Thursday, July 29, 2021

recommended gigs

 Friday 7-30-21 - Junkyard at Vamp'd

Friday 7-30-21 - Thee Hypnotiques at the Usual Place

Friday 7-30-21 - Three Rounds, Jerk!, Dude Cougar, Wednesday's Downfall at the Double Down

Saturday 7-31-21 - Shanda and the Howlers at the Sand Dollar

Saturday 7-31-21 - The Souvenairs at Tiki Di Amore

Wednesday 8-4-21 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast with LA guests Moon Rocks

Friday 8-6-21 - The Psyatics at the Double Down for our Devil You Know record release show and for John Armstrong's birthday. With Thee Swank Bastards, Big Like Texas and Sector 7-G!

Saturday 8-7-21 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 8-7-21 - the Dirty Hooks at Taverna Costera with the Implosions and Frankie Lee and the Infernos

Sunday 8-8-21 - the Scoundrels and MondoVermin at the Dive Bar

Thursday 8-12-21 - Hopeless Jack and Shotgun Sawyer with Fuzz SoLow and Prophet Greene at the Dive Bar

Friday 8-13-21 - Frankie Lee and the Infernos and Green Fuzz at the Gravy Train Saloon

Saturday 8-14-21 - Memorial Concert for Lacey A Furgason at the Usual Place

Saturday 8-21-21 - Metalachi, Los Carajos, Sheiks of Neptune and No Que No at the Dive Bar

Friday 9-3-21 - the Maxies, Franks'n'Deans, the Implosions at the Double Down

Friday 9-24-21 - Sunday 9-26-21 - Punk Rock Bowling Festival

Saturday 9-25-21 - The Darts at Evel Pie with tons of other bands - PRB-related

Friday 10-8-21 - the Dickies with the Sheiks of Neptune at the Dive Bar

Wednesday, July 28, 2021

RIP Dusty Hill



ZZ Top Bassist Dusty Hill Dies at 72
 ---
I've been a fan ever since "La Grange" and "Tush" hit the airways and dig all of their guitar-driven tunes (not so much the synth stuff). This is a surprise to me and what a bummer - never got to see them.

Saturday, July 24, 2021

Can - Tago Mago

 


Although I have known about Can for decades, and friends and critics have raved about them, I have never gotten around to exploring their sounds until now (thanks to pal Rob Bell for hipping me to this one). This is their second album, recorded in a castle in Cologne, with new vocalist Damo Suzuki, and is highly regarded for its sonic expeditions and blend of styles, from jazzy improvisations to funk rhythms to avant garde noise to tape manipulations and beyond. 

While a lot of the record sounds like what it was - a free form, progressive rock jam - there is overall structure and rhythm to the numbers, although there are periods of trippy, spacey, atmospheric sounds. The opening "Paperhouse" is a formatted rock song, for the most part, with jammed-out segments, but always keeping a beat behind it all and with plenty of dynamics, including some reasonably high energy sections. This blends pretty seamlessly into "Mushroom", which is certainly more spaced-out'n'echo'd, not to mention slower'n'stonier but with complex rhythms behind it all. "Oh Yeah" begins with a literal explosion (or was that "Mushroom" ending?) but turns into a slow, organ-led, somewhat meandering piece - again, kinda spacey on top with interesting rhythms underneath and fairly incomprehensible lyrics but it evolves into a more upbeat, organized piece. 

In the 18+ minute "Halleluhwah" they get downright funky, albeit with plenty of weirdness and sound manipulation'n'crazed vocalizing continuing, building, twisting and turning into many various' n'fascinating facets, that is followed by the 17 + minute "Aumgn", filled with more noisy manipulations, echo'd effects, slide guitars, keyboards and openness, starting'n'stopping, sounding somewhat like a more frightening Pink Floyd in their UmmaGumma explorations. 

