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Janis Joplin — 391, 390

Album: Greatest Hits (1973); Pearl (1969)

MVC Rating: Greatist: 4.0/$$$; Pearl 4.5/$$$$

NOTE: I added Pearl, which I picked up in a thrift store after I’d done the original review. Half the tracks overlap with Greatest Hits. Pearl is a great classic album. I’m pretty sure I have pretty much all the Joplin I need as I also have a CD with something like 20 song.

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Talk about pain — as we have been with the country songs of George Jones and Tammy Wynette — Janis Joplin was one hurting puppy.

Her voice was like no other when that inner turmoil came out.

That’s why the video in my last post of Janis and Tom Jones is something of a revelation. Tom Jones (coming to Birmingham soon) is a made for-Vegas, pop singer with a ladies’ following, some nifty dance moves copped from Elvis, and a strong strong voice in his own right. On this duet, Tom and Janis seem to be having much fun as they see who can out belt each other while shimmying around the dance floor to a small but raucous crowd of musicians and dancers.

Janis’ story is sad. Bullied in school in Port Arthur, Texas, for being overweight and having severe acne, she withdrew, thinking she didn’t fit in. She listened to old blues records and began singing in clubs. Next stop San Francisco. It was the psychedelic 1960s’ epicenter. Music, consciousness raising, sexual liberation and drugs came together in a way that was both exciting and very extremely dangerous. Janis died of a heroin overdose at 27.

She died before seeing her cover of the Kris Kristofferson-Fred Foster penned ‘Me and Bobby McGee.’ I might even put that song in my top 10 all time rock songs. Listen to how the lyrics like graceful brush strokes evoke a time, a place, desperation and, yes, freedom.

It was the second No. 1 single to be released after the artist died. The other? ‘(Sittin’ On the Dock of the Bay’ by Otis Redding, another song in contention for my Top 10 and another example of voice and words evoking a sad song of wandering and memories. I’ve got some Otis Redding coming so, as Sam and Dave used to sing, Hold On.

Fun fact: Bobby McGee has been covered by many people, but the first cover was by Roger “King of the Road” Miller. Road songs all.

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Tom Jones — 392

Album: Tom Jones Country (1981)

MVC Rating: 3.5/$

Another day, another singer named Jones. As in Tom Jones.

First off this isn’t real country music. Secondly, is this the real Tom Jones?

On record it sounds like Tom Jones and his powerful voice is in fine form. But the cover with Jones wearing a cowboy hat looks an awful lot like Will Ferrell. No? Take a look side-by-side look of both gentlemen in hats:


The left is as it says, Will Ferrell, the right is Jones.

If you are looking for real country music sung by a man named Jones, don’t choose Tom, choose George. (George and Tammy Wynette are reviewed on my previous post.)

Now we transition from George Jones to Tom Jones and watch this smooth segue as I post a video of Tom Jones singing with Janis Joplin — who happens to be next in the myvinylcountdown.com of my 678 vinyl records.

Tom Jones and Janis Joplin having fun in a duet.

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George Jones, Tammy Wynette –394-393

ALBUMS: Wynette: First Songs of the First Lady (1971); Wynette/Jones: Encore (1981); George Jones: All Time Greatest Hits Vol. 2. (1977)

Another day. Another rotation of our earth.

Tammy Wynette is on the turntable. I am awestruck.

“Walk through this world with me,” Tammy sings. “Go where I go. Share all my dreams with me. I need you so.”

This was intended to be my George Jones only countdown review. But I had a record of songs where Jones and Wynette sing duets. And I had a Tammy Wynette compilation album. So this review is a Jones-Wynette review involving those three albums.

This is country music. Period.

No alt, no country rock, no Americana, no crossover, just pure pedal steel guitar and songs about pain and suffering, that are sometimes, somehow soothing.

Tammy’s voice on ‘Apartment No. 9’ snuggles up to the swelling steel guitar. Then there are the lyrics as delivered by Tammy. Aching , soothing, angry but strong. The combination of voice, music and lyric stir a soul.

“Loneliness surrounds me, without your arms around me. ”

George Jones is Tammy’s male alter ego. Together they make you smile and cry.

Why do we like sad songs?

‘Don’t wanna play house; It makes my mommy cry
‘Cause when she played house; My daddy said good-bye. ‘

Jones and Tammy, who were married to each other for about six years and performed together for many more, have touched millions of people.

And what are they singing about? Cheating, drinking, betrayal, hope and despair, love and lust, pain and happiness. Suffering.

Our lives.

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Robert Johnson — 395

ALBUM:   King of the Delta Blues Singers, Vol. 2 (1970 compilation)

MVC Rating: 4.5/$$$$

This probably should be a 5 rating due to the massive influence Johnson had on the best rock guitarists in the world.. But I have to take a little off because the primitive sound quality certainly to my ears has an effect on its listening pleasure. This album is considered the best representation of Johnson’s work. And it’s fascinating to listen to old the old blues to see where the rock came from. But I don’t think it’s an easy listening experience. However, by turning the volume up high you can have a cathartic experience. That’s the soul coming in and sometimes it hurts.

