UPDATE 6:22 p.m. 4/21: Back from record stores. Long walk. I got two records one at each shop at 5 points. Roy Clark’s ‘ Spectacular Guitar.’ He’s one of the best guitarists and perhaps underrated by rock fans. Grass Roots, some personal reasons I picked ‘Golden Grass’ which I will talk about at a later date. Fine day to shop, came in under $15 for two I wanted. Don’t tell Catherine. I’m still trying to find the right time to tell her about my growing stack of albums.
I did confess to getting Neutral Milk Hotel’s Aeroplane record on newly minted vinyl during a recent road trip to see family. It’s an album I had on CD, but I love it and couldn’t resist a purchase at WUXTRY in Athens, Ga., where the band lived and, I believe recorded the album.
Hey all,
I published another Countdown update on AL.com. Click here.
I am going right now to 5 pts. South to Record Store Day at the two stores there, Charlemagne and Renassance. And Seasick little later.
I’m still taking this week all in as my colleague and friend John Archibald won a Pulitzer Prize for commentary.
I’m off …….Oh wait a minute!
Coincidence or not department. The Difford and Tilbrook vinyl record I have as my latest review has a song I singled out “Picking up the Pieces.”
My five snippits I introduce to AL.com readers today contains the Average White Band’s famous hit ‘Pick up the Pieces’ a totally different song from different eras and genre………wow.
OK maybe not so Wow but it is kind of strange…OK maybe not strange at all (I’m going now).
Listen to the AWB video piece of my post and watch the (totally white) crowd try to dance … funny (OK I’m going now.)
Couple of nice songs, most notably ‘Picking up the Pieces.’
‘Tears for Attention’ finally gets your attention after a dozen listens, now seems to be a very good song to me after first dismissing as slooow..
But my main reaction is how this is SO not as good as Squeeze, whom I really enjoyed, especially Argybargy and East Side Story, which I will review when I get to the S’s. Difford and Tilbrook were the core of Squeeze. The Squeeze sound is still there with this one but there’s a lack of energy, a lack of mussels (from a shell.)
I will say though that ‘Picking up the Pieces’ I would rate in the Top 5 of all Squeeze songs.
This is one of those records I may keep out for further listens because there’s something subtle at work that may actually work with further listens. Here’s the thing: I know they can sing and I know they can write songs. I’ just asking to sing louder and write better.
I have a story about the Dixie Dregs. Must have been around 1978 and I was hanging out with Catherine (my future bride), Rose and Carol in downtown Athens, Ga.
We were all high school buddies and happened to be walking past the Georgia Theatre when some folks were loading equipment from a truck into the theater. It was late afternoon.
We sidled, or at least the young women in the group sidled, over and asked what’s up. They told us they were the Dixie Dregs and were playing that night.
The Dregs members and crew seemed quite chatty, though not to me. Anyway, with me way in the background, they invited ‘us’ to enjoy the show from the front row. (I think at this point they were holding the door open for Catherine, Rose and Carol and I had to practically dive through before it closed in my face.) Anyway free front row show and it was good. An all-instrumental funky band playing music that was hard to pigeon hole.
Ironically, earler that year I had won an award for best high school critical review with a write-up about Sea Level, an all instrumental offshoot of the Allman Brothers, playing the same venue. The award was from the University of Georgia Journalism Department.
Sea Level was playing at the grand opening of the Georgia Theatre as a concert venue. It used to be a movie theater. (It burned down in 2009, but I can attest it has been re-built and is very much a go-to Athens, Ga. music venue, with the likes of Randall Bramblett and Chuck Leavell frequently playing.}
As for the Dregs’ music, it was musicianship at a high level. A little bit of Mahavishnu Orchestra, a little southern-fried rock, and some Pat Metheny, or Steve Howe-like jazzy guitar-based tunes. As a guitarist, Steve Morse is about as respected by musicians as you can get. Since 1994, he’s been lead guitarist for Deep Purple.
