James Brown "directs and dances with The James Brown Band THE POPCORN" 1969***

So, this is a "James Brown LP" from 1969. I believe that it's the only one in my collection where the main artist is only credited with "directing and dancing". Indeed, Brown's vocal talents aren't on display here; this is an all-instrumental album featuring his band. The liner notes on the back cover praise the singer's skill as an instrumentalist, but whether he plays anything here is unclear. It's widely assumed that he plays at least some organ; what we do know is that he directs, and dances with, the band. Now, if you haven't seen James Brown directing the band you might think he doesn't do much. Nevertheless, while the band improvise on certain melodies and rhythms like jazz players often do, the length, tempo, order of solos etc is all driven by the singer, who uses certain moves to communicate with the musicians. Very few could pull it off, but the Jamed Brown band had been drilled by the singer to perfection. Unfortunately, his being such a hard drillmaster, combined with his bossiness and parsimony drove the band to quit on him soon after they recorded this LP. Undaunted, Brown he a bunch of younger guys who formed the basis for his next band, The J.B.'s. When some of the veterans heard here rejoined, The J.B.'s became one of the world's tightest bands, responsible for some of the funkiest music ever heard on this planet. Fred Wesley (trombone) and Maceo Parker (sax) were among those who returned to the fore, but not saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis who co-wrote and arranged this LP as well as many 60's hits by James Brown. Neither did Clyde Stubblefield whose funky drum breaks are a sample treasure trove for hip hop artists up to this day. These two are the true stars of the album, next to guitarist Jimmy Nolen; Nolen's may not be a household name, but he was voted at No. 12  by both Mojo and Rolling Stone in their respective 100 greatest guitarists of all time lists. He invented (I'm quoting wikipedia here) "a style of picking known as "chicken scratch," in which the guitar strings are pressed lightly against the fingerboard and then quickly released just enough to get a muted "scratching" sound that is produced by rapid rhythmic strumming of the opposite hand near the bridge". I wouldn't be able to describe it that well myself, but I can add that it's a highly distinctive style, and that he's given ample time to display it on this album. Opener "The Popcorn" is a short piece that showcases everyone at their best: funky drum breaks, great horns, that chicken scratch guitar, even -buried deep in the mix- some pretty groovy organ, which wikipedia attributes to Pee Wee Ellis. "The Middle, "Soul Pride"  and "The Chicken" are also among the more danceable tracks; On the first, I'm most impressed by the drums and bass, on the second by the guitar, and on the latter, the saxophone. The rest of the LP is also very enjoyable jazz funk, with the horns at the forefront - a very solid album overall, with no weak tracks. Sometimes one forgets how good these guys backing JB were, his hyperenergetic vocal performance stealing the show from the backing musicians. So it's good that, among his countless albums, he released a number of instrumental LPs - of which this is probably the best. I'd say it's a pity that this was the original band's last - but then, the JBs who followed them were at least just as good. Say what you will for James Brown, but you can't deny that he had an unmistakeable nose for talent!

**** for The Popcorn, In the Middle Pt. 1 & 2, Soul Pride Pts. 1 & 2, The Chicken

*** for Why Am I Treated So Bad, A New Shift, Sudsy, The Chase

The XX "XX" 2009****

I'm shocked to realize that XX's debut is now 15+ years old - to me, they are still a "new band" that I haven't yet gotten round to spend some time with. I remember XX garnering top reviews when it was released, and buying it 2nd hand a few years later; I listened to it a few times, mostly playing in the background while doing other stuff. It's that kind of music, pleasant but unobtrusive. I always intended to give it a more serious listen, but new arrivals kept pushing it back at the end of the line, until random selection put it back on top. Re-listening to it, this sounds to me as the epitome of "indie". I know that the label is very generic, meaning non-commercial bands recording for independent labels, but to me it's always meant understated melodic pop, usually accompanied by jangly guitars or -as in this case- low-key electronic beats. The beats and production come courtesy of Jamie Smith, while the rest of the band is comprised by Romy Madley Croft (vocals, guitar) and Oliver Sim (vocals, bass). The album opens with the imaginitively titled "Intro", a moody instrumental that sets the scene for the whole album. "VCR" is an atmospheric piece with a relaxed, conversational, vocal by Romy (mostly) and Oliver. The latter sings one verse and backup here; dual vocals being typical of The XX. "Crystalised" is slightly more upbeat, based on a repetitive -and very catchy- riff. It's followed by the equally poppy "Islands" - these would become the band's 1st and 3rd single, respectively. "Heart Skipped A Beat" continues in the same vein; the synergy between the two singers is mor evident than ever. "Fantasy" is a short morose piece, while "Shelter" is a ghostly ballad centered on a quavering vocal from Romy, and "Basic Space" another track released as single; the dual vocals and stripped-back instrumental shine once more. "Infinity" is a long, hypnotic, track, and "Night Time" a trip-hop piece reminiscent of Portishead - although Romy's singing is less emotional, almost nonchalant. "Stars", which closes the CD, is cut from the same cloth as the rest; this is a gorgeous album, but offers little variation.

