R.I.P. 2020

Another year, another unfortunate list of deaths in rock'n'roll. This being the year of the pandemic, many of these are COVID-19 related. I think I speak for everyone when I say I can't wait to turn the page on this accursed year. But not before taking a minute to bid farewell to those who have given us the gift of music and who have departed our world sometime in 2020.

Thanks for the Music,

Little Richard (rock'n'roll pioneer)

Peter Green (guitarist, Fleetwood Mac founder)

Pete Way (bassist), Paul Chapman (guitarist) (UFO)

Eddie Van Halen (guitarist), Mat Stone (bassist) (Van Halen) 

Ken Hensley (keyboardist), Lee Kerslake (drummer) (Uriah Heep)

Toots Hibbert (reggae singer), Hux Brown (guitarist) (Toots & the Maytals)

Martin Birch (producer of Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple etc)

Steve Martin Caro (singer), Tom Finn (bass) (The Left Banke)

Judy Dyble (singer, Fairport Convention/Trader Horne)

Adam Schlesinger (Singer, Fountains of Wayne)

Dave Greenfield (Keyboardist, The Stranglers)

David Roback (Rain Parade, Mazzy Star)

Leslie West (Singer/guitarist, Mountain)

Andy Gill (guitarist, Gang of Four )

John Prine (folk singer/songwriter)

Florian Schneider (Kraftwerk)

Trini Lopez (folk singer)

Bill Withers (soul singer)

Neil Peart (drummer, Rush)

Ivan Král (Patti Smith Group)

Phil May (singer, Pretty Things)

Kenny Rogers (pop/country singer)

Charlie Daniels (country singer, fiddler)

Emitt Rhodes (singer/songwriter)

Jerry Slick (The Great Society)

Betty Wright (soul singer)

Moon Martin (singer)

Jorge Santana (latin rock guitarist)

Mory Kanté (African singer)

Manu Dibango (jazz/funk saxophonist)

Spencer Davis (guitarist, Spencer Davis Group)

Gordon Haskell (The Fleur de Lys, King Crimson)

Chris Darrow (Kaleidoscope, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band)

Charlie Baty (guitarist, Little Charlie & the Nightcats)

Neil Landon (singer, The Ivy League/Fat Mattress)

Walter Lure (guitarist, The Heartbreakers)

Steve Weber (The Holy Modal Rounders)

Christophe (French singer)

Juliette Gréco (French singer)

Johnny Nash (Jamaican singer)

Brian Locking (The Shadows)

Sweet Pea Atkinson (Was (Not Was))

Brian Howe (singer, Bad Company)

Steve Priest (bassist, The Sweet)

Bruce Williamson (The Temptations)

Ronald Bell (Kool & the Gang)

Tommy DeVito (The Four Seasons)

Joe Payne (bassist, Divine Heresy)

Marty Grebb (Keyboardist, The Buckinghams)

Reed Mullin (drummer, Corrosion Of Conformity)

Bo Winberg, Bob Lander (members of The Spotnicks)

Simeon Coxe (electronic music pioneer, Silver Apples)

Bonnie Pointer (soul singer, The Pointer Sisters)

Lyle Mays (pianist, Pat Metheny Group)

Joseph Shabalala (Ladysmith Black Mambazo)

Paul English (drummer, Willie Nelson's band)

Justin Townes Earle (singer/songwriter) 

Jan Savage (guitarist, The Seeds)

Bob Nave (The Lemon Pipers)

Jacob Thiele  (The Faint)

Keith Tippett (jazz/prog pianist)

Henry Gray (Blues pianist)

Mike Somerville (Head East)

Simon Posthuma (The Fool)

Barbara Martin (The Supremes)

Keith Olsen (The Music Machine)

Phil Phillips (R&B singer)

Jason Rainey (Sacred Reich)

Bob Andy (reggae singer)

Alan Merrill (Arrows)

Bunny Lee (reggae producer)

Hutch Davie (songwriter and arranger)

Steve Farmer (guitarist, The Amboy Dukes)

Bill Rieflin (drummer, King Crimson/R.E.M)

Patrick Gibson (The Gibson Brothers, disco band)

Matthew Seligman (The Soft Boys, Thompson Twins)

Dieter Horns (bassist, Lucifer's Friend)

Al Rex (bassist, Bill Haley & His Comets)

Paul Matters (briefly AC/DC drummer)

Bones Hillman (bassist, Midnight Oil)

Hamilton Bohannon (disco singer)

Jerry Jeff Walker (country singer)

Ian Whitcomb (singer)

Chad Stuart (Chad & Jeremy)

Millie Small (Jamaican singer)

Joey Image (drummer, Misfits)

Vera Lynn (yes, the W.W.II singer)

Viola Smith (pre-W.W.II jazz drummer)

Pete Carr (Muscle Shoals studio bassist)

Tim Smith (Cardiacs, The Sea Nymphs)

Steve Holland (Molly Hatchet)

Tony Costanza (Machine Head)

Clay Anthony (bassist, Junkyard)

Frankie Banali (drummer, Quiet Riot, W.A.S.P.)

Jack Sherman (orig. Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist)

Alto Reed (sax, Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band)

Wayne Fontana (Singer, The Mindbenders)

Mark Wirtz (rock producer,A Teenage Opera)

Bobby Comstock (rockabilly singer)

Per "Pelle" Alsing (drummer, Roxette)

Martin Griffin (Hawkwind)

Robert Parker (R&B singer)

Scott Taylor (Then Jerico)

Bobby Lewis (R&B singer)

Gerry McGhee (Brighton Rock)

Ian Mitchell (Bay City Rollers)

Tommy Hancock (country singer)

Lorraine Chandler (soul singer)

Jose Padilla (Ibiza DJ)

Roy Head (rock'n'roll singer)

Dave Munden (The Tremeloes)

Tony Lewis (singer, The Outfield)

Eric Pacheco (Babylon A.D.)

Jason Slater (Third Eye Blind)

Charley Pride (country singer)

Be Bop Deluxe "Modern Music" 1976***

Music encyclopedias often use the (sounds pretentious, doesn't it?) term Art Rock interchangeably with Prog or Avant Garde. According to the most established definition "art rock aspires to elevate rock from entertainment to an artistic statement, opting for a more experimental and conceptual outlook on music". So the various musicologists lump everyone from The Velvets to Floyd to Radiohead, even some Beatles albums, under this category. While I couldn't give you any kind of definition, I tend to apply that label more narrowly, to music that abides to pop rock formulas while incorporating more challenging compositional and instrumental elements. Since that's also quite generic, maybe some examples would help with the categorization: Kate Bush, Roxy Music, Supertramp=>Art Rock. Genesis, Yes, King Crimson=>Prog. Can, Zappa, Eno=>Avant Garde. 

