John Stewart: “Old Forgotten Altars: The 1960s Demos” (2020) CD Review

In 1961, when Dave Guard left the Kingston Trio, singer and songwriter John Stewart, a member of The Cumberland Three, was chosen to take his place. He quickly became an important member of the group, contributing material to every album they put out through 1966 (and actually writing the majority of the songs for the group’s 1966 LP Children Of The Morning). Even before joining the group, he had contributed the song “Molly Dee” to their Here We Go Again! album, and the song “Green Grasses” which was used as the flip side to the “Coo Coo – U” single, both in 1959.  So he was really making his living as a songwriter before making any sort of living as a singer and guitarist. The Kingston Trio effectively ended in 1967 (at least for a while), and John Stewart pursued a solo career, while also writing songs for other artists, such as “Daydream Believer” for The Monkees and “Runaway Train” for Roseanne Cash. Old Forgotten Altars: The 1960s Demos contains eighteen songs recorded between 1965 and 1968, and one track from 1959. And if some of these songs sound like they’d be right at home on a Kingston Trio album, well, that’s because some of them were. Several of these songs were included on the already mentioned Children Of The Morning album, though obviously with a different sound, being sung and played by three men. Several other songs heard here would find their way onto John Stewart’s first two solo albums, Signals Through The Glass and California Bloodlines. This release includes liner notes by Jim Moran, along with a few photos.

This disc opens with “Livin’ That Way,” an excellent song with a folk rock sound. Early on, after the lines “To my mother I did say/Never let me wander from finding my own way,” he pauses, then delivers the lines “But you can’t go on living like that day after day/You’ve got to know what the other folks say.” Indeed. It’s a strong moment, and is repeated throughout the song. The song ends with the line, “I really don’t care what the other folks say.” It’s a compelling start to this collection. That’s followed by “When You’ve Been Away For A Long Time,” a gentle and pretty song that The Kingston Trio included on Children Of The Morning. After hearing this rendition a few times, I think I actually prefer it to the more polished Kingston Trio version. This one somehow feels more heartfelt. Then check out these lines from “Down The Highway You Go”: “You who were beaten to the ground/People across this land all heard the sound/I’m glad you folks are brave/Because, my god, I’m sure afraid/As down this highway we go.” Those lines got right on top of me, and are as powerful now as they were in the 1960s. That’s followed by another song that ended up on Children Of The Morning, “Lock All The Windows.” The lines I always liked from this one are “L.A. is pretty and New York is cold/And Chicago is just an old story I’ve told.”

“Rambler Get On Board” is a wonderful folk song with a traditional sound and theme, riding the rails. That’s followed by “Shackles And Chains,” a song that would be included on John Stewart’s second solo album, California Bloodlines, where it has a full sound. Here it has more of a folk sound, and moves at a quick pace. Songs about aging are hitting me harder than they used to, which I suppose is no surprise. Anyway, “One More Chapter Is Gone” is one that both looks back and looks forward. “Now I laugh at the fears of my wilder years/When I think of how foolish I looked/One more chapter is gone.” I imagine different people will take this line differently: “But now I am learning the things I was yearning for never did really exist.” For me, it is a bit depressing.

“Children Of The Morning,” which would end up as the title track to The Kingston Trio’s 1966 LP, is here presented in a pretty rendition. It’s followed by another song that would be included on that 1966 LP, “The Spinnin’ Of The World.” That’s one of my favorite songs from that album, and this version has more of a raw sound with a youthful energy. We then get a demo of the song that would close out John Stewart’s first album on Capitol, “Draft Age,” here titled “Draft Age Today.” As you might guess, this version has more of a folk sound. For me, that gives it a more immediate sound, which only adds to its power. That’s followed by a song that would be included on California Bloodlines, “The Pirates Of Stone County Road,” featuring his wife Buffy Ford Stewart on backing vocals. She sings on two other tracks on this disc – “Big Sur” and “She Believes In Me.” “Big Sur” has a really cool sound, beginning with a catchy rhythm on guitar, and is one of my favorites. “She Believes In Me” is a sweet song that ended up on California Bloodlines. “She believes in losers, lord/She believes in me.” This collection concludes with a track recorded in 1959, a demo of “Hey Sarrey,” with John Stewart playing banjo, a fun way to end the disc.

