Month: September 2023

New Song Alert: New Tunes Galore – The Stones, U2, Springsteen All Release New Songs

~ kcorsini ~ 3 Comments

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In the space of the last 24 hours we’ve seen the release of new songs from the Rolling Stones – their second track from the upcoming Hackney Diamonds – U2 and Bruce Springsteen. If this had happened in a 24 hour period when I was in college in the mid to late 80s my head would have exploded. But of course the mid-80s were arguably U2 and Springsteen’s peak popularity. And while the Stones were bickering, anything they released in the 80s was… well… music to my ears. Undercover was wildly underrated. Back then if all 3 of these bands had released new songs simultaneously, I’d have run my fingers through my feathered mullet – extra long in back and as a bonus, naturally curly back there – taken a sip of a Seagrams V.O. and coke, grabbed my cassette playing “boom box,” some wine coolers for my college girlfriend and headed somewhere to party… smiling the entire time.

Naturally we’re a lot of years and a lot of miles away from those heady days in the 80s. It’s a glorious thing that we’re getting new music from these now venerable bands all this way down the road. Of course things are quite a bit different than they were back then. The Stones went 18 years without an album of original material. U2 has seemingly lost their way on recent albums, really since How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. Although they do hit on the occasional great tune. Springsteen fired the E Street Band in 1990 only to reunite a decade later. We lost long time E Street Band members Clarence Clemons (sax) and Danny Federici (keyboards). Springsteen’s output has been a bit of a mixed bag over the years but has generally fared pretty well.

Having spent a majority of the last 24 hours listening to these three new songs, naturally we have some thoughts. And like these great bands careers, these singles are a bit of a mixed bag. Overall, I’d have to say, all of this is very good news. Our thoughts with links to the tracks below:

The Rolling Stones, “Sweet Sounds Of Heaven”

Holy guest stars, Batman. This tune features not only Lady Gaga on a harmony/co-vocal with Mick – and say what you want about her music, the woman is a Helluva talented singer – and a glorious Stevie Wonder on piano. In a few words this song is astonishingly good. The Stones do something here they haven’t done in years – combine blues, soul and gospel into one mind blowing package. This track sounds like 1973. It could have been lifted from Goats Head Soup. It’s an absolute classic. Keith mans the bass guitar on this one. Mick’s vocal is plaintive as Hell. You can’t help but think of the late Charlie Watts when Mick sings, “hear the sound of the drums as it echoes through the valley and it bursts.” The unedited version breaks down and then the band kicks back end and suddenly I have tears in  my eyes. This of course, is the second track released from the upcoming Hackney Diamonds, following the great rocker “Angry” that we can’t get enough of here. All of this bodes well for this album… October 20th can’t get here fast enough. Everyone needs to hear this track:

U2, “Atomic City”

U2 began their Las Vegas residency, a thing that was once a point of ridicule for the King, Elvis, but now is a standard stop for a lot of rock stars from Elton John to Rod Stewart (who I actually saw in Vegas at his residency). Unfortunately drummer Larry Mullen, Jr will not be playing drums with them as he’s recovering from some surgical repairs to his body – not unlike your intrepid blogger – which kind of bums me out. U2 are probably trying to recover from the disastrous Songs Of Surrender on which they did “stripped down” versions of their classic tunes. It was mostly Bono with the Edge strumming an acoustic guitar and left out both Mullen and bassist Adam Clayton. Only Bono could come up with such a self-absorbed bad idea. Anyway, to celebrate the residency, U2 recorded “Atomic City” a track they wrote about Las Vegas and released it to coincide with opening night. They once strolled through Vegas singing, “I Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” now they sing about Vegas. Sigh. Perhaps they’ve found what they were looking for, cash. All that said, it’s not a bad tune. Many will say it’s their best tune since… insert your favorite song. For me it’s the best thing they’ve done since “You’re The Best Thing About Me,” a track I am very fond of since the Edge actually plays guitar. He plays guitar here as well with a nice rubbery solo. The propulsive drumming is reminiscent of Green Day (the Rock Chick pointed that out to me). The chorus sounds like “Call Me” my favorite Blondie song (they gave Debbie Harry and co a writing credit, so they must think so too). This track grows on me with every listen. It’s not “Bullet The Blue Sky” but it ain’t bad. Check it out:

Bruce Springsteen, “Addicted To Romance”