The term may be somewhat nebulous still, but it does come handy when you try to describe bands like Be Bop Deluxe: Despite the fact that Modern Music has elements of Glam, Prog and even nascent New Wave, it doesn't fit in any of these categories, so "Art Rock" will have to do. Most of the songs stick to a radio-friendly 3-4 minute duration, even though Side 2 merges a few songs together, possibly inspired by The Beatles' Abbey Road. There's an overall full sound, the band playing together with no single instrument dominating - which isn't necessarily an advantage when you have a guitarist like Bill Nelson, a rare case of a virtuoso who doesn't keep stealing the spotlight. His playing throughout is excellent, I wouldn't mind hearing more of it. The album opens with "Orphans Of Babylon", an upbeat and melodic slice of pop followed by the more theatrical, Cockney Rebel-like, "Twilight Capers". Lead single "Kiss Of Light" has a quasi-exotic beat, catchy chorus and nice guitar licks. "Bird Charmer's Destiny" is a short piano-and-vocal interlude setting the mood for a pretty ballad called "The Gold At The End Of My Rainbow". "Bring Back The Spark" is the album's first bona fide rocker with a fantastic guitar coda. Side 2 opens with a bit of radio noise and song snippets before settling into the "Modern Music" suite, a rather pessimistic piece inspired by Nelson's experiences touring the USA. Of the 6 songs comprising it, the same-titled track is easily the most memorable, while funk jazz "Dance Of The Uncle Sam Humanoids" also stands out as it gives the album an unexpected Zappa-esque flavour. The LP closes with 3 songs reminiscent of the band's glam beginnings, the Bowie-like "Down On Terminal Street", hard rocking "Forbidden Lovers" and acoustic "Make The Music Magic". When one looks at the album's components, it's difficult to find a fault: stylish cover, well-crafted songs, intelligent lyrics, excellent playing and high quality production - by John Leckie who'd go on to produce seminal Brit rock classics by Radiohead and Stone Roses (did I mention that Art Rock is considered an almost exclusively UK phenomenon?). Yet as a whole I feel it fails to ignite, being too "brainy" and low on truly memorable hooks for the pop charts, and too restrained to qualify as truly progressive/experimental.

**** for Twilight Capers, Kiss Of Light, Bring Back The Spark, Modern Music

*** for Orphans Of Babylon, The Bird Charmer's Destiny, The Gold At The End Of My Rainbow, Dancing In The Moonlight (All Alone)/Honeymoon On Mars/Lost In The Neon World/Dance Of The Uncle Sam Humanoids/Modern Music (Reprise), Forbidden Lovers, Down On Terminal Street, Make The Music Magic

2020 end-of-the-year retrospectives

I don't usually buy new albums the year they come out (well, at least not anymore). The reason is a combination of having too much stuff to listen to anyway, and of being able to get everything for less than half price if i wait a bit: A few weeks ago, I bought last years' Raconteurs, Lana Del Ray, Fontaines DC, The Who etc. Each cost me between €4.97-6.99. One of a few new albums I bought in 2020 was Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. I came across their sophomore effort on a record shop on beautiful blue vinyl for a reasonable price, and couldn't resist. It features here, lower than I would have expected: No.26 on Uncut's list, No.75 for MOJO. My opinion: If you like 80's indie (The Smiths, Go-Betweens, early REM) rush and get yourself a copy. Regarding the rest of this year's albums, I have some idea from the sample CD's from magazines and -much less- youtube and streaming services, so I'll comment on some of the choices. Unsurprisingly, Bob Dylan tops both lists. During the year, every single verse of his latest album has been analyzed as if it was a literary masterpiece - which is, of course, a valid attitude for the latest offering by a Nobel Prize winner. From a purely musical perspective, the album presents the familiar mix of folk and blues expertly played by his stellar band. Nothing innovative and nothing offensive either, at least for those of us who have gotten used (and even like) his hoarse voice. Other albums that got my attention this year were: Rose City Band (with traces of 60's West Coast psychedelia and 70's Kraut Rock, but timeless really). Also Jarv Is, who got good reviews everywhere: the track included on the Uncut CD ("Sometimes I Am Pharaoh") reminded me of the experimental albums he's been making lately ("hmmm...interesting") but the one on MOJO ("House Music All Night Long") showed all the qualities I loved about Pulp without being a copy of his former self. Nick Cave Alone at Alexandra Palace I'm ambivalent about: I love the man's voice and songs, and I welcome the chance to hear them in different guises, but this solo piano thing? That's for Nina Simone. Bring back the Bad Seeds, please! I first heard Fontaines D.C. on last year's samplers and they won me over. Nevertheless, after listening to their debut from start to finish I'd have to say they're very promising but not quite great yet, an opinion reinforced by the songs in this year's samplers: an Oasis-meets-Pogues ballad ("No") and a typically rollicking post punk rocker ("I Was Not Born") from their second LP. Two world music legends whom we lost to Covid-19 (Toots Hibbert and Tony Allen) are here to show us they were high class to the very end, while we even encounter not one or two, but three groups from Mali: Tamikrest, Afel Bocoum, and Songhoy Blues. The latter keep getting better and better. Could the next saviors of rock come from Africa? Khruangbin mix world music elements with rock and electronica. My friend Anastasia tried to get me into them before, but instrumental music loses my attention after a while. It seems this time around they included more vocal numbers, which did the trick for me. Bananagun are a kindred spirit, mixing world music with folk and psychedelia. They just released their debut LP, and fans of Khruangbin and Devendra Barnhart should check them out. Anything Elvis Costello and Paul Weller do is bound to get the British press' praises, so they made the lists too. Finally, just like the previous year, there is a number of interesting female singer-songwriters (Laura Marling, Phoebe Bridgers, Frazey Ford, Fiona Apple, and more). But how many new Joni Mitchells and Suzanne Vegas do we need? Whatever happened to female rockers? 

 

THE BEST OF 2020, MOJO 75. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Sideways To New Italy 74. U.S. Girls - Heavy Light 73. Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit - Reunions 72. Wire - 10:20 71. Field Music - Making a New World 70. Angel Olsen - Whole New Mess 69. The Psychedelic Furs - Made of Rain 68. The Homesick - The Big Exercise 67. Jeff Parker - Suite for Max Brown 66. Bonny Light Horseman - Bonny Light Horseman 65. Beck - Hyperspace 64. The Lemon Twigs - Songs for the General Public 63. Car Seat Headrest - Making A Door Less Open 62. Ren Harvieu - Revel In The Drama 61. Chris Forsyth & Garcia Peoples - Peoples Motel Band 60. Doves - The Universal Want 59. Baxter Dury - The Night Chancers 58. Working Men's Club - Working Men's Club 57. Songhoy Blues - Optimisme 56. The Magnetic Fields - Quickies 55. Tim Burgess - I Love The New Sky 54. The Waterboys - Good Luck, Seeker 53. Nadine Shah - Kitchen Sink 52. SAULT - Untitled (Rise) 51. Don Bryant - You Make Me Feel 50. Sufjan Stevens - The Ascension 49. Lianne La Havas - Lianne La Havas 48. Nadia Reid - Out of My Province 47. Tricky - Fall to Pieces 46. Nick Mason's Saucerful Of Secrets - Live at the Roundhouse 45. Bruce Springsteen - Letter To You 44. Pearl Jam - Gigaton 43. Blake Mills - Mutable Set 42. Bill Fay - Countless Branches 41. Tame Impala - The Slow Rush 40. Thurston Moore - By the Fire 39. HAIM - Women in Music Pt. III 38. Lucinda Williams - Good Souls Better Angels 37. Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia 36. Drive-By Truckers - The Unraveling 35. Rose City Band - Summerlong 34. Maria McKee - La Vita Nuova 33. The Necks - Three 32. Coriky - Coriky 31. Taylor Swift -  folklore 30. Sam Lee - Old Wow 29. Thundercat - It Is What It Is 28. Shirley Collins - Heart's Ease 27. Stephen Malkmus - Traditional Techniques 26. Khruangbin - Mordechai 25. Sparks - A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip 24. Moses Boyd - Dark Matter 23. Shabaka and the Ancestors - We Are Sent Here By History 22. Leonard Cohen - Thanks for the Dance 21. Mark Lanegan - Straight Songs Of Sorrow 20. Nubya Garcia - Source 19. SAULT - UNTITLED (Black Is) 18. Toots & The Maytals - Got to Be Tough 17. Laura Marling - Song For Our Daughter 16. Nick Cave - Idiot Prayer: Nick Cave Alone at Alexandra Palace 15. Frazey Ford - U kin B the Sun 14. Tony Allen & Hugh Masekela - Rejoice 13. Moses Sumney - græ 12. Idles - Ultra Mono 11. Paul Weller - On Sunset 10. The Flaming Lips - American Head 9. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher 8. Run the Jewels - RTJ4 7. JARV IS... - Beyond the Pale 6. Cornershop - England is a Garden 5. Fleet Foxes - Shore 4. Bill Callahan - Gold Record 3. Fontaines D.C. - A Hero's Death 2. Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters 1. Bob Dylan - Rough and Rowdy Ways