CD Track List

1. Livin’ That Way
2. When You’ve Been Away For A Long Time
3. Down The Highway You Go
4. Lock All The Windows
5. Rambler Get On Board
6. Shackles & Chains
7. One More Chapter Is Gone
8. Being Born Again
9. Long Life
10. Children Of The Morning
11. The Spinnin’ Of The World
12. Draft Age Today
13. The Pirates Of Stone County Road
14. One Tiny Grain Of Sand
15. July, You’re A Woman
16. Big Sur
17. Mother Country
18. She Believes In Me
19. Hey Sarrey 

Old Forgotten Altars: The 1960s Demos is scheduled to be released on May 8, 2020 through Omnivore Recordings.

Chad Richard: “Worthy Cause” (2019) CD Review

Chad Richard is a singer and songwriter based in Texas. Last year he released Worthy Cause, an excellent album of original material, honest songs full of humanity and devoid of artifice. Joining him on this album are Walt Wilkins on guitar and percussion, Ray Rodriguez on drums and percussion, Bill Small on bass, Corby Schaub on lap steel, Chip Dolan on keys, Marian Brackney on violin and viola, Geoff Queen on steel guitar and dobro, Ron Flynt on bass and keys, and Tina Mitchell Wilkins on backing vocals.

The album opens with “Slow Rollin’ State Line,” an easygoing country number featuring some nice work on keys and strings. It’s a song about the Sabine, the area where Louisiana and Texas meet, where Chad Richard grew up. Matt Giles joins Chad on electric guitar on this track. It’s a good song, but the first time I listened to this album it was the second track, “Love Anyway,” that really got me on board. This is a beautiful, honest and important song, particularly these days when we feel we are getting screwed and being lied to daily. The message here is in the song’s title: “Love Anyway.” “People hurt people every day/No, that’s not okay/But love anyway.” It’s not always easy, but it is always the right way to go, we can feel that in our bones. This song is also about admitting our own shortcomings. “Grace and mercy live in every heart/Sometimes forgiving ourselves is the hardest part.” This one features some pretty work from Marian Brackney. It’s a wonderful song, and I highly recommend checking it out. That’s followed by another pretty and moving song, “German Angel,” which features an excellent, passionate vocal performance from Chad Richard. It’s a song told from the perspective of a ghost who chooses to remain in an earthly spot. “On the day I earned my wings, I heard a voice/Saying I could look after this place or I could leave/Choosing these limestone walls over streets of gold was not an easy choice/But this is close enough to heaven for me.” I like especially like this line: “And this old house is so full of love, I see no reason to make room for fear,” which includes a nice pause before “for fear.”

“Right Now” has a happier, brighter country sound. This one too seems to, at least partly, celebrate a certain place, which seems a theme of these songs: “And I’m not looking to go nowhere/I am as happy here as anywhere I’ve found/On this little piece of ground.” It’s interesting that he sings of trying to slow things down, because this song moves along with a decent energy, and a beat that seems to say it’s okay to move forward. “The past can conjure up regrets/And the future, well, it ain’t even happened yet/All that matters is right now.” Well, yes, sort of, but we do need to keep an eye on the future to ensure that there is one. That’s followed by “Worthy Cause,” the album’s title track. I think Chad Richard is at his very best on these slower, pensive numbers. This song is beautiful and stirring, yet still with some humor, heard in a line like “I can put both feet in my mouth quicker than you can blink.” This track features some wonderful work on steel guitar. I also like that while this song is called “Worthy Cause,” Chad at first sings “You put up with me for no good cause.” Though of course soon he sings that he is grateful she found him to be a worthy cause. Ah, that is how so many of us feel, I bet. This is a gorgeous love song, and his vocal approach toward the end reminds me of Martin Sexton. “And I’m so grateful somehow you find me useful/Enough to see past my faults/And believe loving me is worthy cause.”

