Paper Beat Scissors: “Go On” (2015) CD Review

Paper Beat Scissors is the project of Tim Crabtree, who wrote all of the songs on the new CD, Go On, the follow-up to the eponymous debut. This CD is a wonderful and always-interesting mix of pop and folk sounds, electronica mixed with acoustic instruments, and Tim Crabtree’s voice is one that is full of yearning, need, a voice seeking exploration. And the music reflects that desire for exploration as well. It is achieved in part by having different musicians and different instruments on different tracks. This album at many points manages to be both mellow and exciting simultaneously (like “Onwards”).

It opens with “Enough,” which begins with an electronic-sounding drum beat, then suddenly becomes a beautiful pop song. The first time I listened to this disc, that came as a wonderful surprise, when the song kicked in. From that opening beat, I expected it to go in a very different direction, and so I was immediately interested and caught up in the music. And because of that, I paid even closer attention to the lyrics. Here is a taste: “Blithely you pick out your words/And won’t change them, no matter what the fashion/Clothed in your nouns and your verbs/Their best attempts to lead you to distraction.”

That’s followed by “Lawless,” which has a mellow, acoustic feel to start, the guitar soft and steady, giving focus to the vocals, to the lyrics. “Over out in the mud you made a promise/Over out in the mud you made a wish/Back where we walked you said that it was clearing/To quiet my mind and hold us both to this.” There is a beauty to this track, and then a couple of minutes in, it bursts up to another level. Michael Feuerstack plays pedal steel on this track. Gregory Burton plays euphonium and provides the orchestral arrangement, which serves the song well and never overpowers it.

One of my favorite tracks is “Wouldn’t,” mainly because of the sound of the song during the chorus, which is earnest and moving. “It was time for it to go/It was time, but it wouldn’t.” Simple, but effective. And I appreciate the joyous play with language, as in lines like “It was on the mind of all that minded we were there” and “The absence of a meaning didn’t mean we didn’t care.” Gregory Burton is on euphonium; Pietro Amato is on French horn; and Patrick Cruvellier is on violin. It is followed by another favorite, “Unfazed,” which features Tim Crabtree on piano and has country elements, most obviously heard in the pedal steel work by Michael Feuerstack. It is a pretty track, with a sound that seems to offer comfort almost like a lullaby. Check out these lyrics: “Don’t wake up when it rains/Silence should stay/Sleep through it all as through there’ll be no pain.” I love this song.

“A Reprieve” is the album’s only instrumental track. It fades in at the beginning, as if already in progress, coming from a distance, and has a slow, steady build as it approaches, taking hold. And then it eases out, releasing us gently. The album concludes with its title track, “Go On,” which is actually a different take on the CD’s opening track, “Enough,” this time with clarinet, bassoon and violin.

CD Track List

1. Enough
2. Lawless
3. When You Still
4. Wouldn’t
5. Unfazed
6. Onwards
7. Altona
8. A Reprieve
9. Bundled
10. Go On

Go On was released on August 14, 2015 through Forward Music Group. 

Tawny Ellis: “Ghosts Of The Low Country: The Muscle Shoals Sessions” (2015) CD Review

Tawny Ellis is a talented singer and songwriter who also works in the realm of sculpture, and makes jewelry as well. In addition, she is a lap steel player, as can be heard on her new EP, Ghosts Of The Low Country: The Muscle Shoals Sessions. This CD contains two original compositions and two covers, and features members of the Athens, Georgia band Five Eight (and actually, one of the two covers is a Five Eight tune). Tawny Ellis herself is from Georgia, but is now based in Los Angeles.

The EP opens with one of the original tracks, “Ghosts Of The Low Country,” which was written by Tawny Ellis and her husband Gio Loria, who plays dobro and Hammond B3 on this one. But right away what will grab you is Tawny Ellis’ voice. It is one of those voices perfect for country and folk, sweet and intimate and full of heartache. “They’re the ghosts of the low country/Coming out of the river, washing over me/Singing songs in sweet harmony/Whispering secrets to me/They’re the ghosts of the low country.” Five Eight’s Sean Dunn and Patrick Ferguson play on this track, on electric guitar and drums respectively, and Tawny Ellis plays lap steel. This is a moving composition. “How many years must you walk/To find your way back home/So many tears, oh, they’re falling/Calling you back home.”