**** for VCR, Crystalised, Islands, Basic Space, Night Time

*** for Intro, Heart Skipped a Beat, Infinity, Stars

** for Fantasy

Brigitte Fontaine "Est... Folle" 1968(orig.) 2025(reissue)*****

I had previously heard of Brigitte Fontaine, but was under the impression that she was just another French Chanson singer, like Dalida maybe, or Francoise Hardy. Then I read an article about this reissue which mentioned her as an avant-garde artist, someone in synch with the contemporary psychedelic scene. Apparently, her fans include Bjork as well as and members of Pulp, Stereolab, and Sonic Youth. Now these are some big endorsemenets, so I decided to check the album on Spotify, and was immediately hooked: the music is not as experimental as I expected (apparently, her subsequent work would be), sounding more lke a mix of chanson and acid folk. The orchestration (by Jean Claude Vannier, a Serge Gainsboug collaborator) is gorgeous but nuanced; not just beautiful, but also sometimes morose, others playful, even ironic. It reminded me of another favorite of mine from the same period, Tom Rapp's Pearls Before Swine - the similarities extending beyond the music also to the Hieronimus Bosch homage of the album cover - PBS used part of The Garden Of Earthly Delights triptych for their One Nation Underground LP cover, and a number of details from the same painting are incorporated here. At the time of this album's release, Fontaine was almost 30 years old, already accomplished as an actress and playwright; although it was the height of the yé-yé girls phenomenon, she refused to play along; there may be some similarities to Hardy at her more melancholic ("Il Pleut", "Une Fois Mais Pas Deux"), but more often she reminds me of Jacques Brel, especially on the more theatrical/cabaret-like numbers (e.g."Comme Rimbaud", "Je Suis Inadaptée"). Despite the relatively jaunty music, the lyrics are ironic and confrontational e.g. the former goes "I'm dirty, like Rimbaud/ Syphilitic, like Beaudelaire/ But maybe you don't like poetry, after all". She continues by trashing the luminaries of other art forms, and ends up with "I'm not a man, like Joan of Arc/But maybe you don't like women, after all". The latter song, meanwhile, confesses "But I can't help it/ I have to see the bad in everything/ I'm out of it, maladjusted." So yes, these are not your typical 60s yé-yé themes. It's way more interesting, provocative, and poetic. Thankfully, the bilingual insert contains the lyrics, both original and in the English translation. "Le Beau Cancer" and "L' Homme Objet" offer more sprightly Gallic jazz - if you liked the Amélie soundtrack, they will be right up your alley. "Il Se Passe Des Choses" and, especially, the melancholic "Dommage Que Tu Sois Mort" remind me of Nico circa Chelsea Girls - a likewise avant-garde female artist whose solo debut was also a compromise between their own experimental tendencies and a producer's idea of a romatic chanteuse. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you; in both cases the tasteful arrangements are among the best features of the respective LPs. "Il Se Passe Des Choses" is even darker, with a dramatic Marlen Detrich-esque vocal, and "Blanche Neige" is an experimental ballad, full of playful sonic touches and exotic sound effects. Somehow I was reminded of Siouxsie's side project, The Creatures. Which brings us to another experimental piece, "Eternelle". Probably my favorite track here, it's a rhythmic piece with quirky backing vocals. The album closes with "Cet Enfant Que Je T’Avais Fait" a duet with Jacques Higelin, a fine piece of orchestral pop; the similarites with Vannier's famous arrangments for Histoire de Melody Nelson are obvious. One of the perks of this latest reissue (apart from the crisp remastered sound, gatefold cover and glossy insert) is that it allows you to experience Vannier's orchestral work on its own, as the bonus LP contains instrumental versions of 7 of the tracks. We also get 8 demos, giving the songs a starker feel; they sound folkier, but definitively still weird. Lastly, we get a live version of "Il Pleut" from 1969. It's radically different; at 6 minutes it's more than twice as long as the studio version, bluesier and more improvisational, with a passionate vocal performance including a lot of wordless vocalizing. Her next album, which many consider to be her best, was a more experimental collaboration with the Art Ensemble of Chicago. She'd go on to produce other uncompromising records that sailed among pop, folk, electro and world music, which I aim to slowly get into. Brigitte Fontaine Est...Folle is, in any case, a great introduction; a highly idiosynchratic mesmerizing fusion of French chanson, orchestral pop and Velvet Underground-like 60s avante -garde. Best new album I've heard in months.

***** for Il Pleut, Le Bleu Cancer, Il Se Passe Des Choses, Une Fois Mais Pas Deux, Eternelle

**** for L' Homme Objet, Blanche Neige, Comme Rimbaud, Dommage Que Tu Sois Mort, Je Suis Inadaptée, Cet Enfant Que Je T'avais Fait