First and foremost, all of us down here at B&V wish Bruce a speedy recovery from his peptic ulcer. Man, that must hurt. I saw Bruce and the vaunted E Street Band earlier this year and it’s one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. His new song, “Addicted To Romance,” is from an upcoming movie She Came To Me. I don’t know anything about the movie, but it stars Peter Dinklage and I’d go see him in anything. I’ve been a fan of his since The Station Agent. Anyway, Springsteen has a pretty stellar record of songs in movies. He was nominated for an Academy Award for both “Streets Of Philadelphia” (loved it) and “Dead Man Walkin'” (thought it was “o.k.”). But other of his songs have been from movies that I do absolutely love – “Missing” (from The Crossing Guard) and “Secret Garden” (from, gads, Jerry McGuire). “Addicted To Love” is a lovely piano-driven ballad. It didn’t sweep me away like say, the aforementioned “Secret Garden,” but it grows on me on every listen. Bruce’s wife Patti Scialfa sings a beautiful harmony vocal. They were born to sing together. Bruce’s voice swells over the rising strings as he sings, “the music you whispered in my ear reminds me of who I am,” which is pretty goddamn heart warming. This is a track that will have to percolate for me for a while, but I generally only have positive feelings about it. Springsteen mumbles some stuff at the end and I wish he hadn’t… that’s the only bad thing I can say… Here is the song:

While I may not have a mullet anymore, sadly, I may still drop by the liquor store and look for some wine coolers for the Rock Chick…maybe dig out that old boom box. With three new songs to celebrate on a Friday night I just have a feeling it’s gonna be a good weekend.

Cheers and enjoy yourselves this weekend everyone! “Eat the bread, drink the wine, ‘Cause I’m finally, finally quenchin’ my thirst, yeah.”

Concert Review: Guns N Roses, Kansas City, Sept 23, 2023 – A Celebration Of Rock N Roll

~ kcorsini ~ 5 Comments

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*Picture of last night’s GnR show courtesy of the Rock Chick

I had the pleasure of attending the Guns N Roses show last night at Kauffman Stadium, where the KC Royals play and all I can say is… wow. First and foremost, this was my first show at a baseball stadium. I have to admit, I don’t love the venue. I know Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young played there – back when it was Royals Stadium – in 1974 on that ill fated tour, but since then concerts at “the K” have been somewhat rare. I know Billy Joel played there a few years back. I’d heard complaints about the sound at the stadium but I thought last night sounded great. I prefer when bands play at Arrowhead Stadium, home of the Chiefs, because you can set up the stage in one end zone and you can get close if you’re on the floor. With the diamond being roped off last night it left a big open space between the stage – set up in center field – and the stands where I was. To the naked eye the guys in GnR – Axl Rose (vocals), Slash (lead guitar), Duff McKagan (bass), Richard Fortus (guitar), Dizzy Reed (keyboards), Frank Ferrer (drums), and Melissa Reese (keyboards) were merely specs on the stage. But enough bitching about the venue…

It’s been 7 years since I last saw GnR in Kansas City. They’ve been on a seemingly endless tour. It began as the “Not In This Life Time” tour and now they’re calling it the “We’re F’n Back” tour. Last night was one of the best rock shows I’ve seen in a very long time. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve seen some great shows this year – Bush and then Bruce Springsteen – but nothing of the sheer hard rock muscle of GnR. I had the pleasure of watching with friend of the blog, RK, and he commented to me, “This is one of the best vibes I’ve ever had at a show.” It really was a celebration of rock n roll. GnR played for over 3 hours. They gave it all they had. Last time I saw them, they had tent set up on the right side of the stage and Axl kept ducking in there after every song. Probably for oxygen… Not so last night. Axl was all over the stage, like a man half his age. Duff McKagan plays bass so aggressively it’s almost a lead instrument – the man could give Flea a run for his money as “greatest bass player of his generation.” And then there’s Slash. “OMG” as the kids say. His solo’ing is otherworldly. It was like seeing Jeff Beck or Jimmy Page at their respective peaks. Slash simply put on a clinic.