It’s followed by the other original tune, “Evolve Or Die,” which was written by Tawny Ellis and Walter Spenser. It has a wonderful gospel folk vibe, and features some nice work on drums by Patrick Ferguson and on guitar by Gio Loria. “’Cause hell’s a big place with an open gate/But heaven’s calling/For there I’m bound/The bells are ringing/Can’t you hear the sound.” There is a positive bent to this track, in lines like “But I can change this/It’s not too late/To let the light in/’Til the darkness fades” and “My breath is steady/And my mind is sound/My heart is full now/With love abound/I hear bells ringing/Come gather round.” What I like also is the earnestness of the song, of its delivery. This is a song that Tawny Ellis had recorded and released earlier; it was the title track to her 2008 CD.

“Desperate Tonight” is a Five Eight tune written by Mike Mantione and included on that band’s 1992 release, I Learned Shut Up. Tawny Ellis’ rendition features two members of that band – Sean Dunn on electric guitar and Patrick Ferguson on drums. This is a wonderful song, and Tawny Ellis’ rendition is beautiful. She really pours her heart into it. I love these lines: “I’ve chosen my weapon and it’s silence/Complete with my trusted friend arrogance.” The EP then concludes with a kind of sweet, relaxed rendition of “Walkin’ After Midnight,” the song written by Alan Block and Donn Hecht and made famous by Patsy Cline. Tawny Ellis plays lap steel on this track. And something in her voices makes me believe her when she sings, “I walk for miles along the highway/Well, that’s just my way of saying I love you/I’m always walkin’ after midnight/Searching for you.”

CD Track List

1. Ghosts Of The Low Country
2. Evolve Or Die
3. Desperate Tonight
4. Walkin’ After Midnight

Ghosts Of The Low Country: The Muscle Shoals Sessions is scheduled to be released on November 6, 2015.

The Grownup Noise's Final Shows (At Least For Now)

The Grownup Noise is one of my favorite current bands. But after this weekend, they may no longer exist as a band, and certainly not in the form we know. The good news is that they have a new CD out. So the shows this weekend are part celebration of the new album, part farewell. Last night they played at the Davis Square Theatre in Somerville, Massachusetts. Tonight they play at Lily Pad, in Cambridge. This is their last official show, but it turns out the band also has a show scheduled for tomorrow. It's not listed on their web page, because it's at a residence. Like many artists these days, The Grownup Noise had turned to fans for help in funding the new album. One of the incentives or rewards was a house concert, and the show is to take place tomorrow, August 16th, from 3 to 5 p.m. in West Medford. It's going to take place on the porch, so people are encouraged to bring along their own beach chairs and refreshments. The address is 41 Monument St., West Medford, Massachusetts. I really wish I could be there. 

Peter Frampton: “Now” (2003/2015) CD Review

I worked as an extra for a week or so on Almost Famous (at the time referred to as Untitled Cameron Crowe Project), a movie for which Peter Frampton provided some music and worked as a consultant. The movie was about a band called Stillwater, and several scenes were concert scenes. Well, at one point work stopped on a concert scene, and it was announced that Peter Frampton was going to play for us. And indeed, he came out on stage and did a short concert. It was unexpected and a total joy – probably the best time I ever spent as an extra. And it rekindled my interest in his music. So when his next CD, Now, came out in 2003, I bought a copy and was largely impressed by its eleven tracks, all but one of which are originals. And actually one of the songs on this release, “Hour Of Need,” was written for Almost Famous. Now Omnivore Recordings is re-issuing this album. There are no bonus tracks, but there are some new liner notes by Scott Schinder, including bits from an interview conducted with Peter Frampton.

