Holly Golightly And The Brokeoffs: “Clippety Clop” (2018) CD Review

Certain things always excite me, such as going to a Red Sox game, seeing a production of one of Shakespeare’s plays, and the release of a new album by Holly Golightly And The Brokeoffs. It’s been two and a half years since the duo’s last release, Coulda Shoulda Woulda. Boy, time is just barreling on, isn’t it? Well, Clippety Clop, the new album, has that same great raw and totally delightful sound I’ve come to expect (and rely on), country and folk music with a punk attitude. It’s like back porch music if the porch is attached to a house that contains a gate to hell in the basement and a gate to heaven in the attic. But this album is different from earlier releases. For one thing, it has something of a theme running through it, with the songs all being related to horses and mules, with the rhythm of horses sometimes incorporated into the songs. The other thing that sets this one apart is that the songs are covers.

They open the album with a wonderful rendition of Jimmie Rodgers’ “Mule Skinner Blues” (here simply titled “Mule Skinner”). They give it a cool rhythm and their own spin, singing, “I like to work/I’m working all the fucking time/I can carve my initials/On a mule’s behind.” But it is the instrumental section that follows those lines that makes me so goddamn happy, and gets me moving. This is a fairly short version, just over two minutes, but it’s really good. That’s followed by “Two White Horses,” a traditional song that has been often done as a blues tune. This rendition by Holly Golightly And The Brokeoffs is more lively and playful (like in the way they use percussion on the “church bell” line).

They then go to a more recent song, the Bad Livers’ “Horses In The Mines,” a slower, bluesy number. This song was the title track to the Bad Livers’ 1994 album (I was hosting a folk and acoustic radio program at that time, and I remember we played this album a lot). That’s followed by Paul Siebel’s “Pinto Pony,” originally included on his 1971 record Jack-Knife Gypsy. I like what Holly Golightly And The Brokeoffs do with this song, particularly in the instrumental section. I dig that guitar. And they playfully add their own impression of the “shootout in the cantina,” which made me laugh. They also deliver a good rendition of Belton Sutherland’s “Kill The Old Grey Mule,” which is sometimes titled “Old Grey Mule” and here is titled “Kill Grey Mule.”

One of my favorite tracks is their version of “I Ride An Old Paint,” perhaps the most famous of the songs chosen for this album. It’s been covered by folks like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Johnny Cash, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, and Linda Ronstadt. This rendition by Holly Golightly And The Brokeoffs is more lively than most versions, with a wonderful raw edge. It’s more fun than other versions I’ve heard, and is just a total delight. It’s followed by another fun number, “Jinny Mule.” While this rendition is not quite as delicious as the version by Big Maybelle, it is still a highlight and features one of my favorite vocal performances of the album. Another well-known tune chosen for this release is “Stewball,” a song that’s been covered by Joan Baez and Peter, Paul & Mary, among others. This version is quite a bit different from most other versions, with some prominent percussion. I really like the way they approach it. The album finishes up with “Mule Train,” a tune which has been done by folks like Frankie Lane and Bing Crosby and Tennessee Ernie Ford, and the song that gives the album its title. And as you might expect by now, this version by Holly Golightly And The Brokeoffs stands apart from all earlier renditions, and is seriously cool. It’s actually a bit slower, meaner than a lot of other versions I’ve heard.

CD Track List

1. Mule Skinner
2. Two White Horses
3. Horses In The Mines
4. Pinto Pony
5. Black Horse Blues
6. Kill Grey Mule
7. Carpet Of Horses
8. I Ride An Old Paint
9. Jinny Mule
10. Stewball
11. Strawberry Roan
12. Mule Train

Clippety Clop is scheduled to be released on May 4, 2018 on Transdreamer Records.