THE BEST OF 2020, UNCUT 75. Kelly Lee Owens - Inner Song 74. Jeff Parker - Suite for Max Brown 73. Doves - The Universal Want 72. Tamikrest - Tamotaït 71. Andy Bell - The View From Halfway Down 70. Bill Fay - Countless Branches 69. Honey Harper - Starmaker 68. Steve Earle & The Dukes - Ghosts of West Virginia 67. Matt Berry - Phantom Birds 66. Six Organs of Admittance - Companion Rises 65. Garcia Peoples - Nightcap At Wits' End 64. Nadine Shah - Kitchen Sink 63. H.C. McEntire - Eno Axis 62. Aoife Nessa Frances - Land of No Junction 61. Elvis Costello - Hey Clockface 60. Lianne La Havas - Lianne La Havas 59. Julianna Barwick - Healing Is a Miracle 58. BC Camplight - Shortly After Takeoff 57. Tony Allen & Hugh Masekela - Rejoice 56. The Lemon Twigs - Songs for the General Public 55. Khruangbin - Mordechai 54. Perfume Genius - Set My Heart on Fire Immediately 53. Sufjan Stevens - The Ascension 52. Hen Ogledd - Free Humans 51. HAIM - Women in Music Pt. III 50. Margo Price - That's How Rumors Get Started 49. Gwenifer Raymond - Strange Lights Over Garth Mountain 48. The Necks - Three 47. Working Men's Club - Working Men's Club 46. Roger Eno & Brian Eno - Mixing Colours 45. Bright Eyes - Down in the Weeds Where the World Once Was 44. Eddie Chacon - Pleasure, Joy and Happiness 43. Sarah Davachi - Cantus, Descant 42. Róisín Murphy - Róisín Machine 41. Keeley Forsyth - Debris 40. Brigid Dawson and The Mothers Network - Ballet of Apes 39. The Psychedelic Furs - Made of Rain 38. Bonny Light Horseman - Bonny Light Horseman 37. Sparks - A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip 36. Destroyer - Have We Met 35. Shabaka and the Ancestors - We Are Sent Here By History 34. Rose City Band - Summerlong 33. Bananagun - The True Story of Bananagun 32. The Flaming Lips - American Head 31. Afel Bocoum - Lindé 30. Cornershop - England is a Garden 29. Songhoy Blues - Optimisme 28. Lucinda Williams - Good Souls Better Angels 27. Kevin Morby - Sundowner 26. Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Sideways To New Italy 25. Nubya Garcia - Source 24. Moses Sumney - græ 23. Paul Weller - On Sunset 22. Fiona Apple - Fetch the Bolt Cutters 21. James Elkington - Ever-Roving Eye 19. Brigid Mae Power - Head Above The Water 18. Frazey Ford - U kin B the Sun 17. SAULT - UNTITLED (Black Is) 16. Stephen Malkmus - Traditional Techniques 15. Fontaines D.C. - A Hero's Death 14. Courtney Marie Andrews - Old Flowers 13. Tame Impala - The Slow Rush 12. Moses Boyd - Dark Matter 11. Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit - Reunions 10. Laura Marling - Song For Our Daughter 9. Shirley Collins - Heart's Ease 8. JARV IS... - Beyond the Pale 7. Bill Callahan - Gold Record 6. Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud 5. Thundercat - It Is What It Is 4. Drive-By Truckers - The New OK 3. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher 2. Fleet Foxes - Shore 1. Bob Dylan - Rough and Rowdy Ways

CLASSIC ROCK, as always, lives in a time of its own - a time when bands like Blue Oyster Cult, Wishbone Ash and Deep Purple are still relevant. AC/DC make No.1 - their newest album actually got great reviews everywhere, so I'm guessing it wasn't included in other lists because its late appearance (mid-November). Is it really that good? Having heard some of it, it sounds like it's just the umpteenth AC/DC record. I think the reviews have less to do with the music itself, and more with the celebration of one band's triumph in the face of adversity: a year ago, their singer was deaf (and temporarily replaced by Ax'l Rose, of all people!), drummer was under house arrest, and guitarist Malcolm Young dead - which he still is, but apparently after leaving behind an abundance of recorded ideas for riffs. Yet Angus & Co. soldier on, how can you not acknowledge that? Unlikely as this return was, another one is plain unbelievable. Granted, no one except Classic Rock noticed it, but Cherie Curry is back, 42 years after leaving The Runaways. Where has she been all this time? Cryogenically preserved, judging by her looks. The appearance of many Southern rock bands in this list is no surprise, but the fact that Jason Isbell and Drive-By Truckers feature highly in the other lists too must be a sign of the genre's regeneration. I was also happy to see Blues Pills and Fantastic Negrito make the Top 50, as it was CR that introduced them to me. Metal dinosaurs like Ozzy and Metallica are, of course, here too - as well as icons like Dylan and Springsteen. Surprises include the high placing of Nick Mason's Live at the Roundhouse and Fish's Weltschmerz. Especially in Mason's case: on the one hand it's nice to hear these early and rarely performed Pink Floyd songs, on the other hand just who is this guy substituting for Syd Barrett and David Gilmour? Gary Kemp from Spandau Ballet? Are you serious? Well, seeing is believing, check the clip below...

THE BEST OF 2020, CLASSIC ROCK MAGAZINE 50 BRITISH LION The Burning 49 GREEN DAY Father Of All Motherfuckers 48 THE LEMON TWIGS Songs For The General Public 47 CATS IN SPACE Atlantis 46 BROTHERS OSBORNE Skeletons 45 BON JOVI 2020 44 THE OUTLAWS Dixie 43 BLUES PILLS Holy Moly 42 COREY TAYLOR CMFT 41 SONGHOY BLUES Optimisme 40 LOW CUT CONNIE Private Lives 39 GINGER WILDHEART Headzapoppin 38 THOSE DAMN CROWS Point Of No Return 37 FIONA APPLE Fetch The Bolt Cutters 36 GREG DULLI Random Desire 35 BLACK STONE CHERRY The Human Condition MASCOT 34 FM Synchronized 33 STEVE EARLE & THE DUKES Ghosts Of West Virginia 32 JAMES DEAN BRADFIELD Even In Exile 31WISHBONE ASH Coat Of Arms 30 CHERIE CURRIE Blvds of Splendor 29 STARBENDERS Love Potions 28 THE ALLMAN BETTS BAND Bless Your Heart 27 DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS The New OK 26 BIFFY CLYRO A Celebration Of Endings 25 STONE TEMPLE PILOTS Perdida R24 THE TEXAS GENTLEMEN Floor It!!! 23 ALL THEM WITCHES Nothing As The Ideal 22 TYLER BRYANT & THE SHAKEDOWN Pressure 21 THE DIRTY KNOBS Wreckless  20 THE CADILLAC THREE Country  19 THE PRETENDERS Hate For  Sale 18 METALLICA S&M2 17 JASON ISBELL & THE 400 UNIT 16 OZZY OSBOURNE Ordinary Man 15 LARKIN POE Self Made 14 MASSIVE WAGONS House Of Noise 13 FANTASTIC NEGRITO Have You Lost Your Mind Yet? 12 BOB DYLAN Rough And Rowdy Ways 11 BOB MOULD Blue Hearts  10 BLUE ÖYSTER CULT The Symbol Remains 9 THE STRUTS Strange Days 8 H.E.A.T H.e.a.t II FRONTIERS 7 PEARL JAM Gigaton 6 NICK MASON’S SAUCERFUL OF SECRETS Live At The Roundhouse 5 BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN Letter To You 4 JOE BONAMASSA Royal Tea 3 DEEP PURPLE Whoosh 2 FISH Weltschmerz 1 AC/DC Power Up