He had big shoes to fill in Deep Purple where the guitar was once wielded by Ritchie Blackmore. Apparently, he has been well received in the group. This from Deep Purple’s website:
Morse brought a funkiness, a depth as guitarist and writer, an unparalleled fluidity as a soloist, a startling aptitude as foil to Lord, and an arsenal of influences – country, folk, jazz, what they’ve sadly labeled “fusion,” and an inherent understanding of blues-based riffs – that meshed effortlessly with the immaculate Glover-Paice sense of swing and Gillan’s seeming capacity to go anywhere at any time, full-throated and eyes ablaze.
On the Dregs’ 1978 album ‘What If,’ which I have, the instrumentals are easy to listen to and sound as if they could be soundtrack miniatures in a way. ‘Take it off the Top,’ the opening song,, sounds so familiar, kind of like a TV soundtrack (in the vein of Rockford Files).
I hate to call it fusion, as well, but the music certainly fuses jazz, blues, rock and some classical conceits into a very listenable sound synthesis. There’s a violin, organ, bass and drums all driven by Morse’s extraordinary guitar.
ALBUMS: Brothers in Arms (1985); Making Movies (1980); Dire Straits (1978)
MVC Ratings: Brothers, 4.5/$$$; Making Movies, 4.0/$$$; Dire Straits, 4.0/$$$
I was hesitant about doing Dire Straits. They have become so big that it is almost cool to hate them. Like the Eagles; people love to hate them. That hate campaign was generated I believe by the classic character ‘The Dude’ played by Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski.
But I think it’s unfair. Both to the Eagles and Dire Straits.
Just because you have heard Hotel California 343,000 times doesn’t make it a bad song. Just because the “Walk of Life” sits in your head ready to come to life at anything resembling the Hammond B3 organ intro to the song, doesn’t mean it’s terrible. Annoying, maybe.
But Dire Straits and the Eagles are very good, yes, great bands. I’ll deal with the Eagles later in my blog, soon actually when I get to the ‘E’s’.
It’s the phenomenon of the cliche’ — a word or phrase overused to the extent it becomes dull. But how did it get to be a cliche’ to begin with? People used it, liked it. It was, at the end of the day, a way to put a bottom line on it. Moving forward, if you know what I mean.
Do the walk of life to that one hotel that’ll let you check in but never check out. But of course that’s so 1970s.
I especially like Dire Straits because of a concert I saw at the Agora Ballroom in Atlanta in my formative years. It was Nov. 8, 1980. They were just out, touring America off Making Movies, their third album, and were relatively unknown or at least unknown enough to be playing the US in these smaller venues.. The now-defunct Agora was large for a nightclub but still a small venue for a concert. It was previously called Alex Cooley’s Electric Ballroom. It burned down in 1983 (some stupid with a flair gun…no, wait that’s another tune, sorry.)
As I remember the Agora was across the street from another great venue, The Fox Theater.
Knopfler (left) and Dire Straits
We sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the stage. I still vividly remember the now emblematic guitar solo from Sultans of Swing and watching his hands move through the chords and his finger-picking as it increased speed.
Knopfler is one of a few electric guitarists who doesn’t use a pick. With a pick, I’d imagine he would sound a lot like Eric Clapton. But the finger picking takes a little sting out. It is distinctive and slightly muted.
That doesn’t mean he can’t crush some chords as he does in the very popular “Money for Nothing,’ arguably one of the top recognizable riffs after Deep Purple’s ‘Smoke on the Water,’ or the Stones’ Satisfaction (or ‘Honky Tonk Woman.’)
It was Nov. 8, the day before my 21st birthday , and I was taking it all in. I was sipping Toohey’s out of an Australian oil can. (It would be several years before they upped the drinking/nightclubbing age from 18 to 21.)
The small venue, the front row seats and the friends (including Catherine, my soon-to-be wife, made for one of my most memorable concert experiences ever. Dire Straits went on to sell an astronomical 100 million albums over their career. (The Eagles have sold even more, 150 million).
That’s not to say that I think Dire Straits was the greatest band ever.
