The Flesh Eaters: “I Used To Be Pretty” (2019) CD Review

The Flesh Eaters are back, with their first new studio release in fifteen years, I Used To Be Pretty. The music is punk, but these are not short songs, like those offered by most punk bands. These guys dig into their tunes, create a world and invite you to live there (and by “invite,” I mean grab you in your sleep and pull you inside). The disc has eleven tracks, nearly an hour of music. There is some new material, but they also revisit several older tunes, including tunes from the 1982 record Forever Came Today. Even if the name The Flesh Eaters is unfamiliar to you, you do know this band, or at least its members. Members have come and gone over the years, the only constant being Chris Desjardins (Chris D.), but the lineup for this new release is basically the same as for the album that is considered by many to be the band’s best, 1981’s A Minute To Pray, A Second To Die: Chris D. on vocals, Dave Alvin (from The Blasters, X) on guitar, John Doe (from X, The Knitters) on bass, Bill Bateman (of The Blasters) on drums, D.J. Bonebrake (of X) on marimba and percussion, and Steve Berlin (of Los Lobos) on saxophone. How is that for a lineup? But that’s not all. Julie Christensen joins the band on vocals for several tracks. I became a fan of Julie Christensen because of her fantastic work with Leonard Cohen. But before that, she was a member of the Divine Horsemen with Chris D. (she and Chris D. were also married). So what I am saying is there is a ridiculous amount of talent on this album.

The album gets off to a great start with “Black Temptation,” one of the disc’s new tunes, and one that features Julie Christensen on vocals. This is a seriously cool punk tune with a raw vocal delivery. And I love the way the saxophone creates a kind of strangely sexy atmosphere during certain sections. Check out these lyrics: “I always think the queen of wolves/Is a delicate flower/And end up just meat/For the bitch to devour.” My favorite line, however, is “The history we’re writing has no tomorrow.” That’s followed by “House Amid The Thickets,” a song that first appeared on The Flesh Eaters’ 1999 release, Ashes Of Time. I love the vocal delivery immediately. There is something dark and forbidding here. “Then she starts going back out to bars/Before you know it, she wrecks all her cars/How does she stay so beautiful?/And why am I such a goddamn fool?/I guess because I’m a man, sucker for sexy firebrands.” But the song also has a good groove. It has something of a different feel from the earlier version, in part because this one features saxophone and not organ.

“My Life To Live” has a more upbeat, fun feel from the start, and a driving rhythm (I’m digging that bass). This one rocks. This song was originally the lead track on 1982’s Forever Came Today. After listening to it several times, I think this new version is actually better than the original. That’s followed by a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown).” This is a song from Fleetwood Mac’s early blues days (which I still think is the absolute best stuff Fleetwood Mac ever did). This version by The Flesh Eaters has a heavy, dark feel (like the original), but with saxophone (which I love). It sounds like a beast that crouches and is ready to pounce and pull you into its lair. “Miss Muerte” was the title track to The Flesh Eaters’ 2004 album. This new version has a wonderful intro by D.J. Bonebrake, then kicks in. This is a fun track, and I love the backing vocals by Julie Christensen. Plus, it has some bloody great lyrics, such as these lines: “There’s no such thing as a real-life story/As soon as you’ve lived it, it’s gone/And so’s all the wealth and glory/You just don’t understand, you, you’ll never understand.” And these: “I’m so sick of all you angry people/Killing each other for the sake of your god/You just can’t seem to understand/Your enemy is god-made man/So get off your goddamn cross/And let go your fetish of loss.”

