Eddie Kendricks: “Love Keys” (1981/2014) CD Review

Recently several records from David Ruffin’s solo career were issued on CD by Real Gone Music. And now for good measure we get the release of fellow Temptation Eddie Kendricks’ Love Keys, his 1981 record. Eddie Kendricks is known for his voice, the way he’d hit that falsetto. He sang lead, for example, on “The Way You Do The Things You Do” (one of my favorite songs).

This marks the official CD debut of Love Keys. Sure, there are some cheesy elements to some of the tunes on this album. This isn’t his best work, but there are still some really good tunes here. I’m particularly fond of “Bernadette” and “Looking For Love.” And yeah, some of these songs make me want to go rollerskating, especially “You Can’t Stop My Loving.” This was one of his final albums. Eddie Kendricks died of lung cancer in 1992.

Love Keys opens with “(Oh I) Need Your Lovin’,” a song with a nice funky dance groove, and featuring Eddie’s smooth vocals. “I just can’t wait to rush into your arms/Oh I need your lovin’/Oh I, I just can’t wait to be near you.” The horns give the song a more interesting feel. I particularly like the saxophone solo.  “(Oh I) Need Your Lovin’” was released as a single, and reached #41 on the R&B chart. It was written by Brian Holland and Eddie Holland.

Some disco elements are prominent in “I’m In Need Of Love,” giving this one a fun feel right from the start. Eddie Kendricks begins this one by singing, “I don’t need a new automobile/I’d rather have a home-cooked meal/I don’t need a new pair of shoes/I need someone to talk to when I’ve got the blues.” (Oh man, I do need a new pair of shoes. Being broke sucks.) I love the sexy spoken-word moment: “Come on, baby/Come on, sugar.” “I’m In Need Of Love” was written by Lou Courtney.

Lou Courtney also wrote “I Don’t Need Nobody Else,” which was released as a single. It has a mid-tempo groove and kind of a cheesy vibe, but with a sweet promise of fidelity.

“Old Home Town” is a love song that begins with the lines, “Oh, you’re so damn sweet to come home to/You’re just like an old home town.” Interestingly, this one has a bit of a country vibe to it which sets it apart and keeps it from feeling too sugary sweet. “Old Home Town” was written by David Pomeranz.

“Bernadette” is a lot of fun, with a good rhythm and nice backing vocals, including some deep bass vocals which come as a surprise partway through the song (“Come on and thrill me, Momma”). There is some nice stuff from the horns, though they never really lead this song. The vocals have that honor. This is my personal favorite track. It was written by Stuart Mitchell.

“Hot” is just pure fun, with a quick pace and a simple beat. I love the way the horns work with the vocals on this one. It's a playful tune. But, yeah, the spelling of “H-O-T” (in the line "H-O-T, hot as can be") is definitely cheesy, no question.

"Looking For Love" is one of the album's strongest tracks. I dig those little funky touches on bass. Plus, there are some nice touches on keys, particularly in the instrumental section. “We’re looking for love, I know/Looking everywhere we go/Taking it fast, taking it slow.”

CD Track List

1. (Oh I) Need Your Lovin’
2. I’m In Need Of Love
3. I Don’t Need Nobody Else
4. Old Home Town
5. Bernadette
6. You Can’t Stop My Loving
7. Never Alone
8. Hot
9. Looking For Love
10. In Love We’re One

Love Keys was released on CD on April 1, 2014 through Real Gone Music.

Patti LaBelle And The Bluebelles: “The Complete Atlantic Sides Plus” (2014) CD Review

The Patti LaBelle music I heard while growing up was her 1970s and 1980s pop output, stuff like “New Attitude” and “Stir It Up,” and of course “Lady Marmalade,” from the band LaBelle. I had never heard that band’s earlier material. But before they became LaBelle, they were Patti LaBelle And The Bluebelles, and put out some great music in the 1960s. The Complete Atlantic Sides Plus collects forty tracks recorded between 1964 and 1969. A lot of these are covers of well-known hits such as “Unchained Melody” and “Yesterday.” There is also some original material. And there are a few previously unreleased tracks on the second disc.

This is the best stuff I’ve ever heard from Patti LaBelle. I was always impressed by her voice, but was never much of a fan of her 1980s material. This two-disc set includes nearly two hours of music. There are liner notes by David Nathan.

Live Tracks

The Complete Atlantic Sides Plus opens with five live tracks recorded in July of 1964. (The sixth song from their set has been lost.) The first song is a surprise – the Irish ballad “Danny Boy.” I don’t think I’ve ever heard a doo-wop or soul rendition before. The live set also includes “Down The Aisle (The Wedding Song),” which had been a hit for the group the previous year. It’s a slow, pretty song.

