Month: July 2023

Reflections On A Tough Week & The Loss Of Tony Bennett, Sinead O’Connor & Eagle Randy Meisner

~ kcorsini ~ 17 Comments

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Man, it’s been a tough week for rock/pop stars. Well, if I’m being honest it’s been a tough week for all of us who enjoyed the music that sadly went silent for good this week. In the strange macabre way, it came in 3’s again when we lost Tony Bennett, Sinead O’Connor and ex-Eagle Randy Meisner over the last eight days. It’s odd when a celebrity dies, especially if it’s a popular movie actor or singer. I never knew Tony Bennett. We never hung out drinking martinis in a steak joint. Same goes for Sinead O’Connor… while I was a man about town, Sinead and I never hung out. I never sat in a bar with Randy Meisner lamenting the end of a relationship. But then again, I have hung out in a steak joint while Tony crooned in the background… it’s always either Tony or the Chairman of the Board in Italian steak joints. I did sit staring mesmerized at Sinead O’Connor’s face in that strikingly intimate video for “Nothing Compares To You.” I didn’t know until years later it was a Prince cover. And finally, I did sit around drinking and listening to Randy and the Eagles play “Take It To the Limit” and “Try And Love Again” when I was despairing about the end of a relationship with someone I probably can’t even remember any more. I didn’t know these artists and yet they were a part of my life. Maybe that’s why we’re all a little collectively bummed right now.

Art and the artist who make it – and I consider rock n roll to be one of the highest art forms – is such a huge part of all of our existence. If there was no art – no paintings, no music, no books – things would be pretty gray and dull around here. It’d be a dystopian existence like something out of Orwell’s 1984. Or it’d probably be a lot like current day Florida where they recently banned the autobiography of Hank Aaron? Perhaps only superseded by painting, music has always had a huge effect on me. It can, with a melody or a lyric, capture a mood or a feeling I have and express that feeling far better than I ever could. When I heard Randy singing “Try And Love Again” and the lyric “Well it might take years to see through all these tears…” I knew I wasn’t alone in how I was feeling… there were others who had gone through what I was going through and they made it through “the rain.”

There was a wide range in careers of these three artists. One was a legend, one had a very difficult life and the third was sort of a man in the shadows. While their losses weren’t as titanic for me as say, Tom Petty or Bowie, they all touched me in one way or another. I wanted to share my brief thoughts on each as a way to honor all of them.

Tony Bennett was 96 and suffering from dementia when he passed last week… that’s what we call in my family both a good, long ride and a blessing that he passed. Other than Sinatra, Bennett was the greatest crooner ever. As he aged he just continued to stay so hip, like a groovy jazz uncle. He even did an MTV Unplugged. He did duet albums with k.d. lang and Lady Gaga. He became a true legend singing the songs from the “Great American Song Book.” Sinatra, his mentor, was once asked by a reporter this question – “Frank, many people listen to your music to get in “the mood.” Who do you listen to?” His answer, “Antony Dominick Benedetto.” Pretty cool that the Chairman is listening to your music while making his moves. The Rock Chick and I sat around last Friday listening exclusively to Tony… and yes it works! The tributes that poured out for this man were touching and myriad. The world will miss Tony Bennett.

Sinead O’Connor’s loss at 56 breaks my heart. I hope that troubled soul has finally found some peace. I was never a huge fan but was obviously aware of her and her music. Like everybody else I was a fan of “Nothing Compares To You.” She did a great Dylan cover of “Property of Jesus.” As my best buddy Doug texted me this morning, “RIP to Sinead O’Connor. Don’t quite know how to feel about her work in reflection, though I do get the point that she truly lived the causes she believed in and sometimes it means you become a pariah.” I think that encapsulates my feelings better than anything I could come up with on my own. I know a handful of her tunes, I thought she had a magnificent voice and that she was an extremely brave activist. Her protests against the Catholic Church, especially in Ireland, was nothing short of tremendous courage. She’d lost a son when he was 17. I just wish I’d known her so I could have given her a hug.

Randy Meisner, founding member and bass player for the Eagles, is the unsung hero on this list of loss. He was a guy who never wanted the spotlight. He struggled to take center stage and sing his signature Eagles’ song “Take It To The Limit.” He preferred to hover in the shadows at the back of the stage providing that beautiful, high harmony vocal. In a band full of assholes, it seems like he was a pretty nice guy. Eventually struggling with the conflict in the band he quit after the tour in support of Hotel California. He joins Glen Frey, his erstwhile bandmate, in the celestial jam band… I did hear, while he struggled the latter part of his life with health issues, that the band paid his medical bills. Maybe that asshole thing has mellowed in the Eagles.

I always feel very reflective when I hear about someone that meant something to me having passed. I lost a dear friend this last January, maybe I’m just getting sentimental. But each of these artist’s music meant something to me at some point in my life. Even if it was just a stray song, they each touched my life in some way. When an artist creates something truly universal it becomes a part of all who absorb it and when the artist dies, it’s like that little piece of you goes with them. It’s a little tug at the heart strings. It’s easy to look at this and think, “Well, they’re gone but life keeps marching on…” That’s true but these artists have each left an indelible legacy. A professor I had in college said to me once, “When you die the only legacy you leave is your kids and whatever you’ve published…” I would argue that each of these three great artists have left a tremendous legacy. Each will be remembered.