Although, Knopfler sings a bit like Dylan, he certainly was no match for Bob in the songwriting department. See what I just did before I say, his lyrics sometimes wandered into cliche’.
That’s all from this department although stay tuned for my piece on the Eagles and related: Mark Knopfler’s soundtrack album, Local Hero. Great movie, great soundtrack.
If you have any doubts about whether this man can play, watch the Sultan’s video to the end. And to think I saw that about six feet away.
Below are some links and excerpts from stories I wrote about my new status at AL.com
It’s all good. Really good.
Bottom line: I’m now going to be writing full time as a columnist. Here’s part of what I wrote and published on AL.com Friday.
A little over a year ago I wrote a column that pulled out the tried and true trope: I have some good news and bad news.
My ‘good’ news was that despite what I had previously announced in a column, I did not have Parkinson’s disease after all. I did not have that dreadful brain degenerating disease that left Muhammed “The Louisville Lip” Ali speechless, and makes Michael J. Fox shake and tremble like he has just been pulled out of an ice fishing hole.
I didn’t have it. But I had something else.
There was that word ‘but.’
Oliver listening to and writing about one of his 678 vinyl records stored on bottom shelf. Despite a degenerative brain disease, he vows to review them all. (Mike Oliver).
My wife, Catherine, scolds me when I use the word ‘but’ after a declarative clause. “When you say ‘but,'”she says, “You are negating everything you said in the first part of the sentence.”
But, but, but … I argue. (I always argue semantics).
But it’s true in this case. Not having Parkinson’s was NOT good news. I was misdiagnosed (not uncommon). I didn’t have Parkinson’s; I had Lewy Body dementia, which in general leaves its patients with a shortened lifespan. The average lifespan after diagnosis is five to seven years, usually much shorter than the lifespan expected after an Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s diagnosis.
I was diagnosed about 18 months ago at age 56. So, I have a little time, I think.
Today I wrote more specifically (to theAl.com audience ) about my countdown and record review:.
So I’ve told you earlier I was going to be doing more writings on AL.com, and some of it will relate to the countdown of my vinyl records.
I have vowed in my blog that I will count down my collection of 678 vinyl records before I succumb to a degenerative brain disease called Lewy Body dementia.
I’m 58 now and it appears I have enough records to last me about two years, although I am feeling deadline pressure.
ALBUMS: The Real Donovan (1965 ); Hurdy Gurdy Man (1968); Barabajagal (1969).
MVC Ratings: Hurdy 4.5.$$$; The Real Donovan 3.5/$$$; Barabajal 4.0/$$$$
I am skipping ahead here only slightly in my alphabetical placement. I should be doing my Dire Straits and Bo Diddley and db’s before Donovan.
But in the previous post I compared up-and-comer Mac DeMarco to Donovan and since I brought him up, I figured let’s review my three Donovan records before I get back to my not-so-strict alphabetization. At least we’re keeping it in the D’s.
If Donovan sounds interesting to you, I’d probably start with one of his several greatest hits albums. The three records I have cover most of his hits: Sunshine Superman, Hurdy Gurdy Man, Atlantis, Catch the Wind, Mellow Yellow and Colours to name the bigger hits.
The first song of the 1965 album is called Turquoise and it was what first made me connect DeMarco’s style to Donovan. And from DeMarco, Salad Days, the title song, sounds like a whimsical Donovan song.
As for other comparisons, the Donovan song Atlantis with its repetitive singalong chorus could just as well have been an Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros’ song, had Donovan not done it 40-something years ago.
Donovan was born in Glasgow, Scotland and was a high school dropout and sort of wandering beach bum, according to his bio. His early work seemed heavily influenced by folk music and Bob Dylan. Although Donovan has said some of his songs that people say sound like Dylan were composed and recorded before Donovan even knew who Dylan was.
Donovan comparisons go only so far. Donovan isn’t or wasn’t as ‘chill’ as DeMarco, at least from what I hear on Salad Days. Donovan had some pretty heavy electric guitars in Sunshine Superman, Hurdy Gurdy Man, and Barabajagal to name some.
