I'm in the process of re-listening and re-evaluating my record collection, in no particular order. I'll be sharing the results of my evaluation and thoughts on the music in this blog.
I found this LP in the bargain bin of my local record store. I wasn’t familiar with either Ella Mae Morse or Freddie Slack, but I did recognize several titles. Songs like “The House of Blue Lights,” “Money Honey,” and “Down the Road a Piece” are now rock’n’roll standards—I have versions by artists like Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, and Flamin' Groovies in my collection. These recordings, however, predate all of those covers—and even predate rock and roll itself. Despite the 1960s aesthetic of the sleeve, most of the tracks were originally released on 78 RPM records in the 1940s and early ’50s. The earliest, “Cow Cow Boogie” (1942), features a 17-year-old Ella Mae Morse backed by the Freddie Slack Orchestra. Slack, a pianist who had previously played with Jimmy Dorsey, appears on many of the recordings here, though not all. Although they are not credited on the album cover, some of the later tracks actually feature Big Dave's Orchestra rather than Slack's. Throughout the records one encounters country influences (e.g. "Cow Cow Boogie"), pop ballads (e.g. "I Love You, Yes I Do"), big band instrumentals ("Strange Cargo") and straight blues (e.g. "Buzz Me"). At its core though, this is danceable jazz music driven by rolling boogie-woogie piano. You could call it jump blues or boogie-woogie, but it often comes strikingly close to what would soon be labeled rock and roll. Tracks like “House of Blue Lights” (a 1945 Freddie Slack original) and “Down the Road a Piece” feature playful spoken interludes in ’40s hipster slang. "Money Honey" by Clyde McPhatter & the Drifters topped the R&B charts in 1953; Ella Mae picked it right up, way before Elvis and the rest did. Interestingly, she was among the first white singers to appear on the “race records” (a category later renamed "R&B") charts: since radio listeners are oblivious to musicians' skin color, her music often crossed over more successfully with black than white audiences. She retired from recording in 1957, just as rock and roll was taking off. Despite considerable success in her time—according to the liner notes, her biggest seller “Blacksmith Blues” (1951) sold a million copies—she is not widely remembered today. There have nevertheless been a few reissues of her early work; this particular LP was released in 1969 by Specialty Records in the UK, as Capitol Records retained the rights in the United States. On, apparently, "Stereo Enhanced Mono" but also "playable on monaural gramophones". By now, of course, these recordings are -in Europe, at least- copyright free, so there are also some recent cheap CD reissues of her music available.
**** for Mister Five By Five, Blacksmith Blues, Pig Foot Pete, The House Of Blue Lights, Money Honey, Down The Road A Piece, Get Off It And Go, Have Mercy Baby, Cow Cow Boogie, Buzz Me
*** for Rock Me All Night Long, 40 Cups Of Coffee, Strange Cargo, I Love You Yes I Do
From Jethro Tull to Twisted Sister, Bob Dylan to Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Beach Boys to Eric Clapton, every rocker seems to think they owe their fans a Christmas album. Even Bad Religion(religion bad, Christmas good? How does that figure?) Brian Setzer, though, has taken it to another level. Since he left The Stray Cats behind, he's been on a mission to resurrect the golden age of big bands, swing, and rockabilly. Who better, then, than him to play those old chestnuts familiar from Elvis and the Rat Pack? He channels the spirit of the King with aplomb on “Blue Christmas” and “Santa Claus Is Back in Town”, embellishing them with his own trademark reverb-drenched guitar solos, while Elvis' erstwhile costar Ann-Margret adds authenticity by providing playful guest vocals on "Baby, It's Cold Outside". Previously, side one has opened with probably the most cliché Christmas tune, "Jingle Bells". Setzer manages to make it sound interesting by giving it a rockabilly twist ("Oh what fun it is to ride in a '57 Chevrolet"), while "Boogie Woogie Santa Claus" is pure R&B, Winter Wonderland" is jazzy and "The Nutcracker Suite" is an ambitious swing/classical crossover - he'd return to this idea on 2007's Wolfgang's Big Night Out. Side two keeps up with impeccably played and tightly arranged big band versions of yuletide classics "(Everybody's Waitin' for) The Man with the Bag" and "Sleigh Ride", a Stray Cats-style rocking "Run Rudolph Run", country-ish "Cactus Christmas" (is it an original? I