Jan Luby: "Nobody's Girl" (2011) CD Review

When it comes to music, there are certain topics that many of my friends are probably quite tired of hearing me carry on about. One of those is the folk music scene in Massachusetts in the late 1980s, early 1990s. There was so much great music at that time, and all of it new. There were also a good number of venues, including The Old Vienna Kaffeehaus, The Nameless Coffeehouse and Passim. Jan Luby was an important part of that scene, and I'd often catch her sets at those venues. Her songs were featured on compilations such as The Old Vienna Tapes Volume I and Acoustic Alliance 2.

And then I lost track of her. She put out an album in 2000 (Tough Like A Weed), and then nothing for more than a decade. But now she's back with a new album and plans to perform. And this is very good news. So what was she doing the past decade? She went the family route, and that's fine, for it provided her with some material for her new CD. (Singing about raising a family isn't completely new for her; she used to perform an excellent song about public breastfeeding called "Product Of The '50s.")

I've always liked Jan Luby's voice, and her style. This is a wonderful batch of songs, and I look forward to seeing her perform them.

"Bloom"

Nobody's Girl opens with "Bloom" which boasts a cool rhythm and an even cooler horn. But what I love the most is the line, "You know, I've been wondering, Mommy, if it's painful for a flower when it blooms." This is a song about a mother trying to decide just what to tell her daughter, who is about to bloom herself.

Jan sings, "Some evening she will feel the tug of the moon/And no matter what I say she's going to turn and go/Some things I don't know/Some I don't want to tell her/It's a beautiful big sweet scary world/And you won't always be my little girl." This is a damn good song. By the way, that is Steven Bernstein on trumpet.

"Come Home"

"Come Home" is a sweet and pretty acoustic tune about being true to one's self. Here is a taste of the lyrics: "Because I remember who you are even if you've forgotten/But what can I offer/You have to figure it out on your own/It's time to come home/Come home to yourself/No, not home to me/Come home to yourself." And who doesn't at some time need to hear someone say, "You're going to be fine." Kevin Fallon plays mandolin on this track.

"A Roof And Four Walls"

"A Roof And Four Walls" has a nice old European feel, helped by Kevin Fallon's excellent work on violin. This is a song about poverty, sung from the perspective of a person who lived paycheck to paycheck, unable to save, and "Then the clouds rolled in on me/And here it is - my rainy day." This is a person who had a home; she sings, "I once had a life/Now it seems I have nothing at all." There is still pride in her voice, heard in lines like "There's no room at the shelter, but I wouldn't go there anyway." This song also touches on the uncertainty and instability of everyone's situation, the reason why people often look away: "They don't want any reminders they could soon be in our place."

Jan Luby tackles the subject of financial struggles again in "Nothin' To Show" with its repeated line, "How is it that I work like a dog/Still got nothin' to show." And a lot of us can relate to these lines: "Food stamps, they help a little bit/But when I use them I feel ashamed/Even when the cashier says 'Have a nice day.'"

"Newer Bigger Better More"

As you might know, I'm always on the hunt for good Christmas songs. They're hard to find. Well, this CD has two. The first, "Newer Bigger Better More," is about shopping the day after Thanksgiving. In this one, Jan sings, "And we're waiting here in line/We're huddled at the door/When they open, we'll rush in/Trample anything on the floor/Feeling anxious and afraid/Finding solace in a store/I'll be so happy once I have newer bigger better more." She mentions the strategies of shopping (geez, even the fact that one is needed is enough to keep me away from the stores on that horrid day). This song ends with the line, "Tis the season to be jolly/Yeah." Geoff Bartley plays guitar on this track. Joe Potenza plays bass.

The second, "Christmas Eve/Visiting Hour" is an excellent song about singing carols at a jail. Here is a bit of the lyrics: "We wish you a merry Christmas/And then we go our separate ways/You call and wave goodbye to us/And go back to counting days/Meet us on the outside next year." I've never heard a song like this one before.

"Comfortable Love"

"Comfortable Love" is a strange love song where there is no romance but a lot of regard. She sings, "And it's not like it was in the beginning/All the fireworks, the hunger and the longing/But when he sits beside me with a hand on my knee/There's a steady warmth that spreads all through me/It's a comfortable love." Is it sweet or sad? Yes. Kevin Fallon plays bass on this track.

