Cavestomp! The Garage Rock Festacular! Presents A Torrent Of Talent! Volume One! (2025) Vinyl Review

Record Store Day had a particularly good selection of releases this year. And if you didn't want to get up at four or five in the morning to wait in line for some new records, I completely understand. The good news is that some of those records are still available at various record stores, and are certainly worth taking the time to hunt down. One such release is Cavestomp! The Garage Rock Festacular! Presents A Torrent Of Talent! Volume One! that was released through Org Music. Cavestomp is a series of special concerts that started in the late 1990s featuring great garage rock bands. Recordings of some of those performances have been released, and this record collects songs from performances from 1997, 1999 and 2007. Some of the bands you know, but others might be less familiar to you. All should be heard.

Side 1

As the album starts, Peter Zaremba (of The Fleshtones) delivers a brief introduction of The Hate Bombs, which includes the line "Don't you believe that nothing good ever comes out of Orlando," which made me laugh. And then, bam, the fun begins. The Hate Bombs have a fantastic energy as they perform "She Bit Me," a song released as the flip side to the band's "Ghoul Girl" single. The song includes howls and fiery guitar work, and has a power capable of tossing you against the walls of your home. And it's over so bloody quickly. Then Jake Cavaliere of The Bomboras joins them for "Wrong Place, Wrong Time," a song from The Hate Bombs' Hunt You Down album. On the compilation's record jacket, the band for this track is listed as "The Hate Bomboras," a combination of the two bands' names. The energy is high on this track too, and I imagine the crowd at this show must have found itself in a joyous frenzy, where a brain leaps out of its skull and flies up into the rafters, crashing into other free-range exploding brains.

Near the beginning of this recording of "Let's Talk About Girls," we hear "Oh yeah" at just the time that we're saying the same thing, because the song feels so good, so right. This is The Chocolate Watchband, one of the bands you probably know. It's such a cool track, particularly that vocal performance. And yeah, let's talk about girls. At one point the word "girl" is amended to "women," as in the original rendition from The Chocolate Watchband's No Way Out album, released in 1967. "I got to love 'em all, not just a few." What a project that would be! That's followed by "All Black And Hairy" from The Gravedigger 5. It sounds a bit like what the Rolling Stones might have been if they'd stuck with garage rock, the vocals having something of a Mick Jagger thing happening. After the line "I knew I was free," he repeats, "Free," and it's almost frightening, the twisted joy in the delivery of that word.

The Hentchmen come on like they have to fit their entire set, and all its energy, into the span of two minutes. The song is appropriately titled "Life Story," and it is one impressive display of spirit. These guys are here to rock and tear things apart. And I'm digging that loose work on keys. It feels like the instrument is going to blast apart at any moment. Things are held together by sheer determination, the band staying like three seconds ahead of possible destruction. It's a fantastic performance! Then The Mooney Suzuki gives us "Heart Attack Blackout," which comes on strong. "You make me want to holler/You make me want to shout/You're giving me a heart attack blackout." Oh yes! The audience could sing those very lines to the band, for I'm guessing the music is making them holler and shout. This is solid rock and roll with a punk energy.

The band Lyres is introduced, and the song "7" begins with a good beat, this one more closely showing its blues roots. It's very cool and raw. I like how the beat remains at its center, a place they can return to when needed. The band released this song on a single in 1995. The final song of the first side of the record is "Monk Time" a song that was included on the 1966 album Black Monk Time. All the tracks on this compilation are great, but this one in particular stands out as a highlight. This song is a driving force designed to pummel any obstacle, real or imagined. Holy moly! The lyrics are delivered as a wild rant, and in this version, they tell us, "We haven't been anywhere in thirty years and all of a sudden we're here," this right before commenting, "James Bond, who was he?" The original version mentions the Vietnam war, "Why do you kill all those kids over there in Vietnam?" But here Gary Burger changes it to simply, "Why do you kill all those kids over there?" The first side concludes with Lenny Kaye (known for his guitar work in the Patti Smith Group, and also for the original Nuggets compilation) telling the crowd, "It's a nugget if you dug it" and "This music is alive and well."

Side 2

As on the first side, Peter Zaremba introduces the first band on the second side of the record as well, The Brood, a group from Portland, Maine. They perform "Come On, Come On" (here listed as simply "Come On"), a wild, raw, totally delicious song that was on the band's Beyond The Valley Of The Brood album. "When you left me, I almost died/But since that day, I've done nothing but cry." I especially love the drumming on this track, but there is also a really good guitar lead. That's followed by The Secret Service doing "Biff Bang Pow!" (here listed as "Biff! Bang! Pow!" which makes me think of the old Batman show, which I loved). "Biff, bang, pow!/Gonna scream and shout." This is a song that The Creation included on the 1967 LP We Are Paintermen (the same record that features "Making Time"). The Secret Service included the song on the compilation Power And Volume. The live version here moves at good clip, and features a delicious jam. Maybe things start to disintegrate toward the end, but no worry, for that beat will carry us through.

From The Mosquitos we get "Let's Stomp," perhaps a theme song of sorts for this album. "Hey baby, get your stompers on." This is one of my personal favorites, with its early rock and roll flavor and that great bass line. The record moves then into another dance song. Yes, from the Stomp to "The Flop," this one from The Swingin' Neckbreakers. It was included on the band's Kick Your Ass album. Obviously the song has a playful title. And how is the dance done? "All you have to do is swallow your pride," we are instructed. I love it! I love the humor of this one. "Flop flop floppity flop." Then "54/40 Or Fight" (here listed as "54 40 Or Fight") has a hardcore punk energy, so just hold on, if you can. This song is by Dead Moon, who included it on the 1989 album Unknown Passage. "I've got a queasy feeling in my guts/Can't you see that I've had enough/Everybody sets me off/Man, I'm over the edge." There is a haunted element to the vocal delivery, as if death is lingering at the edge of the stage. It's like these guys believe if they rock hard enough, the spectre will flee, and by the end perhaps it has.

"No More" from The Greenhornes feels like some great jam right out of the late 1960s, though actually it's from a 1999 album titled Gun For You. So there. Things are explosive, yet joyful, everyone living right on the edge. I'm digging that work on keys. That's followed by "Run Better Run" by The Cheepskates. This is a totally fun song, one you might know. It was the title track of The Cheepskates' 1984 album. "I see your face in every mirror/I see you walking up and down the street/I know it's you that's been following me." This one too features some cool stuff on keys. And then there is a song you almost certainly know. "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White" by The Standells (here titled "Good Guys Don't Wear White"). If you aren't familiar with the song, you surely know the band. Their "Dirty Water" is played at the end of Red Sox games at Fenway. "Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White" was included on the Dirty Water album, and also found a spot on The Best Of The Standells. On this track, we can hear the crowd singing along with the title line. This is great! And it features a strong vocal performance. "Good guys, bad guys, which is which?" This excellent compilation concludes with The Sonics giving us a great rendition of "He's Waiting," a song that was included on the 1966 LP Boom.  "It's too late (it's too late)/You lied (you lied)/Now you (now you)/Will cry (will cry)." This is wild, with a phenomenal vocal performance and some great stuff on guitar. This track is just bloodywonderful!

Record Track List

Side 1

1. She Bit Me - The Hate Bombs
2. Wrong Place, Wrong Time - The Hate Bomboras
3. Let's Talk About Girls - The Chocolate Watchband
4. All Black And Hairy - The Gravedigger 5
   
5. Life Story - The Hentchmen
6. Heart Attack Blackout - The Mooney Suzuki
7. 7 - Lyres
8. Monk Time - The Monks

Side 2

1. Come On - The Brood
2. Biff! Bang! Pow! - The Secret Service
3. Let's Stomp - The Mosquitos
4. The Flop - The Swingin' Neckbreakers
5. 54 40 Or Fight - Dead Moon
6. No More - The Greenhornes
7. Run Better Run - The Cheepskates
8. Good Guys Don't Wear White - The Standells
9. He's Waiting - The Sonics

Cavestomp! The Garage Rock Festacular! Presents A Torrent Of Talent! Volume One! was released on April 12, 2025 through Org Music.

Lyrics From The Heartland (2025) Book Review

Books of song lyrics can be as powerful and moving as the songs themselves, and sometimes in an even more personal way. The first such book I acquired (if memory serves me well) was Robert Hunter's A Box Of Rain. Songs I'd heard hundreds of times, songs I knew forward and backward and from any point in between suddenly took on fresh meaning for me, which I had not expected. I had simply thought it would be nice to have the book as part of my growing Grateful Dead collection, and was not thinking it would change the way certain songs hit me. But while reading that book, I felt a stronger personal connection to many of the songs. And that makes sense. After all, when reading the lyrics, there is nothing in between the words and your brain, no one else affecting the way a word reaches you. You can take it in at your own pace, go back over a certain verse or line as many times as you wish, sit with a lyric for a while and see where it takes you. Since then, I've had that experience with other books of lyrics. In fact, for my birthday just a few weeks ago, my mom sent me a book of Mekons lyrics, and a similar thing happened. And now comes Lyrics From The Heartland, a book of lyrics by Dave Ashdown, who records under the name Dashdown, which is written as dASHDOWN. You might also know him from his work in Waiting For Henry. This book contains lyrics both from Dashdown and Waiting For Henry.