It can be a long dark ride out there. Whether it’s the loss of my friend earlier this year, or the loss of these great artists, it has made me realize it’s really important to live in the moment. Invest in the relationships and things in life that bring you joy. Life is really short and can be really sweet. I don’t know what my point is here, but I felt the need to grieve for these tremendous people. Take care of each other out there.

Cheers!

Review: Greta Van Fleet, ‘Starcatcher’ – Are We Back On The Bandwagon?

~ kcorsini ~ 4 Comments

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Greta Van Fleet returned last Friday with their third full length album, Starcatcher. I have to admit, after hearing the first single, “Meeting The Master,” I was really looking forward to this one. That song sort of erased some of the residual bad feelings I had after the last LP, Battle At The Garden Gate…but then, I’ve been fond of Greta Van Fleet – the brothers Kiszka, Josh (vocals), Jake (guitar), Sam (bass) and drummer Danny Wagner – since the beginning when the Rock Chick turned me onto these guys. 

I can’t believe it’s been six years since GVF released their first EP, Black Smoke Rising. Sure it sounded like these guys were channeling Led Zeppelin, but who better to channel? It was rollicking, no-holds barred rock n roll played with reckless abandoned. The music rocked but it also had such joy in the rocking. I will admit it felt great to get in on the ground floor of a new band… at the time, other than Starcrawler, I probably hadn’t done that since the White Stripes. Six months later they released what was described as a “double-EP,” From The Fires, which contained the 4 previous tracks from Black Smoke Rising with four new tracks (including a Sam Cooke cover, always a treat). I can still tap my foot along to the melody of “Talk On The Street” running in my head.

There were really just two schools of thought in reaction to GVF, (a) they’re the second coming of Zeppelin, yes!! and (b) these guys are ripping off Zeppelin, no thanks. I think that Zeppelin comparison mostly comes from Josh Kiszka’s vocals which are very early Zeppelin-era Plant. Plant said Josh was “a beautiful little singer,” and that’s good enough for me. When you get the “Golden God’s” sign off, do you really need anybody else’s? I’ve always heard a little Geddy Lee in there too but maybe that’s just me? My feelings about these guys was basic: they’re four guys in a room (or on a stage) playing real rock n roll with guitar/bass/vocals/drums. More of that please.

A lot of rock n roll fans (who were in category (a) above) were really excited about GVF. That’s always a good thing for a band but it can be a double edged sword. Great enthusiasm leads to great expectations… and as we all know great expectations can lead to great disappointment. Just ask my wife how she feels about each new U2 album that comes out… When they finally released their first full length LP, Anthem Of The Peaceful Army, it wasn’t quite as raucous but I still liked it. I missed that joyful, reckless, harder rock but again, there was a lot of great music on that record. I felt it was a  young band still finding their own voice. I caught them live on that tour and they really brought it. But then they put out their follow up, the “difficult second album” as Bono calls it, Battle At The Garden Gate…and I found myself disappointed. I was harsh in my review but probably harsher in my mind. It was over-produced (by Greg Kurstin no less), too slick and the songs were just… ponderous. I got bored with that album real quick, especially the second half. At 12 songs and over an hour in length, it just lost me. I found myself sliding off the bandwagon… I had one reader, after seeing my review say, “Don’t knock GVF, they’re the only new rock band I like…” I hear ya. I did go back and re-listen as “research” for this review… it’s not as bad as I remember.

Which all leads me Starcatcher. I heard they had changed producers (thankfully) and hired a guy named Dave Cobb who is known for his work in Nashville with Americana artists. Now that gave me pause… usually when I find myself in the “Americana” section of the record store it means I’m lost. I thought perhaps since this was their third LP, they’d go all Led Zeppelin III. Maybe we’d hear a “Bron-Y-Van Fleet Stomp” or something comparable? Have no fear, this is a straight forward rock n roll record. It’s still just four guys playing rock n roll. Ding them for the influences and echos of other band’s songs, but any artist is going to have influences. They’ll absorb all those different influences and that’s what makes it distinctive to them. I hear rock, blues and folk in this music… although admittedly I wish they’d indulge the blues more.

Starcatcher, to these ears, is a much better record than Garden Gate. This album is much grittier than that one… and easier to digest at an old style 10 songs and just over 40 minutes. I read somewhere they recorded it live in the studio with only a few overdubs which I like. The lyrics still have that fantasy/Hippy vibe they’re fond of, and I’m okay with that. It’s still mostly midtempo, crunchy rockers but again if you go into it not expecting “Safari Song,” I think you’ll enjoy it. I’m certainly not bored with this album the way I was with the previous one or say, the Rival Sons’ new album Darkfighter…which is strange to me, I liked those guys’ Great Western Valkyrie. And yes, if you want to, you can still play this song sounds like “xyz” Zeppelin song… which I’ll try to avoid here.

