The Cars: “Live At The Agora, 1978” (2017) Vinyl Review

Like basically all upcoming events, Record Store Day has been postponed. It was scheduled for April 18th, and has been pushed back to June 20th. Will things be back to normal by then? Who knows? In the meantime, I thought I’d enjoy one of the Record Store Day releases from a few years ago, which somehow until now I’d left unopened: The Cars’ Live At The Agora , 1978. This three-sided album contains the show The Cars performed at The Agora Ballroom in Cleveland on July 18, 1978, just after the release of their first studio album. This record captures The Cars at their most energetic and exciting time, and features some of their best songs, including “Bye Bye Love” and “Moving In Stereo.” In fact, they played every song from that first LP at this show.

Side A

After a brief introduction (“Ladies and gentlemen, and the rest of you…”) and a goofy sound effect of a car skidding to a crash, The Cars kick off their set with “Good Times Roll,” a fitting opening. How many songs have titles that are variations of “Let The Good Times Roll”? I’m not sure, but I can think of half a dozen off the top of my head. After that song, they thank the crowd, then launch into “Bye Bye Love,” and here the energy gets really crackling. This was always one of my favorites, and here they deliver a great rendition, with some excellent work on guitar. I was fortunate enough to see Cars’ lead guitarist Elliot Easton play with the Wild Honey Orchestra just a few weeks ago, a treat for me as for one reason or another I never did see The Cars in concert. Then we hear “Hey, it’s good to be back home,” which must be from Benjamin Orr. Though The Cars were a Boston band, I think only drummer David Robinson was actually born in Massachusetts (he also played with Jonathan Richman). Benjamin Orr, who died in 2000, was from Ohio. And the band goes into “Night Spots,” which also has an electric energy. This is a song that would end up on their second record, Candy-O. After that, someone in the audience shouts out a request for “Just What I Needed,” to which the band responds, “You’re just what we needed.” But they don’t play that song right then. Instead, they go into “I’m In Touch With Your World,” a kind of quirky number that I dig. And that’s how the first side ends.

Side B

“So you’ve heard of us, eh?” they say to the crowd at the beginning of the second side. And they play “My Best Friend’s Girl.” The moment they start it, the audience responds. This song had been released as a single, as well as being included on that first album. It would later be included on that Greatest Hits album in 1985. It’s such a fun song. The band slides right into “Moving In Stereo,” which is my personal favorite Cars song. We all remember that scene from Fast Times At Ridgemont High, with Phoebe Cates getting out of the pool. A cool scene, and a cool song. From there, the band goes straight into “All Mixed Up,” a segue which works really well. “All Mixed Up” follows “Moving In Stereo” on the band’s first album as well. That’s followed by “Take What You Want,” a song not on the original debut album, but included as a bonus track on a later re-issue. I love the jamming on this one.

Side C

The third side gets off to a thumping and delicious start with “Don’t Cha Stop.” This is one you want to dance around to, or at least it’s one that I dance around to. They follow it with another fun rock song, “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight.” After that, the band thanks the audience: “Thank you up here and back there. Can’t see you all there. Are you back there?” Well, the moment they start the next song, “Just What I Needed,” I’m sure they’re aware of everyone in the place, up front and in the back, for the crowd is clearly excited to hear the band’s hit single. And the band delivers a fun rendition, certainly a highlight of this release. And apparently it was the set closer. But soon the band is back for a two-song encore. “Hotel Queenie” is up first, and is another song that was not included on that first album, but was included as a bonus track in an expanded re-issue. This is a wild, fast-paced rock song, with a punk energy, another highlight of this record. There is a slight pause before the band delivers the final song, a cover of the classic Eddie Cochran rock ‘n’ roll tune “Somethin’ Else,” a song that includes the lines “That car’s fine lookin’ man/It’s something else.” By the way, the fourth side is designed to look like a Cars tire tread across the vinyl.

Record Track List

Side A

1. Intro/Good Times Roll
2. Bye Bye Love
3. Night Spots
4. I’m In Touch With Your World

Side B

1. My Best Friend’s Girl
2. Moving In Stereo
3. All Mixed Up
4. Take What You Want

Side C

1. Don’t Cha Stop
2. You’re All I’ve Got Tonight
3. Just What I Needed
4. Hotel Queenie
5. Somethin’ Else 

Live At The Agora, 1978 was released on vinyl on April 22, 2017. According to the Record Store Day website, it was a limited run of 4,000 copies, but a sticker on the album’s plastic wrap says “Strictly limited to 5,000 copies.” So, who knows? By the way, the packaging is not a gatefold. The two records are in individual inner sleeves tucked into the same outer sleeve.

