Blackie And The Rodeo Kings: “South” (2014) CD Review

I feel like I’ve been saying this a lot lately, but there is so much great music coming out of Canada these days. South, the new album from Blackie And The Rodeo Kings, is a really good group of tunes, with all three main members contributing songs. This is the band’s eighth album, and is largely an acoustic endeavor, though with their rhythm section of John Dymond on bass and Gary Craig on drums. There isn’t a weak track here, and some – like “I’d Have To Be A Stone” – are absolutely wonderful.

The album starts off strong, with “North.” The first thing that hits me is the excellent vocal work by Tom Wilson, who sings lead on this track (and also wrote this song). There is a great, almost yodel-like quality to his voice at one moment. And then I love the way certain lines are stretched out, like when he holds on the word “down” in the lines “And the sun goes down way too fast/And the sun stays down too long.” Tom’s voice then gets good and low on the word “tired” in “and leave this dirty, tired town,” a really nice touch, making us actually feel the word, feel precisely what he’s getting at. This is a very cool acoustic tune, with some nice work on guitar. But it’s that steady rhythm that really drives the song and gives it a kind of positive vibe.

They follow “North” with the album’s title track, “South,” written by Colin Linden. This one has a sweeter, sadder, more beautiful vibe. Check out these lines: “I can’t stand to live this way/And I can’t bear to see you cry/So baby, point this engine south/I want to ride ‘til we get our fill/We spent our youth trying make a life/But from here I know we never will.” I love the guitar during the instrumental section. John Whynot plays organ on this track.

“Gotta Stay Young” is a really interesting combination of country and blues. And I dig these lyrics: “Well, I learned about love by playing in a band/I thought I had it good doing one night stands.” This one was written by Tom Wilson and Dave Thomson, and Tom sings lead. “It’s not my head, it’s the room that spins.”

“I’d Have To Be A Stone” is a gorgeous, slow, sad tune written by Stephen Fearing and Tom Wilson. I really like what Stephen Fearing does vocally on this track. He sings, “I’d have to be a stone to forget you/Now I’m living like a stone.” That line is so simple, yet completely heart-rending. The whole song is like that, and so it gets right inside you. This is one of my personal favorite tracks from this album. “I’m singing hymns to the future/I’m digging holy ground.” Kevin McKendree joins the band on organ for this track.

“Everything I Am” is an interesting tune, with an early rock and roll influence as well as a blues influence, particularly in the vocal line, reminding me of Eric Clapton. Stephen Fearing wrote this one, and provides the lead vocals. It has a loose feel musically, which I dig. Check out the instrumental section – it’s very cool.

“Reinventing The Wheel Of Love” at first oddly reminds me of “Sloop John B.” Seriously, you can sing that song’s lyrics while listening to this tune, perhaps just a bit slowly. Despite the song’s hokey title, I like this one quite a lot. It was written by Colin Linden and Gary Nicholson. “Time after time we’re surprised to find a heart could ever hold this much/While we’re busy reinventing the wheel of love.”

“Fleur De Lys” has a sort of pop-country feel, and features some nice blending of vocals by Tom Wilson and Colin Linden (who also co-wrote the tune). But it’s probably the instrumental section that I love most.

South concludes with its sole cover tune, “Driftin’ Snow,” which was written by Canadian folk singer Willie P. Bennett. This is one of my favorite tracks, in part because of the vocals. It begins with some excellent a cappella singing, and there is another a cappella section at the end. Sounds fantastic. This is a powerful track. Interestingly, the first release by Blackie And The Rodeo Kings back in 1996 was a tribute to Willie P. Bennett, and “Driftin’ Snow” was included as the final track of that one as well. The band’s name comes from the title of Bennett’s late 1970s release, Blackie And The Rodeo King.