Lunden Reign: “Confessions” (2018) Record Review

Okay, I admit that I am a sucker for colored vinyl. And Confessions, the new record from Lunden Reign, is offered in an incredibly appealing aquamarine shade, with a slight marbled quality. Basically, it’s beautiful. One thing I love about records is the physical relationship it creates between you and the music. And the colored vinyl just makes that relationship even more enjoyable. All right, enough about that. Lunden Reign is a Los Angeles rock band, the core of which is the duo of Nikki Lunden on lead vocals and guitar, and Laura Espinoza-Lunden on guitar and keys. Both contribute material to the new album, which is the band’s second full-length album, following 2015’s American Stranger. Luis Maldonado, who produced the album, plays guitar, bass and keys (and also co-wrote the music). Also on bass are Mathew Denis and Devin Hoffman; on drums are Matt Lucich and Noel Jasso.

Side 1 kicks off with “Stardust Daze,” a strong and positive rock song in which Nikki Lunden sings “We have to find a way/We’ve got to find our way/We’re living in the face of dreams/And everything we’re living for/Is something that’s worth fighting for.” The vocals are delivered with passion and honesty. This is a song I like more each time I listen to it. It’s followed by “Confessions,” the record’s title track. This one is a harder song, with more of an uneasy edge, and it grabs me from the start. I absolutely love the vocal line on this one. It’s interesting that revealing one’s self is akin to confessions.

The first lines of “Coming Home Tonight” are “For days I’ve been so haunted by/Your fierce embrace/And bewitching eyes,” and there is something haunting in the vocal delivery. Then, when it kicks in for the chorus, it becomes more firmly rooted in the pop realm. This song features some unusual lyrics, like these lines: “A portrait of a charcoaled girl/Drawn on sheets on a tilt-a-whirl.” (My friend once vomited on a tilt-a-whirl, and tried to hold it in his mouth, and every time we’d pass by the guy running it, my other friend and I would shout out to him to stop it. The guy ignored us, and eventually, well, my friend couldn’t keep it in. I haven’t been on a tilt-a-whirl since. Okay, slight digression there. Sorry.) “Coming Home Tonight” is followed by “Red Wagon.” In this one, they sing “And we can’t go back to yesterday.” That’s true, and yet this song itself takes me back to an earlier time. Something about its sound makes me feel like I’m a child again, and that’s part of the point of the song. No, we “can’t return to yesterday,” but we can certainly revisit the way we felt then. Likewise, “Little Girl,” which concludes the first side of the record, might take you back. There is something of a 1980s rock thing happening, which I like.  I also really like the way Nikki approaches the vocals, particularly on the chorus. This one also has a positive vibe, urging us to not give up, with lines like “And the sky/Won’t fall upon you this day/And the moon/Will shine until a new day/Comes to me and you.”

Side 2 opens with “Fate Of The World,” rock song of a certain, heavier mood. “These modern day times/Such criminal minds/We’re led into a dark story.” That is true, though I’m doing my best to not let myself be pulled down into it. It’s difficult to separate yourself, to not be affected, isn’t it? This song obviously has something to say about our world, our current situations. Lines that stand out to me as being particularly pertinent are “They’re spewing out lies/Dreams to start to unwind” and “They led us along/Why didn’t we care?” That’s a big question I have these days, even as I try to care a little less myself, in order to keep from completely succumbing to despair or anger. Ah, where is that line? To be informed and concerned with being inflamed and consumed. “Never Ending Dream” takes place in this same dark world, but has a slightly more romantic bent. “Hold me tight so I can sleep/When I wake I want to be/In your arms where I don’t care/If my ghost brings me despair.” How about those lines?

“Dead Man Walking” is a fairly powerful song about the dangers of hard drugs. Nikki gives a passionate, angry vocal performance, and the vocals are what sell the song. “The desperation in his eyes/Believing in the needle’s lies/Fingernails scratch down his spine/Wasted by the demon spies.” Then “Thunder Or The Rain” has heartache and a sense of powerlessness, though you get the feeling she finds strength even in those powerless moments. The album finishes with “Faded Memories,” which hooks you immediately with that guitar part, which has a bit of punk to its style. “Time cuts deep/Recollections bleed/Tearing pages from a book/That you will never read.” A strong finish to a really good record.