Neil Young "Time Fades Away" 1973****

A few years ago, UNCUT Magazine published a list called 50 Greatest Lost Albums, and this is the album that topped it on No.1. It remains the only Neil Young LP never to have seen a CD release (Journey Through The Past was a soundtrack/compilation), only a recent limited vinyl reissue. The reason why was never apparent to me: while not on a par with  his classic albums of that era, it did contain some good songs and performances. Reading the relevant  article on Uncut helps understand his frame of mind and partly explains the reasons behind his dissatisfaction with it. Most of the songs started life during rehearsals for the follow-up to his hugely successful Harvest LP. Today Young is an established artist who can release anything he fancies, but at 27 years old the record company pressure to deliver a Harvest clone must have felt overwhelming. Adding to the stress, he had just signed on to undertake the biggest tour of the time, in terms of length as well as venue sizes. He was working with the Stray Gators, a bunch of studio, mostly country-oriented, musicians who had accompanied him in Harvest but were never actually a real band. Maybe it was the wish to have a friend with him on the tour, or possibly he was worried because of his bad physical condition (he was still recovering from spinal surgery) and wanted to have another electric guitarist along as a backup. Anyway, he contacted Danny Whitten, his pal from Crazy Horse, and asked him to join his band. Whitten was Crazy Horse's main singer, guitarist and songwriter, but was fired by them due to his heroin addiction. He assured Young that he was finally clean, so the latter decided to give him another chance and flew him over to Broken Arrow ranch to join the rehearsals. Unfortunately, though, Whitten proved to be far from clean, was unable to learn his guitar parts and generally a complete mess. So Young gave him $50 and sent him back to L.A. Only a few hours later, Whitten was dead from a pills-and-alcohol overdose. That left Young devastated by sorrow and guilt for his friend's death, suffering from back pain, under pressure to deliver the follow-up to a masterpiece, and about to embark on the biggest tour ever attempted until then. On top of that, the musicians made constant demands for more money, exhibiting their discontent at every opportunity. Audiences were indifferent to his new songs, and during the last leg of the tour he even caught a throat infection that affected his singing ability, causing him to appeal to former bandmates David Crosby and Graham Nash to help on the vocal department. He also had to draft in CSN&Y's John Barbata on drums, because the original drummer couldn't cut it live. None of that helped his mood, or his performance. At the end of it, he was completely drained and utterly miserable. Returning to the ranch to finish the album with the now estranged Stray Gators was impossible, but he owed record company an LP. A number of shows were recorded with the intention of releasing a live album to commemorate what was expected to be a triumphant tour. There was now no way that would happen, so at the end they chose some of the new songs road-tested during the concerts, and released them as the Time Fades Away LP. The eponymous opener is highly reminiscent of Dylan circa 1965-66, a raucous folk rocker with whiny vocals, harmonica and clunky piano by Jack Nietzche. Young accompanies himself on piano and occasional harmonica on "Journey Through The Past", "The Bridge" and "Love In Mind" (the latter being the only track not recorded during this tour, but from a previous live date). Here he does remind us of The Harvest troubadour, specifically his naked and emotional performance on the Whitten-inspired "The Needle And The Damage Done". "Don't Be Denied" is another acoustic number, this time with a fuller sound. Ben Keith's pedal steel, Nietzsche's piano, and the whole band on backing vocals remind us of Harvest's mellow country sound, although Young's lead vocal is rawer. On the sarcastic "L.A.", ominous "Yonder Stands the Sinner" and long-winding "Last Dance", The Stray Gators seem to function like a substitute Crazy Horse, approaching that band's elemental hard rock. One wonders if a healthy Whitten really was the missing ingredient that could have transformed these songs. David Crosby and Graham Nash join in on guitar and harmonies on the latter two tunes. As you can imagine, the album didn't go down well with fans of the artists' mellow country rock sound. It stalled around the 20th position in the charts, a far cry from Harvest's No.1 but still respectable. Young hated it. He's called it "the worst record I ever made" but also added that "as a documentary of what was happening to me, it was a great record" - an ambivalent sentiment that explains his odd choices: on the one hand he refused to correct the sound using overdubs and other post production tricks. On the other he keeps it out of print, and has been quoted saying that he deliberately chose the "shittiest material possible" for the cover, hoping it'd disintegrate fast and people would throw it away. Apparently, post production is still an impossibility: the album was mastered down from 16-track directly to stereo with a console called compumix, there are no original master tapes to go back to. Seeing as it has been repeatedly bypassed during recent reworkings of Young's catalogue, chances are there will never be a wide re-release. Which is a pity, because -despite the artist's own opinion- the album's rugged, dark, uncompromising, sound has gradually acquired many fans. Critics consider it the first installment of his "ditch trilogy", followed by On the Beach (1974) and culminating on Tonight's the Night (1975)- a trio of haunted albums from a period of despair, loss and inner turmoil. Interestingly, as of last year, Time Fades Away isn't the only document from that fraught tour. Young retrospectively released another live album called Tuscaloosa, featuring more or less the same band (minus the CS&N contingent). The tracklisting mixes some of his new "difficult" songs with hits from Harvest and After The Goldrush. The fact that original recordings from that tour apparently still exist makes one wonder whether Time Fades Away really can't be recreated/improved upon or whether Neil Young's denial to revisit it is another of the man's peculiarities.

**** for Time Fades Away, Journey Through The Past, Yonder Stands The Sinner, L.A., Don't Be Denied, 

*** for Love In Mind, The Bridge, Last Dance

Mojo Nixon "Whereabouts Unknown" 1995****

I didn't know what to expect from this CD. I used to have some tracks with him and Skid Roper on 80's compilations, most of which I sold during the Great Vinyl Purge. I liked them OK but not enough to seek their individual albums. Then I came across a 2nd hand copy of this CD and decided to buy it, if only out of curiosity to hear Mojo's cover of a Smiths song. It proved better than expected: there isn't a single dud in the whole album, and while the lyrics are purely satirical the band seriously rocks. The music is nothing original, of course, but since when is rock'n'roll only about originality? There are elements of psychobilly, blues, punk and country with Mojo's gruff voice halfway between a leering punk and a classic blues shouter. I guess his closest musical cousins are Reverend Horton Heat. Opener "Gotta Be Free" is a garage/R&B stomper, while "Not As Much As Football" is a strange kind of love song (he loves his girlfriend more than a whole lot of things, just not as much as football). Like other songs here, it has an infectious chorus that makes you want to sing along, and wild rockabilly rhythm you want to dance to. The next two songs ("Mr. Correct" and "Buck Up & Stop Your Whinin'") are pure electric blues, followed by a bonafide protest song: straight country "My Free Will Just Ain't Willin'" it's about the first Iraq War, and while it was released after its end, it fits perfectly the second Iraq invasion that lay in the near future. Even the quip "I ain't gonna be George Bush's whore": another president, same name. "Girlfriend In A Coma" is a rockabilly riot, with Mojo lampooning Morrissey ("that fruitcake from The Smiths") just like he did in former albums with other pop stars ("Debbie Gibson is Pregnant with My Two-headed Love Child" and "Don Henley Must Die"). "Pleasurelegience" is a gospel tune praising drinking and fornication instead of The Lord, and "Don't Ask Me Why I Drink" a great punkabilly rocker. "My T.V. Is Watchin' Me" (mid-tempo) and "Take A Look In My Eyes" (turbo-charged) are Cramps-like psychobilly, and "Tie My Pecker To My Leg" a filthy country barn-burner written with Country Dick Montana from Cow-punkers Beat Farmers. "You Can't Kill Me" is a country rocker set to the tune of the hymn "Amazing Grace", and the album closes with folk ballad "If I Can Dream". The great thing about this album is that, while the jokes get less funny with repeated listens, the music is so upbeat and fun that you just don't get tired of it. At least I know I haven't.