wasn't previously familiar with it), and ballad "So They Say It's Christmas". The album closes with two earnestly spiritual songs "O Holy Night" and "The Amens", utilizing a very churchy choir. All in all, Setzer manages to retain everything we all love about those old seasonal favorites, while making subtle changes that breath new life to them. His ebullience is infectious, and the album makes for a delightfully fun listening experience that is sure to put you in celebratory mood for the holidays. The album was originally released on CD only, but for the vinyl lovers there's a beautiful reissue from 2019 in Christmas tree-green-colored vinyl and gatefold cover. Of course I bought it, and every December it makes repeated trips to my turntable. Three more Christmas-themed albums followed: Dig That Crazy Christmas (2005), Rockin' Rudolph (2015), and the live Christmas Comes Alive (2010), plus a compilation and a couple of live DVDs: Brian Setzer Orchestra Live: Christmas Extravaganza (2005) and Christmas Rocks! (2018). I haven't heard/seen them all, but everything I've heard seems to be in the same spirit. All guaranteed fun, but there's no beating the original, so this is the one to start your Brian Setzer Christmas collection with!
**** for Jingle Bells, Boogie Woogie Santa Claus, Santa Claus Is Back in Town, Run Rudolph Run
*** for Winter Wonderland, Blue Christmas, Baby, It's Cold Outside, The Nutcracker Suite, (Everybody's Waitin' for) The Man with the Bag, Sleigh Ride, Cactus Christmas, So They Say It's Christmas
I was visiting the beautiful old town of Amersfort for work, but (of course) still found time to visit the local record shop, where I saw this at the used LP section. Immediately my absurdity alarm bell began ringing: 3 teddy boy style guys posing in front of a wall with Cyrillic graffiti? Made in The USSR? I don't have anything like that in my collection! I wonder what it sounds like... I asked to listen to it, and was convinced after listening to a few seconds of the first song: "Come On!" is a great slice of neo-rockabilly, every bit as good as The Straycats albeit sung in Russian - which makes for a surreal experience. The band do not seem so much concerned with rocking hard or replicating the fifties rock sound (which they do) they're just full of enthousiasm and fun. Their playing is good all around, but on that first listen I especially liked the sax which reminded me of Louis Jordan. On returning home, I googled them, and came across their source of inspiration: If the title Mister Twister reminds us of Chubby Checker (Is it a biiird?Noooo...Is it an aeroplaaane? Noooo...Is it a Twister?) to those growing in the Soviet Union it had a different meaning: Mister Twister was a popular satirical children's poem whose protagonist, an obnoxious and racist American millionaire, was cleverly tricked and punished for his arrogance by a Soviet hotel clerk. So the band name is not just American and retro, but also mocking of the communist propaganda of the older Russian generation. Starting out in 1985, Mister Twister quickly became the country's leading representatives of a youth movement called "style" (meaning retro? mod? not sure myself), which explains why their 1990 debut for the state record label Melodiya sold an estimated 1,7 million(!) copies - meaning it's not exactly a rarity. Indeed while the album rarely appears at Western record shops, it can easily be obtained on second hand vinyl from The Russian Federation and other former Soviet Republics. Whether you should get it depends on whether the idea of Russian language rockabilly appeals to you. Purely musically it's good but not exceptional: You either like rockabilly or not, and there's only so much you can do within the genre. There's a bunch of fast tunes that remind me of Gene Vincent, like "Rockabilly-Rock", "Rock-n-Roll Without Validolum", "I Often Hear The Question", and the sole cover "Shake, Rattle & Roll". These give the guitarist the chance to shine, laying those fancy licks thick on the ground. Next to the rockers there are some mid-tempo jazzy numbers ("We`ve Parted", "Blues For J.", "Fat Hands Blues", "Arbat Shuffle"), 60's pop ("By The Blue Sea") and ballads ("Tenderland", the romantic "Moscow Nights") signifying the boys have been listening to a lot of Elvis. I personally prefer the faster songs, but I have to admit that Russian as a language is a more natural fit for ballads. In any case, besides being an interesting curio, this is as good a rock'n'roll record as any made in the West during the same time period. I was quite happy to add it to my collection.