Track List

Side 1

1. Stardust Daze
2. Confessions
3. Coming Home Tonight
4. Red Wagon
5. Little Lost Girl

Side 2

1. Fate Of The World
2. Never Ending Dream
3. Dead Man Walking
4. Thunder Of The Rain
5. Faded Memories 

Confessions was released on vinyl on April 14, 2018.

Kelly Z: “Rescue” (2017/2018) Record Review

For more than two decades now, Kelly’s Lot has been pumping great original blues and rock music into Los Angeles. Now lead singer Kelly Zirbes, under the name Kelly Z, offers an album of covers, Rescue. These tracks were recorded in 2011 and, according to the note on the back of the album cover, left unfinished. This, of course, isn’t the first time Kelly has covered other artists’ material. There are quite a few covers on Pastrami & Jam, for example. But this record is something different. First of all, it’s not a Kelly’s Lot release, though of course Perry Robertson does play on it. This album features mostly a classic sound, complete with a horn section and back-up singers (including the excellent Teresa James).

The record kicks off with “What Do I Have To Do To Prove My Love To You,” here shortened to “What Do I Have To Do,” a great funky number written by James Brown and Marva Whitney, and originally recorded by Marva Whitney. This version by Kelly Zirbes has a classic sound, with raw energy, and is a whole lot of fun, with Kelly belting out those lyrics. And I dig those backing vocals. Even though it is a studio recording, it has a live feel. That’s followed by a good rendition of “Baby It’s You,” written by Burt Bacharach, Mack David and Barney Williams, and originally recorded by The Shirelles. This version by Kelly Z is much closer to that by Smith, who had a hit with it in 1969. I particularly like the work on horns here, and that cool (though brief) lead guitar part (that’s Perry Robertson on guitar).

Kelly then slows things down with “You Don’t Realize,” a wonderful song released by The Electric Flag in 1968, and written by Michael Bloomfield. This is an excellent rendition. Man, I love those horns. Roy Wiegand joins on trumpet on this track. It is Kelly’s vocal work that is the focus here, and at times it is absolutely gorgeous, while other times powerful. That’s followed by “It’s Gonna Work Out Fine.” Okay, the “Yes, dear” at the beginning caught me off guard and made me laugh out loud. It had been a while since I’d listened to the Ike & Tina Turner recording, and had forgotten about Ike’s part. (In that version, it was “Yes, Tina.”) Here Perry Robertson does that part, giving us his best Ike Turner. This is a playful number, and Kelly deliberately holds back here, which works well with the song. This version has an early sixties rock and roll sound, along the lines of the original, which was released in 1961, and then those backing vocals are wonderful.

Kelly Zirbes kicks off side 2 with another Ike & Tina Turner song, “Trying To Find My Mind” (though the lyric is “I’m trying to find my mind,” the tune was titled “I’m Looking For My Mind” on the Ike & Tina Turner records), a rockin’ tune that comes on strong. Kelly is certainly not holding back here, but letting loose, showing that great raw power her voice has. This track has a strong ‘70s rock song sound. Chuck Kavooras plays slide guitar on this one. I love when Kelly rips into a lyric, but I also appreciate when she finds those sweeter tones, as she does on Harlan Howard’s “He Called Me Baby,” particularly at the beginning. Of course, the sound builds from there, her voice rising especially as the horns do, which is wonderful. This rendition has more soul and is less country than most versions, and ends up being one of my favorite tracks. I dig that part on keys.

Then we get into some very cool funky soul with a rendition of Isaac Hayes’ “Do Your Thing.” I love that bass. This version has the sound and vibe of a great Stax recording. “If you feel like you want to scream/’Cause that’s your way of letting off steam/Scream on, scream on.”  I do, I do, nearly every day since November of 2016! This track features some cool work on guitar too. The album then concludes with an unusual take on Jimmie Davis’ “You Are My Sunshine.” She gives this delicious rendition a meaner vibe. And I love those bursts of horns. I don’t think you’ve heard a version quite like this before.

