Posted on

Neil Young — 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13

ALBUMS: Hawks and Doves (1980); Zuma (1975); Decade (1976); After the Gold Rush (1970); Everybody’s Rockin’ (1983); Old Ways (1983): American Stars and Bars. (1977)

MVC Rating: Hawks 3.5; Zuma 4.5; After the Gold Rush 5.0; Everybody’s 3.0; Old Ways 3.5; Decade 5.0; American 4.0.

I thank Neil Young for one of the best concerts I have ever seen. It was the 2004 fund-raising concert for the Bridge School for student with disabilities in California Young has two sons with cerebral palsy.

The annual concert, which started in 1986 by Neil and his wife Pegi, and ended in 2016 when Young announced in 2016 he would not host any more concerts. He cited ‘personal reasons,’ the Huffington Post reported.’

Young split with his wife Pegi in 2014 after 36 years of marriage. She was a driving force in the creation of the fund-raising event at Shorline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, located south of San Francisco not far from Neil and Pegi’s ranch.

Anyway, my daughter Emily and I drove through the city of San Francisco and arrived to a place I can only say is California-pretty, rolling green hills and mountains on the horizon.

Sitting in the ‘cheap’ seats — the ground — behind the built-in seating, we enjoyed wonderful acoustics in the lightly drizzling weather. What a line-up with Young, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ben Harper, Sonic Youth, Eddie Vedder, Tegan and Sara, Tony Bennett, Los Lonely Boys, and the headliner Paul McCartney. Paul ended the evening with a remarkably powerful ‘Hey Jude.’

I tell you all this because it was the first thing I thought of when I realized I was in the Y’s and my Neil Young collection would be enough to nearly take me home.

I started listening to Neil Young early in my youth, starting with the3- record set, Decade. It was about everything you’d want from Young’s 1970s work. I consumed Decade and it led me to other Young works like ‘After the Gold Rush,’ Harvest and Harvest Moon (which I apparently don’t have any more).’ Zuma was an underrated classic for me.

When I was still in California, Young put out an anti-war album ‘Living with War’ on which he blistered politicians, while giving voice to the families of soldiers.

If you are just starting out on Neil Young, Decade is the way to go. You might go to Rust Never Sleeps for a later incarnation.

Of course, Neil Young will forever be remembered by Alabamians as the one who wrote ‘Southern Man,’ (on After the Gold Rush) in which he skewers ‘southern man’ for slavery and racial abuses. Lynyrd Skynyrd famously replied in Sweet Home Alabama: I hope Neil Young will remember, Southern man don’t need you around, any how.

Neil, when asked by a reporter about the popular Skynyrd song, replied. ‘Sounds like they mean It.’

Young is a chameleon. I have one album called ‘Everybody’s Rockin’ which features Neil in a pink suit on the cover. The songs were retro schtick do-wop ballads with an echo on vocals to enhance Young’s thin, but emotive voice. Folk, country, rock, soul, psychedelia, doo-wop were all in Mr. Young’s bag of tricks.

I’m not sure if the concert shown in video below is the same one I took my daughter to where Paul McCartney was the headliner — but it very well could be that 2004 concert.

Posted on

The Young Rascals — 20

ALBUM: Groovin’

MVC Rating: 4.0/$$$$

The third album by the American band was and is a winner, from its crazy cartoon cover to the poppy bluesy sound inside.

Now you may (or may not) remember I did a Rascals post; the Rascals was a later incarnation of the band. This is the Youngsters third album and hit No. 5 on the charts back in 1967,

The title song, ‘Groovin’ went to No. 1 in 1967 and has been an enduring classic. ‘Groovin’ on a Sunday afternoon,’ croons lead singer Felix Cavaliere. (Or is that ‘sunny afternoon? It could have been a sunny Sunday afternoon. As they would be more apt to be ‘groovin’ on a sunny day rather than one with rain. So the correct answer is Sunday afternoon, I replayed it and looked it up. We’ll assume it wasn’t raining since that might lead to a totally different song like ‘Who’ll Stop the Rain.’

Forgive me, I just like to think these things out!)

Eight of the 11 songs were released as singles from this album, according to Wikipedia. They would drop the ‘Young’ from their name as they began to get bigger or older or both.