"Moon Folly"

The song "Moon Folly" has a great beauty, in part created by the harmony vocals of Michal Lauren. It's a fanciful song about catching and keeping the moon. Here is a bit of the lyrics: "And then I will sit by the fire all night/Sit by the fire all day/I will gnaw at the moon to my heart's delight/Till I gnaw her slowly away/And while I grow mad with the moon's cold taste/The world will beat at my door/Crying come out, and crying make haste, my friend/And give us the moon once more." The lyrics for this song come from a Fannie Stearns Davis poem.

CD Track List

1. Bloom
2. Come Home
3. Right Left Right
4. A Roof And Four Walls
5. Newer Bigger Better More
6. Nobody's Girl
7. Christmas Eve/Visiting Hour
8. Everything We Do
9. Comfortable Love
10. Nothin' To Show
11. Right Here
12. Moon Folly
13. Don't Look Away
14. This Little Moment
    

Nobody's Girl was released on October 25, 2011.

Mark Lindsay: "The Complete Columbia Singles" (2012) CD Review

Mark Lindsay is most well known for being the lead vocalist of Paul Revere & The Raiders, a 1960s rock band with a fun, loud garage-type sound. But in 1969 when he went to record his solo work, he chose a different type of sound, a different type of song. These songs are definitely softer than what he'd been doing, but still powerful. His vocal work on this collection will likely come as a surprise to anyone who has only heard his work with The Raiders.

These songs were recorded between 1969 and 1974, and are presented in the order in which they were released, with the exception of the first track, which was recorded first, but left unreleased until now. There are a lot of excellent songs here, and some of this collection's best tracks are the flip sides written by Mark Lindsay, particularly "All I Really See Is You" and "Don't You Know."

"Reason To Believe"

This collection opens with "Reason To Believe," a song written by Tim Hardin, and made famous by Rod Stewart. This track was previously unreleased, though it was intended to be Mark Lindsay's first single. This is a sort of sweet and playful version of the song. His voice only takes on that famous edge briefly near the end. There are also interesting deep backing vocals just below Mark's voice on some lines, especially at the beginning.

"First Hymn From Grand Terrace"

"First Hymn From Grand Terrace" ended up being Mark Lindsay's first single, released in 1969. Written by Jimmy Webb, this song features prominent strings, and so right away it differentiates itself from the Paul Revere & The Raiders sound. This is a rather tame song with lines like, "There was a DJ in L.A./We used to tune in late at night to hear our favorite song/And we always heard it at that perfect time/Up on that hill we climbed/And now you're gone, and I'm alone." It reached #81 on the pop chart.

"The Old Man At The Fair," the single's flip side, was also written by Jimmy Webb, and it too features strings. I actually like this song a lot more than its A side. It's a more playful and interesting song, and is undeniably catchy.

"Arizona"

In Mark Lindsey's next single, "Arizona," he really belts it out. This song was a big hit, reaching #10 on the chart. Written by Kenny Young, this famous song has a delightful exuberance.

"Man From Houston," the single's flip side, was a song written by Mark Lindsay, but one very different from the tunes he wrote for Paul Revere & The Raiders. It has something of a country feel, and a definite sweetness. The song expresses an interesting yearning for the normalcy of a family. As he rides alone in a taxi, he thinks about the man who sat next to him on the plane. He sings, "Flew beside me all the way from Houston/And showed me pictures of his kids/And talked about his wife/Told me how she would be waiting in their yellow station wagon/With a hug and kiss to give him/Saying I love you/I wonder if I'll ever be like that man/Happy with his family and dying to go home."

"Silver Bird"

"Silver Bird" was written by Kenny Young, and has changes that are similar to those of his other song, "Arizona." It's not as strong a tune, and reached #25 on the chart.

Its flip side, like the flip side to "Arizona," was a song penned by Mark Lindsay. This one, titled "So Hard To Leave You," is a love song with lines like, "I never thought I'd see the day when I believed in someone/Now I believe in someone/I can feel your eyes melt away the cold inside me/It feels so good when you're beside me."