“The Youngest Profession” begins with something of a march on drums, and develops into a slow, haunted bluesy groove. These are the opening lines: “If you know what’s good for you/You’ll be too tough to care/Coming from a home where kindness is rare.” A sudden command to “Get crazy” is answered and obeyed by the guitars. The vocal work here reminds me at times of Jim Morrison in his most unhinged moments. “We’ll stay together  and stop second guessing/We got to tame our hearts, but steer clear of obsession.” The order to “Go crazy” is issued again, and perhaps this time it isn’t just the guitars that respond, but us too. That’s followed by a cover of The Sonics’ “Cinderella,” a song that The Flesh Eaters included on the 1988 album Live. This track comes on fast, with that driving drum beat, and is cool, raw fun. Then “Pony Dress” is classic, pure punk, whatever that might mean. It is a song that first found its way onto a 1979 compilation titled Tooth And Nail. This new version is fantastic.

“The Wedding Dice” is a tune from Forever Came Today. This is a fast, hard, lively punk tune. “Somebody gives you arsenic so you won’t be lonely/Fire in the brain is calling it quits.” I love the sax in this new rendition, particularly at the end. There is another strong groove in “She’s Like Heroin To Me,” a song written by Jeffrey Lee Pierce and originally recorded by The Gun Club, from that band’s first LP, Fire Of Love. The Flesh Eaters deliver a damn good rendition. I Used To Be Pretty then concludes with its longest track, “Ghost Cave Lament,” a slow, unsettling number featuring good work on saxophone. I also particularly like the guitar work on this track. This is a new composition, one of only two on this disc. “The love that I steal is fuel for this madness.” This track features a powerful vocal performance, and the lyrics contain some horror imagery, such as “Oh, St. Lucy, she plucked out her eyes from her sockets.” This is a wild ride to wrap up an excellent album.

CD Track List

1. Black Temptation
2. House Amid The Thickets
3. My Life To Live
4. The Green Manalishi
5. Miss Muerte
6. The Youngest Profession
7. Cinderella
8. Pony Dress
9. The Wedding Dice
10. She’s Like Heroin To Me
11. Ghost Cave Lament 

I Used To Be Pretty was released today, January 18, 2019, on Yep Roc Records. The band is now on tour, so check the official website to see if these guys are heading to your area.

Elsa Nilsson and Jon Cowherd: “After Us” (2018) CD Review

The duo of flutist Elsa Nilsson and pianist Jon Cowherd recently released a wonderful new album, After Us. The first time I popped on this disc was a morning when I was feeling frustrated and disappointed by people. That feeling occurs with some regularity in these ugly days of the Trump administration. Rather than arguing with people online, I decided to listen to this album, and its beauty and tenderness immediately set me at ease and reminded me of the good qualities that people possess. Music can lift us up out of the darkness of our own anger and hatred, and apparently we need it now more than ever. All tracks on this release are originals, most of them written by Elsa Nilsson.

The CD opens with “Same Trees,” a moving piece that begins with some pretty work on piano. The flute then enters gently, and the track has a calming effect. Once the music has us, the flute then raises us up a bit, takes us on a journey that has a natural beauty. There is a gorgeous piano solo toward the end. “Same Trees” is followed by “How To Keep Moving, How To Stay,” which has a brighter sound from the start, the flute rising and dancing, making things seem a bit lighter. And isn’t that what we need sometimes – a little of the weight lifted? Then more than halfway through, Jon delivers a wonderful solo on piano, and that leads to an interesting section where the flute has an insistent and percussive feel. By the way, I love the title of this piece.

“Distant Dawn” begins with piano, a somber tone that is quite effective in conjuring the dark night that the distant dawn of the piece’s title will eventually break. And when the flute comes in, it feels we are closer to that dawn, hints of light making their way into our field of vision. But this track feels of loss and despair, a melancholy that the sun might not in fact dispel. Still, there is something gorgeous here in Jon’s work on piano. And the flute, when it becomes dominant again, feels eager, perhaps even desperate, to lead us to a better place, to bring the dawn to us, if not move us to it.

