Review: Wendy O. Williams: Live and Fucking Loud in London!

Text © Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 2022
|Images from the Internet, unless indicated

Wendy O. Williams: Live and Fucking Loud in London!
Directed by Rod Swenson
Trilion Pictures; Sledgehammer Entertainment; MVD Entertainment Group
55 minutes, 1985 / 2022
www.mvdvisual.com

Back in the late 1970s, I saw this relatively new band a couple of times at CBGB, led by Wendy O. Williams (a.k.a. W.O.W.) called the Plasmatics. They were wild, including sawing a guitar in half with a chainsaw while still plugged in (noise reminiscent of Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music).

Back then, Williams (d. 1998) was known for a lack of clothing that might make Iggy blush, stage presence, and a voice so gravelly you could use it to cover a country road. The Plasmatics were getting quite a name for themselves, and not just from blowing up a car during a show on a Manhattan pier. They broke up in 1983 (they reformed for a moment from 1987 to 1988).

Plasmatics at CBGB (pic by Robert Barry Francos)

After the first demise of the Plasmatics, Williams went on her own journey, including acting (e.g., 1986’s Reform School Girls), and forming a new band – guitar: Michael Ray (who also worked with the Plasmatics); bass: Greg Smith; drums: T.C. Tolliver, including all doing backing vocal duties as well – and toured extensively.

The part of the tour that is represented on this DVD was shot during October 1985, at the Camden Palace in London. Hot off a Grammy nominated album (produced by Gene Simmons of KISS), she moved out of the punk world and into metal, including speed metal on Kommander of Kaos, the album she was promoting on this journey through Europe. This particular show was originally broadcast overseas on Sky TV (I believe it was titled Bump and Grind), and fell into obscurity for years.

At this stage of her career – some might call this her “pinnacle” – she was in top form, both musically and working the stage. Geologist and Plasmatics’ guitarist Richie Stotts may have been gone, but the power trio backing her up were dedicated and in fine form keeping up with her Tasmanian Devil stage antics. To be honest, through the growl in her voice and the speed of the songs, I cannot tell most of the lyrics, but I do not care, it is the performance that matters.

The video was directed by Rod Swanson, which should be no surprise as he managed her career from the beginning, meeting when she was still doing porn (e.g., Debbie Does Hollywood) and live sex shows (fortunately, she got outta da biz before AIDS hit hard). Rather than criticize her, I think this was an important step for her getting used to being mostly unclad on stage when singing. As she once said, “It was just like working in a doughnut shop, except you didn't wear a paper hat”.

Anyway, back to the DVD, the show begins with the blistering guitarwork of bare-chested Ray, and of course it only builds once Williams hits the stage with “Gone Wild.” But it is the second song, “Pedal to the Metal,” where her inner Ramones comes in (right down to DeeDee’s count-off at one point), Williams just blisters. By the third song, she is in total sweat from dancing around on the stage. Considering she was in her late 30s by this point, she goes full tilt out.

The song “You’ll Succeed” sounds more like “You’ll Suck Seed,” reminding me of Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers’ “Born to Lose”/”Born Too Loose” double entendre. “Party Tonight” is a killer tune as well.

“Jammin’” is just what it says: Williams goes backstage to wipe off and remove more clothes, and the band jams for longer than I was interested. As talented as this trio is, and they truly are, like most jamming, it is a “show” with little melody but lots of note fingering. This is the main reason I like the simplicity of the Ramones rather than hair bands.

By the time she gets to “Jailbait,” she is joined by the Lemmy (d. 2016) and Wurzel (d. 2011) from Motörhead for just this song (and if you are in NYC, be sure to check out the Motörhead cover band, Motörbrained).

Amusingly, the camera keeps going back to a guy in the front of the audience who has a huge green mohawk and heavily studded leather jacket who seems to watch the show stoically (though occasionally doing a head bop), not even joining in for the chant-along of “Bump and Grind.” Also, during this song, Williams goes back to form and sledgehammers a television. Like comedian Gallagher (d. 2022) and his watermelon, well, you just have to come to expect that. But Ray playing while sitting on Williams’ shoulders is a nice touch.

Pyrotechnics are used intermittently throughout the show, though not to KISS level, but more appropriate to the venue. It’s all fun, and it smokes up the stage for “Fuck That Booty,” which I thought was the weakest song of the show, though Ray gets to show off once again.

