Sunday, March 17, 2024

The Dirty Mickeys Pay Tribute To Shane MacGowan At Pocock Brewing Company, 3-16-24

"The Sick Bed Of Cuchulainn"
Though I’ve been a fan of The Pogues since my early teens, I never saw them in concert. And with Shane MacGowan’s death in late November, my thoughts of one day seeing them were put to rest. In honor of Shane MacGowan and St. Patrick’s Day, a group got together to perform Pogues numbers at the Pocock Brewing Company in Santa Clarita, California. The group included two members of Hot Club Of Los Angeles – Jake Bluenote on vocals, banjo, guitar and tin whistle; and Carl Byron on accordion and keyboard – and their presence was a big reason why I attended the show. The group also included Pat Mac Swyney on tin whistle and octave mandolin, Leslie Yeseta on bass and vocals, Dawn Lunsford on guitar and vocals, and Theresa Snider on drums.

The show was scheduled to start at 3 p.m., and though I got there an hour early, the music was already in progress and the place was packed. The venue’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration was in full swing a day early. Well, all right! Jake Bluenote and Pat Mac Swyney were on stage, performing as a duo. And for the last song of their set, Leslie Yeseta joined them. Their set wrapped up at 2:31 p.m., and the other members immediately began setting up for the full band set. The venue had a lively and loud crowd, but some harsh feedback got everyone’s attention momentarily, as the soundcheck continued. I liked the place immediately. It had good folks, good vibes and good beer. I started with Letter Of Marque, an IPA, then switched to Union Brown Porter, and later tried Mahna Mahna. And, yes, it was named after the song heard in an episode of The Muppet Show back in 1976 (though the song is a bit older than that), and that’s why I wanted to try it. It was delicious.


At 3:11 p.m., Jake said, “Greetings!” And without another word, the band went right into its first song, “The Sick Bed Of Cuchulainn,” the lead track from The Pogues’ great LP Rum Sodomy & The Lash, released in 1985. They followed that with “Streams Of Whiskey.” The sound wasn’t perfect in that room, but the spirit certainly was. The first set also included “The Ghost Of A Smile,” “Cotton Fields,” “Haunted,” and “Dirty Old Town,” that last one featuring some nice work by Pat Mac Swyney on harmonica at the beginning. They also played “Venus In Bother Boots,” a good punk number by The Nips, the band Shane was in before The Pogues. Jake played guitar on that one, and also on the last song of the set. And what an interesting number they chose to close the first set, “An Irish Airman Foresees His Death,” which is a poem by William Butler Yeats, delivered as spoken word. The first set ended at 3:57 p.m. The band returned at 4:32 p.m. for the second set, which featured songs like “If I Should Fall From Grace With God,” “White City,” “The Old Main Drag,” “Lullaby Of London,” “Danny Boy,” “Boat Train,” and “The Rake At The Gates Of Hell.” Leslie sang lead on “I’m A Man You Don’t Meet Every Day.” That was followed by “The Body Of An American” and then “Fairytale Of New York.” “Fairytale Of New York” is far and away the best Christmas song ever written. It is so good that it is welcome throughout the year (something you can’t say about most Christmas songs). These guys did an absolutely wonderful job with it. They followed that with “The Parting Glass,” and concluded the show with “A Rainy Night In Soho.” The show ended at 5:49 p.m. Apparently, this was planned on being a one-off, but they had such a good time that it now looks like the band will be doing this again. And that is good news. I’m hoping next time they’ll do “Sally MacLennane.”

"The Sick Bed Of Cuchulainn"
"Streams Of Whiskey"

"Billy's Bones"

"Cotton Fields"


"Dirty Old Town"

"I'm A Man You Don't Meet Every Day"

"Fairytale Of New York"

Pocock Brewing Company is located at 24907 Avenue Tibbitts in Santa Clarita, California.

Friday, March 15, 2024

Ohio Players: “Observations In Time: The Johnny Brantley/Vidalia Productions” (2024) CD Review

Who hasn’t put “Love Rollercoaster” on at least one mix tape or mix CD? It probably has the simplest set of lyrics ever written (aside, I suppose, from some Phish songs), and yet is a lot of fun. Well, six years before that song was a big hit, Ohio Players released their first album. Titled Observations In Time, the record featured a somewhat different lineup than that on recordings of “Love Rollercoaster” and “Fire” and “Sweet Sticky Thing.” In the late 1960s, the band included Leroy Bonner on guitar, Bobby Fears on vocals, Marshall Jones on bass, Ralph Middlebrooks on trumpet and saxophone, Dutch Robinson on piano and vocals, Clarence Satchell on saxophone and flute, and Gregory Webster on drums. They also released some singles during that time. Now the album and singles are collected on a new disc titled Observations In Time: The Johnny Brantley/Vidalia Productions. The collection includes twenty-four tracks, along with new liner notes by Tim Dillinger-Curenton.