“Patti’s Prayer”

“Patti’s Prayer” was co-written by Patti LaBelle, and it’s an incredibly gorgeous song, due mainly to her powerful vocal performance. I’m particularly fond of the chorus, when their voices blend so well. This is an excellent track, one of the collection’s highlights. I also really like “You Forgot How To Love,” as it has another strong, impressive vocal performance.

“Unchained Melody”

It makes sense for this group to cover “Unchained Melody,” a song that demands some serious vocal chops. And yes, the vocals are excellent on this rendition, but I wish they were allowed to carry the song more. There is a bit too much production in this version, and it takes away from the vocals. They also do a pretty good version of “Groovy Kind Of Love.”

There is a pretty innocence to the vocal approach at the beginning of “Try To Remember.” And then Patti really belts it out at certain key moments. The other women’s vocals have a playful quality (especially on “follow, follow, follow”).

They cover “People,” a song that always makes me think of Barbra Streisand, and I despise Barbra Streisand. So it’s just impossible for me to enjoy this song.

The Beatles’ “Yesterday”

“Yesterday” is one of the most covered pop songs, and Patti LaBelle And The Bluebelles do a wonderful rendition of it. The best moments are when their vocals blend. At those times, this version is absolutely gorgeous. I could, however, do without the others echoing Patti on “game to play” and “hide away.”

They do a pretty nice version of “More.” By the way, if you haven’t seen Mondo Cane, you should definitely check it out.

“Over The Rainbow”

But probably the best track on the first disc is their wonderful and delightful cover of “Somewhere Over The Rainbow.” This track boasts such an incredible vocal performance, standing out even among all the other excellent vocal performances in this collection. This is a tremendous rendition, with a great amount of emotion and soul.

The first disc ends with a very cool and fun version of Curtis Mayfield’s “Family Man,” another of my favorite tracks.

“Always Something There To Remind Me”

The second disc opens with “Always Something There To Remind Me.” The first version of this song I ever heard was that by Naked Eyes. I loved, and still love, that version, and it wasn’t until years later that I learned it was a cover (hey, give me a break, I was a child) and began hearing much earlier renditions. The version by Patti LaBelle And The Bluebelles is interesting. It begins slowly, then kicks in with a wild pace and energy. And yeah, I definitely dig it.

“Take Me For A Little While” is another really cool track on the second disc. It builds nicely, with some great peaks and valleys. “Every time you put me down, I love you more/I feel so helpless.” “Dreamer” is one of the most interesting tracks on this release. It was also the title track of the band’s 1967 Atlantic LP.

Original Material

In addition to “Patti’s Prayer,” there are a few other songs written by band members. “I Need Your Love” is an original tune, written by Nona Hendryx. She also co-wrote “Wonderful,” a groovy tune that producer Don Davis co-wrote. This collection also includes “Loving Rules,” which Sarah Dash wrote.

Previously Unreleased Tracks

This collection includes four tracks that were previously unreleased, including “How Can You Throw My Love Away,” “Forget It,” “Never For Me” and “When Joe Touches Me.” “Forget It” is a fun song with a good energy, written by Teddy Vann and Calvin White. My favorite of the previously unreleased tracks is “Never For Me.” “I’m going to make you my prisoner of love for all eternity.” Oh yes!

CD Track List

Disc 1

1. Danny Boy (Live)
2. That’s How Heartaches Are Made (Live)
3. Down The Aisle (Live)
4. One Phone Call (Live)
5. Where Are You (Live)
6. Patti’s Prayer
7. Groovy Kind Of Love
8. All Or Nothing
9. Who Can I Turn To
10. You Forgot How To Love
11. Unchained Melody
12. Ebb Tide
13. He
14. Try To Remember
15. People
16. Yesterday
17. More
18. Over The Rainbow
19. I’m Still Waiting
20. Family Man

Disc 2

1. Always Something There To Remind Me
2. I Don’t Want To Go On Without You
3. Take Me For A Little While
4. Tender Words
5. Dreamer
6. Oh My Love
7. I Need Your Love
8. He’s My Man
9. Wonderful
10. How Can You Throw My Love Away
11. Dance To The Rhythm Of Love
12. Pride’s No Match For Love
13. He’s Gone
14. (1-2-3-4-5-6-7) Count The Days
15. Forget It
16. Never For Me
17. Loving Rules
18. Suffer
19. When Joe Touches Me
20. Trustin’ In You

 The Complete Atlantic Sides Plus was released on April 1, 2014 through Real Gone Music.