There have understandably been a lot of songs about floods in recent years, and Chad Richard’s song, “Waters Rise,” is a heartfelt and positive number featuring some good lines, such as “Waters rise, but people rise above.” And these are lines to keep in mind through all our troubles: “We all helped each other up/That’s really what it’s all about/And we were closer and so much stronger/When it all finally dried out.” That’s followed by “The Big And The Little Hand,” a song that has really affected me. “Just trying to be a little more than I’d always been/Amen/Well, I traded my dreams for a better wage/Because it seems that’s what we do in this day and age.” Another of this disc’s powerful songs is “12 More Days Of Blue,” this one about trying to raise a kid and being positive while your personal life crumbles, and trying to do what’s best for your child. “And it hurt me to lie/When I said, son, I don’t know why/But there are some things you just don’t tell a kid.” This is a sweet song. The album concludes with “The Game,” a gentle song about being a traveling musician. “I played a brand new song I think some folks liked/So I guess all in all it was a pretty good night.” But the lines about the waiter are the ones that most strongly affect me: “The sad smile she wears makes it easy to see/She ain’t exactly where she hoped she’d be.”

CD Track List

1. Slow Rollin’ State Line
2. Love Anyway
3. German Angel
4. Right Now
5. Worthy Cause
6. Fredericksburg
7. Waters Rise
8. The Big And The Little Hand
9. My Name
10. 12 More Days Of Blue
11. Shawdy And A Shiner
12. The Game

Worthy Cause was released on April 26, 2019.

Marshall Chapman: “Songs I Can’t Live Without” (2020) CD Review

Marshall Chapman, who is an incredibly talented and accomplished songwriter (her songs have been covered by Jimmy Buffett, Emmylou Harris and Tanya Tucker), turns to the work of other excellent songwriters on her new album, Songs I Can’t Live Without. That title nearly compels us to begin mentally compiling our own lists of essential and critical songs in our lives, to join Marshall Chapman in this endeavor. I think I would have trouble limiting that list to just nine songs, as Marshall Chapman does on this album. This release is her first in quite a while, following Blaze Of Glory, which was on my list of the ten best albums of 2013. Joining her on this new album are Will Kimbrough (an excellent songwriter himself) on lead guitar and bass, Neilson Hubbard on drums and bass, and Dan Mitchell on keys and bass.

Marshall Chapman opens this special album with “Tower Of Song,” a song by Leonard Cohen, who I believe is the best songwriter of all time. I personally couldn’t live without almost all of his songs. I can barely live without him in this world; things have sucked since he died in November of 2016. “Tower Of Song” is from his 1988 album I’m Your Man, and was the song he chose to open his second set on his final tours. Marshall Chapman gives us a seriously good rendition. The song’s opening line “Well, my friends are gone and my hair is grey,” here sung has “Well, my friends have gone,” nearly broke me this time through, as so many of us have recently lost important people in our lives. She changes the line “Ah, they don’t let a woman kill you, not in the tower of the song” to “Ah, they don’t let your lover kill you, not in the tower of song.” This song has always struck me as kind of funny. Leonard Cohen is both humble (saying that Hank Williams is a hundred floors above him) and playfully bragging (saying he had no choice because he was “born with the gift of a golden voice”), and Marshall certainly sees humor in it as well, which you can hear in her delivery of lines like “I’m very sorry, baby, doesn’t look like me at all.” Marshall adds a pretty vocal bit between verses. This is a wonderful start to the album.

“Turn The Page” is a song I listened to a whole lot when I was growing up, and I saw Bob Seger And The Silver Bullet Band perform it in 1986, a highlight of the show, as I recall. Of course this is a song that must mean even more to a touring musician, describing as it does life on the road. And Marshall’s rendition is powerful, having such a gloriously lonesome vibe that is so effective and heartbreaking. She changes the line “You can think about the woman or the girl you knew the night before” to “You can think about the one you love or the one you knew the night before.” As much as I generally dislike it when people change lyrics to a song, this line is actually much better. Marshall Chapman follows that with a gorgeous and moving rendition of the classic “I Fall In Love Too Easily,” written by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn. There is something sexy about this track, about her delivery. Dan Mitchell plays flugelhorn on this one.

There have been a lot of noteworthy songwriting teams over the years, and certainly Gerry Goffin and Carole King are fairly high on that list. On this album, Marshall Chapman covers their “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow,” which was a hit for The Shirelles in 1960. There is both a beauty and a strength to Marshall’s rendition. She then turns to country with a sweet and sad rendition of Johnny Cash’s “I Still Miss Someone.” This is so pretty and touching, and features one of the album’s best vocal performances, making it one of my favorite tracks. That’s followed by a very cool version of “Don’t Be Cruel,” with more than a touch of blues, particularly right at the start. The band provides some wonderful and surprising backing vocals on this one. This track is seriously raising my spirits. I especially dig that stuff on keys.

