William Shatner: “The Blues” (2020) CD Review

If you are paying attention at all, you’ve got the blues something fierce these days. Things are bloody awful out there, and getting worse every day. But if you’re looking for some relief, some good news amid all this horror and despair, I’ve got it. William Shatner is releasing a new album. Titled The Blues, it features some classic blues material, performed by William Shatner in his own singular way. And he is joined by some excellent guest musicians on these tracks. People like Ritchie Blackmore, Sonny Landreth and Steve Cropper join him on guitar. This album will give us all a welcome respite from the blues.

William Shatner kicks off the new album with a fun version of Robert Johnson’s “Sweet Home Chicago,” on which he is joined by Brad Paisley on guitar. And when William Shatner sings, “Baby, don’t you want you to go back to that same old place,” he is really asking the question. And I love him for it. I can’t help but laugh as he shouts: “Come on, baby, hear me pounding on the door! That’s me!” Yes, the album is off to a great start. That’s followed by Willie Dixon’s “I Can’t Quit You Baby,” with Kirk Fletcher on guitar. What is delightful about his take on this song – and others – is that he never ceases being an actor. He is acting as he sings, taking on the characters of the songs, and inhabiting those characters completely. So in this song, for example, when he sings, “When you hear me moanin’, whoa, you know it hurts way down inside,” you can hear the pain. He is moaning, not just singing about it. I just love how he completely goes for it, even if his voice is getting a bit rough on this track.

One of my personal favorites is “Sunshine Of Your Love,” the Cream song. The music comes on heavy, like you want it to, and then, in some contrast to that, William Shatner delivers the lyrics in a spoken word style that works so well. I believe him when he says he’s been waiting so long. I’ve loved this song since I first heard it in my childhood. This song allowed me to skate through seventh grade. One of my teachers made a reference to it, and my friend Dan and I were the only ones who got it. Everything was just fine from there on out.  On this track, Sonny Landreth joins William Shatner on guitar. Then Ritchie Blackmore plays guitar on “The Thrill Is Gone.” Again, I totally believe William Shatner when he tells us the thrill is gone. There is something intimate in his delivery of this one, feeling almost like a confession of sorts. And there is relief, even some joy, when he repeats that he is free from her spell. And how cool is he when he adds, “all I can do is wish you well”? I’ll tell you: pretty damn cool.  At the end, he riffs a bit. I like when he switches from “‘til the day I die” to “‘til the day that you die.” There is something of an eerie threat in the final line, “My love will follow you.” Look over your shoulder, and there is William Shatner.

I love that he adds “in Montreal” to the opening lines of “Mannish Boy,” singing “Now when I was a young boy in Montreal/At the age of five.” And yes, if you’re wondering, that’s where William Shatner hails from. When he says he is “way past twenty-one,” there is some humor there. There is a lot of humor throughout this track, particular in that section near the end when he sings “Don’t hurt me, I’m old.” That whole section is hilarious. You have to hear it. Ronnie Earl is on guitar on this one. William Shatner does a really good job with “Born Under A Bad Sign.” Yes, this album is pushing my blues away, and for that I am truly grateful. Tyler Bryant is on guitar on this track. “Born Under A Bad Sign” is followed by “I Put A Spell On You.” Halloween is coming, and so it’s the perfect time for this song. This is the track I was most looking forward to hearing, based on the way William Shatner has approached his material in the past, and I was not at all disappointed. This is a fun ride, and he totally gets into it. I love the way he ends this one, stating plainly and firmly, “Because you’re mine.” Leaving no question about it. Pat Travers is on guitar for this one. Then James Burton joins him on “Crossroads,” the Robert Johnson song, and another that Cream recorded. That’s followed by “Smokestack Lightnin’” a song I first heard done by the Grateful Dead. William Shatner, after asking “Why don’t you hear me crying,” is basically sobbing. It’s goofy, and I bloody love it. Joining him not only on guitar, but also dobro and tambourine is Jeff “Skunk” Baxter.