**** for Not As Much As Football, My Free Will Just Ain't Willin', Girlfriend In A Coma, Don't Ask Me Why I Drink, Tie My Pecker To My Leg

*** for Gotta Be Free, Mr. Correct (Don't Tell Me What To Do), Buck Up & Stop Your Whinin', The Pleasurelegience, My T.V. Is Watchin' Me, Take A Look In My Eyes, You Can't Kill Me

** for If I Can Dream

Kayak "50 Jaar Nederpop" 1976-1980(orig) 2008(comp)***

I had heard of Kayak as being one of the best Dutch prog bands, so some time after moving to The Netherlands I picked up this CD to make a first acquaintance with them. Their original LP's are also easy to find in the record fairs here, I also have one I bought cheaply which I am going to present on another occasion. This compilation though was rather disappointing, more pop with progressive leanings rather than real progressive music. The bands I was most reminded of are The Moody Blues, Supertramp, and ELO. Later I found out that the compilation only covered 5 years of the band's life (1976-1980), which seemed strange since this series (50 Jaar Nederpop) usually presents a good overview of the bands' career. It is possible that the compilers had licencing issues, but it's just as possible that they just chose to present the band's more commercially successful period. I don't know how many copies of these LP's were sold (their ubiquitousness in Dutch second hand shops suggest a lot) but I can certainly imagine these songs becoming FM radio staples in the late 70's. Which isn't necessarily a good thing. Like I always do with compilations, I will present the songs chronologically. The Last Encore (1976): The CD begins promisingly with classical-style piano by keyboardist Ton Scherpenzeel and the excellent ballad "Relics From A Distant Age". Singer-drummer Max Werner's vocals are somewhat high-pitched but expressive. Why he was later replaced as a singer and relegated to playing drums only is a mystery. "Nothingness" is another winsome ballad with a dramatic mellotron swashes (also by Werner if I'm not mistaken) a la Moody Blues. "Do You Care" and "Back To The Front" are upbeat orchestral pop a la Supertramp. Starlight Dancer (1977): The eponymous song is a bombastic orchestral ballad that reminded me of Manfred Mann's Earth Band. It's followed by the curiously disco-fied, but still pleasant, "I Want You To Be Mine". "Dead Bird Flies Forever" is another piano-based ballad. Same recipe with the previous ones, but blander-tasting. "Turn The Tide", and especially "Sweet Revenge" are the album's rockers but let's face it: this band doesn't do rock as well as it does ballads. "Ruthless Queen" from Phantom Of The Night (1978) plays to their strengths, featuring a catchy chorus and pretty melody. It became their biggest hit. New singer Edward Reekers is pretty good but not too different from his predecessor. Maybe a bit more suited to the band's new M.O.R. direction. "Phantom Of The Night" is another, typical of the period, dramatic ballad while "No Man's Land" is a forgettable fast rocker and "Keep The Change" a commercial upbeat number with nice harmonies. If I didn't know I'd say it was recorded in the 80's. I know it sounds like I'm saying it was ahead of its time, but given the quality of 80's mainstream rock this is no compliment. "Lost Blue Of Chartres" from Periscope Life (1980) is a symphonic instrumental, followed by "Anne", an emotive ballad enriched with a pretty melody and medieval-sounding parts. They raise the bar of expectations, but the last 3 songs from the album are upbeat commercial rock with no saving grace. The last track is named "Total Loss", which kind of says it all. To summarize, this doesn't seem to be the best introduction to Kayak. Only 5 out of 8 of the band's first period LP's are represented - not to mention none of the second period (2000-now). It certainly is of marginal only interest to prog fans. I'm not sure to whom exactly it would appeal to, except maybe for people who remember these hits from Dutch radio and want to have a souvenir of the era. Not that there's anything bad here, but there's also nothing memorable except for a few beautiful ballads. The best element is Ton Scherpenzeel's keyboards. No wonder he was later invited to join Camel, which is to say to play in prog's proverbial premier league.

**** for Relics From A Distant Age, Nothingness, Ruthless Queen, Lost Blue Of Chartres, Anne 

*** for Do You Care, Back To The Front, Starlight Dancer, I Want You To Be Mine, Dead Bird Flies Forever, Turn The Tide, Sweet Revenge, Phantom Of The Night, Keep The Change

** for No Man's Land, Periscope Life, Stop That Song, Total Loss

Gary Moore "Blues For Greeny" 1995****

Back in 1990, Gary Moore's move from hard rock to blues must have seemed rather daring and uncommercial but it paid off, giving him his best selling album and re-popularizing the entire genre. At the height of his popularity, he made another risky decision: to record a tribute to semi-forgotten British Blues legend Peter Green. Green, who passed earlier this year, had appeared, aged 20, out of nowhere to replace the -also very young but already legendary- Eric Clapton in John Mayall's Blues Breakers. He later left to form Fleetwood Mac, but disappeared suddenly after an ominous incident that sparked his decent into mental illness (a story I recounted in a previous post). He would later make a low-key return to music but was still "missing in action" in '95 when Moore decided to record a whole album to remind the world what an excellent guitarist and songwriter he was. I didn't buy it at the time, as I was too familiar with the originals and couldn't see how he could possibly give them new life. I was, as it turns out, both right and wrong: Moore's versions often stay too close to the originals - some, like the Latin-tinged mid-tempo "I Loved Another Woman" are almost carbon copies. But it is a marvelous thing, and a testament to Moore's virtuosity, to hear those sweet guitar tones once again. Anyone can play fast or loud, but to wring such emotion out of the guitar is the sign of a true master. It helps, of course, that we're listening to the very same guitar - not just the same model, but the same instrument: Clapton had played a Les Paul in The Blues Breakers, and Green bought himself another Les Paul when he got his position in the band, but it was an older model with a thicker neck. To get a similar sustain to Clapton's, he removed the neck pickup and then screwed it on backwards, resulting in a very characteristic sound. During his dark years, Green sold his guitar to Moore, who plays it to great effect here. It would be passed on to some rich collectors, eventually finding its way to the hands of Metallica's Kirk Hammett, and while it's dubious that he can emulate Green's style as successfully as Moore, it's nice to think that this guitar can still enchant big audiences on records and onstage. Back to the album, one thing that surprised me was that Moore went straight for the blues tunes, eschewing some of Green's more famous compositions like the mellow psychedelia of "Black Magic Woman" and "Man Of The World" or the heavier "Oh Well" and "Green Manalishi". The lesser known tracks he chose are recreated lovingly and respectfully, without resorting to Moore's usual louder and more distorted electric blues style - though some songs like "Drifting" and "Looking for Somebody" do sport longer and "rockier" solos. The horns on the lively "If You Be My Baby" and excellent ballad "Love That Burns", and the strings on the emotive "Need Your Love So Bad" add some extra instrumental touches when necessary, while Moore's playing on "The Supernatural" is reminiscent of his own "Parisienne Walkways" - which goes to show that Green has always been one of his bigger influences. "Showbiz Blues" serves as a showcase for his skills on slide guitar, while finally this reissue closes with a trio of acoustic songs that, while good, are not up to the same level as the album proper. The only downside is that, if you are already familiar with the originals, there's not much new here. I am, and any time I want to listen to these tunes I'll be going back to the original versions. But that's a minor complaint, since the end result is utterly enjoyable, playing is excellent, and Moore's fame is sure to introduce these songs to new audiences. P.S. I got this album as part of a budget 5CD boxset (see above), which I can easily recommend, as it's cheap and of high quality:3 of the other albums are arguably even better than this, and all 5 of them are presented in the newest remastering and include bonus tracks. I will review each album separately, in time.