The first eleven tracks make up the 1969 LP Observations In Time, that album opening with “Here Today And Gone Tomorrow,” a rather sweet and soulful number that eases in before developing a good groove. It features a strong vocal performance and some cool work on horns. “That’s how you show your love to me/That’s how you show your love to me.” I love how that line is repeated, and the power the second time is striking. We can hear the need to connect with us in his delivery. “Each time you come, you leave a little bit of sorrow.” Yes, this opening track is so much better than the band’s later hits. Things get a little more fun on “Mother-In-Law,” which opens with the phrase “The worst person I know.” Ha! No holding back there, but rather getting right to the point. This track has a seriously delicious rhythm. The bass line is fantastic, and I love the drumming. This track also features some excellent work on guitar. The song was written by Allen Toussaint.

“Stop Lying To Yourself” has a lively rhythm, and contains some excellent work from the brass players. That’s followed by an unusual take on “Over The Rainbow,” which begins on drums. Yet when the vocals come in, it takes on more of a classic sound. It actually feels like a number for a slow dance in an early rock and roll setting, working really well in that context. The pace then picks up on the lines, “One day I’ll wish upon a star/And wake up where the clouds are far behind me.” These guys put their own spin on it, and it is effective. The vocal work here is really good, sometimes surprising. Things get fun and funky with “Find Someone To Love,” a delicious instrumental track. Has this music been used in any movies? If not, someone should write a movie specifically to use this tune. The band slows things down then with “Cold Cold World,” getting into the blues. “My poor mother before she died/She said things won’t ever change/You were born a loser/And all your life you’ll play a game.” Wow. This is such a good song. Again, this is the music the band should be known for. Perhaps with this collection, that will become the case.

I’ve said it before, but you can never go wrong with Gershwin. On this album, Ohio Players cover “Summertime,” a song that Janis Joplin totally nailed when she was with Big Brother & The Holding Company. There have been a lot of damn good versions of this song over the years, and this rendition by Ohio Players can certainly be counted among their number. There is a raw bluesy power, particularly in the guitar work and the vocals, while the horns have a somewhat smoother sound. The band gets loose here, jamming on this song, delivering a rendition that is nearly eight minutes long. In the second half, there is a cool lead on flute. I also love the drumming in that section. That’s followed by “Bad Bargain,” a soulful and powerful song. Check out the opening lines: “A man buys a house/And the bank takes it away/A woman, you know, she works real hard/And yet the family grows deeper in debt each day.” These lines are still true today; well, if someone can actually afford to buy a house in the first place, that is. “It’s a bad, bad bargain/When nobody gains.”

“The Man That I Am” features a good, earnest vocal performance. That’s followed by “Lonely Street,” which begins with the question, “Have you ever walked down a lonely street at midnight/Just to be alone, to think alone, and to dream alone?” The music itself feels like night, puts us in that space, that feeling. The original album concludes with “Street Party,” a lively number that might get you up and dancing. “There’s a place that I go in the middle of the summer/Everybody has a good time/The people laugh and they sing/They don’t talk about their troubles.” That sounds so appealing, and this song is perhaps the perfect choice to create such an atmosphere. Most of us could use it.

The next several tracks were included on First Impressions, a collection released in 1972, but recorded in 1968.  The first of those songs is “A Little Soul Party (A Woman & Some Soul),” continuing the party atmosphere. “I don’t want no messin’ around/Hey, I don’t want no delay.” First Impressions does include a few songs that were also on Observations In Time, but there are no repetitions on this disc, so “Over The Rainbow” is skipped, and the next track is “A Thing Called Love,” a fun number featuring a good bass line and some nice work from the brass section. That’s followed by “My Neighbors,” a playful and funky song that makes use of children’s nursery rhymes, bringing those characters into a modern context, and riffing on them. Then in “Tell Me Why,” the band is eager for answers regarding the differences in people’s lives.

