Text © Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 2018
Images from the Internet
There was a point where I just found myself starting a new job, and other
responsibilities weighed in, so here I am catching up on some of the CDs I’ve received
over the past few years that I haven’t gotten to as yet. Note that CDs will mostly
have first shot over digital/streaming releases. If you are interested in me
reviewing something, contact me at rbf55@msn.com
to find out where to send it. This is going to be a bit of a series, so
patience…
Ball’n’Chain
Sands of Time
Carved in Stone
Boston is a center for metal, and
this is a perfect example of a heavy sound. Most people think of Aerosmith for
Bosstown rock, but they’re pure pop compared to this. The center is Jeffrey
Baker on vocals (y’know, they type that warbles on the last syllable), Aart
Knyff on lead guitar and Joe Black pluckin’ bass. These three would later
record together under the moniker Joe Black’s Blackenstein. Here they are
joined by Tom D’Amico on keys, leading to one solid metal song after another.
If you like the classic heavy sounds, this will not disappoint, since whether
it’s a ballad or a rave up, it’s a piledriver, with titles like “Let It All
Hang Out” (with a strong musical catch that one can pump their fists to), “What
Comes Around Goes Around,” “Real Woman” and “Don’t Play with Fire.” Lyrics are
included.
Buzzy LInhart
Electric Lady Dream: The Eddie Kramer Sessions
Buzzart Enterprises
Buzzy Linhart has spent a large chunk
of his career flirting with the big time. Yeah, he’s recorded with the likes of
Hendrix, Carly Simon (his ex-girlfriend), CSNY and John Sebastian (his
ex-roomie). These sessions that were recorded at the fabled studio in 1969 (this
album was originally released in 1971 under the title MUSIC), starts in solid Hendrix-style rock that mixes with the
breeze of the West Coast sound, but with a more bluesy edge. He continues on
with various styles, but its rock in one variation or another. His claim to
fame may be co-writing Bette Midler’s “(You Gotta Have) Friends” with Moogy
Klingman, but his near psychedelia-fueled sounds are post-Sgt. Pepper’s/Pet Sounds’
heavy production values. This may have killed
if he had found a proper outlet for it at the time, and fans of American
rock from that time, you certainly won’t get disappointed. Most of the songs
are originals, like the enjoyable opening “IF You Love Me,” but there are also
a couple of covers, like Fred Neil’s (one of Buzzy’s early mentors) “The Bag
I’m In,” Tim Hardin’s “Reputation,” and another collaboration with Klingman,
“The Birds.” Long guitar and vibraphone solos punctuate the music, continuing
to solidify his sound to those in the know. He may never be a household name,
but he is a musician’s musician.
Honky
421
MVD Audio
Wow, talk about feeling like you’re
being hit over the head! This Texas trio can generally be put into the Southern
Rock category… or perhaps Southern Metal Rock? They are definitely closer to ZZ
Top’s wicked guitars than, say, anything from sweet home Alabama or dark wood
Arkansas. It’s no surprise when you consider that one member, bassist and
vocalist JD Pinkus was a member of both the Butthole Surfers and the MELVINS. He’s joined by Bobby Ed
Landgraf on vox and a thunka-thunka guitar; pounding the skins in wild zeal is
Trinidad Leal. This power trio never lets up for a second. They manage to make
lots of noise and yet keep a melody and rhythm going. The instrumental “4:21,”
shows some Butthole Surfer kind of noise that’s impressive. By the half-way
point, it’s a bit more accessible, albeit still heavy as hell. I do believe
that both southern rockers and metalheads can find mutual ground here. It ends
on the impressive “Black Joe’s Bitch.”