Here’s my previous post of those just plain Rascals.

Posted on

Yardbirds — 21

ALBUM: Favorites (1977 comp.)

MVC Rating: 4.5

Here is the group that has led to all those noisy guitar licks in heavy metal and hard rock.

It was early 1960s and a handful of white British kids became immersed in American blues, singers and guitar pickers. They learned the songs, for which they applied amplification and voila: The amplified blues chords have been heard in songs from Black Sabbath to Deep Purple to Blue Oyster Cult (hey, I could have used Green Day.)

The Yardbirds is a group that at separate times had Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Actually there was a short time when Beck and Page were in the group together, according to the liner notes written by Ira Robbins the editor of Trouser Press magazine.

Writing in 1977, when this compilation was released, Robbins said: ‘It only takes a little applied listening to current R-n-R to discern how much of today’s rock traces back to things the Yardbirds did almost a decade ago.‘

Now that was 1977 and this album is culled from songs of the 1960s. Listening to it you can almost make that same case. The blues riffs ring out on much less sophisticated equipment, perhaps, but the song remains the same (if I may pull from a Led Zeppelin song with Jimmy Page on guitar.)

Page, Beck and Clapton are revered like few others and on many lists of top guitarists. I guess I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the original Yardbirds: Keith Relf, lead vocalist and harmonica; Jim McCarty, drums; Paul Samwell Smith, bass; Chris Dreja, rhythm guitar; and Top Topham, lead guitar. Topham’s departure after six months made way for Clapton.

Somewhat ironically, Clapton left the band about a year later saying they were going too commercial for his purist sensibilities. Evidence was the song ‘For Your Love,’ Clapton said.

Well, that’s one of my favorite Yardbird songs (not on this album for some reason) and it was a worldwide hit lifting the band from obscurity.

I say it’s ironic because Clapton starting in the late 1970s has put out more than his fair share of commercial shlock. Some of it was OK shlock but shlock nevertheless. (Shlock is a nicer word than dreck, I believe).

Posted on

Yellowman — 22

ALBUM: Going to the Chapel (1986)

MVC Rating: 4.0/$$$$

Hello mon, for today’s post we have Yellowman.

So named for the distinctive hue of his skin, the result of albinism, Winston Foster grew up an orphan in Kingston, Jamaica, according to Wikipedia.

Abandoned by his parents, Foster grew up in Maxfield Children’s Home and the Alpha Boys School where he became interested in music. As a young adult Yellowman performed in the reggae sub-genre called dancehall. He went on to became nearly as popular and well known as Jamaica’s reggae icon Bob Marley.

This record features renowned rhythm section Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, keeping tight the reggae beat throughout. In addition to the title track other reinterpreted songs include the Gambler, made famous by Kenny Rogers. On the album the title is “No Lucky in Gambling.’

He follows that with a reggae version of ‘Amen.’

Below is the album I have with a different version of Amen.

Posted on

Yes — 23

ALBUM: Close to the Edge (1972)

MVC Rating: 4.0/$$$

I’ve never been much of a Yes-man but I do appreciate their chops. I have what is considered by many fans their best (of more than 20 albums).

I have to say, I like its predecessor ‘Fragile’ better mainly on the strength of the song ‘Roundabout.’ But I can see how fans like Close to the Edge with its powerful guitar performance by the underrated Steve Howe.

This is commercial progressive rock which — as I have mentioned before is not my cup of cognac.

I like blues-based rock and roll and some folk, country, jazz and soul. Progressive rock is a long way from the blues. It often uses classical music as its lens. Sometimes it works as in this case with Bach lurking in Rick Wakeman’s organ fills and solos. And, hey, I’d be remiss if I didn’t say: Just listen to that bass by the criminally underrated Chris Squires.

But much of the time Yes and its prog brethren — Emerson Lake and Palmer, Genesis, and King Crimson to name but a few of the bigger names — sounds to me like a mish-mash.

Here, there is superb playing, but I don’t really know what Jon Anderson is singing about. “I get up, I get down.” That lyric sums up the listening experience.

And you can’t dance to it.