“You Don’t Mean It” and “Trespassin’” were included on First Impressions, but also released four years earlier on a single.  “You Don’t Mean It” features some delicious percussion, keeping a quick pulse throughout. “You don’t mean the things you say/You just couldn’t mean it.” And “Trespassin’” has a fantastic energy and power, with a raw edge, and also contains some strong work on drums. “I Got To Hold On” and “It’s A Cryin’ Shame” were likewise included on First Impressions and released on a single in 1968. I really like the guitar work that begins “I Got To Hold On.” Here the band professes, “I can’t stand for you to be away/When you’re gone one minute, it seems like a day.” “It’s A Cryin’ Shame” is another track to get folks on their feet, shaking and dancing. “Lord have mercy,” indeed! First Impressions ends with “Alabama Soupbone, Pt. 1 & 2,” here listed as “Alabama Soupbone (Pt. 1& 2),” an instrumental track featuring good stuff on piano and flute. It’s odd how it fades out approximately halfway through, then comes in again. I guess those are the different parts, but it’s not a very long song, so it doesn’t make sense that it’s divided into parts at all.

The next two tracks come from 16 Greatest Hits, a 1976 release. The first of those two is “I’ve Gotta Get Away” (though it was listed as “I Gotta Get Away” on the original release), and it is another of this collection’s highlights. It’s about getting away from a relationship, and it features a passionate vocal performance. “It’s hard to believe now baby that you would deceive me.” The second is a cover of “Love Slipped Through My Fingers,” which Ohio Players title “Love Slips Thru My Fingers.” It was written by Edward Lewis, James Lewis and Marion Farmer, and released on a single Sam Williams in 1967. Ohio Players deliver a good rendition. This collection’s final two tracks are instrumental renditions of two songs from Observations In Time, “The Man That I Am” and “Street Party.” They were included on a 1977 record titled Superpack. Interestingly, both tracks are longer than their vocal counterparts, ”Street Party” by just a few seconds, but “The Man That I Am” by a minute and a half.

CD Track List

  1. Here Today And Gone Tomorrow
  2. Mother-In-Law
  3. Stop Lying To Yourself
  4. Over The Rainbow
  5. Find Someone To Love
  6. Cold Cold World
  7. Summertime
  8. Bad Bargain
  9. The Man That I Am
  10. Lonely Street
  11. Street Party
  12. A Little Soul Party (A Woman & Some Soul)
  13. A Thing Called Love
  14. My Neighbors
  15. Tell Me Why
  16. You Don’t Mean It
  17. Trespassin’
  18. I Got To Hold On
  19. It’s A Cryin’ Shame
  20. Alabama Soupbone (Pt. 1 & 2)
  21. I’ve Gotta Get Away
  22. Love Slips Thru My Fingers
  23. The Man That I Am (Instrumental)
  24. Street Party (Instrumental)

Observations In Time: The Johnny Brantley/Vidalia Productions is scheduled to be released on April 5, 2024 through Omnivore Recordings.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Loreena McKennitt: “The Road Back Home” (2024) Vinyl Review

When most of us think of going home, it’s not just a place that we have in mind, but a time. Always an earlier time, before the responsibilities of adulthood took hold. And sometimes it’s an almost-mythical time, a memory that isn’t quite our own, a feeling of what the past must have been, a return to a time we have heard about, thought about, but not experienced. And in that time there is a feeling of warmth and comfort and joy, and so we yearn to be there. Loreena McKennitt has captured that feeling with her new release, The Road Back Home, a live album recorded last summer when she was performing at folk festivals in Ontario. The tracks on this record come from performances at the Goderich Celtic Roots Festival and the Summerfolk Music And Crafts Festival. Loreena McKennitt plays both harp and accordion. She is joined by Caroline Lavelle on cello and backing vocals; Miriam Fischer on pads, accordion, piano and backing vocals; Errol Fischer on violin, mandolin, tenor banjo and kick drum; Cait Watson on whistle and backing vocals; Pete Watson on guitar and backing vocals; and Romano Dinillo on bodhrán.

Side One

The album opens with “Searching For Lambs,” and Loreena McKennitt’s gorgeous voice immediately transports us, to both another place and another time, that destination feeling just right. The cello adds a solemn feel, sounding like an almost mournful call from the past. “Searching For Lambs” is followed by “Mary & The Soldier.” Some pretty work on the harp sets the tone for this one, the sound of this track putting us in a place of green fields, of innocence, of young love, of community, everything presented in sunlight. The music is incredibly appealing. Does this not feel like home to everyone? Then “On A Bright May Morning” contains a beautiful instrumental introduction, gentle and sweet. Loreena McKennitt possesses a voice that makes wonders feel natural, and nature feel magical, and which gives us the feeling that we can take part in it all. It is a voice that is tender and passionate. When she sings of true love, it has a spiritual quality, the feeling that love is much greater than its participants. This is a song that Loreena McKennitt included on her 2010 album The Wind That Shakes The Barley.