While DeMarco’s ‘lo-fi’ sound has just a tincture of psych, Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck played on some of Donovan’s songs and Donovan dove head-long into that 60s psych-o-melodics. (My word, just going to try it out for a while.)
And then there’s Mellow Yellow and the ‘electrical banana’ — yes he wrote that.
Of course, I have to stifle a laugh when I hear an earnest young singer of 23 open the album with: ‘As I’m getting older, chip upon my shoulder.’
Mac DeMarco, who is now 27, says his ‘salad days are over.’
Well at 58 my lettuce wilted long ago.
Act your age, he says on the record. Not going to do it.
One thing, this Canadian is as mellow (maybe even yellow) as an old folkster.
I like him.
He’s got an updated Donovan style with a little frost on it. That’s Donovan Leitch of Hurdy Gurdy man and Sunshine Superman fame. (See now I’m pulling my old man references — back to the 1960s, how about that! Donovan was charting 50 years ago). Also that’s Donovan of Mellow Yellow fame if you missed the reference above.
Donovan was kind of dismissed as a hopelessly helpless hippie at points in his career, a Dylan clone at other parts. But he put out some great music.
Like Donovan, Mac does some spacey slow note-bending guitar work. His words, despite my funning with them, are good. Production is immaculate. It’s that ethereal feel that reminds me of Donovan mixed with a little sleepy time jazz as you hear on Johnny’s Odyssey.
This is a new album, 2014. My sister and her family gave me this one along with some others still yet to be reviewed. The idea being that if I keep my vow of counting down all my vinyl before I die of brain disease, she (and others) are extending my life by adding to my collection. I can’t argue with that, although I do have a lot of albums before I get to the Z’s!
Thanks for this one, nice gentle sound. DeMarco is a young person with a wise heart. Just like my younger sister.
ADDITIONAL ADDS (SEE NOTE BELOW) Deep Purple Made in Japan Live:45/$$$$; Machine Head 4.5/$$$$; Who do we think we are — 3.5/$$$
I more or less have been untethered from the Internet, and thus my blog, for a long weekend out of state.
It was an accidental untethering. I forgot my laptop and phone charger. I really did. But it forced me to actually be more ‘there’ with family and friends. So, that was great. I highly recommend forgetfulness in certain parts of your lives, forgiveness in other parts.
Anyway, I’m working my way through the D’s and thought I’d do a three-fer. Only other time I did three artists in one post on this blog was for the Bongos, Blue Rodeo and BoDeans. If you missed those, check them out. Some good music by those groups.
This time I have three records that are widely different except that they came out in the 1970s. They come at different turning points in these bands’ careers.
Deep Purple, Stormbringer
This heavy metal band is known for giving us the most recognizable (and simplest) riff in rock and roll history. At least it’s in that conversation. That rift being the crunching seven-chord sequence opening ‘Smoke on the Water.’
The riff is so well known it’s a cliche. I’ve heard their are music stores (where they sell guitars) that have signs posted: “No Smoke on the Water allowed.”
Deep Purple has had some good musicians over the years. By the time Stormbringer rolled around, there had been several personnel changes. The album was basically the beginning of the end. The group still had (disgruntled) guitarist, Ritchie Blackmore. This was to be his last DP album before leaving and forming Rainbow. He does blister the guitar on the way out of the door though. While some fans call this an underrated album, I hear a distinct drop-off from their previous two.
For those interested in Deep Purple I would recommend a live album I no longer have (whoever borrowed it 30 years ago, please give it back, Nevermind keep it): The album is Made In Japan and is actually worth a little money if you can find it.
NOTE UPDATE: After publication of this blog, AL.com’s J.D. Crowe, our in-house cartoon drawer and illustrator surprised me with not only ‘Made In Japan,’ but also a primo version of ‘Machine Head.’ Thanks JD, that puts me into the purple.
Detective
This is the debut album of this group and one of only two studio albums. They were signed by Led Zeppelin’s Swan Song label. (Bad Company was also on that label).
