Authentic 1950s rock-a-billy from the 1970s. Gordon does his best Sun years Elvis or Eddie Cochran or Gene Vincent.
Gordon along with guitar rock-a-billy pioneer Link Wray gives a by-the-note lesson in reproducing the sound of the era. And to top it off, Gordon gets a contemporary Bruce Springsteen song — ‘Fire’ — that not only sounds right at home but was so catchy it jumped on to the charts where it sounded like no other song in the Top 40 at that time..
Gordon operates in the relatively small universe of non-novelty retro sounds as put forth by the Stray Cats and Chris Isaak.
Gordon is mostly a great interpreter here rather than trying for a new or hybrid sound with rock-a-billy — unlike, say, Jason and the Scorchers who punked their billy up a bit.
As Allmusic.com writes:
He still comes off more as an enthusiastic interpreter than a musician with a vision of his own. Still, there weren’t that many American-born rock & rollers who were willing to fly the flag for rockabilly at end of the ’70s, and if other acts would surpass Gordon in imagination and impact a few years on, he certainly gets an ‘A’ for effort.”
Oh and you may notice that this is out of alphabetical order. I missed it — it was in the wrong place. It’s a ‘G’ record at a time I’m opening up the K’s.
There are others coming I’m sure. I’ll point it out when it happens . At the end, I’ll probably have several that I missed and finish with an addendum after the Original 678. Remember if you are looking for an album, you can narrow it down some by clicking on its letter in the categories at the left. Or, simply type the name into Search.
‘Fear of God’ off of their third album is the perfect song to show the uninitiated what one key element of the Athens, Ga., music scene sounded like, especially as that sound proceeded to emanate out of Southeastern university towns all through the 1980’s.
Athens, Atlanta, Birmingham, Chapel Hill.
REM and the B-52’s were the most successful purveyors of the scene if not the sound. REM created a new sound with the jangly Byrdsian guitar cut through with the lead singer’s heartfelt mumbles. B-52’s had a frenetic pop-punk sound. Guadalcanal Diary featured both styles. ‘Cattle Prod’ is right out of the B-52’s playbook, which also crosses over with Atlanta’s Swimming Pool Q’s (anybody remember ‘Rat Bait?’)
Guadalcanal Diary’s members were mostly from the Atlanta area but made sure they were connected to the Athens scene.
Other bands in this arena — ‘Let’s Active,’ the dB’s, Pylon, Love Tractor, the Brains, Primitons. The ‘Athens’ influence is much bigger than that of course and remains a creative spot for cutting edge rock music, having spawned or adopted bands such as Neutral Milk Hotel, Widespread Panic and Drive-by Truckers, Of Montreal, among many others.
It’s hard sometimes to figure why some struck big and others didn’t.
But evidence from REM is perhaps as simple as its songs.
They have sold millions and here’s why: ‘Losing My Religion,’ ‘Fall on Me,’ ‘Orange Crush,’ ‘It’s the End of the World,’ ‘Man on the Moon,’ ‘E-bow the Letter,’ ‘Stand,’ ‘South Central Rain,’ ‘Leaving New York,’ ‘Radio Song,’ ‘Half a World Away,’ ‘The One I Love.’ I could go on (Imitation of Life, What’s the Frequency Kenneth). Many of those are songs that’ll be around a lot longer than the band members themselves.
If you want to look at it that way. And I do.
Personal favorites: Orange Crush. and E-Bow the Letter.
Hey folks. Grin is not a household name but you vinyl record aficionados ought to seek it out.
It’s a band fronted by Nils Lofgren in the 1970s. Nils is not exactly a household name either but after his youthful foray in Grin, he became a member of bands formed by some major household names: Bruce Springsteen’s E-Street Band and Neil y Young’s Crazy Horse. Not bad. Two of the best rock singer-songwriters of our era. (Actually Grin happened while he was in Crazy Horse.)
Lofgren is an excellent guitarist. But don’t come to Grin expecting life-changing music, like you might have found when you first heard Neil Young or Bruce Springsteen.
