DVD Review: Johnny Winter: Live from Japan; John Lee Hooker: Cook with the Hook Live in 1974

Text © Robert Barry Francos/FFanzeen, 2012
Images from the Internet

John Lee Hooker – Cook with the Hook: Live in 1974
Directed by Bob Boyd
MVD Visual,
45 minutes, 1974 / 2012
MVDvisual.com

Mississippi-Delta Blues musician John Lee Hooker (d. 2001) was one of the bigger influences in the blues rock movement of the ‘60s, a definite link between, say, Robert Johnson and Eric Clapton. His driving rhythms and vocal intensity was different than many of the other blues players of the time, who were closer to early rock’n’roll than Sgt. Pepper’s period rock. Hooker’s improvisational fierceness and hypnotic repetitions made him the forefront of what would become the Yardbirds (all three incarnations), Cream, and Led Zeppelin, to name a few.

There are a number of items on the checklist that makes this document so important, both directly and indirectly to Hooker. Public access television was just becoming a glimmer on the horizon when this was shot on July 6, 1974, during the Down in the Dumps music festival in Gardner, Massachusetts. Its faded black and white image (most with a white line going through it, possibly from the playback heads scratching the video as it went through an early tape player (reel-to-reel is my guess, as it was pre-VHS) is reminiscent of early kinescope (look it up). But despite the washed-out jeans look, the sound is solid, if a little on the tinny side (ah, technology and its Faustian bargains…).

Though nearly a decade before the advent of MTV-style quick cuts that would revolutionize the way we view film editing, the line producer here jumps between the three cameras quickly (sometimes too much so) between Hooker from the mostly long-haired and shaggy audience. Way ahead of its time in both video usage and use of the fader bars. I wonder if any of the rest of the festival’s music will resurface. Fortunately, Hooker’s has now, and that is just fine.

Backed by the Coast to Coast Blues Band (who would do so for 30 years), Hooker sits front and center (much like Johnny Winter does now), showing some rock chops with the likes of the great “Boom Boom” and “Sweet, Sweet Thing.” There’s also some solid Delta blues, of course, with the likes of “It Serves You Right to Suffer” and “Whiskey and Women.” For the last number of his set, listed as “Boogie,” Hooker stands up and roams the stage a bit. The band plays the same riff over and over while Hooker improvs for over 16 minutes. Honestly, I would rather he would have played some set numbers, because it is just a bit too much of a ramble for that long a period.

After this number, Hooker leaves the stage and a very enthusiastic emcee brings him back, where he actually continues the same number (listed as “Medley” for some reason, rather than “Reprise”) for another five minutes.

At the end of the set, the unseen announcer excitedly shouts out, “A man in his fifties! Imagine that! …And he’s doing rock’n’roll!” I heard this in a kind of bemusement as I realize that Johnny Winter, a version of the Who, and even the Zombies are still out there touring into their 60s and 70s. As the camera quickly pans the hippie-ish / stoner-looking audience, it was, indeed, hard to imagine someone of his generation could still give the guitar a hard lickin’. To put it in perspective, when he died at age 83, he was just about to tour Europe.

This DVD comes with an informative sheet with liner notes written by Massachusetts rock and cable television historian Joe Viglione that is worth checking out, as well.

Set List:
It Serves You Right to Suffer (Hooker)
Sweet, Sweet Thing
Boom Boom
Whiskey & Women
Boogie
Encore:
Medley

Johnny Winter: Live from Japan
Directed by Kiyoshi Inasawa
MVD Visual
90 min., 2012
Johnnywinter.com
MVDvisual.com

I had the incredible fortune to be able to see this tour in Saskatoon last fall, when this same back-up band played nearly the exact set at Louie’s, a club on the University of Saskatchewan campus on October 19, 2011 (reviewed HERE).

While it was a thrilling and amazing night, it was near the end of a very long tour for the troupe, and it was obvious they were tired (and rightfully so). What is nice about this DVD is that it was filmed at the Zepp Tokyo Music Hall on April 15 of the same year, early on in the circuit, in a country that had never seen him perform before. Needless to say, the energy level was higher, the voices were stronger, the music fresher, and all the better for the viewer of this release.