"And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind"

I'm a big fan of Neil Diamond (at least, everything he did up through September Morn), and I always kind of dug "And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind." It was originally released on his 1969 album, Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show. But I first heard it on the 1976 compilation And The Singer Sings His Song.

Mark Lindsay's rendition, released in 1970, is faithful to the original. It reached #44. Here is a bit of the lyrics: "Close my eyes and hear the flowers growing/As you lay sleeping in my arms/And the time will be our time/And the grass won't pay no mind."

"Problem Child"

"Problem Child" is one of my favorite tracks from this collection. Like "Arizona" and some of the others, the chorus is belted out in great contrast to the verses. But unlike, say, "Silver Bird," the entire flow of the song makes sense. And there is some nice work on guitar. It was written by Mac Davis. For some reason, it only made it to #80 on the chart.

Here is a taste of the lyrics: "I can give you a complete love/It ain't the kind you'll find on the street, love/You can fight it, but you know you won't defeat love/All my sweet love is going to bring you running home to your man/Problem child."

"Been Too Long On The Road"

More of a rock tune (at least at first) than many of this collection's tracks, "Been Too Long On The Road" was written by David Gates, the lead singer of Bread. This song has a definite power, and feels like an entire story rather than a pop song, because of its changes and arrangement. It only reached #98 on the pop chart.

Its flip side, "All I Really See Is You," is a really cool tune written by Mark Lindsay. I love his vocals on this one. And this song has some excellent lyrics: "But you keep saying you've been changing/But I perceive just what you are/And what I see - perfection that's so hard to believe/But skin-deep beauty only carries you so far/I've witnessed many disguises before my eyes/I've seen many a changing view/Watch the long parade of your charades" and "And I'm sure you're somewhere near the top/But the life you lead is composed of your fantasies." It's a song about leaving, and it's is one of my favorite tracks.

"Are You Old Enough"

"Are You Old Enough" is another of this CD's surprises. It's a funky, somewhat silly 1970s pop rock tune. I can't help but love it. This one is simply fun, and features the chorus, "Are you old enough to be young enough/To be bad enough to be good/Are you old enough to be young enough/To do the things you shouldn't when you should." And at two minutes, it's over before you know it. It reached #89 on the chart.

Its flip side, "Don't You Know," is another surprising gem. At times, I found myself swaying and tapping along to its rhythm, but the song isn't afraid of getting a bit weird too. Written by Mark Lindsay, "Don't You Know" is probably my favorite from this collection.

"California"

"California" is about a girl who was a hit in the high school play, but now wants to go out to California to make it big. And it's sung from the perspective of a boy who loves her, and doesn't want to stand in the way of her dreams.

This one features a groovy pop rhythm on the lines, "The glitter and the glamour are turning to rust/The stars on the sidewalk are covered with dust/All the movie lots are just about to go bust/In the whole big town, there's not a soul you can trust." Sadly, these are lines that are still pertinent, and strike a chord with a lot of folks. He then sings, "If your dreams don't come true, I'll be waiting here for you/Because to me you'll always be a star/And I'll still love you just the way you are." This is a wonderful pop song.

CD Track List

1. Reason To Believe
2. First Hymn From Grand Terrace
3. The Old Man At The Fair
4. Arizona
5. Man From Houston
6. Miss America
7. Small Town Woman
8. Silver Bird
9. So Hard To Leave You
10. And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind
11. Funny How Little Men Care
12. Problem Child
13. Bookends
14. Been Too Long On The Road
15. All I Really See Is You
16. Are You Old Enough
17. Don't You Know
18. Something Big
19. Pretty, Pretty
20. California
21. Someone's Been Hiding
22. Mamacita
23. Song For A Friend
24. Photograph
    

The Complete Columbia Singles was released on March 6, 2012 through Real Gone Music.

Irish Drinking Songs (1998) CD Review

Just before St. Patrick's Day, these compilations of Irish folk songs start popping up everywhere. This one has some interesting versions of popular Irish songs, and a couple of excellent tracks that make it worth purchasing.

"Whiskey In The Jar"

This compilation opens with a very mellow and sad-sounding version of "Whiskey In The Jar." It's slow and pretty. This song has many more verses than are presented here. All of the verses about the narrator's brother are missing. This version is by The Irish Ceili Band.

