is - life changes and responsibilities have left me with not a whole lot of time to listen to the many surround sound titles I have including these. I haven't even played the regular stereo version of the Hand album - in fact still haven't heard the thing AT ALL. Under those conditions I haven't even made the move to get the new To The Bone album, right? So he's playing a show nearby.....what do I do? I decided I would just go see the concert without bothering to get familiar with any of the new music. I like doing that sometimes - then when I finally hear the record proper I have the memories of hearing the music live first. It's kinda cool to do that every so often. What I didn't expect was what the venue was like.............

 Now, the path from the highway to the parking area of The Egg couldn't have been easier or more enjoyable. Total breeze to get there! And a very pleasant, modern-styled venue to see a show at. Trouble for me was - my seat was kicked just a bit too much to stage right and my view kinda sucked! I couldn't see the drummer at all, nor any of the screens behind the stage where films were projected to go along with the songs. A bit disappointing, but live and learn I suppose. Musically the concert was good, however. And I was won over by the music enough to look forward to hearing the new album soon. I didn't manage to stay for the whole performance, but I'd like to check Steven Wilson out again. Just have to make sure I can see the WHOLE stage to get the full visual effect. And I'd like to see more shows at The Egg too. Just have to make sure to get one of the "good" seats in the future!!

More recent vinyl adventures have included some great jazz music scores like these:

Some of these artists I'd enjoyed for many years - Miles and Mingus, though I didn't have these LPs until recently. The rest I'd heard OF, yet never had any of their recordings (at least as leaders) like John Handy, Hubert Laws, Sonny Criss, Sonny Stitt and Chico Hamilton. Oh, man that Chico Hamilton album really got under my skin - in a good way! Now I want to hear everything he ever did and he made a LOT of records! That's the danger in a sense - just what I need......more records! Well, I will give the big thumbs up on just about any jazz - these albums especially did the trick for me. Just get some jazz in your life - that's the best I can tell you. If you don't dig it - you might eventually. Don't give up on a great art form.

Well, there's a fair more to tell eventually - more great stuff to put the word out for. I'm kinda tired out for now though. No worries......I'll be back. I'm in it for the long haul. Catch you next time.......