There is something loving to the sound of “With A Smile,” but at moments near the beginning it feels sad as well. Is it perhaps a sad smile that is mentioned in the piece’s title? It then blossoms and grows, becoming beautiful and powerful, particularly the flute. It then relaxes again, leading to Jon Cowherd’s piano solo. That’s followed by “Blessings,” one of the tracks composed by Jon Cowherd. Here too the flute rises to become powerful and insistent while the piano provides a beautiful base, keeping us somewhat grounded even as we reach out. Then Jon’s solo on piano has an uplifting, even cheerful vibe. The other of the album’s tracks to be written by Jon Cowherd is “Baltica.” This one begins with piano, and has a sweet beauty. It feels like walking through some natural, ageless landscape, skin caressed by winds, the mind untroubled. The album concludes with its title track, “After Us,” which has a gentle touch. It feels almost like a letting go, leaving problems and everything behind. It then builds in power, rising to certain heights, before returning to that thoughtful, introspective place.

CD Track List

1. Same Trees
2. How To Keep Moving, How To Stay
3. Distant Dawn
4. Crimson
5. With A Smile
6. Blessings
7. Practice Patience
8. Baltica
9. After Us 

After Us was released on October 12, 2018.

Bend The River: “Through The Long Night” (2018) CD Review

I was turned on to Bend The River several years ago when the band released So Long Joan Fontaine, an album that I love. I mentioned in my review of that CD that it came as a wonderful breath of fresh air, and it still feels that way to me. Soon after that, I was enjoying solo albums from band members like Ronok Sarkar (the band’s principal songwriter) and Norma MacDonald. Now Bend The River has released a new EP, Through The Long Night, featuring all original material written by Ronok Sarkar with Bend The River. This release was produced by Joel Plaskett and engineered by Thomas Stajcer, so there is a whole lot of talent behind this one. And it certainly shows in the resulting four tracks. The sound is a bit different from the group’s previous release, but it’s exciting to hear how these folks are evolving. I’m not sure what it is about Halifax, but it seems there is an incredible amount of talent up there. I hope to pay a visit at some point.

The EP opens with “White Line,” which fades in like the music is already in progress, and we are just entering the room. It is like the music is ongoing, and when we enter, it immediately embraces us (even if we’re a bit late). It has a warm folk and country vibe. Check out these opening lines: “Standing by the white line, the remnants of your past/Still, you’re only just your past/All the revolutions that a heart can take you ‘round/Leaves you spinning on the ground.” This song has a lot of lines that stand out for me, such as “And time won’t make things clear” and “I know, the emptiness still lingers in our bones.” That’s followed by “Remnants.” It’s always interesting to me when an album has a recurring image or idea, and the word “remnants” is in the first line of both “White Line” and “Remnants” (as well, obviously, as being the title of the latter). “We found the remnants of an old love that once sailed.” This song has a catchy 1970s-like pop vibe, particularly with that keyboard part and the backing vocals. I especially dig the bass line. That section where the vocals are supported by mainly bass and drums is wonderful.

“Another Shade Of Blue” also has a 1970s vibe, reminding me of some of Paul Simon’s work from that decade, particularly the way the vocals and keyboard interact at the beginning (think “Still Crazy After All These Years”). This track features some good vocal work, as well as another strong bass line, with touches of funk. And it too has some excellent lyrics, such as these lines: “Everything that goes away/Is still in the north sky somewhere/I still hear her voice sometimes/Through the darkness/Like another shade of blue.” The EP then concludes with its title track, “Through The Long Night,” which is the most intriguing song of the disc. It goes through some interesting changes, and features good work on keys and guitar. But the vocals and the lyrics are what make it my favorite track. “The hours roll and she drifts so far away/To all the places in her past/Where the light won’t go/It’s a sort of madness in this world she sees/But who am I to fix her dreams?/Who am I to think I know?”

CD Track List

1. White Line
2. Remnants
3. Another Shade Of Blue
4. Through The Long Night

Through The Long Night was released on December 6, 2018.