Johnny Cash, Johnny Cash, Johnny Cash - Kick Out The Lights!

When you're broke, getting the mail is one of the most stressful events of the day. You just know there's going to be a bill in there, and you know you can't pay it. There are many times when I consider giving up the whole ordeal, just letting the mail remain in the box. After all, if the box is closed, then the reality of the situation is still in flux. There is the chance that there are bills in there, and there is the chance that nothing is in there. And perhaps I could live within that latter reality for a while. But something tells me that might just lead to more troubles, greater troubles. And it might irritate my postal carrier.

Tonight I paid one of my bills - car insurance. Mailing my bills is a slightly less odious task whenever I use the Johnny Cash postage stamps. Something about involving Cash in the transaction makes it almost bearable. And every time I use my Johnny Cash postage stamps, I think of Ellis Paul's "Kick Out The Lights." It's such a great song. And if you get the chance to see him perform it in concert, he involves the audience, having the women sing, "Johnny Cash, Johnny Cash, Johnny Cash," and then everyone shouts, "Kick out the lights!" It might seem silly, but it's actually kind of wonderful. And I was singing it tonight as I dropped the bill into the mailbox. I had no women with me, so I took their part upon myself as well.

Zachary Lucky: “The Ballad Of Losing You” (2013) CD Review

Zachary Lucky’s most recent release, last year’s The Ballad Of Losing You, features some wonderful acoustic music. Most of these are original tunes, the one exception being a Townes Van Zandt song (and you can never go wrong with Townes). These songs have a great traditional folk feel, tackling those perfect folk subjects like lost loves and being on the road, while yet never feeling derivative or like a rehash of other material. Zachary has his own voice, his own way of phrasing his thoughts and feelings. There is a line from “Salty Air” that strikes me as a good example. Zachary sings, “Tell me where did we go” and you expect him to say “wrong,” and he does, but not right away. His thought changes direction slightly, and he sings, “Was it wrong from the start.” There are plenty of nice, surprising touches like that. This is a wonderful album. I also really love the album’s title.

The Ballad Of Losing You opens with “Ramblin’ Man’s Lament,” a soft, kind of beautiful folk tune which  is driven by Zachary Lucky’s great voice. He has one of those voices that seems perfectly tailored for folk and country, the voice of a storyteller, which has a kind of road wisdom to it, and also has a friendly tone. That coupled with the great sad sound of pedal steel make this opening track wonderful (that’s Aaron Goldstein on pedal steel). There is also some sweet work by Karrnnel Sawitsky on fiddle. I especially like the instrumental section where the fiddle takes the lead. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “And when all is said and done/And my rambling days are through/Will you be the one/That I’m running to.”

“After All The Months We’ve Shared” has a traditional, friendly folk rhythm on guitar that immediately puts you in the frame of mind to accept anything that might be sung.  The opening lines are: “Don’t tell me it’s time to leave/After all of the months we’ve shared/I’m tangled in the tallest trees/I’m tangled in your hair.” Nice, eh? Yeah, Zachary can sure write a good lyric. Adding to the traditional feel of this one is his use of a line from a traditional folk tune: “So fare thee well my own true love” (which is in “The Leaving Of Liverpool”).

I love the way the fiddle and pedal steel work together in the instrumental section of “Woke Up” to create a gorgeously sad sound. This song mentions Townes Van Zandt, Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie. It has an easy mellow feel, working perfectly with lines like “Just lost on the road or lost in a dream/With you by my side and Townes on the radio.” So sweet.

“Morning Words” begins like a typical traveling musician song, “I’ve been all across/The great plains and more/Well, I’ve been from the east/To the westerly shores.” But this song quickly gets its hooks into you, as he addresses the woman he misses (“And now I’m painting a picture/Just for you and me”). It really has its own beautiful vibe, setting it apart from other tunes that address this subject. And when at the end he returns to the first stanza, you have an affinity for the song’s narrator. That stanza’s final lines are changed from the first time around: “And I’ll be painting no pictures/I’ll be singing no more.”

“Come Back Around” is really all about the acoustic guitar and Zachary’s voice. It’s a completely unadorned folk tune, and so feels so honest and vulnerable and immediate. “When it comes time for leaving/We’ll say our goodbyes/Knowing there’s a reason/For all these miles left in between/When it comes time for leaving.”