Trees Speak: “Ohms” (2020) Vinyl Review

Even before the coronavirus outbreak, we’d been on the edge, emotionally and spiritually. For three years we’ve been waiting for the destruction of the mendacious, racist game show host who has been pretending to be president, but for some reason it just never comes. As a result, we’ve been in a sort of purgatory. But at least we could reach out to each other, gather together, hug each other, offer some comfort and some hope and some humanity. Now with the virus that is becoming impossible, or at least inadvisable. We are isolated, frightened, and still in that state of purgatory. Seems like a good time to immerse ourselves in some experimental music, see what it has to offer. Trees Speak is the project of Daniel Martin Diaz and Damian Diaz. They released their first album, a self-titled double album, in late 2017, and now are following that up with Ohms, which is being released on vinyl, and which includes a bonus seven-inch of “Invisible Sine Wave” and “Witch Wound.” That single had previously been released on its own as a limited edition record with a white label, and sold out almost immediately. So now you have an opportunity to grab yourself a copy.

The tracks on Ohms largely run together, creating a single musical experience. It opens, with “Soul Sequencer,” which begins with an eerie call from an electric mountain top, an intelligence reaching to us, drawing us toward it, then scanning us, testing us. When they’ve completed their initial work, the track suddenly takes on a steady beat. We are welcomed, perhaps, through a door into some sort of factory, where people are being duplicated, multiplied, but without eyes, sliding off the assembly line and having to feel their way through metal debris. It is fascinating, horrifying. Would it be wrong to dance to this? It helps, doesn’t it? We find a release. Then, as that track segues into “Nitrous Cross,” we are dropped into a darker space, with tiny lights piercing us from above, here and there, the air thick, and stirred around us by an unseen hand. We have no footing, and feel like we are about to drop farther, but instead end up floating. Soon, in “Shadow Circuit,” we find ourselves in a grid, each of us assigned a number, which is emblazoned in light on our chests, like glowing tattoos. People flash by, are added to, multiplied, and afraid of being subtracted. We move closer and closer to the machine, the sound growing louder, to learn our fate. But then we are through, and the rest recede behind us. What has happened? We look back, but vision is muddied now. Yet around us is a peaceful feeling at last, and we close our eyes. It doesn’t last long, however, and there seems to be danger as we move through “Blame Shifter,” and the slow beat that emerges seems to hold us in place, to promise some intrigue. People lumber by in the shadows, carrying sharp tools, weapons, and we try to blend in, but we’ve been drugged and have little control. In “Spirit Duplicator,” a new electronic voice appears, pushes away everything else, calls our focus to it, demands it, allowing us to see nothing else, to hear nothing else. We are all ears and eyes, and this force enters us everywhere. This track suddenly ends, and there is a brief pause before “Nobody Knows,” when a new group comes out of the shadows, out of the silence, shaking censers, and pulling behind them some heavy chains. Before we can see what is at the other end of the chains, the track ends. In “Sadness In Wires,” we are alone again, feeling despondent, and yet also holding a bit of hope in our isolation. Things begin to shift and fade, and perhaps none of this is real, just something we are hearing on a radio.

The second side opens with “State Of Clear,” and things seem fine now. We have a good groove, one we can move to, and are in familiar territory. Perhaps things aren’t completely perfect, but we can move freely here, the sound closer to rock, to pop, to recognizable landscapes, and we are put at ease. But just as we get comfortable, reality shifts again toward darkness with “Sleep Crime,” a foreboding, a sense of something ominous runs along our skin. We slow, look around. Something is there, something dangerous, something frightening, but we can’t quite see it. No light can penetrate its form long enough to define it. We just pray it will pass us. Then, with “Knowing,” we are dropped into a cool, psychedelic spot, where maybe things are strange, but nothing is harmful. We know we can handle whatever may happen here, for none of it is likely real anyway. Things are loose. Then we turn a corner we hadn’t expected to be there, pass through a curtain into a mellower place, “Splendid Sun,” and whatever is here has been here for a long time. Then in “Ohms,” it is like we are taught how to control this place, or at least how to keep from having it control us. We test it, turn things up here and there, find we like it. It is like we have a handle on this new reality now. So then when this new thing comes thumping in, “Out Of View,” it feels like it is entering, even invading, our own territory. That is how involved we are at this point. We have adapted. And so, in “Psychic Wounds,” we are okay, lighter now. And any wounds can be healed, though there is a desire for sleep, for rest. With “Silicone Emotions,” the sounds once again become more electronic, but not frightening. Have we fully become part of the machinery? Is this our voice reaching out now to another? To someone we wish to pull in? The message fades. The album concludes with “Octave Cycle,” and now there is a curiosity, but not a fear, of what is out there, and of what is in there. Something is approaching, but we stand fast, letting its force pass like a breeze, rippling our skin. Its beat is our beat. We hold and let go simultaneously. There is a peace and a freedom even among the clamor and the coming darkness.