Hilary Scott: “Don’t Call Me Angel” (2018) CD Review

Hilary Scott is a singer and songwriter working largely in the country and folk realm. Her newest release, Don’t Call Me Angel, however, has a good deal of soul added to her sound. This album contains mostly original material, written by Hilary Scott, songs that are emotionally engaging. Hilary Scott plays piano, acoustic guitar and ukulele on this release. Joining her are AJ Gennaro on drums and percussion; Josh Schilling on bass, electric guitar and ukulele; Johnny Lee Schell on guitar and mandolin; and Mike Finnigan on organ.

Don’t Call Me Angel opens with its title track, one of the album’s best songs. This is a beautiful song that features some excellent lyrics, such as these lines: “I’ve got more than dust on me/And plenty mistakes to my name.” Those are the lines that immediately stood out and pulled me in. “Don’t call me angel…I never looked good in white.” That’s followed by “Not Used To Being Used To,” which has quite a different feel right from the start with the piano and the finger snaps. There is a lot of soul to Hilary’s vocal performance here, and a joy to her blues. “I’m not used to being used to being treated so well/Honey, you took my hand and led me straight out of hell.” This is a really strong track.

On “Make It Right,” Hilary Scott delivers a gorgeous vocal performance that has an intimate feel at first and then builds from there. Check out these lines: “You know how to make it painless when you hit the ground/You know when it’s just not worth the fight/You know how to do wrong and make it right.” Not bad, eh? This song also features some nice work on keys, and is one of my favorites of the album. “Heartless” also has an intimate vibe and builds to become a powerful song. These are the lines that open this one: “I washed most of my makeup clean/Just a few lipstick stains/And though now it’s just plain old me/A bit of you still remains.” But perhaps my favorite lines are these: “You brought me a paper bouquet/And it won’t die, but the colors will fade.” This track also features more good stuff on keys.

I love the soulful, moving songs on this album, like “Moon And Back,” which begins with piano and vocals, and slowly, beautifully builds from there. “It seems like such a long ride/So can you stop it now.” Oh god, there is something heartbreaking about those lines, particularly as they feel to not be just about a relationship, but about some of the harsher things in life, or life itself. “Sometimes the choices we make/They make it seem there’s no escape/Where would I go anyway?/Just a lonely fall through space.” This song itself takes us on a ride, and ultimately raises our spirits, letting hope and optimism return. That’s followed by “In Time,” which has a pretty folk sound on guitar. “Do you always say there’s tomorrow/Do you always think I’ll change my mind/What if you never get the chance in time.” This one gets its hooks in me immediately. “Did you forget there is no promise/Did you forget love is all we have?” There is something delicate in her delivery at times, something that feels ephemeral, which is so fitting for lines like “’Cause everything in passes in time.”

The album’s sole cover is a rendition of Prince’s “Kiss.” Since Prince’s untimely death in 2016 (the worst year), I’ve heard several folk artists cover this one. Hilary Scott’s version is somewhat mellow, and quite a bit different from other renditions I’ve heard. She changes the lyrics to “You don’t have to be rich/To be my boy/Don’t have to be cool/To bring me joy.” She also changes “You don’t have to watch Dynasty” to “You don’t have to watch bad TV.” A comment on Dynasty, or simply an update for those somehow unfamiliar with that 1980s program? (Though didn’t they recently remake that show for some reason?) The album then concludes with “Here I Am,” another track with a good amount of soul. I love how this one opens with the line “I am a mess.” No hiding there, eh? “I never dreamed you could change my whole world/With a smile and the touch of your hand/You have my heart and you won’t let it go/You know I can’t stop, here I am.”

CD Track List

1. Don’t Call Me Angel
2. Not Used To Being Used To
3. You Will Be Mine
4. Make It Right
5. Heartless
6. Unlove Story
7. Moon And Back
8. In Time
9. Kiss
10. Here I Am

Don’t Call Me Angel was released on October 12, 2018 on Belltown Records.