The album’s sole cover is Townes Van Zandt’s “Waitin’ For The Day.” Zachary Lucky’s rendition has a sweet and sad-sounding country vibe. It's a bit smoother, with a slightly more polished sound due to the presence of fiddle and pedal steel. This is a song that was included on the 2003 release, In The Beginning, a collection of early recordings by Townes.

The Ballad Of Losing You concludes with “Sun’s Coming Up,” another tune with a familiar folk rhythm on guitar. The lines “A pretty fair maiden/And me, that makes two” have a humorous tone for me, just the way he describes her with love and adoration, and then adds himself in almost as simply a mathematical statistic. But over all, this song has a rather sad feel, as it’s told from the perspective of a soldier who goes off to war. The fiddle is wonderful on this track.

CD Track List

1. Ramblin’ Man’s Lament
2. Salty Air
3. After All The Months We’ve Shared      
4. Woke Up
5. More Than Enough Road
6. Merry Month Of May
7. Morning Words
8. Come Back Around
9. Waitin’ For The Day
10. Sun’s Coming Up

Musicians

Musicians on this album includes Zachary Lucky on vocals and guitar, Aaron Goldstein on pedal steel, Chris Prpich on bass, Benjamin Hadaller on banjo and dobro, Karrnnel Sawitsky on fiddle, and Jonathan Anderson on piano.

The Ballad Of Losing You was released on September 17, 2013 on Missed Connection Records.

Nir Felder: “Golden Age” (2014) CD Review

Nir Felder’s debut full-length CD, Golden Age, features original compositions by this incredibly talented jazz guitarist. This album comes at just the right time for me. I’ve been really preoccupied with various things, and the music on these tracks pulled me out of those concerns. I sometimes love when music feels like a journey that you and the musicians are on together, and that is often the case with the tracks on this release.

These are instrumental tracks, though a couple of them (“Lights” and “Sketch 2”) feature political speeches beneath the music. Besides Nir Felder on guitar, this CD features excellent work from Aaron Parks on piano, Matt Penman on bass and Nate Smith on drums.

The first track, “Lights,” opens with “Thank you very much,” an interesting way to open an album, then comes on like a good indie-rock tune. Under that, we hear bits of political speeches: “I want to tell you, our cause is just.” Some of the spoken bits are easier to hear than others. The last line is “We are a people, I tell you, that is just beginning its high adventure on this continent,” at which point the song fades out.

“Bandits” is such an interesting composition, with moments of quiet, delicate beauty, as well as bright, boisterous bursts. It features a nice, somewhat pretty section on piano, with the bass and drums offsetting that feel with the sense of some impending urgency. And at two moments in the tune there is what sounds like the cry of whales.

Nir Felder’s inspiration for “Ernest/Protector” seems almost equal parts Wes Montgomery and Trey Anastasio. The guitar feels almost like it’s talking to us, at times trying to get across something important. This one has an interesting pace, and plays with our emotions a bit, taking us on a ride once we hop on. This is one of my favorite tracks.

"Sketch 2" opens with a political speech: “Ten days ago the president...” The speech is about how the president said this country is a shining city on a hill, but that the country is really divided in two, and how a lot of people need help. The music comes in almost immediately, and kind of riffs on what is being said, like jamming to it. There is a brief but good drum solo.

"Memorial" features a very cool, intense jam, but also with well-defined themes. There is some excellent drumming on this track, as well as, of course, some intricate and interesting stuff on guitar from Nir Felder. This track really grabs hold of me. It's a fantastic tune.

I love the sweet, mellower groove of "Bandits II." And though it's mellower, there is still some great stuff on drums. But what I especially love is the piano work during Aaron Parks’ lead section. The song has a positive, bright, optimistic vibe that I appreciate. Nir Felder’s guitar is sometimes gently singing to us, soothing us, other times rousing us, as if out of a sleep to taste of life and its wonders. If forced to pick my favorite track, this would probably be it.

The CD's closing track, "Before The Tsars," opens with some sweet work on piano. Then the drums come in, almost like a clock that is ticking away the time, fast. The piano seems to convince the clock to slow just a bit, and we get into a good groove. Approximately three minutes in, the piano and bass find this delicious, almost kind of sly vibe.

There is a hidden track at the end. After approximately thirty seconds of silence, the last track fades back in, going back to the album's opening theme, with political speeches playing under it.

CD Track List

1. Lights
2. Bandits
3. Ernest/Protector
4. Sketch 2
5. Code
6. Memorial
7. Lover
8. Bandits II
9. Slower Machinery
10. Before The Tsars

Golden Age was released on January 21, 2014 on Okeh Records.