**** for Merry Go Round, I Loved Another Woman, Need Your Love So Bad, The Supernatural, Driftin', Love That Burns, Looking For Somebody

*** for If You Be My Baby, Long Grey Mare, The Same Way, Showbiz Blues, World Keeps On Turnin' (Acoustic), Same Way (Acoustic), Stop Messin' Around (Acoustic) 

The Sick Rose ‎– Renaissance 1992***

If we were looking for one single person to represent the European garage rock scene, I doubt we could do better than The Sick Rose's Luca Re. Well, Billy Childish would also be a strong nomination if one still counts the UK as Europe. This band from Turin, Italy formed in late 1983 and was one of the first bands of its kind in Continental Europe. They started playing pure (if somewhat punked-up) 60's-style garage rock, but every new album took them further from their roots. Renaissance, which is the band's 4th LP as well as the last of their first period, sees them add punk, glam and hard rock elements. Radio Birdman, The Dictators and New York Dolls replace The Seeds, Chocolate Watch Band and 13th Floor Elevators as their most obvious influences. The supersonic guitars opening the album ("Cheating") immediately make the band's intentions known: forget the swirling Farfisas of their debut, they're going for a supercharged hi-energy rock'n'roll sound, with Luca Re being the sole connection (both physically and stylistically) with the original band. The highlights are mostly the faster numbers, including "The American Dream", "Jaildoor" and "Hunting For A New Love", all augmented with wild Jerry Lee Lewis-style piano. But there are also some nice slower songs, including psychedelic ballads "Abbie's Dolls" and "Now She Comes In Colour", as well as "My Kind" which nurses a stoner-style heavy groove for 7,5 minutes. "See The Glow" adds some typical metallic riffing, and the album proper closes with the acoustic "Restless Mind". The CD edition adds 3 cool bonus tracks: covers of Kim Fowley's "Big City" and The Standells' Stones-y "Barracuda", and another metallic original called "Deathwish". Renaissance seems to be the band's least loved album, which is selling it a bit short. IMO it is just as good as the two albums that preceded it (though maybe not as good as their historic debut Faces), it's just that it seems fans weren't ready to follow their latest change in direction. After that, Sick Rose disbanded with Re forming a band with a pure 60's sound called 99th Floor (we'll review their 2 albums in the future) before reviving The Sick Rose for the 21st Century. They're still pretty good for a bunch of older dudes, check them out playing "Cheating" on the clip below from a recent club gig.

**** for Cheating, Now She Comes In Colour, The American Dream, Hunting For A New Love, Barracuda

*** for Alive And Well, My Kind, Abbie's Dolls, Jaildoor, See The Glow, Big City, Deathwish

** for Restless Mind

Various ‎"Girls In The Garage Volume 6" (Rec. 60's, Comp.1990)***

Yes, I know Volume 6 of any series sounds dangerously close to barrel scraping. But I couldn't resist buying this one: a limited reissue (mine is No.142/1000) on blue 180 gram vinyl with cool artwork and a nice booklet, on discount as a Record Store Day-related promotion. Of course this year there was no RSD because of the corona pandemic, so the related promotions and special RSD editions were split into more doses. A bit like entering a physical record store, when you have to wait in line since there is a maximum of something like three clients per time, depending on the shop's size. So it had been months since I had actually visited a record shop, but when I finally did they had to drag me out to make room for other customers. I came away with quite a few bargains, including this one. I couldn't find the date of the original Girls In The Garage 6 release (on Romulan Records) on discogs but based on the catalogue number it must have been released in 1990. This reissue on the Past & Present label is from 2018, so there are still a lot of mint copies on sale if this kind of thing interests you. Me, I used to be a compulsive buyer of everything garage/psych-related and I still occasionally succumb to the compulsion. That said, the garage maniacs among you shouldn't get their hopes up because this compilation isn't your Pebbles-style raw garage rock as was the case with the first entries in the series. Bands like The Cupons and Ellaine & The Shardells pay in Shirelles-like girl groups style, others (Pat Downey, Millie Rogers, Donna Loren) are just typical 60's pop. Beatlemania novelty "Ringo Boy" is probably the record's lowest point, while Kari Lynn's opener "Cleo Cleopatra" is a winner thanks less to singer and more to the nameless backing band for its distorted guitar, clanky piano and occasional gong. Other notables include The Fatima's galloping oriental surf beat "Hoochy Coo" and the crunchy riff of Karen Verros' "You Just Gotta Know My Mind" (a 1965 Donovan composition). Another gem is Die Crazy Girls' shake number "Hey Hey Ha Ha" from 1963 Germany, featuring surf guitars and sped-up barelhouse piano. Roberta Wolfson and Norwegians Karin Krogh & The Public Enemies offer us nice mod/beat versions of classics "Tobacco Road" and "Watermelon Man" respectively. Jonna Gault's "I'm Never Gonna Cry Again" is a spy movie-style groovy tune from 1966 reminiscent of Nancy Sinatra, while Venus Flytrap add this album's sole nod to psychedelia with the atmospheric Jefferson Airplane-like "The Note". Lastly, Tacey Robbins's "My L.A" isn't just notable for its garagey R&B beat, but has also secured a place in B-movie history having been prominently featured in the 1965 crime thriller called Psycho A Go Go.

  

The film was ostensibly about a diamond heist gone wrong and starred Tacey as the female lead. Somehow, director Al Anderson found it fit to fill the movie with nightclub scenes that had absolutely nothing to do with the story and everything to do with promoting the actress' singing career, whom he also managed. Shockingly, it wasn't the box office smash he hoped for. So he tried to re-sell it under a different title, Echo Of Terror. It still didn't walk, so instead of giving up he cut a few new scenes and added an extra story arc: apparently the baddie wasn't just a criminal, but a Vietnam vet turned into a psycho by a mad scientist (played by John Carradine) who experimented with his brain. Makes sense, right? The movie hit the cinemas again under the title The Fiend with the Electronic Brain. What do you know? Despite the addition of a mad scientist and tapping into the anti-Vietnam war zeitgeist, it still wasn't success! A lesser man may have called it quits, but not Al Anderson! So he added yet more new scenes, this time with a different storyline that included zombies, and made a Frankenstein's monster of a movie using scenes filmed in three different time periods and with three different casts. Even Ed Wood wouldn't be bold enough to release such an abomination, but he did! The nightclub scenes were omitted this time as Tacey had since retired and there were no records to promote, while the jewel heist arc was kept but dramatically shortened. As we learn from wikipedia, this time the film, now called Blood of Ghastly Horror, was a big hit in drive-in cinemas for years, which goes to show that, as AMC has found out, zombies are the magic ingredient! After the movie had ran its course in the drive-in circuit, he re-titled it once more and sold it to late-night TV under the title The Man with the Synthetic Brain. How bad do you want to see that movie now? Well, you're in luck, because the whole thing is available online, with retro TV ads to boot since someone must have programmed his video to record and went to bed but neglected to remove the ads. Enjoy!