Paul Nelson: “Over Under Through” (2019) CD Review

What first got me excited to listen to Over Under Through was the fact that Ellis Paul provides some backing vocals on one of its tracks. I’ve been a fan of his music since the late 1980s when I saw him open for Roger McGuinn at the Old Vienna Kaffeehaus (remember that place?). But it wasn’t long before Paul Nelson’s style and vibe had me completely under his spell. There is just something arresting about the sound of this album. It is somewhat dark, somewhat haunted, but with an underlying hope. Besides Ellis Paul, he has several other talented musicians helping him out on this release, including Kevin Barry on guitar and lap steel, John Sands on drums and percussion, Richard Gates on bass, Paul Kochanski on bass, Tom Eaton on keys and percussion, and Jeff Oster on flugelhorn and trumpet. All but one of the songs on this album were written by Paul Nelson.

The album opens with “Go Down Ezekiel,” which has a cool, slow, dark blues vibe, with a steady rhythm that you can feel in your heart. “Move out a bit further/Move out further still/It’s only when you leave the shoreline/Oh, brother, you will be filled.” Tom Eaton adds some work on rain sticks on this track. That’s followed by “Ghost In The Basement,” which also has a somewhat haunting vibe even before the song’s first line about the ghost, “There’s a ghost in the basement, I know she’s there.” Paul Nelson’s vocal delivery, and that wonderful guitar part over that raw steady thump of the drums quickly draw me in until I feel emerged in the world of this song. This is one of my personal favorites, in part because of lines like “Should I turn on the light so she can see?/Or leave her in the dark just like me” and “And I’m chained to her by choice, I guess,” but also because of Kristin Cifelli’s presence on backing vocals, which gives the song a beauty and something of an uplifting quality. Also, there is something angelic in her deliver, and it is almost like she is the ghost, and she too is asking how long it will be until she is free to move on. It’s an interesting idea, that they are both haunted by each other, wondering when they can move on. Kristin Cifelli also adds her voice to the following track, “Color It Blue,” her work here having quite a different effect than on “Ghost In The Basement.” What I really dig about this track is the addition of horns approximately halfway through.

“Secret” has a groovy, mellow vibe and features some nice work on lap steel by Kevin Barry. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “Well, I’ve got a secret/I’ve been keeping for some time/One I’ve been saying is dead/Still very much alive, still very much alive.” That’s followed by “Lay A Little,” which has a sweet, pretty folk sound. Something about this one makes me feel relaxed and hopeful. “Crawling out from the wreckage of/Broken trust and shattered dreams/Tried to make our way back to the start/And find ourselves some peace.” Kristin Cifelli again joins Paul Nelson on vocals. I love the addition of flugelhorn on “Alice Mullins,” a song that has a sweet, comforting Van Morrison-type vibe. “There’s a girl who can chase these blues away/With eyes the color of an autumn day.”

Ellis Paul joins Paul Nelson on vocals for the album’s sole cover, Johnny Cash’s “I Walk The Line.” Ellis is a big Cash fan (his “Kick Out The Lights” about Johnny Cash is a fan favorite during live performances), so it makes perfect sense that he would sing on this one. This is a mellow, thoughtful, unusual take on the song, with some pretty work on lap steel. Kristin Cifelli contributes vocal work to the track as well. That’s followed by “Relative Work.” The lines that stand out for me from this one are “We’re surely on the long decline/Well, we gotta make the best of times.”  Then “Silent Majority” has more of a blues rock sound. Kristin Cifelli and Nickie Fuller join Paul Nelson on vocals on this one. “Will you join the majority/Or say what needs to be said/Violence isn’t the remedy/To injustice that plagues our land/But let your words be a sword/In love take a stand.” Does that bridge halfway through remind you a bit of “Hey Bulldog”? “One well-placed stone of truth/Can make a giant fall/You don’t need money or power/To plant the seeds of change.” That’s followed by “Over Under Through,” the album’s title track, a song with a serious, engaging sound. I dig the trumpet that rises in the distance and moves through us. And is that a talking drum? “Over the mountain of sorrows/Under the crashing waves/Through the valley of pain and suffering/To the land where freedom waits.” The disc then concludes with “There Is Weeping,” a soulful tune with some wonderful backing vocals by Kristin Cifelli and Nickie Fuller. This is a positive tune, a good one with which to finish the album. “Rise up, open your eyes/Wake, o’ sleeper, from your rest/Only you and I can be the feet and the hands/To bring a song of hope to the world.”