Record Track List

Side A

1. Soul Sequencer
2. Nitrous Cross
3. Shadow Circuit
4. Blame Shifter
5. Spirit Duplicator
6. Nobody Knows
7. Sadness In Wires 

Side B

1. State Of Clear
2. Sleep Crime
3. Knowing
4. Splendid Sun
5. Ohms
6. Out Of View
7. Psychic Wounds
8. Silicone Emotions
9. Octave Cycle 

Ohms was released in Europe on March 6, 2020, and will be released in the United States on April 3, 2020.

Seiche: “Demo Press” (1981/2019) Vinyl Review

If you collect records, you know that some releases have rather small pressings. Take those Record Store Day releases, for example, some of which have pressings of only five hundred copies. Well, when the Seiche record Demo Press was originally released in 1981, there were only fifty copies made (at least with the proper record cover; apparently there were another hundred copies that came in a plain white sleeve). Talk about a limited run! It’s insane, and it provides some clue as to why few have heard of it, or even of the band. But fortunately, the record has now been re-issued by Jackpot Records, so more people can enjoy this rare treasure. Seiche was a progressive rock band based in Chicago, made up of Steve Zahradnik on guitar and vocals, Tom Vess on bass and vocals, and Marc Levinson on drums and percussion. This trio formed in the late 1970s and put out only that one album before disbanding. The re-issue has a different cover, with the original blue and white artwork appearing in the upper left corner of the sticker on the plastic wrap. Inside, the liner notes provide some information on the band, as well as several photos. The songs are all originals, written by Steve Zahradnik and Tom Vess.

Side A

The record opens with “In The Calm Of Your Eye,” which has a mellow, haunting sound at the start, seeming to take some influence from the darker side of folk. That tone is maintained, even as the song develops a cool drum beat. “And we will find a way/To see/There can be/Life in the calm/Calm of your eye.” Then halfway through, the song shifts from an acoustic sound to more of a harder rock groove, and soon the electric guitar flies upward, as if suddenly freed of constraints, and the song becomes a cool jam. Then “Evidently Me” begins in that rock realm, but with something of an otherworldly vibe, like the rock music of some fantasy creatures. And when the vocals come in, that sense is even stronger. I am digging this music, and I think I also would have enjoyed it had I heard it when it was first released in 1981. That was the year I started playing Dungeons And Dragons, and something about the sound of this song makes me feel it would have been eagerly welcomed by our group while we played. “There lie certain dangers/Quite beneath the ones you see.” Then this one takes a turn also, led by the bass, speeding up and becoming a hard rock jam, like something Deep Purple might have done in its early days. This band can seriously rock when it wants to. Both “In The Calm Of Your Eye” and “Evidently Me” were written by Steve Zahradnik.

The first side of the record concludes with “Islands,” written by Tom Vess, who leads this one off with his bass. Rather than build toward it, this one begins as a rocking jam, the guys ripping right into it. Perhaps the song takes a breath or two at one point, then that electric guitar is off on a fiery quest, raising specters from the smoke of a ceremony in some distant land. The song then slows its pace, almost as if breaking down. And after a brief pause, it shifts into a prettier and mellower land, and it is then that the vocals begin. “Try to fathom a place that is untouched by fate/A place where you know not what will come/But what does will not harm you/A promised land, perhaps, but in a much simpler sense.” This pretty realm, however, feels like a respite, an oasis, and you just know you will be in a more turbulent, electric territory sooner or later. And indeed, that is the case, and soon things are moving quickly, the drums and bass rushing forward, that groove seeming to say “Onward, now, now, now, let’s go.”

Side B

The second side opens with “Dissonant Toys,” which eases in, creating a strange atmosphere, another fantasy realm, like that which a slightly disturbed child might see in his room when the shifting shadows cause things to seem to move, to flicker. Then the song kicks in to become a rock song, and again these guys jam on it, each of the three musicians delivering interesting stuff. This is one of those songs where you might sometimes find yourself focusing on one instrument, sometimes on another. There is some excellent work on drums here. Toward the end, the song returns to that mellower place, as if coming back from the realm of a child’s imagination, and right as the song ends, there is a hint that that realm is about to break through into this reality. That’s followed by “The Maze,” an instrumental track that begins with a glorious energy, like the band is already jamming, and we’ve stepped into the room to check out what they’re up to. There is a brighter, more cheerful sound and vibe to this one, and it moves at a good clip.  And then it’s suddenly over.