**** for Давай! (Come On!), Mы Расстались (We`ve Parted), Pокабилли-Pок (Rockabilly-Rock), Pок-н-Pолл Без Валидола (Rock-n-Roll Without Validolum), Блюз Пуxлых Pук (Fat Hands Blues), Арбатский Шаффл (Arbat Shuffle), Московские Hочи (Moscow Nights), У Cамого Cинего Mоря (By The Blue Sea)
*** for Блюз Для Ю. (Blues For J.), Рок Bокруг Дискотеки (Rock Around The Discotheque), Shake Rattle & Roll, Bечер Pок-н-Pоллa (Rock-n-Roll Party), Pок-Tерапия (Rock Therapy), Я Часто Cлышу (Bопрос) (I Often Hear The Question)
If there's one rocker whose name is forever linked to Christmas, that would be Brian Setzer. The former singer/guitarist of the greatest rockabilly revival group The Straycats branched out into swing during the mid-90's with his big band The Brian Setzer Orchestra. They released a number of Christmas CD's, but I won't be presenting one of those today: this one has a different, yet quite Christmas-y in its own way concept: playful swing versions of some of the most famous classics, starting with Beethoven's 5th Symphony, retitled "Take the 5th" - as in "I refuse to incriminate myself, so I'll take the 5th". Talk about starting off with a bang, doesn't get any better than this! The horns and drums sound the loudest but, as always with the B.S.O., there's some quite flashy guitar playing as well - just to showus that Ritchie Blackmoreisn't the only rock guitarist to play Beethoven! It's followed by "One More Night With You" (actually Grieg's "Hall of the Mountain King"), one of only two tunes with vocals, which he sings with the help of a female chorus - Classical music done in Rat PackVegas-style, and very successful to boot! The girls return on "Honey Man" (a.k.a. Rimsky-Korsakov’s "Flight of the Bumblebee"), urging him to play "Faster!Faster!" - and he does, you can mentally see his guitar throwing sparks! Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance" is another fast tune that allows him to display his speed, while the other Beethoven track "Fur Elise" is given a more romantic Django-like gypsy swing flavour. The worst piece of classical music ever (Mendelssohn's wedding march) is spruced up and mingled with Wagner's "Lohengrin" to make it a bit less cliché. The title is, once more, a comical play of words: "Here Comes The Broad" (as in "here comes the bride"). Setzer continues his irreverent stance, giving Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture" a mambo introduction and renaming "The Blue Danube" into "Some River in Europe". He intersects small musical phrases stolen from all over (from the French national hymn to "Smoke On The Water") and enjoys playing with the songs' titles. And, since Christmas is never far away with Setzer, he closes the album with the old English carol "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" done up in 60's spy-movie fashion and employing a heavier Hendrix-like style on guitar. A fun album that got Setzer one more Grammy nomination, this time in a most unexpected category as Best Classical Crossover Album - and rightly so, as he managed to transform ages-old overtly familiar melodies with playful and imaginative orchestrations, danceable rhythm, swinging drumming and his nimble guitar work. The album cover illustrates that idea by having the band posing as serious pouting composers on the one photo and partying rockers on the other - except for the guy (2nd on the left) looking like J.S. Bach, he just pouts twice! I'm pretty sure it's because Setzer forgot him. Get over it, Johan Sebastian! It's Christmas, live a little! Dance, drink, have some fun🍸 for Chrissakes!