Another of this disc’s highlights is Marshall Chapman’s absolutely wonderful version of Bobby Charles’ “Tennessee Blues,” a song that I love. It is clear from performances such as this one that these songs mean a lot to Marshall Chapman. She delivers them as if she herself had penned their lyrics. This track also features some cool work on guitar. That’s followed by “After Midnight,” another great choice of songs. It was written by J.J. Cale, and released as a promotional single in 1966, though the first version I heard as a child was that by Eric Clapton. Is it just me, or is there something seductive about the way she delivers the line, “After midnight, it’s going to be peaches and cream”? The band provides some more good backing vocals on this track. The album ends with a nice country rendition of “He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands.” What makes this rendition special is the glorious spoken word section, with the rest of the band backing her with a bit of gospel humming: “And today, I still worry/I worry about what’s going to happen to the people I love/Hell, I worry about what’s going to happen to me/And I worry about people I don’t even know/Talking about people who’ve lost hope.” Yes, this is a rendition that should speak to just about everyone at the moment. “And, lord, I worry about my country.” That great humming is how this wonderful rendition concludes.

CD Track List

1. Tower Of Song
2. Turn The Page
3. I Fall in Love Too Easily
4. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
5. I Still Miss Someone
6. Don’t Be Cruel
7. Tennessee Blues
8. After Midnight
9. He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands 

Songs I Can’t Live Without is scheduled to be released on May 15, 2020 on TallGirl Records.

Missing Persons: “Dreaming” (2020) CD Review

I often get Missing Persons’ “Walking In L.A.” stuck in my head, mainly because I do a great deal of walking here in Los Angeles. But also, well, it’s just a seriously cool song. That first album also contained “Destination Unknown” and “Words,” among other treats. And all the songs on that album were originals, written by the band’s three founding members – vocalist Dale Bozzio, drummer and keyboardist Terry Bozzio, and guitarist Warren Cuccurullo. They went on to put out a couple of other good records in the 1980s, also containing all original material, before disbanding. Since then, they’ve had a couple of reunions, the first of which featured all three original members. But since the 2014 release of Missing In Action, the only original member still standing is Dale Bozzio. Interestingly, the new album, Dreaming, contains very few original songs. The covers are mostly well-known hits from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, but given a very different spin.

The album starts with a somewhat haunting, electronic rendition of the classic tune “California Dreamin’.” From its eerie, moody opening, you know this is going to be quite a bit different from the version by The Mamas And The Papas. The only other musician to appear on this track, and most of the album’s tracks, is Adam Hamilton, who is on keys, bass and programming. He also produced and engineered this release. “California Dreamin’” is followed by one of the album’s original tracks, “Lipstick,” written by Dale Bozzio, Adam Hamilton and Devon Mycah Morse. It’s an interesting and engaging song that takes place in Los Angeles, with lines like “Living out your fantasies in a Hollywood bungalow” and “Neon angels hold you in the darkest part of night.” This track also features a spoken word section in the middle, and things turn darker. We then get the album’s title track, “Dreaming,” which is also an original composition by Dale Bozzio and Adam Hamilton. It is interesting to me that the album starts with “California Dreamin’,” then goes to a song about California and then a song about dreaming. Anyway, this one has kind of a beautiful pop sound, with something of a 1980s vibe, and is one of my personal favorites of the album. “I see your face/I see it every time I dream/All this time I’m waiting, waiting for you.”

We then return to covers, with a strange, almost frightening rendition of The Animals’ “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place,” written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. This approach works surprisingly well for the lyrics, and is quite effective. That is followed by the Rolling Stones’ “Play With Fire” (here listed as “Playing With Fire”), Dale Bozzio’s vocal delivery full of attitude. You can almost hear a snarl at certain points, on certain words such as “diamonds” and “pretty clothes,” which is great. “So don’t play with me, because you’re playing with fire” is given as a real warning. This rendition has a steady electronic rhythm. Then we get a really odd take on The Cars’ “Just What I Needed,” a song from that band’s fantastic 1978 debut LP. Here the song is given a strong electric pulse, but also gets heavy at times (like if Nine Inch Nails covered it or something). Jürgen Engler (from Die Krupps) plays guitar on this track, so I suppose that is where we get that heavier sound.