CD Track List

1. North
2. South
3. Gotta Stay Young
4. I’d Have To Be A Stone
5. Blow Me A Kiss
6. Summertime’s Over
7. Everything I Am
8. I’m Still Loving You
9. Reinventing The Wheel Of Love
10. Try Try Try Again
11. Fleur De Lys
12. Driftin’ Snow

Musicians

Blackie And The Rodeo Kings are Stephen Fearing on vocals and acoustic guitar; Colin Linden on vocals, acoustic guitar, dobro and mandolin; Tom Wilson on vocals and acoustic guitar; John Dymond on upright and electric bass; and Gary Craig on drums and percussion.

South is scheduled to be released on January 14, 2014 through File Under: Music.

Matthew Sweet And Susanna Hoffs: “Under The Covers Vol. 3” (2013) CD Review

Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs released the third volume in their Under The Covers series. This volume is all about the eighties, which of course was the last great decade for pop music. Well, really, it was mainly the first half of that decade that was great. The second half of the 1980s was a mixed bag, with some great stuff from bands like R.E.M. and ‘Til Tuesday, but also a lot of complete horseshit from bands like Cinderella, Europe and Poison.

Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs make some interesting selections on Under The Covers Vol. 3. Some of these tunes were big hits, such as “Our Lips Are Sealed” and “Free Fallin,’” while others are less well known, such as “The Bulrushes.” Most of these tracks are light, fun pop tunes. By the way, this CD’s liner notes feature some silly photographs of Sweet and Hoffs.

They open the disc with an R.E.M. tune, “Sitting Still” (from their 1983 album, Murmur). It’s a fun rendition, and Matthew Sweet does just a bit of a Michael Stipe impression in his vocal approach. They follow that with “Girls Talk,” a song written by Elvis Costello and recorded by Dave Edmunds, who had a hit with it. Susanna Hoffs takes lead vocal duties on this track. This is another bright, fun pop tune.

I’ve been enjoying listening to the dBs lately, and on this disc they cover that band’s “Big Brown Eyes.” It’s a good tune, though at less than two minutes, it’s over so quickly (the original version was short too).

Chrissie Hynde is one of those fantastic kick-ass gals of rock, and Susanna Hoffs does a bit of a vocal imitation of her on this cover of The Pretenders tune, “Kid.” I also really dig the way Susanna handles the vocals on Kirsty MacColl’s “They Don’t Know.”  “Our Lips Are Sealed” was always one of my favorite Go-Go’s songs, and Susanna adds a rawness, a rough edge to her vocals, which is nice.

Their version of “Free Fallin’” is kind of smooth, but it just doesn’t have the energy and power of the original Tom Petty version. This is one of the weakest tracks. But I love their version of “Save It For Later,” which captures the fun spirit of the original. I’ve always really liked XTC, and these guys do a good job with “Towers Of London,” totally getting the energy of the tune.

CD Track List

1. Sitting Still
2. Girls Talk
3. Big Brown Eyes
4. Kid
5. Free Fallin’
6. Save It For Later
7. They Don’t Know
8. The Bulrushes
9. Our Lips Are Sealed
10. How Soon Is Now
11. More than This
12. Towers Of London
13. Killing Moon
14. Trouble

Under The Covers Vol. 3 was released on November 12, 2013 through Shout! Factory.

(Note: I also posted this review on Pop Culture Beast.)

The Jerry Garcia Band and Bob Weir And Rob Wasserman: “Fall 1989: The Long Island Sound” (2013) CD Review

In the fall of 1989, I was seventeen. I had just acquired my first vehicle, a 1986 Chevy G10 van with windows all the way around (so plenty of places for stickers), and one of the first places I drove it to was Hartford, Connecticut, to see The Jerry Garcia Band. I had seen the Grateful Dead a couple of times already, but this was my first Jerry Garcia show. And it was fantastic.