During the last song, “Fuck’n’Roll,” a killer number, I thought about the difference between Plasmatics Williams and this show: for this, she uses way less props, even with the TV smashing. I remember her holding up signs. And while she is still sensual as hell, she no longer rubs her crotch often nor goes topless with electrical tape Xs over her nipples. But it is good to see her chainsaw a guitar again, as she finishes off the show. I always wondered what guitar mavens like Binky Phillips and Tom Guerra thought about that practice. One other difference is that Wendy seems even more comfortable and confident as a singer on stage.

The DVD’s visuals and sound are crisp and clear, most likely shot on the superior European PAL technology. This is a hard rockiin’ set with some punk elements, but Ray’s guitar makes it solid hair metal with a hard edge. Miss ya, Wendy O.

Set List:
Gone Wild
Pedal to the Metal
You’ll Succeed
No Class
Party (Tonight)
Jammin’
Hoy Hey (Live to Rock)
Jailbait
Ain’t None of Your Business
Bump and Grind
Fuck That Booty
Fuck’n’Roll

Music Reviews: January 2021

Text © Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 2021
Images from the Internet

Music Reviews: January 2021
Note that these reviews are alphabetical, not listed in a “ratings” order.

 

Ben Sutin Quartet
Hard Bop Hanukkah: Live @ Rockwood Music Hall
www.MEIIenterprises.com
www.bensutinmusic.com
Hard bop, a subgenre of bop jazz, was fomented by the likes of Miles Davis and Coltrane. It is wild and a bit musically asymmetrical, relying more on sharps/flats and a tempo of its own and often changing nature. The opening of the six cuts, “Have a Little Dreidel,” shows exactly what is expected right off the – er – spin. Ben Sutin, who leads the Quartet, is the arranger and violinist, who tends to play at the high end of the instrument. He is met evenly by Sam Javitch’s piano. They are backed by Cole Davis on bass and Evan Sherman’s drums. But it is the violin and piano that are out front on this live recording in one of my favorite spaces to hear non-punk/rock music in New York, Rockwood Music Hall, down on the LES of NYC. The third song, “Neroit Dolkim,” has the bones of Klezmer (which I thoroughly enjoy). Sutin’s modified V-necked electric violin gives him access to the very high ends of the strings, while Javitch uses his piano for both melody and part of the rhythm section simultaneously. “Sevivon, Sov, Sov, Sov” (translated as “Dreidel, Spin, Spin, Spin), the longest cut on the release, gives the rhythm section a chance to solo in smatterings. This may sound blasphemous, but parts of “Maoz Tzur” (or “Ma’oz Tzur” aka “Strong Rock”), from the 13th Century, sounds like it could be off Vince Guaraldi’s Charlie Brown Christmas album (I am saying that in a positive way, as that is the only Xmas record I can tolerate). The musicianship is superb, as would have to be to play in this style, and the Quartet go full force. As with many jazz styles, the songs are all instrumentals, and tend to average around 6 minutes, but they do both swing and bop. Might be good to get this now and have it ready for the next time Hanukkah rolls around.

Cro-Mags
2020
Mission Two Entertainment
The Cro-Mags are to hardcore what the Ramones were to the first wave of punk. These New Yorkers blazed a trail that was picked up by a disenfranchised youth into a movement of fury, anger, and moshing. In fact, Cro-Mags founder Harley Flanagan was the first mosher I ever saw when he was still with the Stimulators in the early 1980s, at a Siouxsie and the Banshees show at Irving Plaza. The Cro-Mags called it quit for a few decades, and now have come back with the second release this year, in this six-song opus that lasts, yep, 20 minutes and 20 seconds. Needless to say, it covers the topics of the year, including COVID-19 and street rioting. Starting off strong, the band wails with “Quarantine,” which leads pretty strongly with Garry “G-Man” Sullivan on bass, and Rocky George on Greg Ginn/J. Mascis-ish lead shred guitar (note that George used to be with Suicidal Tendencies). As with the rest of the songs – “2020,” “Life on Earth,” “Violence and Destruction,” “Chaos in the Streets,” and the instrumental “Confusion,” there is an atonal element that pounds and works, even with the chant-worthy choruses such as with “Life on Earth.” There’s even a bit of New Agey reverb used on occasion, such as the beginning of “Violence and Destruction,” before it descends into hardcore madness.  Despite the screechy, amazing guitarwork by George, parring with Gabby Abularach on rhythm, the songs are more rhythm focused on top of almost No Wave-inspired hardcore with Flanagan (bass) giving some thrash metal growl lyrics. Honestly, without a lyric sheet, I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but the songs stand up, especially “Chaos in the Street,” which is more traditional hardcore, and is by far my fave here. It concludes with a bit of just a part of an in-studio freestyle jam. The Cro-Mags have not lost their edge and deserve a listen.