The lyrics are presented in alphabetical order by song title, and the book begins with "7 Generations," a song that was included on Dashdown's Wish. In the early 1990s I got turned onto a band called Clan Dyken, who also had a song titled "Seven Generations." It was through that song that I first learned of the principle of trying to look that far ahead when considering the consequences of current actions. This song by Dave Ashdown likewise addresses that concept, and these days that idea seems even more striking, even more important, particularly as many people don't seem able to look ahead as far as next week, never mind trying to foresee the repercussions for that great length of time. People don't seem to care how we leave the earth for future generations. "Standing here in eternity/singing songs about modernity" (p. 7). This song places us at a point along a much larger journey. And in "Nativize," there are these lines: "Gotta look to the future/with an eye to the past" (p. 28). By the way, proceeds from this book benefit The Seventh Generation Fund for Indigenous Peoples. So there is another reason to want to add the book to your collection.

The lyrics to "Hangnail," a song from the 2016 Waiting For Henry album Town Called Patience, include these lines, which stand out for me: "showed up on Monday/looking like Sunday" (p. 20). There is some humor there, to be sure, but I also like how those lines will create slightly different images for all who read them, depending on what a Sunday means to them. In that way, the readers participate in the meaning of lyrics. And I love that in "Sister Soundcheck," there is the line "It's gonna take a reality check" (p. 34), perhaps equating the sound and reality, at least in our minds. Music plays a strong part in many of the sets of lyrics presented here. "Checkpoint Charlies" is named after a music venue in New Orleans, and mentions Johnny Thunders. And there are lines like "the guitars chime" (p. 10) in "Back To Buck Lake," and "feel the magic/in a sound" (p. 14) in "Could It Be." I suppose the latter isn't necessarily about music, but it is in music that I feel the magic. The lines from that song that especially make me smile are "Did you think/you'd seen a holy ghost/are you kidding me/you're the most." Something about that phrase "you're the most" kind of delights me. And there are many more references to music. For example, in "Capes," a song from the most recent Dashdown EP, there is the line "go ahead, tell Tchaikovsky the news" (p. 16), a nod to Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven." And "Hurricane Honeys" (from 2024's Can't Get Too High Or Low) contains a nod to Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally." "She Goes By April" contains references to Jimi Hendrix and Debbie Harry. And of course "Life's Too Short To Play Covers" is all about music, and refers to several specific artists and songs. "Got this tune by The Babies/Billy Squier from the '80s/ain't afraid to tackle Johnny Cash/'cuz we been everywhere man" (p. 23). Other lines from that one that stand out, especially in a book of lyrics, are "you'd think by learning the lyrics/you'd be able to summon the spirits." Well, with this book, Dave Ashdown provides an opportunity for all of us to summon the spirits.

Lyrics From The Heartland was published on January 28, 2025.

Dave Edmunds: "Swan Songs: The Singles 1976-1981" (2024) CD Review

I started listening to Dave Edmunds when I was given a copy of the Rockpile album Seconds Of Pleasure on cassette. I was eight years old, and I loved it. That band, as you probably recall, also included Nick Lowe, Billy Bremner and Terry Williams, all of whom can also be heard on the two-disc Dave Edmunds compilation Swan Songs: The Singles 1976-1981, which was released in the fall. This collection, as its title promises, focuses on the songs Dave Edmunds released on the Swan Song label, which was started by the Led Zeppelin guys. The songs are organized in chronological order of release date, and include the B sides as well as the A sides. The two-disc set includes liner notes by Joe Marchese, as well as photos of the single sleeves.

Disc 1

The collection gets underway with "Here Comes The Weekend," a fun song written by Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe. There is a delightful youthfulness and innocence about it. Remember when the weekends meant something, before cell phones made it so everyone has access to you at all times? This song also looks forward to the day in the future when things will be different, when he won't have to rely on a regular job. "Everything will go my way/And I won't have to say/Here comes the weekend." This song was released on a single in 1976. "As Lovers Do" was also written by Edmunds and Lowe, and was the flip side to "Here Comes The Weekend." This one has an easygoing vibe, and feels like a song from those early days of rock and roll, especially in that work on keys and the backing vocals.

The next single, also released in 1976, contained two covers. The first is "Where Or When," written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart for Babes In Arms. This is a beautiful rendition, mainly due to the vocal work, which is just perfect. The flip side is "New York's A Lonely Town," a surf song taking place in New York in winter. It was written by Pete Andreoli and Vini Poncia, and originally recorded by their band The Trade Winds, who released it on a single in 1965. That's followed by another cover, "Juju Man," written by Jim Ford and Lolly Vegas, and originally recorded by Brinsley Schwarz, a band that included Nick Lowe. Not only Nick Lowe, but also Bob Andrews from that band joins Dave Edmunds on this track. This one has a great energy, and features some good stuff on piano, as well as nice Cajun elements. "Falling in love again/Falling in love again." This was released in 1977. Its flip side "What Did I Do Last Night?" was written by Nick Lowe, and is a seriously fun rock and roll number, coming at us at a good clip and with some attitude. "Top ten music playing way too loud/What did I get into?"

"I Knew The Bride" is a delicious rock and roll number, somewhat reminiscent of Chuck Berry's "C'est La Vie," except on the chorus, where he sings "I knew the bride when she used to rock and roll." This is fun, fun, fun. It features some good stuff on guitar. It was written by Nick Lowe. The flip side to the U.K. version was "Back To Schooldays," written by Graham Parker and originally included on his Howlin' Wind album. Interestingly, Brinsley Schwarz and Bob Andrews of the Brinsley Schwarz band played on that Graham Parker record. Like the A side, this one too looks back. "I'm going back, back to school days." There is a great raw vocal performance, and yet an overall sweet feel to this one. The U.S. version of the single had a different song paired with "I Knew The Bride," "Little Darlin'," which was written by Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe. This is a sweet love song in which he sings, "I've been searching such a long time/All around this big old world" and "I can't compare your lips to any other lips."

"Get Out Of Denver" is a great rock and roll number moving at a fast pace. This was written by Bob Seger, who really rocked in those days. He included this song on his 1974 album Seven. This song is guaranteed to get you on your feet, spinning your chick around the floor of your home. Dave Edmunds' single came out in 1977. On the flip side, Dave Edmunds switches to a country vibe with "Worn Out Suits, Brand New Pockets," a song he wrote. "If I make more than a dime/I know I'll lose it back in time/Leaving me right back where I started." Then we move into 1978 with "Deborah," written by Nick Lowe and Dave Edmunds. This one has a bit of a Buddy Holly feel to the verses. "Just to have a girl with so much class/They'd crawl a mile over broken glass/And she'd let 'em do it just for a game/And Deborah's her name." The single's flip side, "What Looks Best On You," was also written by Lowe and Edmunds. It's a slower number with a country flavor. "You can look like a queen/In diamonds or jeans/But what would look/The best on you/Is me."

"Television" was written by Nick Lowe. It had been recorded earlier by Kursaal Flyers, who included it on The Great Artiste. This version by Dave Edmunds has a loose feel, a country rock thing happening, and it features a great lead on guitar. "Never Been In Love," the flip side, was written by all four members of Rockpile. It moves quickly with a youthful energy, and features more strong work on guitar. "They can't understand/Why we're walking hand-in-hand/Because they have never been in love." This is one of my personal favorites. The first disc concludes with "Trouble Boys," which was paired with "What Looks Best On You" on the U.S. single. It was written by Billy Bremner, and is a fun track to wrap up the disc. "Well, one of 'em walked up and started dancing with my girl/Who was cryin' 'cause I didn't stop him/All I could say to my baby was/Honey, this man is bigger than the both of us."

Disc 2

The second disc opens with the last single released in 1978, "A1 On The Jukebox," a country rock number about struggling to find a position on the chart after initial confidence. This song is completely adorable. It was written by Dave Edmunds and Will Birch. "My agent gives me spending cash/His pockets seem so deep/I'd live just like a millionaire/If it were mine to keep."  He sings that his song has the A1 spot on the jukebox, but is "nowhere on the charts." I love that it ends with "And nowhere," holding onto that last syllable, playfully implying that not being on the charts is like not existing. And then, oo-wee, we get a serious rock and roll number delivered with a fantastic energy. "It's My Own Business" is a Chuck Berry song, this version featuring some delicious work on both guitar and piano, and a vocal performance that has a fiery edge. They jam on this one, stretching Chuck Berry's two-minute song to four minutes, and I love it.