With three hours to play GnR could hit most of their back catalog. They kicked off with a spirited version of “It’s So Easy” a classic Appetite For Destruction track. And from there it was off to the races. “Bad Obsession” has always been a personal favorite and it was the second song. It might have been the bourbon, but I have to admit, they lost me a little in the early stages of the show when they did “Chinese Democracy” and then a Velvet Revolver tune “Slither.” I just didn’t recognize the tunes. Try as I may to connect to Chinese Democracy, I just can’t. Just as I started to worry they hit me with one of my all time favorites “Pretty Tied Up.” Then it was on to “new” song “Hard Skool,” which I really dig. So many favorites last night! “Mr. Brownstone” led to an unhinged “Welcome To The Jungle” preceded by a little guitar homage to Link Wray from Slash. Then they hit the great new track “Perhaps.” I have to say, Axl Rose almost seemed… joyful.

The energy of last night’s show was so upbeat. It was like seeing a rejuvenated band. “Live And Let Die” slayed me. That led into “Civil War” with Axl sporting a Ukrainian flag on his T and on the big screen behind the band. They projected the concert on side screens and used cool graphics in the big middle screen… I felt like that was a bit of a lost opportunity for those of us up in the cheap seats…I was wishing they’d have had the band on that big middle screen but I’m splitting hairs. They did a Spaghetti Incident? song “Down On The Farm,” which I don’t love but they rocked it. “Rocket Queen” was epic. Duff sang the old Stooges track “T.V. Eye.” Slash’s guitar solo is enough to put him in the guitar player Hall of Fame…it was like seeing Eddie Van Halen play “Eruption” back in the day. Axl sat at the piano for a wonderful rendition of “November Rain.” They literally hit every tune you’d wanna hear. They even found time to do a cover of Glen Campbell’s “Wichita Lineman.”

The main set ended with another personal favorite “Nightrain.” The encore was short but very sweet – just two songs. “Patience,” their best acoustic track which led into a rousing version of “Paradise City.” I staggered from my seat weary, bludgeoned and battered but in a good way. I couldn’t find a t-shirt vendor with my size T so get your shirts early folks. I can’t say enough good things about last night’s show. It was like the band itself, epic, larger than life, spectacular.

If Guns N’ Roses are coming to your town, do yourself a favor. Buy the ticket, see the show. Thank me later!

Cheers!

Review: Pretenders Return With ‘Relentless’ – Another Late Career Gem From Chrissie Hynde & Crew

~ kcorsini ~ 3 Comments

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I must admit I’d spent the last week to week and a half in a bit of a musical cocoon listening to Fleetwood Mac’s recent vault release Rumours Live, along with Guns N Roses’ new song “Perhaps” and of course, the Stones first new song in quite a while, “Angry.” While I was locked in on all of these recent releases the Pretenders put out a brand new album, their 12th, Relentless. I must say, Chrissie Hynde (vocals/guitar) and the crew have released yet another late career gem. At this point in the game, I’m just glad the Pretenders are still out there making a glorious racket.

Whenever a venerable band releases an album, I find myself drifting to listen their back catalog like I’m doing rock n roll homework for the upcoming new album. I’m like most folks, I immediately think back to their debut, 1979’s Pretenders and the follow up 1981’s Pretenders II. The Pretenders were, of course, a different band back then. Those two LPs were the only ones by the original line up: Hynde, Martin Chambers (drums), James Honeyman-Scott (lead guitar) and Pete Farndon (bass). Tragically Farndon and Honeyman-Scott both succumbed to drug overdoses. Since, then Hynde has continued with the band albeit with a revolving cast of characters. Even Martin Chambers, the “OG” drummer, has been in and out of the band. At the Pretenders’ Hall of Fame induction Hynde said, “I know it looks like I’ve been fronting a Pretenders tribute band for the last 30 years…”

Despite losing two founding members the Pretenders still delivered on their third and perhaps most popular album – to the general audience anyway – in Learning to Crawl. That record had “Back On The Chain Gang,” “Middle of the Road,” and “My City Was Gone.” I remember listening to that album when it came out down in my buddy Drew’s room in college. I was stunned the Pretenders could persevere after losing two pretty key members. After that album, and I’ll freely admit this, the Pretenders were a  band who only occasionally popped up on my radar. I’d hear “Don’t Get Me Wrong,” or “I’ll Stand By You” or some other stray single and think, “I’m glad the Pretenders are still out there.” All that changed and I found myself back on the bandwagon for the great, late career rocker Hate For Sale from 2020. If you haven’t checked that one out, do yourself a favor and seek it out.