When William Shatner tells us to listen, we listen, and at the beginning of “As The Years Go Passing By,” he so instructs us. It is like he is gathering us around a camp fire to tell us a tale. And who wouldn’t want to go camping with Shatner and hear him tell stories by the fire? Is there a way to make that happen? I mean, once this damn pandemic is finished, of course. I love his vocal delivery. “Oh, you know my ghost will haunt you, baby.” Arthur Adams is on guitar on this track. Then William Shatner is backed by Canned Heat on “Let’s Work Together.” This is the first track that was released, and is what initially got me excited about this CD. William Shatner and Canned Heat. How can things be so bad out there when these guys are working together, and urging the rest of us to do the same? This is obviously a good song to revisit these days. “Together we stand, divided we fall/Come on now, people, let’s get on the ball/And work together/Come on, come on, let’s work together.” William Shatner even adds, toward the end, “Let’s work together now/Now, people, ‘cause the planet needs us.” I assume he means Earth, but this is William Shatner, so it really could be any planet (except the Klingon home world – screw those guys).

William Shatner gives us a totally fun rendition of “Route 66,” featuring Steve Cropper on guitar. It is like Shatner is giving us directions. This is one of my favorite tracks, and is a version that needs to be on your road trip mix CDs. It even has a cha-cha-cha ending. That’s followed by another of the album’s highlights, “In Hell, I’ll Be In Good Company,” a great song by The Dead South, this version featuring Albert Lee on guitar. William Shatner’s spoken word style is bloody perfect here. Like beat poetry, except better, you know? Just listen to the way he delivers the opening lines: “Dead Love couldn't go no further/Proud of and disgusted by her/Push, shove, a little bruised and battered/Oh lord, I ain't coming home with you.” I particularly love the way he sings, “and disgusted by her.” He really outdoes himself here. This might be the album’s best track, actually. I highly recommend checking it out when you have the chance. I found myself applauding just for the sheer joy of it, you understand. The album then ends with “Secrets Or Sins,” an excellent song written by Daniel Miller and Robert Sharenow, and featuring Daniel Miller. This one is a wonderful surprise. Check out these lines: “Now I’m looking into darkness/Still searching for the light/All the loves I’ve had/I still feel them on my skin/I just can’t decide/If they’re my secrets or my sins.” And being who he is, the following lines also stand out: “I stare up at the stars/All the questions still remain/What set it all in motion/All the passion and the pain.”

CD Track List

1. Sweet Home Chicago
2. I Can’t Quit You Baby
3. Sunshine Of Your Love
4. The Thrill Is Gone
5. Mannish Boy
6. Born Under A Bad Sign
7. I Put A Spell On You
8. Crossroads
9. Smokestack Lightnin’
10. As The Years Go Passing By
11. Let’s Work Together
12. Route 66 
13. In Hell I’ll Be In Good Company
14. Secrets Or Sins

The Blues is scheduled to be released on October 2, 2020 through Cleopatra Records.

Pete McCabe: “Head Tones” (2019) CD Review

Singer and songwriter Pete McCabe has a new CD coming out this week, Many Storyed. But it is also worth giving a listen to his previous release, last year’s Head Tones. As with his new disc, this album is largely a solo effort, with Pete McCabe providing all the vocals and playing the majority of the instruments. He is joined by a few guests on certain tracks. Pete McCabe also wrote all of the material on this album.

I can’t help but relate to the album’s opening track, “The Shredder,” which is about someone whose place is crowded with bits of paper and other things he’s saved. And now this guy is apparently trying to tidy up his place, at his love’s suggestion, something else I can relate to. The song’s first lines are “She wants to tell me what I should do, and I let her/I want to do whatever will make her feel better.” I don’t consider myself a hoarder, but if someone were to enter my apartment, well, he or she might disagree. “After a while, I must admit, it begins to feel right/Though I tend to hold onto the past/Shredding these memories, I see the future looking bright/Even as the days go by so fast.” Yes, there is something positive about getting rid of things, like lifting a weight from ourselves. I’ve been doing that myself quite a bit lately. This track features some nice guitar work. Richard Baron plays drums on this one. It’s followed by “I Love You Today.” There is a delightful humor to this one. It opens like any love song might, “I’d like to tell you I’ll be with you/‘Til the stars fall from the sky.” But then it takes a sudden turn, as the stars do start falling: “Oh, look out/That last one hit so close I almost fell into the crater/Could be the universe is greater/Than a promise of love until we die.” Yet it has the sound and style of a love song. And after all, it is a love song, isn’t it? “Should tomorrow turn to sorrow/And the world crumble away/Remember, I love you today.” Hey, maybe all we have is today. Who knows?