The disc then takes us into 1979 with "Girls Talk," which was written by Elvis Costello. "But I can't say the words you want to hear/I suppose you're going to have to play it by ear." Elvis released his own version a year later, as the flip side to "I Can't Stand Up For Falling Down" and then included it on the compilation Taking Liberties later that year. Dave Edmunds delivers an excellent rendition. "But I heard you mention my name, can't you talk any louder?" The flip side, "Bad Is Bad," was written by Huey Lewis. It is a song you probably know as the coolest track on the Huey Lewis And The News Sports record, released in 1983. I saw that band in 1985, and was excited that they played this song. This early version begins with some great harmonica work, and is a bluesy rock number quite a bit different from Huey's own rendition. Though, guess what, that is Huey Lewis on harmonica. That man can seriously deliver on that instrument. I once saw him sit in with the Grateful Dead on harmonica, and he impressed the hell out of the crowd. This track also features some delicious stuff on guitar.

Then we are treated to a wonderful rendition of "Queen Of Hearts." This single was released only in the U.K., and it's the first version of the song that was recorded. Yes, this rendition came before Juice Newton's rendition. Juice Newton, as you know, had a huge hit with it, and yet her recording is really not all that different from Dave Edmunds' version. I love both recordings. But this one should have had a chance in the United States. Both "Girls Talk" and "Queen Of Hearts" were included on Repeat When Necessary. The flip side to "Queen Of Hearts" was "The Creature From The Black Lagoon," written by Billy Bremner and inspired by the 1954 movie, which is great. After all, these guys were inspired by 1950s music, so why not also movies from that time? They're having fun with this playful number. "All he wanted was a lady/When at night he came up from the deep/He was feeling like any other lonely fellow/Decided to take one while the city was asleep." The last single of the 1970s is "Crawling From The Wreckage," written by Graham Parker, the second Graham Parker song of this collection. Like "Girls Talk" and "Queen Of Hearts," the Dave Edmunds version is the first recording. This is an energetic and totally enjoyable tune. "Queen Of Hearts" was included as the flip side on the U.S. version of the single, while "As Lovers Do" was the flip side in the U.K.

Then we slip into the 1980s with a delicious cover of "Singing The Blues," a song written by Melvin Endsley, and a hit for Marty Robbins, Guy Mitchell and Tommy Steele all in 1956. This Dave Edmunds rendition has a great loose vibe. "'Cause everything's wrong and nothing ain't right without you/You got me singing the blues." The flip side is "Boys Talk," written by all four members of Rockpile. Hey, they did "Girls Talk," so it makes good sense to also have a song titled "Boys Talk." This one begins with a list of some familiar names. "Sheila, Layla, Josephine, Sweet Jane/These are just some of my favorite names." Yes, this song pays tribute to the female characters of song, and goes on to include "Alison," which, obviously, is another Elvis Costello song. It even mentions "My Sharona" and "Girl From Ipanema," equating the latter with "The Little Old Lady From Pasadena."

The last couple of singles were released in 1981. The first is a cover of "Almost Saturday Night," a song written by John Fogerty, who included it on his 1975 self-titled album. "Gonna push all the clouds away/Let the music have its way." The flip side is a solid rendition of "You'll Never Get Me Up (In One Of Those)," written by Mickey Jupp, who included it on his 1978 album Juppanese. The final single that Dave Edmunds released on Swan Song was a cover of "The Race Is On," on which he is backed by The Stray Cats. This is a country number written by Don Rollins and originally recorded by George Jones. I first heard it in my teens when I got a copy of the Grateful Dead's Reckoning, which was released the same year as Dave Edmunds' version. Dave Edmunds turns in a delightful rendition. On that single's flip side was "(I'm Gonna Start) Living Again If It Kills Me," written by Nick Lowe, Carlene Carter and Dave Edmunds. "I've been sick of everything for so long/That now I'm even sick of myself/I'm going to call up some old friends I used to know/Although they never come around much now/But I can't blame them/Who wants to listen talk me about you for hours?" This song has a kind of gentle, sweet sound, yet with lyrics that offer some surprises, such as the two women "turning tricks out at Disney World." This is another of the collection's highlights.

CD Track List

Disc 1

1. Here Comes The Weekend
2. As Lovers Do
3. Where Or When
4. New York's A Lonely Town
5. Juju Man
6. What Did I Do Last Night?
7. I Knew The Bride
8. Back To Schooldays
9. Little Darlin'
10. Get Out Of Denver
11. Worn Out Suits, Brand New Pockets
12. Deborah
13. What Looks Best On You
14. Television
15. Never Been In Love
16. Trouble Boys

Disc 2

1. A1 On The Jukebox
2. It's My Own Business
3. Girls Talk
4. Bad Is Bad
5. Queen Of Hearts
6. The Creature From The Black Lagoon
7. Crawling From The Wreckage
8. Singing The Blues
9. Boys Talk
10. Almost Saturday Night
11. You'll Never Get Me Up (In One Of Those)
12. The Race Is On
13. (I'm Gonna Start) Living Again If It Kills Me

Swan Songs: The Singles 1976-1981 was released on September 27, 2024 through Omnivore Recordings.

The Flamin' Groovies: "Jumpin' In The Night" (1979/2025) Vinyl Review

I had such a great time listening to The Flamin' Groovies concert album Let It Rock: Live From The San Francisco Civic Center 1980, which was released late last year (the vinyl edition came out on Black Friday, the CD version shortly thereafter), and was eager to hear more from this fantastic and somehow still underrated group. Well, recently the band's 1979 record Jumpin' In The Night was reissued, and on purple vinyl! What could be cooler? I'll answer that for you: Nothing. Now, when the album originally came out, there were a couple of versions, one released in the U.S., one in the U.K., each with its own ordering of the songs, and each with a couple of different songs. What we have here is the U.S. version. Yet the liner notes on the inside jacket contain song notes for the U.K. version. Strange, but totally in keeping with that garage and punk sense of things. Those notes, by the way, were written by Chris Wilson.

Side A

The album gets off to a great start with its title track "Jumpin' In The Night," an original song written by Cyril Jordan and Chris Wilson. "Every time now that I go out/I look around/I want to jump and shout." Oh yes! There is a spectacular energy that lives somewhere between rock and punk, that natural territory where the real action was in the late 1970s and very early 1980s. The band had already been around more than a decade at that point, but was still sounding fresh and lively. "Keep on jumpin' in the night," they urge us, promising, "It's gonna be all right." That's followed by "Next One Crying," another original number written by Cyril Jordan and Chris Wilson. This is a somewhat slower tune that certainly owes some of its inspiration to John Lennon's early 1970s output, heard especially in the vocal work. This is a very cool song.

"First Plane Home" is also an original song. There is always something appealing about going home in songs, and here they find themselves in New Orleans and ready to get back home after encountering some mean women. "First plane home, first plane home/Gotta get the first plane home." This track has a 1960s rock thing happening, a Rolling Stones vibe, but also a sweeter aspect too, a hint of Byrds. It is, for me, one of the record's highlights. At the end they sing, "I won't be happy 'til my feet are on the ground," a line I'm sure my girlfriend would appreciate. Then "In The U.S.A." is a straight-ahead rock and roll number. It mentions some of those early greats, like Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis, to whom it owes a good deal of its inspiration. When you talk about possible candidates for King of Rock 'N' Roll, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis should all be mentioned before giving any consideration to Elvis Presley. Seriously.

"Down Down Down" is a fun song, written by Trevor Burton and first recorded by Dave Edmunds, who included it on his 1972 record Rockpile. This is the first cover on the album, at least on the U.S. version of the record (the U.K. version opens with "Please Please Me"). This track has a lot of energy, and even includes one of those great rock and roll screams. What could be better? The first side of the record concludes with "Yes I Am," an original composition by Cyril Jordan and Chris Wilson. This one too seems inspired by both the Stones and the Byrds, probably more Stones than Byrds. It features some really good stuff on guitar. We need music like this today, music to cut loose to.

Side B

The second side opens with a cover of Warren Zevon's "Werewolves Of London," a song not included on the U.K. version. It was a fairly new song at this point, Zevon's own version having been released just the year before on Excitable Boy, one of his best albums. The band is clearly having a fun time with this song, and it contains more good stuff on guitar. In this rendition, Jim is not in danger of having his lungs ripped out, but his nose ripped off. One thing that's interesting is there is a bit of a Byrds sound to their rendition. And speaking of The Byrds, that's followed by a cover of their "It Won't Be Wrong," from the Turn! Turn Turn! record. It's the first of three Byrds songs on this side of the record. This is the other song that is not on the U.K. version, and so this record's liner notes have no mention of it. "Please let me love you/And it won't be wrong."