I caught two more shows on this tour – the two at Great Woods in Mansfield, Massachusetts (where Clarence Clemons joined the Jerry Garcia Band). What also made this tour special was the opening act of Bob Weir and Rob Wasserman, with Bob on acoustic guitar. Fall 1989: The Long Island Sound, a six-disc set, contains two complete shows, including the opening sets by Bob and Rob. There were no official taper sections at the shows I saw on this tour. Some folks of course were still able to sneak in some recording equipment, and I was able to get tapes of the two Great Woods shows. But I never did get a copy of the Hartford show. So it’s a complete thrill to revisit that great night now, the first time I’ve heard this music since 1989.

Disc One: Bob Weir And Rob Wasserman, 9-5-89

The first disc contains Bob Weir and Rob Wasserman’s set from the Hartford show. After a bit of tuning, they launch into “Festival,” a tune from Bobby & The Midnites. They then go into “Fever.” “Fever” is a song I’ve always loved. I’ve heard so many versions over the years and they were all so great that I thought the song was fool-proof. But then I heard Madonna’s studio version, and realized it was possible to fuck it up. Well, this rendition by Bob Weir and Rob Wasserman is excellent. It’s the perfect set-up for this song: just vocals, acoustic guitar and that great stand-up electric bass.

They do a really sweet, mellow though powerful rendition of “KC Moan.” They follow that with Dylan’s “Desolation Row,” which Bob also sang at Grateful Dead shows. I’ve always loved the way Bob handled this song. The crowd goes a bit nuts when it recognizes “Looks Like Rain,” another tune I’ve always loved. There are some really beautiful moments in this rendition. “I only want to hold you/I don’t want to tie you down/Or fence you in the lines I might have drawn.” It was such a treat to get to see them do this acoustic version.

After that, Bob says they need to take a moment to tune up. Like every other Grateful Dead fan, I’m so thankful that the tuning is included on the disc. I remember getting some odd Dead bootlegs, where someone had pressed “Stop” between songs, making the recording feel jumpy and incomplete. Anyway, they go into “The Winners,” with the line “He travels the fastest who travels alone.”

I was never really a fan of “Victim Or The Crime,” as the song has kind of an ugly feel to it. But this acoustic version was definitely the best version I saw performed, and it leads into a cool bass solo by Rob Wasserman. They end the set with a very cool version of “Throwing Stones.” I love hearing Bob repeat “On our own.”

Disc Two: 9-5-89 Set I

The second disc contains the first set by The Jerry Garcia Band in Hartford. They kick it off with “Cats Under The Stars,” and something is horribly wrong with the sound of Jerry’s vocals at first. Apparently that was the way it was at the show, but I don’t recall. Anyway, the sound problem is soon fixed (though to my ear it still doesn’t sound quite right when Jerry gets loud).

The band then goes into “They Love Each Other,” a crowd favorite, and one that features some nice stuff on keys by Melvin Seals. They follow it with a cover of Bruce Cockburn’s “Waiting For A Miracle” and “Run For The Roses.” Things start to get really good with a gorgeous rendition of “Like A Road.” Jerry’s wonderful lead section is followed by a lead by Melvin Seals to match it. And I love the backing vocals of Gloria Jones and Jackie LaBranch.

The first set is rounded out with a fun “My Sisters And Brothers” and a nice, long “Deal.” The jam during “Deal” is absolutely fantastic, with a tremendous energy that just doesn’t let up.

Disc Three: 9-5-89 Set II

The second set starts with Jimmy Cliff’s “The Harder They Come” (that is, after a bit of tuning, which is given its own track). I remember dancing joyfully to this tune at the show, and now listening to this CD, I find myself dancing around my apartment. There is a really groovy, happy-sounding jam, and they stretch it out, which is great.

They follow that with “Mission In The Rain,” which has always been one of my favorite Jerry Garcia Band songs, with excellent lyrics by Robert Hunter. And this is a really good rendition. The version of “Forever Young” at this show is also just fantastic, with Jerry giving a moving and heartfelt performance both on vocals and guitar.