“As I Roved Out” has a strong rhythm. I’ve always loved this song. Flynn recorded a really good rendition of it for his Let The Show Begin album. Here Loreena McKennitt delivers a wonderful rendition, featuring a good energy and some excellent work on strings. That’s followed by “Custom Gap,” a beautiful piece, feeling like a dream. I could drift along with this music, knowing it will take me somewhere spectacular, somewhere safe, somewhere green. And I love that moment when it picks up in pace and becomes joyful. A good number of Celtic songs do that, and every one makes me happy. This instrumental track is a delightful way to wrap up the first side of the record.

Side Two

Loreena McKennitt begins the second side with “Bonny Portmore,” and as the song begins, the music seems to welcome us to a special spot out in nature. Loreena delivers another gorgeous vocal performance. one of warmth, of love, of compassion, sounding both timeless and immediate. There is also some wonderful backing vocal work, some beautiful blending of voices. This is a song that Loreena McKennitt included on her 1991 album The Visit. That’s followed by “Greystones,” an instrumental track. As it begins, it feels like walking along a mountain path, where there is no danger, where the earth is welcoming, and the trees and even the sunlight are our companions on the journey, wordlessly guiding our footsteps and wishing us a safe homecoming. And finally in the distance we see loved ones waiting for us. So beautiful. “The Star Of The County Down” is another song that I’ve heard a lot over the years, and have always enjoyed. It is no surprise that Loreena McKennitt does an excellent job with it. I have not yet been to Ireland, but this music itself feels like home to me.

“Salvation Contradiction” has a pleasant, gentle and youthful air about it as it begins. And then suddenly, the drums take over, and lead the piece into a more spirited section. Again, I love it. The music raises our spirits as it brings us to our feet to dance. There is great joy here. This instrumental track has a big finish. James Keelaghan joins Loreena McKennitt on vocals for the final track. However, it begins as a beautiful instrumental, “SĂ­ Bheag, SĂ­ MhĂłr,” which is both soothing and uplifting. It feels like a road home indeed, the end of a long journey. Then it moves into “Wild Mountain Thyme.” Ah, but is our journey coming to an end, or are we starting another? James Keelaghan sings lead on a verse. What a wonderful conclusion to an excellent record.

Record Track List

Side One

  1. Searching For Lambs
  2. Mary & The Soldier
  3. On A Bright May Morning
  4. As I Roved Out
  5. Custom Gap

Side Two

  1. Bonny Portmore
  2. Greystones
  3. The Star Of The County Down
  4. Salvation Contradiction
  5. SĂ­ Bheag, SĂ­ MhĂłr/Wild Mountain Thyme

The Road Back Home was released on March 8, 2024, and is on 180 gram black vinyl.

MOTU: “Acceding To The Apocalypse” (2024) CD Review

MOTU is the project and stage name of Richard Michelson, and it stands for Music Of The Universe. Richard Michelson plays a variety of instruments on his new album, Acceding To The Apocalypse, including acoustic guitar, electric guitar, dobro, pedal steel, bass, keyboards and harmonica. Like his 2023 release, The Water Is High, this new album features all original material, written, arranged and mastered by Michelson. And as on that earlier release, here he is joined by his wife Dee Michelson on vocals, and by Ed Modzel on drums. He is also joined this time by Rich Fry on vocals and guitar.

The album opens with “The Cost,” which eases in gently, that vibe working in an almost eerie way with those first images of traffic on the highway and the line “Drivers in a trance seem lost.” Those first lines are particularly effective for those of us living in Los Angeles and other areas where traffic has become a normal part of existence. Soon he asks, “What is the cost?” And the song builds from there, turning to other areas of what has become modern life, and featuring some pretty backing vocal work and nice percussion. This track also features some good guitar work toward the end. “How much have we lost?” That’s followed by “Love Is All We Need.” A lonely guitar begins this one, and the song soon takes on a heavier sound, with a blues rock vibe. The guitar is the song’s voice for the first few minutes, and even as it rises, there is a sense of melancholy about it. Then, after three minutes, the vocals come in. “A place where truth is free/A place where eyes can see/Love is all we need.” Yet the darker, heavier vibe remains, giving the impression that love will not conquer all, at least no time soon. It’s an interesting song, for even on lines like “The war for love can be won/One day peace will come/We’ll all live as one/And love is all we need,” there isn’t a lot of optimism in the delivery. Yes, we need love. But will we get it?