The key thing that holds the concept of the Pretenders together is Hynde. Her vocals are just amazing…she could, as the saying goes, sing the phone book and I’d listen. Her songwriting is insightful and at times cutting. She has been described simply and correctly, as a “bad ass.” This incarnation of the band, for Relentless, alas doesn’t include once and future drummer Chambers like Hate For Sale did. She did retain guitarist James Walbourne who also cowrote Relentless (as he did Hate For Sale). Walbourne and Hynde also collaborated on Hynde’s last solo record, a mostly acoustic affair that saw Hynde doing a handful of Bob Dylan cover songs, entitled Standing In The Doorway: Chrissie Hynde Sings Bob Dylan. I loved that record even though I had one reader who did not… I get it, a punk rocker does a bunch of quiet acoustic tracks and that might not be your cup of tea. But completely changing things up is kinda what a solo album is about. Anyway, joining Hynde & Walbourne on Relentless is something I’ve read described as the Pretenders’ Collective and includes: Carwyn Ellis (keyboards), Kris Sonne (drums), Chris Hill and Dave Page (bass).

I’ll say right off the bat, I like this album. Pretenders are starting to remind me of Cheap Trick – a great band that’s been around since I was in junior high school who consistently puts out good albums and has suddenly found themselves in a late career renaissance. The first single from Relentless, that I posted about earlier, is the stone cold classic Pretenders track, “Let The Sun Come In.” That song will be on future greatest hits albums. Having heard that song, and seeing the cover art, pictured above, of a pugnacious child, who while scrawny looks ready to scrap despite losing an eye, made me think Relentless would be an all-out, aggressive punk attack. There are rocking songs but the album is a much more varied set of songs and probably stronger for it.

Beyond “Let The Sun Come In,” there are some great rockers here. “Losing My Sense of Taste” opens the record with fuzzy guitars and big drums. I love the distorted guitar solo on that one. Next, “A Love” goes midtempo but wouldn’t have sound out of place on Learning To Crawl with its jangling guitars. Who doesn’t love a song about fear of commitment. “Domestic Silence” has a big riff and organ as the foundation and boasts one of the most searing guitar solos I’ve heard in a while. You can always tell when a songwriter like Hynde is collaborating with a guitar player… “turn up the solo.” “Vainglorious,” (a word I had to look up) is probably the punkiest song here and pops ups towards the end of the album which is a nice change of pace from the mellower stuff on the back end.

There are ballads on this record but the Pretenders have been doing those since Learning To Crawl (“Thin Line Between Love And Hate,” “2000 Miles”). If I have one complaint, it’s that they sequenced all the ballads toward the end. “The Copa” is a groovy, one might say dreamy, ballad filled with memories of a beach side tryst. Both “Look Away” and “House On Fire” (which seems to be a warning about Climate Change) are acoustic tracks – and one can’t help but think they were influenced by her recent foray into covering Dylan. I will say “House On Fire” has a chorus of “See ya, wouldn’t wanna be ya” which I found… meh. It’s the only track that doesn’t grab me. The ending track, “I Think About You Daily” with strings scored by Radiohead’s Johnny Greenwood is breathtaking… or maybe it’s just the lyrics… It’s a classic, “done somebody wrong” track for… the one who got away. Gripping stuff.

There are also a few left turns. “Just Let It Go” is a midtempo thing with a gorgeous vocal and yet another red hot guitar solo. “Merry Widow” is almost… Baroque?… or maybe psychedelic? “I’m a divorcee but I feel like a widow…” It almost feels like an electrified folk song. In the middle it has a Middle Eastern or maybe Indian section with crazy guitar. Those tracks and the aforementioned “I Think Of You Daily” with it’s big strings are songs that give this album more texture. The Pretenders do everything they do well on this album. Hynde’s collaboration with Walbourne has her re-energized.

At this stage in the game who’d have guessed the Pretenders would knock out their second strong album in a row. They’re such a great band with such a great energy. It’s time we all rediscover Chrissie Hynde and her Pretenders.

“Now gather round, ye humble bums… Russian vodka, Cuban rums, raise a glass, say “Iechyd da,” To your health and blah, blah, blah…”

Cheers!

Guns N Roses Release Single “Perhaps” – A Midtempo, Piano Driven Song – Perhaps We Like It

~ kcorsini ~ 4 Comments

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“Hey, my sense of rejection is no excuse for my behavior” – Guns N’ Roses, “Perhaps”

Guns N’ Roses released another single in mid-August – nearly two years after their last “new” single, “Hard Skool” – and I’m embarrassed to admit it, I just now found out about it. I don’t know whose working PR down there for GNR, but they need to upgrade. In my defense, this song came out right around the time I had some minor surgery. I spent most of mid-August in an oxy stupor that left me asleep for an entire week. So perhaps I can be forgiven for missing this thing and only now, a month later, hearing the track.