Track List

Side 1

1. What Do I Have To Do
2. Baby It’s You
3. You Don’t Realize
4. It’s Gonna Work Out Fine

Side 2

1. Trying To Find My Mind
2. He Called Me Baby
3. Do Your Thing
4. You Are My Sunshine

Rescue was released on CD on October 6, 2017, and on vinyl on January 18, 2018. Though it’s available on CD, I recommend getting it on vinyl. It just feels right to listen to this one on vinyl. You know? If you don’t have a record player, this is a good time to get one. After all, Record Store Day is this Saturday.

Joyann Parker: “Hard To Love” (2018) CD Review

If you want music with a whole lot of soul and passion, music that can move your heart one moment, then move your feet the next, check out the new release from Joyann Parker, Hard To Love. The album features all original material, written by Joyann Parker and Mark Lamoine. The songwriting is strong, with lots of good, memorable lines, like “You go to sleep in the driver’s seat, but you wake up in the trunk” in “Bluer Than You.” Joyann, in addition to lead vocals, plays guitar, piano and trumpet on this release. Joining her are Mark Lamoine on guitar and backing vocals, Tim Wick on piano and organ, Michael Carvale on bass, and Alec Tackmann on drums and percussion.

The album has a strong start with “Memphis,” a good mean bluesy gem about moving on, and saying good riddance to someone and not looking back. “No regrets, no time to spare/Now I’m moving on/By the time I get to Memphis/You’ll be gone.” She sure isn’t shy, or pulling her punches, using phrases like “poison oozing out your mouth,” and belting out the lines, getting the anger out of her system through music and through movement. “Gotta keep on rolling, keep on rolling, gotta keep on rolling on down.” Yes, we all need to keep on rolling. That’s followed by “Envy,” which has a familiar, classic R&B sound and rhythm, with good work on keys. In this one, she misses her previous lover, wondering if he is doing the same things with his new girl that he did with her. “Do you touch her like you touched me/Do you hold her body close to yours as you sleep.” What’s interesting is at the end, she is also wondering about the other woman’s reactions to his love. “Do you move her like you move me/Do her eyes light up with fire when you meet/And does her heart pound in her chest when she hears you speak/And does her soul burn when she hears you sing.” Ah, she still has it bad for this guy, and she seems to think that maybe he still feels something for her.

I’ve mentioned this before, but I’ll say it again here: I need to make a mix CD of songs titled “Home.” I’ve never heard a bad song with that title. And Joyann Parker’s “Home” is no exception. In fact, it’s one of my personal favorite tracks on this CD. It’s a beautiful, moving, uplifting R&B number. “We’re only here, we’re only here for such a short time/But the journey, the journey can feel so long/When life ain’t all that you hoped for/And your whole world, your whole world is upside down.” She concedes that there are troubles, but the song is full of hope. And isn’t that what we need? She delivers an excellent, lively, passionate vocal performance. And I dig that lead guitar part halfway through. This song just gets better and better, building to a powerful ending. (If you’re curious about other songs titled “Home,” check out songs with that title by Ellis Paul, Erica Blinn, Michelle Malone, The Evangenitals, The Spongetones, The Ides Of March, Joe Walsh, Iggy Pop, James Houlahan, Janiva Magness and Anton Fig.)

“Dizzy” is a fun, rockin’ number to get you on your feet. Then Gunhild Carling joins Joyann Parker on horn for “Who What When Where Why,” a groovy and energetic tune about a woman with questions. “Who am I to you/What did you think you were going to do/And when will you ever be free/Where is the life you promised I’d see/And why oh why oh why do I cry/For a guy that keeps leaving me high and dry?” The horn is excellent. I’m also totally enjoying the work on keys. “I keep holding onto you while you’re letting go of me.” And, holy moly, listen to Joyann really giving it all vocally at the end. Yes, this is certainly one of the album’s most enjoyable tracks.