**** for Cleo Cleopatra (Kari Lynn), Hey Hey Ha Ha (Crazy Girls), I'm Never Gonna Cry Again (Jonna Gault), My L.A.(Tacey Robbins), Hoochy Coo (Fatimas), You Just Gotta Know My Mind (Karen Verros), The Note (Venus Flytrap)

*** for Real Live Lover (Pat Downey & The Vistas), Turn Her Down (Cupons), Tell Me That You Care (Ellaine & The Shardells), There You Go (Millie Rogers),Watermelon Man (Karin Krogh & The Public Enemies), So Do The Zonk (Donna Loren), Tobacco Road (Roberta Wolfson) 

** for Ringo Boy (Dori Peyton)

Whitesnake "The Purple Album"(Deluxe) 2015***

A few years ago I wrote (here) about witnessing a show of Whitesnake's Purple Tour. Obviously if I had the Purple album already I would have coupled the live review with the relevant CD presentation, but in that case I used a Whitesnake (WS) compilation from my collection. I hadn't even heard the album at the time but that didn't matter. I was eager to listen to WS play Mark III & IV Purple tracks, since they're pretty good musicians and since the touring version of Deep Purple choose to ignore the Coverdale/Hughes period and never play these songs live. As Coverdale explains in the CD's liner notes, it was Jon Lord's death (Deep Purple and sometime WS organist) that prompted him to speak with his old colleagues and patch things up, especially Blackmore with whom he hadn't parted in the best circumstances. This led to talking about working together again, which led to Coverdale revisiting these songs, trying out new arrangements etc. The collaboration didn't go through - at the time Blackmore was only playing Renaissance music, although he did return to rock a couple of years later with Rainbow (I was there too, read here). By then though Coverdale was really itching to play the songs again, so he went ahead without Blackmore, recording this tribute CD and touring with his regular group. Right before the recording, guitarist Doug Aldrich quit the band, so his replacement Joel Hoekstra joined Reb Beach to form the WS dual guitar attack team. Thus instead of DP Mark III/IV's line-up with two vocalists and one guitarist, the songs were re-arranged for a two-guitarist-one-vocalist team. The effects are visible right from the start: the CD opens with Mark III's literally most incendiary song "Burn". The solos are as intricate as the original's, but Blackmore's precise progressive style is replaced by a more agressive heavy metal tone. Vocal-wise, Coverdale can still carry the songs but there's a hole where bassist/co-vocalist Hughes's parts should be. There are some backing vocals throughout the album, but those Hughes/Coverdale harmonies are even more sorely missed than Blackmore's guitar. Don't forget Hughes is the man whom fans dubbed "the Voice of Rock". However exaggerated the title, he can't just be replaced with any backing singer. And talking about irreplaceable, what about Jon Lord? Don Airy has done an adequate job filling his boots in Deep Purple, but studio keyboardist Derek Hilland doesn't even try. He gets a few fills here and there (most notably in "You Keep On Moving") but otherwise, instead of Purple's trademark guitar/organ interplay, we get a double dose of lead guitar lending the heavier songs ("Stormbringer", "Lady Double Dealer" and "Lay Down Stay Down") a more metallic hue. Maybe that makes it sometimes seem as if that the band is substituting quality with quantity, but the results are nevertheless quite enjoyable. "The Gypsy" is an epic track from Stormbringer that WS fail to nail completely, but "Might Just Take Your Life" follows closely and successfully the original. Ditto for the soulful "You Keep On Moving" from 1975's Come Taste The Band which in retrospect seems to presage the early blues days of Whitesnake. Conversely, "You Fool No One" and "Love Child" sound like WS in their hair metal heyday - the latter even sounds uncannily like their big 1987 hit "Still Of The Night". Could we have been wrong then accusing WS of stealing Jimmy Page's riffs when they was actually copying Tommy Bolin? The version of "Holy Man" here seems to be a bit on the country -or at least Southern Rock- side, while "Sail Away" is a beautiful ballad with emotive lead vocal, nice harmonies and acoustic guitars . "Mistreated" is the classic heavy blues that functioned as a showcase for both Coverdale and Blackmore, which is why they both kept playing it with their later bands. It features in Whitesnake's Live at Hammersmith (1978) and Rainbow's On Stage (1976) in a memorable performance by Ronnie James Dio and is still a staple of the reformed Rainbow setlist. Coverdale delivers here an impassioned performance while the guitarists try to outdo Blackmore by playing even faster, which won't do the trick - but hey it's still pretty good. The band's sentimental side is completed with gorgeous acoustic ballad "Soldier of Fortune". The Deluxe version adds two more covers, both from Come Taste the Band. These are the funky "Lady Luck" and hard rocking "Comin' Home". Which brings the total to: 6 songs from Burn (1974), 5 from Stormbringer (1974) and 4 from Come Taste the Band (1975). The balance sounds about right. Apart from the extra tracks, the Deluxe version also includes a DVD with 4 video clips and a Behind The Scenes featurette. Worth paying a couple of extra bucks for - that's if you decide to get the album, which isn't something you ought to do unless: A) you're a WS fan who is somehow unfamiliar with the originals. In this case, you can view this as one of WS's better and harder rocking albums of the last two decades. B) you're a Deep Purple obsessive who never tires of listening to reinterpretations of his favorite songs. No matter whether these new versions are better (they aren't) or just different (they are, to a degree) than the originals, you'll enjoy their energy and savor the different touches. I guess I fall more or less in the second category.

**** for Burn, You Fool No One, Love Child, Might Just Take Your Life, You Keep On Moving, Soldier of Fortune, Stormbringer

*** for Sail Away, Lady Double Dealer, Mistreated, Holy Man, Lay Down Stay Down, Comin' Home

** for The Gypsy, Lady Luck

 

The Dirty Strangers "Dirty Strangers" 1987***

30 years ago, the Dirty Strangers' debut found its way to European record shops. The name of the band  couldn't have been familiar to many outside their Shepherd Bush (London) neighborhood, but the record had something more eye-catching than a picture of crudely painted boobs on its cover: a hype sticker announcing "Guest stars Keith Richards and Ron Wood". Now how the hell did get a complete unknown like the Dirty Strangers' singer/songwriter Alan Clayton get two Rolling Stones to play guitar on his record? Apparently the guy used to work as a bouncer when a roadie introduced him to Richards, and the two hit it off. They'd jam together from time to time when Keith was tired of Jagger's superstar antics and yearning for some honest working class-lads' rock'n'roll, so when Clayton had a steady band and enough songs for an LP he invited Keith to play. Keith brought his pal Ron along and even paid to do some guitar overdubs because the band's bludget wouldn't allow it. Imagine that, Keith Richards paying out of his own pocket so that he can play on your album! It is a decent production, thankfully devoid of 80's studio gloss but with a clear and full sound. The music is organic old-time rock'n'roll with a bit of soul and some punk attitude. Not surprising, considering that the Dirty Strangers included occasional Chuck Berry sideman ‘Scotty’ Mulve on keys and former Rut Paul Fox on guitar. Richards' guitar features prominently in both singles, the Stonesy "Thrill Of The Thrill" and Chuck Berry pastiche "Bathing Belles". Ron Wood plays on 3 tracks: rocker "Baby" with distinctive horns as well as nice piano by Blockhead Mick Gallagher, ballad "Eager to Please" with soulful backing vocals by Angie Brown and "Here She Comes" which to my ears sounds Clash influenced. Richards adds some classy guitar licks to 4 more songs: punky "Oh Yeah", rockabilly "Wide Boys And Slim Pickings" and two quasi-ballads: Otis Redding soul tribute "Diamonds" and country-ish "I didn't Want To Be An Angel". The rest of the songs include Stonesy R&B "Hands Up", "Little Miss Vanity" with its groovy organ, and "Wild One" - the latter may be inspired by the rockabilly classic of the same name, but is a Clayton original same as the other songs here. The Rolling Stones connection proved a mixed blessing, helping sales in Europe but prohibiting the album from getting a US release for contractual reasons. Clayton would later join The Rolling Stones road crew as well as play and record with different versions of The Dirty Strangers. His friendship with Richards took him to places he wouldn't have gone otherwise but he had the tunes, too - this is his music, and it isn't half bad. To be honest, while this is nothing more than a slice of decent pub rock, it's still better than some of the stuff his famous friends released around the same time.