Ever since guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan returned to the GnR fold and began what appears to be a never ending tour, I think we’ve all been hopeful that this reunion would lead to new music. Here we are 7 – seven – years down the road and all we have to date are three singles. “Perhaps,” like “Absurd” and the aforementioned “Hard Skool” are tracks that Axl had worked on during the long and laborious sessions for Chinese Democracy. He’s reworked them and Slash and Duff have come in and recorded fresh guitar and bass parts – and they are exceptional players, as these tracks prove – but those parts are the only thing new about these tracks.

I did not like “Absurd” at all. It was appropriately named. It had an electronica kind of thing going on. Slash put some decent guitar on it, but it wasn’t my kinda GnR. Axl screams like he’s mad at us… and well, when has Axl not been angry? “Hard Skool” was much more to my liking. I still groove on that fabulous opening bass line that Duff lays down. It’s a track that is worthy of the band’s previous work. I can’t believe it’s been two years since that song came out. I’ve been hoping to see these guys break some new ground and write some truly new music… but I’ll take what I can get from this legendary band.

“Perhaps,” like the other two singles, had it’s genesis, as mentioned, in the Chinese Democracy sessions. As such, the drummer on the track is a guy named Brains. Apparently he was temporarily in the band. Axl must have had to install a revolving door on the studio when he was making that album. Slash and Duff both play on the track so clearly it’s been updated. To round out the line up Dizzy Reed plays keyboards and Richard Fortus plays rhythm guitar. Axl not only sings but plays piano.

I have to admit, there’s no “perhaps” about it, I like this song. It’s a piano driven, midtempo track. I think the most surprising thing about it is the opening lyrical salvo – where Axl appears to… apologize? “Perhaps I was wrong… when I didn’t see you… Perhaps I was wrong… when I don’t believe you.” They say time softens all men, perhaps even Axl is not immune from that. Of course later Axl goes on to sing, “My heart bleeds for me…” which seems counter to the previous remorseful emotion. Ah, Axl, a bundle of conflicting emotions. Towards the end there are some vocal effects on Axl’s voice as he screams parts of the chorus that I wasn’t crazy about at first, but it’s grown on me… and he does sing in a normal vocal, “You’re all alone now” in a plaintive way that grabs me. Here’s the song:

I am scheduled to see GnR a week and half from now and I certainly hope to hear this track. I think Guns N’ Roses could have been up there with the Stones in terms of the Rock Pantheon of Gods had Axl not become such a megalomaniac. As it stands, they’re still one of the absolute greatest. I’m still finding myself going back to those bonus live shows on the Use Your Illusions Box Set and marveling at the power and the glory of GnR.

I think “Perhaps” will scratch that rock n roll itch you may be having in these waning days of summer. And who knows, maybe we will hear an Axl/Slash/Duff new Guns album some day soon… well, maybe not soon… Perhaps some day.

Cheers!

Review: Fleetwood Mac Opens The Vaults For ‘Rumours Live’ – A Band Performing At Their Peak Powers! Sublime!

~ kcorsini ~ 5 Comments

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Fleetwood Mac has opened the vaults and released a fabulous concert recorded on the 1977 tour for Rumours. The album’s title is Rumours Live, which I feel might be slightly confusing. It’s not a performance of the Rumours album live in it’s entirety, like Pink Floyd released recently of a 1974 performance of Dark Side Of The Moon for it’s 50th Anniversary, better still, it’s a full show from the Rumours tour. This is the kind of vault release I just live for. This is a band that was on top of the world in 1977 and this concert is a performance at the peak of their powers. I will admit, I had a bootleg from the ’77 tour recorded May 21, 1977 in Nashville taken from the soundboard and it is just superb. So I had a feeling this show from August 29, 1977 at the LA Coliseum (where Hendrix recorded a recently released live LP from ’69… popular venue) was going to be awesome.