Jah Wobble & Keith Levene
Yin & Yang
Cherry Red Records
If you are anywhere familiar with
Wobble and Levene, you know that (a) they were key components of PiL, and that
(b) their direction is anything but conventional. They have updated their sound
to include some rap (the “fuck” filled title cut) and what sounds like Harry
Potter-ish incantations (“Jags & Staffs”), but lyrics don’t really seem to
be a main focus of their intentions. There’s a lot of noise within the melodies
(electronica, I’m assuming), that relies on rhythms and odd sounds, and the occasionally
distorted singing (echoes, reverb, etc.). There is one weird cover of the originally
weird George Harrison cut, “Within You Without You,” and lots to unpack of
their own creations. I would argue that this is either updated No Wave or
Fusion Jazz, but it would fit in well with the likes of Kraftwerk or DeadMou5,
except it’s a bit more melodic and not quite
as rhythmic (thank god). I don’t think there’s anything here that’s you’d
necessarily sing along with, per se, but as an adventure in experimentation,
it’s a valiant and I believe successful endeavor. Hey, anyone who can make The Hybrid Kids (1979) collection is
okay with me!
Metal Pistol
Magnum Force
FNB Productions
Sometimes one can succeed without
pushing the envelope, just sticking to the path. Metal Pistol is solid metal, with
brilliantly flashing guitar work by Steve (Laz) Stanley. He’s bound to gain
most of the attention, along with Benatar-ish vocals by Sunny Lee, and
rightfully so. However, drummer Roy Adams’ and Brett Sinclair’s bass bottom
definitely deserves equal notice as all are integral to this pounding sound and
rhythm. This is a fun tat-a-tat-a-tat
type of metal that feels like being hit with a sledgehammer, and yet it feels
so good. I’m not sure how much of it is in the production, but screw that, just
put this puppy on if you’re metal-bound, and I’m sure you might have a good
time. In typical metal mania, the songs are typically in the 5 minute mark, but
they fly away fast.
Mud, Blood & Beer
Gone For Good
Mud, Blood & Beer Music
Technically, I assume that this could
be considered country rock, but for me it has kind of a ‘60s garage sound, with
an additional kind of Scottish pastiche, especially on the second of the 5 cuts
here, “New Math.” “Mine the Light” is a bit more traditional, post-“9 to 5”
commercial country, the only cut with a pedal guitar, but it still has a sharp
edge to it that has it stand out. “Gramercy Park” has vocalist Jess Hoeffner
puts on a bit of Townes van Zandt growl on the stanzas, and the choruses rock
out a bit, with harmonies. This is one
of the few I sat through twice, so that tells ya something.
Ralph Carney’s Serious Jazz Project
Seriously
Smog Veil Records
While I enjoy jazz, especially this
kind, I have to admit it’s a bit out of my wheelhouse; I don’t know who these
guys are, so I hope they don’t take that personally and I’ll give it my best
shot. This is definitely not avant-garde (the punk equivalent would be No Wave),
which means it’s a lot more accessible to a larger amount of people. With a bit
a boogie thrown in here and there, this reminds me more of the early days of
swing, like Cab Calloway, Count Basie or Benny Goodman (my parents’ favorite
type of sound). This is heavy on the sax and clarinets, which Carney plays
multiple types of both, for which he is joined by Randy Odell on drums, Ari
Munkres on bass, and Michael Macintosh on keys. There are others who add their
expertise here and there, such as the sultry sounding Karina Denike on vocals. If
you liked listening to your parents’… well, now I guess grandparents’ old
records, you might enjoy this. I certainly know I did. There’s an original or
two, but mostly it’s covers by the likes of Ellington (“Carnival in Caroline,”
“Gypsy Without a Song”) and Rodgers and Hart (“You Took Advantage of Me”), so
if that sounds familiar to you, certainly you know the sound I mean. Definitely
more upbeat than boring lite jazz, and not as atonal as Coltrane, so it’s a swing-fest
of fun.
