Sep 152023
 

Van Morrison, very sadly, is no longer Van The Man. More Van the Curmudgeon. But curmudgeon doesn’t rhyme. However, Van the Also-Ran does. A bit harsh? Maybe. Though a procession of erratic (and, in the case of Latest Record Project: Volume 1, irascible) albums, probably since 2016’s Keep Me Singing, hardly offer a robust defense.

Oh, but when he was The Man, he was good. Real good. In his ’70s pomp Van Morrison was on a whole other wavelength (if you will). High on that amorphous thing we call soul, he made us high too on the likes of Moondance, Tupelo Honey and Veedon Fleece. And then there was Into the Music, a collection that accommodated the instantly irresistible “Bright Side of the Road” and “Full Force Gale,” as well as the deeper dives “And the Healing Has Begun” and “It’s All in the Game.”
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Sep 152023
 

One reflection on the ravages of the Grim Reaper is that it offers the opportunity for folks to be reminded of the breadth of talent offered by those on the wrong side of the grass. And what a talent Leon Russell’s was. One of the founding fathers of contemporary American music, Russell got his start in sessions with the Wrecking Crew, that seasoned band of players, gilding the lily of any number of better remembered performers. Next, he took on the task of ringmaster for Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs And Englishmen, thereby inventing the whole milieu of raggedy roots revues.

Thereafter, Russell cemented his reputation producing and playing for and with everyone, from Bob Dylan and George Harrison to most of the Rolling Stones. An early adopter was Elton John, much later able to repay the influence with 2009’s The Union, a record co-credited to each of them, boosting once again the standing of then then-ailing Russell. Seven years later, he was to die in his sleep, a heart attack complicating previous surgery, at 74. No more would he grace the stage in the guise of an Old Testament prophet, bedazzling in his white suit, with his mane of white hair and beard crowned usually by a hat, ten-gallon or top, white too.

A side arm of his career included a series of albums under the nom de guerre, Hank Wilson, wherein he took on the mantle of a country bluegrass rocker, with four albums of honky-tonk music, with another being his mentoring and production duties for funk outfit, The Gap Band; they also backed him on ‘Stop All That Jazz’, in 1974. Another fun fact: his 1978 album Americana was potentially the first sighting of the word, a full 21 years ahead the Americana Music Association coming into existence. So yeah, a whole lot more to him than just “Delta Lady,” “Superstar” and “A Song For You.”

With a body of work stretching to nearly 40 albums, solo or collaboration, studio and live, the problem for a Leon Russell tribute album is what not to cover, and what stones to leave unturned. A Song for Leon truly has its work cut out for it; for the most part, it does proud to both the tribute album genre and the Master of Space and Time himself.
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Sep 112023
 

Yes, Once More does and should sound familiar, it being the completion of a project started some time ago, with Jenni Muldaur and Teddy Thompson tackling the great country songbook, specifically as it relates to the duet format. Initially envisaged as a series of three E.P.s, it seemed to grind to a halt after the first two. These two second generation singers had memorably tackled the pair covering first Porter (Wagoner) and Dolly (Parton), the second George (Jones) and Tammy (Wynette). And then we waited.

This time, rather than a third EP, this release is a full-length disc, compiling the first 2 EPs and adding a further four songs. Again the mastermind behind this project is David Mansfield, veteran producer and player, responsible also for Teddy Thompson’s recent My Love Of Country. It seems pointless to repeat and rehearse the opinions around the first eight songs on this album: the songs and our view of them remain the same. But let’s give due space to the new butcher’s handful.

But who, you ask, who are the third and final set of salute recipients? Do the songs “Pickin’ Wild Mountain Berries,” “We’re Caught Between Love And A Love Affair,” “Makin’ Believe” and “After The Fire Is Gone” help? I would have to confess that unless you are reasonably old or a hardcore C&W purist, these won’t be the songs you have been humming along to much recently, but your Ma and Pa may well be able to help, as Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn (for it is they) were huge in the 1970s, probably the most successful pairing of the three sets of artists this release honors. Already stars in their own right, and an odd pairing, the suave ladies’ man and the no-nonsense women’s champion, but it gelled like a dream, with an album a year, 1971 – 1981, bar 1980, and all 12 singles going top 10 in the country charts, the first 5 effortlessly hitting the number one spot. Back then again they went to their solo careers and solo success, bar a further single finale, which fared less well, in 1988.

First of M&T doing T&L is “When the Fire is Gone,” a surprisingly, um, liberal take on romance along the lines of Stephen Stills’ “Love the One You’re With,” basically telling you to go a-lookin’ when the “fire” is gone at home: “Love Is Where You Find It.” This was the duo’s biggest hit, their conservative audience maybe missing the thrust of the song. Ted ‘n’ Jen stray little from the template, the first thing being to note that the song is set a semitone down than Thompson’s usual croon, at least in the verses.

“Makin’ Believe” suggests there possibly lingers some reticence, with the lyrical duo keeping up the pretense. Once again the rendition presented here much as the original, unlike the earlier two duos featured, if with a slightly more down-home feel. I guess this may be that they are slightly more contemporary anyway. (Slightly.) Most of the embellishment: piano, fiddle, steel, is Mansfield, and it is well measured and contained, courtesy Mansfield’s capable production.

I’m going to keep up the conceit about these four sings being connected, with “We’re Caught Between a Love and a Love Affair,” with its talk of sleeping around only when they can, as each also care for their woman and man respectively. Heady stuff! And there I was thinking Nashville looked down on such shenanigans, officially at least!