And then we get a song with a great New Orleans flavor, “Ray.”  This sound always make me feel good, makes me want to join a second line and dance through the whole city. And this song features more delicious work on keys. “I’m trying to make this work/But you’re really such a jerk/Aren’t you, Ray?” “Take My Heart And Run” is another fun one with a wonderful rhythm, and a raw, immediate, loose sound. And it’s followed by “Your Mama,” a playful tune where the other woman in her man’s life is the guy’s mother. “Tell your mama, your mama she’s got to go/I can’t take her messing with my head no more/Well, you’re my baby, not hers no more.” This tune has a delicious, jazzy vibe. The album concludes with its title track, “Hard To Love,” a slower, pretty number that really focuses on Joyann’s vocals. “They say the best things are free/When it comes to him and me/I paid with my heart early on/The price was high, you see/Because he’s so hard to love.”

CD Track List

1. Memphis
2. Envy
3. Home
4. Dizzy
5. Jigsaw Heart
6. Who What When Where Why
7. Bluer Than You
8. Ray
9. Evil Hearted
10. Take My Heart And Run
11. Your Mama
12. What Happened To Me
13. Hard To Love 

Hard To Love was released today, April 13, 2018, on Hopeless Romantics Records.

Dave Tull: “Texting And Driving” (2018) CD Review

First off, I have to say that I am not a fan of using the word “text” as a verb, or in this case, I suppose, a gerund. Okay, enough about that. I also have to forgive Dave Tull for playing with Barbra Streisand on her recent tours (that dishonest woman should have been forced to stop performing back in 2000 when fans had to pay an extraordinary amount of money for tickets to what she promised was her final show). Okay, now I can relax and enjoy his new album, Texting And Driving, which features all original material, much of it with a delightfully humorous bent. Dave Tull, known for his drumming, here is both on the drum kit and providing lead vocals. He has a voice that is perfect for jazz standards, and that makes these original songs even more enjoyable. It’s like a singer went a bit whacky during a formal gig, veering far off from the agreed upon set list, and the band had no choice but to follow him and keep going. But it’s not like these are all humorous songs. Take “The Moment,” for example, which is a sweet, earnest duet. And he’s got a pretty talented group of musicians backing him, a group that includes Randy Porter on piano, Larry Koonse on guitar, Kevin Axt on bass, and Doug Webb on saxophone and clarinet, among others.

Dave Tull opens the album with “The Texting Song,” a wonderful big band song about the modern habit many people have of sharing every damn thing they do online, taking photos and posting constant updates on social media sites, assuming that the rest of us care. It is told from the perspective of someone who is suffering from a phone addiction, and the lyrics come rapidly, which is perfect for the subject. After all, people seem in a rush to post things, often not even proofreading (please proofread, people!). “I know I ought to pay attention to my driving/But another instant message is arriving/When my smart phone beckons I just got to reply/I can’t wait ten seconds, though I’ll probably die/In the auto wreck that happens next/I just got to send a text/I just can’t imagine doing anything at all without a phone in my hand.” There is even a bit of scat toward the end, though I’m not sure how one would send that in a text or a Facebook post. How do you spell that? The music is excellent, by the way. I particularly dig the bass line. And there is a wonderful lead part on piano halfway through. Randy Waldman plays piano on this track.

“Henrietta” has a classic, somewhat romantic sound, working in wonderful juxtaposition with the song’s first line, “I didn’t fall for Henrietta.” But that is just the beginning of the story. And love can creep up on you when you’re not expecting it. I really like these lines: “I didn’t see it at first glance/But fate gave me a second chance/To meet Henrietta and fall in love at first sight.” That’s followed by “The Moment,” which is performed as a duet with Inga Swearingen. I love the line, “But a silent heart only knows regret.” And it’s followed by the line, “Ever wondering what would she have said had I only asked her.”  Nice, right? There is some wonderful work on strings, this track featuring Brynn Albanese on violin, Peter Jandula-Clark on viola, and Ken Hustad on cello. Plus, there is a good lead section on flugelhorn by George Stone.