The album kicks off with the moody “Fate of the Faithful” with Sam doubling on bass and electric keyboards. And I know I promised not to… but this has a real “No Quarter” vibe. I really liked it, the keyboards were a nice new texture I hadn’t heard before with GVF. The guitar solo is epic. I can’t say enough about Jake’s guitar playing on this record, especially the solos. “Waited All Your Life” is a nice track that blends the electric and acoustic. It’s more on the ballad side. “The Falling Sky” harkens me back to those early EPs. It’s a crunchy rocker and may be my favorite track. They even deploy a harmonica on the track which is always a plus to a blues rock dude like me. It’s probably the most upbeat track here. And yes, I’m always down for more tracks like this one. “Sacred The Thread” has an ominous vibe and starts with a nice echo-y drum sound from Danny Wagner. “I’ve seen it in the stars, to dress up a wound, to heal a scar.” I have no idea what he’s talking about, but I like it. The track is a real epic journey. “Runaway Blues” is the most rollicking, fast paced rocker they’ve ever done… but alas, it’s only 1:17… Sigh. Teasers…

“The Indigo Streak,” after the riff-age at the beginning, flips to a vocal harmony that makes me think of Jon Anderson and Yes. It could have been lifted off 90125. I really dig this song. It’s slinky and moves around the room. Both “Frozen Light” and “The Archer” are  heavier riff tracks. I have to admit, he sings the name “Sara” at the end of a few verses of the latter and I thought he’d gone all Plant style Tolkien and was yelling “Sauron.” “The Archer” almost has a prog rock feel to me… I’ve already reviewed “Meeting The Master” (link above), so I wont’ belabor that one again. I will just say, I think it’s one of their finest tunes. There’s a great little coda of a track, “Farewell For Now” which sounds like it was written and conceived from the stage, sung for the fans in the audience. It’s the type of sentiment that real critics hate but I kind of dug it. I’m sure it’ll be the perfect concert ender… and by the way it has a great guitar solo.

This is a really great album from a band that continues to attempt to find itself. There’s so much more to build on with this album than Garden Gate. Am I on the bandwagon again? Let’s just say I’ve got one hand and one knee up there and am pulling myself back up… the more I listen to Starcatcher the more on the bandwagon I seem to find myself.

Turn this one up loud… we all deserve some Zeppelin-y hard rock in our lives.

Cheers! and stay cool out there in that horrible heat.

The Eternal AC/DC Question – Bon Scott Or Brian Johnson…Who’s Your Favorite AC/DC Singer?

~ kcorsini ~ 4 Comments

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I was getting ready for that oldest of summer traditions, the family vacation, last weekend – gassing up the wood paneled station wagon, pulling together a picnic basket of bologna sandwiches, strapping luggage to the roof, etc – when my mind turned to AC/DC. I couldn’t help but think of that 40+ year old question that always used to pop up around AC/DC, who’s your favorite of their lead singers? Sadly, other than lead guitarist Angus Young, AC/DC has had to replace each member of the band at one point or another. They changed bass players early on. Drummer Phil Rudd quit and returned a few times. Alas, we lost rhythm guitarist and founding member Malcolm Young a few years back.  But perhaps the most seismic loss in AC/DC was when original lead singer Bon Scott died in February of 1980 while out on a drinking spree. It was ruled a “death by misadventure,” which for Bon seems fitting, although very sad. He’d been drinking all evening and passed out in the backseat of a car, alas to never wake up again. A few months later, after deciding to carry on after Bon’s loss, the band hired Brian Johnson and the rest, as they say, is history.

I mentioned above that I was thinking about all of this Bon vs Brian stuff last weekend because that’s when I intended to post this. I was actually supposed to fly out last Sunday early in the morning – sorry I made up the part about the wood paneled station wagon, I was flashing back to my youth…I can still taste the warm bologna – when those rat bastards at American Airlines cancelled my flights. I had to fly out a day later. I thought that perhaps that extra time at home, while being spent with a dangerous and highly agitated wife, might at least give me a chance to write about Bon and Brian before we flew out. However, my Karma, not sated with just screwing up my flight plans decided to enlist Mother Nature to brew up a brutal rain storm that knocked my power out at the house. I spent Sunday icing stuff down from my freezer. I spent today throwing all of it away. Sigh.

Anyway, vacation rant aside, it probably seems a little crazy now, but there were some of us who were a little confused about AC/DC’s lead singer “back in the day.” With Bon Scott at the microphone in 1979 they’d really just established themselves in America – at least in the Heartland where I was – with Highway To Hell.  Suddenly, you were hearing AC/DC blasted out of open car windows, playing on the local rock radio station. There weren’t too many folks who knew much more about AC/DC than that one album. I didn’t know anybody who owned High Voltage back then… although now that I think about it my brother did. I had Highway to Hell on cassette. But then Bon Scott passed away in London as the band were just starting to put together a follow-up. The band hired Brian Johnson and the resulting album was Back In Black. It was an enormous smash. You couldn’t go anywhere or to any party without hearing that album. Of course that timing – Bon passing as they’d begun to tinker with ideas, Brian coming in as an unknown quantity and suddenly they’ve got to the biggest LP of their career – has led to many, many conspiracy theories that Bon actually wrote some or all of the lyrics for Back In Black. Brian, of course, claims he wrote it all. 