As longtime readers know, I’m a huge fan of the live album (our favorites, listed here). Many live albums are a bit piecemeal. Meaning, the band chooses songs from different concerts and builds a (hopefully) coherent live album. I understand wanting to cherry pick your best performances if you’re going to release a live album. Fleetwood Mac used that method for their 1980 album Live. I’ve always been fond of that double-live album, recorded on the Tusk tour, but Tusk has always been one of my favorite double-albums. When Fleetwood Mac reunited in 1997 and released another live LP, The Dance, they used basically a single performance. Frankly, I’ve always been more of a fan of a live album taken from a single performance. I don’t know how many times I’ve left a concert thinking, I wish I had a recording of the show I just saw… and then looking at the track list on the live LP that followed the tour and being disappointed. Of course nowadays, bands do release “official bootlegs” of shows right after the performance… and I’ve purchased shows from the Chili Peppers to Pearl Jam to Springsteen (from his latest show this year) and those are generally fabulous.

1977 was truly an almost unrivaled peak for Fleetwood Mac. Or should I say, this line up of Fleetwood Mac. Fleetwood Mac was famously formed by legendary blues guitar player Peter Green. That lineup really sprang out of John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers much in the same way Cream did. Sadly Peter Green suffered some mental issues after taking some acid at a party and quit the band. After that the band went through a number of line up changes. It seems prescient that Green named the band Fleetwood Mac after the rhythm section of Mick Fleetwood (drums) and John McVie (“Mac” on bass). Those two guys have been the only constant members of Fleetwood Mac through all the personnel changes. Eventually, Christine Perfect (vocals and keyboards) joined the band and married John McVie. Alas we just lost Christine McVie last year. The band found modest success briefly with Bob Welch whose tracks “Sentimental Lady” and “Hypnotized” were minor hits. But then Welch split to go solo.

By 1974/75 the band was just Mick Fleetwood, John McVie and Christine McVie. They were looking for a producer and a guitar player. When the band interviewed producer Keith Olsen, as a C.V., he gave them a copy of an album he’d just produced for a band called Buckingham Nicks. Fleetwood Mac not only hired Olsen, they tried to hire guitarist Lindsey Buckingham. He refused to join the band without vocalist and partner Stevie Nicks. They were, it seems, a package deal. The band accepted both Buckingham and Nicks the “classic” line up of Fleetwood Mac was born. Their first album together, the eponymous titled 1975 album was a big hit. Bigger than anything the Mac had had before. Classic tunes like “Over My Head,” “Landslide” and “Monday Morning” were all over the radio. The Fleetwood Mac album really set the stage for the monster next record, 20m+ selling Rumours. Typically, if you look at those “best selling albums of all time” lists, each of those records were preceded by a big album (Back In Black was preceded by Highway To Hell; Thriller was preceded by Off The Wall… I could go on).

Rumours was not only a superb collection of songs it was sort of a document of the dissolving relationships between the McVie’s and Buckingham/Nicks. I once read that it was the recording of an orgy set to music. I actually traded my brother Supertramp’s Breakfast In America for his copy of Rumours. I think it was a fair trade. Both are great albums. I’ve always considered Rumours a perfect album… although when I discovered they left off “Silver Springs” it shook my faith in that thought. Of course “Silver Springs” ended up being one of my favorite B-sides…

The tour in support of Rumours took the band around the world – from Europe to Australia. They even played Kansas City twice on that tour. I remember in ’81 sleeping out for Van Halen tickets, I asked an old hippy what was best concert he’d ever seen… his answer, “Hands down man, Fleetwood Mac.” I get it stoner dude, I get it. While the aforementioned bootleg of the show in Nashville is amazing, I have to say this L.A. show eclipses even that. It’s clear the band is pumped up to be playing for their hometown audience. It’s not a stretch to imagine their friends in the Eagles or Jackson Browne being in the audience… I saw Buckingham interviewed one time and he bristled at the thought that Fleetwood Mac had been described as “mellow.” He insisted they were melodic, not mellow. I have to say this live document kinda proves him right. His guitar playing is stellar. And I can’t say enough about the most underrated rhythm section in music – Mick’s drumming is propulsive and McVie’s bass holds down the bottom. Both Christine McVie and Stevie are exceptional.

There are so many standout tracks. I love the energy of the opener, Christine’s “Say You Love Me.” Buckingham, McVie and Nicks also harmonize so well, it’s like they’re CSNY… They do most if not all of the tracks from Fleetwood Mac and Rumours which is a pretty amazing set of songs to choose from. The only older Mac tune they do is “Oh Well” which Buckingham turns into a guitar workout. This may be the definitive version of Nicks’ “Rhiannon,” which she announces by saying, if you hadn’t caught on yet, “this is a song about a witch.” Nicks sounds absolutely possessed in this performance. It’s like they’ve been keeping her in a cage backstage and she just broke free. They simply rawk this tune. Buckingham’s “Never Going Back Again” features some nice acoustic bass from John McVie and brushwork on the drums from Mick. It only adds to the original.