Instrumental Medley

The second track is an instrumental medley of "Tarbottin," "The Longford Collector" and "The Sailor's Bonnet." It has a great fiddle. This is the music that will get folks dancing at the pubs on St. Patrick's Day.

"Crooked Jack" is a more serious song about working down in a hole.

"If You're Irish" is an instrumental possibly designed to get the Irish out marching. It doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the songs on this album.

"Parting Glass/The Brown Gate/The Yellow Bonnet" is an excellent medley of instrumentals.

"Lannigan's Ball"

"Lannigan's Ball" is so wonderful and so much fun, and this version - by Waxies Dargle - is perhaps the best ever recorded. Certainly, it's among the best. Often bands will leave out the chorus, or at least the "I stepped out" part. This version has it all, and great male and female vocals. And it ends with a sped-up instrumental section that is excellent. This CD is worth owning just for this track alone.

"I'm A Rover"

How many Irish songs contain the word "rover" in the title? Well, no matter. This is one of them, and it's a fun song. "I'm a rover, seldom sober." That's the way to be.

"Rocky Road To Dublin"

This song is incredible. It's always impressive hearing someone who can actually sing this song. It must be exhausting. There is barely time to breathe. Try singing along. This version is fantastic.

CD Track List

1. Whiskey In The Jar - The Irish Ceili Band
2. Tarbottin/The Longford Collector/The Sailor's Bonnet - Waxies Dargle
3. Crooked Jack - The Blarney Lads
4. Gypsy Rover - The Blarney Lads
5. If You're Irish - The Irish Ceili Band
6. Mountain Dew - The Blarney Lads
7. Parting Glass/The Brown Gate/The Yellow Bonnet - Waxies Dargle
8. Lannigan's Ball - Waxies Dargle
9. I'm A Rover - The Blarney Lads
10. Rocky Road To Dublin - Waxies Dargle
11. Quare Bungle Rye - The Blarney Lads
12. Ramblin' Irishman - The Irish Ceili Band
    

(Note: I originally posted this review on March 11, 2010 on another site.)

Irish Beer Drinking Favorites CD Review

This compilation of Irish songs is the perfect accompaniment to a day of drinking and dancing (so not just on St. Patrick's Day). This album contains twelve tracks of great Irish music to listen to at home, or on your way to your favorite pub.

"Seven Drunken Nights"

This compilation starts with a version of "Seven Drunken Nights," always a great song to hear on St. Patrick's Day. Most Irish bands cover this song. Gaelic Storm used to hold drinking contests during this song, and the song would last twenty minutes sometimes.

This version by The Kilkenny Brothers, however, is short. So short, in fact, because they left out Sunday night. This version should be titled "Six Drunken Nights." Was the singer so drunk that he forgot about Sunday? Unlikely. The likely story is that this is a family-friendly album, and the seventh night can get a bit dirty. There are several different Sunday night verses, however, and this band could have picked a relatively clean one. Oh well. It's still a cool song, even if this version is anti-climactic.

Irish Reels

The second track is an instrumental. A lively fun Irish tune that should get the folks step-dancing. The second part of it sounds very much like "Muirsheen Durkin," which is also on this album.

The album gets a bit mellower with "Fiddler's Green." This song allows you to stop dancing for a moment, and refill your Guinness or Smithwick's. But hurry, because the next two songs demand dancers.

"Muirsheen Durkin" is a fun tune about a man who no longer wishes to work, and instead wants to go to California to lead a life of leisure. Why not?

"The Wild Rover"

"The Wild Rover" has an audience clapping part that is absent from this studio recording. But when bands perform it live, they expect to hear clapping. Here is when to clap: after "And it's no, nay, never" clap four times (some people do it five times). Then after "No, nay, never, no more," clap twice. And then after "Will I play the wild rover," clap just once. Doing that will impress any of the old drinkers in the bar.

After that song, it's back to a mellow classic with "Black Velvet Band." There are hundreds of versions of this song. The one on this compilation is by The Kilkenny Brothers. This is a great song.