**** for all of Disc 2 (demos, orchestral, and live versions)

The Kinsey Report "Edge Of The City" 1987***

I recently came across this album on an internet piece called 10 forgotten blues rock albums from the 1980s that deserve another listen. And I thought... forgotten, yes, indeed, I really had forgotten I had it. And...does it? deserve another listen? Well, since I'm going to do it anyway, so why not present it on my blog? I'll start from the name: The Kinsey Report was a groundbreaking, taboo-busting scientific research on human sexual behavior - I learned about it, like many others I guess, when the biopic of the same-named scientist came out (featuring Liam Neeson, well worth watching I thought at the time). And it has absolutely nothing to do with this album, except that the 3/4 of the band are brothers Donald (guitar & vocals), Kenneth (bass), and Ralph (drums) Kinsey. Second guitarist Ron Prince is the fourth musketeer. Also, sex is one of the subjects negotiated here. But, of course it is; what popular music album isn't about sex, even a little bit? Fun fact: 97% of the thousands of subjects participating in Dr.Kinsey's research reported experiencing sexual thoughts and fantasies in their daily life. So, if you're writing songs, it's going to get in there. Of course relationships (especially broken ones) are a big subject matter for the blues, as are sexual innuedos e.g. "Back Door Man" (in this case an original composition, not the old Willie Dixon number). At least The Kinseys mix it up with social commentary e.g. on the funky "Poor Man's Relief" and atmospheric inner city blues "Full Moon On Main Street". Re-listening to this LP, I must admit that its good reputation is well deserved - and, at the same time, that it's not surprising that it's "forgotten". The reason being that it's way too similar to other (good) blues records from the same period that I have in my collection; e.g. the funky "I Can't Let You Go" reminds me of Robert Cray, while "Got To Pay Someday" kicks off with hard rock guitar a la Gary Moore; "Come To Me" and the upbeat "Give Me What I Want" are closer to the style of Stevie Ray Vaughan. There's also clean, B.B. King-like rhythm and blues ("Lucky Charm") and, of course, some "blue" blues, that is slow pieces with atmospheric guitar and smoky late-night vibes, like "Answering Machine", "The Game Of Love", and "Full Moon On Main Street". In any case, while the music isn't terribly original, it's very well played: Donald Kinsey (who had previously played with Bob Marley and Albert King) is a soulful vocalist and a talented guitarist, while the production retains a bit of raw authenticity - which wasn't a given in the 80's when even legends like B.B. King made boring generic pop-blues LPs burdened by overpolished and levelling production. Thankfully, Alligator Records managed to avoid the worst pitfalls; most of their albums that I have from that era (by Albert Collins, Koko Taylor, Johnny Winter, Lonnie Mack etc) are gritty electric blues. Edge Of The City is an, above average, example of that sound.

**** for Poor Man's Relief, Got To Pay Someday, Give Me What I Want, Full Moon On Main Street, Lucky Charm, Back Door Man

*** for I Can't Let You Go, Answering Machine, The Game Of Love, Come To Me

The Rolling Stones "Reggae 'N' Roll" (rec.1975, release 1978?)****

Back to the subject of rare recordings that I have and are being made more readily available, I have this RS bootleg, subtitled "The Stones in Studio with Jeff Beck". Now, I know that the new Black And Blue reissue contains outtakes featuring Jeff Beck, so does that include what I have here? Apart from "Sexy Night", which is retitled "I Love Ladies", there are also three jams featuring Jeff Beck on the Deluxe edition of the new reissue, but the titles are different ("Blues Jam", "Rotterdam Jam" and "Freeway Jam") so who knows? Back to the sessions for Black And Blue, Mick Taylor had just quit The Stones feeling creatively stifled, as well as unable to follow the others' frantic pace of non-stop gigging and partying. So the band reconvened in Rotterdam and Munich to try out new material and audition guitarists. Among those considered: Peter Frampton, Steve Marriott, Harvey Mandel, Wayne Perkins, Robert A. Johnson, Ronnie Wood, Rory Gallagher, and Jeff Beck. Clapton was apparently also there, but doesn't seem to have recorded anything or to have been seriously considered. Perkins, Mandel, and of course Wood, can be heard on the final album. Marriott also being a singer, was vetoed by Jagger. Gallagher impressed everyone and was leading the race, but had to go off on a Japanese tour; when he came back, the seat was filled. Later he recognized a riff he played during his audition as the main riff on "Start Me Up", released a few years later on Tattoo You (1981). It's not surprising, as The Stones hadn't written any new songs for that album, raiding their archives for any useable half-finished stuff instead. Two more outtakes from the Black and Blue sessions appearing on Tattoo You were "Worried About You" (here under the title "Sometimes I Wonder Why") and "Slave" (here in an instrumental version under the title "Black 'N' Blue Jam"). The former is a nice ballad with a falsetto vocal by Jagger, a bit too similar to "Fool To Cry", which explains why it wasn't included on Black And Blue. According to Wikipedia, the solos are played by Wayne Perkins, not Beck - but then, they may have tried it with different guitarists during their Rotterdam residency. The latter is a funky jam with lots of organ, quite good, and showing a different direction for the band. As is relaxed instrumental "Reggae 'N' Roll", apparently also known from other bootlegs as "Munich Reggae". "Back To The Country" aka "Cellophane Trousers" is another, more rock'n'roll, instrumental and "Memory Motel" a shorter instrumental version of the track that ended on the finished album. "Sexy Nite" is a slow funky piece with a falsetto vocal - the version on the 2025 Black and Blue deluxe reissue is obviously heavily overdubbed, with better sound. But that's not to say that this bootleg suffers in the sound quality department. After all, it's not an amateur concert recording: it was recorded on the RS' own mobile studio. The last song "Come On Sugar" (aka "Let's Do It Right") may probably be the best unreleased RS song (well, after "Cocksucker's Blues" of course). It is a very danceable funk jam with Jagger on top form, as is everyone really. Does Jeff Beck play guitar here, too? I wouldn't know; I think that the title is misleading; probably he plays on some, but not all, of the tracks here. Truth is, he found The Stones' rock'n'roll playing style rather limited (he was in his virtuoso jazz phase at the time) and elected to continue his solo career. In the end, The Stones chose to go with Beck's former bandmate (he played bass in The Jeff Beck Group) Ronnie Wood, mostly because he was an English lad, and a member of a similarly hard-partying band, The Faces. Now, this bootleg is (probably) a Dutch release, but I've never seen it in all the years I've been living here. Instead, I found it in Tokyo. I'm not a big fan of bootlegs, given their questionable sound quality, but the price (I think slightly over ¥1000, so less than €10) and my curiosity as to what a combination of The Stones and Jeff Beck would sound like, convinced me to get it. Which was a good choice, because I love the masterful playing and relaxed vibe of it - you can really tell that the lads are enjoying themselves. I might even like this bootleg better than certain official RS albums.