“Please Tell Me Your Name” opens with the sounds of an airport, and with a surprise meeting of an old band mate leading to the beginning of the song. He can’t recall the guy’s name, something I can relate to. I am terrible with names, so I can appreciate this song. Wayne Bergeron, Pete Olstad and Mike Gutierrez are on trumpet, and Andy Martin plays trombone on this track. Doug Webb provides the tenor saxophone solo. Dave Tull uses Wayne Bergeron’s name at the end, making me wonder if he did actually forget the trumpet player’s name at one point. “The Stoplight At The End Of The Street” is a fun song that, like the first track, involves someone using Twitter while driving. “I’ve watched a thousand fender benders go down right here at my feet/So spend just a minute of your day with the stoplight at the end of the street.” I really like the song’s groove, and there is also a seriously enjoyable lead on piano by Randy Porter. There is a bit of scat near the end. “You know the light changed like thirty seconds ago.”

“Watch Your Kid” is another track I really appreciate, and one that every parent (and every potential parent) should have to listen to, and pay close attention to. Here are the opening lines: “If you choose to have a baby, I wish you joy, but be aware/One important detail comes with that decision/When you let sperm and egg collide/You sign yourself up to provide/Eighteen years of nearly constant supervision.” (And, hey, text messages play a part in this one too: “While you text and pick out groceries/He careens about the store.”) George Stone is on trumpet, and Dave Becker plays saxophone on this track.

“The Date” has a delightful, adorable, playful vibe, and is presented as a duet with Cheryl Bentyne, though she doesn’t come in until nearly two minutes into the song. First we get the male perspective on the date, and then the female perspective, which – perhaps not surprisingly – is somewhat different. This song follows my theory that when it comes to relations, men are stupid and women are insane. Toward the end, they simultaneously sing their perspectives, without listening to each other, which is perfect, don’t you think? Another sort of date is described in “Clapping On One And Three,” in which Dave Tull sings “She talks right over the band, but then her kiss makes my concern just disappear.” I think a lot of us that love music have been in that situation at one point or another. The CD concludes with “Fly By The Seat Of My Pants,” a groovy tune about remaining spontaneous and avoiding plans. “Some people feel they’ve got to plan up every minute/But it makes ‘em go through life in a trance/I say that life is a wheel and every day I want to spin it/I like to fly by the seat of my pants.”

CD Track List

1. The Texting Song
2. Henrietta
3. The Moment
4. Please Tell Me Your Name
5. I’m Forever In A Fog
6. I Will Sing To You
7. The Stoplight At The End Of The Street
8. Tell Me That I’m Wrong
9. Watch Your Kid
10. The Date
11. Clapping On One And Three
12. This Summer Night
13. You Remind Me
14. I’m So Confused
15. Fly By The Seat Of My Pants 

Texting And Driving was released on March 16, 2018 on Toy Car Records.

The Gladiators: “Serious Thing” (1984/2018) CD Review

The first thing that strikes me about The Gladiators’ Serious Thing album is its cover. Is it just a portion of the cover of the group’s previous release on Nighthawk Records, Symbol Of Reality? Did they just remove the rest of the band from the photo? Weird. Though the more I look at it, the more I think it might be a different photo from the same shoot. His head might be tilted just slightly away on the first cover. Still, what a strange choice. Anyway, both Symbol Of Reality and Serious Thing are being re-issued by Omnivore Recordings, with bonus tracks. While the bonus tracks on Symbol Of Reality were positioned throughout the album (alternate versions following the album versions), on Serious Thing, the bonus tracks are all placed at the end. Two of the bonus tracks were included on an earlier release of this album, where they were positioned directly after the album versions. It is interesting that they decided to rearrange them this time. The rest of the bonus tracks were previously unreleased. All of the tracks on this CD are originals, most of them written by Albert Griffiths. This CD includes liner note by Leroy Jodie Pierson.

Like Symbol Of Reality, this album opens with its title track, “Serious Thing.” “Today you hear this, tomorrow you hear that – a serious thing.” I can’t wait to find out what we hear tomorrow, especially about that wonderful raid on Michael Cohen’s office. Could the end of this horror show be in sight? “Stop going around with your false sayin’/’Cause man must be sure of what he’s saying.” Indeed. This is a good song with a positive groove. The bonus tracks include an alternate version of “Serious Thing,” which was previously unreleased. On this version, some of the vocals are removed, with the focus being on the groove.