“Medicine Man” has a strong progressive rock sound from the start, soon zooming off toward some distant point, then shifting its groove once it has arrived, and that’s when the vocals come in. At that point, it has a bit of a 1960s influence, which is cool.  “When I see you that way it’s so hard to say no thank you.” I love this section. The song then speeds off again just before the end. The album concludes with “Good Mourning,” which opens in a prettier, more relaxed place. Again, a 1960s psychedelic influence is felt. The electric guitar then offers a lament or petition to the gods. Will they answer? It almost doesn’t matter, as the offering seems an end in itself. And the song returns to a more acoustic setting. “Find a new way to live/Learn the way to forget and forgive.”

Record Track List

Side A

1. In The Calm Of Your Eye
2. Evidently Me
3. Islands 

Side B

1. Dissonant Toys
2. The Maze
3. Medicine Man
4. Good Mourning

The special re-issue of Demo Press was released on November 29, 2019 through Jackpot Records.

Eamon Ra: “Meat Bones Chemicals Electricity” (2020) Vinyl Review

Things are a little nutty out there, no question about it. And as more and more people are being asked to remain at home until this crisis passes, it seems an opportune time to dig into some new vinyl releases. Take advantage of this time off from work, at least until financial worries push all joyful thoughts from our minds. Eamon Ra is the new project of Seattle-based singer and guitarist and songwriter Eamon Nordquist, whom you might know as a member of the Sterling Loons or from his guitar work on Truly’s albums. Eamon Ra’s debut album, Meat Bones Chemical Electricity, has a certain delicious 1960s sound, and there is even a playful nod to John Lennon’s influence on the back of the record cover, with the band being referred to as The Plastic Eamon Band. Of course, there is another joke in that reference, as the band in question is just Eamon Nordquist along with a series of drummers joining him on various tracks. Eamon Nordquist plays guitar, bass and mellotron. He has also created a book to accompany the record, with illustrations to go along with each track.

Side A

The album opens with “Future History,” a cool song with a strong 1960s British invasion vibe, and some psychedelic touches. It’s an overall cheerful sound, which I certainly appreciate. Plus, it’s a love song, and we can never have too many of those. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “I’m getting memories I shouldn’t yet have/But you know that I know they’re true/It’s you and me in this future I see.” Michael Collins plays drums on this track. That’s followed by “Pitchforks And Torches,” which begins with sound effects of a crowd and church bells (ask not for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for all of us, right?). The artwork in the accompanying book, by the way, is adorable, like an awkward teenage punk Frankenstein’s monster or something. Likewise, there is something kind of adorable about the song itself, particularly during that instrumental section, which I love. This song includes the album’s title in its lyrics: “They didn’t understand/Quite how he could just be/Meat bones and chemicals, electricity.” Mark Pickerel plays drums on this one.

The song title “Kiss Somebody You Love” is certainly good advice. When things are getting crazy (and they are certainly getting crazy now), we sometimes need a reminder to do those things that should come naturally. In this one, Eamon sings “Sipping cups at my café, I read the news like every day/It’s the same old stories, it never ends/But I keep reading ‘em just the same.” We are all fixated on the news these days. But what matters most are those important people in our lives. Kiss someone you love (unless, perhaps, you haven’t seen that person in a while; in that case, maintain a distance of six feet from him or her). Jeff Brown plays drums on this song, and on the one that follows it, “Fun To Be Had.” This is an interesting track, the song’s character seeming to urge folks to have fun, while the song itself has a somewhat sadder, darker tone. Plus, the song’s narrator isn’t quite to be trusted, as he tells us “Having fun, maybe you heard about the things I’ve done/Some were good and some were not so good, I admit/Having fun, maybe some things I should or shouldn’t have done/But nobody understands that they were fun.” Oh man, look out. That darker, more serious tone continues in “Nightingale,” which has a haunting, timeless folk sound. It is a song of death. “But no storm could stop the words that flew from nightingale/Asking only where his true love went.” This track ends with sound effects of birds and a distant storm. Though as the song ended, the chirping continued, and I realized there were birds outside my window.

Side B

The record’s second side kicks off with a cool, lively rock song, “Waiting For The Morning.” I love the sound of this track, which has a bit of a garage thing, a bit of psychedelia, a bit of punk. That energy is wonderful, particularly as he sings “Stop, stop it, stop it, stop.” There is also some good guitar work. The accompanying artwork in the book includes a sign on a building that reads “Meaningless Drudgery Inc.” Most of us at one point or other in our lives have been able to relate to that. That’s followed by “Happiest Day In History,” which, as you might guess, has a positive bent. Yes, we’ve got to keep up our optimism. It has been difficult to do the last few years, and even more difficult right now, but I like hearing someone wishing us the happiest day in history. Tim Meinig plays drums on this one.