In "Peking O" they once again go through many phases in one 11 minute piece, with plenty more aural freakouts and direction changes, at times sounding like hobbits arguing, at times sounding Zappa-ish, at times more Pink Floydian and other times like inmates in an asylum or a horror movie soundtrack. For the finale, "Bring Me Coffee or Tea",  they're akin to jazz in space, in an avant garde, free form kinda way.  

Very groovy stuff, in a psychedelic fashion - I will definitely need to scrutinize more of their repertoire!

Iggy Pop - I Need More

 

I don’t know how long ago I picked up this 1982 autobiography that Iggy put together with Anne Wehrer - probably not long after it came out - but it had been a long time since I revisited it and his new lyric book reminded me of it so here we are.

I’m not sure what Wehner’s role was specifically (other than as a trusted old friend and confidante) but I wouldn’t be surprised if she simply transcribed interviews with Pop, as the book is very conversational, and she most likely put it together in some coherent fashion. He veers from topic to topic and while the book attempts to be relatively chronological, there are plenty of time jumps, as well.

The man is obviously very intelligent, charismatic and entertaining and tells a captivating tale. How much is true is up to you to decide but it’s always a good'n'compelling time. He recounts many/most of his famous'n'infamous stunts, life-threatening situations, drug-addled adventures, crazed gigs, looney-tunes associates, the women in his life, and innumerable other exploits.

The book is packed with photos, as well, also famous'n'infamous, plenty of live shots through the ages along with posed, studio projections. The man was always incredibly photogenic and so these are always a treat.

Of course, by now, nearly 40 (!!) years later, the man is still around and he certainly should do a sequel (or has he and I don't know about it?) but this is truly an exciting rock'n'roll read. Highly recommended!

Thursday, July 22, 2021

Til Wrong Feels Right - Iggy Pop


 I've been an Iggy fan for damn near a half century now and have read a number of books on the gentleman, including his autobiography (although it looks like I never reviewed it here, so maybe i'm do to re-read that one and review it) and I tend to pick up whatever I can find at a reasonable price. This 2019 tome is primarily a gathering of Pop's lyrics, along with the occasional remembrance from the man himself or his acquaintances. The pages are packed with superb photos - many that you've seen before but also some rarer outtakes - although they are not necessarily in the same chronological period as the lyrics. Some photos are images inspired by the lyrics and many pages are also filled with simple, creative graphics to offset the words.

Of course, his early lyrics were (he freely admits) downright monosyllabic, but there were bits'n'pieces that always escaped me - like was it "all across the USA" or "war across the USA" in "1969" and I finally learned that he is shouting "Ram It!" in the break in "TV Eye" - or, at least that is what he wants you to believe! The Igster was never a dummy, though, and later on his lyrics become more, well, lyrical, with straightfowardness mixed with what is practically poetry.

 Iggy works within his own rhythms and while they are sometimes fairly traditional, at times they are radically syncopated, as only his mind can create. Some of the phrasing can almost sound clumsy but somehow he makes it work at the last minute. His early works are shouts at the world, pure rock'n'roll, primal and visceral, primitive to the extreme, as r'n'r should be. He went through many changes over the years and certainly matured, and the music tended to become slicker, but he would still sometimes write about dicks or peeing or fucking, but then in the next phrase there can be a clever turn or a declaration of love or a revelation of growing up and being "serious". 

While he is not considered a lyrical poet as some of his contemporaries are, his words do speak to the heart of rock'n'roll. This might be a bit of an ego endeavor but it does work. Fans should definitely get this one.

RIP Chuck E Weiss

Chuck E. Weiss, Songwriter and Fixture of L.A. Music Scene, Dies at 76
 ---

recommended gigs

 Thursday 7-22-21 - The Souvenairs at 18Bin

Friday 7-23-21 - Shanda and the Howlers at Soul Belly BBQ

Friday 7-23-21 - Franks and Deans at Tiki di Amore

Saturday 7-24-21 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Gravy Train Saloon

Monday 7-26-21 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 7-30-21 - Junkyard at Vamp'd

Friday 7-30-21 - Thee Hypnotiques at the Usual Place

Saturday 7-31-21 - Shanda and the Howlers at the Sand Dollar

Saturday 7-31-21 - The Souvenairs at Tiki Di Amore

Wednesday 8-4-21 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast with LA guests Moon Rocks

Friday 8-6-21 - The Psyatics at the Double Down for our Devil You Know record release show and for John Armstrong's birthday. With Thee Swank Bastards, Big Like Texas and Sector 7-G!

