It’s kinda funny…  when I think “The Smithereens” I think of my days at the University of Kentucky.  The New Jersey band’s debut album had come out during my freshman year of college and was in constant rotation on the local rock radio station and occasionally on MTV, which we watched incessantly during those times we had a break from classes or homework.  Their music was certainly the alternative to the heavy stuff I listened to but had enough “crash bang wallop” and melody to appeal to the other side of my tastes.

While “Blood And Roses” was my first exposure and the band’s first hit (which I do love), it’s “Behind The Wall Of Sleep”‘s driving beat and cool lyric that stands out the most to me.  The band doesn’t mess around from the get go, kicking in immediately with a heavy guitar and drum intro before jumping into the first verse as vocalist Pat DiNizio gets descriptive with a fantastic intro lyric about a girl with “hair like Jeannie Shrimpton back in 1965”.  Even if you didn’t know the namechecked 60s model, it visually pulls you in as DiNizio tosses in some other cool references to the girl that he dreams about “behind the wall of sleep”.  With such a strong melody and chorus, the lyric is one that you are easily caught up in  and perfectly fits the overall vibe of the song.

As for the instrumentation the rest of the band is hot, especially the guitar work from Jim Babjak.  The rhythm parts are excellent in how he switches from a couple of Pete Townshend style blasts into more open, chiming chords while his lead on the song fits the song perfectly- Babjak does a sliding two note pattern early before breaking into some subtle, slower bends that makes for a memorable solo.  And the rhythm section of Mike Mesaros on bass and Dennis Dijken on drums is purely smashing here courtesy of the former’s groovy bass runs and the latter’s solid timekeeping, both driving the song along with a heavy thump without going off the rails.

If you’re new to The Smithereens, the debut album has a number of worthy cuts and is a great mix of 60s style rock a la The Kinks and The Who with the melody of The Beatles.  But if you’ve only got a couple o’ bucks for a song or two, make sure you go for “Behind The Wall Of Sleep” to satisfy your tuneful rock jones.

Hello!  Just another demented, rambling post regarding the first ten songs on this here iPod.

“So It Goes”, The Verve Northern Soul

I got into these guys fairly late in the game courtesy of the great “Bittersweet Symphony”, but better late than never.  The early stuff is a little more atmospheric courtesy of the beautiful textures from guitarist Nick McCabe, who colors “So It Goes” in many hues as lead singer Richard Ashcroft does a fine, fine job on vocals.  Not really a song in a verse/chorus/verse way but one that follows a simple melodic statement with various musical shades.

“Born A Woman”, Nick Lowe Jesus Of Cool

Well, you learn something new every day-  this song is actually a cover with a bit of a twist:  the original was sung by a woman but Lowe seems to be singing more about a woman’s plight whose “bound to be hurt”, backed with a strong power pop performance like an outtake from a 60s Merseybeat band.  That said, it fits in very well with his typical material from his late 70s period.  Jangly guitars and pounding drums make for a good tune.

“Father Son”, Peter Gabriel OVO

LOVE this song and the sentimentality behind it, even moreso after the birth of my son.  As always with Peter Gabriel and his mellower songs, his vocal style is absolutely stunning-  just so simple yet incredibly emotional.  The lyric is beautiful as is the simple piano pattern, but I think it’s the horns that really get to me.  One of those tracks that will make you want to hug your Dad or your son.  Still brings a tear to my eye every time I hear it.

“Wooden Heart”, Elvis Presley 30 #1 Hits

Man, Elvis could sing a number of things and pull all sorts of styles out of the ether.  “Wooden Heart” comes from the Elvis movie G.I. Blues and is based on an old German folk song, and even the King gets to sing a few lines in that language.  This is an example of tender crooning Elvis, where he does a great job of utilizing vocal vibrato throughout this whole song.  A bit removed from his other styles but definitely shows how well he could cover different ranges.

“Super Trouper” Deep Purple Who Do We Think We Are?

Deep Purple non-hits from the early days should never be overlooked, this one coming from the last Mk II album before Ian Gillan and Roger Glover up and left the band.  “Super Trouper” has a dreamy, trippy Gillan vocal, feeling a bit like the 60s “Hush” era of the band but with a little more oomph musically.  Jon Lord’s organ work here is typically groovy but the best part here is Ian Paice’s snappy drumwork.    And that Blackmore cat’s good too.