“Landslide” is predictably beautiful. “Over My Head” is almost funky. The final stretch of the main set is incendiary and features Buckingham’s toughest tracks – “I’m So Afraid,” “Go Your Own Way,” “World Turning” and finally a raucous version of “Blue Letter.” They introduce “The Chain” as a “jam,” and yes it is. John McVie says, “We’ve only been together a short while so we’re out of songs,” prior and it made me smile. What a bass solo… what a guitar solo. “Second Hand News” follows and then, the most gorgeous finale, “Songbird,” Christine’s beautiful ballad. That one gives me goosebumps.

I am trying to imagine what it would have been like to be in the audience for one of these shows. A band at their absolute peak – before Stevie launched a solo career, before they kicked Lindsey out of the band – with their absolute best material featured on the setlist. OMG, it’s just a perfect live album recorded in front of their hometown fans. It is, without fail, their definitive live document.

This is a live album even people who aren’t into live albums would enjoy. It’s essential listening in the art of rock n roll. It brings everything we love about 70s rock n roll to the fore. Turn this one up loud!!!

Cheers!

New Song Alert: Stones Formally Announce ‘Hackney Diamonds’ With Jimmy Fallon – Release New Single ‘Angry’ – Oh, Yeah, Baby!!

~ kcorsini ~ 10 Comments

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I had to get up early for work today, but truth be told, I’d have gotten up early anyway as the Stones were set to do their album launch broadcast (on YouTube) for the new record Hackney Diamonds. Apparently the original album title was going to be Smash And Grab. The Stones – Mick Jagger (vocals), Keith Richards (guitar/vocals) and Ronnie Wood (guitar) – came on stage at a venerable old theater in London (the Hackney Empire, I believe) and were greeted by American talk show host Jimmy Fallon. I’m not a big Fallon fan, but he did reference an old, deep track from their early days, “Off The Hook,” and damn if that didn’t send me scurrying back to that song for a listen or two… Kudos Mr. Fallon.

The Stones seem loose and excited about the new record. The late Charlie Watts plays drums on only two of the songs and X-Pensive Wino drummer Steve Jordan plays on the rest of the songs. The Stones said they started recording in January and wrapped in February… They did confirm that Andrew Watt produced the record and erstwhile bassist Bill Wyman plays on one track. I was glad I had a few half hour to tune in.

The best part of the announcement this morning was the unveiling of the first single, “Angry.” Other than “Living In A Ghost Town,” this is the first new song from the Stones in the aforementioned 18 years. They did of course release the fabulous blues cover LP, Blue And Lonesome, but this is their first album of all new material and first new single in soooo long. Oh, the anticipation we’re all feeling down here at B&V. The Stones’ first singles, at least since I’ve been a fan, have been on the money. From “Miss You,” “Start Me Up,” “Undercover Of The Night,” to “Mixed Emotions,” and “Rough Justice” those first singles just always connected for me.

Have no fear, the new track, “Angry” ranks up there with all those great first singles of yore. The track starts with a drum beat that leads us to a signature Stones riff. Mick launches in with “Don’t get angry with me, I never caused you no pain…” And just like that the universe has a new Stones track and we’re off and running, baby. I love the wobbly guitar solo. At the end they jam as Mick repeats the chorus. This is a great first single from what promises to be a great new album. Every time I hear this song it grows on me even more, if that’s even possible. This is the music B&V was invented for. Here’s the song:

Beyond that, the Stones released a video for the album featuring the buxom Sydney Sweeney. I’m not usually a “video” guy, but I did thoroughly enjoy this video. While Sweeney is no Tawny Kittaen dancing on the hood of that car in the Whitesnake video, she acquits herself well. She’s riding in the back of a convertible down – I presume – Sunset Strip, dancing around in what can only be described as a “celebration of cleavage.” And if you’re going to celebrate something, why not cleavage? Who could possibly be “Angry” with that? Anyway, as she makes her way down Sunset, she’s surrounded on either side by Stones billboards from the past. I think I even spotted a Talk Is Cheap billboard. The billboards, through the magic of CGI, come alive and perform the track as Sweeney’s rag top car cruises down the Strip. Pretty cool concept. Here’s the video…

Oh, indeed! She even unironically plays air guitar. Be still my heart.