The problem I had, and I think many of us did have back then was that Brian sounded so much like Bon to our unsophisticated ear that some of us didn’t, uh, realize there was a new guy at the microphone. Maybe it was our self absorbed youth. I remember watching, I believe, The Midnight Special, or some other rock show after 10pm on a Saturday and they were showing a video of the Brian-led version of the band singing “You Shook Me All Night Long.” My buddies had snuck out of their homes – they’d go home at curfew and then sneak right out after their parents cut the lights – and had wandered to my backyard to yell up at me through my open window. I couldn’t sneak out, we didn’t have a sliding glass door. If I’m being truthful, I shouldn’t say I couldn’t sneak out, it just took me longer to sneak out. Anyway, I’m watching AC/DC and my buddy Brewster yelled up at me and the conversation went something like this:

  • Me: “Dude, I can’t sneak out, my parents are still up and I’m watching this AC/DC video…”
  • Brewster: “Which lead singer?”
  • Me: “What the fuck are you talking about? It’s AC/DC?”
  • Brewster: “No, no, the Highway To Hell guy died… the new guy is named Brian, I think?”
  • Me: “The singer is wearing a hat…”

And alas, for a bunch of kids in late junior high school, that was the difference between the singers… one of the guys wore a hat.

Obviously, all these years later I think there is a clear and obvious difference between Bon Scott and Brian Johnson. I think AC/DC was bluesier with Bon. His vocals are more raspy and dare I say, dangerous. To this day I’m not sure if Bon Scott owned a shirt… well not one with sleeves anyway. He had tattoos back when they weren’t fashionable… back when only sailors, strippers and the Japanese mafia had tats. I imagine Bon did well with the ladies, he was just so charismatic. The lyrics he wrote were so much darker. There were tales of serial killers (“Ride On,” “Midnight Prowler”) and drugs (“Gone Shooting”). There are some who think that AC/DC’s album Powerage, and the dark lyrics on that record were something of a premonition of Bon’s impending loss. I think his lyrics were always dark.

Brian has obviously had the longer tenure. He’s sung on some of their biggest LPs, the aforementioned Back In Black, the follow up For Those About To Rock, and so many great late period LPs: Stiff Upper Lip, Ballbreaker, and Power Up. While Brian’s voice has gotten raspier over the years, he might have the better singing voice. Although Brian has never seemed as dangerous as Bon used to feel. Ironically, I think Brian seems more like the guy you’d have a beer with in the bar… Bon would be too busy talkin’ to chicks. They both had a great sense of humor. I think because of his length of service, most people would pick Brian as the favorite of AC/DC’s lead singers. I know the Rock Chick is all in on Brian. I made her an AC/DC mix-tape to run to back a few years… she was mad because I put “Jailbreak” on the list. One Bon Scott track and it was rejected. Although she’s warming to Bon songs… like when I was dating her, I’m wearing her down.

It’s a hard choice to make but I think I fall on the side of Bon Scott. Don’t get me wrong, I love almost everything AC/DC has ever done with the exception of maybe Fly On The Wall or Flick Of The Switch. But with that undercurrent of danger and murder and mayhem and that slightly more bluesy sound I gotta say I love what Bon brought to the band. He also wrote my favorite AC/DC song, “Gone Shootin'” about heroin. But keep in mind, it’s ok to pick Brian Johnson. Like I said, mine is a mixed marriage – the Rock Chick is on team Brian and I’m on team Bon. It still works.

So tell me people – who is your favorite singer from AC/DC? Is it Brian, is it Bon? Let me know in the comments if you like. Either way, it’s Friday night, we’ve lost the legend Tony Bennett, it just seems like a good night to crank up some AC/DC while you grill up some burgers or brats or what not.

Cheers! And uh, “have a drink on me…”

Lookback: R.E.M.’s Last 2 LPs, ‘Accelerate’ and ‘Collapse Into Now’ – Overlooked Gems?

~ kcorsini ~ 1 Comment

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I was basting up on the roof the other day, listening to my newly updated Summer/Sun/Beach playlist – if you can’t afford to go to the beach create one in your head – and I couldn’t help but think about, what else, rock n roll. I’ve written about a lot of bands over the years but as I lay there thinking about B&V and melting in the sun – I always feel like I’m a rotisserie chicken… alas I can’t afford to have someone apply butter to my skin as turn – I couldn’t help but think about all the great bands I love who I haven’t written anything about. I started this blog to write about artists who have been around a long time and are still putting out great, if sometimes overlooked music. So it makes sense that some of those great bands who split up a long time ago wouldn’t have made our pages.