**** for Sometimes I Wonder Why, Memory Motel, Sexy Nite, Black 'N' Blue Jam, Come On Sugar 

*** for Reggae 'N' Roll, Back To The Country

Buckingham Nicks "Buckingham Nicks" 1973 (orig)***

I resent the fact that this album was re-released 4 months ago, and now looks at me from the front window of every record store in the world. I do, because it was among the rarest albums in my collection. I mean, a pre-fame LP by Buckingham and Nicks, the duo behind Fleetwood Mac's transformation from white blues copyists to huge pop stars? One that fell between the cracks and hadn't been reissued for 50 years, only heard by a select few, one of which was myself? What was I thinking, not presenting it when I could gloat that I am a proud owner of such a rarity? Now, even Limb Mary has a copy - I'm told it sold 30.000 copies in the first week of its release, in US alone. I will present it now, but I'll drop a star because it's become so common. This isn't one of those albums I ever sought after; I just happened upon it, which is one of those moments that make physical record hunting so much more satisfying than online buying. I used to work in a dental practice in The Hague, and had noticed an address on googlemaps with a title like Whatsitsname Records, a few blocks away. When I was mapping the city's record shops for this blog I went by and couldn't find the place, but on a day with nice weather that I had finished work early I decided to take a walk and make another try. This time I happened to catch it open, or at least the door was open; it was just a private house with no sign on the door. Doesn't function like a record store, the guy probably only sells online or at record fairs. The front room had a couch, some audio equipment and stacks of records, mostly techno 12'. The owner told me there were more records in the back, and indeed there were more stacks: electronic music, but also a lot of funk and disco which I mostly didn't recognise, as well as a few pop-rock ones. At first glance, the nude album cover looked like a typical 70's disco LP, but when I saw the names and looked closer at the couple's faces, I realized these were Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks from Fleetwood Mac. I knew that they used to perform together before they joined Mac, and I may have known but forgotten that they had ever released an LP as a duo. Because, if it was any good, it would be right up there with their later work, right? I nevertheless knew that I had a rarity in my hands, and being a fan of Rumours-era Mac, I was eager to hear how they started. So, I asked about the price, and it was a surprisingly modest €20 or something.

So I payed, went back home and put the record on my turntable. I had no preconception, but because of the duo format I kind of expected a collection of acoustic ballads or something similar. So it was a very pleasant surprise when the opener "Crying In The Night" sounded like an outtake of Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac; a smooth soft-rock ballad with Stevie's characteristic voice and nice harmonies, it's followed by a charming acoustic guitar piece called "Stephanie". "Without A Leg To Stand On" is  pleasant but unremarkable, it somewhat reminded me of 70s Kinks. The next track "Crystal" sounded familiar - the reason being, that it was revived by Fleetwood Mac after the couple joined them. This first version has a more typical Californian sound, reminiscent of Linda Ronstadt and The Eagles. It's followed by "Long Distance Winner" which to my ears sounds more proggish, Supertramp-like. No piano solos of course, but masterful electric guitar by Lindsey. Side 2 opens with one of their louder  rockers "Don’t Let Me Down Again". To me, it sounds like a precursor to "You Can Go Your Own Way" off Rumours. "Django" is another wistful instrumental showcasing Lindsey's guitar chops, while "Races Are Won" is a typical folk-rock ballad with country-ish harmonies, and "Lola (My Love)" a Southern blues with nice slide guitar. The album closes with another winner "Frozen Love" which encapsulates everything that's great about 70's rock: the smoothness of the West Coast sound, intricate folk harmonies, and prog rock intricacy, all spread over 7+ minutes. It was Lindsey Buckingham's guitar work on this track that made Mick Fleetwood invite him to join the band as lead guitarist. He insisted on bringing Stevie along, and that was the start of Fleetwood Mac's rise to stardom. Neither Mac nor Buckingham Nicks could have done it alone, but the combination of their songwriting and musical talents created pop genious. This album may not be up there with their best moments, but it's very, very good, and contains the seeds of their later success. The nude cover, I personally find very tasteful and concordant with the confessional nature of the lyrics, but I recently read a Stevie Nicks interview where she said she felt too awkward and embarassed by it. Who knew she was such a prude? Lastly, a word about the musicianship and production: it's no surprise that it sounds as good as it does, when you look at the credits: producer Keith Olsen, who later produced so many hits for mainstream artists, and studio aces like drummer Jim Keltner (Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, solo Beatles), guitarist Waddy Wachtel (Rolling Stones, Warren Zevon, etc), and bassist Jerry Scheff (Elvis, The Doors, etc) - really the cream of the California session musicians. Highly recommended: 4* for my ® copy, 3* for yours. I don't care if yours is 180 gram colored vinyl, has booklets or other extras - I had it first. There!