Now kicks off with a solid rock tune, “Verge Of A Thing,” with a nice heavy groove. It was written by Peter Frampton and Gordon Kennedy (who co-wrote the majority of this CD’s material). Gordon Kennedy also plays guitar on this track. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “But oh, as hard as I try, there's no explaining this/It ain't the wine or the dope that's talking/It ain't your psychic on Benzedrine/No, I have been to the mountain and I have a dream/Baby, we're on the verge of a thing.” It’s followed by “Flying Without Wings,” which begins with some good bluesy guitar, which right away gets me on board. This song has a nice groove and some positive lyrics, like these lines: “Take to the skies/You're flying without wings/Get up and do it again/You've got to make the wind your friend/You might just find you'll float away/Sit back, enjoy the ride/You've got to trust what's there inside.”

“Love Stands Alone” begins as a mellower, prettier song, then kicks in with a power for the chorus (“Doesn’t matter/Doesn’t matter to her…”). “Love Stands Alone” was written by Peter Frampton, Gordon Kennedy and Bob Mayo. The lines that always stand out for me are: “Once I was captured/By the fire in her eyes/Now when I look I see the whites of her lies.” “Not Forgotten” also begins as a mellower, acoustic tune, and when it kicks in, it retains that feel. There is something really pretty about this song, and it’s one of my favorite tracks on this release. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “Those who went before/Why are they remembered/They held our hands/And sang us songs/Lived their lives ‘til they were gone/But not forgotten.”

“Hour Of Need” was written by Peter Frampton, Gordon Kennedy and Wayne Kirkpatrick for the film Almost Famous, where it is performed by the fictional band Stillwater (not to be confused with the actual 1970s band Stillwater, who interestingly use that talking guitar effect on their song “Mind Bender,” the effect that Peter Frampton famously used). “Hour Of Need” is a really good song, and stands up well on its own, away from the film for which it was written.

I usually think it’s a good idea to discourage songwriters from writing about their children, because often the resulting songs are their worst material. It’s like how parents expect everyone else to think their children are as amazing as they do. But there is something undeniably sweet about Peter Frampton’s “Mia Rose,” written about his daughter. It’s certainly not the album’s strongest track, but it’s kind of adorable. It was written by Peter Frampton and Kimmie Rhodes. “I’m Back” is a good rock song, though I could do without the reference to The Terminator, which kind of detracts from the song a bit, making it a bit more goofy. “I’m back/Like Schwarzenegger in Terminator.” Unfortunately, the line is in the chorus, so it’s repeated several times.

The following track, “I Need Ground,” is a much better song, with some nice percussion by Blair Masters. “I need ground/Somewhere soft to land/When I come down/Somewhere it's safe to stand.” Then comes the CD’s sole cover, a good rendition of The Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” It opens with a thoughtful, arresting guitar solo, and features some excellent guitar work throughout. Don Fields plays acoustic guitar on this track. It leads into “Greens,” which also begins with an introspective-sounding guitar solo, and is the album’s only instrumental track. It's a wonderful tune, with the guitar at times playing the part you might imagine a lone late-night saxophonist would play. It was written by Peter Frampton and Bob Mayo, and features Jed Leiber on keyboards.

The CD then ends with one of my favorite tracks, a sweet and positive number titled “Above It All,” written by Peter Frampton, Gordon Kennedy and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Here is a bit of the lyrics: “It's me and you/Chasing sunshine until tomorrow/What will we do/If the sky cries and turns to sorrow/I see us picking up/The pieces when they fall/Rising above it all.”

CD Track List

1. Verge Of A Thing
2. Flying Without Wings
3. Love Stands Alone
4. Not Forgotten
5. Hour Of Need
6. Mia Rose
7. I’m Back
8. I Need Ground
9. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
10. Greens
11. Above It All 

This re-issue of Now is scheduled to be released on September 4, 2015 through Omnivore Recordings, following re-issues of Frampton's 1986 release, Premonition, and 1989 album, When All The Pieces Fit.

Peter Frampton: “When All The Pieces Fit” (1989/2015) CD Review

When All The Pieces Fit was the second Peter Frampton album on the Atlantic label, following 1986’s Premonition. To my ears, When All The Pieces Fit is a much better album. It still has quite a lot of synthesizer, as well as some drum machine stuff (which I never appreciate), but the focus seems much more on the songwriting. Also, the guitar has a lot more prominence. Unlike the re-issue of Premonition, this disc contains no bonus tracks. It does, however, include new liner notes by Scott Schinder, with bits from an interview with Peter Frampton.