In 1973, Pete McCabe released his first solo album, The Man Who Ate The Plant. On this album he revisits the title track of that album. It’s a strange song, to be sure. It seems this version has some added lyrics at the beginning, though I don’t have the original album in my collection, so I can’t be sure. But this new version is a minute longer than the original version, and the math works out. The lyrics at the beginning function as a sort of introduction: “Somewhere in time/In a world only somewhat like our own/There lived a most eccentric man/Seldom noticed in a vast suburban zone/As our tale begins/He steers his shopping cart through bitter winter winds/This is the day he’s chosen/To set his plan in motion.” By the way, that earlier album features Jim Keltner on drums. “The Man Who Ate The Plant” is followed by “If It Were A Snake.” The opening lines grabbed me: “Why go on repeating your stories/I know them by heart.” I have a habit of repeating stories, as my girlfriend will willingly confirm. This track has a kind of sweet vibe, and has a bit of a 1970s thing happening. “If you think you might find the night too cold/Love’s right here if you need someone warm to hold.”

“Dino And The GHBC” tells the story of a particular merchant in Denver in the 1970s, and includes a short spoken word introduction. “GHBC” in this instance stands for Great Home Brew Conflagration. Leon Rubenhold plays electric guitar on this track, Alfred Johnson is on electric piano, and Bob Wilson is on drums. “Even Though You’re Gone” is a mellow and sad song about missing a friend, communication between them now being a one-way street since he’s not able to hear from the person. “Just one more line from where you are/Would brighten up this night like the northern star/But that can never be/So I’ll write you this song/Even though you’re gone.” The line “And I’m afraid the game of life cannot be won” reminds me of lines from “Suicide Is Painless” from M.A.S.H.: “The game of life is hard to play/I’m going to lose it anyway.” Then “I’m Not Feelin’ It” has a pleasant groove. In the first verse, he mentions some other songwriters, such as Paul Simon, John Sebastian and Irving Berlin. And he sings, “I’d spread happiness if I could/But I’m not feeling it,” lines that describe perfectly how so many of us are feeling these days. Later in the song he refers to The Beatles, saying “‘All You Need Is Love’ doesn’t seem to work anymore.” Yup, that’s just about right. Let’s hope this feeling passes soon, say, in November. Alfred Johnson is on keys on this track.

Pete McCabe gets a bit silly with “Cartoon Man,” sympathizing with an animated character that is constantly getting hurt and ridiculed. That’s followed by “Hollywood (Remix).” “Hollywood” is a song that Pete McCabe included on his 2014 album Multiple Choice. On this album he revisits it, under the slightly different title. This song has a nostalgic quality. Check out these lyrics: “In Hollywood, our act would never do/You’d never see the starlet head so quickly for the door/Never leave so many kisses on the cutting room floor.” The Sixth Sense was an immensely popular and successful film, and after it, references abounded to its famous line, “I see dead people.” When seeing footage of Trump rallies, who doesn’t utter “I see dumb people”? Pete McCabe’s “I Hear Dead People” takes that line and applies it to the music of folks who are no longer with us, turning to their music for help in these days when the present is less than ideal, even singing that their music is “blocking out my daily news feed.” He plays the music of Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, and George Harrison. This song does refer directly to the film in the line, “I’ve got more than five senses telling me I ain’t Bruce Willis yet.” Leon Rubenhold plays electric guitar on this track, and Richard Barron is on drums. As with his new release, Many Storyed, Pete McCabe concludes this album with an instrumental track. This time it is “Good Morning, Signore Morricone,” a pleasant and rather uplifting piece.

CD Track List

1. The Shredder
2. I Love You Today
3. The Man Who Ate The Plant
4. If It Were A Snake
5. Dino And The GHBC
6. Even Though You’re Gone
7. I’m Not Feelin’ It
8. Cartoon Man
9. Hollywood (Remix)
10. I Hear Dead People
11. Good Morning, Signore Morricone

Head Tones was released on May 27, 2019.