 

Jordan Rabinowitz
A Couple Songs
@jordanrabinowitz
For years, Rochester, NY native/Washington, DC-based Rabinowitz has bounced around the music scene playing bass with other groups before settling down and working on his own material. He has now released a five song EP (available on YouTube HERE).  His songs feel like light, singer-songwriter style, but actually are kind of dark, talking about break-ups, love ending, and leaving. Jordan’s voice is pleasant without being same-old-same-old, with a hint of pitchiness that works for him. Note that the songs are fully backed by a band in which sometimes the feel of the song gets a bit mired in a way that would not happen if he were a solo-performer, but that’s the nature of the beast in today’s studio-produced world. It’s a good listen, though, and for a debut record, the songs are well written and performed.

 

Rockower
It’s Alright But It’s Never Enough
Mark Rockower Music
Great name for the band; fortunate that the center of it has this appellation. Mark Rockower is on vox, guitar and synthesizer (and songwriting), Derek Hughes plays bass, backed mostly by Jax Bowers on drums. But essentially, this is a two-man outfit, even recording it in Hughes studio (garage? basement?). This harmonious (i.e., overdubs of Rockower’s vocals) almost pop rock has all the hallmark sounds of a demo. Now, to be fair, a demo sound is so much more preferred by us aficionados than the cold, overproduced music mostly found on the radio today. It reminds me of the likes of The Nerves (who originally sang “Hanging on the Telephone”). The amateurishness (of the sound, not the playing ability) is refreshing and enjoyable, starting right off with the upbeat “American Dope.” Each song going forward is a bit different, but the overdubbing is pretty consistent, though I believe it should be used more sparingly, such as on choruses; overdubbing vocals also make it harder to hear the lyrics. “The Other Side” sounds a bit more garage from the late ‘60s, or possibly less formulaic than the early ‘80s. As the CD plays on, it definitely grew on me more. Sure, “Simple Minds” is a bit of filler, but they make up for it with the very next up-beat poppy number, “Lunar Star.” For a miss, like “Vacation Girl,” a synth noise mess, there are others that are worth the listen, like (again) the following cut, “Driving Force” and the title number, which closes out the 10-song disc. Basically, the entire zeitgeist is about American culture in the here and now, which makes it an interesting timepiece. I definitely liked it more on the second listen.  Weirdly, the biggest mistake is not printing the name of the band or CD on the disc proper, rather than just an image. Good way to get the disc lost.

 

TASTE
Brothers Vol 1
Melodicrock Records
Taste-music.com
TASTE is a “legendary” rock group from Down Under which originally formed in the 1970s, but I am not sure I have ever heard of them before, as this kind of ‘70s rock (they are often compared to the likes of Queen and 10cc) that never held my attention. But this is a new 5-song EP. It starts off with a kiss-off to a “horrible year” with “2020’s Gone.” It’s a power ballad celebrating the coming of a new year and hopefully new – err – hope. The production level is high, but it has a catchy and flamboyant chorus. Its follow-up “Hello Hello” is almost more rock power pop, which feels stuck in the ‘70s reminding me more of REO Speedwagon than Queen. Lots of harmonies, especially on the choruses. Ken Murdoch’s vocals are not traditionally rock tenor-and-above rock screeching, but rather it’s quite pleasant. He is well backed by Joey Armenta on guitar, Michael Tortoni on bass, and Damian Corniola on drums. “(We All) Stand Up” is a ballad paced bit of a corny and cliché rock with lyrics that are a bit insipid; what would at one time may be called “filler.” It’s follow-ups are live (or live in studio) versions of their previous songs, “Rock is Dead”  and “I Don’t Wanna Be Like You,” which are a bit better as rockers with the band getting to exercise a bit more of its instrumental prowess (including an extended drum solo on “Rock,” and clocking in at over six minutes). “I Don’t,” which is more guitar-focused, has an Aerosmith feel during their prime. Note that all proceeds go to benefit Beyond Blue, to help those affected by anxiety, depression, and suicide. A noble cause, indeed.