Although, I had to admit to myself that was a weak excuse for not writing about certain artists. I have often done “lookbacks” at albums (like our recent post on the Police’s Synchronicity) or at different, defined era’s in a band’s history, be that their peak (Bob Seger or Aerosmith) or their beginning (the Allman Brothers). Even though I do those lookbacks I still haven’t written a single thing about (amongst others) the Doors, the Talking Heads or a band I really grew to love over the course of their career, R.E.M. – that wonderful alternative rock band from Athens, Georgia whose members were Michael Stipe (vocals), Peter Buck (guitars), Mike Mills (bass/keyboards/harmony vocals) and for most of their career Bill Berry (drums). R.E.M. was one of the first bands labeled as “alternative” and were a huge inspiration for bands that followed like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Hole and so many others.

It’s hard to believe that R.E.M.’s debut EP Chronic Town came out the month I went away to college in 1982. I never knew anybody cool enough to actually have owned that EP but I still put a track from Chronic Town on our 1982 Playlist. Unfortunately for me R.E.M. began as darlings of college radio and uh, I never listened to college radio… except by accident. But I have to admit they had an amazing string of albums at the start of their career. Murmur made our list of favorite debut LPs. Reckoning, their second LP, might be my favorite… although that honor may reside with Life’s Rich Pageant. Despite having one of the best first five or six LP runs, I never jumped on the bandwagon. I just didn’t hear that much R.E.M. when I was in college while they were ascending into everyone’s consciousness. Maybe it was the sketchy company I was keeping but I was busy listening to the Stones, Zeppelin and Van Halen. And here you had this band with a jangling guitar and shy lead singer with his hair combed over his eyes. I guess you had to be loud to catch my attention in those days.

It wasn’t until 1987 when I was living in exile in Arkansas, “the dark time,” that I finally discovered R.E.M. The album Document‘s lead single was a song called “The One I Love,” that like “Every Breath You Take” didn’t sound very loving. It hit me in the lower brain stem. I still own that album on vinyl. As much as I loved that record, it didn’t send me crashing through their back catalog as is my usual wont. It took another song that hit me hard before I got on the bandwagon. It was “Losing My Religion,” and probably it’s artsy video that got me on board with R.E.M. It was a real departure from what I’d heard from them before and while hated by the critics, it was my gateway drug into that band. By the time Automatic For The People came out, I owned every album in their catalog (on CD) save for Fables Of The Reconstruction, which I’m still not jazzed about.

I saw an interview with R.E.M. and they talked about how they’ve zigged and zagged creatively over the years and the audience’s taste has done the same and only at a few times in their career had the zigging and zagging of the audience and the band actually crossed. Automatic For The People was certainly one of those times. What an album. It kicked off a three LP run that really solidified me as a fan. Monster rocked so hard I went to see them live. After that they came out with New Adventures In Hi-Fi that was recorded at sound checks while they were on the road and again, I loved that LP. But at that point, after a series of disasters, founding drummer Bill Berry quit the band. As Joe Strummer famously said, and I never tire of quoting, “Never underestimate the chemistry of 4 guys in a room making music.” If you lose a fundamental, foundational piece like your drummer, something is going to change…

And change it did. R.E.M. went on a three LP run that, at the time, made me wonder if they were trying to burn everything in their career down. It started with Up, their foray into electronica. I was dating a girl who played it for me at the time and other than the pretty ballad “At My Most Beautiful,” there was nothing on that album to hold my attention. Reveal was probably better but I don’t recall any big single to help the LP gain any mindshare with the public. Around The Sun was, as I recall, another guazy, mellow affair. At that point, to me at least, R.E.M. seemed utterly lost.

Apparently, the band recognized it as well. They knew that it was time to wrap it up as a band but also wanted to go out on a high point. So many bands just fizzle out at the end. Like me in my 20s they just don’t know when to leave the party. Sometimes they descend into acrimony or worse, apathy. I think U2 is showing us how not to end a career…Say what you want about R.E.M., they went out rocking. But after those previous terrible LPs, I wonder if anybody even noticed? At that point, on the suggestion of the Edge, they hired producer Jacknife Lee and brought in drummer Bill Rieflin on drums and proceeded to deliver not one, but two of their finest LPs. Another thing they did that was key, was decamp to Dublin and actually play their new songs live, like they did in the early days, to work out the material. Those concerts actually resulted in a live album (released between these two following albums) Live At The Olympia, that made my list of favorite live LPs. Here are two LPs, everyone needs to hear:

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Accelerate, 2008

As mentioned, by 2008 I had given up on R.E.M. It had been a whopping 12 years since they’d caught my attention. And then I heard “Supernatural Superserious.” I knew this band had life left in it and ran out and bought the CD (which in those days was the format). As soon as I heard that opening riff on “Living Well Is The Best Revenge” I knew Peter Buck’s guitar was back, the guazy synths gone. And let’s face it, living well is pretty damn good revenge. If you’d ask most people Monster is probably considered R.E.M.’s hardest rocking album but to me, this one gives it a run for it’s money. If the band was going out – it was going out loudly. There are so many rocking highlights on this album: “Man Sized Wreath,” the title track (my fav), and “Mr. Richards.” But R.E.M. also hit the mellow tracks out of the park. “Hollow Man” starts as a piano ballad but kicks in towards the end. “Until The Day Is Done” brings the acoustic side in. “Houston” about Hurricane Katrina is atmospheric organ and acoustic guitar. The album ends on the out of control rocker “I’m Gonna DJ.” I even love the bonus track “Red Head Walking.” There’s not a bad track on this album. If this was when they wanted to call it quits they could have walked away proudly… but thankfully they had one more LP left in them…