Facebook Decides To Screw Musicians

Everyone has been affected by the pandemic, and the music industry has been hit particularly hard. Music venues were forced to close, and many have now had to make the decision to not reopen, due to the financial impossibilities of keeping the businesses going. Musicians who relied on income from touring have also had to adapt to find new ways to pay their bills. The solution that a lot of artists found was to perform shows online, and many of those live streams were posted on Facebook. It was the best use that anyone so far has found for that website, and these shows gave the site a new life and importance during these trying and uncertain times. But Facebook, in its usual shitty fashion, has decided to put an end to that, to put an end to our little bit of joy, to put an end to musicians being able to support themselves using the site. Starting on October 1st, Facebook has promised to crack down on musicians performing live. Facebook issued a statement which says, in part, “You may not use videos on our Products to create a music listening experience. We want you to be able to enjoy videos posted by family and friends. However, if you use videos on our Products to create a music listening experience for yourself or for others, your videos will be blocked and your page, profile or group may be deleted. This includes live.” In a time when we desperately need music in our lives, and musicians desperately need to reach their audiences, Facebook is saying “Fuck you” to us all.

Kelly’s Lot: “Another Sky” (2020) CD Review

Kelly’s Lot is a group I’ve been a fan of since I moved to Los Angeles more than twenty years ago. Led by powerful vocalist Kelly Zirbes, these guys are known mostly as a blues band. But they are certainly not bound to the blues, and have ventured into other musical realms from time to time, always successfully. On the group’s new album, Another Sky, they deliver some wonderful music that is more in the folk realm, with touches of country as well. This album features all original material, written or co-written by Kelly Zirbes. The band for this release is made up of Kelly Zirbes on vocals; Perry Robertson on acoustic guitar; Doug Pettibone on guitar, pedal steel, mandolin and vocals; Art Mendoza on drums and percussion; Matt McFadden on electric bass; Rob Zucca on guitar; and Bobby Orgel on organ. And there are several guests on various tracks.

The album opens with a pretty folk number titled “Butterfly,” Kelly’s vocals having a sweeter and more gentle sound than you might be used to from her. There is something friendly and warm about this song, in large part because of that vocal performance, and also because of Doug Pettibone’s work. “You are a butterfly/Soaring ‘cross another sky/Singing while we weep/Dancing while we sleep.” Paul Kenedy plays upright bass on this track. That’s followed by “I Will Find You Again.” There is something almost ethereal about Kelly’s delivery at moments near the beginning of this one. The power and strength are there, but she is reaching a different place with her voice here at times, exploring different territory. There is also a moving instrumental section in the middle of the track, and I dig that work on bass. “Years not together, the time slowly gone/But we must be willing to right what is wrong/This life before us keeps us apart/But our love is safe and lived in the heart/And I will find you again.” Aubrey Richmond, a musician I am always happy to hear, adds some beautiful work on violin on this track, and Jeri Goldenhar provides some nice backing vocals. This song was written by Kelly Zirbes and Perry Robertson.

“Foolish Try” has a delicious Latin flavor, a somewhat laid-back vibe, and features some excellent work on guitar. Kelly sings some of the lyrics in Spanish. Phil Parlapiano adds some sweet touches on accordion. I also love the line “Let’s give it the ol’ foolish try,” a play on “the old college try.” And the song ends with these wonderful lines: “Let me lie beside you ‘til the end/And hold me like you did yesterday.” What a beautiful song. It was written by Kelly Zirbes and Doug Pettibone. That’s followed by “Freedom,” which has a gorgeous and haunting sound at the start. Aubrey Richmond’s work on violin is excellent. This song has something of a classic feel. You can easily imagine hearing an old recording of Joan Baez singing this one. Yet, like all of the tracks on this album, this is a new song, written by Kelly Zirbes. “There must be an answer/We all must take a part/Or the innocent will keep/Dying in the dark.” It is a powerful song, and the song’s final couplet is striking: “There is something dark/Creeping up another heart.” Then the drum beat of “Took It Back” quickly takes us from that place the previous song left us, though this song has its own sort of dark vibe, a more personal darkness, Kelly’s vocals having an intimate quality at the beginning. This is a song dealing with domestic violence and troubles. Check out these lyrics: “You raised your hands in darkness/The bruises I would cover up/Your voice, it cut me like a knife/I couldn’t keep watching my children in a storm.” Perhaps the most depressing lines, however, are “You know, you ruined me for love/For true love down the road/All I’m good for because of you/Is a heavy load.” For they tell of a poor future in addition to a troubled past. This track includes some really good work on guitar. “Took It Back” was written by Kelly Zirbes, Perry Robertson and Doug Pettibone.