“Liner”, The Fixx Reach The Beach

One of the more underrated 80s bands was The Fixx (“One Thing Leads To Another”), who had some great cuts featuring the underrated and totally cool vocals from Cy Curnin and the even cooler, trebly guitar work from Jamie West-Oram.  “Liner” rides a thumping and bass popping groove punctuated by some keyboard blasts and that awesomely chiming guitar.  Really good production here as each instrument stands out loud and clear.

“Beat To Death Like A Dog”, Rhino Bucket Get Used To It

AC/DC…  AC/DC…  AC/DC…  what else is there to say?  No bones about it, Rhino Bucket did a great Bon Scott era  impression even going out and recruiting that band’s Simon Wright on the drum kit for an album and few tours.  That said, the only real difference here is that it’s not quite as tight as AC/DC (those drums aren’t spot on but very close) and there is no stinging, Angus like solo.  But still, you like the Bon years?  You’ll like this.

“Basket Of Eggs” (Jr Version), Clutch Jam Room

It actually took me until Blast Tyrant before I really saw the greatness of Clutch.  I think most of that is due to the changeup in vocal from Neil Fallon, who moved from more of an often monotone hardcore bark to his current commanding and somewhat more tuneful vocalese.  This early version of “Basket Of Eggs” is electric and moves along at a slow lurch in its heavy stoneresque vibe, including fuzzy backwards guitar solo.

“Long Stick Goes Boom”, Krokus One Vice At A Time

AC/DC…  AC/DC…  AC/DC…  wait, haven’t we been here before?  Actually, early Krokus was even more of a clone of that band with “Long Stick” taking the best of “Sin City” and “For Those About To Rock” and coming up with a solid and menacing pounder.  Vocalist Marc Storace could easily cover Bon Scott AND Brian Johnson eras with ease and really delivers the goods here with a fiery grit.  Loved this when I first heard it back in 1982 and still love it today.

“Steppin’ Out”, Joe Jackson Night And Day

The great part about MTV in the early days was not only the variety but actually the opportunity to hear different things that your local radio stations likely wouldn’t play.  Joe Jackson was always a chameleon, changing styles from one album after another and coming up with a bit of a jazzy new wave hit with plenty of hooks to spare.  Really a simple song but the melodies and the drive lifts it above a lot of other material at the time.

Torn on the song of the week this time around as both fave cuts are on opposite ends of the spectrum.  So it’s a tie!  “Father Son” for the sentimentality and “Long Stick Goes Boom” for the raw bawdiness and best AC/DC song AC/DC never wrote.  Third place goes to “Steppin’ Out”.

When I was a kid, there was specific visual and aural stimuli that was a part of early rock and roll that really appealed to an impressionable lad at the time…  the joyful shouts of Little Richard…  the piano pounding madness of Jerry Lee Lewis…  the shaking and quaking of Elvis…  and Chuck Berry’s duckwalk.  I was maybe ten or eleven years old when I caught some live snippets of these early heroes on a television show and I must say the excitement was palpable-  wow…  how do I get in on this?

Chuck Berry, one of the true early kings of rock and roll, died Saturday, March 18th in his St Louis area home at the age of 90.  His influence on music is undeniable and unmistakable but in many ways I still think he’s somewhat underrated in comparison with his peers, especially as a lyricist and keen use of word play.  Everything from motorvatin’ over hills (“Maybelline”), meeting German girls in England that go to school in France (“It Wasn’t Me”), playing a ringin’ a bell guitar (“Johnny B. Goode”), cruisin’ and playin’ the radio (“No Particular Place To Go”), and singing about reindeer (“Run Run Rudolf”), Chuck Berry painted vivid lyrical pictures that we could grasp and easily understand with some of the most amped up, high energy music that you could ask for.  Without Chuck Berry’s influence, it’s hard to imagine what the early compositions of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, Johnny Winter, Geaorge Thorogood, etc, as they covered many a tune from his vast catalog.  He pushed the envelope of early rock and roll via some classic songs, great guitar playing, and overall sense of fun.