**** for Crying In The Night, Crystal, Long Distance Winner, Don’t Let Me Down Again, Django, Frozen Love

*** for Stephanie, Without A Leg To Stand On, Races Are Won, Lola (My Love)

Various Artists "Raks Raks Raks: 17 Golden Garage Psych Nuggets From the Iranian 60s Scene" 2009(comp)****

Right now the situation in Iran is really bad; a protest that started from the market, initially because of economic grievances, has turned into a nationwide rebellion against everything the theocratic dictatorship stands for. Paramilitary types shoot in the midst of the demonstrations, killing 100's of civilians. Expat Iranian friends of mine are living in constant fear for their friends and relatives still living there: all internet connections in the country are severed, as is telephone communication from abroad. One the other hand, they feel a glimmer of hope: how much longer can a corrupt and incompetent government keep imposing themselves on an unwilling public? surely this time it should collapse under the weight of the people's righteous anger? Maybe the West (i.e. Trump) will help? For my part, I'm both hopeful and fearful of change. Hopeful that this attrocious dictatorship will at last come to its end, fearful that its end may cause Iran to deteriorate into a Syria-like civil war between multiple factions. When people are bereft of freedom for so long, they sometimes tend to forget how to arrive to decisions through mutual respect, open discussion, negotiation, and compromise. Factor in all the power-hungry world leaders and multinational corporations eager to steer the boat their way in order to get their hands on the country's natural resources, and one sees how precarious it all is. Anyway, earlier in the week when all this begun, I took out this compilation and played it a few times, to remind myself that things used to be different and may again change to the better. That, far from being a bunch of religious fanatics as the regime wants us to think, the people are as fun- and freedom- loving as anyone in the West. 

When this album was first released back in '09, it was greeted with disbelief; such is the isolation that the theocratic regime has imposed on its citizens that we couldn't conceive of rock music ever being produced in Iran. Well, what do you know? Not only did Iran have a vibrant club scene in pre-revolutionary times, it still has, even though it's all been pushed underground and young people run the risk of being arrested or worse just for attending an unlisenced rock concert - especially if it involves dancing and women removing their hijab, which they do immediately when they are in a safe indoors space. Back in the 60's though, the country was undergoing a "modernization" phase, although not a democratic one: the regime was an absolute monarchy, and prisons were full of dissidents, but otherwise a distancing from Islamic customs and towards Western ones was encouraged; the Shah for example would enjoy private performances of contemporary Rolling Stones hits by local bands like The Sinners. Who aren't included in this compilation, but we have many others... crucially The Golden Ring, who according to internet sources were the most popular and longest-lived Iranian rock band. Now, the CD version of this compilation contains 27 tracks instead of 17, and comes with a booklet with info about the bands; my own vinyl LP didn't contain any inserts so unfortunately there's very little information I can impart. The internet was minimally helpful; for example, I found out that Kourosh's "Akhm Nakan" wasn't released in the 60's but in 1974, and that the singer's full name is Kourosh Yaghmaei, sometimes refered to as the Persian "king of rock". His reign was short indeed, as he only managed to release a handful of singles before being banned from playing any kind of music in 1979; that ban lasted for 17 years, but even after it was lifted he was not allowed to record anything that contained electric guitars or sounded even remotely like rock. "Akhm Nakan" definitevely does sound like 1968 UK psych-funk-hard rock, with great bass breaks and pounding drums, but a non-Western sensibility in the vocals; I thought he sounded a bit like Anatolian rocker Cem Karaca, but it could be the singer's giant moustache that clicked something in my brain. This song is followed by one of very few English-language tracks here, as well as the only one with female lead vocals: a cover of Aretha's "Respect" sung by another icon of Persian music, Googoosh. Googoosh was a hugely popular singer and actress before the revolution, but she, too, was prohibited to sing publicly. She resurfaced after leaving the country in 2000, and is now one of the prominent voices of the Iranian diaspora. Her performance here is extremely energetic, while the band plays somewhat looser and jazzier than in the original American version of the song. Another English-language track is the closer "I Need Somebody To Love" by Shabah, a ballad with saccharine harmonies. A third one might be The Rebels' "Indian Rebels" - I mean, I think I discern some English words but I'm not 100% sure, such is the quality of the recording and accent of the singers. I like it though; it's lo-fi mid-tempo garage rock with a nice surf-like guitar break. In general, irrespective of when these songs were recorded (and I'm pretty sure it was way after the surf craze had passed), Iranian guitarists seemed to derive inspiration from Hank Marvin or The Ventures rather than from Clapton or Hendrix. Especially The Golden Rings; "Bas Ay Dokhtar Ha" is a Ventures-like instrumental with groovy organ, while "Shekar Dar Kohestan" features some wordless vocalizing and loud whistling that reminds me of Ennio Morricone Westerns. Other great instrumentals include Penahi's "Dance-Music" and Littles "4x8 Jadeed". That band, fronted by singer Ebi Littles, has two more songs here: opener "Fatemah Sultan" is a garage-beat cover of a traditional tune, and "Mehtaab" is a moody ballad. Moha Jamin also have 3 tracks here, each one different from the others: "Sheshwa Heshat Moha Jamin" is built around an oriental melody, "Ashk-e Roya-e Bashkohe" is a Zombies-like ballad, and (my favorite) "Raks Raks Raks" a scorching garage rocker that's the equal to any included in the American Nuggets series. Other favorites include The Flowers' garage-psych-folk "Meekshi Manoo" and oriental-exotica psych "Mosh Va Karnah" by Group Sayeed. Lastly, "Dokhtar E Darya" and "Polhaee Shakastah" are a couple of folk-psych ballads. As I mentioned earlier, the CD contains more songs, including Persian-language covers of Ray Charles and Monkeys songs, but it won't be presented here since I only own this compilation on vinyl. In general, this isn't like one of those European garage rock comps where you have Swedish, Portuguese, or Czech bands emulating the sound of The Beatles, Stones, Animals et al. Maybe it's a language thing, but the "ethnic" element is way more pronounced; especially the singing is more complex and playful, sometimes reminiscent of the melismatic Arabic style, others of Indian music. In any case, if you like 60's pop-rock and aren't put out by the strange and exotic sounds of the Farsi language, this LP is full of rare treasures - you may not like all of them, but they're worth your attention.