Then we get the cover of "Please Please Me," which opens the U.K. version of the album. It is interesting that this song plays a part in the differences between the two versions, since this song was the title track of the first Beatles U.K. record, but not the first U.S. Beatles release. Anyway, they deliver a good, fairly faithful rendition. It's followed by "Tell Me Again," an original song written by Jordan and Wilson. "I tried to keep my head/But instead I lost my mind." There is something of a Rolling Stones flavor to this one. By the way, speaking of the Stones, one of the songs included on the U.K. version but not the U.S. version is a cover of "19th Nervous Breakdown." The Flamin' Groovies also give us a cover of Bob Dylan's "Absolutely Sweet Marie," a song Dylan included on Blonde On Blonde. This version has a great rock energy. I suppose they can't help but sound a bit like Dylan in the vocal delivery, due at least partly to the inherent rhythm of the vocal line. This version is shorter than the original Dyan recording, in part because they leave off the final verse.

The record's final two tracks are also covers, both of them Byrds songs. The first is "5D," a song written by Roger McGuinn and used as the title track to the band's 1966 album. These guys do an excellent rendition of it, giving it a fantastic energy. This track is another of the album's highlights. Roger McGuinn certainly wrote some good songs. The Flamin' Groovies wrap up the album with "Lady Friend," this one written by David Crosby and released by The Byrds as a single in 1967. I was fortunate enough to get a chance to go backstage and meet David Crosby once. There were no rock star trappings then. It was a very mellow, quiet scene, and he was really nice. This song is certainly not mellow. There is a strong energy to this one too. It's clear this band love The Byrds.

Record Track List

Side A

1. Jumpin' In The Night
2. Next One Crying
3. First Plane Home
4. In The U.S.A.
5. Down Down down
6. Yes I Am

Side B

1. Werewolves Of London
2. It Won't Be Wrong
3. Please Please Me
4. Tell Me Again
5. Absolutely Sweet Marie
6. 5D
7. Lady Friend

This special vinyl reissue of Jumpin' In The Night was released on March 21, 2025 through Liberation Hall.

Clarence White: "Melodies From A Byrd In Flyte 1963-1973" (2025) Vinyl Review

It's that special time of year again, friends. Days are getting warmer. Baseball season is in swing. And we have our wish lists for Record Store Day written out and ready to go. There are some excellent selections this time around, including Melodies From A Byrd In Flyte 1963-1973, a collection of great tracks from Clarence White, known for his work in The Kentucky Colonels and The Byrds. This record includes early bluegrass songs, as well as tracks from his time with The Byrds. These are mostly instrumental numbers. The first side features Clarence White on acoustic guitar, the second side on electric guitar. On each side, the songs are arranged in chronological order. The album includes liner notes by John Delgatto, and is presented on clear white vinyl. It was previously available on CD and digitally as The Lost Masters 1963-1973, released in 2023.

Side A

This collection begins, as you'd expect, in the bluegrass realm, with an Eric Weissberg tune, "No Title Yet Blues," a song that would be included on the 1963 record New Dimensions In Banjo And Bluegrass by Eric Weissberg, Marshall Brickman & Company. Clarence White was part of the "Company," along with Gordon Terry on fiddle. The version included here is from a March 1963 rehearsal for that album. This isn't one of those fast-paced bluegrass numbers, but rather a more thoughtful piece. But still, there is some strong playing, particularly by Eric Weissberg on banjo and by Clarence White on guitar. That's followed by a faster-paced guitar instrumental, "Fire On The Mountain," with Clarence White joined by Roger Bush on rhythm guitar. This contains some impressive and very cool playing. It is listed as a "Guitar Instruction" on the record jacket, and it's clear he has a lot to teach us.

"(Now And Then There's) A Fool Such As I" is a sweet number, with a nice, easygoing vibe that makes me think of players on a porch or in someone's back yard, picking away as the day passes into night, though time somehow never really passes. Things are good whenever music like this is playing. This song was written by William Trader, and the track features, in addition to Clarence White, Tut Taylor on dobro, Roland White on mandolin, Gary Carlson on rhythm guitar, and Victor Gaskin on bass. The track comes from a studio rehearsal from 1964. The record then jumps ahead to 1967, for the first of the record's tracks written by Clarence White, "New Soldier's Joy." This is largely a guitar piece, with Clarence delivering some great stuff, though at a certain point the other musicians take over, and we are treated to leads by Bob Warford on banjo and Roland White on mandolin.

"Yesterday's Train" is a song that was included on that untitled 1970 Byrds album. The version included here comes from a Byrds rehearsal held in May of 1970, and is the first track to include vocals. Gene Parsons is on vocals and rhythm guitar. This track also includes harmonica, though no harmonica player is listed on the record's jacket. This version, unlike the one on that untitled album, has a brief introduction on guitar. "Yesterday's train is rolling/Can you touch it through the mist/Did you meet someone on yesterday's train/Could you tell it with a kiss." That's followed by "Sally Goodin Meets The Byrds," a fun bluegrass number composed by Clarence White that would be included on The Byrds album Byrdmaniax, there under the title "Green Apple Quick Step." This track features Eric White Sr. delivering some delicious work on harmonica. Skip Battin's bass line makes me smile, its delightful simplicity. This track seems to be coming to an end at around the minute and forty-five second mark (which is approximately the length of "Green Apple Quick Step"), and then we get some more guitar work. The first time I listened to this record, I thought it might be something separate.

"Casper Creek" (also known as "Banjo Dog") is another fun tune, written by Gene Parsons, who delivers some really good work on banjo. Clarence White plays both mandolin and rhythm guitar on this track. The first side ends with a tune recorded just days before Clarence White's death, "Alabama Jubilee," and it's a great one. The group of musicians playing here is outstanding, and includes Herb Pedersen on rhythm guitar, Byron Berline on fiddle, Alan Munde on banjo, Lee Sklar on electric bass, Roger Bush on acoustic bass, Ed Green on drums, and Roland White on mandolin. I especially love Byron's work on fiddle. Holy moly! This track certainly sounds like a jubilee, like a celebration, seeming to promise the good times were only beginning and were never to end. Oh, if only.

Side B

The album's second side, the electric guitar side, opens with a cover of Bobbie Gentry's "Ode To Billie Joe," turning the song into a seriously cool jam, with a great, loose feel. There are no vocals to this rendition, Clarence's electric guitar taking on what would be the vocal line. Gene Parsons is on drums on this track, and on most of the tracks on this side. I've always liked this song, but it was never one I would have thought as particularly cool. Well, this recording presents a fresh view of this song. This recording is from July of 1967. Then we get a Roustabouts recording of the Buck Owens song "Buckaroo," an instrumental tune composed by Bob Morris. The Byrds also covered this song, and you can hear their version on Live At The Fillmore February 1969. There is some wonderful work on this track. Plus, this is just one of those pieces of music that elicit a smile from anyone who listens. The Roustabouts, by the way, were a country band that Clarence White was a member of. Dennis Mathes is on pedal steel, Bo Wagner is on drums, Jim Alley is on bass, and Richard Arlen is on rhythm guitar.

Clarence White was a member of another country band, Nashville West, with Gib Guilbeau on rhythm guitar, Gene Parsons on drums, and Wayne Moore on bass. That group also had a song titled "Nashville West," putting them in that category with Bad Company, I See Hawks In L.A., They Might Be Giants and several other bands who had songs sharing their band names. The version of "Nashville West" included on this record comes from January of 1968. It's another cool, but short jam. By the way, The Byrds also recorded this song. That's followed by a Byrds track, "Byrd Jam" (which is also known as "White's Lightning"). This one fades in, so was already in progress, and the band is rocking here. This one was composed by Clarence White and Roger McGuinn. And it fades out, making me wonder just how long the full jam is, where it ends up going, and also where it came from.

"Around The Barn" has vocals, but the track's full personnel is not listed on the jacket, just Clarence White on guitar and Gene Parsons on drums. The lyrics are simply repetition of the song's title, along with some goofiness. This is just fun, and I love it. It comes from a jam session in March of 1969. This fantastic record concludes with "I'm On My Way Home Again," recorded during a rehearsal with the Everly Brothers in April of 1969. It includes some banter at the beginning about how the song should go, with some suggestions. And we learn this is the first take. Gene Parsons and Gram Parsons also play on this track. Gene Parsons is not on drums here, but instead on banjo. Bob Rafkin is on drums, and Jerry Scheff is on bass. Don Everly and Phil Everly are on vocals. The Everly Brothers released this song on a single in 1969. This track is perfect for those who need a reminder of just how damn good the Everly Brothers were.