Saturday 8-7-21 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Saturday 8-7-21 - the Dirty Hooks at Taverna Costera

Sunday 8-8-21 - the Scoundrels and MondoVermin at the Dive Bar

Thursday 8-12-21 - Hopeless Jack and Shotgun Sawyer with Fuzz SoLow and Prophet Greene at the Dive Bar

Friday August 13 - Frankie Lee and the Infernos and Green Fuzz at the Gravy Train Saloon

Saturday 8-21-21 - Metalachi, Los Carajos, Sheiks of Neptune and No Que No at the Dive Bar

Friday 9-3-21 - the Maxies, Franks'n'Deans, the Implosions at the Double Down

Friday 9-24-21 - Sunday 9-26-21 - Punk Rock Bowling Festival

Saturday 9-25-21 - The Darts at Evel Pie with tons of other bands - PRB-related

Friday 10-8-21 - the Dickies with the Sheiks of Neptune at the Dive Bar

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Soundtrack)

 


After seeing the movie a couple of years ago, I was mainly raving about the soundtrack to the film more that the movie itself, although I enjoyed it. But who can argue with a couple of hours packed with hip 60's numbers? The soundtrack CD is set up more-or-less like a radio show, with some hep DJ patter in between some of the tunes, including real cats like the Real Don Steele, and even some period advertisements. 

There's a fairly good variety of Top Forty, AM Radio sounds, ranging from the opening soul of "Treat Her Right" to the garagey rock'n'roll of "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man", the pre-psych of Deep Purple's "Hush" and "Kentucky Woman", the garage pop of the Raiders, who pop up several times, Buffy Sainte-Marie's folky "The Circle Game" and Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson", Neil Diamond's kinda corny "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show", Jose Feliciano's take on "California Dreaming", Mitch Ryder's Detroit high-energy, and, of course, a remix of Vanilla Fudge's version of "You Keep Me Hangin' On" that is the background for the climax of the film.

Fun stuff and cool to have all in one place, but not much here that any fan of 60's music wouldn't already have (although there are a few oddball surprises). Hopefully, it helped turn on some younger folks to this amazing era, though.

Monday, July 19, 2021

Syd Barrett - The Madcap Laughs

 


This is yet another album that I was surprised to find that I never spoke about, as it is another demented favorite. Recorded after Syd left Pink Floyd in early 1968, it took some time to finish, as Barrett was not in his best mental shape, but his replacement in PF, David Gilmour, pulled it together into a relatively cohesive, oddball package. 

The songs are, overall, fairly mellow and acid-drenched, opening with the quiet, pretty ballad "Terrapin" that moves into a more upbeat, Pink Floyd-ish psych-pop with "No Good Trying" - although there's a bit of odd rhythms here'n'there, this one sounds like it could have been a pop single in the PF mold. "Love You" is a bit of vaudeville silliness, but "No Man's Land" is a well-written bit of hip psych with a nice melody and a trippy mid-section, although "Dark Globe" shows Syd's more erratic side, with his voice cracking and him losing his place in a song that would have been a strong one if it had been edited with a bit more sympathy. "Here I Go" is somewhat rambling and sorta forgettable, even with some nice changes, and while "Octopus" goes off on some unusual tangents, it is one of his better songs, with a strong chorus and tripped out lyrics. Syd adapts James Joyce's poem "Golden Hair" into a sweet, pretty ballad, "Long Gone" could easily be a Pink Floyd outtake with its soaring organ work, "She Took a Long Cold Look" seems more improvisational and Syd almost trips over himself trying to fit all of the words into "Feel" followed by embarrassing vocal mistakes and missteps that are left in and, again, should have been edited to make "If It's In You" more of a traditional song, although I suppose it shows Syd's mental state in this fashion. It all ends with "Late Night", another powerful ballad that includes someone's melodic slide guitar work and one of Syd's better vocal performances.

I truly love this record for its songs as well as its look into the mind of a slightly deranged but brilliant artist. David Gilmore - and Roger Waters - did a lot to make this a somewhat coherent statement, but, as I noted, there could have been just a touch more work done to remove some of the embarrassment. Regardless, this is a true psych pop classic. 

Saturday, July 17, 2021

The Souvenairs at the Tropicana Clark County LIbrary

 






The Clark County Library uses its auditorium for all sorts of events and this afternoon's (2:00pm) live show for local jump/jive combo, the Souvenairs was a fine gig to help break the fast of live shows. This "old timey music" combo was only able to play a couple of gigs before COVID hit but is now ready to get back into the swing (literally) of things (if the anti-vaxxers don't f'k things up for all of us) and have several more upcoming shows.

The basic 2 guitar, bass, drums (and occasional piano) group plays a variety of styles, but is big on hep-cat jump-jive - "Alabama Jubilee", "Five Guys Named Moe", "Birth of the Blues", Fats Waller's "Your Feet's Too Big", etc - but throws in a few slower torch song, some blues, ballads, a little Calypso, maybe a touch of Exoctica and whatever else they feel like. The musicians are all top notch and the lead guitarist (sorry, I didn't catch anyone's names except bassist Ruckus and they don't have themselves listed on their FB page) especially caught my eyes and ears (although he was too quiet) with his fleet-fingered, jazzy runs. For this gig they had two female guest singers, which gave another nice flavor to the proceedings.

Fun stuff and I could imagine these cats actually making some money with this as they are truly talented and put on a great show. Dig it!


Thursday, July 15, 2021

recommended gigs

Friday 7-16-21 - Three Bad Jacks, Dead at Midnight and the Writhers at the Dive Bar

Friday 7-16-21 - Franks'n'Deans, Happy Campers, Battering Ham, Blvd Bullies at Backstage Bar and Billiards

Saturday 7-17-21 - Franks'n'Deans at the Gravy Train Saloon

Saturday 7-17-21 - the Souvenairs at the Clark County Library - 2:00 pm

Saturday 7-17-21 - the Pluralses, Cadaver Pudding, and Gones UK at the Double Down

Monday 7-19-21 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Thursday 7-22-21 - The Souvenairs at 18Bin

Friday 7-23-21 - Shanda and the Howlers at Soul Belly BBQ

Friday 7-23-21 - Franks and Deans at Tiki di Amore

Saturday 7-24-21 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Gravy Train Saloon

Monday 7-26-21 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 7-30-21 - Junkyard at Vamp'd

Friday 7-30-21 - Thee Hypnotiques at the Usual Place

Saturday 7-31-21 - Shanda and the Howlers at the Sand Dollar

Saturday 7-31-21 - The Souvenairs at Tiki Di Amore

Wednesday 8-4-21 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast with LA guests Moon Rocks

Friday 8-6-21 - The Psyatics at the Double Down for our Devil You Know record release show and for John Armstrong's birthday. With Thee Swank Bastards, Big Like Texas and Sector 7-G!

Saturday 8-7-21 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Sunday 8-8-21 - the Scoundrels and MondoVermin at the Dive Bar

Thursday 8-12-21 - Hopeless Jack and Shotgun Sawyer at the Dive Bar

Friday August 13 - Frankie Lee and the Infernos and Green Fuzz at the Gravy Train Saloon

Saturday 8-21-21 - Metalachi, Los Carajos, Sheiks of Neptune and No Que No at the Dive Bar

Friday 9-3-21 - the Maxies, Franks'n'Deans, the Implosions at the Double Down

Friday 9-24-21 - Sunday 9-26-21 - Punk Rock Bowling Festival

Saturday 9-25-21 - The Darts at Evel Pie with tons of other bands - PRB-related

Friday 10-8-21 - the Dickies with the Sheiks of Neptune at the Dive Bar

Monday, July 12, 2021

The Pine Hill Haints - The Song Companion of a Lonestar Cowboy

 


Yep, pretty much any time I've seen the Haints, they have had a new record out, and last weeks' show was no exception, so I had to grab it! I've been a fan of their "ghost music" since I first heard them and every record has been a keeper, and this is another goodie!