 

CD Reviews: November 2020

Text © Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 2020
Images from the Internet

CD Reviews: November 2020

Dalia Davis
Keep a Clean Engine
Teal Power Records / daliadavismusic@gmail.com
Davis is a Boston-area veteran singer-songwriter who has released this collection of mostly original multi-genre tunes. When she sings, what she brings up to me is the solo singers from Britain during the 1960s, like Celia Black, Lulu, and a bit of Dusty Springfield. This is especially true for her cover of the standard, “When Sunny Gets Blue,” which is a highlight here, with its lite jazz tones. For some reason, this comes across to me, especially on the bridges. Speaking of which, one of my fave cuts is “Beatles Bridges,” which is exactly what it claims to be, a bunch of bridges from Beatles classics into a bluesy, mostly cohesive song, even though the content is all over the emotional map. She starts of strong with “The Power of One,” sliding into the gospel-tinged “Don’t Give Up the Fight.” The harmony vocals enhance the sounds nicely as they are right up front, often equal to Davis. The title track is a nice, almost Jacque Brel-ish type melody that swirls around the sound, without going dark. Another highlight is the gospel and doo-wop infused “Wash Away.”

 

Jack Phillips
Night and Day
Magnolia Group Records
Jack has a nice musical sound that is somewhere between Billy Joel and Elton John, as in the opening original “I Love New York,” mixed with a bit of New Orleans jazz, especially on the likes of “The Old Grey Hat,” and maybe even some soft Southern Rock with “No One’s Home.” The second half of the CD (aka “the flip side”) is mostly jazz/standard sounding, such as “Let’s Drink to Us” and “Take Them to Manhattan.” A more commercial rockin’ sound is given in “No More Waitin’,” one of the better cuts here. The album concludes with a I-IV-V instrumental that relies on a ragin’ guitar by Caleb Quaye on “Down in the Jungle Room” (assuming that’s a Graceland reference). Phillips’ voice is a bit rough at times, but it is unique and actually works really well with the styles he brings forward, which I would say is a highly boogie, almost Cajun-focused sound, with a deep southern tone. It’s an enjoyable listen, especially when he gets his soft jazz boots on.

Various
The Boston Rock & Roll Anthology Chapter 21
Valrulven / joeviglione.com
Joe Viglione has been putting out compilation albums, generally for bands coming out of the Boston/New England area (although this one is more far reaching), for decades, in various forms, such as his Anthology and The Demos that Got the Deal series. And with this, his documenting rock’n’roll history continues. The 21 tracks start off with heavy rocking duo (guitar and drums) 3D that originated in the 1980s (not to be confused with New York’s 3-D from the same period), with the anti-drug song, “Anything But Peace.” Pamela Ruby Russell’s first cut, “Space and Time,” has almost a hymnal tone with a military-paced back beat that works together beautifully. Her voice is sweet and the overdubbing with itself works, to give it a powerful punch; her second cut shows off her voice even more. Here she has a Judy Collins intonation, which really operates for her. The production is also quite enjoyable, being full without feeling over-kneaded. Working with the likes of Peter Calo and Andy Pratt certainly give her an extra zing. Karmacar – Heidi Jo Hines and Nico’s “As It Is” has a bit of a 1970s New Agey feel to it, though I believe it would have been stronger without the self-overdubbing and just let Heidi’s voice be by itself; their other cut on the CD, “Who’s Foolin’ Who?”, gives a better example of her voice, and is superior of the two, with a catchy melody and improves on the catchy harmonies. On a more esoteric note is the next two cuts – “Downtime” by the Complaints and “Faraday” by Phil DaRosa – which use a bit more electronica to posit their songs, especially the latter, which is kind of long in the tooth at nearly 6 minutes. The former has a mild Beatleseque tone. Kitoto Sunshine Love spreads the smooth ‘70s soul sound in the beautiful “Proud Soul Heritage.” Worth checking out; her second track, “Love You,” is equally as strong and arguably shows off her voice even more than the first cut, which was thoroughly enjoyable. Yeah, I would buy an album by her. Fittingly, Slapback follows with its lite funk “Guardian Angel (Radio Mix)” that is cheerful and fluffy in a good way. Hard rockers Empty County Band have been reviewed on this blog before. Their first track, “Until the End,” is a slow grinder and burner, but the vocals need to be a bit more up front in the mix; “Skeptical” is much stronger all around and a better listen, but both are good. Joe Black leads a guitar-centric metal group that wails with “Blackenstein.” If you like the guitar god sound, this mostly instrumental screamer is for you; for “Monster,” Black is joined on vocals by Jeffrey Baker. This cut is a more traditional rocker that switches between slow burner to a wild ride, which should please any metalhead. The lyrics are a bit silly (especially the chorus), but the guitar makes up for it. Tom Mitch, Jr.’s soulful “Table Scraps” reminds me a bit of Joe Tex, which is a compliment. Harmonious pop rockers Greg Walsh’s New Ghosts presents “Counting Down to Zero (From 1),” which has a late ‘60s sound mixed with early ‘80s echoey production styles. Mad Painter’s exuberant “The Letter” (not to be confused with the Box Tops song) has a bit of a Mod sound mixed with Ian Whitcomb’s bounciness, especially in Alex Gitlan’s vocals. As a note, a personal fave of mine from the Boston scene, my pal Kenne Highland, plays bass. Next up – and rightfully so – is a cut by the man himself, Joe Viglione, with his original “Thought About You.” Backed up by Jay and Scott Couper (who played with Denny Laine in the ‘80s), Joe presents one of the better songs I’ve heard from him in a while (and I like his stuff). It’s light without being sophomoric, and has a harmonious catch that could easily play on the radio and have people singing the chorus with him. Following is Boston musical veteran Dalia Davis, with “Eleven and a Half.” Reminding me of Harriet Shock here, Davis shines in a song about reminiscences. Fire in the Field’s “Bossman,” has a bit of an ‘80s rock sound that works, but somewhat harmless and generic, with harmonies and a cowbell sound. Concluding is “The Ballad of the Rock Star,” by Matty O’. This is a nice way to end, with a smooth Irish rock sound that fits well into the collection. Matty gets a couple of opportunities to show off his voice, which is appealing. Overall? This is a pretty damn decent collection of different styles, from singer-songwriter to heavy metal wailing, and it all works together. You can tell Viglione worked hard on the order of presentation of the songs, and he has a nice flow going so there isn’t an equivalent of a film’s jump cut. Everything flows pretty smoothly, and as a collection, it all meshes well. And if that wasn't enough, there is a really well thought-out glossy booklet that comes with it that is full of artist and song info and nice color pictures. Stunningly done.