The album opens with “More Ways Than One,” written by Peter Frampton and Danny Wilde, and straight off, this disc definitely has a 1980s pop thing going on, but is not quite as much a product of its time as was the previous album. There is a positive bent to this track, with lines like, “I believe there are more ways than one/Any door can be opened.” It’s a song in which he woos a woman. “I knew I was in trouble when I saw you for the first time/’Cause you’re a little bit different, you’re driving me wild/I’m gonna make you love me even if it takes a lifetime.” However, by the end, his perspective has changed a bit, and he’s decided he doesn’t want to spend a lifetime wooing her: “Don’t wait too long to come around/I might be nowhere to be found/And you’ll be standing all alone.” It’s interesting that as he’s come to be a bit less patient, he also comes to think that if she’s not with him, she’ll be alone.

“More Ways Than One” is followed by “Holding On To You,” one of my favorite tracks on this disc. There is a bit more of a focus on the vocals and lyrics, which I appreciate. There is also something of a sweet vibe to this tune, and some nice backing vocals by Mark Williamson and Jean McClain. This song was written by Peter Frampton and Will Jennings. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “I won’t be letting go/I just started to hold on harder to you/I won’t be letting go/I just wanted you to know/I won’t be letting go/I just started to hold on harder to you.” Then “My Heart Goes Out To You” features a nice lead guitar part halfway through, and that familiar Frampton guitar sound toward the end.

One of the album’s most interesting tracks is “People All Over The World,” written by Peter Frampton and B.A. Robertson (Robertson is also on synthesizer and backing vocals). It opens with the chorus, which finds Frampton joined by several other vocalists, including Alfie Silas, Mark Williamson and Jean McClain, giving it the feel and power of an anthem. “People all over the world/Here and now are in suffering, struggling to be free/You’re there in your little world/I’m in mine and we’re mumbling, crumbling/What about me?” I found myself singing along to this track pretty quickly.

“Back To The Start” is a fairly straight-ahead rock tune, which was pretty refreshing in 1989. It was written by Peter Frampton and Danny Wilde (Wilde provides backing vocals on this track). “Now And Again” is one of my personal favorites. It has both beauty and energy, and again the focus is on the vocals, the lyrics. “Maybe you still hear the echoes/As they make their escape/There was nothing so special here/We need time to debate/I offer no explanations/For those who remain.” I also really like John Regan’s work on bass. “Now And Again” was written by Peter Frampton, John Regan and B.A. Robertson. It’s an excellent song.

The album concludes with another of its best songs, “This Time Around,” which has a sweet and uplifting feel. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “No one breaks this time around/Life just takes us where we're bound/Hear the music playing/We know what it's saying now/Lost until we're found/And we're found this time around.” Nice, eh? Plus, it features a saxophone solo by Sam Riney. “This Time Around” was written by Peter Frampton, Will Jennings and John Regan. I love how this album ends on such a positive note: “It's our time this time around.”

CD Track List

1. More Ways Than One
2. Holding On To You
3. My Heart Goes Out To You
4. Hold Tight
5. People All Over The World
6. Back To The Start
7. Mind Over Matter
8. Now And Again
9. Hard Earned Love
10. This Time Around

This re-issue of When All The Pieces Fit is scheduled to be released on August 28, 2015 through Omnivore Recordings.

Peter Frampton: “Premonition” (1986/2015) CD Review

Peter Frampton’s Premonition was originally released in 1986, a full ten years after Frampton Comes Alive!, and yet it seems we were still comparing everything he put out to that record. And 1986 was not a great year for music. The joy of the 1983, 1984 pop records was basically gone, and the sounds were getting stale. This was the year of New Kids On The Block and Billy Ocean and Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson and Europe and Stryper and Salt-N-Pepa. Synth sounds were everywhere. Peter Frampton is of course known for his guitar work, and Premonition has quite a lot of synthesizer, with the guitar adding nice touches and accents, but certainly not driving most of the material. But there are still some really good songs here, including “Lying” and “Into View.” And this special re-issue includes two bonus tracks and new liner notes by Scott Schinder, featuring parts of an interview done with Peter Frampton.