Interestingly, the first line of the following song, “Simple But So Complicated,” is “She knows the way from happiness to pain.” Ah, that happiest day didn’t last too long. Has reality intruded? Like the dog in the accompanying illustration says, “Sunny days are fine, but they always turn to grey.” This song has a mellower, more introspective feel at the start, but does kick in and features some brighter 1960s pop elements (such as that “ba ba ba ba” vocal part which is reminiscent of the Beach Boys). There is something loose about this one, which works for the lyrics. “He’s lost his way, his sunshine’s turned to gray.” By the way, this track also incorporates the album’s title in its lyrics: “Meat bones and chemicals, electricity/Simple, but so complicated.” The album then concludes with “Such Good Friends,” a song about appreciating the people in one’s life, and letting them know, something we should do frequently, especially in these dark and twisted days. “I’m so lucky to have such good friends/And I really want to tell you again.”

Record Track List

Side A

1. Future History
2. Pitchforks And Torches
3. Kiss Somebody You Love
4. Fun To Be Had
5. Nightingale 

Side B

1. Waiting For The Morning
2. Happiest Day In History
3. Simple But So Complicated
4. Such Good Friends

Meat Bones Chemicals Electricity was released on March 6, 2020.

All The Real Girls: “Movie Star Handsome” (2020) Vinyl Review

As concerts are canceled, and as theatres and bars and restaurants close, more and more we are going to find ourselves on our own for our entertainment. It is a strange and stressful time, to be sure, but it is also a great time to listen to records. There is something both calming and exciting about putting the needle into the groove of a new album, when we are ready for whatever journey the music is about to take us on. Movie Star Handsome, the new album from All The Real Girls, has been released on vinyl as well as CD, and it is a treat to place this one on the turntable. The Seattle-based band is led by Peter Donovan, who wrote all the lyrics for this release. He provides the vocals and plays rhythm guitar. Evan West is on bass. Zander Nevitt is on lead guitar. Matt Millen is on drums. There are also several special guests on various tracks, including Bill Nordwall on piano, organ, mellotron, synthesizers and glockenspiel. The album cover reminds me a bit of the first New Riders Of The Purple Sage record, with the circle in the center, and band’s initials in the top part of the circle, and the artwork including a cactus. And the music certainly has a strong country element.

Side A

The album kicks off with “Rob Me Blind,” and immediately we get the sense of how important vivid characters are in this band’s songwriting, and how these characters have stories to tell us. The first time I listened to this song, the lines that stood out for me were “I wasn’t much to look at then, and I ain’t much better now/But you love me anyhow.” I like that there is a pause before “But you love me anyhow,” for it gives that line more emphasis, more meaning. Ah yes, this song ends up being a sweet love song of sorts. “Whoever said crime don’t pay/Has probably never seen your face on a sunny day.” That’s followed by “Shows What I Knew,” which has a harder edge from the start. “I never thought in a million years/There’d be anything left that you would need to prove/Shows what I knew.” Then toward the end, unexpectedly, it becomes a song you might find yourself singing along with. “We’re gonna be good boys like our brothers/We’re gonna be good girls like our mothers.”

Mike Giacolino joins the band on harmonica for “Could’ve Told Me Then,” and I absolutely love his work here. His presence is felt and appreciated from the very beginning, and helps to make this one of my personal favorites. This track has a lively country rock sound, and an excellent vocal performance. This is a song about a couple heading out on the road together. “We packed up everything we had, headed out east on the ten/And if you knew you’d never love me, well, you could have told me then.” I also love these lines: “And I know you never made me any promises/And I could have done so much better to win your heart/As the years go by, it seems to me it’s getting colder each spring/I’m trying to keep busy, but I haven’t done a thing.” This is a seriously good song, and I highly recommend checking it out.

All The Real Girls is a band with ties to the movies. Its name comes from a 2003 film starring Patricia Clarkson, Zooey Deschanel and Paul Schneider. And Peter Donovan has some experience in the film industry himself, having acted, directed and produced, as well as written music for a film. So perhaps it is no surprise that this band would refer in some way to films in these tracks. “Movie Star Handsome,” the album’s title track, features some fantastic lyrics. Check out these lines: “I’ll let you go and break my heart/I’ll let you tear that sacred muscle apart/And swallow the spark/Build a cage in the dark.” I particularly love that line “I’ll let you tear that sacred muscle apart,” such a strong and powerful image, a more graphic description that is incredibly effective. But my favorite line in this song is “And I’ll write your name with claw marks in the sky.” Wow, these guys can create some memorable and striking phrases. This is certainly another of the album’s strongest tracks. It features Eric Corson on slide guitar. The first side of the record then concludes with “Wolves,” which begins softly on piano. “And we’ve heard there’s wolves at the door and they want in.” After that line, the song kicks in, and includes some frightening and depressing lines, like “And I guess we’ve read our last book/We’ve danced our last two-step, we sung our last hook/And we’ve seen the scoundrels and crooks, they always win.” This is a powerful and stirring song.