I think those two saw a musicality from Lofgren that covered a lot of ground. I think they also must have seen some bright rock and roll fun spirit in his music. Lofgren is a classically trained musician (classical accordion, according to his Wikipedia page –is that a joke?). Glad he ventured into rock and roll as I doubt I would ever be blessed with his music if he was 2nd chair accordion in the Los Angeles symphony.
Anyway Grin is a fun garage band styled group from Lofgren’s early life. The album covers are wild and they alone may be worth the $10 or so you may have to pay for a used copy.
In these blogs, I wrote a little earlier about the Grateful Dead.
Short take: I really never have understood the ulra-passionate appeal for a band whose songs, at least half, sound like sleepy Americana tunes, a genre that didn’t exist — at least in name — in the Dead’s heyday. Or it could also be described as Ronnie Lane music, only without the deep English musical accent that British musician layered on vocals and music.
I did promise further research into the Dead, noting that the only vinyl album I had was ‘Terrapin Station.’ So since that time I found some Dead I’d had digitally, namely the albums ‘Workingman’s Dead’ and ‘American Beauty.’
Of course like many listening to music in the 1970s, I knew ‘Casey Jones’ and the classic band on the road song, ‘Truckin’ ‘ which blesses us with one of the shrewdest summation lines of these years: “What a long strange trip it’s been.”
So this little additional homework has left me with two observations.
The Dead are certainly good (in a down home sloppy sort of way). Listening to more of their music, I had my needle pushed above half a tank. I could listen to Ripple, Box of Rain, and Brokedown Palace on the porch with the sun shining all day.
But I still don’t get how they are in the conversation of best rock band ever. But that’s the rhetoric I’d hear in some circles (California especially.) Jerry Garcia would probably agree that’s a strawman argument.
ALBUMS: Their 16 Greatest Hits (1971); Golden Grass, The Grass Roots (1970);
MVC Ratings: 16 Greatest 4.0/$$$; Golden 3.5/$$$
This is a case where I knew the artist and bought a couple of greatest hits albums that I probably wouldn’t have ordinarily have bought. Well, maybe in my youth I might have pitched a few bucks for them.
I was always partial to Top 40 hit machines and man, Rob Grill and gang put together a string of hits that have squeezed out chart spaces alongside rock legends like the Beatles, Aretha Franklin and Rolling Stones.
I knew Grill while I worked in Florida, the 1990s. Rob and his wife, Nancy, were part of a neighborhood of young families in aptly named Lake County. We’d gather at someone’s house and grill out or whatever. After we moved to California we lot touch.
Even though I was having cookouts in the backyard, I didn’t know who Rob Grill was at these dinners until someone, after months, told me. I didn’t know Rob Grill from Adam but as soon as I started humming the Grass Roots songs, I was surprised at how many were rolling around in my head.
Fun fact: They started out the Grassroots (one word) then changed it to two. You can see it on the two album covers I have published with this story.
He never really talked about his music, maybe a little bit. I told him I had a cover version of Midnight Confessions by the Blake Babies that was interestingly odd. Rob kind of smiled and said something about whether he or the band got any residuals from that.
I remembered the Grass Roots from their songs, Midnight Confessions, Let’s Live for Today, Soon or Later. and Temptation Eyes. So while Grill helped sell millions of records worldwide, he had no trouble fitting in with his boat and fishing pole. That’s the reason Grill, a native Californian, came to wind up in Lake County: fishing, and Nancy, who was disc jockey in the Orlando area when they met.
Rob retired at a relatively early age, married Nancy and picked a county outside Orlando known for its fishing (maybe not in that order.)
Rob died following complications from a stroke in 2011. RIP Rob. He was reportedly listening to Live for Today on headphones as he died.
About the music? The well-honed British influenced pop, was their bread and butter and the Top 40 was where they focused.. But at times, you’ll hear some soul and jazz.. Midnight Confession, their biggest hit, had some swinging horns on it.