Record Track List

Side A

1. No Title Yet Blues
2. Fire On The Mountain
3. (Now And Then There's) A Fool Such As I
4. New Soldier's Joy
5. Yesterday's Train
6. Sally Goodin Meets The Byrds
7. Casper Creek
8. Alabama Jubilee

Side B

1. Ode To Billie Joe
2. Buckaroo
3. Nashville West
4. Byrd Jam
5. Around The Barn
6. I'm On My Way Home Again

Melodies From A Byrd In Flyte 1963-1973 is scheduled to be released on April 12, 2025 (Black Friday) through Liberation Hall.

The Brother Brothers: "Cover To Cover" (2022) CD Review

There have been many groups led by singing siblings, from The Everly Brothers to The Nields, and a much smaller number led by twins (The Bee Gees and Tegan And Sara jump to mind). Twins Adam Moss and David Moss, the duo known as The Brother Brothers, began studying music at an early age, and their passion did not diminish as they got older. Both attained degrees in music from the University of Illinois. As The Brother Brothers, they released their first full-length album, Some People I Know, in 2018, and followed that with Calla Lily in 2021. While those two albums featured original material, their third album, Cover To Cover, found them covering the work of influential songwriters, such as James Taylor and Tom Waits. Adam Moss plays fiddle and keys. David Moss plays cello and guitar. They are joined by Jeff Picker on bass, and Matty Meyer on drums, along with guests on various tracks.

The album opens with a sweet rendition of Tom T. Hall's "That's How I Got To Memphis," and, yes, right away what is remarkable is the appealing vocal work. This is a song that has been covered a lot over the years, and what's interesting to me is that many people know Tom T. Hall's material without knowing his name. "Thank you for your precious time/Forgive me if I start to cry/That's how I got to Memphis." That's followed by "These Days," another song that people seem to know without knowing who wrote it. I remember being surprised not so much that it was Jackson Browne who wrote it, but that he was a teenager when he wrote it. Apparently he was sixteen. Most adults can't write songs that are this good. It's been recorded by many artists, probably most famously by Nico. That version can be heard in the Wes Anderson film The Royal Tenenbaums. The Brother Brothers deliver a wonderful rendition, at times sounding very much like Simon & Garfunkel. Jeff Picker plays acoustic lead guitar on this one, as well as bass. On an album with such outstanding vocal work, it might be difficult for any of the instruments to make as much of an impact, but the guitar work on this track does stand out.

Ryan Scott then joins The Brother Brothers on electric guitar for the cover of James Taylor's "You Can Close Your Eyes," and singer/songwriter Sarah Jarosz joins them on backing vocals. "But this whole world must still be spinning round/And I still love you/So close your eye/You can close your eyes, it's all right." Those lines speak strongly in these dark and ugly times when we need reminders to focus on the important things in our own lives, when we need to hear a friendly voice tell us things are all right. And the delivery is gentle, soothing, warm. Yet there is a sadness heard in a line like "You can sing this song when I'm gone." Then there is more of a country rock vibe to "If You Ain't Got Love," featuring more good work by Ryan Scott on electric guitar. Plus, this track contains some nice stuff on keys. "You can be the biggest playboy around/But you're nothing when the lights go down/If you ain't got love." Just remember that. Those fascists have no love; they are nothing. This song was written by Chas Justus and originally recorded by The Revelers, who included it on their 2012 self-titled album.

The Brother Brothers deliver a really nice rendition of "There's A Rugged Road," a song written and originally recorded by Judee Sill, who included it on her 1973 album Heart Food.  As with the other tracks, this song features some beautiful vocal work. Their version retains something of that 1970s vibe. Ryan Scott plays organ on this one. I also like that work on drums. That's followed by an interesting and cool rendition of The Beatles' "I Will." There is a good deal of cheer to their performance. I always forget how short this song is. Then they give us a gorgeous and striking a cappella rendition of "I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes)," with Rachael Price and Emily Price (another set of singing siblings) joining them on vocals. "What a fool am I/To think my breaking heart/Could kid the moon/What's in store/Should I phone once more?" That's followed by another of the disc's highlights, "Feelin' Good Again," which has a pleasant folk and bluegrass vibe, and features, yes, more excellent vocal work. This is such a good song, written by Robert Earl Keen. If you're in need of something to make you feel good (and who isn't?), this might just do the trick. "But I reached in my pocket/Found three twenties and a ten/It feels so good feelin' good again." Alison Brown plays banjo on this one, delivering some wonderful stuff. There is also some nice work on fiddle.

Richard Thompson is a phenomenal songwriter, and on this album The Brother Brothers choose to cover his "Waltzing's For Dreamers," a song from Thompson's 1988 album Amnesia. "And I know you don't know me/But can we pretend/That we care for each other/'Til the band reach the end." This is a beautiful and sad song, and The Brother Brothers deliver a wonderful rendition. Michael Rinne plays bass on this track, as well as on "High Sierra," which follows. Michaela Anne joins The Brother Brothers on vocals for "High Sierra," a song written by Harley Allen and recorded by Linda Ronstadt (David Grisman plays mandolin on that Ronstadt recording). "And I've been right, mostly wrong/Wrong about you, right about me/And I've been cursed and I've been praised/And I've been nothing these days." I love that work on strings in the second half. That's followed by "Blue Virginia Blues," a totally enjoyable bluegrass number, with Alison Brown again joining them on banjo and delivering some really good work. The Brother Brothers wrap up the album with "Flower's Grave," written by Tom Waits. Their rendition sounds like a beautiful, haunting lullaby, and features some wonderful stuff on cello. No guests join them on this one. This is another of the album's highlights, and an excellent way to conclude things. "And if we are to die tonight/Is there moonlight up ahead?/And if we are to die tonight/Another rose will bloom."

CD Track List

1. That's How I Got To Memphis
2. These Days
3. You Can Close Your Eyes
4. If You Ain't Got Love
5. There's A Rugged Road
6. I Will
7. I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes)
8. Feelin' Good Again
9. Waltzing's For Dreamers
10. High Sierra
11. Blue Virginia Blues
12. Flower's Grave

Cover To Cover was released on August 4, 2022, and is available on blue vinyl as well as CD.

The Sensational Country Blues Wonders: "If I Stop Moving, I'll Fall From The Sky" (2024) CD Review

In these strange and unsettling days, as we consider some of the big questions of the universe and our minuscule parts in it, it's important to retain a sense of fun about the whole endeavor, a sense of humor, a sense of play. And that is something that singer and songwriter Gary Van Miert is able to do so well in his project The Sensational Country Blues Wonders. His latest album, If I Stop Moving, I'll Fall From The Sky, contains all original material. Psychedelics play a part, in the sound, and in the themes of these tracks, but the music is still easily accessible, not getting too far out there. There are elements of pop, country, rock and blues heard here.

"I really don't have much to say/All my thoughts are floating away," Gary Van Miert sings early in the album's opening track, "We Are Made Of Stardust." But then he goes on to say quite a bit, in this song, and on the album as a whole. This song results from pondering the big questions of existence. "We are made of stardust/This is something I have learned/We're all made from cosmic dust/And to dust we shall return." It's true. It's incredible that we are here at all, a wonderful fluke of circumstances, without meaning or intent. And we return to dust all too soon. But do not worry, for this song has a very positive, rather cheerful vibe. Let's celebrate this pointless, wonderful, silly existence! Then at the beginning of "Why Did I Eat The Whole Bag Of Mushrooms?" he sings, "The walls are melting, the room's in a whirl/Now I find myself living in a frightening new world." The song feels like a dance through a carnival sideshow reality. Though these days the frightening world isn't the one we discover on hallucinogens, but the one we encounter when we are sober. "Why is too much never enough?" We've all been there, right? When I was living in Oregon, I remember buying a grocery bag of mushrooms for like fifteen dollars. Interesting times, to be sure. "Sitting alone/In my existential gloom/Listening to Exile On Main St./With a head full of shrooms." Hmm, that's one record I never listened to while tripping, and now I'm curious. Obviously, there is a good deal of humor to this song, but I suppose there is also part of that quest for the big answers within the answer to the title's question.

On "If I Stop Moving, I'll Fall From The Sky," the album's title track, Gary sings, "I'm soaring high, and for what it's worth/I don't ever want to come back to this earth." Yes, you could hear this one as another drug track (I seem to recall at least one trip that I didn't have much interest in returning from), but it's also about that need to be constantly moving forward, constantly active. "Gotta keep moving, can't slow down." Sometimes that need is because of a fear of missing things, but it seems we can miss so much in that kind of rush, that kind of constant activity. That song is followed by "Golden Teacher." "Nothing's really as it seems," Gary sings here. I still recall, rather vividly in fact, my first mushroom trip. It was on the campus of UMass Amherst, and just as things started to take off, a woman rode by on a white horse. That was real, we learned later. But everything after that was questionable, not so much what we saw, but what we then recalled of what we saw before the trip. "Show me all that's real/My old reality has fled." I learned quite a bit that day. While Gary sings of "many visual delights," he provide many auditory delights on this album.