Side B

The second side of the record then begins with a cheerful-sounding tune, “Empty Glass Of Ice.” The lyrics, however, contrast with that tone, and are about a nasty breakup (“You sold my favorite records and threw my clothes out on the lawn”), leading the man to drink by himself at a bar until closing time. Yet for him there is still hope. And the song has some humor, in lines like “I think I’d better call you, then I think I’d better not/I think it’s time somebody took me home.” Yes, it’s a country song about drinking, and it features some nice work by Ed Brooks on pedal steel, which adds that great lonesome feel to it. There is some clapping at the end, however, which quickly dispels that sense that this poor guy is alone. I would have cut that. That’s followed by “Hometown Hero.” This one too has a rather bright sound, and is more of a rock song, with some lines that work in contrast, such as “I wake up crying most nights” and “I’m a shipwreck, I’m a ghost.”

“Brother Brian” opens with a punch, a strong beat, which works well with its subject, which includes bombs and death. I love the surprising addition of horns to this exciting song. Samantha Boshnack is on trumpet, and Chris Credit is on saxophone. Then in “Do Your Worst,” Peter Donovan sings, “I want to live forever/I want to watch the sands of times roll by/I want us to be together/So do your worst to me tonight.” An unusual declaration of love, eh? I love it. I also love this line: “They say you’ve got a mouth on you, it’s full of razor blades.” Interestingly, some nice female backing vocals by Amanda Winterhalter help to create the sense of this being a sweet love song. This track is another of the record’s highlights. The record then wraps up with “Your Favorite Songs,” another unusual love song. Check out these lines: “If you want to be the captain of a ship/I’ll carve you out an ocean and build a boat in it.” This is perhaps the album’s more interesting track. It pulls you in, and there is something undeniably beautiful about it. Certainly part of that is Jacqueline Ryall’s presence on cello. After the line “But we’ll be strong somehow,” the song kicks in, which is perfect. “I’ll lie and say it gets better/I’ll tell you there’s a light at the end/But you don’t need my pity.”

Record Track List

Side A

1. Rob Me Blind
2. Shows What I Knew
3. Could’ve Told Me Then
4. Movie Star Handsome
5. Wolves 

Side B

1. Empty Glass Of Ice
2. Hometown Hero
3. Brother Brian
4. Do Your Worst
5. Your Favorite Songs

Movie Star Handsome was released on both vinyl and CD on February 21, 2020.

Honey West: “Bad Old World” (2017/2019) Vinyl Review

As things become even crazier out there, and many people are now temporarily out of work or are working from home, it seems the perfect time to catch up on some vinyl releases. Honey West is a group led by Ted Zurkowski and Ian McDonald, an interesting pair to be sure. You know Ian McDonald as a founding member of both King Crimson and Foreigner. And Ted Zurkowski… well, more on him in a bit. They released their first album, Bad Old World, on CD in May of 2017, and then gave it the special vinyl treatment late last year, complete with gatefold containing a beautiful photo of a sunset (it’s upside down, at least on my copy, but no matter). That photo, by the way, was taken by Ian McDonald. The tracks have been remastered and presented on 180-gram vinyl, and they sound excellent. The album contains all original material, written by Zurkowski and McDonald. Ted Zurkowski provides the vocals and plays guitar and percussion. Ian McDonald plays lead guitar, sitar, piano, organ, harpsichord, flute, clarinet, saxophone and percussion, and provides some backing vocals. The other musicians performing on this record include Graham Maby (who has performed with Joe Jackson, Natalie Merchant and They Might Be Giants) on bass, Maxwell McDonald on bass, Lincoln Schleifer on bass, Steve Holley (from Wings) on drums and backing vocals, and Denny McDermott on drums.

Side 1

The album kicks off with “The September Issue,” a song written by both Ted Zurkowski and Ian McDonald. The sound of this one, its beat and the guitar work, remind me of the rock music I grew up on. It’s fairly straightforward, without adornments, without anything unnecessary. At times, the guitar has a bit of a Chuck Berry thing happening. Graham Maby is on bass, and Steve Holley is on drums on this track. That’s followed by “Brand New Car,” also written by both Zurkowski and McDonald. This one has a sweeter vibe. Ted sings, “Life’s so easy now,” and we wonder if he is being honest or rather trying to convince himself of the truth of the statement. “Life’s so easy now/Since you went away/Don’t know what to do/Except to sleep all day.” This is a totally enjoyable song, and it features some nice work on flute.