Documentary Review: Suzi Q

Text © Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 2020

Images from the Internet

Suzi Q

Directed by Liam Firmager

Utopia; Screen Australia; Film Victoria; Acme Film Company Production; Madmen Films

100 minutes, 2020

https://www.suziqmovie.com/

My first experience of Suzi Quatro was on May 5, 1975, when I went to see Alice Cooper play at Madison Square Garden as part of the Welcome to My Nightmare Tour. Our seats were literally the last row of the upper balcony, facing the stage; you could not get any further away. Suzi was less than an inch tall from that distance. As it is, she is petite, but her sound was humongous, and made an impression on me (more than Cooper, quite honestly; it was my second time to see him there). The next day I went out and bought the then-recently released Your Mamma Won’t Like Me album, during her funkier period (the same month I would see the Ramones for the first time).

Women in rock seemed to come in waves up until the mid-‘70s: the first innovators were in the 1950s who never really got the credit they deserved, such as Wanda Jackson, which lasted until after the Shangri-Las’ boom of girl groups through early ‘60s. Then there were the blues rockers, such as Grace Slick and ended with the death of Janis Joplin. The next wave started a few years after Joplin’s 1970 passing, when Quatro released her eponymous proto-punk/metal album in 1973.

With songs like “Devil Gate Drive” and “Can the Can,” through her MTV-fueled “Rock Hard,” her vocals and starting with the employment of a huge 1957 Fender Precision bass hit a strong note. It’s been over 50 years since she started at age 14, but the story of that journey is the bassist – I mean, basis of this Australian documentary.

Suzi was huge all over the world, selling tens of millions of records, but here in the US of A, she was barely promoted by her record distributor (though she did make the cover of the Rolling Stone) and her sales were flat in her own ‘hood, relatively speaking. That’s part of why, even though she was born and raised in the Grosse Pointe area of Detroit, she has spent most of her life in England, starting the very early 1970s when she was brought over by infamous producer Mickey Most. All across the globe she was a presence on television on shows like “Top of the Pops,” but I remember mostly import LPs in stores that dealt with those (such as Disc-O-Rama on 8th Street, off McDougal, where I bought most of the early punk releases, but I digress…).

With hits all over the world but never really respected on a level she deserved in her own country, no wonder she stayed in the UK. Though I liked Suzi’s music, I really didn’t know much about her or her career. That is part of why I was so excited about this documentary, for which Suzi is incredibly deserving and involved. The fact that her first big hit in the States was a limp duet with Chris Norman, “Stumblin’ In,” shows how shallow the tastes of the mainstream American audience had become at the time.