**** for Take The 5th (Beethoven's 5th symphony), One More Night With You (Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King), Honey Man (Rimsky-Korsakov’s "Flight of the Bumblebee"), For Lisa (Beethoven's "Für Elise")
*** for Wolfgang's Big Night Out (Mozart's "Eine kleine Nachtmusik"), Yes We Can Can (Offenbach's can-can "Orpheus in the Underworld"), Swingin' Willie (Rossini's "William Tell Overture"), Sabre Dance (Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance"), 1812 Overdrive (Tchaikovsky's "1812 Overture"), Take A Break Guys ("God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen")
** for Here Comes The Broad (Wagner's "Lohengrin"/Mendelssohn's "A Midsummer Night's Dream"), Some River In Europe (Strauss's "The Blue Danube")
Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year to you all!
Every year around mid-December I start compiling my official holiday CD. I make a list of 30-35 songs and play them for my girlfriend. Together we decide what stays in and what goes out. The CD is always heavy on old jazz/easy listening numbers but also contains rock and folk. The idea is that songs should convey the holiday feel, without necessarily following the Christmas theme. Christmas songs are (of course) mandatory but they shouldn't make up the majority, so every year I include 7-10 of them (out of 20-25). After 11 years, you start to realise there aren't as many of them as you thought and have to struggle to avoid repetition. This is where this compilation comes in handy. It's called "100 Hits - Christmas Legends" and contains all the obvious hits and legends, as well as a lot of yuletide obscurities to choose from. Seeing that it's 100 songs and that I don't intend to spend all of Christmas Day in front of the computer, I won't do a complete presentation and rating as I usually do. Suffice it to say you get all the must-haves concerning both hits (Jingle Bells, White Christmas, Deck The Halls, Let It Snow!, Winter Wonderland, Silent Night, O Christmas Tree, Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree, Frosty The Snowman, Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer etc) and legends (e.g. Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Dean Martin, Judy Garland, Louis Armstrong, Andrews Sisters and Doris Day - all of them just in the first of five CD's). The highlights are too many to mention but some of my favorites are Dean Martin's "Let It Snow!", Eartha Kitt's sultry "Santa Baby" and Louis Armstrong's "Zat You Santa Claus". It also contains some lesser known nuggets that always crack me up: Ella Fitzgerald's "Santa Claus Got Stuck In My Chimney" and Spike Jones' "All I Want For Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)" - yes, I've heard a bunch of versions but this is the funniest. I also enjoyed the two relatively unknown tracks by the BBC Dance Orchestra. I've always loved the Bonzo Dog Band's 30's pastiches and after listening to "The Santa Claus Express" I saw where they got their inspiration from. I'm posting the complete tracklist below, plus a clip from every CD. And, if you're looking for something appropriately Christmas-y for next year's holidays, this one currently costs only £5.99 on Amazon. It should do just fine - until my home-made compilations hit the market and wipe out all competition, that is. Enjoy, and a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!
CD1
Bing Crosby -White Christmas
Frank Sinatra -Christmas Dreaming (A Little Early This Year)
Perry Como -It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
Nat King Cole -The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)
Dean Martin -I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
Judy Garland -Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Eddie Fisher -You're All I Want For Christmas
Harry Belafonte -Mary's Boy Child
Louis Armstrong -Cool Yule
Anne Shelton -Merry Christmas
Mitch Miller And The Gang -Deck The Halls
Dean Martin -Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
The Andrews Sisters -The Merry Christmas Polka
Doris Day -Here Comes Santa Claus
Vic Damone-Marshmallow World
Dave King -Christmas And You
Frank Sinatra -O Come All Ye Faithful
Peggy Lee -Ring Those Christmas Bells
David Whitfield -Santo Natale
Mario Lanza-Ave Maria
CD2
Nat King Cole -The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot
Perry Como -Winter Wonderland
Johnny Mathis -What Child Is This?