I love the electric guitar work near the beginning of “Too Much,” and wish that opening section went on a little longer. The song’s first lines are effective: “Too many questions makes a man insane/Too many answers can shut down his brain/Too much of everything makes you complain/That too many problems will just cause you pain/Too much confusion from too much news.” This is a time when there is just too much going on that we are supposed to pay attention to. Too many people talking, too many people lying, too much rubbish being shoved in our faces. It’s a wonder that we haven’t all just completely shut down. “Too little love when there’s much to despise/Too little truth when there are so many lies.” Yes. Some people seem to subsist on lies, on garbage, and maybe they’re the sane ones after all, for they are able to turn what is terrible somehow to their advantage, at least in their minds. This is one of my personal favorites from this album. Then “When Your Smile Has Left The Room” has a gentler, sweeter vibe. “But so much is gone/But I linger on/When your smile has left the room.”

The guitar turns bluesy again for “A Test Of Our Love,” and MOTU announces in the first line, “Life is pain.” Yes, but that’s not all it is. “Life is sort of/A test of our love,” Richard Michelson sings, but something about his delivery, and about the sound of this track, seems hopeful, even positive. “Nothing can be clear/We hear what we want to hear/No tears left to get rid of/A test of our love.” That’s followed by “You’re Just A Pile Of Crap,” another of the disc’s highlights. I love that raw bluesy guitar that begins this track, setting a cool tone. Even before the lyrics begin, just that title creates the image of a certain person in our minds. “Lots of lies, but no facts/We can see through your trap/You’re just a pile of crap/Think too much of yourself/Not much of everyone else/Directing everyone to cheer and clap/You’re just a pile of crap.” I love the delivery of that title line. It is clear to anyone with eyes and ears and hearts that Donald Trump is just a pile of crap. What’s bewildering to me is that there are millions of people who adore him. What is it they adore? He has no redeeming qualities, not even one, and that is some kind of feat. Seriously, he is completely devoid of any and all positive qualities. This song is straightforward, the message not couched in any flowery language, and I love it. I also love the harmonica work.

And nothing, nothing here seems real/I’m looking for answers.” I love how “I’m Looking For Answers” moves slowly, fitting for that search for answers, and giving it a haunted feel. In one verse, this song addresses mass shootings, how politicians offer thoughts and prayers, “But do nothing and don’t even care.” If the horrors at Sandy Hook weren’t enough to effect change, then change will likely never happen. What we have to hope for, sadly, is that the children of all Republican politicians will be victims of gun violence. That is the only way those politicians will entertain a solution to the problem. It has to touch them personally. This song is another of the album’s gems. It’s followed by “I Can’t Be Denied.” There is some cool, raw work on harmonica at the beginning of this one. “I’m a man, yeah, and I can’t be denied,” we hear, and we wonder where he might be going with this one. “You’re my woman, yeah, so make me satisfied.” This track has that classic vibe, and so the lyrics could certainly be in earnest, as they fit with older songs of that style, that sound, that vibe, but it could also be a comment on that very thing. Either way, the track features some excellent work on guitar.

“Acceding To The Apocalypse,” the album’s title track, comes on with a cool punk energy, particularly in that bass work, and becomes a good, hard-driving blues tune, the album’s only instrumental track. The album then concludes with “History Repeats Itself,” another strong number. “Only a fool thinks power can bring happiness/A hole in his heart where his soul used to rest/Anger brings confusion as he lies to himself/Ignorant of the past, history repeats itself.” And, yes, we are again talking about an ignorant, racist ex-game show host that somehow became president of the United States. One of the scariest things about Trump is that he has no curiosity about anything. He’s probably never read a book in his life. But scarier than that is that even after his attempt at overthrowing this nation’s democracy, many citizens support him. They crave a dictator. What has gone wrong with people? Well, it’s something that went wrong before, and this song takes us to November 1923, when there was a failed coup attempt by Adolf Hitler. “An autocrat only ever cares about himself/Ignorant of the past, history repeats itself.”

CD Track List

  1. The Cost
  2. Love Is All We Need
  3. Too Much
  4. When Your Smile Has Left The Room
  5. A Test Of Our Love
  6. You’re Just A Pile Of Crap
  7. I’m Looking For Answers
  8. I Can’t Be Denied
  9. Acceding To The Apocalypse
  10. History Repeats Itself

Acceding To The Apocalypse is scheduled to be released on March 29, 2024.