I’m Just glad they were able to save the songs. Wiki said that there were only two known, confirmed photos of RJ>

It sounds like it was recorded in the other room. Which I think it literally was. Check out the album cover.

It’s a bit of a strain to hear and become immersed in the electric guitar mastery recorded on 1930’s equipment. But it’s well worth the listening just to hear the songs you’ve heard re-done by Clapton, Zeppelin and the Beatles. It’s a reservoir of rock and roll riffs at the ground level.

Cr0ssroads is where Johnson allegedly sold his soul to the devil for his musical abilities on guitar.



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Elton John and Billy Joel — 398, 397, 396

ALBUMS: Joel: Piano Man ( 1973): John: Don’t Shoot Me (I’m Only the Piano Player;  Greatest Hits) ( 1973, 1974)

MVC Rating: Piano Man 3.5/$$; Don’t Shoot Me 4.0/$$$; Greatest Hits 4.0/$$

They both are about the same age. They both play piano. They have toured together. They both have bunches and bunches of hits over decades. Their last names both start with ‘J’ — and that is why I am reviewing them together now for MVC as we count down alphabetically my 678 vinyl records.

I grew up listening to both of these artists. I think I am more familiar with John’s work. My thumbnail analysis would be this:

Songs: John overall with 19 No. 1 hits; Joel has three.

Song: Tie: John –Benny and the Jets; Joel–Piano Man. Benny is a strange but deceptively great song. I know most would pick ‘Candle in the Wind’.’ From Joel, Piano man is the definition of a great drop-in scene setter, even if the lyrics sometimes seemed to stretch for the rhyme Sample: ” Davy who still is in the Navy.”

Singing: Joel — Elton’s voice had some character and is instantly recognizable but I never considered it a great voice. I was surprised in re-listening to the Piano Man album, just how well Joel sang.

Songwriting: Tie –Elton has the quantity, but Joel has some really strong songs that compete, perhaps even surpass Elton material. Joel’s ‘Still Rock and Roll to Me’ is exemplary songwriting. Same with “Only the Good Die Young,’ ‘You may be Right,’ and ‘Uptown Girl.’ ‘Captain Jack’ could have been great but the line about masturbation was TMI, waay TMI. ‘John’s ‘Your Song’ is a simple but enduring ditty with a beautiful melody. ‘Don’t Let the Sun Go Down’ and ‘The Bitch is Back,’ along with the aforementioned ‘ Benny and the Jets’ are all excellent songs. John’s songs were of course co-written with Bernie Taupin, who supplied the words before Elton put it to music. I was always amazed at that collaboration and at how John could turn some of Taupin’s oblique lyrics into a catchy song, but he did time and time again. Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding is special.

Live Performance: John. I never saw either live but from those who have and what I’ve seen on video, Elton wins this category with eyeglasses and apparel alone.

Best Album: John– Goodbye Yellow Brick Road edges the Stranger.

I haven’t followed either one much in recent years. John still seems active, but I haven’t heard what Joel has been doing. They are both great popular artists. I wouldn’t shoot either one, even if they were not the piano man.

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The Jim Carroll Band — 399

Catholic Boy cover

ALBUM: Catholic Boy

MVCC Rating: 3.5/$$$

Best known for the book taken from his teen journal, Carroll turned to music after his poetic writings began making noise outside of New York.

His fame came from the book called The Basketball Diaries. Leonardo DiCaprio played Carroll in the movie of the same name.

The album Catholic Boy had on it the underground hit ‘People Who Died,” which chronicled a list of friends who died.

Mary took a dry dive from a hotel room
Bobby hung himself from a cell in The Tombs
Judy jumped in front of a subway train
Eddie got slit in the jugular vein
And Eddie, I miss you more than all the others
And I salute you brother

His music on Catholic Boy is pretty straightforward hard rock, new wave with a darkness that seemed to shade his life. There’s a Lou Reed, Patti Smith, New York vibe here for sure.

Carroll was apparently a promising New York City basketball player until he got into the heroin, an addiction he battled much of his life.

Carroll died at 60 in 2009 on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. His photo tells the story.


{ Jim Carroll by David Shankbone|

More rock deaths

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Jason and the Scorchers — 402, 401, 400

ALBUMS: Fervor (1983); Lost and Found (1985); Still Standing (1986)

MVC Rating: Fervor,4.5/$$$; Lost 4.0/$$$; Standing 4.0/$$$.

When I think back to Jason in the 1980s, I think Sloss, the steel refinery turned venue near downtown Birmingham.

Jason and the Scorchers ‘Still Standing.”

I think of Jason climbing up into the rafters (or whatever the ceiling’s infrastructure was called), until he was sitting dozens upon dozens of feet in the air. Still singing. I was hoping he didn’t take to swinging.