Missing Persons then moves into the 1980s with a cover of The The’s “This Is The Day,” written by Matt Johnson. This song already had something of an electronic pop sound, so this new version from Missing Persons isn’t as much of a departure from the original as are many of this disc’s other tracks. This one has a rather cheerful vibe. After all, “This is the day that your life is going to change/This is the day that things fall into place.” That’s followed by another song from the 1980s, Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” This is a touching and haunting rendition, the focus being on Dale’s vocals, with a beat not coming in until more than a minute into the track. Missing Persons remain in the early 1980s with a cover of Peter Godwin’s “Images Of Heaven,” from a 1982 EP of the same name. This is another that already had an electronic sound, and so this new version is more closely aligned with the sound and vibe of the original. I honestly had forgotten about this song, but it’s fun to revisit it now. I’m digging this version. “Images of heaven/That take me to hell/Images of heaven/Of something to sell.”

The album then goes back to the 1960s with a cover of Strawberry Alarm Clock’s big hit, “Incense And Peppermints.” It has a rather dark opening before the pop beat brightens things, but this ends up being a fun, breezy take on the song. Jürgen Engler plays guitar on this track. That’s followed by the album’s final original song, “This Time,” written by Dale Bozzio and Adam Hamilton. This one is interesting from its opening, but where this song really grabs me is approximately halfway through, in that section where Dale sings “Luck is for the lucky/And the world’s gone insane/And the world’s gone insane.” At that point, I’m totally hooked. The album concludes with a cover of The Dramatics’ “In The Rain,” the electronic sounds giving the song a somewhat darker tone and texture.

CD Track List

1. California Dreamin’
2. Lipstick
3. Dreaming
4. We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
5. Playing With Fire
6. Just What I Needed
7. This Is The Day
8. Love Will Tear Us Apart
9. Images Of Heaven
10. Incense And Peppermints
11. This Time
12. In The Rain

Dreaming was released on March 20, 2020 on Cleopatra Records, and is available on both CD and vinyl.

The Lovetones: “Myriad” (2020) CD Review

The Lovetones have released their first new album in a decade, and it’s a good one. Titled Myriad, it features mostly originally material written by the band’s vocalist and guitarist Matthew J. Tow. These songs feature the elements that people have come to expect from the band – a 1960s psychedelic influence, interesting guitar work and a certain charm to the vocal performances. But these songs also have strong emotional cores, songs you might find yourself connecting to, particularly in these uncertain and rather frightening times. In addition to Tow, the band is made up of Christopher Cobb on drums, Matthew Sigley on bass and keys, Tim Kevin on guitar and keys, and Nic Dalton on mandolin.

There is something beautiful about the album’s opening track, “The Circle Turns.” It eases in, giving us a chance to get situated, and the vocals have a kind and rather sad quality. “You and I are lost for all eternity/A myriad of beauty and despair.” While I was listening to this album for the first time, I received the news that John Prine had died, so perhaps things were hitting me hard, but this song had me in tears. Yet it still hit me hard my second and third times through, so it wasn’t just that moment. “The circle turns again/And again and again.” There is also something soothing about the delivery. “The Circle Turns” was written by Matthew J. Tow, as was “About The Girl,” which follows it. This one too has a strong effect on me, in part because of lines like “But it’s all right, everything’s okay/Going to hide myself away/Make it through another day.” There is certainly a Beatles influence heard in this one, even in the inflection of certain words and phrases, such as “your name” in the lines “And every song’s a sad, sad song/And the moonlight calls your name/How could I let you go?”

The album’s only cover is “The Milkman Of Human Kindness,” written by Billy Bragg and appearing on his first release back in 1983. The title of this song always makes me smile, even now, even during this depressing time. It is of course a play on Lady Macbeth’s speech from Macbeth, “Yet do I fear thy nature;/It is too full o' th' milk of human kindness.” The song has a lighter, more playful quality than the first two tracks. The Lovetones’ rendition has a bit more of a pop sound than Billy Bragg’s original version. “Won’t you hold my hand, I’m waking up” is a great line, by the way. It is followed by “Caylus 74,” a short instrumental piece composed by Matthew Sigley. Though it is listed as a separate track on the CD case, it is actually included on the same track as “The Milkman Of Human Kindness.”