Johnny’s beautiful headless Lazer guitar strikes fire as he sings the blues with a heart that has seen a lot of heartache, and a voice that matches the gravel of the road he’s traveled. Whether covering his own songs, blues classics, or the occasional rocker -mostly at the end of the show, as he’s wont to do and has done since the ‘70s - he seems at home in the rhythms.

The band backing him are certainly up to the task as they prove time and time again, keeping up with the master, who graciously not only co-occupies the stage, but shares it with his brethren, giving them ample opportunity to shine on their own many times. These aren’t some youngsters but seasoned veterans who have traveled with other frontline blues musicians before.

Winter is bent and hobbled, walking in a wracked gait from the side of the stage to center – always shown in long shots or blocked by fans – where he sits for most of the set, and lets his fingers do the pacing. For the last two songs (which is the encore), he brings out his old and battered guitar and uses a slide to keep these blues tunes Delta-fied.

If you’re a fan of versions of the blues, be it rock, Chicago, Texas, or Southern style, well, odds are you are probably on your way by now to get this, if you do not have it already. Winter is a fine example of the product of a lifetime of dedication to a spiritual sound.

The DVD comes with sumptuous booklet with many full color pix and excellent liner notes by Lance Perdue.

Band
Johnny Winter: Vocals/lead guitar
Paul Nelson: Guitar
Scott Spray: Bass
Vito Liuzzi: Drums

Set List:
Intro
Hideaway (Freddie King)
She Likes to Boogie Real Low (Johnny Winter)
Good Morning Little Schoolgirl (Sonny Boy Williamson)
Got My Mojo Working (Preston Foster)
Johnny B. Goode (the true king of rock’n’roll, Chuck Berry)
BlackJack (Ray Charles)
Tore Down (Freddie King)
Lone Wolf (Johnny Winters)
Don’t Take Advantage of Me (Lee Baker Jr.)
Bonie Maronie (Larry Williams)
It’s All Over Now (Bobby and Shirley Womack)
Dust My Broom (Robert Johnson)
Highway 61 (Bob Dylan)

DVD Review: The Michael Schenker Group: The 30th Anniversary Concert, Live in Tokyo

Text © Robert Barry Francos/FFanzeen, 2010
Images from the Internet

The Michael Schenker Group: The 30th Anniversary Concert, Live in Tokyo
Directed by Shin Yamamoto and/or Kiyoshi Iwasawas
In-akustik GmbH & Co. KG, 2010
135 minutes, USD $19.95
In-akustik.com
Michaelschenkerhimself.com
MVDvisual.com

When ubber German metal flash guitarist Michael Schenker was in his earlier bands Scorpion and UFO during the mid- to late-1970s, well, I was listening to the polar opposite of the Ramones. His music never once came into my radar, though I was aware of the names. Those ensembles were lumped in my mind with every other metal and hair metal band, which sounded like one screechy noise to me. I was on the lo-fi with sloppy guitar groups like the Heartbreakers and much of the rest of the New York Scene. Mind you, there were some amazing guitarists back then, such as Tom Verlaine, Ross the Boss, and the underrated Howard Bowler, but it was a totally different genre (with the Dictators being the closest).

Well, it’s now 30 years after Schenker formed his Michael Schenker Group (MSG) in 1980, and this DVD is a reunion of most of his original orchestra on January 13th, 2010, held at Nakano Sun Plaza in Japan, one leg of the 5-concert series, and this is the first time I’m experiencing them.

There is no doubt about it in my mind, Schenker is a helluva guitarist, whizzing up and down the fretboard of his custom flying V guitar; as noted in the liner notes, he plays only on Dean Guitars (since 2004, he reveals in a bonus short). Though there is the occasional solo by other musicians, such as excellent bassist Neil Murray (from Whitesnake), drummer Simon Phillips (whose huge kit include a double bass and single snare) and rhythm guitarist / keyboardist Wayne Findlay (who gets short attention here), this is Schenker’s show, and the musicianship shows. There may have been dark periods of Schenker’s 55-year life (substance abuse, martial problems, poverty, etc.), but he is in fine form here, and certainly seems to be having a lot of fun, often cradling the V on his crotch as he fingers away.