CD Track List

1. Go Down Ezekiel
2. Ghost In The Basement
3. Color It Blue
4. Secret
5. Lay A Little
6. Alice Mullin
7. I Walk The Line
8. Relative Work
9. Silent Majority
10. Over Under Through
11. There Is Weeping 

Over Under Through is scheduled to be released on January 25, 2019 on Riverwide Records.

Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band at Masonic Lodge, 1-13-19 Concert Review

Phil Lesh performing "I Know You Rider"

Last night Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band played the second of a two-night stand at the Masonic Lodge in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery here in Los Angeles. What a treat it was to get to see Phil Lesh at such an intimate venue. Supposedly the capacity is 150, but it felt more like 250 or 300 people were there. Still, I’d never seen any member of the Grateful Dead at a place that small. The sound wasn’t perfect, but the vibes certainly were. It was a good crowd, good people. And the music was excellent, the band playing several songs I’d never seen performed before, including “Pride Of Cucamonga” and “Born Cross-eyed.”

The venue was not created for music, and so there is no special entrance to the small stage. The band had to walk through the audience to get to the stage, and at 8 p.m., the members began to make their way through the crowd. They then kicked off the first set with “Tennessee Jed,” establishing a good groove before delivering any of the lyrics. Several of the band members sang lead on different verses, with female vocalist Elliott Peck taking the “Drink all day and rock all night” verse. “Tennessee Jed” featured a really good lead on keys by Jason Crosby. That was followed by what was for me one of the show’s highlights, “Pride Of Cucamonga.” It is a song that I’d never seen Phil perform before, and that morning I’d had a dream where I asked Phil to play it. It was great to hear this song, and the rendition was fantastic, with some wonderful work by Ross James on pedal steel. And that section where this cool country tune suddenly turns bluesy was explored more than is done on the version on From The Mars Hotel. Then we got a version of “Jack Straw” that really moved, driven by some excellent stuff on guitar, and then a sweet rendition of “Teach Your Children,” featuring some nice harmonies and more good work on pedal steel.

“West L.A. Fadeaway” is one song that has really found its life in the post-Grateful Dead world, with better versions being performed now than in the 1980s. Dead And Company has done some excellent things with it, and last night Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band delivered a phenomenal rendition, with some delicious jamming. Am I insane, or did Jason Crosby dip into Gershwin during the song’s stellar jam? Anyway, it is interesting how this song has really taken off in the days since the Grateful Dead. “West L.A. Fadeaway” led straight into “No More Do I,” a tune from the Phil & Friends’ There And Back Again. It seemed to be leading to something else, but then just sort of drifted off at the end. That was followed by one of my favorite Grateful Dead songs, “Stella Blue,” a surprise for the first set. It was wonderful watching Phil conduct the band near the beginning, an adorable moment. And there was some beautiful vocal work toward the end. The first set then concluded with “Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad,” with Phil singing lead on the first verse. “We’re going to take a short break and we’ll be right back,” Phil told the crowd. And indeed – particularly by Dead standards – it was a short break. The first set ended at 9:22 p.m., and the band started heading back to the stage at 9:49 p.m., certainly not enough time for everyone to use the loo. I should mention that this venue has only two toilets upstairs, one for men and one for women, and so the line before the show began was rather long (apparently there are more toilets downstairs, but those weren’t available then). I didn’t even bother leaving my spot during the set break.