Oh yeah, I did kind of “get in on this” and I have Chuck to thank.  A few years after being swept up in the rock and roll excitement, I got together with a few friends and sang “Johnny B. Goode” as part of my high school’s variety show.  I didn’t do the leg spits and I didn’t do the duckwalk, but I was definitely caught up in the spirit of the moment and it remains one of my favorite “School Days” memories.  And if anyone ever needs me to hop up and sing it again 30+ years down the line, let me know because I would love to.  So thanks Chuck and rest in peace 🙂

Caught some of the Tom Jones Soundstage concert on PBS the other day and it brought back a fond childhood memory of running through my parent’s album collection and throwing what looked interesting on the turntable.  Check out that album cover!  Screams old school cool doesn’t it?  I vividly recall watching the album (Tom Jones Live In Las Vegas on Parrot Records) spinning, entranced by the green and yellow parrot on the label going round and round in circles as Jones belted out hit after hit.  Sure, I liked some of those other cuts but for me, “Delilah” is the showstopper.

I do listen to a ton of different music and I’m generally a rock dude but man, Tom Jones has such style, charisma, and a supreme voice that’s hard to dislike.  “What’s New Pussycat”, “It’s Not Unusual”, “Green Green Grass Of Home”, “She’s A Lady”, even his cover of Prince’s “Kiss” are all fabulous tunes featuring that remarkable and commanding roar that stops you in your tracks.  But “Delilah” is it for me as far as overall dramatics, delivery, music, and lyric go-  listen to those stabbing and swinging horns!  Check out the drum fills!  And listen to that powerful voice!  It doesn’t get any better.

As per the Sounstage show, the man still has that power and stage presence and as someone who likes to sing on occasion, serves as a bit of a vocal inspiration for me as I get a little older myself.  Oh yeah, just read that Tom Jones is 76 years young, which is the same age as my dad!  I can only hope that I can be half as cool as both guys at that age 🙂

“Fooled Around And Fell In Love”…  remember that one?  An out and out classic, the song hit #3 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1976 and was sung by Mickey Thomas, who would go on to even greater fame with Jefferson Starship and Starship (“We Built This City”) a short three years later.  Funny thing though…  while this may be Elvin Bishop’s biggest hit and arguably his most memorable song, it is a bit removed from the good time rock n blues that he has been purveying for over 50 years now.  That said, those elements of that hit (especially his raw and ragged guitar work) are sprinkled all throughout his catalog.

Before we dive into Bishop’s new album, let’s give those of you unfamiliar with the man’s oeuvre a brief history lesson.  After leaving Oklahoma for college in Chicago in the early 60s Bishop soon met harp player Paul Butterfield and formed a band, going on to release four albums until branching off on his own with his own self titled band in the late 60s.  Throughout the 70s, Bishop did some heavy duty touring and recording and released a number of albums until a ten year recording respite, only to return to his blues roots with 1988’s Don’t Let The Bossman Bring You Down.  For the past 30 years, he has released a good number of blues based albums as a solo artist or sometimes with occasional guest stars.

Which brings us up to Big Fun Trio, which I’m happy to say is a fantastic mix of Elvin’s styles over his entire recording career.  On this album, Bishop strips everything back to a trio format with touring member Bob Welsh on guitar, bass, and piano and Willy Jordan on vocals and percussion, with guest harmonica players in Charlie Musselwhite, Kim Wilson, and Rick Estrin.  Things kick off  with the rollicking good time bluesy stomper “Keep On Rollin'”, which really sets the tone for this album-  the vocal interplay between Bishop and Jordan is infectious as they trade verses and throw in a few jabs at each other as Welsh adds boogie woogie piano and some excellent guitar work himself.  As always with an Elvin Bishop tune, the lyrics are often hilarious and in this case the first verse is spot on 🙂 (I’m not going to tell you what it is, buy it and find out for yourself!)

That infectiousness I’d mentioned regarding the intro cut’s vocal is found throughout this album and there is not a dull moment anywhere.  The interplay between the three is contagious; everything from Jordan’s soulful lead vocal shout on “It’s You, Baby” to Bishop’s killer vocal chops and guitar playing on “Ace In The Hole” to the guitar tradeoffs between Welsh and Bishop (and another joyful Bishop/Jordan vocal) in “Let’s Go”, to the full on bop and strut on display via the classic “It’s All Over Now”.  And dig the guest appearance from Charlie Musselwhite on harmonica and vocal as he duets with Elvin on the true to life “100 Years Of Blues”, which sounds like a blues history lesson with a groove as comfortable as a lazy summer afternoon on the front porch with your favorite cocktail.