Brook Benton -This Time Of Year
Frank Sinatra -Silent Night
Bing Crosby -I'll Be Home For Christmas (If Only In My Dreams)
Mario Lanza-O Christmas Tree
Connie Francis -Baby's First Christmas
Dinah Shore -Ole Santa
Paul Robeson -Mary Had A Baby, Yes, Lord
Dean Martin -The Christmas Blues
Louis Armstrong -Christmas In New Orleans
Peggy Lee -Winter Weather
Danny Kaye, Bing Crosby, Peggy Lee And Trudy Erwin -Snow
Eddie Fisher -That's What Christmas Means To Me
June Hutton -Song Of The Sleighbells
Gracie Fields -Christmas Eve In Fairyland
Eddie Arnold -Christmas Can't Be Very Far Away
The Orioles -(It's GonnaBe) A Lonely Christmas
Billy Eckstine-Blue Christmas
CD3
Eartha Kitt-Santa Baby
Brenda Lee -Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree
Ella Fitzgerald -Santa Claus Got Stuck In My Chimney
The Andrews Sisters -Christmas Island
Perry Como -TwasThe Night Before Christmas
Mario Lanza-We Three Kings Of Orient Are
The Beverly Sisters -Little Donkey
Nat King Cole -Frosty The Snowman
Bing Crosby -Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
Petula Clark -Where Did My Snowman Go?
Spike Jones -All I Want For Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)
Dickie Valentine -Christmas Alphabet
Frank Sinatra -Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Frankie Laine And Jo Stafford -Christmas Roses
Gracie Fields -Christmas Bells At Eventide
Judy Garland -The Birthday Of A King
Peggy Lee -It's Christmas Time Again
The Weavers -One For The Little Bitty Baby (Go Where I Send Thee)
Eddie Fisher -Christmas Day
Rosemary Clooney -Suzy Snowflake
CD4
The Weavers -We Wish You A Merry Christmas
Elisabeth Schmann-Coventry Carol
Frank Sinatra -Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Georges Thill-CantiqueDe Noel
Judy Garland -The Star Of The East
Lonnie Donegan-On A Christmas Day
Mario Lanza-O Holy Night (Cantique De Noel)
Bing Crosby -God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman
Anne Shelton -Away In A Manger
Glenn Miller -Jingle Bells
Perry Como -The Twelve Days Of Christmas
Dick Haymes-O Little Town Of Bethlehem
Frank Sinatra -It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
Nat King Cole -There's A Train Out For Dreamland
Kay Kyser-Hello Mr. Kringle
Tino Rossi -Petit Papa Noel
Django Reinhardt And Stephane Grappelli-Christmas Swing
Lita Roza-St. Nicholas Waltz
Boston Pops Orchestra -Sleigh Ride
BBC Dance Orchestra -The Santa Claus Express
CD5
Louis Armstrong -Zat You Santa Claus
Louis Prima -Shake Hands With Santa Claus
Bobby Helms -Jingle Bell Rock
Mabel Scott -Boogie Woogie Santa Claus
Margaret Whiting -The Mistletoe Kiss Polka
Nat King Cole -Mrs. Santa Claus
The Beverly Sisters -I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
BBC Dance Orchestra -The Fairy On The Christmas Tree
Dick Haymes-The First Nowell
Frank Sinatra -The Christmas Waltz
Glenn Miller -Cradle Song
Jack Teagarden With Johnny Mercer -Christmas Night In Harlem
This is the ULTIMATE ROCK AND TROLL RECORD! Yeah, I know that back in '97 trolling was not a part of our vocabulary but what do you call this CD cover? A 65-year old former teen idol-turned-religious singer and conservative media figure, suddenly donning an earring and black leather vest in order to deliver heavy metal covers? And I'm not even mentioning his posing on a Harley Davidson, Easy Rider-style, on the back cover. It must be a joke, just look at the glimmer in his eye. Someone had a lot a fun designing this cover just to troll us, didn't he? Yes, and no. Yes, I'm sure the graphic designer must have been chuckling all the time while he made this, but no - the record is legit. And if you think the cover is