The second set got off to a fantastic start with “Born Cross-Eyed,” a song I was certainly not expecting to hear. It was another of the show’s highlights, and it was followed by “Playing In The Band.” This one developed into a seriously cool jam. Phil gave it a strong pulse, but the jam had a gentleness to it, and the band took an interesting, unusual path back to the main section of the song. And, yes, Elliott Peck did her own version of the Donna scream. Phil then sang “Mountains Of The Moon,” which had a smooth feel at first. This was when things start getting weird for me, the engine of the song catching fire, then suddenly cooling down and returning us to a land that resembled Earth, though we were still on the moon at that point. Phil delivered the song’s lyrics gently, kindly. That was followed by “Caution,” a jam that chugged along on a fast track, giant rodents scampering to either side, as holy men lay sacrifices at the train’s many feet. The guitar suddenly cut through the walls, the hills, the air, a blazing knife dividing and then uniting, as we spilled out and tumbled underground to a gloriously hellish celebration catered by slightly domesticated trolls in striped outfits and surgically achieved smiles. Where were we being led? For a moment it seemed like the band had strayed into Who territory, but soon after that slid into “Death Don’t Have No Mercy.” Ah yes, the band had done this one during the soundcheck. We could hear it from outside – that and “Playing In The Band.” And on this song, Elliott Peck finally got a chance to really show her vocal chops. Fantastic!

The rhythm of “He’s Gone” began on guitar, lifting us up just a bit from the mellow and darker realm of “Death Don’t Have No Mercy.” That led straight into “The Other One,” a song that is a force to be embraced or destroyed by. This version took us in strange places, with unusual phrasing, and it led directly into “New Speedway Boogie,” and then into Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” and back into “New Speedway Boogie,” ending with a nice bit delivered a cappella, the audience finishing the line. That was followed by Robert Hunter’s “Jack O’ Roses,” a song I didn’t recognize at first. It has been a while since I listened to my Robert Hunter albums (I have them all on cassette). That slid nicely into “Terrapin Station,” though something felt weird about this “Terrapin” at one point near the beginning. Did Phil start singing the wrong verse or something? Well, by the time they got to “Inspiration!” it was clear this was a spiritual service and we were all a part of it, the audience supplying the shouts of “Terrapin!” That led into a fun rendition of “I Know You Rider” to wrap up the second set. It featured a wonderful conversation between piano and guitar. The band stepped off the stage at 11:34 p.m., but basically just hid behind the curtain at stage left rather than walking through the audience. After a minute, Phil returned to the stage to urge folks to become organ donors. Then the band came back on to play a rockin’ rendition of “Ripple.” “Ripple” is my favorite song, and this version was so different that I didn’t even recognize it at first. It sounded like a Rolling Stones song from the early 1970s or something. But I quickly got into it. It had a tremendous amount of life and energy and joy, a new way of looking at what I consider to be the best song ever recorded. The show ended at 11:43 p.m., and some of us made our way over to right side of the room to give Phil a high-five as he passed by to the rear of the venue. It was a wonderful night.

Set List

Set I

1. Tennessee Jed
2. Pride Of Cucamonga
3. Jack Straw
4. Teach Your Children
5. West L.A. Fadeaway  >
6. No More Do I
7. Stella Blue
8. Goin’ Down The Road Feeling Bad

Set II

1. Born Cross-Eyed
2. Playing In The Band
3. Mountains Of The Moon
4. Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks) >
5. Death Don’t Have No Mercy
6. He’s Gone >
7. The Other One >
8. New Speedway Boogie >
9. Whole Lotta Love >
10. New Speedway Boogie
11. Jack O’ Roses >
12. Terrapin Station >
13. I Know You Rider 

Encore

1. Ripple

Here are a few photos from the concert:

"Pride Of Cucamonga"

"Teach Your Children"

"Stella Blue"

"Playing In The Band"

"Mountains Of The Moon"

"Mountains Of The Moon"

Phil between songs

Phil urging folks to become organ donors

Taylor Martin: “Song Dogs” (2018) CD Review

Taylor Martin is a singer and songwriter based in Asheville, North Carolina. On his new album, Song Dogs, he delivers a damn good mix of folk, country, rock and pop. The disc contains mostly original material showcasing his songwriting talent, but also a few good choices of covers. Joining him on this release are Matthew Dufon on bass and backing vocals, Richie Jones on drums and percussion, Josh Shilling on keys, Aaron Woody Wood on guitar, Matthew Smith on electric guitar and pedal steel, Aaron Ramsey on guitar and mandolin, Lyndsay Pruett on fiddle, and Amanda Anne Platt on backing vocals.