"Head In The Clouds" is about being in one's own world. "It makes me feel so very calm/And it could never do me harm/I've got my head up in the clouds/I'm rising way above the crowd/I haven't heard a thing you said." These days I am making a conscious choice to avoid the news, to be ignorant of much of the horrors this country has so willingly embraced. It was a choice I made in order to be calm, to avoid being furious and depressed for the next four years. Life is too short for that. I am unwilling to give four years to anger. And I am unwilling to listen to a single word that fascist in the White House says. Interestingly, many friends have independently made the same decision. Is it wrong to keep our heads in the clouds? The worlds of our own making are just much more enjoyable at the moment. "Head In The Clouds" is followed by "I Rode The Bus With Joey Ramone." I love psychedelic music, folk music, country music. But I also love punk music, and this song takes a famous punk musician and puts him into more of a country context, with psychedelic elements and just a hint of punk. It's a different sort of bus trip than that taken by the Merry Pranksters, though I suppose there are a few similarities. "It was only a dream, just a crazy scene/I rode the bus with Joey Ramone/But that's not all, he was nine feet tall."

As you might guess, the psychedelic elements are especially pronounced on "One More Cup Of Mushroom Tea." It's been quite a long time since I've taken mushrooms, but this music is making me curious where they would take me these days. Might be scary, but might be beautiful and relaxing, helping us step farther from this ugly and at times sinister reality. There is a playful element to this song, but then again, that is something that is present in basically all of The Sensational Country Blues Wonders material. There is a bright rock energy to "Magic Glasses." "See the darkness turn to light," Gary sings at the beginning of this one. That line stands out now, when we need to feel hope that this country will emerge from its current descent into fascism. We all want to see the darkness turn to light. Do we need just a different way of viewing reality? Maybe. There is a positive vibe to this track, which I appreciate. "See the love that's been reflected/See that we are all connected."

"Gravity" is a particularly playful number, taking us back to an old saloon at the start. The song ponders where we'd be without gravity. "Without the force of gravity/Everything would float away/The oceans and rivers would disappear/They'd leave the earth without a trace/Earth itself would break apart/And drift away into outer space." I am now wondering if there are people who don't believe in gravity. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised. After all, there are people who believe the earth is flat. Morons abound. Anyway, this is a fun number, and something in the delivery at moments reminds me just a bit of some of Syd Barrett's solo material. The album then concludes with "Sky Songs," a song about being a songwriter and finding the songs that are out there in the air. It's interesting, the idea that songs come from without rather than within. And if that is true, then where exactly did the songs originate? Ah, something else to ponder. "My brain is a receiver/For songs up in the sky/It's made me a believer/Of what exists up high."

CD Track List

1. We Are Made Of Stardust
2. Why Did I Eat The Whole Bag Of Mushrooms?
3. If I Stop Moving, I'll Fall From The Sky
4. Golden Teacher
5. Head In The Clouds
6. I Rode The Bus With Joey Ramone
7. One More Cup Of Mushroom Tea
8. Magic Glasses
9. Gravity
10. Sky Songs

If I Stop Moving, I'll Fall From The Sky was released on October 25, 2024.

We Are The West at 701 Santa Monica Blvd, 4-5-25 Concert Review

We Are The West playing "Darlin' If"

These are strange, unsettling times, and so perhaps more than ever we need great music to keep our spirits up. On a day when a good portion of the country's population was rightly protesting the fascist regime currently at work dismantling democracy, We Are The West delivered what could turn out to be the final concert in that special garage series the group has been doing for many years. Or, at least the last show for a while, anyway. Singer and guitarist Brett Hool lost his home in the recent fires, and is moving out of California. In fact, he is moving today. So last night's concert was also a sort of farewell party. Yesterday also happened to be his birthday. Once upon a time, this concert series was a monthly enterprise, and then was held quarterly. But this was the first show since January of 2024.

Nicky Fisher was in charge of the music playing as the audience arrived and got settled in the garage. Gerard Lollie, who was the longtime DJ of the music series, died from cancer recently, and the night was in part a celebration of his significant contribution to these magical concerts. Multiple times over the years, I'd ask Gerard about a song he was playing, and then end up going out and purchasing those albums. He was always happy to share his love and knowledge of a particular song or artist. He is going to be missed, surely. Nicky Fisher started things off with Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" and Grateful Dead's "Throwing Stones," the latter a particularly good choice on this day of protests. The parking garage was transformed into a place of magic and beauty not just by the music, but also by artwork, this time created by David Sota and Janel Raihl of Art Wavy. They brought some really wonderful pieces to help produce the right atmosphere. The artwork did not just function as cool backdrops for the music, but also was hanging over sections of the audience, giving the larger space a good vibe.

Daniella Lollie

As for the music, Brett Hool began the evening with a solo number, which was a surprise. I don't recall him doing that before. But it was his young daughter's first garage concert, and he mentioned that she was likely going to fall asleep in two minutes and he wanted to get in one song for her before that happened. That one song was titled "Dancing Air," a wonderful start to the evening. Brett then introduced the actual opening act, A Violet In Youth, a band led by Gerard's daughter, Daniella Lollie. "I know a lot of you knew my dad," she said when she took the stage. She then explained the origin of her band's name, that it is a Shakespearean phrase. For those who are curious, it comes from the first act of Hamlet, when Laertes is talking with Ophelia. He tells her, "For Hamlet, and the trifling of his favor,/Hold it a fashion and a toy in blood,/A violet in the youth of primy nature." The band opened the set with a couple of new songs, the first of which established a strong atmosphere before the vocals came in. Afterward, she said the song was like a meditation. Much of the set had a similar effect, and it felt so good being immersed in the sound. The final song featured a seriously cool jam near the end. Both my girlfriend and I wanted to purchase whatever CD or record these guys had for sale, but it turned out that, for now at least, their music is just streaming online.

A Violet In Youth

"Good Luck (And All That Stuff)"

"Well, friends, here we are," Brett said when We Are The West was ready to start, just before 10 p.m. The band eased in, giving everyone a moment to come together, the sound building, gathering us in and washing over us. John Kibler used a bow on his bass for those initial moments of "A New Haven," then put it away, creating a pulse on the strings. And there was the sense of all of us on a journey, on a vessel from the past. All of this was before the first line of the song was delivered, "Ships lost at sea." "A New Haven" was the lead track from the group's first EP, and We Are The West followed it with "Good Luck (And All That Stuff)," the second song from that same EP. That song made me happy the moment it started. It always does. It has that kind of vibe. And it featured some really nice stuff by Sylvain Carton on saxophone. Apart from the main duo of Brett Hool and John Kibler, the makeup of band has always been a little different at each show, and last night it was a seven-piece affair (including Brett and John), and the entire band played on most of the songs. In addition to Brett, John and Sylvain, last night's show featured Brett Farkas, Paul Cox, Corey Fogel and Joe Kennedy. It was cool, the band starting the set with that entire first EP, all three songs played in order, something I don't recall ever seeing them do before. For the third song, "Groene Hart," Sylvain switched to clarinet. Before they started that song, Brett mentioned how performing these shows was pretty much his favorite thing to do in the world. He started "Groene Hart" on guitar. This was a particularly beautiful rendition. Perhaps because this might be the last concert in this series, at least for a while, and because they began it with these early songs, the line "You know the past is gone" stood out to me last night. And the jam was like a powerful mantra that opened gates into other realms, light shining in from the heavens, as if the universe itself were excited and pleased by what was happening, and offering encouragement. It was one of those incredible moments, the very reason I catch live music as often as I can, and the crowd responded enthusiastically. Afterward, Brett told the crowd, "That was our first EP, which we recorded down here."

Interestingly, they followed those initial three songs with the first song from the group's second EP, "The Hammer." For this one, Sylvain switched to flute, delivering some wonderful work, and guitarist Brett Farkas joined Brett Hool on the "La la la" backing vocals. That was followed by "Cauliflower Ears," which, yes, was the second track on that second EP, and I'm sure there were at least a few folks in the audience who briefly wondered if the band might play their entire oeuvres in order for this special concert. That would have been something! Brett and John started this song, and partway through, Joe Kennedy came in, adding some nice touches on keys. The rest of the band sat this one out. Brett delivered a beautiful vocal performance. Any thoughts of the band playing its entire catalogue in order came to a halt when the guys followed "Cauliflower Ears" with "The Golden Shore," the title track to the band's 2018 album. John got this one started with some great work on bass, and soon the others joined in. This song had a deliciously jazzy beginning, featuring some seriously cool work on clarinet. This song was another highlight of the night even before the vocals came in, and there was a beautiful build to it. Just completely wonderful.