Things turn more toward rock and roll with a cool cover of Los Lobos’ “Evangeline,” before getting a bit mellow again with “Gomorrah.” The band then goes into the always-fun “Don’t Let Go.” I love the vocal jam around the five-minute mark, with Jerry approaching the song in a similar vein to the way he’d do “He’s Gone.” And then they go off from there, exploring some interesting territory in the show’s longest jam. It gets a little chaotic at the end, and then goes right into “Lonesome And A Long Way From Home,” the night’s biggest surprise.

Disc Four: Bob Weir And Rob Wasserman, 9-6-89

Bob Weir And Rob Wasserman kick off the Nassau Coliseum show with “Walking Blues,” a song Bob Weir also did with the Grateful Dead. They follow that with “City Girls,” a tune with a cool groove (the lyrics aren’t all that great) that naturally flows into “Fever.” I love the playful repetition of the line, “All through the night,” and Rob Wasserman does some great stuff on bass in this version.

They then go into the pretty “Blackbird,” the audience clearly excited at the first few notes of the song. That tune leads directly to Dylan’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece,” a song I was always happy to hear Bob do at Dead shows. And this is a really good version, particularly the power and emotion in Bob’s voice. “Someday everything’s gonna be different/When I paint my masterpiece.”

A nice version of “Shade Of Grey” (originally from Weir’s Heaven Help The Fool) leads directly into “The Winners” which in turn goes into “Easy To Slip” (a Little Feat cover that was also included on Heaven Help The Fool). There’s good jam toward the end of “Easy To Slip,” and that song is followed by a bass solo by Rob Wasserman. They then wrap up the set with “Heaven Help The Fool.”

Disc Five: 9-6-89 Set I

The Jerry Garcia Band kicks off the first set as Nassau with an absolutely wonderful rendition of “How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You).” What a great start to the show (and with no sound issues). And it’s followed by a good “Stop That Train” and a very cool “That’s What Love Will Make You Do,” complete with a fun, joyous jam. And listen to Jerry belt out those lyrics. “No matter how hard I fight it, baby, I’m still in love with you.”

Jerry then slows things down a bit with a sweet “Mississippi Moon.” Things then get hopping again with “I Second That Emotion.” There is so much joy in the band’s playing, that you can’t help but be moved.

They follow that with Van Morrison’s “And It Stoned Me,” then wrap up the first set with “Deal.” Interestingly, “Deal” is the only Hunter/Garcia composition of the night (there were six at the Hartford show).

Disc Six: 9-6-89 Set II

As at the Hartford show, the second set opens with “The Harder They Come.” This time it’s followed by an excellent rendition of “Dear Prudence.” Jerry’s guitar spins all kinds of magic in this one. The band then does the always-stirring “I Shall Be Released.”

Things then pick up with a long version of the Chuck Berry tune “Let It Rock” and the Los Lobos number “Evangeline.” But for me the highlight of this set is “That Lucky Old Sun.” This rendition is gorgeous. Check out those incredible backing vocals. And Melvin Seals provides some phenomenal work on the keys. (By the way, the sun and moon stickers were the first two Grateful Dead stickers I put on my van, one on either side.)

The Jerry Garcia Band then ends the set with a great, fun version of “Tangled Up In Blue.”

Fall 1989: The Long Island Sound was released on December 17, 2013.

Let’s Spend The Night Together DVD Review

Hal Ashby is one of my favorite directors. He directed my favorite film of all time, Harold And Maude. In the 1970s, he was perfect. In addition to Harold And Maude (1971), that decade he directed The Last Detail (1973) Shampoo (1975), Bound For Glory (1976), Coming Home (1978) and Being There (1979). These are all fantastic films. And then in 1981 he filmed the Rolling Stones while they were on tour. The resulting movie, Let’s Spend The Night Together, was released in 1983.

The Rolling Stones were still on top of their game at this point, having just released what I consider to be their last really good record, Tattoo You (they perform several songs from this album in the film). The film features footage from two concerts – at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, and The Meadowlands Arena in New Jersey.