Most documentaries, including this one, focus mainly on the high moments of fame, but one of the aspects I found interesting was the earlier years, covered in the first 15-20 minutes, when she was part of a “family” band of her sisters, starting with The Pleasure Seekers, which transformed into Cradle. One thing missing from here that I found interesting is the lack of mention of the only male in Cradle, future New York Dolls and Heartbreakers (with Johnny Thunders, not Tom Petty) drummer Jerry Nolan, who became involved with one of the sisters. Not even a picture, and there are lots of the band. But then again, this isn’t about him or the sister, but more my own personal interests.

Upon her fame in the mid-1970s, this documentary touches on two points I would have liked to have heard more of, and that is how she challenged the Glam scene (nice comment here about how Suzi’s band didn’t see themselves as Glam because Suzi was the only member “who wore make-up,” much like the Ramones didn’t consider themselves punk), rivaling the charts with artists like Marc Bolan, David Bowie, and Sweet (guitarist Andy Scott is interviewed here). The other is more of a social context of Feminism pushback by the British press, postulated by the juxtaposition in that at first people complained that women weren’t allowed to rock like the boys, and then grumbled when they did just that, threatening the machismo machine of rock and roll. Both While this is not a complaint, really, Glam and Feminism are given a couple of minutes each. I am glad at least they were addressed.

I am amused that there is a section devoted just to Suzi’s first Aussie tour in 1974. Of course, this actually makes sense, as footage is more readily available there for this home-grown piece. Again, this is more of an area I’m not familiar with in Suzi’s career, so I am incredibly grateful for the footage and information.

The film also rightfully focuses on the magnitude of the influence Suzi has had on the lives and careers of other musicians. So many women have picked up music as a vocation thanks to Suzi, including members of The Runaways (here represented by vocalist Cherie Currie, guitarist Joan Jett looking “Cher-ized,” and lead guitarist Lita Ford), The Go-Go’s (bassist Kathy Valentine), and Talking Heads and The Tom Tom Club (bassist Tina Weymouth and drummer Chris Franz).

Interviews also include (but not only), alphabetically, Rodney Bingenheimer (KROQ DJ), Clem Burke (Blondie drummer), Mike Chapman (1970s British record producer), Alice Cooper, John ”Norwood” Fisher (Fishbone), Deborah Harry (Blondie), Garry Marshall (producer of “Happy Days”; d. 2016), Don Powell (Slade drummer), Donita Sparks (L7 guitarist and vocals), Suzi’s ex-husband and member of the Suzi Quatro band Len Tuckey, KT Tunstall, and of course, the Fonz, Henry Winkler (“Happy Days”). Members of her family, including her sister Patti, who would become a member of Fanny, and brother Michael, who was her manager in the early days, are also represented.

But don’t think that this is just another one of those talking head interview extravaganzas. Hardly. This is jam packed with rare footage of Suzi playing live, photos of her on and off the stage (childhood, backstage, onstage, living her life), press and magazine covers, and clips of rare interviews (e.g., on the radio such as Rodney on the ROQ, and television mainly in the UK and Australia).

The best, of course, is the direct interviews with Suzi herself. She is extremely candid, bright-eyed, and humorous looking back on her 70 years, nearly 55 of them in the public eye. It’s obvious that her contribution was taken over a period of time, because we see her in different settings, rather than just the one-camera-one-shot that is so common with these kinds of biography films.

Then, there is also the music. Lots of music. No song is shown complete, but there are clips of her recordings and live shows, and all of it is quite thrilling, actually, giving a decent overall picture of why she was/is such a role model. Most people with whom I have talked about Suzi seem to know her mostly as Leather Tuscadero, during her stint on “Happy Days.” In my opinion, this role kind of put a dent in her reputation as a foundation artist, but she bounced back. Also, it was the mortar to what would become a strong acting career.

So many life documentaries are formulaic with interviews mixed with some photos or videos. Firmager mixes it up quite a bit. There is also a nice intermingling of genders, which I find to be often lacking in these kinds of adventures, especially for that period of rock and roll. In addition, I would like to point out that nearly all the people who talk about Suzi are those who are first-person connections, rather than merely journalists or writers spouting second-hand retellings, (such as, “In [date] at [location], the story goes that Suzi did this such thing…”). This is an incredibly well-assembled account of the life of a career musician.

Though the main focus is the height of Suzi’s career in the mid- to late-1970s, the beginning and the later British West End stage acting phases of her life are not glossed over, which is good because I did not know a lot of it.

As the film was ending, I checked in with myself and realized I had an unconscious smile on my face. Honestly, I have been wanting to see the film since its Australian opening in November of 2019. Was it worth the wait? Oh, hell, yeah, it – err – rocks hard.