"I'll Tell Me Ma"

"I'll Tell Me Ma" is another fun song that's basically been covered by every Irish band that ever existed. And guess what? There is an audience clapping part in this song too. Basically clap on the counting - three claps on "one, two, three." The version on this compilation - by The Blarney Lads - has the line as "She is courting one, two, three." Some bands sing it as "She is counting one, two, three."

"Cod-Liver Oil" is a really cool song by the best band on the album, Waxies Dargle. Both the male vocalist and the female vocalist have great voices, and they sound wonderful together.
The ninth track is a set of reels - fun instrumental songs that will you have dancing and drinking and spilling beer all over yourself, your partner and the floor. Wonderful music.

"Finnegan's Wake"

This is probably the song that even the most un-Irish of people have heard. When at the bar, if the band plays this song, watch out for flying glasses of whiskey. Seriously.

"Scarce O'Tatties" is a very short instrumental.

This compilation ends with "Many Young Men Of Twenty," a somewhat sad song of men going off to war. It's not exactly a drinking song.

CD Track List

1. Seven Drunken Nights - The Kilkenny Brothers
2. Three Young Ladies Drinking Whiskey Before Breakfast - The Irish Ceili Band
3. Fiddler's Green - The Irish Ceili Band
4. Muirsheen Durkin - The Blarney Lads
5. The Wild Rover - The Blarney Lads
6. Black Velvet Band - The Kilkenny Brothers
7. I'll Tell Me Ma - The Blarney Lads
8. Cod-Liver Oil/Coolies - Waxies Dargle
9. Docherty's Reel/Paddy Ryan's Dream/MacGinnerly's Reel - Waxies Dargle
10. Finnegan's Wake - Waxies Dargle
11. Scarce O'Tatties - The Irish Ceili Band
12. Many Young Men Of Twenty - The Blarney Lads
    

(Note: I originally posted this review on March 1, 2010 on another site.)

T.S. Bonniwell: "Close" (1969/2012) CD Review

Like most people, I was aware of T.S. Bonniwell (often known as Sean Bonniwell) primarily for the Music Machine song "Talk Talk," which I had on at least two 1960s rock compilations when I was a kid. I had no idea that he'd released a solo album. And had I known, I would never have guessed that its sound was more in the folk vein. After all, "Talk Talk" is kind of a kick-ass rock tune, that is almost shouted or snarled rather than sung. So it came as a total surprise when I popped in Close and heard thoughtful, personal acoustic songs.

Bonniwell's full name is Thomas Sean Bonniwell, which is why this album is released under T.S. rather than Sean Bonniwell. Shortly after he was interviewed for the liner notes of this release, he died (this was in December of 2011), so he didn't get to see the CD release of his only solo album. All the songs on Close were written by T.S. Bonniwell.

"Where Am I To Go"

Close opens with "Where Am I To Go," a soft folk tune (that reminds me a bit of Tim Buckley). It's sung simply. This is not an angry, abrasive, insistent folksinger, but rather a humble voice asking questions like, "What's my part in destiny?" and "What's too high and what's too low?" and "Tell me, where am I to go?" The song builds with drums and an orchestral sound.

"Love Is Such A Simple Word"

I love the instrumental intro to "Love Is Such A Simple Word." It's really pretty and it immediately got under my skin. However, I'm not as fond of the song's lyrics, which are about the different uses of the oft-heard word "love." For example, he sings, "A mother loves her baby's smile/A boy his favorite dog/A seaman loves the ocean spray/And the mornings crisp with fog." And of course it ends with the line, "I think that I love you."

"Who Remembers"

"Who Remembers" is nostalgic list of childhood toys and games and other things that call to mind an innocence. But attached to these things is the question "Who remembers." Have we moved so far past these things that their imprint is gone from memory? Clearly not, at least not from Sean Bonniwell's memory. He sings, "Who remembers licorice sticks or kick-the-can or tug o' war?"

"Something To Be"

There is a different sort of nostalgia in "Something To Be." In this one, he sings, "Some little boy that I used to be/Is quietly calling my name to me." And then later he sings, "Some other man that I'm gonna be/Is quietly calling my name to me." There is the sound of a clock ticking our time away, which becomes more prominent toward the end of the song. The clock seems to be announcing our futures advancing on us, before we've had the time to make something of them. Vic Briggs does the lead guitar part on this song.