Sean Burns
Cold Beans & Broken Eggs
Self-published
Folk singer-songwriters in a country
vein is a category I don’t hear enough of, and Sean Burns is a really nice way
to easy back into it. This CD is a bit of a travelogue, with each song about a
different place, such as “A Postcard from Rochester, New York (Talkin’ ‘Bout
Now),” “Texas,” “If You Need Me I’ll Be in Wisconsin,” “Mexico Town,” and I
especially enjoyed “Tumbleweed,” which name-checks a bunch of locations in
Saskatchewan (he’s from Manitoba). Considering how much he tours, it’s hardly
surprising. I’m hoping he plays Saskatoon at some point. There’s some country
that runs through most of the songs with a pedal guitar (that has a Mexican
lilt). For those who don’t know, C&W is overall bigger in the Prairies
than, say, the pop of Alanis Morissette or the rock of Rush. For this, Sean’s
voice has just the right amount of warble (think less than Melanie Safka), and
a pleasant tone that feels comfortable from the first note. His songs are
basically about real life situations and daily emotions, rather than something
grand and esoteric. The band backing him is well mixed on the CD, with Sean
right in front rather than being buried. Each song is well done, which makes it
hard to say one is a standout among the others, because they are all of high
quality.
Steve Gilligan
Jacob’s Well
Actuality Records
From his work in the Stompers to
pairing up with Jon Macey (Fox Trot), Steve Gilligan’s history in the Boston
music scene is unquestionable. I had the opportunity to see Macey and Gilligan
perform about a decade ago, and it was quite enjoyable. This marks Steve’s
first solo effort. Despite the rock-pop background, this time the coast to
coast sound is solid singer-songwriter balladry, and Steve’s alto voice is
actually quite suited for it. His sound could fit into the “feel-good music” category,
which the Lovin’ Spoonful and Turtles successfully embellished. The songs are
quite poetic and melodic, and I am quite impressed by how good it all is. While
Steve is the main focus and plays most of the instruments, he has quite a few
locals filling in, including most members of the Stompers in one form or
another, including its vocalist Sal Baglio who adds some electric guitar on one
cut. A couple of songs, “Out of the Rain” and “Niki’s Blue Waltz,” are almost a
Stompers reunion. The rare rave-up, such as “What’s a Little Rock’n’Roll
Between Friends” (Dave Friedman’s keyboards are enjoyable) are also standouts. Most of the songs are about love, so Steve’s
harmonica is also a key instrument through most of the cuts, which gives you
some idea of the sound. Steve should be recording more often, even knowing
there’s another album out there titled Winter
Rain. Lyrics are included in a booklet with very small print (my only
complaint about this).
Vonda Shepard
Solo
Panshot Records
Along with Diana Krall, Shepard has pretty
much cornered the market on the very
blonde womyn jazzy piano and singing. There is a reason for that; okay a couple
at least. First is that she had just the right vehicle at just the right time
when she appeared (musically) on the television show “Ally McBeal,” back around
the turn of the Millennium. The other and larger reason is that she is
extremely talented. Most people know her for the songs she covers, but she has also
been a songwriter for decades, so this is a good opportunity for her to shine
as she plays live in the studio: just her and her piano. Her voice is sort of
like water flowing over pebbles; I don’t know if that makes sense, but that’s
the image it conjures. She has a cadence that is all her own, which is part of
what made her popular in the first place. If there were two themes to pick out
of these slow ballad-paced songs, it would be travel and heartbreak. Many songs
deal with moving on in both the physical and emotional senses, with a piano
tinkling behind it. For examples, the opening song is about traveling down to
“Maryland,” or in “Soothe Me,” she starts with “Maybe I should wander down
these streets a little longer.” Though mostly originals, even the covers she’s
chosen talks about moving: “You Belong to Me” (“See the pyramids along the
Nile…”) and the Left Banke’s “Walk Away Renee.” For break-ups, there are the
likes of “Don’t Cry Ilene” (“It’s hard to say exactly why he left you”) and
“Baby Don’t You Break My Heart Slow,” the two songs that close out this
collection. There’s no doubt it’s a beautiful albeit sadness-focused set, but
it may be just want is needed on a lonely rainy afternoon. Lyrics are included
in a nice booklet.
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