***** for Moha Jamin - Raks Raks Raks 

**** for Littles - Fatemah Sultan, The Flowers - Meekshi Manoo, Littles - 4x8 Jadeed, Ojooba Ha - Polhaee Shakastah, Penahi - Dance-Music, The Rebels - Indian Rebels, Kourosh - Akhm Nakan, The Golden Ring - Shekar Dar Kohestan

*** for Moha Jamin - Sheshwa Heshat Moha Jamin, Group Takhala La - Dokhtar E Darya, Moha Jamin - Ashk-e Roya-e Bashkohe, The Golden Ring - Bas Ay Dokhtar Ha, Googoosh - Respect, Group Sayeed - Mosh Va Karnah, The Littles - Mehtaab, Shabah - I Need Somebody To Love

P.S. I couldn't resist a comment on the album cover art. There's what seems like a nice geometric motiff in green and red on the sides of the back cover. Only it isn't exactly a purely decorative design: taken from the modern (post-revolutionary) Iranian flag, this is actually a Kufik (calligraphic Arabic) script endlessly repeating the phrase Allahu Akbar (God Is Great). Given that this is most definitely a collection of secular songs by artists persecuted by the theocratic regime, this reads like a bit of a fail.

Larkin Poe "Bloom" 2025***

Only a week ago I wrote I only had one album off the best-of-year lists I published; yet within a couple of days I had gotten myself a second one, Classic Rock's #18, Bloom. I became aware of Larkin Poe a few years ago when I heard the Lovell sisters (Megan & Rebecca) sing backing vocals on an album by ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons. I liked their singing and made a mental note to check out their own work. The two young ladies (still in their early 30's despite being around for 15 years) are Larkin Poe, although there are obviously more musicians involved in recording and touring. They apparently named the band after their great-great-great-great-grandfather, a cousin of Edgar Allan Poe. Music-wise, at least on this album, they don't sound as country as I was expecting; if I was looking for just one word to describe the band's sound, "rootsy" would do much better. It's mostly Southern rock full of soulful vocals, hard rock riffs and bluesy slide guitar while the country element mostly comes out in the ballads, especially when the girls harmonize as in the closing "Bloom Again". Other country-ish ballads include "Little Bit", "Easy Love Pt. 2", and "You Are The River". Then there are some upbeat numbers halfway between gritty blues and commercial country pop: "Mockingbird", "Easy Love Pt. 1", "Fool Outta Me" - the instrumental part rocks, but Rebecca's vocals kind of remind me of Shania Twain - not a bad thing if you're chasing success, but I like her singing best in the grittier, bluesy hard rock, numbers ("Bluephoria", "Nowhere Fast", "If God Is A Woman", "Pearls") with their Beth Hart-meets-the-White Stripes vibe. Had it stayed on this course, this album would have gotten an extra star from me, but as it is there's a wider appeal to it. The production is a bit too polished for my taste, presumeably making it more appealing to commercial country radio, but I can't fault the passionate playing - I especially like the alternating loud sound of the electric guitar and more expressive and soulful slide and pedal steel. In the end, this record ticks a lot of boxes: the lyrics reflect on matters of love and life in general with maturity and insight, and the music will appeal equally to fans of rock, country, and blues. It’s hard to imagine any listener who enjoys those genres feeling let down.