“Tangled” lifts us up from the moment it begins, with its playful, light sound. This one is performed as a duet with Doug Pettibone, and though this isn’t really a blues number, it does mention the blues: “There are moments in the blues/When you see what you must choose.” And just when you think the song can’t be any more cheerful than it is, we get a section with whistling. Oh yes, this is just the sort of song we need these days, with the repeated line “Only you can fill your cup” having a sense of empowerment and optimism. And then “The Irish Luck” has an even happier sound, which I take to immediately. I grew up listening to Irish folk (my last name is Doherty, after all), and this type of music has always worked for me. Offhand, I can’t recall Kelly’s Lot performing a song quite like this before. This one was written by Kelly Zirbes and Perry Robertson, and features Aubrey Richmond on violin, Phil Parlapiano on accordion, and Aviva Maloney on penny whistle. It is Aviva’s work especially that helps raise our spirits. “Slainte to everyone/Raise your glass and have some fun/The Irish luck will always see you through.”

The opening lines of “Simple Man” certainly seem relevant to our world these days: “I built these walls oh so tall/I didn’t think that they’d ever fall.” But this song takes place on a more personal, individual level. Check out these lines: “It ain’t been easy never being young/But he made feel/Like it’s all just begun/I’m feeling like a child/With a heart to understand.” Phil Parlapiano delivers more good work on accordion, and David Grover gives us a great bass line on upright bass. I also love Bill Johnston’s work on clarinet on this track. That’s followed by “Lock Me Up,” which has something of an early 1960s pop vibe, something I was not expecting (the sound being more in line with what Charlie Faye And The Fayettes are doing). When I saw the title “Lock Me Up,” I couldn’t help but wonder if there would be some reference, however oblique, to recent political shenanigans, but this is a sweet, fun number. It was written by Kelly Zirbes, Perry Robertson and Doug Pettibone. “You once told me I was your baby/Now you just say I’m crazy/I can’t say that it’s not true/Because I’m crazy about you.” Adorable, right? This track even has a cha-cha-cha ending.

Time continues to rush along, and the holidays will be here before we know it. Kelly’s Lot will help us make the most of Christmas with “Christmas Is Calling,” a song that features some excellent guitar work. This isn’t your typical Christmas song, for it has a more serious tone. Yet there is something uplifting about it, speaking as it does about home and family. Check out these lines: “We all should be grateful for the things we receive/And hold each other, and try to believe/Don’t go crazy tryin’ to make sense of it all/We all need each other when Christmas comes to call.” I will be adding this one to my holiday play list, a list that might be a little different this year. After all, because of the pandemic, many people won’t be able to see their families, and the holidays are going to have a different vibe. This song is about missing someone during the holidays, something a lot of people are going to be able to relate to this year. It’s going to be a cold Christmas, indeed. Kelly Zirbes’ vocal work is always impressive, and one of my favorite vocal performances on this album is that on “Sleep On It Tonight.” There is an intimacy and a yearning in the delivery. This song tells the story of a couple, and it is delivered as a duet, with Rick Monroe joining her. I really like these lines: “But time has a way of slipping by so fast/That even true love can feel/Like it will never last.” Those lines are sung by Rick Monroe. “I can’t believe we’re here tonight,” they sing together toward the end. This is a beautiful and moving song, a sweet, romantic number. Things get more bluesy on the album’s final track, “Hurricane,” which opens with the lines “I lost my passion, I lost my bliss/No bursting of joy for any of this/The chaos has started, no feeling of trust.” Those lines certainly speak to us in these uncertain days. Frank “Cisco” Hinojosa delivers some great work on harmonica on this track. “The weight of the world/Has broken me down/Can’t get up and live/Can’t make a sound.” Fortunately for us, Kelly’s Lot continues to make wonderful sounds.

CD Track List

1. Butterfly
2. I Will Find You Again
3. Foolish Try
4. Freedom
5. Took It Back
6. Tangled
7. The Irish Luck
8. Simple Man
9. Lock Me Up
10. Christmas Is Calling
11. Sleep On It Tonight
12. Hurricane

Another Sky was released on August 28, 2020.