“Serious Thing” is followed by “My Thoughts.” I don’t particularly care for the religious aspect of reggae, which of course is often an important element, but it has never kept me from enjoying the music. And so “My Thoughts” has me smiling and bopping around in my apartment. After all, it has a cheerful, uplifting vibe. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “The lord is my light and my salvation/Whom shall I be afraid of? No one/Yea, though I walk through the valley of shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” There are two other versions of this song in the bonus tracks, the first of which is one of the previously released tracks. The second is an instrumental version.

One of my favorite songs on this album is “Fling It Gimme.” It is a lot of fun, and makes me feel good. It has such a positive sound, a positive vibe. “Anywhere at all girl you can fling it gimme, all right.” I can’t help but smile whenever I listen to this one, and I am grateful for that. The bonus tracks include another version of this song, which was previously unreleased. “Fling It Gimme” is followed by “Rearrange,” another of my favorites. The vocal line is kind of beautiful, particularly on the lines “I’m hoping and I’m praying that very soon things will rearrange/Too much innocent blood’s been shed/Our heart cries out, our souls do grieve.” Also, I dig the smooth sound of the horns. It’s a wonderful track.

In “Mid-Range,” they sing, “Can’t you see the time that we livin’ in, man you got to be on your guard.” An alternate version of “Mid-Range” is included in the bonus tracks, with the percussion featured more prominently. This track was included on an earlier release. And in “Good Foundation,” they sing, “Some people love justice, some love revenge/Some believe in building a good foundation.” This is a good song, and I especially love the way Albert Griffiths sings “’Cause a hungry, hungry, hungry, hungry man is an angry man, angry man” toward the end. A different, shorter, and mostly instrumental (except for the beginning and end) version of this song is included in the bonus tracks. The original album ends with “After You,” which has a touch of a New Orleans vibe, particularly at the beginning. I love the horns. And how about these positive lyrics: “There will always be someone to give you a helping hand/So your well should never, ever run dry/I said the sun will shine for you each day/And the moon will shine for you at night.” This song is, for me, another of the highlights.

Bonus Tracks

There are eight bonus tracks, only two of which were previously released. Yes, half of this CD’s tracks are bonus tracks. In addition to the ones I’ve already mentioned there are “Bless Our Soul” and “New Song/New Vibe,” the only two songs on this CD to not be written by Albert Griffiths. They are written by Clinton Fearon. And Clinton sings lead on both tracks. “Bless Our Soul” has a cheerful vibe and carries a social message. Then in “New Song/New Vibe,” the line that always stands out for me is “Let me speak the truth quietly.” It was only a few years after the original release of Serious Thing that Fearon left The Gladiators to form The Defenders and then the Boogie Brown Band.

CD Track List

1. Serious Thing
2. My Thoughts
3. Fling It Gimme
4. Rearrange
5. Mid-Range
6. Freedom Train
7. Good Foundation
8. After You
9. Bless Our Soul
10. New Song/New Vibe
11. Serious Thing Version
12. My Thoughts Version
13. My Thoughts Instrumental Dub
14. Fling It Gimme Version
15. Mid-Range Version
16. Good Foundation Dub

This expanded version of Serious Thing is scheduled to be released on April 20, 2018.

The Gladiators: “Symbol Of Reality” (1982/2018) CD Review

In these twisted days, my musical needs are great. Music is what is keeping us sane, isn’t it? And sometimes nothing works better than some good reggae. Omnivore Recordings is re-issuing a couple of 1980s albums from The Gladiators, Symbol Of Reality and Serious Thing. Symbol Of Reality, featuring mostly original material written by lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Albert Griffiths, was originally released in 1982. The new re-issue includes several bonus tracks. Interestingly, most of the bonus tracks are sprinkled throughout the CD rather than all placed at the end. Alternate versions of songs are included directly after the album versions, and simply have the word “Version” added to the titles. A couple of these tracks were previously included on an earlier CD release of this album, while the rest were previously unreleased. Liner notes by Leroy Jodie Pierson are included in the new CD. By the way, you might notice a difference in the cover from the original release. The “The” is missing from “The Gladiators.”