As an already unabashed Elvin fan, I am pleasantly surprised at how much I really like this album.  There is enough changeup between the players that leaves you wanting a little bit more from each artist-  Jordan’s lead vocals are sweet and sublime, Bob Welsh’s accompaniment is strong as he throws in some tasty nuggets on piano and guitar, and Elvin’s guitar is suitably dirty and raw and features some of his strongest playing ever.  Believe me, there is not a song to skip anywhere!  It’s as if the three artists brought out the best in each other for this 45 minute platter.  If you like your music with a sense of fun, it would do you a heap o’ good to pick up Big Fun Trio!  I give it a strong 9 out of 10.

Time once again for another witty and unrestrained blog posting on the first ten songs on shuffle mode on this fine March evening…

Municipal Waste “Chemically Altered” The Art Of Partying

With a fine hardy har har, Municipal Waste is a throwback of sorts to the good old days of crossover thrash from the mid to late 80s-  think heavy doses of DRI, Nuclear Assault, and SOD with hints of Anthrax.  Maybe a bit more metallic and finer tuned than their punk brethren but essentially it’s the same mosh pit friendliness of those aforementioned bands, especially Tony Foresta’s hardcore bark.  All in good fun!

Psychodots “Playing Dead”, Ripley’s Live

Cincinnati’s Psychodots were a local institution over the years, highlighted by Rob Fetter’s rubbery and angular guitar stylings and a batch of humorous songs.  “Playing Dead” is a funny bit of self-deprecation as it rocks along finely, maybe a semi bit of new-wavey Cheap Trick to its snappiness and punch.  Really good little band that still plays out on occasion although most of the members are well into their own projects these days.

The Who “Pinball Wizard”, Live In Columbus, Ohio

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFrDpx7zLtA

I saw The Who on tour in 2002 at the Indianapolis stop and a friend caught the Columbus show and grabbed the soundboard copy of the show via the band’s website.  Bassist John Entwistle had passed away shortly before the start of the tour; however, the band soldiered on and put on some very good shows.  “Pinball Wizard” is still pretty hefty minus the Moon/Entwistle duo, mostly due to the powerful rhythmic punch courtesy of Pete Townshend’s right hand and the mighty bellow of Roger Daltrey.

Corrosion Of Conformity “Psychic Vampire”, Corrosion Of Conformity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jB4FIsvv6-E

While Pepper Keenan is away at play with Down, COC trios out here with bassist Mike Dean handling lead vocal duties in semi-creepy howl fashion.  Song starts with a southerny Sabbath grind for a few minutes before throwing us a brief curveball of punk blast that pops up a couple of other times through this cool sludgefest.  Ticks all of the boxes for punk, doom, metal, rock, and hardcore in four and a half minutes of cheery goodness.

The Black Crowes “Predictable”, The Lost Crowes

The Black Crowes have always been a prolific band.  The Lost Crowes is a good batch of material culled from the period around their Amorica and Three Snakes releases, with “Predictable” missing the final cut for those two but finally seeing the light of day on this compilation.  The song is damn good with typically groovy playing from the boys and singer Chris Robinson taking a more low key vocal, rarely stretching out too far until the close of this fine rocker.

Overkill “I’m Against It”, Coverkill

Thrash vets Overkill released a decent covers compilation in 1999 featuring a good dose of classic rock, metal, and punk covers, here taking a mighty swing at the Ramones’ “I’m Against It”.  Certainly not a Ramones classic and if you didn’t know any better you’d figure this to be an Overkill original considering their occasional punky roots.  Hang on for a brief yet fun dash through The Champs’ “Tequila” at the tail end.

Fish “A Gentlemen’s Excuse Me”, Vigil In A Wilderness of Mirrors

I don’t typically listen to too many slow and mellow songs, but “A Gentlemen’s Excuse Me” is a pretty decent love song from the former Marillion singer on his debut album after leaving that band.  Always a colorful lyricist, the big man gently croons a tale as he’s backed by an orchestra and piano accompaniment, sounding a bit like a movie theme from the late 50s or 60s.