"Sea Of Light (Dirty Ditty)"

Before starting "The Watchers," a song also from The Golden Shore, Brett mentioned that John had just gotten back from Big Sur, and that Big Sur had inspired this song. I love "The Watchers," in large part because of the powerful vocal work, and also because of the way the song grows intense as it progresses. It grabs hold of you, pulls you into the story told, and then begins to rock you, toss you around. I noticed that people reacted to it like a heavy rock song, that "head-banging" motion. There was a much-needed breath, a pause, before that final, softer section of the song. John then switched from upright to electric bass for "Sea Of Light (Dirty Ditty)," another song from The Golden Shore. This song featured some particularly good stuff by Brett Farkas on guitar, especially toward the end. They followed that with a cover of Spirit's "Darlin' If," from that band's The Family That Plays Together album, dedicating the song to Gerard Lollie, who had turned them onto that band. It was a tender, touching rendition. John played electric bass on this one too. He then switched back to upright bass for "Don't Worry About It," from We Are The West's 2021 album Only One Us, with Sylvain on saxophone and Brett Farkas on tambourine rather than guitar. There was a great deal of power to this song.

Someone in the audience called out "Happy birthday" to Brett Hool, and Brett mentioned that it was also his mother's birthday. He then talked about rehearsing for this show the night before, the first time he'd had a chance to play with these guys in a long time. "And it was amazing, wonderful, beautiful," he said. We could feel the truth of it, and hear the love for the music in every note he sang last night. I've said it before, but there is magic in those garage shows, which Brett himself mentioned: "A few hours ago, it was just a garage, with nothing going on. The second we all come down here, the spirit takes hold." And as he spoke, they began "Only One Us," and everything felt just right. This is another one of those songs that work to raise our spirits, make us feel good about being alive, about being on this silly, glorious planet. Not only that, but the music encourages us, letting us know we have the power to make our lives something special. John then led the crowd in "The New Birthday Song" for Brett, and a cake was brought to the stage. "Another year has passed/You made the grade/Today's your special day/Some things will change/And some will not/But the thing that won't change/Is that you're a special person/Today's your birthday/Happy birthday to you." They wrapped up the show with "Hey God, I'm Alive!" The crowd sang along. A perfect ending to a fantastic show. I hope it won't be too long before we're all able to gather again, because we need this.

Set List

1. A New Haven
2. Good Luck (And All That Stuff)
3. Groene Hart
4. The Hammer
5. Cauliflower Ears
6. The Golden Shore
7. The Watchers
8. Sea Of Light (Dirty Ditty)
9. Darlin' If
10. Don't Worry About It
11. Only One Us
12. The New Birthday Song
13. Hey God, I'm Alive!

Helene Cronin: "Maybe New Mexico" (2025) CD Review

Helene Cronin is a talented singer and songwriter, with a special ability for telling compelling stories in her material, and addressing serious and universal yet personal topics. On her new album, Maybe New Mexico, many of the songs, particularly in the second half, take a strong look at the larger questions of existence, things I imagine many people have been pondering in these unsettling times. The album contains all original material, written or co-written by Helene Cronin. Joining her on this release are Bobby Terry on acoustic guitar, dobro, steel guitar and mandolin; Matt Pierson on bass; Paul Eckberg on drums; Charlie Lowell on piano, keyboards and organ; Melodie Chase on cello; and Mitch Dane on additional keyboards and percussion. Caitlin Anselmo and Matt Singleton provide backing vocals.

The album opens with "Copperhill," which immediately establishes a cool groove, a strong pulse. "You can see the scar where they dug the heart/Out of the mountainside." It's a song of the destruction of the land, a powerful start to the album. "The trees are bare and the land is wasted/Can't hear the song of the whippoorwill." This country is a mess right now, with no one at the helm who has any sense of its history or its future, no one who cares about the land. How did we get here? "Look what they've done, look what they've done." It seems that's all we can do, remark on the terrible things they've done rather than stop them from doing them. We can feel the land's pain in this song. "Power Lines" also opens in a somber place, with a more intimate, more personal feel. "One minute you're here/Next minute, you've flown/And when you're out of reach, I'm still hanging on." We can all relate to that feeling that things are out of our control, and in this song even the relationship finds the person just hanging on, realizing that the other person holds the power. We hear the ache in her voice, and in the steel guitar work. This track features a captivating vocal performance.

The first line of "Maybe New Mexico," the album's title track, is "I spent a night in Tucumcari." Hearing the name of that town makes me think of Little Feat's "Willin'," the first song I ever heard that mentions that town. It's not the only New Mexico town in this song's lyrics. "Maybe I'll get lost in Las Cruces/Or wander down to some border town/Or find my way up to Santa Fe/I know it's a long shot, but God I hope/That maybe New Mexico can help me let you go." We can feel that desire, that need. New Mexico can help you forget a lot. Helene Cronin delivers a moving vocal performance, and there is sort of easygoing vibe to this track. There is also a bit of humor in the lines, "And if this don't work/There is always Arizona or California." "Maybe New Mexico" was written by Helene Cronin, Lisa Carver and Scott Sean White. Then "Rifleman" explores the character of a soldier, and the way war has affected him, the damage it inflicted. "They sent him off a boy, brought him back a wreck." And as the song continues, we begin to understand the narrator's relationship to this man. This is another powerful number, featuring some good guitar work.

"We got roots that go back generations/And dreams that stretch for miles," Helene Cronin sings in "People." As the title suggests, this song is about people, all people. Our differences, our similarities. These days our similarities seem to have been forgotten. "Such a mess, but so beautiful/People." It's a positive song at a time when few of us feel very positive about people. "Trying to change the world/Before the world spins around again." Ah, good luck to us all. "People" was written by Helene Cronin and Scott Sean White (Scott Sean White recorded and released his own version of this song). It's followed by "Switzerland," a song that looks at a different sort of war, a different sort of battle. Here a couple is splitting, without any neutral land to retreat to, to meet to work things out. "But now everybody's talking and calling us/They're taking sides, they're dividing up/Some are picking you, and some will stick with me/Let the fallout fall, we're both losing friends/There's no neutral ground, in their defense." "Switzerland" was written by Helene Cronin and Cheley Tackett.

"Not The Year" eases in, taking light steps, then asking, rather gently, "What if you were told on the day you were born/The day you'd die, just not the year/Would it make you think, would it make you change/What you push away, what you pull near?" How would you spend that day each year? Life is so short, and we don't know when the end is coming, just that it is certainly coming. Death has been on my mind lately. It is something we all do have in common. Our "time is tick-ticking," and I marvel at the ways some people choose to spend that time, making things difficult for those who are different from them. Why do they spend their brief time on this planet causing harm? Would those people do things differently if they knew the day they'd die? I don't know. I don't think those people ponder such things. I don't think they are keen on self-reflection or growth. But for those who do have the ability to contemplate, this is one of the album's most striking songs. And one of the things that makes it striking is the gentle way it is delivered. "Not The Year" was written by Helene Cronin, Lisa Carver and Scott Sean White.

"Aint That Just Like A Man" features some nice work on steel guitar. Check out its opening lines: "He tells me I'm pretty when I don't feel pretty/When I don't see what he sees." I need to play this song for my girlfriend. I'm baffled when she fails to see how beautiful she is. This is a sweet love song that rings true, and will likely make you want to take your sweetheart into your arms and not let go. "He don't always know what to say when I'm crying/But he lets me cry on his chest/And most of the time can't fix my worries or problems/But he ain't afraid of my mess." Oh, how I wish I knew what to say, and how to fix the world for my girlfriend. I suspect most men feel that way about the women they love. This one was written by Helene Cronin and Nicole Lewis. Then "Maker's Mark" builds in power, rolling forward, and we feel part of that movement, its power becoming our own. "'Cause I want to leave this place better than I found it/Take what breaks my heart and wrap my arms around it/I want to put a little good out into the world/Shine a little light in the dark." I wish everyone felt that way. Maybe the little kindnesses we extend to others will have some impact. I know sometimes a stranger can turn my day around just by letting me in when I'm entering traffic. If we all did these things, I bet the world would be a better place.