Symbol Of Reality opens with its title track, a good tune with an easygoing reggae beat. “Where there is reality, there is dignity/Look at the Rastaman, he is the true messiah.” I’m not into the religious aspects of reggae music, but that doesn’t keep me from enjoying the music. It’s followed by another version of this song, titled “Symbol Version.” The bass and percussion are given more prominence in this version, and I dig it. What’s strange is that a lot of the vocals are missing from this version, focusing on the music. This track was also included as a bonus track on the 1997 CD release of Symbol Of Reality.

There are only two covers on Symbol Of Reality, and both are Bob Marley songs. The first, “Small Axe,” eases in before then kicking in with a wonderful, cheerful vibe. Light up and dance around your home, and you’ll be feeling good in no time. “If you are a big tree/Let me tell you that I am the small axe/Ready to cut you down, ready to cut you down.” Yes, these are lines we should sing to Donald Trump and his gang. The song “Cheater” also makes me think of Donald Trump (I really can’t wait for this administration to be buried out in the desert), with the lines, “A girl like you is a big disgrace/’Cause only when you see money, your eyes begin to shine.” Yeah, it’s about a girl, but whatever. The Gladiators also cover Marley’s “Stand Alone” on this album.

“Bumping And Boring” is a total delight, which you might expect from its playful title. I love the backing vocals echoing the end of the lines, reminding me of certain 1960s pop songs (particularly “She Hangs Out” by The Monkees). Here is a taste of the lyrics: “Well, you don’t know what you want in life (want in life, want in life)/I said, you don’t know what you’re looking for (looking for, looking for)/Always talkin’ about the past (not the present, not the present)/That’s why you’re always bumping and boring (bumping and boring, bumping and boring).” This is one of my personal favorites. Another highlight is “Watch Out,” again in part because of the way the backing vocals are used. But there is something about the overall vibe that I really like. “He who have ears will hear/He who have tongue will tell/He who have eyes will see/What you sow is what you shall reap.”

“Streets Of Gold” is another highlight. It is so sad that these anti-discrimination songs, these songs about standing up for your rights are still needed. “If I am wrong, be not afraid to say so/Is there any difference between black and white?/Oh no/We are all of one skin, same blood, same soul.” This CD also includes an alternate version, which was previously unreleased. Like the other version of “Symbol Of Reality,” this track has the vocals cutting out at points to focus on the beat, so not all of the lyrics are present in this version. “Righteous Man” contains a play on the phrase “love and understanding,” with them singing, “love and overstanding.” I like the work on keys. There is also an alternate version, which was included as a bonus track on the 1997 release of this CD.

The original album concluded with “Not Afraid To Fight,” a positive tune that opens with these lines: “I won’t give up, hey, I won’t give up this fight/Said I’m not running away from reality/I’m not afraid, hey, to fight for what is right.” It is interesting to me that the album opens and closes with songs that mention reality in their first lines. Maybe that’s because reality is something I don’t want to have much to do with these days. On this disc, this track is followed by a different version, previously unreleased. This version is nearly an instrumental, focusing on the rhythm, with only the first two lines of each verse being heard. The CD then ends with a couple of instrumental tracks, both of which were previously unreleased – “Symbol Of Reality” and “Streets Of Gold.”

CD Track List

1. Symbol Of Reality
2. Symbol Version
3. Small Axe
4. Bumping And Boring
5. Cheater
6. Watch Out
7. Mister Goose
8. Streets Of Gold
9. Streets Of Gold Version
10. Righteous Man
11. Righteous Man Version
12. Stand Alone
13. Not Afraid To Fight
14. Not Afraid To Fight Version
15. Symbol Of Reality Instrumental Dub
16. Streets Of Gold Instrumental Dub

This special expanded re-issue of Symbol Of Reality is scheduled to be released on April 20, 2018 (hmm, that seems the perfect date, doesn’t it?).