**** for Easy Love Pt. 1, Bluephoria, Easy Love Pt. 2, Nowhere Fast, If God Is A Woman, Pearls, You Are The River

*** for Mockingbird, Little Bit, Fool Outta Me, Bloom Again

R.I.P. 2025

Another year, another difficult list of dead musicians to compile. Among the heavier ones, Brian Wilson, the pop genious behind The Beach Boys, and Ozzy Osbourne whom no-one's ever called a genious, and yet has left a huge mark on rock and heavy metal. Just as influential, albeit in the narrow confines of Greek folk and rock, was the "Greek Dylan" Dionysis Savvopoulos. Other important losses include psychedelic soul wizard Sly Stone, and Marianne Faithfull - a wonderful lady whose voice sent more chills up one's spine as she progressed with age. Also, hugely underrated R&B guitarist Steve Cropper, neo-soul singers Angie Stone and D'Angelo and classic soul legend Roberta Flack, Kiss' spaceman Ace Frehley, reggae pioneer Jimmy Cliff, and so many others who have given us so much. Please take a minute to read through the list, to give  a mental farewell, and to say 

Thanks For The Music 

to:

Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys, 82)

Ozzy Osbourne (Black Sabbath, 76)

Sly Stone (Sly and the Family Stone, 82)

Marianne Faithfull (singer-songwriter, 78)

David Johansen (New York Dolls, 75)

Jimmy Cliff (Reggae singer, 81)

Ace Frehley ("Spaceman", Kiss guitarist, 74)

Dionysis Savvopoulos (Greek singer-songwriter, 80)

Steve Cropper (Booker T. & the M.G.'s/ Blues Brothers, 84)

Brian James (The Damned/ Lords of the New Church, 74)

Mick Ralphs (Mott the Hoople/ Bad Company 81)

Danny Thompson (folk jazz bassist, Pentangle 86)

Jesse Colin Young (The Youngbloods, 83)

Angie Stone (Hip-hop and soul singer, 63)

Roberta Flack (Singer and songwriter, 88)

D'Angelo (soul singer-songwriter, 51)

John Lodge (The Moody Blues, 82)

Roy Ayers (Jazz-funk vibraphonist 84)

Dave Cousins (lead singer, Strawbs)

Chris Dreja (The Yardbirds 79) 

Garth Hudson (The Band 87)

Bill Fay (Singer-songwriter, 81) 

Chris Jasper (The Isley Brothers 73)

Perry Bamonte (The Cure, 65)

Rick Buckler (The Jam, 69)

Sam Rivers (Limp Bizkit, 48)

David Ball (Soft Cell/ The Grid, 66)

Peter Yarrow (Peter, Paul and Mary, 86)

Max Romeo (Jamaican reggae singer, 80)

Sam Moore (Soul duo Sam & Dave 89)

Amadou Bagayoko (of Malian duo Amadou & Mariam 70)

David Thomas (Pere Ubu/ Rocket from the Tombs 71)

Mick Abrahams (Jethro Tull/ Blodwyn Pig, 82)

Mani (The Stone Roses/Primal Scream, 63) 

Dave Allen (Gang of Four, 69)

Mike Peters (The Alarm/ Big Country, 66)

Lalo Schifrin (Argentinian pianist, 93)

Chuck Mangione (Jazz trumpeter, 84)

George Kooymans (Golden Earring, 77)

Clem Burke (drummer of Blondie, 70)

Joe Ely (country singer, 78) 

Chris Rea (Singer-guitarist, 74)

Terry Reid (singer-songwriter, 75)

Larry Tamblyn (The Standells, 82)

James Lowe (The Electric Prunes, 82)

Joseph Byrd (The United States of America, 87)

Serge Fiori (of Canadian prog band Harmonium, 73)

Flaco Jiménez (Texas Tornados/Los Super Seven, 86)

Simon House (Hawkwind violinist/ multi-instrumentalist, 76)

Mark Volman (The Turtles/ Mothers of Invention/ Flo & Eddie 78)

Bobby Whitlock (Derek and the Dominos/ Delaney & Bonnie 77)

Viv Prince (drummer, Pretty Things, The Jeff Beck Group 84)

John Palmer (Family, Blossom Toes, Bakerloo 82)

Rick Davies (singer/keyboardist, Supertramp 81)

Rick Derringer (rock guitarist, The McCoys, 77)

Eddie Palmieri (Jazz pianist, composer 88)

Barry Goldberg (The Electric Flag, 83)

Gabriel Yacoub (Malicorne, 72)

Chad Morgan (Country singer and guitarist, 91)

Sara Surkamp (Pavlov's Dog, 72)

Wayne Osmond (The Osmonds, 73)

Brenton Wood (Soul singer, 83)

Ed Askew (Folk singer, 84)

Bobby Hart (Boyce and Hart, 86)

Stephen Luscombe (Blancmange 70)

Sonny Curtis (The Crickets 88)

Beej Chaney (singer/guitarist of  The Suburbs 68)

Fredrik Lindgren (guitarist of Unleashed/Terra Firma, 53)

Ragne Wahlquist (Heavy Load 69)

P. Fluid a.k.a. Peter Forrest (24-7 Spyz, 64)

Jellybean Johnson (The Time, 69)

Linda Nolan (The Nolans 65)

Ornella Vanoni (Italian singer, 91)