“Everything You’ve Ever Had” is a wonderfully sweet and beautiful song. The lines “Won’t you kiss me now/Before it’s too late” stand out, and the pause after “now” gives extra focus and strength to “Before it’s too late,” which can’t help but have an impact on us now. He then sings “Love me now/Before it’s too late.” It feels like that now, doesn’t it? Doesn’t it feel like things could end at any moment? And we need to show those whom we care about how important they are. As the song is ending, he repeats “Before it’s too late.” But there is a magical sense to the song then, like the music is taking us on some blissful journey across skies, easing our minds. That’s followed by “Rescue,” a positive song with more of a pop vibe. Ah, we could all use a bit of rescuing these days, eh? “Find the truth/Where truth does hide/You could spend/Your whole life hung up on a dream/If you find it in your heart/To forgive/I will start/To build a bridge for you/Stronger than before.” I look to music like this to rescue me.

For me, the most interesting and exciting song is “Modern Life Is Killing Me.” Its opening lines are “Everybody here is so crazy/Running all around/If there’s a dollar to be found,” lines I’m sure people are going to be able to relate to. And the lyrics are delivered in an unusual way, kind of slowly and drawn out, like he is holding onto each word, which works so well with the song’s theme. Halfway through, there is an excellent instrumental section featuring some good and expressive work on guitar, with that 1960s psychedelic influence at its strongest. That is followed by “Caylus (Reprise),” which, like “Caylus 74,” is listed as a separate track on the CD case but it is actually tacked onto the end of the track containing “Modern Life Is Killing Me.”

In “Walk Away,” Matthew sings “You’ve got to be true to yourself/If you ain’t true to yourself, you’ll never be true to no one else,” a rewording of the advice that Polonius gives to Laertes in Act I scene iii of Hamlet: “This above all: to thine own self be true,/And it must follow, as the night the day,/Thou canst not then be false to any man.” The album then concludes with “I’ll Never Be That Guy,” a song with a positive outlook. We can use as much of this as we can get. “I’m going to put my faith in it/I’m going to give my heart to it/I’m going to spell out the reasons why/I’m going to give it my heart/I’m going to give it my love.” What’s interesting is that I was in tears at the beginning of this album, but feeling almost optimistic by the end. Now that’s a journey we want to take.

CD Track List

1. The Circle Turns
2. About The Girl
3. The Milkman Of Human Kindness/Caylus 74
4. Everything You’ve Ever Had
5. Rescue
6. Modern Life Is Killing Me/Caylus (Reprise)
7. Walk Away
8. I’ll Never Be That Guy 

Myriad was released on February 28, 2020 on Cleopatra Records.

New Riders Of The Purple Sage: “Field Trip” (2020) CD Review

Soon after I moved to Oregon in 1992, I purchased tickets to what would have been the Third Decadenal Field Trip. But Jerry Garcia’s enlarged heart led to the cancellation of those shows, and a few years later he was gone for good. The Second Decadenal Field Trip, held in August of 1982, isn’t discussed all that much. But that first one, held on August 27, 1972, is one of the most beloved and highly regarded shows the Dead ever performed. Everyone had that one on tape. And in 2013, the documentary film of that concert was finally released. New Riders Of The Purple Sage often opened for the Dead in the early 1970s, as they did on August 27, 1972. Their set was released on CD in 2004, as Veneta, Oregon, 8/27/72, and is now being re-issued under a new title, Field Trip, which will be available on both CD and vinyl come Record Store Day (the double LP vinyl edition will be limited to 1,500 copies). The artwork on the cover is basically the same as for the 2004 release, with the sheet of bus blotter acid, the only difference being the title on the bumper of the bus. However, this edition contains new liner notes by Ken Babbs, one of the Merry Pranksters, the man who handled the stage announcements at the show, reason enough to own it. By the way, as a side note, after the Third Decadenal Field Trip was canceled, Ken Kesey and some other folks in Oregon organized a festival to take place at that time for all the folks who were already traveling that way anyway. Titled (if I remember correctly) Life After Dead, it was two days of great music. Somewhere there is a photo of me from that festival, where I’m leaning on that bus.