The direction of the complete show, taped in HD, is strong, though the cutting at every 5 beats on average is a bit strenuous for the viewer (this one, anyway), and I found it a bit difficult to focus as much as I wanted on the musical acumen of each participant as the camera kept bouncing from one player to the next. During a solo, I like to see the work, but maybe that’s just me.

My biggest problem with the band, though, is lead vocalist Gary Barden, who has bounced in and out of the band over the years, but has been the main focus of vox in recordings. Yeah, he’s definitely a decent singer, hitting the notes and all, but his style is formulaic for the genre, and his vocals are, well, certainly not idiosyncratic. What I’m trying to say is that he doesn’t sound individualistic. When Joey Ramone sings, you know it’s him. Same with Handsome Dick Manitoba, Bon Scott, Lemmy, or Donna “She Wolf” Nasr, if one wants to be closer to the MSG genre. I will give him some nods that he certainly seems to be having a lot of fun, and that is transferred to the Japanese crowd, who often sing along en masse, and thereby to the DVD viewer. However, I should also note that the first number that really got my attention was the 10th one in, “Into the Arena,” which I realized most of the way through was an instrumental (sans Barden). Again, I am not saying Barden is a bad singer, not at all; he just doesn’t really stand out for me. But he certainly is comfortable in the role, which is reassuring on some level.

But it is important to remember that the hey-day of MSG is in the ‘80s, and some of what is now formulaic was started by them, such as taking the metal sound and adding some progressive elements to it. As part of the full concert retrospective series that the German label Inakustik has been releasing (this is the second I’ve seen), they are doing admirable work focusing on guitar-oriented music of various genres. In a similar vein, this is a showcase overview for the lengthy MSG history.

From the short (“Welcome Howl” comes in under 2 minutes) to the lengthy (“Rock Bottom” is nearly 13 minutes), there is a fine range of styles and feel, speed and tempo, covered within the framework of this 1 hour and 45 minute concert. Actually “Rock Bottom,” is one of two songs I really liked that showed up in the encores, the other being the finale “Doctor, Doctor.” “Rock” has a very long solo that varies in many ways, and “Doctor” has a good riff to it.

The audience through the whole show is very appreciative, and often sings along; Barden is happy and enjoying that he can hold out the mic and have a couple of thousand people sing the chorus, as he does often on “Doctor.”

I’m never going to be a metal head, but I can appreciate what the band is doing, and they manage it with surgical precision.

There are two extras on the DVD. The first is “The L.A. Rehearsal.” Between short bursts of them playing inside a tight-fitting studio are some band interviews which is what makes this 21 minutes-long videolog the most interesting. Schenker discusses his early years going from band to band and back for reunions, and then the varied history of MSG. Each member of this line-up gets to talk a bit, such as drummer Simon discussing how he was on only the first MSG album because he was still in the Jeff Beck Group at the time, and how bassist Neil came to play on this tour after having Whitesnake play a few times with Schenker’s bands back in the ‘70s. Even their roadie / occasional percussionist, Roberto Carrero, gets to talk about some equipment issues he’s had to solve on the road.

In the 8 minute second bonus, “Backstage Impressions,” basically a camera follows Schenker around from his arrival at the Sun Plaza, backstage, during the soundcheck, as they take their bows, his leaving the venue, and then stopping to shake hands and sign autographs for the fans waiting outside. While minor in content, it was very enjoyable to watch some snapshots of what it was like for the band.

Songlist
Welcome Howl
Feels Like a Good Thing
Cry For the Nations
Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
Armed and Ready
Victim of Illusion
Are You Ready to Rock
I Want You
A Night to Remember
Into the Arena
Lost Horizons
Rock My Nights Away
On and On
Attack of the Mad Axeman
Encore
Ride On My Way
Rock Bottom
Second encore
Dance Lady Gipsy
Doctor, Doctor

DVD Review: Shonen Knife: Live at Mohawk Place, 2009

Text © Robert Barry Francos/FFanzeen, 2010
Images from the Internet

Shonen Knife: Live at Mohawk Place 2009
Directed, edited and authored by John Grimaldi
Good Charamel Records, 2010
90 minutes, USD $16.95
GoodCharamel.com
ShonenKnife.net
MVDvisual.com

Mohawk Place in Buffalo, NY, is a great venue to see bands. The last time I was there, Mystic Eyes was playing. While it seems a bit small for a band of the stature of Shonen Knife, who has been around in some form since 1981, it certainly seems like a tight fit for the size of the audience. However, the intimacy of the place is felt warmly.