Posted on

Tom Waits — 33

ALBUM: Frank’s Wild Years (1987)

MVC Rating: 4.5/$$$$$

His voice sounds like Bob Dylan with a chest cold. His songs, full of muted horns, and simple piano tinkling, hearken back to Tin Pan Alley with a venture into beatnik culture.

From ‘Down in the Hole,’ which became part of the theme music of the acclaimed mini-series ‘The Wire:’ If you walk with Jesus, he will save your soul, got to keep the devil, down in the hole.

This lyric from I’ll Be Gone: Tonight I’ll shave the mountains, I’ll cut the hearts from pharoahs, I’ll pull the road off the rise, I’ll tear the memories from my eyes, And in the morning I’ll be gone.’

If you are intrigued by Joe Cocker singing jazzy Frank Sinatra style songs with enigmatic Dylan-like lyrics in a smoky San Francisco beatnik bar, Waits is your man.

My 1987 album on vinyl is kind of rare. You can pick this up on CD for $10 or $15 but the original 1987 press will likely set you back more than $50, at least.

You know who I thought of after listening to the album over several days. He sings like Louis Armstrong –the always hoarse ‘Satchmo.’

Posted on

Sun Ra on Halloween — 38

This may be too late since Halloween is over in about three hours. But the best Halloween album I can think of is Sun Ra’s ‘The Magic City. Yes that Magic City.

Sun Ra was a far-out jazz and blues figure from Birmingham. He even dressed up as one could or might for Halloween — in long robes and head dresses. Except he did it all the time, not just Oct. 31.

I bought ‘Sun Ra and His Solar Arkestra, a reissue of a 1965 recording, on a recent trip back to Athens, Ga., and WUXTRY Records.

I’m not including it on my Countdown list because I just bought it and am trying to keep my vinyl countdown to records I bought growing up. But I’m listening to this on a Halloween night and its free form avant garde jazz has prepared me nicely for any scares that are awaiting out in the blackness. Add flutes, saxophone, drums, etc. it makes a mighty psychedelic stew.

Oh what the heck, I’ll put this on my Countdown after all.

Posted on

Edgar Winter — 39

ALBUM: Jasmine Nightdreams (1975)

MVC Rating: 3.5/$$$

Well, he gets an A for effort but have mercy, this is a whiplash record. You get whiplash from the sudden shifts from smooth Top 40 style cuts to hard experimental jazz to soul shout outs and guitar histrionics.

Winter has his bluesy brother Johnny along for the ride. For that matter he has much of his regular band which records as the Edgar Winter Group, including Rick Derringer and Dan Hartman. That band was known for its top 40 hits ‘Free Ride’ and ‘Frankenstein.’

The brothers Winter were born with albinism (a deficit of skin pigment) and on the cover and on inside art, photos show both men sporting long white locks. Edgar started his career in a band called White Trash.

This album produced no break-out hits but had several cuts that seem like they could have — most notably the maudlin, but catchy, lead song ‘Tell Me In a Whisper.’

‘Hello Mellow Feelin’ and the rocker ‘Shuffle Low,’ also stand out.

Posted on

A Day in My Life Knowing All Things Must Pass

Who said life is boring? From another person’s view, my life is pretty boring. I am somewhat limited by my brain disease. So I don’t drive, I can’t (or, at least, I’m not supposed to) take walks near or far by myself.

I’m going to lead you through a ‘boring’ day for me in an effort to show that living with Lewy body dementia doesn’t mean you can’t smile as the hand of God stirs the pot.

It was Monday, earlier this week, and my youngest daughter, Claire, called me to see if I wanted to go shopping for shoes, among other things. Why sure, I said.

Shopping with my grown- up daughters usually consists of walking around with the daughter for about 10 minutes then hastily seeking a chair. This pattern proved true on this day. I sat in a chair at the front of the store and watched people. That is really more fun than it seems, but its excitement has a short expiration date; luckily Claire arrived in a short time with some items. I’m pretty sure she bought some shoes.

Then we went to Target where she continued to shop for clothes. I wandered over to the section that had vinyl records. Little known fact, you can get some get good records — high quality re-mastered slabs of vinyl at Target and other like-minded stores such as Bed Bath and Beyond. There’s not a huge selection, mostly current best sellers. But they usually have the new re-issued classsics.