The band was a high energy rock band that some called country punk, or punk-a-billy music. They played fast and hard and were really quite the thing, a contrast to synthesizer driven bands popular at the time such as Depeche Mode, the Cure and Ultravox.

I think. Jason crazy!

Colleague and longtime AL.com writer Bob Carlton once called lead singer Jason Ringenberg and guitarist Warner Hodges the “Mick and Keith of cowpunk.”

But like all good things, they eventually ran out of steam. I think it was in a way the usual story: Pressure to be more commercial resulted in higher production, which hurt, not helped, this band. Jason and the Scorchers scorched and climbed up into the rafters. Tamping down on that took the essence away, whether overt or not. J&S was a shot of Wild Turkey, not fancy brandy.

For the above reasons I recommend the first album, Fervor, as a first buy. The Dylan cover, Absolutely Sweet Marie, is excellent and sets the tone. ‘Help There’s a Fire‘ puts the punk in Billy.

But all of the albums (at least these three are excellent). I think it’s pretty hard to find some of these used. But still not super expensive if you search online. (As always check with the locals first).

Other bands around that time playing similar music included the Beat Farmers, Rank and File, Rubber Rodeo, Webb Wilder, and perhaps you could throw in Lone Justice and the very excellent Long Ryders.

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Joe Jackson — 404

ALBUM: Night and Day (1982)

MVC Rating: 3.5/$

Joe Jackson’s Night and Day

I’m pretty sure I bought this new as freshman in college at UGA. Maybe after all the Rolling Stones, Who and Allman Brothers blasting from my Reed Hall dorm room, I was trying for something a little more sophisticated. Joe Jackson was Elvis Costello with a piano.

Whereas Costello’s voice was tinged with irony and anger, Jackson’s voice had an undercurrent of irony and condescension. A little Steely Dan in there.

He had some hits, notably ‘Is She Really Going Out With Him’ (not on this album) and ‘Stepping Out’ and ‘Breaking Us in Two (both on this record). The album is jazzy. ‘Stepping Out’ is the sound of tinkling champagne toasts in Manhattan, which come with promise, but disappear after midnight.

“We are young but getting old before our time, we’ll leave the TV and radio behind,’ Jackson sings.

Nominated for a Grammy, this record’s another bargain in the used market. I saw it for $3 the other day.

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Harry James — 405

ALBUM: Trumpet After Midnight (1954)

MVC Score: 4.0/$$

Harry James album

Interesting background here for a trumpet player.

He was a contortionist in the family circus at age 4. Based in Albany, Ga., he did fancy trick horseback riding up until some horses tried to trample him, only to be saved by his mother’s pony. All this on his Wikipedia page.

He went on to become a band leader and his band was the first to back a young singer named Frank Sinatra.

Musically he was well-respected for his technical prowess on the instrument. My album is great. I have to admit that when I play jazz it’s usually one of my Blue Notes or Chet Baker or even Teo Macero. But I’ve had my James record on the turntable for several days now, and it is fabulous. It is sweet sounding, transports you to another time without being maudlin. It’s the sound of tinkling glasses, a post-war giddiness and a Cold War caution.

The liner notes give an interesting history of the trumpet itself and its place in music.

The vinyl is rigid and thick and says “unbreakable” on it. It’s sort of in the mode of the heavier vinyl used in new pressings. For you old-timers who may remember, the circus he grew up with was called the Mighty Haag Circus.

Some songs: Autumn Leaves, Moanin’ Low, If I Loved You, How Deep is the Ocean.

This is not an expensive record and could probably be ordered online at $5 to $10 plus shipping,

MVC Record Grades Explained

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Garland Jeffreys — 406

Garland Jeffreys

Albums; One-Eyed Jack (1978)

MVC Rating: 3.5/$$

I heard the song ’96 Tears’ for the first time as it was sung by Garland Jeffreys. It got my attention. I later I found out it was a cover by Jeffreys of the 1960’s song by ? and Mysterians (That’s Question Mark and the Mysterians.) Great song. By both.

But firmly planted in my head — that’s how it works — I had Jeffreys’ name, and when I saw a record of his in the cutout bin, I jumped.

Another good inexpensive purchase. Jeffreys, who used to hang out with Lou Reed, is more mainstream than Reed. He comfortably shifts from soul, pop and reggae. He addresses issues like race as in the title song: “Here comes the One-Eyed Jack, sometimes white and sometimes black.”

An homage to his hero Jackie Robinson. Good record that has big production but didn’t do so well. Maybe there is a bit of a strain to be commercial here that backfired. I see Phoebe Snow, of the multi-octave voice, and my man David Lasley, among the back-up vocalists. Dr. John is on keys.

Look for it in record stores, it’s a good, overlooked record.

Newer music from Jeffreys in the form of a 2011 album called the ‘King of In-Between’ was given an ‘A’ by critic Robert Christgau, who does not grade on a curve.