Oh my friends, I can’t tell you what a happy day this is. I’ve got my vinyl copy of the album pre ordered. I may buy this on CD too. Hell, I may re think my “no tattoo” policy after this. When the Stones put out an album – especially this album – it’s a big fucking deal. This will probably the last time we all get a new Stones album and a new Stones first single. Savor this moment people, we may not get another… although they did say they had 23 songs recorded and are only releasing 12… dare I hope for a sequel?

Turn this one up loud and please, don’t be “Angry.” Not with me anyway…

Cheers!

A Brief Word On The Passing of Icon Jimmy Buffett, RIP

~ kcorsini ~ 2 Comments

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I took the Labor Day weekend off to enjoy the annual respite from all my toils, troubles and labors. Truth be told, since I’m still recovering from my recent tendon repair surgery, the weekend consisted of the Rock Chick propping me up in front of the TV to watch football and the US Open Tennis Tourney. Sure it was restful, but it certainly didn’t feel like a holiday… but I’m getting off track. While I was out I saw the sad news that Jimmy Buffett, Margarita-icon and hero to a legion of self-proclaimed Parrotheads had passed away. He had lymphoma that stemmed from an earlier bout of skin cancer. He was only 76, which seems very young.

I have to admit to all of you, I’m not and I’ve never been a Jimmy Buffett fan. This may come as a surprise to many as his beach, drinking, laid back ethos seems to be a prime fit for B&V. I think, once upon a time, I had a greatest hits CD (God knows which one, he had a number of compilations) that I either owned or recorded to cassette… back when cassettes and mix tapes were a “thing.” The man did have a string of hits in the 70s including “Margaritaville,” “Changes In Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes,” and “Why Don’t We Get Drunk (And Screw)”. And even I have to admit, the man was all about having fun, which is a great thing to be about. Not many people remember this, but Buffett started off his recording career attempting to inhabit the same niche that Gram Parsons invented and the Eagles owned, a folky/acoustic melding of rock n roll and country. He was briefly considered a peer of the Eagles and that style of music.

While his recorded music dropped off the charts by the 80s, his 70s hits and his uncanny ability to market kept him a huge concert draw. His fans dubbed themselves “Parrotheads” and they filled his concerts to the rum soaked rafters. If you look at his discography, along with his many compilations he has a ton of live albums. He went beyond the usual T-shirts and hats marketing and opened restaurants, bars and had his own brand of beer for a while. The guy was a marketing juggernaut. You’ve gotta respect that.

Beyond all that, he was a big supporter of the environment. He founded an organization to save the manatees and if you don’t think that’s awesome, you need help. He was an old sailor with an old school hippy mentality. There’s something about that I just like. While I didn’t spend the weekend cranking “Fins” or “Cheeseburger In Paradise,” I did feel sad about his passing. We did fly the rock flag at half mast this weekend in his honor. This guy was big in the 70s. And while you didn’t hear his music on the radio much after that – outside of the coastal areas of the U.S. or in the islands of the Caribbean, he was always a presence.

If you doubt the man’s influence, look no further than all of the other artists who have tried to inhabit that whole beach party niche. Sammy Hagar tried to be the hard rock Buffett for a while with all that “Mas Tequila” stuff. There’s a country guy, I think it’s Kenny Chesney, gads, who has been trying to be the full on country-Buffett for a while now. It’s a comfortable niche for those with the marketing gene. I mean, shit, who doesn’t like relaxed, boozy fun?

I kind of see this as yet another of that great rock n roll generation slipping away. It’s been a tough few months with the music losses mounting – from Sinead O’Connor, Tony Bennett and Eagle Randy Meisner to Robbie Roberston – we’re losing our rock stars. My advice in these situations is always to crank the music of these icons. And if you get a chance and a band you like (or used to like when you were a young wild one) comes to town, buy the ticket see the show. Who knows how much longer we’ll have these musicians and artists. Rock n Roll is a beautiful thing but it certainly claims a heavy toll.

For now, we say a fond farewell to Jimmy Buffett, RIP. My condolences to his family, friends and all those Parrotheads out there probably toasting Jimmy with rum. “They say there’s a woman to blame, but I know it’s my own damn fault…”

It’s a long dark ride, try and have a little fun out there while you can. Cheers!