I saw George Harrison’s classic ,three-record box set called All Things Must Pass. I had to have it. (Remember we are living in the moment here.) This was a hefty box recently released on the 50th anniversary of its original recording release, and I guess they charged by the pound as it was $69.99. Whew, I dropped the box like it was on fire.

Dang, can’t say that I’ve ever spent that much on a record. If you follow my blog, you will know that about 75 percent of my collection are used or cutouts, or lucky finds at garage sales and thrift stores. With $75, I could probably find 10 good albums at a well-stocked record store or thrift shop.

And this is the smallest version of the set issued in several iterations at higher prices including a crate.

I have sold a couple or three records for that amount and above, so I do have an inkling for what records are worth. In this case you have a classic recording, re-mastered for sound quality, lyric sheets, a poster and, a booklet with photos and such.

I started seeing this as a good value. I’ve wanted this since about age 16, but it was pricey and for the reasons mentioned I felt better spending that money on several records.

I was in a kind of reverie or brain drain as I held the album and shook it ever so lightly to see if it had all the ‘stuff’ in there. I walked away without the album and went to look for Claire. Couldn’t find her. That was the sign I was waiting for.

I went back and snagged the album, found Claire and hustled to the check-out line before I changed my mind. Claire made some comment like ‘whoa’ when she saw the record and its price tag. I had a $50 bill and some other paper money in my wallet — but not enough. I dug through the cubby holes in my wallet and rooted around in my pockets. A few bucks brought me up to about $60 on a $75 purchase. I asked Claire for money, but she doesn’t carry cash like most young adults her age.

So as the chatter got louder in the ever-growing line I negotiated a deal where I split the purchase into two payments by credit card and the rest in cold hard cash.

The clerk said something like ‘They said vinyl records wouldn’t last but they are going strong.’ ‘Yup.’ I said.

On the way home Claire said to me ‘I see what you did there. Break the payments into two receipts, and show Mom just one.’

What? I said with fake indignation. Who have I raised here? She would think that I would try to hide a purchase from the mother of my children? How could she even come up with that idea?

I let out an evil laugh, or maybe just an evil snicker:
“Exactly,’ I said.

I think my daughter was wagging her finger at me. I was waiting to hear what Claire’s blackmail demands would be when I had a thought.

I’ll tell Catherine it was my birthday present from her.

Catherine met us at the door and she immediately asked how much?

‘Um, well, let’s see …” I started digging through my pockets for one receipt. But I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t tell a lie. I told her it was sixty-something which was either a half-truth or half-lie because it was really seventy-something. But take away the taxes and bingo I have a sixty-something dollar record, right? The rules are loose in this deft game of deception.

Then … a breakthrough.

I told her it would be my birthday present, upcoming in November. She said that’s perfect, “I’ve been struggling trying to figure out what to give you.’

She was happy, I was happy. I now have a classic record, considered the best solo project from a solo Beatle.

That night as I was making a song request to Alexa — the feminine robotic DJ — to play something, she suddenly got the urge to ask me help her fill out a profile on me and asked some pretty intense questions like what kind of music I like. And then she played some seductive love song by the Avett Brothers.

I looked at my wife and asked ‘Where did that come from?’

Catherine rolled her eyes and said, ‘She’s flirting with you.’

I felt a little dizzy and turned the volume down of the song as Catherine laughed.

So, as I look back over this, yes, it could have been a boring day. Home to store and back again.

Yet somehow it wasn’t.

We are given only a finite number of days. Enjoy them while you can. Because all things must pass.

Posted on

Troubles

Take all my troubles

Throw them down

Boot heel grind them into the ground

Take my big sorrow

Make it shatter

Into little pieces

That no longer matter

No more questions

I’ve had enough

We’ve known all along,

The answer’s love

World, show me your beauty

And your heart

That seems to be an honest way to start

Girl, show me your beauty

And your heart

That seems to be the best way to start

Take all my troubles

Throw them down

Boot heel grind them into the ground

Grind them into the ground

Into the ground

Into the ground

—-

A poem by Mike Oliver.