The album opens with “Little Pictures,” a seriously enjoyable tune featuring some wonderful work on keys, plus a delicious rhythm at its base. Taylor Martin’s vocal delivery has something of a Dr. John rough and cool quality here. “Me, I love to keep my eyes closed/I love it when you close yours too/One so that they think you’re sleeping/While the other one’s looking, baby, right at you.” Toward the end, this track also features some good stuff on guitar. While there is a bit of a bluesy vibe to this song, the following track, “Here Comes The Flood,” has more of a country pop feel. “You’d better run for cover/No better cover than your man/Baby, if I’m him, let me help you to understand.” Amanda Anne Platt provides some backing vocals on this track.

“Eden Colorado” has a wonderful, kind of quiet folk vibe, and features some really good lyrics, with lines like “I make her laugh one time/To leave her memory behind” and “I’m looking for a dream somewhere deep inside of me” standing out. But probably my favorite line is “But out there on these highways every sign it reads do not worry about me.” I also love the guitar work on this track. This is a hopeful song, and is one of my personal favorite tracks.  That’s followed by one of the album’s three covers, Neil Young’s “Music Arcade,” a song from Broken Arrow. Taylor Martin’s rendition has a more cheerful and lively country sound, and features some nice work by Lyndsay Pruett on fiddle. Amanda Anne Platt joins him again on vocals. The fiddle is what makes “Second Sight” so beautiful. Interestingly, this love song also makes use of the image of the two having their eyes closed: “It’s all right, close your eyes/I’m going to close mine too.” A line that stood out for me the first time I listened to this song was “Help me remember when I first saw you again,” with that little pause before “again.”

Debrissa McKinney joins Taylor Martin on vocals on “Hollywood,” which is more of a pop tune with something of a 1970s vibe and some nice stuff on bass. Then Phil Alley joins Taylor Martin on telecaster for “Our Memories,” a song with a relaxed, pretty sound and more sweet work on fiddle. This track also has some nice harmonizing with Amanda Anne Platt. “This old house of earth and wood/Stood longer than we could/It always seemed too big for me/The perfect size for our memories.” That’s followed by the second of the album’s covers, Merle Haggard’s “Kern River.” The sweet nostalgic sound of the pedal steel fits this song so well. And, yes, this track also features some wonderful work on fiddle. Then “Milk And Honey” has a beautiful folk sound, with Aaron Ramsey on mandolin. “We’ll close our eyes and disappear.” I also like these lines, which end the song: “I was born a dreamer/You were born a dream.” The final cover is Bob Dylan’s “Sign On The Window,” a song from New Morning. The album then concludes with its title track, “Song Dogs,” which begins with some nice stuff on piano. This track too has its own beauty, aided by pedal steel and by what is probably Taylor Martin’s best vocal performance on the disc. “Though all the lines we’ve drawn are gone, and still we make it back.”

CD Track List

1. Little Pictures
2. Here Comes The Flood
3. Eden Colorado
4. Music Arcade
5. Second Sight
6. Hollywood
7. Our Memories
8. Kern River
9. Milk And Honey
10. Sign On The Window
11. Song Dogs 

Song Dogs was released on November 16, 2018 on Little King Records. By the way, the notes on the back of the CD case are basically impossible to read. I know I’m getting older, but holy moly, you’d have to have some kind of superhero vision to make out the print there below the track list.