funny, wait 'till you hear the music - you will be ROFL. We're talking about the likes of Metallica executed in honest-to-God Big Band/ Las Vegas entertainer style. Now, some of us remember how Pat Boone built a super successful career in the 50's by taking hot black R&B and turning it into pop mush fit for consumption by white middle-class teens. Hell, he was that decade's second biggest selling artist, next to Elvis! So maybe he figured that if that approach worked with the blues, why not try it on heavy metal? They're both the devil's music, I'll grant you, but Pat Boone ain't afraid of the Devil! The Devil should be afraid of Pat Boone, after what he did to his favorite music! And the funniest thing is that it often works! The big band arrangements are done in earnest with top professional musicians and, surprisingly, some songs seem to lend themselves a little too naturally to the swing treatment, with screaming guitars a little too easily replaced by the catchy jazz riffs andsolos andthe sudden blasts of brass. As for Boone himself, back in the 50's he was already his generation's less talented singerand his voice hasn't improved with time. Sometimes he croons along to the song merrily and sometimes he just goofily recites the words. But what does it matter? It's precious enough just to listen to Mr. Christian Right-Wing spouting lyrics like "You think it's easy doing one-night stands? Try playing in a rock'n'roll band!". AC/DC's "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)", by the way, sounds great in this setting, with its cool Hammond organ and late-night saxes. Ozzy's "Crazy Train" also sounds fine as light jazz - and I dare you not to burst out laughing when the backup singers go "crazy crazy traiin!choo-choo!". On "Paradise City" Boone struggles to keep up while the band plays a fast Tito Puente-like mambo rhythm. In the middle of the song they let up a little to let him catch his breath and off they go again. For the (also Latin-tinged) lead single"Smoke on the Water" they really pull all the stops, even persuading The Man-in-Black himself, Mr. Ritchie Blackmore,to come down from the silver mountain and play some electric guitar. "Holy Diver" likewise has a high profile guest in Ronnie James Dio who adds some (almost inaudible) backing vocals. It is, together with Metallica's "Enter Sandman", the most surreal experience here - that nice easy listening music combined with those dark lyrics. Judas Priest's "You've Got Another Thing Comin'" works well as swing jazz while "No More Mr. Nice Guy" is just hilarious - no other way to describe it. Of the ballads, Hendrix's "The Wind Cries Mary" gets a passable performance, while "Stairway to Heaven" tries to swing unsuccessfully and "Love Hurts" is sappy even for Pat Boone standards. The faux-soul version of Van Halen's "Panama" is probably the CD's lowest point. The album eventually sold well as it became a popular joke gift for metalheads, but at what cost? Worried for his immortal soul (seriously!)Boone's Christian fans intervened to drag him back to the path of righteousness, and thankfully succeeded! I mean, Hellwouldn't be Hell anymore with the likes of Pat Boone around! P.S. Some guy on youtube had the idea of coupling Pat Boone's version of "Holy Diver" with Dio's official video. I'm posting it here, but I have to warn you it's dangerous. People have died of laughter - it's rare but it's been known to happen! I mean, the sight of the late hobbit-sized Metal God wielding a sword is cause enough for hilarity by itself, but when he opens he mouth and you hear Pat Boone's voice you'll be trying to keep control of your bladder...