"Black Snow"

"Black Snow" is a song that Music Machine actually recorded. I love the piano on this one (it reminds me just a bit of Dave Brubeck), and there is some really nice stuff on drums. "Black Snow" is a truly interesting song, and is my personal favorite, though the short spoken word section toward the end is a bit jarring. "It's all the same to him, it's all black snow."

"Where It Belongs"

"Where It Belongs" is a fun country rock tune, with shades of Country Joe or perhaps Michael Nesmith. It begins, "It suddenly occurs to me to let my mind relax and take a tumble at a crossword puzzle song/Don't look for hidden messages or guess at what the message is/Because it's right up front where it belongs." And then he takes a slightly different stance with "And I believe in God, you see, but take it kind of personally/Keep it to myself where it belongs" (of course, if it's in a song, it's not really kept to himself).

He definitely shows a sense of humor in this one ("Put a stop to killing and so on/But I'm afraid that's nature's way/To make the total number stay/Around a figure, say, where it belongs"). This song even has a whistling section at the end.

CD Track List

1. Where Am I To Go
2. Love Is Such A Simple Word
3. Who Remembers
4. Something To Be
5. Black Snow
6. She is
7. Temporary Knife
8. Continue
9. Where It Belongs
10. But Not With My Heart
11. Sleep
    

Musicians

Musicians appearing on this release include T.S. Bonniwell on vocals and guitar, Jim Gordon on drums, Jack Libeu on vibes, Lyle Ritz on bass, Sharon Hicks on bass, Bill Hinshaw on French horn, Virgil Evans on trumpet, Steve Lester on guitar, and Fleetfoot on 12-string guitar. The songs were arranged and conducted by Vic Briggs.

This special re-issue of Close was released on February 21, 2012 through Real Gone Music.

McGough & McGear: "McGough & McGear" (1968/2012) CD Review

I'm not sure what to make of this one. Roger McGough and Mike McGear (whose real name is Mike McCartney - yes, Paul's brother) were members of a comedy group called Scaffold. So clearly they're approaching this with a sense of humor. You can tell even by the track list that it's not overly serious (for example, a song titled "Mr. Tickle" is likely not a heartsick love ballad). Yet, it's more than just a bit of silliness. After all, Jimi Hendrix is on this recording, and I've never thought of him as a comedian.

This CD is a very strange collection of tracks, and even within a given track, there are all sorts of odd changes. There is spoken word and there is psychedelic rock, sometimes together. There is pop. Some tracks are more effective than others ("Basement" is a bit too repetitious on the whole "Why don't you marry me" bit). But it is certainly interesting, and it captures a bit of that odd year 1968.

One thing I could do without is the repeated use of a sound effect of ocean waves. That effect is present in tracks one, four, six, eight and ten. But there is a lot of strangely good stuff here.

"So Much"

The opening track, "So Much," begins with sound effects of water before going into some heavy 1960s rock (that's Jimi Hendrix on guitar). But the vocals are firmly in the pop vein, with some silly whispering backing vocals, "so much so much so much," which are actually rather delightful.

So how serious are they? Maybe it doesn't matter, because the tune works as a bit of late '60s psychedelia. And it features Paul McCartney on backing vocals. The lyrics are definitely of their time, with lines like "So much in love/The sun shines in and out from your eyes" and "So much in love/I ride the clouds high up in the sky." The song ends with some more wave sounds.

"Little Bit Of Heaven"

"Little Bit Of Heaven" is a tune about World War III. It seems to be making fun of Irish folk music at the start. Then the song goes into a spoken word section. "The rich huddle outside the doors of their fallout shelters like drunken carol singers/The poor clutching shattered televisions and last week's editions of TV Times, but the very last." Yes, it's end-of-the-world spoken word comedy. I like the spoken word stuff, but the affected Irish accent during the other sections is off-putting.