This CD comes with a simple cardboard sleeve with no info other than the song titles and the cover art, so I'm not sure who is accompanying Jamie and Katie, but I wouldn't be surprised if it is essentially the same configuration that was here in town, although that sounds like JD Wilkes' harmonica wailin' on a number of the tunes.

This 15 song set starts off with Jamie's distinctive guitar riffin' which brings the band in on a gallopin' beat for "Fall Asleep", that sounds to me like the story of the album title's "lonestar cowboy". "Back to Alabama" is another upbeat bluesy/cowpunk/Americana number as only the Haints do, then they do a groovin' interpretation of Bo Diddley's "Pretty Thing" (where that band got their name, of course) with (I believe) Wilkes blowin' some fine harp, they bop thru the jazzy blues of "Satchel Paige Blues" with more help from Wilkes, "John Henry" is given a marchin' drum and fiddle treatment, there's a bit of zydeco in the cowboy tale, "Lone Star Kid", while "Drop and Fall" has a vaguely 50-ish feel mixed into their brew.

The short'n'sweet "Midnight Mayor" continues with a bit of 50's stylings, then they give an extended, individualistic workout on Muddy Waters' "Catfish Blues", highlighted by saw'n'harp! "Fighting For the Wrong Side" has more of an accordion-fueled, Americana feel, "Stare at the Fire", with additional atmospheric accordion, sounds like you should be singing it around the campfire (hence the title, I suppose), "Louise" seems almost like an update on "Corina, Corina", the staccato "Downtown Blues" brings in some Dixieland jazz via a hip trombone/harmonica duo, while "Wade in the Water" is cooly moody with spooky saw working against the minor chords, and they close out with a fiddle-led cajun waltz in "Tithy Dunbar".

If you know the Haints - and you should - then you know that this is another one that you should own. If you don't but you dig early Americana/zydeco/blues/etc., then you should certainly find this and see them the next time they come to town!

Friday, July 09, 2021

The Pine Hill Haints at the Dive Bar, Thursday July 8, 2021

 It's only been a few years since I first saw the PHH (on good pal's Rob Bell's recommendation) but I have been enthralled ever since and have done my best to catch them whenever they come to town and pick up the new album that they have invariably recorded in the interim! This gig was my first since mid-March of 2020 (the longest I've gone without live music in at least a decade, most likely considerably more) and a worthy one it was!

Besides being a fine frontman, vocalist (I really dig his tuneful, southern voice), guitarist, fiddler and harmonica player, Jamie is also a damn nice'n'personable guy who even knows who the Gizmos are! The Haints personnel tends to vary but every time that I've seen them, he has had the lovely'n'talented Katie on his right, accompanying him on mandolin, washboard and as one of the most accomplished saw players I have ever seen! Sparse drums and washtub bass keep the strong backbeat and this time out they had the accordian/trombonist whose name I have never caught, but who added quite a bit to the sound. 

Their self-proclaimed "ghost music" is a conglomeration of Americana, Cajun, bluegrass, blues, gospel, country, Celtic and whatever else they feel like throwing in - maybe some doo-wop or even reggae (oh yeah, they even covered a Misfits song!), if they are so inclined. Whatever it is, it is damn good and it is always a party with this group with the audience always joining in, dancin'n'singin', hootin'n'hollerin' and "feeding the kitty" (their cat-shaped tip jar) to request one of their songs from their impressive catalog. 