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Collapse Into Now, 2011

Where Accelerate was R.E.M. find their feet again, Collapse Into Now is where they learned to soar again. As a final LP it comes across more of an encapsulation of their career – like Bowie on Heathen and Reality. It’s more experimental than Accelerate but at it’s core it’s rock n roll. Unlike the Beatles during the sessions for Let It Be or later Abbey Road, there was no acrimony here, R.E.M. was having fun and showing off a sheer joy of making music. “Discoverer,” and “All The Best” come roaring out of the gate. All swagger and guitar. “All The Best” reads as their farewell note… “I’ll give it one more time, I’ll show the kids how to do it fine, fine, fine, fine…” “UBerlin” is a beautiful, acoustic based track. “Oh My Heart,” another acoustic track with Stipe speaking the verses is a favorite. Listen closely in “It Happened Today” and you can hear Eddie Vedder doing backing/harmony (wordless) vocals. It ranges from raw boned rock to beautiful ballad moments. You have to love any hard driving song named, “Mine Smell Like Honey.” “Blue” was a perfect track to end it all on. Friend and mentor Patti Smith shows up to duet on that one. This is such a strong swan song.

If you’re like most people and you think that R.E.M.’s output after Automatic For The People isn’t worth checking out, I strongly urge you to go back and check out these last two LPs from one of America’s truly great bands, not to mentioned the live 2-disc Live At The Olympia. They went out with class and strength and really had hit a late career high point. Not many bands can pull that off at the end. Sure, Warren Zevon put out the incredible The Wind at the end of his career but he was dying. I could say the same thing about Leonard Cohen and You Want It Darker. At least these guys went out friends, went out rocking and remain on the right side of the dirt. Turn these albums up loud!

Cheers!

Playlist: Our Eclectic Songs About… Summer/Sun/Beach (2.0)… Sorry, Beach Boys Need Not Apply

~ kcorsini ~ 19 Comments
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In the States, the unofficial start of summer is always Memorial Day Weekend. That’s when all the pools open and suddenly BBQ’s are dusted off and fired up. If you’re of the more meteorological bent then the first day of summer is June 21st…at least most years, it can vary by a day. June 21st also happens to be the Summer Solstice, which is the day with the most hours of sunlight. I think it’s known as Midummer for all you Pagans out there celebrating naked, dancing in a field at some festival…nothing wrong with that. Whenever your local customs allow you to celebrate the start of your summer, I think we can all agree that when we hit July, we’re at the peak of summer. After July, you look up and suddenly you’re at the mall buying back-to-school clothes…wondering what that pretty girl from Spanish class did all break? Summer unofficially ends on Labor Day Weekend, when they close down all the pools, but that may just be because all the lifeguards are back in school.

We here in America just got done celebrating the 4th of July, our Independence Day. I’ve posted a couple of times about the 4th of July. One was a story of my father-in-law’s shenanigan’s that almost saw me killed. And naturally I posted our very Patriotic 4th of July playlist several years ago. This year the fireworks started in mid-June and will likely persist for another couple of weeks. I looked out toward the east from my roof Tuesday night and it looked like a battle was raging. “Rockets red glare,” indeed. I hate how much that night scares the shit out of the dogs and cats out there. Anyway I approach it, there’s just something about 4th of July that signals to me that summer is on the “back nine” so to speak. It always seems to motivate me enjoy as much of the sunny, blues skies as I can before we’re taken over by the autumnal hues.

Of course, now that I’m a member of the workforce, I guess it shouldn’t matter when summer starts or ends. These days, I’m lucky if I get to steal away for a whole week and sit on a beach or hike through some mountains somewhere. It sure wasn’t like that when I was a kid. There was nothing better than Summer Break. I can remember walking out of my grade school on that last day, out of the gloom and into the light, feeling like I was Joliet Jake in The Blues Brothers, being released from prison. “Goodbye and good riddance Mrs. Peters,” or whoever happened to be that year’s prison guard turned school teacher who’d tortured me all year with extra handwriting exercises… although admittedly my handwriting is still so bad I could have been a doctor. Summer in those elementary days was three months of endless possibilities… and yet I never really accomplished anything. No school, sleeping relatively late, hitting the pool with friends or playing baseball over in the school yard were the only things we concerned ourselves with… I took swimming lessons at a private residence from a college girl whose top occasionally came off which was like “discovering plutonium.”

Even in the latter years of school – junior high and high school – when I had to get a job, summer was still better than school. Working meant money, which we immediately spent on beer and vinyl. Days off spent drinking beer at some apartment complex pool and getting – yes – a deep golden tan. I mean, call me crazy, but the world just looks better with a tan. It was like that Springsteen song, “Now there’s girls melting on the beach and they’re so fine but so far out of reach…” Well, there were no beaches around but you get the picture. It was yet another plethora of endless possibilities… although I never accomplished anything there either…beyond wondering what the pretty girl from Spanish class was up to. I wasn’t like the Stones, there was no “Summer Romance” in the cards for me.