“Bad Old World,” the album’s title track, comes on strong with a driving beat. This one comes at us at a fast pace, fitting with the energy and sense of the lyrics, that anxiety felt by the song’s character, like he’s trying to stay a few steps ahead of the world that is trying to take his baby. I really like the vocal delivery, which has a bit of punk to it. Plus, this one contains a Shakespeare reference in the line, “Brave new world where we sleep hand in glove.” That is a reference to Miranda’s line “O brave new world/That has such people in ‘t” from The Tempest. This song was written by Ted Zurkowski, and this seems the perfect place to get into a bit of his history. Zurkowski is a co-founder of the Frog And Peach theatre ensemble in New York, a group dedicated to presenting Shakespeare’s plays with simplicity, intimacy and passion. He just recently directed the company’s production of King Lear. So it comes as no surprise to find a Shakespeare reference popping up in his lyrics. I also appreciate this line, which feels timely: “No compassion anywhere, as far as I can see.” This is one of my favorite tracks. In addition to good lyrics, this one features some excellent work on guitar. And it ends with a scream of the word “love.”

“She’s Not Your Life” has a gentle vibe, its sound a bit more in the folk vein. There is something pretty about this one. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “When your heart is not your own anymore/You find that love has gone away without you/She used to laugh and dance across your floor/Now that girl just laughs at everything about you.” Things take on more energy again with “Sylvia Strange,” which has some reggae to its beat, and is a lot of fun. This one features some unusual and compelling lyrics, such as “Sylvia’s dimples are dragons that play on her face” and “A man may be steel, but a woman is always mink-lined.” This is another of the record’s highlights. The first side then ends with a lively rock tune, “Generationless Man,” another track that reminds me of that music I loved while growing up. There is also a certain humor to this song (and, really, to most of these tracks). “Don’t get him going ‘cause he’ll never quit/His hands are bloody now/Throw a rope around him/Try and make him sit/Wipe his worried brow.”

Side 2

The record’s second side opens with “California,” the guitars on this track having something of a Byrds vibe, which I like. There are a lot of songs about California, including many titled “California,” and this one captures and conveys a good sense of what it is like here. “My Hollywood dreams always/gonna want a brand new start/So keep on California-ing me.” By the way, the Byrds sound is clearly deliberate, for there is a more direct reference to that band in the lines “Your mountains and your valleys and your ocean/And you’re eight miles high.” That’s followed by “Sailing,” a mellower tune about facing an impending death. But it has a positive, optimistic bent, heard in the line “It’s a good day for sailing,” which is repeated. “You’ve set out on your own before/Maybe never quite this far from shore.” This track features some beautiful work on flute, which seems to lift us up even as it guides the person onward, a wonderful touch.

I love the opening line of “A Girl Called Life,” “I’m a guy who can never keep his thoughts to himself.” It is an interesting line with which to open, because of course the rest of the song is delivered from his perspective and so is full of his thoughts, which are clearly not kept from us. This is another track with a clear sense of humor, particularly in lines like “And my friends have started telling me/Maybe I should get some help somewhere/Like I really care.” That’s followed by “Old Man,” which deals, at least in part, with a flood. That guitar lead partway through has a definite Beatles feel. Then “Terry & Julie” has more of a bright pop rock sound. “Terry kissed Julie up on the bridge where/The snow was falling so fast/They looked down at the dirty old river/And all the boats as they passed.” “Terry & Julie” leads straight into the record’s final track, “Dementia,” a solid and totally delicious rocking tune. Dementia has been on our minds lately as we watch the president stumble around on the White House lawn or getting off or onto planes. But this song is about the lighter side of dementia, right? It’s part of the natural progression of life, and an understandable reaction to life’s insanity. And hey, it contains another Shakespeare reference, this time to Hamlet: “Doctor said it’s a normal thing/One way to handle life’s arrows and slings.” And actually it seems there is a nod to King Lear as well, in the line “Take off our clothes and run a little mad.” And the lines “Dementia/I thought I had a plan/Dementia/I just ate my sweater/Dementia/I don’t want to get better” make me laugh every time. This is a great tune, possibly the album’s best.

Record Track List

Side 1

1. The September Issue
2. Brand New Car
3. Bad Old World
4. She’s Not Your Life
5. Sylvia Strange
6. Generationless Man

Side 2

1. California
2. Sailing
3. A Girl Called Life
4. Old Man
5. Terry & Julie
6. Dementia

Bad Old World was released on vinyl on September 3, 2019 on Readout Records.