**** for Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple), It's a Long Way to the Top (AC/DC), Enter Sandman (Metallica),Holy Diver (Dio), Crazy Train(Ozzy Osbourne)
*** for You've Got Another Thing Comin' (Judas Priest), No More Mr. Nice Guy (Alice Cooper), Paradise City (Guns N' Roses), The Wind Cries Mary (Jimi Hendrix Experience)
** for Panama (Van Halen),Love Hurts (Nazareth), Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin)
I just returned to Athens from vacations in Tinos, a beautiful island in the Aegean archipelago. Serendipity had it that one of my favourite Greek performers was there at the same time, touring the islands like so many artists do in the summertime (islanders are then promptly forgotten for the next 10 months and remembered again come next July). Kostis Maraveyas and his band the Ilegal played an open theatre at the tiny mountain village of Koumaros in Tinos on the 4th of August, drawing a big crowd from throughout the island - including tourists from around the world, most of whom had never heard of Maraveyas before. People filled all the stands, some sat on the rocks around the small amphitheatre and some watched the whole show standing up. A couple next to me sat on an anthill, with unpleasant results for everyone around. Yet we all had a great time, singing and dancing along to the songs. The singer played his heart out, interacting with the audience and often telling amusing stories about the songs. Now,I've followed Maraveyas from his first concerts with Ilegal (early 2007, I think) until I left Greece, in December 2009. Last time I saw him before I left, he was playing at the garden of the Agricultural School, in a festival organised by a small Marxist party. In music and politics, Maraveyas is very similar to Manu Chao, as he stands politically very much to the left and often makes that apparent in his songs, but never gets preachy or depressing, always focusing on giving his audience a good time. Which is why he had old villagers, small children and German tourists happily clapping and dancing along to his music in Koumaros and why in the last years he's often appeared on TV and shared the stage with some of the most popular Greek singers. He's now made 4 CD's with Ilegal, the latest being this one, a live recording "from the Mansion's Garden". The Mansion of Music in Athens (a non-profit cultural space ran by one of the country's oligarchs) contains a big concert hall and various other structures but this concert was advertised as a picnic with music in the mansion's garden, much more appropriately for this kind of music - an upbeat mix of Greek folk, Latin music and retro swing.
Maraveyas Ilegal at the open theatre in Koumaros, Tinos 4/5/2015
This double CD contains live versions of almost all of Maraveyas' hits and constitutes a great introduction to the artist. At 27 tracks, it's a bit too long for a track-to-track presentation, so I'll only confine myself to the highlights: The album opens with "Diktator Des Marktes" sporting a ska/punk tone and uncharacteristically angry anti-troika lyrics: "This here is no Amsterdam/ this is no Berlin/ mores here have changed/ your past I will erase/ Down with your head!/ No more of your mess!/ Stop saying they lied/ Stop saying you're a victim/ Just work, slave, work!/ Money is your crime/ Don't seek God/ Don't ask who's to blame/ just walk straight without looking or I'll turn on the siren...". A lighter song with a similar subject follows: "Welcome to Greece" celebrates (or mocks?) the Greeks' carefree attitude in the face of the financial crisis "Have a nice holiday/ lie under the sun on the hot sand/ and don't worry about debt-filled tomorrow". Now that he's established the party atmosphere, he continues in Italian with "O’ Sarracino" (a 1958 hit for Renato Carosone) and English with "I'm Going Away". His own accordion-led "Pare Chroma" is played as a medley with "Clandestino", a staple from the early days when Ilegal were actually a more multicultural mix, true to their name. "Kato apo ton pato" (under the bottom) is a multilingual call for revolution, immediately followed by a swinging take on the classic rebetiko "Partides" by bouzouki legend Manolis Chiotis. Another 50's Greek folk hit "O Minas ehei ennia" aka "Mia zoi tin ehoume" (we only live once) gives way for his own "Den zitao polla" (i don't ask for much) about a girl that only shows her love at night or when she's drunk. Girl trouble is a recurrent theme here, most notably on the infectious "Lola". Disc 2 opens with a bit of syrtaki introducing a ballad lamenting the state of modern Greece ("Tsalapatas" - You tread on me). Maraveyas' international side is further evidenced by a couple of tango songs, "Rue Madame" and "El Tango Del Rio-Antirrio" and another Italian song, "Fila me akoma" (Jovanotti's "Baciami ancora" with translated Greek lyrics). Retro music hall number "Na to pareis to koritsi" (You have to marry the girl) is played in an upbeat jazz manouche style, dispensing laughs and good humour, while the album ends among cheers with ballad "Den Stamato" (I'm not stopping). Listening to this CD again after the Tinos concert brought a smile to my face because it took me back to the jovial mood of that night, but under any circumstances it's a fun record, brimming with positive energy. I do believe you'll be able to enjoy it, even if you don't speak Greek.