Now, I work all summer. There’s no three month break. Having all summer off in school really ruins summer for you as a functioning, responsible adult. Now I have to reserve my sun time for those brief days I snatch down on some beach vacation. I do love the beach, except for the sand. I envy all you coastal types who can slip down to “the Jersey Shore” and dip your feet in the ocean. Of course there are a record number of sharks this year… All I have left to remind me of those halcyon days of yore, those “summer nights and my radio,” are the great rock n roll songs about summer, or sun, or even better for me now, the beach.

When I was a kid at the pool, they always had the radio on blasting the local rock n roll songs on a very tinny speaker. I can’t hear Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” without going into a pool-memory trance. It seems it was always on. Nowadays if I go to a beach or hit the pool at a resort they’re always playing Bob Marley or reggae – which there’s nothing wrong with that, I love reggae and all the rock bands who have dabbled in it – or gads Jimmy Buffet (I’ve just never been a fan) or worse yet, the Beach Boys. I despise the Beach Boys. It’s like that Bad Company song “Rhythm Machine,” with the lyric “The Beach Boys didn’t get me but Fats Domino did…” Indeed. I don’t want any of that stuff, I want rock n roll songs. Something with a little guitar. So I’ve put together a list of my favorite tracks about summer/sun/beach. I’m surprised at how many deep tracks are on this list but it’s always been my goal to a) turn you onto something you haven’t heard or b) put an old song back in your ear for the first time in a long time. And believe me, there are a lot of great rock acts with summer songs!

Now I realize, that once before I did my Eclectic Summer/Sun playlist years ago, in the early days of B&V. Hence the “2.0” in the title of this one. I try to never repeat myself but this playlist really is new and improved… and a lot longer. The early list was about 30 songs. I cut a few songs and then doubled the length of the list. The original playlist was taken straight from my iPOD which over the years kept growing so I felt it was time for an update. Besides, what else have I got to do? As a guy named Matt from New York said to me once, in Boston, “Kansas, it’s summer, you drink beer with your friends.” So crack that cold beer and turn these tracks up on the headphones. As usual we’re all over the place stylistically and tempo-wise. Sitting in the sun requires a few laid back tunes, if you’re relaxing properly. Play ’em straight through, shuffle ’em, skip a song if you don’t like it… it’s all for your enjoyment.