Music Reviews: April 2018

Text © Robert Barry Francos / FFanzeen, 2018

Images from the Internet

Empty County

Die Alone

www.facebook.com/emptycounty/

There are only two songs here, but they spit guitar fire. Falling comfortably somewhere between rock and metal, they have a sound that could have mass appeal. I don’t know much about them, but with the right tweaking, I can see them going somewhere. The vocals by Steven Kuchinsky are solid New England, reminding me of so many rocker bands from the Rat period (like Stomper and Pastiche). It’s short and sweet, but this definitely gives the listener a nice taste of the band’s style. I’m looking forward to a full release.

Fire in the Field

War Bonnet

www.fireinthefieldmusic.com

There are a lot of rockers of various shades in this column, but Fire in the Field are a bit different in that while it’s, well, user-friendly, there is enough of a pop level that is appealing so that it stands out. High production values without overwhelming it, with some catchy melodies, you get the impression that they’re fun to see live. Sort of like if the Romantics were heavier, it’s a band you can headbang to, or just dance. That’s saying a lot. The songs are good, if a bit long, but more importantly they’re fun with just the right amount of noise thrown in. My drawback comment? The lyrics are included, but they’re small and white print on red background, so that it’s hard enough to read that even my $2 drug store classes aren’t helping.

Joe Black’s Blackenstein

Joe Black’s Blackenstein

Carved in Stone Media / www.joeblack.com

At first I didn’t understand the name of the band; I mean, I got the “Black” part, but “Blackenstein” felt a bit like an appropriation. But now I get it. This is both a band and it’s also a collection of parts to make a whole. There is a sharing of musical sections and vocals (though Black wrote most of the tunes), including a number of additional players from various bands like the Joe Perry Project (Charlie Farren, who sings lead on a cover of “Care About You”). There is some consistency such as Black playing bass, Aart Knyff and Johnny Press sharing both lead and rhythm guitar. Some of the hard rock-style warbling vocals are handled by Jeffrey Baker. One of the enjoyable quirks on the collection is a cover of Black Oak Arkansas’ “Uncle Elijah” with Black on decent vocals. Knyff handles the vox on his own heavy rocker, “Over You.” All the songs are classic style rock with some strong metal edges, especially the last cut, “Blackenstein,” where drummer Simon Adamsson really gets to shine on a solo. While I prefer my rock style stripped down, this works well with more a more mainstream method that is full of musical gimmicks and production values that ae radio-friendly.

Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers

L.A.M.F.: The Lost ‘77 mixes

Jungle Records / Track Records

There are a lot of influential albums floating around that formed punk, such as the Stooges and the Velvet Underground. But there were three biggies (in my opinion) as far in influence that came out of the New York Scene that fostered punk around the world: the New York Dolls first album, the Ramones first LP, and arguably L.A.M.F. had the most lasting impression of even those other two. And, that release originally had a terrible mix thanks to the good intentions of drummer Jerry Nolan. There have been a number of different versions of the album since then, and this one is from 2017. From the first distorted note of the opening cut, “Born to Lose” (also known by its fans as “Born Too Loose”), you know you’re hearing something different just by the line “Living in a jungle / it ain’t so hard / Living in a city / It’ll tear, tear out your heart.” There’s not a bad song here, each being powerful fuelled by Thunders and co-singer/guitarist Walter Lure. I don’t think I’ve ever seen bassist Billy Rath speak on stage (his cigarette would have fallen out of his mouth…). Nolan is generally recognized as one of the great drummer of the scene. There are some that remain favorites of mine, such as “All By Myself,” “I Wanna Be Loved,” “Chinese Rocks” (written by Dee Dee Ramone, but released by the Heartbreakers first; Nolan’s drummer here is amazing), “Get Off the Phone,” “One Track Mind” (adapted from Richard Hell’s “Love Comes in Spurts,” co-written with Lure), “I Love You,” “Let Go,” “Can’t Keep My Eyes on You,” and a cover of “Do You Love Me.” To me, what made the Heartbreakers (and hence this album) so special is what also made the Who so exceptional is that all the band members were pretty much playing lead concurrently. Even after not listening to the original for quite a while, I was singing along, and missing Max’s Kansas City. I Love this collection, and could wax on about it quite extensively. Oh, before I forget, it comes with a really nice booklet with an article by Nina Antonia (who wrote the Thunders bio) and an explanation about each song along with the lyrics.