The New Riders open their set with a totally fun rendition of “Truck Drivin’ Man,” featuring some nice work on pedal steel. And for those of you wondering, no, that is not Jerry Garcia. By this time, Buddy Cage had replaced him on pedal steel. However, the Dead’s Keith Godchaux did sit in with them on piano during this set. They follow that with a sweet rendition of “Rainbow,” a song from their Powerglide album, one of two LPs the New Riders put out in 1972. “Drop in and see me any old time.” There is a bit of stage banter before they go into “Lochinvar,” another song from Powerglide. I love these lines: “When we both were very small/I asked you, Would you leave it all/And come and ride away with me/You said, Wait and see/Well, now we’re farther down the line/And dreams should not be left behind/So now I’m asking you one more time/To ride away with me.” The band then gets things rocking with “Groupie,” a song from their other 1972 LP, Gypsy Cowboy.

Ken Babbs makes some announcements, first about two little girls who are at the Kids Tent, looking for their parents, and then about one girl who is freaking out at the White Bird Tent. It’s great that this stuff is included, to give us a better sense of the entire experience of the show. In introducing “Whatcha Gonna Do,” the band jokes, “This song asks the musical question, ‘What the fuck’s going on here?’” This song is from the band’s self-titled debut album. They follow that with “Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (And Loud, Loud Music),” introducing it as “a good old barroom tune.” And indeed, it is. Then we get a rollicking cover of “Hello Mary Lou,” a song the band included on Powerglide. It is always fun to hear these guys perform this one.

We get more announcements from Ken Babbs, who mentions Chuck Kesey. This concert was actually a benefit for the Springfield Creamery, owned by Chuck Kesey, and Babbs gets a bit into that in the disc’s liner notes. The New Riders then play “Whiskey,” a song from Gypsy Cowboy. More announcements follow that, including some delightful silliness regarding salt tablets, and this warning: “You gotta watch out for the blue acid with the white stars on it.” The New Riders deliver a nice version of “Runnin’ Back To You,” then get things pumping and shaking with “I Don’t Need No Doctor.” “I don’t need no doctor/Or prescriptions to be filled/Only my baby’s arms/Could take away these chills.” (This is probably a good time to remind folks to stay healthy and careful out there.) This version features a good jam with some great stuff on guitar.

New Riders deliver a sweet version of “Linda,” a song from Gypsy Cowboy, featuring a bit of yodeling and some more good work on pedal steel. That’s followed by “Louisiana Lady,” one of my favorite New Riders songs. This one never fails to raise my spirits, and they give us a wonderful rendition here, with a strong vocal performance. That’s followed by what is probably the band’s most beautiful and moving song, “Last Lonely Eagle.” Ah, that passionate vocal performance and those harmonies and that pedal steel are certain to affect you. The band wraps up the set with a delicious rendition of “Willie & The Hand Jive,” that beat designed to get folks dancing. These guys dig into this one, jamming on it, delivering a version that is nearly ten minutes long.

CD Track List

1. Truck Drivin’ Man
2. Rainbow
3. Lochinvar
4. Groupie
5. Stage Announcement – White Bird Tent
6. Whatcha Gonna Do
7. Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (And Loud, Loud Music)
8. Hello Mary Lou
9. Stage Announcement – Field Tripping
10. Whiskey
11. Stage Announcement – Salt Tabs & Blue Acid
12. Runnin’ Back To You
13. I Don’t Need No Doctor
14. Linda
15. Louisiana Lady
16. Last Lonely Eagle
17. Willie & The Hand Jive 

Field Trip was originally scheduled to be released on April 18, 2020, but is now scheduled for release on June 20, 2020 (the new Record Store Day date). Could that date change again? It’s certainly possible.

Victor Wainwright And The Train: “Memphis Loud” (2020) CD Review

Victor Wainwright is a singer, pianist, songwriter, and powerful force rising up from a river in Georgia to deliver a great burst of blues and soul to any within earshot. In 2018, his new band, Victor Wainwright And The Train, put out a self-titled release, an album that ended up being nominated for a Grammy. They are now following that up with Memphis Loud, a delicious album featuring all original material, written or co-written by Victor Wainwright. The band is made up of Billy Dean on drums and vocals, Terrence Grayson on bass and vocals, Pat Harrington on guitar and vocals, Mark Earley on saxophone and clarinet, Doug Woolverton on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Dave Gross on guitar and percussion. There are also several guests on various tracks.