The Grass Roots have had singles on the Billboard 100 21 times. They have sold more than 20 million albums worldwide.
ALBUMS: Greatest Hits (Reissue: 1982 of 1975 release); Truth In Time (1978); Soul Survivor (1987)
MVC Rating: Greatest 5.0/$$$$; Truth 4.0/$$$; Soul Survivor/$$$
One of my favorite artists — all time.
I have three albums that capture the essence and soul of a man with essence and soul. He was the best at covering other’s work and elevating. But he wrote his own as well.
His earlier stuff collected on the hits album is classic R&B, soul. Some of the best made.
The Al Green-penned ‘Let’s Stay Together,’ ‘Let’s Get Married,’ ‘Call Me,’ and ‘I’m Still in Love With You’ all smolder with love and hotter love. Green’s falsetto is the best. That’s not up for debate with me. It is the best.
His song, “Tired of Being Alone” is a timeless classic.
But it’s his cover of the Bee Gee’s ‘How Can You Mend a Broken Heart’ that takes the prize for top, not to be too hyperbolic, perhaps Top 3, covers of all time. That is an emotional workout listening to Green sing that.
The only song not on the Greatest Hits that should have been is ‘Take Me to the River,’ a Green song covered quite successfully later by the Talking Heads.
Green in 1974, after some traumatic life events and hospitalizations, became a pastor. He leads a big church in Memphis near Elvis’ Graceland. Over the years he has wavered between recording pure gospel music and a hybrid of popular, with God infused throughout.
Some of his ’80s’ work is as powerful as anything he’s ever done. I got religion about three times listening to Soul Survivor and his sung version of the 23rd Psalm with a full gospel choir. In my copy of ‘Soul Survivor’ I was happy to find a 5X7 photo and a bio sheet.
Those who saw my Allman Brothers post know I’m less than a Grateful Dead fan. I used to live in Marin County where the band members lived, but it was years after Garcia had died.
Jerry could play guitar, but I never felt, I mean felt, their music. I realize a lot of their popularity was kind of cultish thing and involved the culture of altered states. So I have Terrapin Station album playing right now under the influence of an Advil and a beer.
Still don’t get it.
It seems a lot of what they do is based in roots music, or laid back bluegrass and folk/country with an electric guitar playing leader who saw his guitar solos as a positive outgrowth of his psychedelic drug-taking — kind of like spiders making webs after some hallucinogens given by scientists. It’s an actual scientific study (look it up here.)
The folky bluesy blend by the Dead is not bad but the music doesn’t stand out to me as do acts such as the Band, the Byrds or CSN&Y for that matter. Some of it is really pleasant rocking chair music in the vein of some of those groups, though.
Two full disclosures: I haven’t heard much beyond what I have (Terrapin Station) or on the radio. I pledge to listen to another album or two at some point.
Other full disclosure: I was a reporter in Orlando covering the Dead when they came in for a show. Must of been early 1990s. Central Florida meet thousands of hippie Deadheads..
I was assigned by the Orlando Sentinel to do the ‘color’ story which means looking for fun tidbits, capture the scene, find an angle.
I got tear gassed.
I don’t remember what the headline was but in my admittedly weak memory I recall this as headline: Deadheads Riot.
A small band of Deadheads opened a couple of doors at the old O-rena allowing those outside to rush the door. It got ugly with some police body slams, numerous arrests and clouds of tear gas. I was temporarily blinded by the spray.
I had to get the spray out of my eyes and write a story.
I guess when I was young and heard of the Grateful Dead I expected something wild, psychedelic, but most of what I’ve heard from them has been rather tame, rioting aside.
I was aware of the Cowsill’s cover song of ‘Hair’ which mentions the Dead as an example of a band with no ‘bread.’ (Money.)
I knew that line from Hair at about 9 but never heard their music until FM radio listening in the md-70s.
Nothing new here. I do get that there is a lot of repetitive instrumental music, and I understand how that can be appealing as your musical brain rides the waves. So part of my critique is about expectations. I was expecting something groundbreaking or, at least, sounding like nothing else from the hippest hippie group of all time. Something closer to Zappa.
Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention put out the double record “Freak Out,’ in mid 1960s — that was freak out psychedelic music. You have to hear it to believe it.
But unlike Garcia, who celebrated mind ‘expanding’ drugs, Zappa eschewed drugs. Famously he would fire you from the band at even a hint of use. He is reported to have kicked Lowell George out of one incarnation of the Mothers because he was doing illegal substances.
Any way, I don’t mean to diminish the Dead, especially since I don’t know their body of work. Know the better known songs like ‘Casey Jones’ and ‘Truckin’ of course. Terrapin Station is good. I like it. But I wouldn’t follow a tour around the country and go to 12 concerts in a row over this.
It wasn’t too long ago the Grateful Dead had worldwide concerts and drew pilgrims, or Deadheads from everywhere.
With dozens of albums and high level fan loyalty I’ll bet the Dead have no lack of bread.
The best way to introduce Goodman is through the songs he wrote. Songs that were often made famous by other people.
City of New Orleans — Arlo Guthrie’s version made this a standard, covered by Johnny Cash, Judy Collins, Chet Atkins, and Willie Nelson.
Somebody Else’s Problems
You Never Even Call Me By My Name — This send-up of country music lyrics got an uncredited writing assist from John Prine. David Alan Coe made it a country hit.
Donald and Lydia
Jazzman
Don’t do me Any Favors Anymore
The Cubs Anthem — Go Cubs Go — His most sung song.
Goodman died of Leukemia in 1984 at age 36.
Fun fact: He was a high school classmate of Hillary Clinton in Chicago..
Yes the album is called ‘L.’ This almost became a Frisbee when I first heard it. I was a big 10cc fan but this … this was 10cc stirred in with Frank Zappa and Dr. Demento. In fact in “Sporting Life” which sounds like a Zappa song, there’s a voice that sounds like Mr. Frank, so much so that I had to check out the credits — didn’t find him listed. Now I like some Zappa but let Zappa do Zappa. I knew I wasn’t losing my mind when I heard this lyric:
“Does getting into Zappa mean getting out of Zen,’ is an actual lyric in ‘Art School Canteen which follows the Sporting Life and Sandwiches of You, a song I actually like.
This was the second album after these two left 10cc using a guitar synthesizer type of instrument they invented called ‘The Gizmo.’ Not sure what it does or sounds like even now. It might be that zither-sounding strum on ‘Sandwiches. bit no it’s not listed as being in that song.’
Ah, funny reference to their old fun hit ‘Donna is in ‘Group Life.’ Punchbag is interesting (as all this interesting) but I’m sure I’d understand it more if I knew what ‘fourth form punchbag’ means.
The instrumental ‘Foreign Accents’ has some good funky and crazy sounding sounds but, again, I though they were showcasing the Gizmo and it’s not listed for that song.
All in all it’s an ambitious record, which I would expect from 10cc spinoff. But if is too Art School Canteen-ish. I’ll stick to my 10cc when I want a little pretentiousness with my contentiousness. Checking around on the Internets I find some crazy devotion to G&C, especially this album. I’ll keep trying. ‘Business is Business ‘ at the end of the album finally gets to the not so avant gard point. “That the record people and people in general don’t get us and we hate M.O.R.’
Great jazz combo here from 1964. Led by Dexter Gordon, this is a jazz classic. I got as a cut-out reissue from 1985. If I see a cut-out or discounted record with Blue Note on, it I’ll buy, no questions.
The band, which includes Donald Byrd, Art Taylor, Kenny Drew and Niels-Henning Orsted, is tight.
Byrd almost steals the show with his tasteful rapid fire trumpet runs, like automatic fire — pup, pup,pup – landing like marshmallows, soft and sweet. Particularly on his song, ‘Tanya’ which covers all of side 1.
Gordon was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in the jazz movie ‘Round Midnight.’
ALBUM: The Essential Steve Goodman (1976)