**** for Thrill of the Thrill

*** for Baby, Easy to Please, Oh Yeah!,Didn't Want to Be an Angel, Wild One, Bathing Belles, Here She Comes, Hands up, Diamonds

** for Wide Boys & Slim Pickings, Little Miss Vanity

The Bintangs "Genuine Bull" 1975****

I had read about this being one of the best rock LP's that came out of the Netherlands in the 70's but I still hadn't gotten around to listening to it when I found a copy in my neighborhood record store for a very reasonable €5. Of course the price might have something to do with the fact that the previous owners had written their names with big letters on the cover - "Julio" must have been the original owner but his name was stricken off and "George" wrote his name both on the front and back cover as well as both sides of the record labels. As for the vinyl itself, there were many signs of use but at least George hadn't carved his name on it, so I decided to give it a try and was justified: slight noise in the quiet part between songs but otherwise fine sound. Or at least as fine a sound as possible for a collection of songs that could have sprung out of The Rolling Stones' notoriously murky sounding Exile On Main Street. The sound of that album was attributed to the excess consumption of various substances during its recording, but there's no indication of something similar happening here. Here they seem to keep it deliberately raw and loose in order to emulate the rockier 70's Stones moments, making the most of Gus Pleines' Jagger-like vocals. Interestingly they take the opposite approach to The Stones' Exile... which had seen them decamping to a French mansion to record: The Bintangs traveled to the UK to record in the famous Rockfield Studios in Wales with Link Wray producer Steve Verroca, who also wrote some of the songs. The music is blues based rock, featuring some nice bottleneck guitar, rolling piano and occasional sax. Opening Southern rocker "Hobo Man" is one of the highlights, followed by raucous garage rocker "Insight Inside Out" and the bluesier "Agnes Grey" - the latter reminded me of The Animals with its House-of-the-rising-sun guitar intro. "Open and Busted" (which was also chosen for a 7' single release) is another slice of hard rock, while Side A closes with the swampy mid-tempo beat of "Biyou Woman" with vocals this time reminiscent of Dr. John or Captain Beefheart. "New Orleans, New Orleans" is a singalong R&B tune, a bit too loose and simple for my taste. "Handmade High-Heeled Fleshcoloured Boots" is another re-hash of the Stones' Exile... sound but garage/blues "Traveling Mood" offers more variation with its Jerry Lee-like piano and Troggs-style vocal. "Do John" sports a Bo Diddley beat, nice harp and fast guitar solos that reminded me of Ten Years After's Alvin Lee. Incidentally, around the same time Lee was a potential candidate for Mick Taylor's position in The Rolling Stones. He was rejected, some say because Jagger didn't want any guitarists who could sing - I know that Richards does sing sometimes, but don't tell me he can sing, have you heard him? The closer, and one of the LP's most popular tunes, "Cold War Generation Kids" combines the swagger of The Stones' "It's Only Rock'n'Roll" with the glam-punk energy of The New York Dolls. All in all a great blues rock record. Had the Rolling Stones followed Exile In Main Street with something like this, few would complain - other than Mick Jagger that is, who was bent on bringing the group back to more commercial paths. For some reason Genuine Bull didn't succeed to break The Bintangs internationally, and they only retain the status of local heroes (as well as of the longest-running Dutch rock band, soon to celebrate their 60th[!] anniversary). If you already haven't, it's time you discovered them, too! 

**** for Hobo Man, Insight Inside Out, Agnes Grey, Open and Busted, Biyou Woman, Traveling Mood, Do John, Cold War Generation Kids

*** for Handmade High-Heeled Fleshcoloured Boots

** for New Orleans New Orleans 

Gregg Allman Band "Playin' Up A Storm" 1977***

Playin' Up A Storm seems like the wrong title for this album, especially when compared to the marathon blues rock workouts the Allman Brothers Band had gotten us used to. No denying that Gregg Allman is joined here by great musicians, but they never let loose: the arrangements are tight, while most of the songs are timed around 3:30', just the right timing for mainstream radio play. A lot had changed since GA's solo debut Laid Back: that album was recorded at the same time with the Allman Brothers' masterpiece Brothers And Sisters, featuring many of the same players. In the following years, the band became a huge draw on the festival circuit, but their albums lacked inspiration while the band members were overworked from the constant touring and experiencing drug-related problems. Gregg had distanced himself from the rest by spending most of his time in LA with celebrity wife Cher and her circle - during this period of his life he'd feature in gossip magazines much more often than music ones. The final blow came when he testified against a band "security guard"/drug dealer in exchange for a reduced sentence, something his hippie bandmates wouldn't forgive. Hence the move to Hollywood, combined with a different, more "sophisticated" style. No long-winding solos and jams for stoned hippie audiences, this is soul pop with funky grooves, late-night jazz and blues with a professional mainstream production by studio big-shot Lenny Waronker. It works well for jazz ballads "Brightest Smile in Town" and "Bring It on Back" where the lush strings and horns complement GA's impassioned vocal performance perfectly. "Cryin' Shame" seems tailored for black radio: funky grooves, nice backing vocals and a jazzy break on clavinet or some sort of synth. Another upbeat funky piece is "Let This Be a Lesson to Ya'", co-written with Dr. John. It's reminiscent of the good doctor's Right Place Wrong Time period and also features some great electric guitar. Dr. John and Little Feat's Bill Payne also play various keyboards in this record, although I think we should attribute most of the piano playing to Allman himself. "Sweet Feelin'" is a throwback to 60's rock'n'roll and R&B, "Matthew's Arrival" a jazz-funk instrumental and "It Ain't No Use" a slow blues with an emotive vocal. Opener "Come And Go Blues" is and old ABB favorite. This version has a relaxed and funky vibe, but misses the fire of the ABB original. Another Gregg Allman composition called "One More Try" closes the album, and it's a cross between his older blues rock style and the West Coast (think Eagles) sound. All in all a pretty good album, although it didn't meet with a lot of success. I guess it proved to be too smooth for ABB fans, but not commercial enough for those who knew Allman as one half of a celebrity couple. His next move (to make an album together with wife Cher under the moniker Allman And Woman) was universally panned and put an end to his L.A. adventure. Pretty soon he was divorced and back to the Allman Brothers fold, playing Southern Rock for those who knew him and respected him for who he was. This album, while not typical of his usual style, is a good display for his singing and keyboard playing, and a welcome diversion for those who want to focus on his more sensitive and understated side.

**** for Brightest Smile In Town, Cryin' Shame, Sweet Feelin', It Ain't No Use

*** for Come And Go Blues, Let This Be A Lesson To Ya', Bring It On Back, Matthew's Arrival, One More Try