"From: Frink, A Day In The Life Of" and "Summer With Monika"

There are two tracks titled "'From: Frink, A Day In The Life Of' and 'Summer With Monika.'" The first, subtitled "Prologue Introducing A) Moanin' And B) Anji" begins with more wave sound effects, and then goes into spoken word. "They say babies were born, married couples made love, often with each other/And people died, sometimes violently." It's a summer described as ordinary, except that it wasn't, for the narrator spent the time with Monika. The guitar comes in after about a minute. The track functions as a weird love poem. "At first we kept birds in a transistor box to sing for us/But sadly they died, we being too embraced in each other to feed them." And yes, it's funny. But it's also sweet, at least at the start.

It seems over, then starts again, with jazzier guitar. Then the guitar disappears for a bit. And then the song really does take on a bluesy jazzy element, with drums and even a horn (this is around the four-minute mark). This track is really like a story - it seems like it should include a book so I can read along, and look at the goofy, whimsical pictures. (Ha! After reading the liner notes, I learn there was a book. A book of poetry titled Summer With Monika. So there.)

Later in the story, he laments, "The house is full of sexy men/Monika, don't you love me anymore?" There are some wonderful absurdities in the lyrics, like "The biscuits are having a party - they're necking in our bread bin" and "As I was helping the potatoes off with their jackets I heard you making a date with the kettle." And I love the line, "Your finger sadly has a familiar ring about it." This track is approximately nine minutes - nine of minutes of wonderful oddities that I can't help but love.

The second of those two tracks (the fifth track) is a continuation of the story, and is subtitled "Epilogue." This one is much shorter, and the two really could have been offered all as one track. "We kissed the sleep from each other's eyes and went out into the world/And now summer's here again." Their home has lost its magic, in lines like "The room no longer a world for make-believing in/But a ceiling and four walls that are for living in."

"Yellow Book"

"Yellow Book" is a strange little song that really got under my skin. Here is a taste of the lyrics: "Your ear to the window pane/Listening for the secrets in the chatter of the rain/Which cloud has got married/Which one's left his wife/Which one has joined the army/Which one has lost its life." I really dig the piano on this track. It's songs like this that make me hope these guys are at least a bit serious, because I really like this song, and I'd feel a bit of a fool if it were all in jest.

"Mr. Tickle"

"Mr. Tickle" is another spoken word story, this one of a fifty-year-old man named Edward Tickle whose good house begins shaking. Edward figures it's hungry, and so feeds it bricks.

"Please Don't Run Too Fast"

"Please Don't Run Too Fast" is a goofy little tune about an old, lonely man watching children through the window. He sings, "Life is far too fast," and the line is repeated and sped up. Then the song returns to the main section again before he says to "Drop in anytime just to say hello."

"Ex Art Student"

This CD concludes with "Ex Art Student," another odd late '60s bit of pop, with vocals at first like the Beatles ("Good Day Sunshine"), and then possibly like Beach Boys or something, but only on the title line. (And on the "attic" bit, the song is reminiscent of The Who - listen to those drums and the bass.) The song fades out before the title line is repeated again. But mainly the song lists artists. There is also a section that is a deliberately messy bit of psychedelia, with sitar, and yes, with Jimi Hendrix again. Then it breaks back into "Ex art student," which caused me to laugh out loud.

(But as these guys were part of a comedy team, you have to wonder if they're perhaps making fun of the whole psychedelic music thing.)

CD Track List

1. So Much
2. Little Bit Of Heaven
3. Basement
4. "From: Frink, A Day In The Life Of" and "Summer With Monika": Prologue Introducing a) Moanin' And b) Anji
5. "From: Frink, A Day In The Life Of" and "Summer With Monika" Epilogue
6. Come Close And Sleep Now
7. Yellow Book
8. House In My Head
9. Mr. Tickle
10. Living Room
11. Do You Remember
12. Please Don't Run Too Fast
13. Ex Art Student
    

This special re-issue of McGough And McGear as released on February 21, 2012 through Real Gone Music.