Funk Shui NYC: “Shark NATO On A Plane” (2020) CD Review

Yes, I admit it is the album’s title that initially drew me to this disc. I am a big fan of shark movies (I even have a small role in one of them), and I totally enjoyed the Sharknado series (though I think I still haven’t seen the final entry). So of course I love the play on the title of those films, combining that with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and with another goofy film that I like, Snakes On A Plane. With a title like Shark NATO On A Plane, you know the album is going to strive to lift your spirits. It is going to be fun. And Funk Shui NYC (not to be confused with Sacramento’s Funk Shui Band) makes good on the promise of that title. This band, which is based in New York, is led by Dave Morgan on saxophone and flute, and Rob Susman on trombone, both of whom also wrote some of the album’s tracks. The other talented musicians making up this band are Chris Hemingway on alto saxophone, Charles Lee on alto saxophone, Stan Killian on tenor saxophone, John Isley on tenor saxophone, Scott Burrows on trombone, Seneca Black on trumpet, Chris Anderson on trumpet, Bryan Davis on trumpet, Jordan Hirsch on trumpet, Noel Cohen on guitar, Dan Asher on bass, Rex Benincasa on percussion, and Peter Grant on drums. These guys create the most delicious cocktail, mixing funk and jazz and rock. We could all use a little joy right now, and this band is ready to provide it.

Shark NATO On A Plane opens with its title track, which has something of a New Orleans vibe, particularly in that delicious percussion. This is a lot of fun, just the thing to temporarily push away your worries and anger over the state of the world. Let it be your theme music as you dance your way down those empty supermarket aisles. There is a whole lot of wonderful stuff on horns here. “Shark NATO On A Plane” is an original tune, written by Rob Susman. It is followed by another original tune, “July Groove/September Funk,” this one composed by Dave Morgan and Noel Cohen. A groovy and funky bass line gets this one moving straight away. Then those horns give it something of a 1970s feel, something that makes me smile. What a joy it is to listen to this one. I love that trumpet lead part, which lifts things to a higher plane. The band then follows that with a delightful take on the theme to Barney Miller, a show I loved when growing up. That was a show my parents also enjoyed, and I must remember to play this track for them. I think my mom in particular is going to seriously dig it. The theme has a distinctive and memorable bass line and some great work on horns, so it’s an excellent choice for this group to tackle. This rendition features a great beat, and has an undeniably funky feel almost from the start. Partway through it mellows for a bit, and then that horn takes us all into some beautiful realm while that wonderful percussion keeps us grounded. It’s fantastic. And then the bass takes on that familiar theme once again.

I may have mentioned this once or twice, but you can never go wrong with Gershwin. The members of Funk Shui NYC prove this once again with their cheerful, upbeat rendition of “Summertime,” complete with a Latin groove. I love the way the brass instruments shout out gloriously. This is certainly not a mellow, reserved or restrained version. The group then returns to original material with “Into The Fourth Dimension,” composed by Rob Susman. I like the way this one builds, getting exciting, taking us on some adventure, then suddenly breaking into a funky section halfway through. And yes, that means another cool bass line. Then it begins to get rowdy again, picking up the pace, and building in intensity. I imagine folks dancing with wild abandon to this one at the group’s performances, then perhaps being surprised at the next turn the track takes, the horns issuing some sort of warning. This track feels like an exciting story. That’s followed by another original tune, “Professional Development,” this one written by Dave Morgan. It begins with a lead on bass, and soon this one too takes us on a fun ride, with bright tones and colors all around.

“Rock Bottom” is a title that seems to describe perfectly the country under the command of racist gameshow host Donald Trump. We as a nation have hit our lowest point. This song, however, is a total delight. It comes on strong, like a beast eager to devour whatever may lie in its path, thumping through the neighborhood, then later moving almost to frenzy, with a strong pulse and an appetite, those horns circling us. This one too takes an unexpected turn in the second half, toward rock with that electric guitar. This is another original track, written by Rob Susman and Noel Cohen. The album then turns to rock bands for inspiration, first with a cover of The Beatles’ trippy “Blue Jay Way,” a song written by George Harrison and named after a street here in Los Angeles. Funk Shui NYC, not surprisingly, gives the tune a funky spin, and it works quite well. The band follows that with a wonderful cover of Cream’s “I Feel Free,” a song that was covered by Belinda Carlisle in the 1980s. This version has all the energy you would ever hope to cram into the song, and is just fantastic. It feels like a party, like a celebration that extends for several blocks, on rooftops and in the streets. The album then wraps up with a delicious rendition of Allen Toussaint’s “Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky.” And really what could be more fitting for this band? Plus, this track includes a drum solo, so I am in heaven here.

CD Track List

1. Shark NATO On A Plane
2. July Groove/September Funk
3. What Barney (The Barney Miller Theme)
4. Summertime
5. Into The Fourth Dimension
6. Professional Development
7. Rock Bottom
8. Blue Jay Way
9. I Feel Free
10. Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky

Shark NATO On A Plane was released on February 7, 2020.