The album opens with “Mississippi,” which begins with some pretty work on keys, then soon kicks in and starts rocking. This song builds and builds. Usually a song will kick in once, but this one starts at one level, kicks in, then kicks it up to another level soon after that. It has the feel of a celebration, but a celebration that has a sense of urgency behind it. A celebration that will sweep you up whether you are ready or not, like a determined wave rushing through the streets. Then suddenly there is a short break, a breather, with some work on electric guitar. But it is not long before things get thumping once again. I love the horns. Mikey Junior, Reba Russell, Stephen Dees, Patricia Ann Dees, Grace Curran and Terrell Reed join the band on vocals on this track (Mikey Junior also plays harmonica). That’s followed by “Walk The Walk,” which when it gets going has a bright New Orleans-type vibe. This song is partly a tribute to one’s parents and the advice they gave. This song features a seriously fun instrumental section, with some wonderful work form the horns, and it includes a big finish.

“Memphis Loud,” the album’s title track, comes barreling along, and best you get the hell out of the way, or join in – your choice – but you don’t have long to choose, because this song is suddenly on top of you. And holy moly, I love Victor Wainwright’s work on piano here, pushing everything forward. It is no surprise to find that the song’s lyrics are about a train; after all, the song feels like a train from the moment it begins. “Whoa, the train’s running through your town/Everyone’s allowed.” This track is tremendous fun, certainly one of the album’s best. It is followed by “Sing,” which opens with some absolutely delightful work on piano. Immediately you feel like perhaps you’ve taken a step back in time, listening to this jazzy and timeless gem. If forced to choose my favorite track on the album, this would be it. No question. It features a cool vocal performance, but it is the work of the horn section that really raises this track to a pretty high level of cool. Seriously. That jam toward the end is oddly glorious, with ghosts and spirits rising to join the celebration. “Don’t let life get you down/Silence is the loudest sound.” Then “Disappear” is a mellower number, delivered with a good dash of soul, and building in power as it goes, with that instrumental section featuring some excellent work on keys.

“Creek Don’t Rise” features some nice work on bass, a good steady rhythm, and appealing lyrics about getting away. “Let’s get away from family and all of our friends/Lose them for a while so we can find them again/I love you/We can make it this time.” There is something of a 1970s vibe to this one. Also, it is interesting how basically every single one of these tracks gets more interesting, more exciting as it goes. The organ at the beginning of “Golden Rule” sounds like something from a great old Stax album or something, and there is certainly some fine rhythm and blues to this one, along with positive vibes. Then “America” begins as a mellower tune. “I think we might be losing our minds/Is this real/America.” Those lines certainly stand out in this frightening time. None of these songs wants to stay mellow for too long, and by the end this one has built up a good amount of power. Mike Welch plays guitar on this track.

On “South End Of A North Bound Mule,” we get a vocal performance that reminds me of Dr. John. As you might guess from the title of this song, it is a whole lot of fun, a playful, and totally enjoyable number with a cool sound. I especially dig that stuff on keys. Greg Gumpel joins the band on guitar and vocals on this track. That’s followed by “Recovery.” Soon the entire nation will be in recovery (as soon as we get rid of that infection named Donald Trump). This song offers a positive outlook. “Rainbows shine through when the black clouds part/Yesterday is history, tomorrow’s a new start/When life seems broken, reach for more than who you are.” Then “My Dog Riley” is a tribute to the friendship of a dog. However, I say a friend who gnaws on your furniture and shits on your carpet is no damn friend at all.  This is a silly song, something of a throwaway number. The album concludes with “Reconcile,” which has a mellow and beautiful soul vibe and a really nice vocal performance. “I don’t know how long this pain will last,” Victor Wainwright sings. This track of course does build in power toward the end, sounding like a classic soul tune. Chris Stephenson plays organ on this track.

CD Track List

1. Mississippi
2. Walk The Walk
3. Memphis Loud
4. Sing
5. Disappear
6. Creek Don’t Rise
7. Golden Rule
8. America
9. South End Of A North Bound Mule
10. Recovery
11. My Dog Riley
12. Reconcile

Memphis Loud is scheduled to be released on May 22, 2020 on Ruf Records.