John Lee Hooker

The Modern, Chess & Veejay Singles Collection 1949-62

www.acrobatmusic.net / www.mvdaudio.com

If you’re really into modern music history, you have to admit that when it comes to genres, whether you like a musician or not, it’s nearly impossible to realistically say that someone is “the best.” There is, however, a pantheon of musician in most fields, and it would be hard to argue that when it comes to the recordings of guitar-based blues, John Lee Hooker is near the top. This 101-song, 4-disc collection that lasts 214 minutes, is a good example of just why Hooker is so important to the field. Hooker is a master of the blues (acoustic) guitar, whatever the style, from the slow “my girl done me wrong” style to solid boogie, and into early rock’n’roll. It’s not fer nuthin’ that blues rock guitarists cite him, such as Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton. Hooker is the real deal. I don’t think I have the space to scratch the surface in averring just how amazing this collection is in that pantheon. Hooker was a game changer, and these discs are the proof of how he helped change the face of music. While Hooker never lost his blues touch, over time you can hear the rock’n’roll rhythms emanating out of his six-string and vocals, though usually more in the boogie mode. These are classic documents looking backward into rock history. It also comes with a comprehensive 24-page booklet that explains each song, what was recorded at which session, and so forth. Quite a stunning and wonderful – albeit a happily time-consuming – assemblage that is guaranteed to thrill those who are blues fans.

Perfect Defect

Perfect Defect

www.sonicnightmusic.com / www.mvdaudio.com

Built on a solid and heavy bottom sound with Dirk Van Tilborg’s bass and Patrick Johansson’s drums recorded together live in studio – and then overlayered with some flashy guitar (both lead and rhythm) by Mitch Bernstein and lower-register vox by Gary Brown. It’s effective and different than most high-pitched airy metal as it’s more sludgey; I like a sound you can wade through more than one that sounds like it’s coming from on-high, or as I like to put it in Marshall McLuhan terms, more cool than hot. The songs, however, sound decent, but I cringed a bit at the retro lyrics, such as “Bros before Hoes / Hoes droppin’ low … / I’m the one you need / Make that booty bounce for me” (from “Rollin’ With G”) and “Too drunk to take your clothes off… / That ain’t no way to treat your man” (from “Treat Your Man”), and this is the two opening cuts. Uff-da. “Love Song,” which is solid Southern Rock (they are from that region) a la Black Oak Arkansas-style nasality, has a similar dick-rock theme. Now, I’m not dissin’ the band, there’s some really good stuff here, like the ballad rocker “Used to Believe,” but so much of it is more “I can’t get no sleep / Even masturbation doesn’t help me,” from “I Got Needs.” Unfortunately, as much as I like the general sound, the lyrics don’t work for me as so much of them are unimaginative and repetitious in over-sexualized masculinist mode. Lyrics included.

Positive Negative Man

Broken

CPR Records (ancient-pistol@hotmail.com)

With a name that sounds like the title of a They Might Be Giants song, it’s hardly surprising that Positive Negative Man presents a kind of chaotic and dissonant front. Oh, that’s not an insult, hell no. The songs are borderline No Wave (closer to Mars than Teenage Jesus and the Jerks), but one of the aspects I find interesting is that with all the noise, it’s all done with standard rock’n’roll equipment (guitar, bass, drum, voice), yet there are enough squelches to keep any electro fan happy. Most of the vocals are pretty straightforward as are the core of the songs; they’re just played over the racket. They refer to themselves as a “post-punk pop experiment,” and I would not argue with that at all. Sometimes it’s the guitar as lead destructor, other times it’s the bass, such as with “The Ice Queen of Space.” Though no two songs are alike, their approach seems to be, though. While this may not exactly be my playlist style, and I did have trouble making out most of the lyrics, the last song, “Just Don’t Think” is extremely catchy and has lasted with me well beyond the initial playing.

Sidney Green Street Band

Half Live

www.facebook.com/sidneygreenstreetband/

The meaning of the title is that half the songs on the CD are recorded in a studio in Brooklyn, and half are recorded live at the Great Notch Inn, in Little Falls, NJ, at 12 in total. These guys do a bit of country rock but more on the AOR spectrum. That being said, the first song on the studio side is a bit different than the rest, focused on “Muscle Shoals” studio releases. Then the country kicks in with the cleverly named “Last Beer and Testament” and the heartbreak-focused “One Alone.” After a lusty “Next Time,” they turn a bit towards the bluesy “Don’t Make That Girl Cry.” The last cut on this “side” is the overlong but decent Southern Rocker “Stayin’ All Night.” Most of the live cuts are enjoyable country rock. There is a strong emphasis on all the songs of electric guitar. If you’re into this kind of sound, I doubt you’ll be disappointed.