The Knack “Pop Is Dead”, Zoom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP6iGP2INZ4

Unfairly tagged as a “one hit wonder band” by those not in the know, The Knack came out swinging with the monstrous “My Sharona” and slowly fizzled from the public consciousness.  Too bad, especially as they occasionally resurfaced and released strong material like “Pop Is Dead” which is simply a top speed jangly ripper, sounding a good dose of The Beatles mixed with early Who (check out those drums!).  RIP Doug Fieger!

Robert Plant “Silver Rider”, Band Of Joy

Robert Plant has always been a bit of a chameleon courtesy of his solo works.  Ever the experimenter, he is not afraid to step outside of the mighty Zep’s shadow not just in heavy tunage but in vocal styling as well.  “Silver Rider” is effectively haunting courtesy of swampy, gothic guitar tones but also due to Plant’s quiet and unassuming vocal, backed beautifully by Patty Griffin.  A really nice cut.

James Gang “There I Go Again”, Rides Again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt30eBN2Q2M

From humble beginnings came Joe Walsh-  first as part of the James Gang before hitting the big time via his solo career and ongoing stint with some band called The Eagles.  “There I Go Again” certainly leans closer to the country rock stylings of his future band, featuring mostly acoustic guitars with basic band accompaniment but also some very fine pedal steel work from Poco’s Rusty Young.  Joe in fine voice here.

A really interesting week here in the ol’ shuffle.  Gotta go with “Pinball Wizard” as the cut of the post, with “Pop Is Dead” at number two and a whole bunch of others tied at #3.

Who had THE best metal song of 2016?  Metallica?  Nah…  Testament?  Some very good ones, but no.  Death Angel?  Nope.  Megadeth…  good too but not quite.  How about Anthrax?  Sorry, not this time.  While it was a bit of a banner year for great releases from thrash metal veterans, there was one band who arguably released their best album in their 30+ year history and one song in particular that received the most plays on my iPod:  Flotsam and Jetsam’s “Life Is A Mess”.

What is it about a combination of new blood and returning band members?  Flots’ self titled release from 2016 (their twelfth studio album) is a serious kick ass tour de force featuring some excellent heavy tunes and epic playing across the board.  The entire disc is a treat and hearkens back to some of their best material over the years but also touches on some newer vibes as well.  “Life Is A Mess” is one of the thrashier numbers; just a non-stop banger with locomotive drumming from new boy Jason Bittner (ex-Shadows Fall) and solid riffing from the recently returning Michael Gilbert and newie Steve Conley, who combine their efforts (along with bassist Michael Spencer) to create a supreme pit friendly masterpiece.  The cut does a great job of shifting between the two key riffs:  the intro really sets the pace and grabs you immediately via a choppy yet bouncy riff pattern with some solid double kick work from Bittner before shifting into a second part around the chorus, where the riff and drums get more old school a la a heavier Judas Priest.  Throw in that shift a couple of times and a ripping Gilbert solo and you’ll be pogoing in no time.

But what about the vocals?  Can you say phenomenal?  I’ve got a bias for Erik “AK” Knutson (check favorite singers posts a few months ago) and this song is a prime showcase for the man’s talents, especially at this stage of his career.  For this style of music you need a singer who can reach above and beyond what the guitar, bass, and drums are doing:  the vocals need to convey a certain level of grit, compassion, confidence, determination, and power that will push it to the next level.  AK’s versatility is on display throughout the new Flots album but for full on punch ‘n menace there is nothing like “Life Is A Mess”. From the get go he’s a commanding presence as he belts a lyric about how you can’t just sit back and fear life itself but you need to take it head on.  The song plays itself out more as a “hey, jump in the pit with us and forget your troubles for tonight” with AK as the ringleader.  His enthusiastic delivery and the musical tango of the band members is so infectious that you just can’t say no.

For those of you looking to stretch beyond the boundaries of what’s called heavy rock or heavy metal these days, it would do you a world of good to download the recent Flotsam album.  These guys may very well have been an influence on some of the new breed of today.