Unfortunately, as it was a Thursday night and my first time out in so long, I left before they finished so that I could be sure that I still knew how to navigate the nighttime roads and get up in the morning! Hopefully, we can get this damn pandemic behind us (Please Get Vaccinated!) so that we can get back to shows like this on a regular basis.

Thank you to Nate'n'Angie and the Dive Bar for hosting this fine event!







Thursday, July 08, 2021

recommended gigs

Thursday 7-8-21 - Pine Hill Haints at the Dive Bar

Friday 7-9-21 - Thee Swank Bastards, Open Fist, Stagnetti's Cock at the Double Down

Friday 7-9-21 - Monk and the Po Boys at Soul Belly

Saturday 7-10-21 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki

Monday 7-12-21 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Monday 7-12-21 - Goldtop Bob at Founders Club

Saturday 7-17-21 - Franks'n'Deans at the Gravy Train Saloon

Saturday 7-17-21 - the Souvenairs at the Clark County Library - 2:00 pm

Saturday 7-17-21 - the Pluralses, Cadaver Pudding, and Gones UK at the Double Down

Monday 7-19-21 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 7-23-21 - Shanda and the Howlers at Soul Belly BBQ

Saturday 7-24-21 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Gravy Train Saloon

Monday 7-26-21 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki

Friday 7-30-21 - Junkyard at Vamp'd

Saturday 7-31-21 - Shanda and the Howlers at the Sand Dollar

Friday 8-6-21 - The Psyatics at the Double Down for our Devil You Know record release show and for John Armstrong's birthday. With Thee Swank Bastards, Big Like Texas and Sector 7-G!

Sunday 8-8-21 - the Scoundrels and MondoVermin at the Dive Bar

Thursday 8-12-21 - Hopeless Jack and Shotgun Sawyer at the Dive Bar

Friday August 13 - Frankie Lee and the Infernos and Green Fuzz at the Gravy Train Saloon

Saturday 8-21-21 - Metalachi, Los Carajos, Sheiks of Neptune and No Que No at the Dive Bar

Friday 9-3-21 - the Maxies, Franks'n'Deans, the Implosions at the Double Down

Friday 9-24-21 - Sunday 9-26-21 - Punk Rock Bowling Festival

Saturday 9-25-21 - The Darts at Evel Pie with tons of other bands - PRB-related

Friday 10-8-21 - the Dickies with the Sheiks of Neptune at the Dive Bar

Wednesday, July 07, 2021

Terry Reid - Original Album Series

 

Although I have heard many people talk about Reid for decades, I was never familiar with his work, so when I found this bargain 5 CD set, I sought it out to give me an overview of his work. Famously, Jimmy Page asked Reid to join his New Yardbirds but he declined due to other commitments and recommended Robert Plant instead. Apparently, Ritchie Blackmore was also interested in having Reid replace Rod Evans in Deep Purple although that obviously never happened, either. Despite his critical acclaim and a number of people covering certain songs of his, Reid never really gained the fame'n'forture of many of his peers.

On his debut, apparently his producer convinced Terry to cover Sonny'n'Cher's "Bang Bang", with limited success, but the following "Tinker Tailor" is a groovy, super catchy, upbeat riff-rocker that highlights Reid's voice and has some hiply simple guitar interactions. The rest of the album, unfortunately, is somewhat forgettable - nicely sung and performed, with a mix of pop and a touch of psych'n'soul (and, oddly, some calypso!), but the songs just aren't "there", although there is an interestingly jazzy take on "Season of the Witch" and he borrows from the Yardbirds' "Still I'm Sad" for "Writing on the Wall" that bizarrely segues into a weird reading of "Summertime Blues". 