Jamie Muir (King Crimson percussionist, 82)

Edweena Banger (The Nosebleeds/Slaughter & the Dogs, 65)

Sal Maida (bassist for Milk 'N' Cookies/Roxy Music/Sparks 76) 

Brigitte Bardot (French actress/singer, 91)

Gary Grier (60's R&B The Contours)

Bruce Howe (Fraternity 77)

Mungo Jerry (singer 82)

Tommy Hunt (The Flamingos 91)

Snowy Fleet (The Easybeats, 85)

Jerry Butler (The Impressions, 85)

Fred Bekky (Belgian pop group The Pebbles 81)

Linsey Alexander (Blues singer and guitarist, 82)

Robert John (Soft rock singer and songwriter, 79)

Coburn Pharr (Annihilator/ Omen 62)

Joey Molland (Badfinger 77)

Frank Maher (Folk musician 90)

Jeffrey Runnings (For Against 61)

Bob Rupe (Cracker, The Silos 68)

Randy Brown (R&B singer 72)

Troy Seals (singer and songwriter 86)

Danny Cox (singer-songwriter 81)

Bill Ashton (Jazz saxophonist 88)

Les Binks (Judas Priest drummer, 73)

Rob de Nijs (Dutch singer 82)

Rod Clark (The Moody Blues, 82)

Peter Farrelly (Fruupp 76)

Ian Lees (Moving Pictures)

Leanne Cowie (drummer of The Scientists)

Paul "Wags" Wagstaff (Black Grape/ Happy Mondays, 60)

Kevan Staples (of Canadian rockers Rough Trade, 74)

Johnny Tillotson (Singer and songwriter, 86)

Michael Hurley (Folk singer and songwriter, 83)

Mike Berry (English singer and actor 82)

Roger McLachlan (bassist; Little River Band 71)

David Briggs (Keyboardist, 82)

Roy Phillips (The Peddlers, 83)

Freddie Aguilar (Filipino singer-songwriter, 72)

James Baker (The Scientists/ Hoodoo Gurus/ Beasts of Bourbon, 71)

Billy Earheart (Country keyboardist; The Amazing Rhythm Aces, 71)

Larry Lee (The Ozark Mountain Daredevils 78)

Ray Mayhew  (Sigue Sigue Sputnik 60)

Tetsu Yamauchi (Free/ Faces, 79)

Chubby Tavares (Tavares, 80)

Graham Fenton (Matchbox, 76)

Sheila Jordan (Jazz singer 96)

Brent Hinds (Mastodon 51)

John Edwards (The Spinners 80)

Junior Byles (Jamaican reggae singer 77)

Douglas McCarthy (Nitzer Ebb 58)

John Reid (Nightcrawlers 61)

Lou Christie (singer-songwriter 82)

Ron Woodbridge (The Searchers 87)

James Prime (Deacon Blue 64)

Cavin Yarbrough (Yarbrough and Peoples 72)

David L. Hamilton (Pavlov's Dog, 74)

Patrick Walden (Babyshambles, 46)

Connie Francis (Singer and actress 87)

Michael Sumler (Kool & the Gang, 71)

Gigi Canu (Planet Funk 66)

David Kaff (Rare Bird, Spinal Tap 79)

Frank Maffei (Danny & the Juniors 85)

Jock McDonald (Bollock Brothers 69)

Livio Macchia (I Camaleonti 83)

Paul Mario Day (Iron Maiden/More/Wildfire/The Sweet, 69)

Kenny Marco (Canadian guitarist;  Blood, Sweat & Tears 78)

Robert Jaramillo (Cannibal & the Headhunters, 78)

Jim Kimball (Laughing Hyenas/The Jesus Lizard 59)

Chuck Girard (The Castells, The Hondells, 81)

Judy Cheeks (The Ikettes, 71)

Justin Baren (The Redwalls, 40)

Bob "Bongo Starr" Starkie (Skyhooks, 73)

Warren Williams (Australian rock pioneer, 85)

Billy Nichols (Musician and songwriter, 85)

Raul Malo (The Mavericks, 60)

Bruce Loose (Flipper 66)

Atomic Steif (drummer, Sodom 57)

Chris Doheny (Geisha 64) 

Jim McNeely (Jazz composer, pianist 76)

Dave Benton (Spooner guitarist, 77)

Paul Van Bruystegem (Triggerfinger, 66)

Terry "Buzzy" Johnson (The Flamingos, 86)

Thommy Price (drummer, Blue Öyster Cult/Scandal, 68)

Ian Watkins (Lostprophets 48)

Dave Burgess (The Champs, 90)

Marcie Free (King Kobra, Unruly Child, 71)

Vivian Jones (reggae singer, 68)

Andrew Metcalfe (Sound of Guns)

Scott Sorry (Amen/ The Wildhearts, 47)

Ray Drummond (Jazz bassist, bandleader 78)

Donna Jean Godchaux (singer, Grateful Dead 78)

Victor Conte (Pure Food and Drug Act, Tower of Power; 75)

Todd Snider (singer-songwriter, 59)

Thomas Klein (Warrant, 59)

Gilson Lavis (Squeeze, 74)

Hilly Michaels (Sparks, 77)