The film opens with the Rolling Stones heading up onto the stage, putting on their instruments. Then the giant curtain opens, revealing a huge stadium of fans. The reverse shot shows those on the floor surging forward as the band launches into “Under My Thumb.”

With barely a pause, they go into “Let’s Spend The Night Together,” with Mick Jagger dancing all over the large stage with his cordless microphone (which is what I remember him doing in 1989 when I saw the Stones at Sullivan Stadium.) Mick does goof just a bit before “Shattered.” This version of “Shattered” feels a bit too fast, and a bit too full. Mick’s face is wild as he sings, “Look at me.”

There is the briefest of shots backstage before the band goes into “Neighbors,” and then a bit more backstage footage during the song, of the band getting ready, getting made up and so on. I like the saxophone in this version.

During the end of “Black Limousine,” Mick struts up the stage extension, and a Frisbee lands just behind him. Later, he picks it up and throws it into the audience. Mick straps on an electric guitar for “Just My Imagination.” He also plays guitar on “Waiting For A Friend” and a few other songs.

I love the Rolling Stones. They’ve put out so many incredible records. Yet in concert there is something rather dull about them. The music seems rushed, rehearsed, played by the numbers, automatic or even obligatory in some way. Like they were just getting through it. Their concert I saw in 1989 was by far the worst I saw that year. I was thinking that perhaps in 1981 it would have been different. But I guess you have to go further back in time to catch them when they still had a genuine excitement about the music. (I remember buying Still Life, a live album recorded on this tour and released the following year, and being very disappointed by it.)  Perhaps a bit of the rushed feel is due to the editing. The film is a brief eighty-six and a half minutes. Surely the concert was longer than that. We need a bit more of the stage banter between songs.

Still, the songs are all good. And there are many cameras, capturing all sorts of angles. And there are interesting moments, like when Mick climbs down a ladder and runs through the audience (though he has several people with him – in front and behind, sort of pushing the audience aside to make room, which is gross). During “Time Is On My Side,” there are some old photos of the band and some old footage of them. There is also some serious news footage that completely surprised me – including a decapitated head on a stick and self-immolation.

During “Going To A Go-Go” we see, in sped-up footage, the stage being erected, though at another venue, this one an indoor venue, The Meadowlands. It’s pretty awesome footage, and it continues through some of that show. That leads, interestingly, to “You Can Always Get What You Want” performed at that indoor venue. This place has a more intimate feel, which is great. It’s a smaller stage, so Mick is a little more contained, which is better. I love that shot of Keith Richards clowning around during the song.

Mick then introduces the other musicians joining the band, and then the members of the band. That leads to Keith Richards singing lead on “Little T&A.” I am much more engaged by the footage shot at this indoor venue.

During “She’s So Cold” we see footage of the different venues, backstage and on stage.  Mick Jagger plays guitar on “Miss You,” and that tune is one of the film’s highlights. This tune, more than many of the others, has a loose, playful vibe. Mick plays guitar on “Let It Bleed” too, and there is some footage from the other show mixed in during this song.

They follow it with “Start Me Up,” which at that time was on the radio like every thirty minutes, one of the great rock songs of my childhood. “You made a dead man come.” There’s a lot of energy, and the crowd is clearly loving it.

We are back at the large outdoor venue for “Honky Tonk Women.” A bunch of girls are led onto the stage for this song. There’s no point to their being there, they’re not singing backup or anything. It’s crap like that turned me off when I saw them in 1989.

We’re back inside for “Brown Sugar.” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and “Satisfaction” finish up the concert film, the latter played as balloons rain down on the audience at the indoor venue.

This is far from being one of Hal Ashby’s great films. But as far as concert films go, it’s not bad. The main interest in it now, obviously, is being able to see the band at that time. But we don’t really learn anything about them, or get to know them at all, even from the backstage footage.

Let's Spend The Night Together was released on DVD on November 2, 2010.