Anita And The Yanks: "Face The Wind" (2011) CD Review

I completely fell in love with Anita Mansfield the first time I saw her perform. It was on St. Patrick's Day a few years ago in some bar I can't recall the name of. Though it was St. Paddy's Day and not Christmas, she did a beautiful rendition of The Pogues' "Fairytale Of New York," and I was hooked. Since then, I've caught her shows whenever possible. She does great versions of "Drunken Sailor" and "The Fields Of Athenry." The last time I saw Anita And The Yanks, they did a kick-ass version of "Rocky Road To Dublin," a song which is really difficult to sing, there being little to no space to breathe. Anita And The Yanks perform a lot in the Los Angeles area, in various configurations. If you get a chance to see this band, do it. Put on your dancing feet, and do some Irish step-dancing. Or fake it.

For those folks who can't make it to a show, there is Face The Wind, the band's CD, which features almost entirely original material. (Those people who have made it to the band's shows have undoubtedly already picked up this excellent disc.) Anita is from Ireland, and that land definitely plays an important part in her music. There is something ethereal in the feel and delivery of these songs. It's like folk infused with an ambient sort of pop. There are some beautiful songs here, like the sweet "Rosaria" and the gorgeous "Sailing." This album has the power to transport you. Turn up the volume, sit back, and enjoy.

"Memories"

Face The Wind opens with "Memories," which starts with a wonderfully pretty and sweet guitar part. And soon after Anita's beautiful voice comes in, this song actually takes on more of a pop feel. And though there is something sad in a love song titled "Memories," the song has a positive, optimistic feel. Here is a bit of the lyrics: "I'm a world away from you/I should have stayed there with you/Miles apart, oceans roar/We should be together."

"Cailin Deas"

"Cailin Deas" begins with a steady drumbeat behind the vocals. This song has more in common with pop (her voice even reminding me of Madonna in a few key moments) than folk. But the song is a wonderful combination, with some great stuff on fiddle, which plays beautifully over a disco-like beat (listen to that hi-hat). This band really creates its own sound. The songs on this CD transcend and defy genre and categorizing.

"Wild Stag"

"Wild Stag" is a beautiful, uplifting tune. Co-written by Jack Lancaster, "Wild Stag" includes the lines, "The western hills are veiled by your ocean/I saw you/I saw you standing upon your light of wisdom/You had your freedom, you had your following." I love the song's instrumental section.

"Black Is The Colour"

"Black Is The Colour" is the album's one cover song. It's a traditional tune and a gorgeous song. I've never heard a bad rendition of it. Anita's version is excellent. Her voice truly soars on this track. And the fiddle is incredible, especially its intense build toward the end. There is also some nice work on drums by Tommy Amato. Here is a taste of the song's lyrics: "Satisfied I never will be/I write him a letter, just a few short lines/And suffer death a thousand times/For black is the colour of my true love's hair."

"Leave Me Alone"

"Leave Me Alone" is one of my favorite tracks. It's a song that says in no uncertain terms that a relationship is over. And you can't help but think the poor guy has made a horrible mistake. The chorus is, "It's too late to have me now/It's too late to want me now to love you/It's too late to work it out/I am fine on my own without you." This song has just a hint of a 1960s pop thing at times, which I dig. (And actually, the following track, "Personally" also has a bit of a 1960s pop thing going on.)

"Everchanging"

"Everchanging" is another of my favorites, and is probably the album's best track. This song is seriously impressive, in its structure, and of course the vocals. (This song is slightly reminiscent of "Life In A Northern Town" in the vocals in a few lines at the beginning, or perhaps that's just me.) There are some interesting changes, and I love the mandolin.

In this one, Anita sings, "Spending so many days/Wasting the time away/Waiting for you to change/One day you're here with me/The next day you're lost at sea/That's the way it is." "Everchanging" ends abruptly on a generous wish, "Hope that all your dreams come true."

CD Track List

1. Memories
2. Cailin Deas
3. Wild Stag
4. Black Is The Colour
5. Leave Me Alone
6. Personally
7. Face The Wind
8. Watch Out
9. Everchanging
10. Rosaria
11. In You
12. Sailing
    

Musicians

Musicians on this recording include Anita Mansfield on vocals, guitar and mandolin; Bryan Dobbs on mandolin, guitar, bass and backing vocals; Rachel Grace on violin; Ryan Dean on drums; Tommy Amato on drums; Andy Reilly on drums; and Pat D'Arcy on uilleann pipes and whistles.

Face The Wind was released on August 23, 2011.