As "Dear Life" begins, there is a feeling of melancholy. And when the vocals come in, the lyrics address life directly: "Dear life, I've been thinking about you lately/Because lately you've been hard to understand/I've tried, but I don't know where this is going/Because none of this is going like I planned." I'm guessing we can all relate to this song, especially when all we can do "is keep holding on for dear life." Helene Cronin delivers a beautiful performance here, one that is certain to move you. Another couple of lines that stand out for me are "Dear life, even when you're almost perfect/You still don't give a damn about my happiness." That's something that's hard to accept sometimes, that the universe doesn't care about us, one way or another. It is an indifferent world, not necessarily a cruel one. We're alone out here, so let's make the best of it, folks. This is a gorgeous, sad, honest song, featuring some beautiful work on cello. Helene Cronin then switches gears with a song in which the universe, or God, does care and comes checking in on us. "God stopped by my house today/He's always catching me off guard." She admits here that she has questions: "I never understood/Why he lets the bad things happen if he's really good." I understand wishing there were a god who cares about us, someone watching out for us, someone understanding our troubles, our worries, our failures. It is highly unlikely that such a being exists, but I understand wanting it to. Either way, this is another beautiful song. "None of us ever asked to be here," Helene then begins the album's final song, "Visitors." We are all here together, through chance, and so why do all our common experiences and elements fail to make us treat each other better? The line "We're all passing through the same revolving door" reminds me of a song Leonard Cohen used to cover, "Passing Through." "We're just visitors here," Helene reminds us. And this is it, folks. It is so terribly brief, and there is probably nothing afterward, so start being kinder to each other.

CD Track List

1. Copperhill
2. Power Lines
3. Maybe New Mexico
4. Rifleman
5. People
6. Switzerland
7. Not The Year
8. Ain't That Just Like A Man
9. Maker's Mark
10. Dear Life
11. God Stopped By
12. Visitors

Maybe New Mexico was released on March 7, 2025.

Amelia Hogan: "Burnished" (2025) CD Review

As long as I can remember, I've been drawn to Irish music, to Celtic music. Something in my blood, I've been told. Perhaps, but this music, I've come to believe, should be in everyone's blood, for it seems to have the ability to connect us, one to another, and all of us to our collective past. Amelia Hogan, who gathered accolades for her 2023 release Taking Flight, has focused on Celtic traditions, and on her new album, Burnished, delivers some wonderful renditions of traditional tunes as well as more contemporary songs (which themselves have a traditional feel), along with one original composition. Joining her on this album are Christa Burch on bodhran and backing vocals, James F. Murphy on rhythm guitar and mandolin, John Weed on fiddle, Lewis Santer on rhythm guitar, Maureen Brennan on Celtic harp, Marla Fibish on mandolin and mandola, Ray Frank on guitar and backing vocals, Richard Mandel on guitar, Skyler Blakeslee on flute and whistles, and Steve O'Neill on bass.

Amelia Hogan opens the album with that original piece, "Rolling In The Gold," a song about California. She sings, "And they come from all over/And hoped that they'll get rich," which is still true, though here she sings of the time of the gold rush. There are so many songs about California, and it's easy to understand why. There has always been a promise held in its land, making it an appealing subject. This song is pretty and uplifting and joyous, reflecting the way many of us view this place. And though it's an original number, it has the vibe of a traditional tune. It features some really nice work on mandolin, and its lyrics provide the album its title. "Made up of a sunburn/And scented tall giants/It’s burnished wildflowers/In each gilded beam/And a tidal pool sparkle/And salt waves I cherish/You’ll have gold aplenty." That's followed by a cover of "Blue Is The Eye," a song by Ye Vagabonds, who included it on Nine Waves. There is a magical feel to this rendition by Amelia Hogan, in part because of the work on flute, in part because of the subject, the mysterious realm of the ocean, and the hope of immigrants who travel across it. It's a beautiful and comforting song. "Lie down and sleep, sleep well my darling/Blue is the eye watches over the sea."

The album changes gears a bit then with "They Call The Wind Maria," a song that comes from Paint Your Wagon, and was written by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe. Amelia Hogan delivers a thoughtful, contemplative rendition. There is still that magical feel, heard largely in the work on Celtic harp. And while the previous song was about the sea, this one is about the wind. In both, the elements are personified. Here she begs of the wind, "Maria blow my love to me." Then in "The Snow Hare," she sings, "The hare turns white as the year turns black." We're at the point where even the prior naysayers are finally acknowledging climate change. In this song, a hare is unable to use his white fur as camouflage and so is vulnerable to predators. Amelia gives an incredible vocal performance. Her voice seems to come from the past, from some eternal place, as she looks at this current moment with sadness.

Amelia Hogan gives us a great take on the traditional number "Wayfaring Stranger," her rendition having a somber feel. I suppose the world has always been cruel to those who wander, but these days it seems particularly cold. What has happened to us as a species? That sense is reflected in this striking rendition, in its pace, in its delivery. That's followed by "Patriot Game," written by Dominic Behan. Ardent patriotism has always alarmed me. At one point in my favorite movie, Harold And Maude, Ruth Gordon says, "What sense in borders and nations and patriotism?" Patriotism often leads to unspeakable acts, with the participants feeling secure in the notion that they are right. Yet love of the land itself is something different, as is love of the people upon that land. "This Ireland of ours has for long been half free/Six counties are under John Bull's tyranny/And most of our leaders are greatly to blame/For shirking their part in the patriot's game." Amelia Hogan cuts out the verse that begins, "I don't mind a bit if I shoot down police."

Music is the main passion of my life, but another important element is the work of William Shakespeare. It was through my love of Shakespeare that I came to really appreciate the work of Trevor Peacock, for he had roles in some of the BBC productions of the complete canon, all of which I watched during my initial Shakespeare study many years ago. (I also loved him in The Vicar Of Dibley, starring Dawn French.) It was a while before I realized he also wrote songs, including the big Herman's Hermits hit "Mrs. Brown, You've Got A Lovely Daughter." Holy moly! On this album, Amelia covers his "Little Yellow Roses," a song that both Adam Faith and Jackie De Shannon recorded in the early 1960s, and she delivers a gorgeous and moving rendition. "My father taught me that all men are equal/Whatever color, religion or land/And taught me to fight for the things I believed in/So that's what I did - with a gun in my hand." I wonder if an armed rebellion will become necessary in this country. It's a frightening notion, but perhaps even scarier is us letting the fascists in their red caps dismantle our democracy, which is what they are now doing. By the way, Jackie De Shannon sang different lines in that verse, leaving out the gun. Amelia Hogan's rendition is powerful and haunting. She performs this one solo, her work on shruti being the only accompaniment for her remarkable vocal performance.

"Home By Bearna" is a traditional number, and this rendition feels like a delightful dance, with good work on bodhran and fiddle. That's followed by a cover of Gordon Bok's "Bay Of Fundy." Something about this track grabs me, something in its delivery, its pace. There is a haunting aspect, especially in lines like "Cape Breton's bells ring in the swells/They ring for me, they ring for me." Then "Come Away In" offers a sweet and pretty invitation. "Come away, come away in/Welcome into the house/Where we have bread to eat." There is such a light and friendly feel to this song that the world it evokes seems to be without danger or malice. This is the world we all want to live in, I imagine, even as some people are doing much to create a world that is harmful, that is contrary to everything we hear here. This song was written by Karine Polwart. It is followed by "The Laverock Sang," which was written by Brian McNeill, who included it on his 1985 record Unstrung Hero. There is something timeless about this song too, something magical and beautiful, and Skyler Blakeslee delivers some wonderful work.

"Haunted Hunter (Walker In The Snow)" is a traditional number that relates a compelling ghost story. "Not far upon my journey had I gone along the way/When a dusky figure approached me in a capuchon of gray." This stranger become companion, though without speaking. Amelia's voice is given prominence, with some soft accompaniment on guitar and flute. That's followed by another traditional number, "Dh'eirich Mi Moch Maidainn Cheitein," this one with a lighter, more joyful spirit, and sung in Gaelic. The album concludes with "Who Will Watch The Homeplace," a song written by Kate Long, who included it on her 1998 album Pieces Of Heart.  Laurie Lewis had released her own version in 1993 on her True Stories album (where it is titled "Who Will Watch The Home Place"). Amelia Hogan's rendition is delivered a cappella, with Christa Burch and Ray Frank joining her. "Who will fill my empty place/When I am gone from here?" A sadness and a longing run through this track. I've been thinking about death a lot lately, and about the future of humanity. Will people continue to hold dear any of the things that we deem important? I wonder, I wonder.

CD Track List

1. Rolling In The Gold
2. Blue Is The Eye
3. They Call The Wind Maria
4. The Snow Hare
5. Wayfaring Stranger
6. Patriot Game
7. Little Yellow Roses
8. Home By Bearna
9. Bay Of Fundy
10. Come Away In
11. The Laverock Sang
12. Haunted Hunter (Walker In The Snow)
13. Dh'eirich Mi Moch Maidainn Cheitein
14. Who Will Watch The Homeplace

Burnished was released on April 1, 2025.