The final song shows they’re still at it, for “Picking’ Wild Berries,” that the excuse given for their turning up sweaty and stained on return to their respective homes. (I confess all this had me checking out the Twitty/Lynn real life relationship; seems they actually were just good friends, with Twitty and Lynn’s husband being also best buddies.) A chirpy little number in the original, with here the cheesiness dialed down a bit, if still the rockiest track here. Which isn’t a whole lot.

Actually the weakest of the three parts, I wonder whether that is the reason for the bundling of these four songs into the overall Once More collection, rather than letting them having a life on their own EP. Nonetheless, as a whole, it is altogether appealing enough, if uncertain who the core demographic is that it might be aimed toward. Will those drawn in by the Thompson and Muldaur names will necessarily have room for this, so soon after Thompson’s solo country disc last month? Or maybe this is aimed, fairly and squarely, at the (even more) mature audience at home, with fond memories of the original pairings, and maybe enough twinkle in their eyes to recall their own berry pickin’ days? If so, there is a further treat for such purchasers, able be to see it is on the old Sun label, with the traditional yellow design.

Once More Tracklisting:

  1. Just Someone I Used to Know
  2. Once More
  3. Just Between You and Me
  4. Put It Off Until Tomorrow 
  5. Golden Ring
  6. It’s So Sweet
  7. Take Me
  8. We’re Gonna Hold On
  9. After The Fire Is Gone
  10. Makin’ Believe
  11. We’re Caught Between a Love and a Love Affair
  12. Pickin’ Wild Mountain Berries
Sep 082023
 

‘The Best Covers Ever’ series counts down our favorite covers of great artists.

1990s One Hit Wonders

This month, our ongoing series of One Hit Wonders covers comes to its end. We’ve done the 1950s (think “Earth Angel,” “Tequila”), the 1960s (“96 Tears,” “In A Gadda Da Vida”), the 1970s (“My Sharona,” “Black Betty”), and the 1980s (“You Spin Me Right Round,” “Turning Japanese”). Now we hit the 1990s today and the 2000s next week.

For millennial readers, these will be the songs you remember hearing on the radio and watching on MTV growing up. So many ubiquitous classics of the era like New Radicals’ “You Get What You Give” and 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Up,” by artists who only had a brief moment in the sun (you might say someone stole their sunshine…). Also some fun flukes, where the artist’s cultural impact goes way beyond “one hit wonder” — but, according to the fickle US pop charts at the time, they qualify on a technicality: Robyn, Fiona Apple, etc. Plus Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back,” which has to be in the conversation for the most One Hit Wonder to have ever One Hit Wonder-ed. Continue reading »

Sep 072023
 

In Memoriam pays tribute to those who have left this world, and the songs they left us to remember them by.

Jimmy Buffett covers

When news spread on September 2nd that Jimmy Buffett had passed away at age 76, Parrotheads everywhere were consoled by Radio Margaritaville, the popular SiriusXM channel created by Buffett 18 years ago. Caller tributes and recent live concerts continued through Labor Day weekend to celebrate the remarkable career of the Son of a Son of a Sailor who left port for the last time to parts unknown.

Buffett leaves behind a legacy that began as a vibe and evolved into a billion-dollar entertainment and business empire built over five decades. The legendary songwriting-singer and tireless concert performer created an amazing body of work blessed with commercial success. Over 30 studio albums (17 going gold, platinum, or multiplatinum) were produced, along with another 30 compilation, live, or specialty albums, and 67 singles. Covers, in their various forms, were a significant part of Buffett’s repertoire; nearly 100 of them are listed on SecondHandSongs.com, the popular website that keeps track of such things.

Buffett, along with his Coral Reefer Band, successfully developed the “Gulf & Western” island-influenced musical genre into its own casual lifestyle brand. While not always critically admired, the music’s popularity is undeniable.

Let’s raise a mast and look out over the horizon at Buffett’s most interesting cover choices from his storied career…
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Sep 052023
 

In Search of Gil Scott-Heron is a fine new graphic novel about the life of a great artist. Or more accurately, as with the movies Round Midnight or Searching For Sugarman, it is as much about the life of a fan as the life of a special artist. French documentary maker Thomas Mauceri documents how he fell in love with the politics and music of the Godfather of Rap (a term Scott-Heron was not that keen on) during an academic stay in the United States. As a fan, he had experiences and met new people that he could not have done otherwise. The novel is beautifully drawn by Seb Piquet and the lettering for the English edition is expertly done by Lauren Bowes. In addition to the recollections of Mauceri, the book is interspersed with biography and observations about Gil Scott-Heron and his life as a pioneer and leader, and the less celebratory parts of his life. Much of the book is set around the time of the artist’s death in 2011. For those who saw him on his final tour, completed not long before his death, it is very poignant. We could see the fire and the talent, but also the losses that Scott-Heron heavily bore. His final album I’m New Here is a testament to that loss.

Even for a fan, there is new information in there. One key observation is that, at the time of his death, Scott-Heron had a small, well-maintained apartment in New York City. Given the chaos of his addictions and spells of imprisonment, this was a surprise. His friends note that the royalties from Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson’s hit song “The Bottle” gave him a steady income throughout the last 30 years of his life. Included on the 1974 album Winter in America, it is Jackson and Scott-Heron’s best-remembered hit, although “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” might be the most influential.

A dancefloor-filling hit song about crippling, chronic addition, “The Bottle” is a beautiful, contradictory creation. It has upbeat Caribbean rhythms wrapped Scott-Heron’s mellifluous voice. Brian Jackson brings a beautiful flute to the whole piece, infusing it with light and air, along with his other instrumental parts. The stories within it are dark but the music is light. Scott-Heron’s stories of the addicted are garnered from discussions with the visitors to a liquor store near Washington DC. We can imagine why he was there.

The song has been covered many times throughout the years by artists trying to capture the different themes. Here are five that capture the messages in a novel way.
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