I think that his second album, simply titled Terry Reid, works better overall - maybe he had more of a hand in the production - and the bluesy opening "Superlungs, My Supergirl" is damn catchy, with a bass riff that the Heavy stole outright, showing Reid's continuing influence. Again, the songs are not super strong, in general, although "Making Time" (not the Creation tune) is a powerful, organ-dominated, (slightly Santana-ish?) bluesy jam that flows into the soulful take on Lorraine Ellison's "Stay With Me Baby" that almost sounds as if the Small Faces were doing it! Not so sure about his jazzy version of Dylan's "Highway 61", especially after hearing so many other people do it so well. Of course, the song here that most people will know due to Cheap Trick's pretty damn spot on cover is the great "Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace" and this album closes with another tough one, "Rich Kid Blues". 

For his third album, River, Reid's sound is a bit more southern'n'swampy - I was just listening to the Black Crowes and the initial number, "Dean", could easily have been done by that combo. This feel continues in the slide-guitar-driven "Avenue" and "Things To Try" while "Live Life" has a fine, funky groove, the title cut "River" is a somewhat Latin-flavored acoustic ballad which is followed by another acoustic ballad, this one being the very sparse'n'quiet "Dream" before the finale, yet another quiet, David Crosby-ish, harmony-fueled acoustic ballad, "Milestones". This record started out particularly strong but three long acoustic ballads at the end, while not bad songs, completely brought down the energy and the initial feel of the record. 

Totally reinventing himself, 1979's Rogue Waves is pretty much a clean-cut guitar power-pop record, although quite a bit heavier on the pop than the power! After a decent power-pop-ish opening, he does two Phil Spector songs, "Baby, I Love You" and "Then I Kissed Her", but they kinda lose their power as they are slowed down to a dirge-like pace. "Stop and Think It Over" is more AM Radio-oriented pop, as is the title cut, while the odd, slower take on "Walk Away Renee" sounds somewhat like Artful Dodger! "Believe in the Magic" is pretty amazingly bland but "Bowangi" (no idea what or if the title is supposed to mean anything) is actually a pretty good, soulful groover, even if it could have been given a bit more "oomph". and for the closer, Reid shows that he was having a hard time writing for this album as it's yet another cover, this time a strange, incredibly slow, power-ballad take on "All I Have to Do Is Dream", which, unfortunately, loses most of it's lovely melody in this manner. 

Regrettably, the 5th CD in this set is Reid's 1991 release, simply called Driver, which is pure, over-produced, keyboard/synth-dominated, easy listening, 90's drivel. I'm sorry to say, but this is so bad that it is truly unlistenable.

I wish I could say that I liked Reid's stuff more than I do. I can tell the man had talent, but he was not much of a songwriter and didn't get suitable material for his records. There's a few good cuts here'n'there, but nothing to really rave about.

Tuesday, July 06, 2021

Give My Poor Heart Ease - William Ferris


 Ferris is a Southern white man who has chronicled African-American musicians since the 1960's and in 2009 compiled this book of his interviews with obscure musicians, preachers, and lay folks throughout the south. He tape recorded performances and interviews, video-taped some live music (accompanying the book is a CD and DVD) and took some terrific'n'expressive black'n'white photographs of his subjects. 

In the introduction Ferris takes great pains to explain that he is not a stereotypical southern white and that he grew up with more liberal values through his parents, who employed a number of people of color on their farm. Ferris became fascinated with their stories early on and was happy to discover that he could make a living by chronicling their tales.

There's a large variety of people that Ferris talks with and the tales they tell range from the religious to musical to prison stories to drunken ramblings on all manner of topics. The folks are generally not traditionally schooled, and some have old-school superstitions, but they have passion and they speak freely of their own personal experiences. Sometimes the fact that Ferris only transcribes the speaker and none of his (presumed) prompts, makes it sound like the interviewer is rambling in a non-sequitur-ish way, which, at times, makes the reading a little odd. But, there is a lot of unique narratives that combine to give a strong feeling of the African American experience in the South. Interviews with BB King and Willie Dixon are juxtaposed with transcriptions from drunken house parties, giving a wide spectrum of views.

The CD is a fine collection of down-home blues and the DVD has some great footage of the area, prison life, parties and church services from the 60's and 70's. Sometimes it doesn't flow as easily as it might, but the interviews, photos, films and music makes this package more than worthwhile.