***** for Welcome To Greece, O Minas ehei ennia-Den zitao polla
**** for Diktator Des Marktes, I'm Going Away, Pare Chroma-Clandestino, Partides, Lola, Rue Madame, Na To Pareis To Koritsi
*** for O Sarracino, Ase Me Na Mpo, To Kalokairi Efyge, Kato Apo Ton Pato, Pes Mou Mia Leksi, Sto Kalo, Arkei Na Eimaste Mazi, Tsalapatas, Kyriaki Ekdromi, Pou Na Vro Mia Na Sou Moiazei, Dyo gynaikes, Trelo apo Hara, De Stamato
** for Feugo, Stin Kataigida, El Tango Del Rio-Antirrio, Fila Me Akoma, Pote Ksana Mazi
I got this at the platenbeurs (moveable open record/ cd market) in den Haag, never having heard of Durwood Douche but intrigued with the idea of original, banned, songs from the 40's - which it isn't. It's all new songs on -let's say- adult subjects, but impeccably played and produced, with a faux period charm that is utterly convincing. You see, Durwood Douché was actually the pseudonym of septuagenarian L.A. jazz pianist Dick Shreve, who's played all kinds of jazz clubs since the 40's and even worked with such big band legends as Benny Goodman. Supposedly the (uncredited) singers and musicians are also the cream of LA's jazz club scene. Based on the musicianship displayed, I tend to believe it. Opener "Why Me God" was Douche's first release with this name: It appeared on a 7' single as "Everybody's Fucking But Me" in 1979. Almost 20 years later, Douche's entire oeuvre was released on CD, in the US with the title "Everybody's Fucking But Me" and in Europe as "Big Banned & Blue". The result is utterly hilarious, mostly when the songs are seriously played. For example "Why Me God" is a blues ballad where the singer moans in deep emotional pain, Billie Holiday-like "Everybody's fucking but me/I just can't seem to get laid/And though it's well made, my pussy's useful only when I pee". It's followed by another winner, a music hall duet called "My Most Favorite Things" (a.k.a. I can't keep my mitts off your tits) and "Air For A Dinosaur", a combination of jazz, gregorian hymn and incessant farting sounds. "Mister Bumpy" is a jovial music hall number on exhibitionism etc. The cabaret style (complete with faux- Marlene Dietrich vocals) "Merrilou" deals with face-sitting and cunnilingus, while "I'm In A Pickle" is a fiddler on the roof parody about sex with vegetables - you get the idea. The music veers from big band swing ("Here You Are") to Sinatra ballads ("Front Naughty Nocturne") to Hank Williams C&W ("Crazy To Be Crazy Over You"), while the album ends with Doris Day-like holiday number "The Christmas Gift": "Just a little Christmas blowjob will brighten up his day". I've heard the CD quite a few times and never get tired of it: the comedy may not be to everyone's taste, but the tunes are so good you'll be humming them in the bus - just don't forget yourself and sing the lyrics out loud, people might take it the wrong way...
**** for Why Me God, The Christmas Gift
*** for My Most Favorite Things, Mister Bumpy, These Remind Me Of You, Merrilou, Duet In Blue And Brown, Here You Are,I'm In A Pickle, 'Front Naughty' Nocturne, Crazy To Be Crazy Over You, Without You,