Detective is heavily influenced by Zeppelin, probably to a fault. It’s hard to imitate the sound that Zeppelin created. To me Zeppelin teetered toward a parody of the blues, but avoided that pitfall by sheer will of outrageously creative playing and performances. In other words, they took the blues and made it their own.
It was a magical elixir that Robert Plant and company put together. I do think Detective is good and there are some rabid fans out there who say their live concerts were as good as any in the late 1970s.. To my ears, they were missing an ingredient.
What’s that ingredient?
I don’t know. That’s why it’s a magical elixir.
John Denver, Poems Prayers and Promises
OK, don’t hire a lawyer for the whiplash I am giving you right now.
John Denver after a Led Zeppelin soundalike band and the heavy guitar sounds of Deep Purple is like slamming on the rock and roll brakes.
This is not rock and roll ladies and gentlemen. This is a pleasant voiced singer-songwriter putting out his fourth album, a commercial breakthrough, which led to a meteoric rise to celebrity-hood. With his golly gee outdoorsman image and environmentally friendly folky tunes, he won over middle America before tragically dying in a glider/experimental plane crash off a cliff in California.
This album has some covers such as ‘Let it Be’ by the Beatles which is somewhat unnecessary. But it has a couple of songs that made Denver a household name: Sunshine on my Shoulders, and (Take me home) Country Roads. While I can tolerate Country Roads, Sunshine on my Shoulders makes me run screaming from the room; the only thing that could possibly be worse would be Detective trying to do ‘Stairway to Heaven.’
Still if you think you’d like Denver music, and many millions do, it’s probably best to start at one of his greatest hits albums.
‘Glad All Over,’ ‘Bits and Pieces,’ ‘Catch Us if you Can,’ ‘Do you Love Me’ — the hits kept coming from this Fab Four plus One.
No, not really close to the Beatles in both performance and songwriting, although ‘Glad All Over’ and “Because’ and ‘Can’t You See that She’s Mine’ — which the vocalist, Mike Smith, vows to ‘keep on holding her hand — sound just like early Beatles. ‘Because’ is the name of a Beatles song — but not this one.
This is one of the better British invasion bands and there were many.
The interesting anomaly here is Blueberry Hill, the song made famous by Fats Domino. Smith does some hard-kick vocals here, channeling, or trying to channel Wilson Pickett or Otis Redding and gets close enough to make it interesting.
ALBUMS: Dave Davies — AFL1 3603 ( bar code album 1980); Chosen People (1983)
MVC Rating: Bar code — 4.0/$$$; Chosen People 3.5/$$
Dave’s brother Ray was the Kinks Kreative soul. Dave was the guitarist, and a pioneering one at that. The riffs in early 1960s classics like ‘You Really Got Me’ and ‘All Day and All of the Night’ were much copied (e.g. Van Halen). One could make the case the distortion laden pieces paved the way for heavy metal.
I have lots of Kinks records, bought mostly in my high school years in Athens, Ga. I’ll write more when we get to the K’s in www.myvinylcountdown.com
Ray wrote the lions’ share of Kinks song. One notable exception was Dave’s ‘Death of a Clown,’ one of the Kinks’ most poignant songs ever, and they did a lot of poignant songs.
The Kinks went through so many style changes, every album was like a new band although all decidedly Kinks. They did English folk whimsy, straight-ahead rock and roll and clever commentary songs.
Dave had a way of doing falsetto harmony behind Ray’s lead vocals. I thought it was the coolest thing. Listen to one of their most famous songs, ‘Lola‘ to hear the brother harmonizing effect. It reminds a lot of Ronnie Lane’s style of singing, though with a rocking edge.
These two solo albums I have are hit and miss. Dave shows off his guitar chops. On the bar code album, he puts the bar code on the the cover as the main art for the album, perhaps making the statement that his music is seen as nothing more than a commodity? I’m just guessing here.
Best song on bar code album, ‘Doing the Best for You,’ simple little melody on piano with crunching guitars. The Chosen People has a lovely song called ‘Give Me One More Chance.’