  1. The Doors, “Waiting For The Sun” – For reasons unclear, this song reminds me of being up all night, sitting on the curb outside a bar, the Aggie Lounge, that opened at 6am, planning on a “red beer” (beer and tomato juice, a hangover cure) and a pickled egg.
  2. Steely Dan, “Blues Beach” – “Drinking at the Manatee Bar,” yes please. Can I pick the music?
  3. Beck, “Girl” – “And I know I’m gonna steal her eye…”
  4. Bob Dylan, “Summer Days” – “I’m standing on the table, I’m proposing a toast to the King.”
  5. Cheap Trick, “Summer Looks Good On You” – From a great, recent album, In Another World.
  6. Oasis, “Turn Up The Sun” – A Rock Chick favorite.
  7. The Cult, “Sun King” – “Won’t you share my throne?”
  8. Faces, “Behind The Sun (Outtake)” – Great song by one of the all time great bands, the Faces.
  9. Bob Seger, “Sunspot Baby” – Where our hero tells a tale of traveling from sunny place to sunny place in search of his woman who absconded with his Amex. Which is how I ended up in Jamaica once.
  10. John Mellencamp, “Summer of Love” – “It’s the summer of love…least ways I’m hoping.” Aren’t we all?
  11. The Cars, “Magic” – “Summer, summer, summer, it turns me upside down.”
  12. Dirty Heads, “Cabin By The Sea” – A stoner couple decamps to the shore.
  13. The Rolling Stones, “Summer Romance” – Our protagonist’s summer girl is back in school (ahem), and he’s back in the pub, “probably playing pool and drinking.” Mick has lived.
  14. Bruce Springsteen, “Girls In Their Summer Clothes” – There’s literally nothing better than the female summer wardrobe.
  15. The Beatles, “Here Comes The Sun” – A quiet moment in the mayhem.
  16. Eddie Vedder, “Hard Sun” – Eddie with a plea to use sunscreen.
  17. Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Behind The Sun” – Great, early, Hillel Chilis.
  18. David Lee Roth, “Goin’ Crazy” – “…from the heat.”
  19. The Beatles, “Good Day Sunshine” – I wish this song was the sound my alarm clock made on summer mornings.
  20. Van Halen, “Ice Cream Man” – “I’m usually passing by around 11 o’clock…I never stop…”
  21. The Firemen, “Sun Is Shining” – Brilliant McCartney side project.
  22. Ray Charles, “You Are My Sunshine” – Brother Ray!
  23. U2, “Summer Rain” – I used to love to run in the summer rain.
  24. 311, “Golden Sunlight” – Groovy summer track from a band I’ll see live again in October.
  25. Van Halen, “Summer Nights” – I close my eyes and I’m almost in this song.
  26. The Kinks, “Sunny Afternoon” – Thankfully, I’ve never been “accused of drunkenness and cruelty.” Well, not in summer.
  27. Jimi Hendrix, “Long Hot Summer Night” – Nothing sweeter than a long, hot summer night.
  28. Cream, “Sunshine Of Your Love” – Epic riff for an epic time of year.
  29. The Ramones, “Rockaway Beach” – One of my favorite punk tunes.
  30. Audioslave, “Jewel of the Summertime” – I needed a little harder rock for the deep end of the pool.
  31. Bruce Springsteen, “Seaside Bar Song” – Again, I just envy you coastal types who can drive down to the shore and see a band, drink a beer and dance.
  32. Aerosmith, “Sunshine” – Late period deep track that ain’t half bad.
  33. Van Halen, “Beautiful Girls” – Oh give me, “a drink in my hand and my toes in the sand” any day!
  34. The Who, “Summertime Blues” – This is more akin to how I feel now, sitting inside watching all the fun.
  35. Same Cooke, “Summertime” – Legendary song, legendary singer.
  36. Pretenders, “Let The Sun Come In” – A brand new track that is my summer jam this year.
  37. Bruce Springsteen, “Waiting On A Sunny Day” – Brilliant track. Hopefully your sunny day isn’t far away.
  38. Allman Brothers Band, “Blue Sky” – Nothin’ better than blues skies and a sunny day.
  39. U2, “Staring At The Sun” – I would not advise this.
  40. 311, “Sunset In July” – Perfect for this time of year.
  41. Sheryl Crow, “Soak Up the Sun” – I hesitated on including this one, but we need a few more female voices around here.
  42. The Beatles, “I’ll Follow The Sun” – Our singer knows it’s time to move on down the road, away from someone… might as well follow the sun. We’ve all been in that jam.
  43. Bob Dylan, “In The Summertime” – Sweet summer track. Also covered by Chrissie Hynde.
  44. Don Henley, “Boys Of Summer” – This track stirs up some ghosts for me but boy is it great. Co-written by Mike Campbell.
  45. The Alarm, “Rain In The Summertime” – I saw these guys play in a small club in their heyday.
  46. INXS, “Melting In The Sun” – Great, INXS deep cut.
  47. Prince, “Play In The Sunshine” – From the epic double-album Sign O’ The Times.
  48. Billy Thorpe, “Children Of The Sun” – Weird, but great track from high school.
  49. The Cult, “Tiger In The Sun” – There is so much great Cult music from their latter career.
  50. Greta Van Fleet, “Mountain Of The Sun” – They’ve got a new song out and a new album on the way.
  51. Lindsey Buckingham/Christine McVie, “Red Sun” – Sad to have lost Christine.
  52. Lou Reed, “Fly Into The Sun” – Lou sounds so cheerful here. Maybe even Lou liked summer.
  53. Paul McCartney, “Back In The Sunshine Again” – Great McCartney deep track.
  54. Peter Frampton, “I Wanna Go To The Sun” – I love early Frampton and that guitar tone.
  55. The Police, “Invisible Sun” – Been listening to a lot of Police lately…
  56. Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, “The Dark Of The Sun” – Great Petty deep track.
  57. Joe Walsh, “Indian Summer” – I was always told, “Indian Summer” was the nice weather after the first freeze but I’m not so sure about that anymore.
  58. The Lovin’ Spoonful, “Summer In The City” – Gets hot in the city…
  59. Randy Newman, “On The Beach” – The chronicle of a man who just decided to stay on the beach. It takes all kinds.
  60. Frank Sinatra, “Summer Wind” – Ah memories of a summer fling.
  61. REO Speedwagon, “Only A Summer Love (Live)” – These guys music hasn’t aged well, but I’m fond of the live LP You Get What You Play For.
  62. Red Hot Chili Peppers, “Black Summer” – The first single from Frusciante’s latest return.
  63. Patti Smith, “Redondo Beach” – Patti Smith grooving at the beach… who’d have thought?
  64. Soundgarden, “Black Hole Sun” – Heavy…
  65. INXS, “Red Red Sun” – INXS was so great…
  66. Paul Simon, “Was A Sunny Day” – Love everything here save the faux Jamaican accent.
  67. The Velvet Underground, “Who Loves The Sun” – More proof that even Lou Reed loves the sunshine.
  68. Stevie Wonder, “You Are The Sunshine Of My Life” – Is there anybody smoother than Stevie Wonder?
  69. LEN, “Steal My Sunshine” – Dedicate one to the Rock Chick… She turned me onto this catchy number.
  70. Sly And The Family Stone, “Hot Fun In The Summertime” – A true summer time classic.
  71. Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, “Heartbreakers Beach Party” – A fitting end here…

There you have it! If you have a song that would fit on our playlist, by all means drop it in the comments and I’ll add it! I hope you’re all having a great summer and really hope you’re smarter than me and use your sunscreen out there.

Pour some rum and coke into a tumbler over ice…maybe add a squeeze of lime… and play this loud.

Cheers!