Premonition is unmistakably an ‘80s album right from the opening notes of its first track, “Stop.” It nearly screams, 1986! Beneath all those 1980s trappings is something of a love song, with lines like “We've seen heartache and we've seen rain/You and I have made it through again/I will stand by you/No matter what you do/I will always be your lover and your friend/So this story will not end.” “Stop” was written by Peter Frampton and Mark Goldenberg. It’s followed by “Hiding From A Heartache,” which is also so clearly an ‘80s track. This is really an album of its time. But again, if you can get past those mid-1980s sounds, you can appreciate this track. “When I'm faced with the memory of love/And it's you that I want but you're not enough.” “Hiding From A Heartache” was written by Peter Frampton, Arthur Stead and Steve Brougton Lunt.

“Premonition,” the album’s title track, is a fairly good rock tune, with a steady beat and some nice work on guitar. It was written by Peter Frampton and Rob Sabino. That one is followed by “Lying,” which was released as a single, reaching #74 on the Billboard chart. This is a good, strong song, one of the best tracks on this album. This one makes really good use of those 1980s sounds and simultaneously rises above them. Then “Moving A Mountain” opens with a guitar riff, which gets me excited. There is a certain power to this 1980s rock tune, making it another of this record’s highlights.

But my favorite track is “Into View,” a tune I love right from its opening. It has a good groove, and some catchy elements. And it certainly doesn’t hurt that the guitar takes prominence here (including a bit of that talking guitar sound Peter Frampton is so famous for). “But there's always another hill to climb/And never enough of that precious time.”

Bonus Tracks

This special re-issue contains two bonus tracks. The first is “So Far Away,” which was included as the flip side to the single of “All Eyes On You.” “You left me without a reason/Not saying goodbye/I can remember you said you’d stay/All that’s so true, girl, until yesterday/You’re so far away.” “So Far Away” was written by Peter Frampton and Daryl Stuermer. The second is “Nothing At All,” which is from the soundtrack to the 1986 Kevin Bacon film Quicksilver. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “I never liked history/It's a thing of the past/If I lived to a thousand years/Would time still go so fast/I've been up to the mountaintop/I had to look down/Nobody ever greets you there/Only you and your prayer/But there's nothing at all, nothing at all/In my way.”

CD Track List

1. Stop
2. Hiding From A Heartache
3. You Know So Well
4. Premonition
5. Lying
6. Moving A Mountain
7. All Eyes On You
8. Into View
9. Call Of The Wild
10. So Far Away
11. Nothing At All 

This special re-issue of Premonition is scheduled to be released on August 28, 2015 through Omnivore Recordings.

Go See The Grownup Noise August 14 and 15

The Grownup Noise is one of the best bands around these days, and they're about to release a new CD, which I'm seriously excited about. They're also about to break up, at least sort of, at least for a while, which I am truly bummed out about. Several days ago the band announced that the shows on August 14 and 15 would be the last shows with Todd Marston and Aine Fujioka, and today I've learned that they will also be the last shows with Adam Sankowski. So that is definitely an end to the current sound of the band. Or, a temporary end to the current sound. Who knows what the future will bring? I am hoping that this will end up being just a short break. And in the meantime, Paul Hansen will continue writing and performing, so there is still something to look forward to. But I highly recommend going to the shows on August 14 and 15. I love this band, and these guys put on a really good show.

Here are the details:

• August 14, 2015 - Davis Square Theatre, 255 Elm St., Somerville, MA  -  8 p.m.
• August 15, 2015 - Lily Pad, 1353 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA  -  7 p.m.

And here are links to some of my earlier posts about The Grownup Noise:

• The Grownup Noise at The Silverlake Lounge, 8-15-11 Concert Review
• The Grownup Noise at The Silverlake Lounge, 8-8-13 Concert Review
• The Grownup Noise at The Silverlake Lounge, Photos
• The Grownup Noise: "The Grownup Noise" CD Review
• The Grownup Noise in Los Angeles , 8-17-10 Concert Review
• The Grownup Noise: "This Time With Feeling" CD Review