On a tour of the United States to promote their latest release, Super Group, they picked Buffalo as their last stop. The power-pop trio gave it all it’s worth, even though admitting to be tired, as the tour was 30 dates in 32 days.

Lots can be (and has been) said about the triteness of the lyrics, much about food or just simply a bizarre string of western words, but the music is just so interesting, in a Ramonesy / ‘60s pop way. Nothing really complex or long guitar solos, even with their self-proclaimed heavy metal influenced “Muddy Bubbles Hell,” so the songs are sharp and do not go on for a long time. Get in and get out.

What is interesting about their sound, I find, is that they are immersed enough in western culture to get the formula idea for a great pop song, and yet exotic enough to the genre to bring something new. That is part of why they have managed to last for so many years. And heck, they even dress like the ‘80s garage band, the Pandoras.

Their occasional rat-a-tat-tat repeated lyrical beats stand out, such as the “pig out” chorus of “BBQ Party” and “big big big cat” of “Giant Kitty.” Their new songs, such as the self-titled “Super Group” and the aforementioned “Muddy Bubbles Hell” hold up equally well with their older material here, like “I Wanna Eat Chocobars” or “Flying Jelly Attack.”

Their concept, on some level, has shown up in other bands, such as the enjoyable, much tougher and musically proficient (but less joyful) 5.6.7.8's, and they were even sort-of made the subject of a spoof in a Cameron Diaz hosted Saturday Night Live. But Shonen Knife is the real deal. Like their touchstone Ramones, they are fun to watch, even if you can’t always make out what they’re actually singing about.
On guitar and main vox (and chief songwriter) is the last original member of the trio, Naoko Yamano. The new bass player who is on her first tour of the U.S., with some amazing tresses (and knows how to swing it), is Ritsuko Tameda (who sings former member Michie Nakatani’s songs). The last is Etsuko Nakanishi, who is a fantastic drummer (she was replaced by Emi Morimoto shortly after the tour).

This show visits the band’s entire career, with 18 songs of pop mayhem. After the 15-song set list, they come back for two encores dressed in tee-shirts, along with ex-member Atsoko Yamano (she is currently living in Los Angeles), who does lead vocals on “Fruits and Vegetables.” She leaves and they break into one of their faster songs, with hints of a hardcore influence, “Antonio Baka Guy.”

Over the end credits, “Twist Barbie” is played, as we watch – in multiple windows – still and moving images of their tour as they travel from town to town by car. Included in the credits is one humorous notice: “No roadies were harmed in the production of the DVD concert.”

As a last historical footnote, their hair – which looks spectacular as they flip it all around – is credited to Erin Moser, of Chez Ann Salon, in Buffalo. Erin is the daughter of Bruce Moser, a chief promoter in the Buffalo area, Mary Martin Moser, who once worked at the much lamented indie Play it Again Sam’s Record Store on Elmwood Avenue (which became Home of the Hits before closing recently), and the niece of Buffalo cult musician Bernie Kugel. The last time I saw Erin she was a young child, back in the late ‘80s. Good work, Erin, and congrats!

Songlist:
Konnichiwa
Banana Chips
Super Group
A Map Master
Barnacle
Johnny Johnny Johnny
I Wanna Eat Chocobars
BBQ Party
Flying Jelly Attack
Devil House
Bear Up Bison
Muddy Bubbles Hell
Explosion!
Giant Kitty
Pyramid Power
Fruits and Vegetables
Antonio Baka Guy
Twist Barbie

And, the set list courtesy of Gary Pig Gold from his the link in the comments section:




Bonus Video: