electric guitar

New Song: Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs Return With “Dare To Dream” Featuring Graham Nash

~ kcorsini ~ 2 Comments

mikecampbellvagabonds__48175

Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs (Campbell, guitar/vocals; Mattt Laug, drums; Lance Morrison/bass; now Chris Holt, guitar) have released a new single “Dare To Dream” that features a wonderful backing/harmony vocal from none other than Graham Nash of CSNY fame. The song is from the Dirty Knobs upcoming album Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits. Is that not a fantastic album title? That title kind of sums up the whole B&V ethos… well, except that “virgin” part.

I think all of us were wrecked when we lost Tom Petty in 2017, but probably no one more than the members of the Heartbreakers – Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench in particular – as they had been on the ride with Tom for his entire career. I was so delighted that Mike Campbell, who I consider one of the greatest guitarist to ever strap the instrument on, has found himself a nice solo career after the passing of Petty. Sometimes a band leader passes and the other members are lost and fade away. Of course Campbell had guested on other people’s albums outside the Heartbreakers during their career, like Don Henley’s “Boys Of Summer” from way back in 1984, which he co wrote. With Benmont Tench he also formed my favorite ever surf band, The Blue Stingrays, which the Rock Chick discovered one night while musically spelunking. Well, I think Tench was involved in that project, it was pretty secretive. When Fleetwood Mac fired Lindsey Buckingham, they enlisted Mike Campbell – who was longtime friends with Stevie Nicks – along with Neil Finn to replace him. Finn for the vocals and Campbell for that fabulous lead guitar… he even brought back some of the great Peter Green era songs. Fleetwood Mac toured with Campbell, but they never went into the studio and with the passing of Christine McVie, it appears they’re done. I read somewhere that Christine told Campbell he “was fun to play the blues with,” high praise indeed.

While the thought of Campbell in Fleetwood Mac was cool, the guy was just too talented to be confined to just that as his post-Heartbreakers career. He co wrote so many great songs with Tom. I was thrilled in 2020 when it was announced that Mike Campbell and his band, the Dirty Knobs were putting out an album. Apparently the Dirty Knobs had been a live, side project to allow Campbell to play when he wasn’t busy with his “day job” for a while, prior to recording together. Campbell had stockpiled quite a few tracks and the result was Wreckless Abandon. The title track was the first song on the album and the first single and it was a great single that sounded, well, like Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. I really dug “Wreckless Abandon,” both the song and the album.

I was wondering if, like his stint in Fleetwood Mac, Wreckless Abandon was to be a one off. Thankfully, I was wrong. 2022 saw Campbell & the Dirty Knobs release External Combustion, another great rock n roll album. That album was preceded by the first single, “Wicked Mind,” which we loved down here at B&V. It was more of a road song, fast and rocking.

And now, here in 2024, we have a brand new song/lead single from the upcoming new album, entitled “Dare To Dream.” I’m so delighted Campbell and the Dirty Knobs are back. These guys are just a solid rock n roll band and we need those in 2024. “Dare To Dream” has such a great message. “These are the best of times, This is the good life and all you dare to dream can come true…” I like the sound of that. There’s a lot of negativity running around out there, it’s time for an uplifting message. The track itself is different than past first singles. It’s got a stab-y guitar riff. Campbell’s vocal is more prominent. I have to admit, it took me two listens for the track to click in my head. I had to get it first into the car for a good, windows down, volume cranked listen… and then I put it on the headphones. This track is utterly elevated by the amazing harmony/backing vocal of Graham Nash. That guy is an unsung hero…his vocals really make the vocals soar. I think I gave him short shrift on my post about CS&N solo/duo projects. Here’s the cool video:

Pretty cool stuff, and I don’t usually dig videos. Heartbreakers drummer Steve Ferrone is playing drums in the video, I do not think he plays on the song, but I could be wrong, we’ll have to see when the LP drops and I can read the liner notes. I do know there are other guests beyond Nash including Chris Stapleton and Benmont Tench. I love that Campbell says the theme of the song is “everything will be okay if you hold onto hope.” Seems like a very timely message.

I’m not sure what this means for Vagabonds, Virgins & Misfits, but with Mike Campbell at the wheel, with his track record, this just might be my summer album this year. Rest assured, B&V will be keeping our ear to the ground for this one…

Cheers!

David Gilmour Of Pink Floyd Announces New Solo LP, ‘Luck And Strange,’ Releases First Song, “The Piper’s Call”

~ kcorsini ~ Leave a comment

aLUGnVMmFQHWUKYenBACL5

It appears the rumors I’ve been hearing are true and erstwhile Pink Floyd guitarist/singer David Gilmour is set to release his fifth studio album Luck And Strange this coming September. Today he’s released the first single from the album, “The Piper’s Call.”

It may seem odd that David Gilmour, a very famous musician, has only put out five studio albums (if I include Luck And Strange) over the years. Of course from the 60s through the early 80s he was busy in Pink Floyd with Roger Waters, Rick Wright and Nick Mason. And from the late 80s on he was busy… well, in Pink Floyd with only Rick Wright and Nick Mason. I don’t think there was a more contentious break up in rock n roll history as Pink Floyd’s split between Gilmour/Mason/Wright and Waters. These guys make the Beatles break up look like a slightly unruly evening at a bingo night at the local church.

I have to admit, like most critics I’ve been up and down on Gilmour’s solo career. His guitar playing is some of the most melodic, recognizable, soulful sounds ever generated from the instrument. When Gilmour played guest guitar on a Pete Townshend or Paul McCartney record, you knew it was Gilmour. Pink Floyd ranks amongst Zeppelin and the Stones in the 70s pantheon of “cool” bands that every rock head loved. If you weren’t into those bands you might as well have been listening to disco. You were simply “uncool.”

However, in his solo career Gilmour has been less successful. Of course a lot of Pink Floyd “purist” would say that A Momentary Lapse Of Reason and The Division Bell, Pink Floyd’s albums without Waters are merely Gilmour solo records disguised as Floyd records. Sigh… Most critics will tell you that About Face from 1984 is the “pick of the litter” in terms of his solo career. I would probably agree with that assessment but I really liked his last studio album, Rattle That Lock. One of the issues that most critics, and fans for that matter, bring up is that Gilmour’s songwriting partner and lyric writer is his wife Polly Sampson. You get the usual “Yoko” kind of complaints about that. Hey, the guy can partner with whomever he wants, and he chooses to partner with his wife. Although I’m not immune to the ol’ trope that it’s a bad sign when you invite your significant other into the band.

Having enjoyed Rattle That Lock, I’m actually sort of looking forward to Luck And Strange. I’ve been listening to this new track, “The Piper’s Call” all morning. It wouldn’t have been out of place on his last album. The track starts off with a quiet acoustic guitar, quite lovely actually. It’s almost a Spanish guitar thing. Suddenly Gilmour’s voice – which I’ve always loved – comes on. The guy has lost nothing vocally over the years. The track kind of meanders along until the chorus when some fabulous Gilmour electric guitar comes in. He’s so plaintive in the way he plays. The track is mellow for the first minute and a half. But that chorus with Gilmour’s distressed vocals and wonderful guitar drew me in. His guitar playing is the main reason to stick around. Here’s the track:

It’s not a track that’s going to change anybody’s life or reignite a career the way say, Billy Joel’s “Turn The Lights Back On” did, but it’s not a bad little song. And if you’re a Pink Floyd fan – and who among us isn’t? – you’ll probably dig this one.

The album isn’t out until September but rest assured B&V will be out there with our ear to the ground… heeding the piper’s call, so to speak.

Cheers!

RIP Dickey Betts Of The Allman Brothers, The Ramblin’ Man’s Journey Has Come To An End

~ kcorsini ~ 3 Comments

dickey-betts-01-4-3

*Photo of guitar legend Dickey Betts shamelessly taken from the internet and likely copyrighted

I had no sooner hit the “send” button on yesterday’s post containing our playlist compiled from rock songs from 1984 when I saw the news that former Allman Brothers Band lead guitar legend Dickey Betts had passed away at the ripe old age of 80. I’m not gonna lie, this one is gonna leave a mark. I had intended to listen to the new Pearl Jam today, but we’re in full Allman mode as a tribute to the man who wrote “Ramblin’ Man.” I’ve gotten through the Allman’s first two studio records, with Live At The Fillmore East – one of, if not the greatest live album ever – teed up next. In unrelated news the Rock Chick is gritting her teeth and rushing to get out of the house. I guess the Allman Brothers are more of a “guy” thing, like Pink Floyd but I digress…

Of the original lineup of the Allman Brothers, with Dickey now gone, there’s only one surviving member, drummer Jaimoe aka John Lee Johnson or Jai Johanny Johanson. Jaimoe has more nicknames than Deion Sanders. It was guitar legend Duane Allman who, with his brother Gregg (vocals/organ) who formed the Allman Brothers. Duane and Gregg had been knocking around in different bands for a while. If you’ve never heard the Hourglass song (Duane & Gregg’s early band) “Power Of Your Love,” you need to. The brothers ended up in California. Duane finally had enough and left. Gregg had to hang for a year…where he befriended singer/songwriter Jackson Browne. Duane ended up pulling a band together down in Florida. He recruited drummer Jaimoe first. Then came Barry Oakley on bass, Butch Trucks on drums as well. Duane wanted a different kind of band, he had a clear vision and he knew he needed a second lead guitar to fulfill his vision and eventually through Trucks he found Dickey Betts. And make no mistake this wasn’t a lead/rhythm guitar situation, both Duane and Dickey played dual leads. Duane’s legend is a bit bigger than Dickey’s but perhaps that’s because he died so young.

Eventually freed from the Hourglass contractual obligation Gregg joined his brother and the rest of the band in Florida. He was a little intimidated by the musicians in the band at first, but his brother told him to “sing his ass off” on a version of Muddy Waters’ “Trouble No More,” and uh, Gregg complied. This was in ’69 and by the end of the year they’d put out their first album, The Allman Brothers, followed in 1970 by one of my all time favorites, Idlewild South. Oddly enough, it wasn’t until I had graduated from college and moved down south to Ft. Smith, Arkansas that I purchased those two records. It’s hard to believe that it took me until my early 20s to find the Allman Brothers… although when I started listening to rock music in say, 1978, the Allmans were broken up.

While the Allman’s debut album consisted of songs written by Gregg Allman and a few covers, Idlewild South saw the debut of Dickey Betts as a songwriter. He contributed the epic instrumental “In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed.” In their early days the Allmans used to practice in a cemetery and Dickey pulled the name off a tombstone, which is just damn cool. Dickey also contributed another song on the album, “Revival,” sung by Gregg that’s another all time fav. Although those first two albums are fabulous it wasn’t until their landmark live album, the aforementioned Live At the Fillmore East, that made the Allmans famous. By the time they recorded that live album their reputation as a live band was already immense.

Duane and Dickey – and the rest of the band – played the blues with a jazz ethos. There were long, extended guitar duels between Duane and Dickey that were borderline Miles Davis vibing off of John Coltrane. They’ve been described as “southern rock,” but they were so much more than that…although admittedly it took me briefly moving to the south to get into the Allmans. They’ve been described as a “jam band” but again, they were so much more than that. Many bands struggle to find one competent lead guitar player whereas the Allmans had two (and actually quite a few more if you look at their entire history). The live album was the only way to capture their magic conjured on stage vs a studio. For some bands it takes the live LP to break them.

Alas, tragedy was to hit the Allmans when in late ’71 Duane was killed in a motorcycle crash. Bassist Barry Oakley would suffer the same fate a year later. The Allmans soldiered through but Betts took more of a leadership role in the band and especially on stage. He was largely seen as the front man in the band, likely because Gregg was stuck sitting behind an organ. I think Gregg resented Betts assuming the leadership role in the band – a band with his name on it – and the rest of the Allman’s history was to be a tumultuous one.

Betts continued to develop as a songwriter. Many of his tunes have a country music vibe. But his songwriting credits are quite impressive from instrumentals “Les Brers In A Minor” and “Jessica” to “Ramblin’ Man” (the Allman Brothers biggest “hit”), “Blue Sky” and “Southbound.” After Brothers And Sisters in 1972, whose songs were predominantly written by Betts, Gregg dropped his solo-debut album Laid Back and the band began to splinter. Betts dropped his solo debut in 1974, Highway Call, but neither solo or with Great Southern, his side band, he never achieved the acclaim that Gregg’s solo stuff did.

The Allmans broke up in ’76, and reunited in the late 70s/early 80s, but finally called it quits again in 1982. I remember Allmans playing benefit shows for Jimmy Carter’s campaign. Jimmy Carter at a podium flanked by Dickey Betts and Gregg Allman was quite a sight. The Allman Brothers band lay dormant for a decade, until 1990. Dickey had started to put together a band that included Butch Trucks and Jaimoe and a newcomers Johnny Neal (keyboards), Warren Haynes (guitar) and Allen Woody (bass). I remember reading the band was going to be the Dickey Betts Band but Dickey realized they needed to get Gregg back in the fold and come back out as the Allman Brothers Band, a wise decision. The comeback album Seven Turns was an unexpected hit. Dickey wrote and sang the title track (with a haunting second vocal by Gregg) and co-wrote the hit “Good Clean Fun” with Gregg and Johnny Neal.

Under Dickey’s helm the Allmans began touring successfully and put out a string of great late career LPs: Seven Turns (1990), Shades Of Two Worlds (1991), and finally Where It All Begins (1994). That ’94 record was the biggest the Allmans had put out in a long time. That was the first tour I was able to see them live and watching Dickey and Warren Haynes (who was playing the Duane parts) spark off each other was nothing short of breathtaking. Many an air guitar was played that night.

Alas, the old tensions between Betts and Allman began to drag the band down. Betts was drinking pretty heavily (and perhaps was doing drugs as well) and Gregg had finally gotten sober. Betts kept getting into altercations. Eventually the band sent him a fax – demanding that he sober up/get clean and basically fired him. A band who he’d help found went on without him. Betts went on to record and tour solo but never found that solo fame he so richly deserved.

In 2017 we lost both Butch Trucks (alas, to suicide) and Gregg Allman from cancer. And now Dickey Betts has gone to that great concert hall in the sky. The Allman Brothers were a lot like brothers. They made fabulous, epic music but man, they also had a sibling like conflict underlying it all, especially Gregg and Dickey. Maybe if Duane had taken the bus that day in 1971 instead of riding his motorcycle, he could have kept more control over the band. They all worshiped him… Dickey named his kid Duane… but that’s consigned to the “woulda, coulda, shoulda” file.

While Dickey may have had demons – and who amongst the rock stars doesn’t? – his sublime guitar playing and great songwriting make him a legend in the rock n roll world. I was a fan of his and the Allman Brothers for a long time… still am. It’s a sad day here at the B&V labs. There will be many an Allman Brothers’ jam played in this house today…with perhaps a few sips of a sour mash along with the guitar solos… I might need to go buy some Southern Comfort today…

RIP Dickey Betts, guitar legend.

It’s a long, dark ride, take care of each other out there. Cheers.

Review: ‘Liam Gallagher & John Squire’ – Manchester Rock Stars United For Superb Rock N Roll – Come For The Vocals, Stay For The Guitar

~ kcorsini ~ 6 Comments

Liam_Gallagher_and_John_Squire_-_Liam_Gallagher_&_John_Squire

An album I didn’t even know was coming at the beginning of the year – Liam Gallagher John Squire – came out last Friday and I am delighted. I won’t lie, after the sensational first single came out, “Just Another Rainbow,” I had to go back and do a little research on guitarist extraordinaire John Squire but since I’ve done that, this pairing makes complete sense to me. Manchester Rock Stars United…indeed.

Liam Gallagher, the erstwhile lead singer of Oasis and Beady Eye, likely needs no introduction to rock n roll fans. And frankly, he’s no stranger to B&V. Since Oasis split up and then Beady Eye imploded Liam launched a solo career that started as B&V was getting off the ground. After the disappointment that was Beady Eye’s second album we just loved Liam’s first two LPs, As You Were (2017) and Why Me? Why Not? (2019). Heck, we even dug his Unplugged album. But after a very promising first single, the Dave Grohl cowritten “Everything’s Electric,” Liam disappointed us a bit with C’mon You Know (2022). At first I was surprised Liam teamed up with John Squire but knowing what a huge influence the Stone Roses were on Manchester’s music scene – both Liam and Noel have said their first concert was the Stone Roses – this tracks for me. Liam got to make a rock n roll album with a hero! Good for him.

John Squire, who’s blistering guitar is all over this album, may not be as well known to rock n roll fans on this side of the pond, as they say. The Stone Roses released their influential debut, self-titled album in 1989 establishing them as the front runner in the “Madchester” music scene. In many ways the Brit-pop sound of Oasis can be directly drawn from the Stone Roses’ sound. The Stone Roses took years to put out a second album due to legal issues and inter-band squabbles and faded away. Apparently Squire, after playing a festival where Liam was playing, sent Liam a few demos. Liam liked them, laid down some vocal tracks and the rest, as they say is history. It makes sense that Liam – who used to be in a band where the guitar player wrote most the songs – would team with a guitar player who had written 10 songs and needed a singer. It’s a yen and yang thing.

I went back, as “research” for this post, and listened to that Stone Roses debut LP. While Squire’s guitar was impressive, it evoked more psychedelia and perhaps the Byrds than it did Hendrix. There were a couple of songs on that album that hinted at a Hendrix-y bent from Squire, “Waterfall” and “Made Of Stone” but nothing that prepared me for the guitar extravaganza that is this album. This record has all of that trippy psychedelic vibe but with much stronger guitar solo’ing from Squire. And in these days, we always welcome more lead guitar here at B&V. This may be the best thing Liam Gallagher has done in his solo career since As You Were. It’s that good.

The album starts with a stomping rocker, “Raise Your Hand.” It’s a call to arms kind of track. “If you’re running out of time, if you’re not sure which way to go, if the pieces don’t seem to fit, if nothing ever goes the way you plan, raise your hand!” It’s uplifting and a great invitation to rock. Squire gives us a great guitar workout on the fade out. Liam may not have written any of these songs but they sound like he did. The band just locks in – Squire on guitar, Liam singing with session drummer Joey Waronker and producer Greg Kurstin on bass and keyboards. “Mars To Liverpool” was the second single released from the album and rides a great Squire riff. “Jesus Christ, about last night, I can only apologize.” Oh my, how many times have I said something like that? Squire has a way of torturing his guitar just to the point of distortion and then pulls back. I just love what he does with the guitar on this album.

“One Day At A Time” incorporates some acoustic guitar that’s a nice change of pace. The blend of acoustic and electric guitar is such a classic sound, just ask Zeppelin (not that anything about this is Zeppelin-esque). I do love the line, “You should have fucked me when you had the chance,” naturally… I am who I am. The guitar solo is exceptional. “I’m A Wheel” is the biggest surprise here. It’s a flat out electric blues tune. Blues? In 2024? This track is a direct nod to Hendrix. It feels like you just wandered into the Kingston Mines in 1968…exquisite guitar. I mean, I’m on record as loving blues rock/blues, but this is a great track. I’ve already posted on “Just Another Rainbow,” but I will add that along with “Everything’s Electric” it ranks among Liam’s finest moments.

“Love You Forever” continues that Hendrix’y vibe. It almost evokes a more laid back “Foxey Lady.” This song rocks yet retains that trippy vibe that pervades the album. Squire is taking no prisoners. I have seen some complaints that the guitar tone is “monochromatic.” The way this guy shreds, none of that bothers me. “Make It Up As You Go Along” is another acoustic strummer, change of pace. “Thank you for your thoughts and prayers and fuck you too” is a line that I can’t believe wasn’t written by Liam Gallagher. It sums up how I feel about a lot of things… Using the acoustic strumming as a base Squire continues his electric guitar onslaught with a great little noodling undercurrent that burst through like sunshine through a cloud.

“You’re Not The Only One” has a great rollicking piano that for some reason evokes Chuck Berry’s pianist, boogie woogie pianist extraordinaire, Johnnie Johnson. Good ol’ time rock n roll… rolling piano, crunchy guitar. “I’m So Bored” continues the guitar crunch… I love it’s just guitar/vocals/bass/guitar. This track could be the next single, although it may rock too hard for a single? It certainly captures my current mood…It may be the hardest rocker here. “Mother Nature’s Song” is as close as we come to a ballad on the album. It’s another track that utilizes a lovely acoustic guitar. It’s very Beatle-y. I love Liam’s vocal on this track. “Listen to Mother Nature’s song, the melodies are beautiful,” indeed.

If you’re like me and were only vaguely aware of John Squire, prepare yourself for an education. This guy is a phenomenal talent on guitar and god knows, we need guitar talent around here these days. I might go so far as saying this is a tremendous comeback for Liam after C’mon You Know. It’s got to feel good to the guy to just lay down vocal tracks and not have to write an album’s worth of material. Heaven knows, Noel is probably green with envy…

I have to say, along with Green Day’s latest album Saviors, this is one of 2024’s best LPs. I’m not a natural optimist but I’m beginning to think this is going to be a great year for rock n roll and it’s only early March. This one is a must listen, especially for those of you Oasis/Liam Gallagher/Madchester fans out there.

Cheers!

Album Lookback: Van Halen’s ‘1984’ Turns 40 – The Original Roth Era Came To An End With A Bang

~ kcorsini ~ 8 Comments

image

It’s hard to believe Van Halen’s landmark album, released in 1984 and creatively entitled, 1984, has turned 40 years old. It’s even harder to believe that following that creative peak they – guitarist Eddie Van Halen, drummer Alex Van Halen, & bassist Michael Anthony – decided to part ways with lead singer David Lee Roth. Oh, that was indeed a dark day for all of us in the Van Halen fan base. Many a VH flag was flown at half-mast when they announced that news in 1985 after the mind blowing tour for 1984 had concluded. A tour on which I saw them twice, once in KC and once in Wichita. They were worth traveling to multiple cities to see live. While Roth split in April of ’85, I didn’t believe it was true until that summer when I saw Eddie Van Halen quoted in Rolling Stone magazine saying Roth was an asshole or some such “I’m glad he’s gone” thing… It’s hard to write about 1984 without thinking about Roth’s departure from Van Halen but I am indeed getting a little ahead of myself here.

I started off this august year of 2024 as I have done for the last few years, with a post and playlist looking back 50 years, in this case to 1974. I don’t have a lot of emotion tied up in music from 50 years ago, I was merely a little kid. However, whenever I do that “it was fifty years ago” thing, it gets me thinking back a mere 40 years, to music that I do have an emotional attachment to. The year of 1984, which gads, is forty years ago, saw the release of a number of landmark albums. Peter Gabriel (who just released the fabulous i/o) released So, breaking into solo superstardom even in the fickle States. I’ve already written early in the life of B&V about the classic 1984 LPs released by Springsteen (Born In The U.S.A.) and Prince (Purple Rain). I recently did a lookback to one of my favorite albums from the Cars from ’84, Heartbeat City. But when I think of the year 1984, other than George Orwell, I have to think about the first classic album released that year (on January 9th, 1984), Van Halen’s 1984.

I think there were two waves of Van Halen’s popularity when huge numbers of people jumped on the bandwagon. The first, which I was on, was when they released their self-titled debut LP. I was in that first wave of Van Halen fans not because I was cool or musically discerning but because I was in junior high school when that debut dropped and after hearing “Eruption” we all thought a new Jimi Hendrix had arrived (turns out we were right). Well, in truth, there were a few people who thought Van Halen was just Kiss without make-up… Gene Simmons paid for their demo sessions and was thanked on the liner notes which sparked that conspiracy theory, audible sigh. The second wave of VH fans came with 1984. By the time that record came out I was already in college. A lot had happened in the world and to me specifically. But there were a generation of younger middle school and high school kids who were swept up in the juggernaut that was 1984.

I have to admit, while I loved their debut album (I do love debut albums), it took years before I picked up the follow-up, Van Halen II. I don’t know why it happened that way. I guess “Dance The Night Away” just wasn’t “Runnin’ With the Devil” in my mind. It’s a great second album that I did eventually buy on vinyl. I did however, pick up their third LP when it came out, Women And Children First. I loved “When The Cradle Will Rock” and “Everybody Wants Some.” Curiously, although I was always a vinyl guy in terms of collecting, I picked up Women and Children on cassette – which I rectified later – because I liked playing it in the car. I won’t lie, I was also a sucker for the “ballad” “In A Simple Rhyme.” VH was always on the road and I knew a few people who saw them on that tour… alas I did not…but the VH buzz grew even stronger at that point from hearing friends rave about their live show. Despite that, VH did not truly enter the “pantheon of the greats” in my mind until Fair Warning came out. My god, I love that album. The guitar on “Mean Streets” is sensational. Critics thought it was too somber of a record, but man it just fit who I was in high school. That album hit my lower brain stem. After that I was hooked. That was the first tour I saw VH on and I had choice seats (we’d slept out for tickets in front of Tiger’s Records on the sidewalk). It’s one of the best shows I’ve ever seen.

I will admit, I was surprised by 1982’s Diver Down. I had read they were taking an extended break. However, pressed by the record company they went in and recorded a single, a cover of Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman.” The record company, giddy with the single (and the video) pushed VH back into the studio for a full album. I always wonder what would have happened if they’d just let these guys rest. Putting exhausted, cranky people all in the same confined space of a studio never works out… see for example, the Beatles. It was in those sessions that tensions began to boil over between Eddie on one side and Roth with producer Ted Templeman on the other side. Eddie presented some of the keyboard stuff he’d been working on and Roth rejected it out of hand…”You’re a guitar god, nobody wants to hear you play keyboards.” Since they rejected all the keyboard stuff the band ended up recording a record number of cover songs for that album. They couldn’t come to terms creatively. It didn’t help that Eddie had this great riff that he wanted to save for an original and Roth/Templeman “forced” him to use it in the cover song “Dancing In The Streets.”

When the tour concluded and they headed back to the studio, Eddie remained steadfast and only presented the keyboard stuff. Roth – who’d become a bit of a dick about Eddie being married to Valerie Bertinelli which didn’t help the band’s interpersonal relationships – relented and came up with some lyrics. Roth, who was also pissed Eddie had played on Micheal Jackson’s “Beat It” probably realized at that point – and this was my thinking at the time – if you put an Eddie Van Halen guitar solo on any song, even a Michael Jackson song, it’ll be a hit. Still, I don’t think any of us were prepared what hit us when, right before Christmas 1983, the low-fi video for “Jump” came out. It looked like it had been filmed in my dad’s garage. You can never overstate how important MTV and videos were in those days. They certainly looked like they were having an extraordinarily good time. That’s how I first heard the song, on MTV but it soon was all over radio.

“Jump” was a huge surprise as a tune. It was just so… synth-y. But it boasted a great guitar solo from Eddie. And Roth’s pro-suicide lyrics were catchy as Hell…”might as well jump.” (If you’re feeling down, please don’t jump, please get help). He admitted to writing the lyrics when seeing a jumper on the news trying to decide whether or not to… well, jump. With the short instrumental keyboard thing that led into it, title track “1984,” it was an impressive start to the album. It’s an iconic song, it’s an iconic video. The second keyboard-centric song was “I’ll Wait.” I’ve always loved that song and for years thought it might be about Dorothy Stratten, the murdered Playboy model. Turns out it was written from the perspective of a smitten fan of a model, but it was just a random woman in a Calvin Klein underwear ad. I loved how spooky “I’ll Wait” is. It was co written by Micheal McDonald of Doobie Brothers fame, but the band didn’t put his name in the writing credits on the LP, a dick move that had to be Roth’s idea. The tune made my “Playlist, Songs About Waiting.” Regardless of how worried everyone was about Eddie on keyboards – both of these songs are amongst the band’s best tunes ever.

For those of us from the first wave of Van Halen fans, who were in it for Eddie’s guitar, we needn’t fear the band had gone all synthesizer. “Panama” is a fierce rock n roll song about a car. It was an absolute live favorite on that tour… at least to me. “Hot For Teacher” was another balls to the wall guitar track. All of the songs I’ve mentioned up to this point were singles! Four singles off a rock n roll album was unheard of in those days… Well, I guess Springsteen’s Born In The U.S.A. had as many or more so maybe I’m wrong about that. “Drop Dead Legs” was a great rock n roll song Eddie wrote for Valerie. It’s another slinky rocker. “Top Jimmy” was about some bartender who was Roth’s buddy and the guy’s band. It was a fun track, although it’s always made me scratch my head a little bit. I still like the song, but not as much as the rest of the album.

“Girl Gone Bad” and “House of Pain” were great rock songs, but I’ve always read that both tracks were resurrected from the aforementioned Gene Simmons’ financed demo from their early, early days. Apparently tensions got so bad within the band they couldn’t even write enough new songs to complete the album so they had to reach back for earlier material. I don’t know if that’s true but neither song would have been out of place on Van Halen. I do know some folks who partied with the band – well, with Eddie – in Wichita on that stop of the 1984 tour and Eddie, who had popped the plastic “pour control” thing out of a handle of vodka, had nothing good to say about Roth. But of course, that could all be apocryphal bullshit. Can you really trust drunk teenagers from Wichita to tell the truth?

1984 was just such a monumental album. It really encapsulated the era in full. I can’t hear those songs without flashing back to an era where women had big hair and men had mullets (your intrepid blogger included). When we drove down to see VH in Wichita, we stopped at a Walmart and bought bandanas so we could look like Roth. God, were we ever that immature? What am I talking about, of course we were. Suddenly, we hard rock purists weren’t the only ones listening to Van Halen, everybody was! And there was never – even with the keyboards – anybody who said VH was “selling out.”

But as great as it all was, sadly it came crashing to an end when after the tour Roth announced he’d left the band. Creative tensions and personality clashes finally ended a brilliant rock band. Alas, with great success comes greed, envy and jealousy. The egos exploded and sadly, so did the band. Van Halen was never the same. Don’t get me wrong, I actually liked Van Hagar and have posted about that era in the band. I think Sammy and Michael Anthony are out on the road right now playing old Van Hagar tunes with Joe Satriani on guitar… I might have to look that tour up… but I digress. Roth had some early solo success but seeing some of his social media posts lately make me wonder… what happened?

At least we have this landmark, spectacular album with all the well written hit songs to remind us of a time when rock n roll ruled the world. Back when I always felt like, well, the lyric, “I get up and nothing gets me down…”

Cheers!

Review: Oasis’ Liam Gallagher/Stone Roses’ John Squire, Manchester Rock Royalty, Team Up For New Song “Just Another Rainbow,” & A New Album

~ kcorsini ~ 6 Comments

ab67616d0000b27311186817f5abccc8780d8985

Fridays are when new music, albums and single songs, get released. It used to be Tuesdays – which was admittedly strange (it was done to “game” the weekly charts) – but somewhere along the line the music industry switched it to Fridays which just works better for me personally. If I’m going to sip a tumbler of bourbon and listen to brand new music, it’s better that it’s not on a “school night.” I typically do a pretty good job of keeping my ear to the ground and I usually know when a band has something new coming. Such is my rock n roll obsession. Despite that, artists do continually sneak up on me and drop a song or an album that was completely unexpected. And, like in the old days when I often discovered an artist had a new song by seeing their video on MTV, I often discover a new tune by surprise via video on YouTube. Typically on the weekend the Rock Chick and I will do some musical spelunking on YouTube, and this Friday was no exception, when lo and behold, we stumbled across a video from Liam Gallagher – no stranger to B&V – and John Squire, erstwhile guitarist from the Stone Roses. And oh, what an astonishingly good song it is(!), “Just Another Rainbow.”

Liam Gallagher is a singer that likely needs no introduction. Half of the dynamic sibling duo behind Oasis, Liam went on to solo stardom after the band’s inevitable breakup (after a brief stint with Beady Eye). We really liked his first two solo LPs, As You Were (2017) and Why Me, Why Not? (2019). Certainly any Oasis fan would have loved those albums and the Rock Chick is all in on Oasis… Although admittedly, we were disappointed by his last solo outing, 2022’s C’mon You Know, despite it’s having a great lead single in the Dave Grohl co-written, “Everything’s Electric.” I still love that song although the rest of the album is a bit of a “sound collage”… I’ll leave it at that.

When I first read the name John Squire, it through me for a bit of a loop, I couldn’t place him. Then I realized he was the guitar player in seminal Britpop rock band the Stone Roses. The Stone Roses only hung on for two albums but they were a huge influence in Manchester (or was it Madchester?) and specifically on Oasis and the Verve who followed them a few years later. Liam says the Stone Roses were the first band he saw live and that’s always huge. Their self-titled first album, is an absolute classic. And while I don’t have it on vinyl, I do own the album and am a fan but then I love debut albums.

After playing with Liam’s band at a festival last year, Squire sent a few tracks he’d written to Liam to see if he wanted to collaborate. Liam was absolutely game. Manchester Rock Royalty unite! The Stone Roses already have a song that gets played at Manchester United games, god knows how they’ll respond to this. After working on the first three tracks Squire sent over, Liam realized they were on to something and they went in a recorded a whole album worth of material. If “Just Another Rainbow” is any indication, I think we’re in for some great rock n roll.

“Just Another Rainbow,” to these ears, is really a great combination of the sound of Oasis (or Liam) and the Stone Roses. I can hear elements of both Liam and Squire in the track. It is trippy, psychedelic music at it’s best. I love what Squire does on this song. This track wouldn’t have been out of place on the radio next to “Strawberry Fields.” “Just another rainbow dripping on my tree…” indeed. The thing that boggles my mind is the second half of the song is dominated by a guitar solo. You just don’t hear that anymore. I turned to the Rock Chick and said, “The balls on these guys to put out a song with a long guitar solo in this era of synths?!?” Squire just tortures the guitar for most of the back end of the song and I absolutely love it! Where has this guy been hiding? Rounding out the band on this track are producer Greg Kurstin on bass and session cat Joey Waronker mans the drums (his dad Lenny was a big producer back in the day). It’s stripped down and simple yet huge at the same time… Squire’s guitar blows the track up to 11.

Here is the video:

Even the video is trippy! After the long guitar solo – again completely unexpected in 2024 – Liam comes in for a few more runs through the chorus. The song is five and a half minutes long and when it was over I couldn’t wait to start it over. To paraphrase Mel Brooks in History Of The World, Part 1, “I just heard it and I want to hear it again.” John Squire may just be the songwriting foil that Liam has been looking for. I have no idea when the LP comes out, but it’s now on my “greatly anticipated” list!

Turn this one up loud!

There were several great songs that dropped on Friday and believe me, we’ll get to all of them eventually… I’m still absorbing this astonishingly great song!

Cheers!

RIP Robbie Robertson, Guitarist & Main Songwriter For The Band, Solo Artist, Gone at 80, Our Thoughts And Memories Of His Music

~ kcorsini ~ 14 Comments

RobbieRobertson-Dec1971AcadOfMusic-CapitolPhotoArchives-ErnstHaas

“If you’re out there, can you reach me? And lay a flower in the snow” – “Fallen Angel,” Robbie Robertson

I was heads down on my post on my playlist of songs about School yesterday, when I heard the very sad news that legendary guitarist and songwriter for The Band, Robbie Robertson had passed at 80 years old. Apparently he succumbed to prostate cancer… I didn’t even know he was ill. My thoughts go out to his family, friends and loved ones. I have to admit this one hit me hard. I’m a huge fan of the Band and of much of Robbie’s solo music. I have to admit, every time I hit the “publish” button the last few weeks ago I look up to discover another legend has passed. It’s been a tough few weeks with the loss of Tony Bennett, Sinead O’Connor, and Eagle Randy Meisner. I don’t usually write on successive days, but Robertson’s passing begs for comment… Somehow, the loss of Robbie hits closer to home to me… probably because I was so intimately familiar with his music. The man wrote some incredibly iconic songs including “The Weight,” “Up On Cripple Creek,” and “The Night They Drove Ol’ Dixie Down.” He will be missed.

I’ve mentioned in these pages that sometimes you take an odd path into someone’s music. I had always been aware of the Band and their music. I knew the hits, mentioned above, and I knew that they’d backed Dylan. I knew they were connected to The Basement Tapes. But it wasn’t until I was exiled to Ft Smith, Arkansas that I started to discover the Band. Actually, it was Robbie that I discovered first which is probably the reverse of most people’s journey. It was in the fall of 1987, about two months after I’d been sent by my corporate masters to the lonely outpost in Arkansas when Robbie released his first solo LP, 11 years after the Band broke up, the eponymous titled Robbie Robertson. I was sitting on my used fold-out couch watching MTV, where I discovered a lot of music in those days as the local radio stations sucked, and I heard this song “Showdown At Big Sky.” I was immediately enamored.

I mentioned the song, and Robbie Robertson, to my friend Arkansas Joel… I recall saying something like, “Wasn’t he in the Band?” A flabbergasted Arkansas Joel was a huge fan of the Band and gave me the quick, exasperated education. Based on his raving about them and Robbie in particular I bought the album. I wasn’t prepared for how amazing the whole thing was. The song “Somewhere Down The Crazy River” has been a favorite of mine since the day I heard it. The album was produced by Daniel Lanois who had worked with U2 and Peter Gabriel – both of whom show up on the album along with members of the Bodeans – and they all crushed it. “Testimony” is an amazing duet between Bono and Robertson. “Broken Arrow” was later covered by Rod Stewart, but Robbie’s is the definitive version. “Fallen Angel” for his fallen band mate Richard Manuel was a gorgeous opener. It was the perfect solo debut. Everyone should own that album. I wore this album out!

Once I’m into someone’s music I start to explore the entire catalog. And in an odd juxtaposition of most people’s experience I went from Robbie’s solo work backwards to his work in the Band. Canadian Robertson was already a virtuoso guitar player as a teenager when he was asked by Arkansan Ronnie Hawkins, “The Hawk,” to join his backing band. Ronnie already had another Arkansas native in the band on drums, one Levon Helm. Robbie and Levon became fast friends. Eventually the Hawkins filled out his backing band with three other Canadians, Richard Manuel (piano), Garth Hudson (keyboards) and Rick Danko (bass). Eventually The Hawks broke away from Hawkins and started playing as a unit on their own.

Eventually they caught the attention of Bob Dylan and he chose them to back him on his first tour when he went electric. The fans were not kind to the group they referred to as “the band.” Levon couldn’t take all the booing and quickly left. Eventually the Band followed Dylan to Woodstock, New York where they settled down to write new songs. Levon returned. The rest is history. They recorded what became The Basement Tapes. With their name now changed to The Band, they went on to record Music From Big Pink, one of the greatest debut albums of all time. What was so striking about the album was that it was released at the height of the psychedelic movement. Everything was overblown and these guys show up looking like the James/Younger Gang playing stripped down rootsy Americana. The music was incredibly influential.

Their second album is my favorite. Simply entitled The Band, it’s Robertson at the height of his songwriting powers. They went on to record a number of great albums but I’m not sure they ever reached that level again. Stagefright, their next album, expressed the pressure the Band was feeling to come up with something big. Many members of the group began to turn to drugs and alcohol. Despite the heavy substance abuse, they continued to record great records. Cahoots is a much derided album but listening to it today, I like it. They recorded two of the best live LPs ever, Rock of Ages and The Last Waltz.

Finally, due to the toll the road was taking (and the drugs and booze) and deciding that the road has taken “too many of the great ones,” the Band decided to quit touring. Although that decision, driven by Robbie, was hugely unpopular within the group and eventually caused the break up. Robertson went on to live with and collaborate with Martin Scorcese on a number of film scores over the years. Scorcese filmed The Last Waltz to document that last concert and it’s a great film.

Eventually the Band reformed without Robbie and essentially proved him right about ending the touring when Richard Manuel hung himself after a show in Florida. Eventually Levon wrote an autobiography and accused Robertson of stealing songwriting credits from the rest of the guys. I side with Robertson on this. Most of the stuff they recorded without him was pedestrian save for a few cover songs, Springsteen’s “Atlantic City,” and Dylan’s “Blind Willie McTell.” It was clear Robbie was the principal songwriter of their greatest songs.

After Robbie Robertson, I stayed sporadically interested in Robertson’s solo stuff. I really liked Storyville. I will admit after that it was just the stray tune here and there. But taken on a whole, the music of the Band and Robbie Robertson, Robbie’s music really was a part of the soundtrack of my life. His songs evoke so many memories, not only for me but for so many people.

Robertson was truly a genuine artist and a brilliant one at that. The Rock N Roll Universe keeps shrinking and that makes me sad. I know I’ve spent most of last night and today listening to the Band and I don’t see that ending any time soon. I can’t think of a better way to honor the man. It’s a long hard road… take care of each other out there. Pour something strong and turn up The Band this coming weekend to get you down the road.

Cheers and RIP Robbie Robertson.

New Release From the Vaults: Stephen Stills, ‘Live At Berkeley 1971’ – Peak Live Stills From His Heyday

~ kcorsini ~ 5 Comments

image

Let me start by wishing everyone out there a belated Happy May Day! If you celebrated in the spirit of the United States’ similar holiday, Labor Day, I salute all of you International Workers out there. If you’re into that whole select a May Queen like Robert Plant, and dance around the Maypole, remember all Pagans are welcome here at B&V. It would appear that Spring has indeed finally sprung. It appears this year that not only Spring is in the air but live music. On the heels of the great new live disc from the Who, The Who With Orchestra – Live At Wembley, and Pink Floyd’s archival live release in celebration of Dark Side of The Moon turning 50, Stephen Stills has dug into his vault and put out a recording made during the early days of his solo career, Live At Berkeley 1971. At the very least you’d think this was an important historical document. 1971 was a critical time in Stills’ solo career.

I’ve always dug Stephen Stills but it seems he’s always been slightly overshadowed by his friend and erstwhile bandmate Neil Young. Stills has written some great songs and the guy can play anything. He’s been in some landmark bands: The Buffalo Springfield (with Neil Young and Richie Furay), he was a part of the Al Kooper/Michael Bloomfield’s landmark album Super Sessions (Stills played with Kooper on side 2 after Bloomfield split), and was a founding member of Crosby, Stills, Nash (and sometimes Young). The man was a pioneer in the realm of country rock. The critics have always despised Stills and I’m not sure why? Robert Christgau, the famous critic, wrote of Stephen, “Stills is of course detestable, the ultimate rich hippie–arrogant, self-pitying, sexist, shallow.” Jeez dude, why not go ahead and call his mom ugly? It has always seemed to me that Stills has had a bit of a chip on his shoulder. Maybe all that critical bile has made him defensive. He was famously kicked out of Keith Richards’ hotel room when he refused to share his coke. While the man has been inconsistent in his career, so has Neil Young? I’ll admit he can come across condescending and preachy sometimes, but hey man, it was the 70s.

Stills tour in 1971 was in support of his second solo album creatively named Stephen Stills 2. At least he didn’t use Roman numerals… It was his first solo tour and was confined to the U.S. He actually played at venerable Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City on the tour in July of ’71. And no, I wasn’t there. I was barely in grade school. Social services would have seized me if my parents took me to the show. By 1971 I think it’s safe to guess Stills was thinking, what a difference a year makes. In 1970, after the triumph of Deja Vu, Crosby, Stills Nash & Young finally imploded amongst band bickering and infighting. He lost his girl, Rita Coolidge, to Graham Nash which accelerated the band split. I heard he didn’t handle that well and had accidentally OD’d on pills and later got busted for possession but I’m not sure about either of those things. Further, 1970 saw each member of CSNY put out a solo LP: If I Could Only Remember My Name (Crosby), Stephen Stills, After The Gold Rush (Neil Young), and finally Songs For Beginners (Graham Nash) which were each a hit and probably further spelled the end of CSNY. I’ve chronicled our favorite solo/duo LPs from CSN before and all of those LPs made the cut. Stills’ eponymous solo debut reached number 2 on the album charts (Behind George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass) and boasted the big hit “Love The One You’re With.” That song was huge – Aretha Franklin, The Supremes and the Isley Brothers all did versions of that song. It may be derided for slightly sexist sentiment but it’s interesting how many woman have recorded that song… Stills’ debut is the only album to boast appearances from Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton.

Then came 1971 and Stills recorded his second solo album, the aforementioned Stephen Stills 2. It got mixed reviews. It still peaked at number 8 on the charts. But the two singles, “Change Partners,” clearly about Rita Coolidge, and “Marianne” both peaked in the low 40s. Critics were lukewarm, at best, about the album but I think it’s got some great songs. When Stills launched his first solo tour in support of 2 – he’d been promising a big show when he finally toured solo – he brought along the Memphis Horns (Wayne Jackson, Roger Hopps, Jack Hale, Andrew Love, Sidney George, Floyd Newman). Stills had become enamored with bands like Chicago (Hendrix liked original guitarist Terry Kath) and Blood Sweat And Tears who utilized a big horn sound. Blood Sweat And Tears was founded by Al Kooper, his album mate from the Kooper/Bloomfield/Stills Super Session. Maybe that influenced him. I’m not a huge fan of a big horn section but I’ll admit sometimes it just works. Springsteen’s latest tour in 2023 boasted a big horn section and I loved the show I saw in February. The tour was dubbed “The Memphis Horns Tour” and alternately the “Drunken Horns Tour” as Stills was drinking heavily due to the Rita Coolidge thing. He was not in a good place. I’ve been there… haven’t we all?

For the 1971 tour, from which Live At Berkeley 1971 is the first released music, Stills brought along Steven Fromholtz (guitar), Paul Harris (keyboards), CSNY’s rhythm section Calvin “Fuzzy” Samuels (bass) and Dallas Taylor (drums), and percussionist Joe Lala. The first half of the album, like the tour it came from, is an acoustic set from Stills. The band joins later. These 50+ year old recordings sound fantastic. The live LP opens with “Love The One You’re With,” with just Stills on vocals/acoustic guitar with percussionist Joe Lala joining in to bring that Latin soul flavor. It’s a great start. From there it’s another track from his solo debut, “Do For The Others” written for David Crosby’s late girlfriend who had died in a car wreck. The third track was at the time unreleased, “Jesus Gave Love Away For Free” which ended up on the first Manassas record. Steven Fromholz joins Stills on guitar and vocals on that one… Stills met former Byrd Chris Hillman on the tour and they formed Manassas… but I digress. Stills had written enough material for a double LP but Ahmet Ertegun talked him into a single disc. A lot of what was leftover ended up on the critically lauded first Manassas album.

At that point, to surprise the crowd, David Crosby joins Stills on stage. Stills and Crosby were closer friends than people realize. The two songs they performed together carry a bit more poignancy for me as Croz sadly just passed away this year. They do a great versions of “You Don’t Have To Cry” and Crosby’s “The Lee Shore.” Stills has said Crosby was the first of his ex bandmates to show up for one of his solo shows. Stills does quite a few CSN songs but only touches on his Buffalo Springfield career which is baffling to me. He finally then launches into two tracks from Stills 2, the great track “Word Game” inspired by Dylan’s “It’s Alright Ma” and the bluesy “Sugar Babe” where Stills switches to the piano. I really like both of these performances, perhaps better than their studio versions.

From there Stills, still at the piano, does a mash up of CSN’s “49 Bye Byes” with the Buffalo Springfield classic “For What It’s Worth” (the greatest protest song, ever). It’s very similar to the version of the song on CSNY’s live album, Four Way Street. I don’t know why Stills always played these songs together on piano versus doing a straight version of “For What It’s Worth” on it’s own. It’s one of his best tunes and he just kind of tosses it off. Stevie Nicks recently did a very nice version of “For What It’s Worth.” From there he plays the wicked acoustic blues tune “Black Queen” from his debut. I do so love rockers playing blues. “You Know You’ve Got To Run” which was written for Deja Vu, is the final of track of the acoustic part of the show. I have to tell you, I love the entire acoustic set.

The Memphis Horns come out for a rousing version of “Bluebird Revisited.” It’s a continuation of a tune written and performed for the Springfield, “Bluebird.” I have to admit it’s baffling to me that Stills would play the “Revisited” version instead of just “Bluebird” which is another of his greatest tracks. He left “Change Partners” and “Marianne” off this set of songs which I find equally confusing. I’m sure he had to have played those songs on the tour, why not include them? All of that said, I don’t find the horns cheesy. The Memphis Horns are pros. They’re equally jazzy on the cover song “Lean On Me,” which is not the Bill Withers song. I will say Stills sounds particularly unhinged in his singing on this track. And the horns get all kinds of playing time. To me the best use of the horns is on “Cherokee” another highlight from Stills’ debut album. After the band intro’s, the band launches into Stills’ “Ecology Song.” I think his heart was in the right place, but this song was reviled by critics and fans alike at the time. It’s just so over the top which I guess makes it a good concert ender.

I really like this concert document. As you can tell from my earlier comments I am a little confused by Stills’ choice of songs to include here. I would have liked to hear even more of his electric guitar playing – the guy is exceptional on electric – but it’s like he doesn’t want to be seen as a guitar hero. However, from what I’ve read about Stills’ first solo tour this live album captures the spirit and intent of that tour pretty well. I think it’s a great live album, certainly better than Stephen Stills Live from 1974’s tour (which I like) but like the man himself it’s very flawed. For a man reeling from the loss of his band, the loss of his girl, it’s a pretty kick ass live document. And let’s remember, Stills may not get the respect of some of his peers, but he is an excellent and important rock n roll artist.

Enjoy this one loud! Get back to that early 70s ethos of loving the one you’re with and cherishing the ecology… maybe hang out with Rita Coolidge… Cheers!

LP Review: Metal Masters Metallica, ’72 Seasons’ – A Heavy, Breakneck Metal Triumph!

~ kcorsini ~ 4 Comments

image

“Misery, she needs me… but I need her more…” – Metallica, “Inamorata”

Metal giants Metallica have returned with a new album, 72 Seasons, their first album in seven years! I guess we should be relieved it’s only been seven years since Hardwired… to Self Destruct and not the eight years they took between Death Magnetic and Hardwired. Maybe lockdown cut a year out of their process. They may only drop new albums every 7 to 8 years but when they do they’re looong albums. 72 Seasons’ 12 songs clock in at an hour and seventeen minutes.

As I’ve documented in these pages, I was a late adopter on Metallica. I actually saw them live a couple of times before I ever owned any of their music. I saw them open for Ozzy on the Master of Puppets tour and when they headlined Lollapalooza. I had actually only gone to see Soundgarden that night, but Metallica impressed me. After that I dabbled in their music. It wasn’t until Death Magnetic that something clicked in my head and I realized how great Metallica is. I had always considered myself a fan of heavy metal – I liked Sabbath, Ozzy and Judas Priest. In the 80s I dug all that Hair Metal that was going on. But until I discovered Metallica, I don’t think I knew what truly heavy music was. Since I was late to the party with these guys I don’t carry the baggage that their early fans do so I really appreciate their latter albums a lot more. I don’t think there’s another fan base – except maybe U2’s fan base –  that express such disappointment when they drop a new album. At least U2’s fans are justified. I’m simply not one of those Metallica fans who are pissed that every LP they put out doesn’t sound like Master of Puppets. I loved Hardwired… to Self Destruct. And I’m equally as happy with 72 Seasons.

The title derives around the 4 seasons a year that each human goes through until they turn 18, the age of adulthood. It’s Metallica’s theory that we all become the person we are over the course of those 72 seasons. All of our traumas and tribulations that take place during those formative years leave their mark and thus help form who we are. I have to admit, looking back on my first 72 seasons, it’s hard to argue with them. I did something rather old school while I listened to 72 Seasons over the last few weeks… when I wasn’t also cranking the new Who live album. I sat down and read the lyrics. I’m not sure I’ve ever done that with a Metallica album. It always used to sound like James Hetfield (rhythm guitar/lead vocals/principle lyricist) was just shouting random words that sort of fit together. I have to say, lyrically, this is Hetfield at his most honest and vulnerable. 72 Seasons is a trip inside his mind where we get to see his struggles and battles with the demons that besiege him. I don’t know about you, but I can certainly relate to that. And listening to this album I realized I should have included Hetfield on my list of favorite rhythm guitarists… oh, well. Hetfield’s vocals on this album are perfectly anguished.

While at first listen this album may seem slightly monochromatic, I think that’s an unfair charge. It’s true there are no “Unforgiven” type ballads or acoustic moments and very few melodic guitar moments but there are modulations in the tone of these tracks. It is a breakneck, hard album. It can feel at times like the whole album is a “meet me at the finish line” stomper. Lars Ulrich is a powerful drummer. The guy pounds the drums like he’s mad at them. If I ever have a heart attack, use Lars’ drums as my defibrillator. I’m really happy that Kirk Hammett has a lot more featured guitar solo’s than the last album. And bassist Rob Trujillo is there to keep all of this tethered to the ground when it almost always seemed like the music is going to come unhinged.

The album kicks off with the title track which begins with shimmering drums and a snarling guitar before the whole band engages and then we’re off to the races. I love the lyric “No chance before life began.” It sort of sums up the theme of the album. “Shadows Follow” has some of my favorite lyrics and features a great Hammett guitar solo. “Screaming Suicide” is a track about society’s inability to allow individuals to even discuss suicide. “Listen well, better listen well…” Only if we can talk about our mental health issues can we get help and address them. “Sleepwalk My Life Away” is another heavy, heavy riff. “You Must Burn!” is another absolute favorite of mine. It’s the first real change of pace tune, away from the breakneck speed of the first 1/3 of the album. They slow the pace down and make the riff heavier. It’s almost got an undercurrent of funk in the drummer. “You are the witch you must burn…” Indeed. “Lux AEterna,” was the first single, previously reviewed so I wont’ go into detail here. I’ll just say I really like “Lux AEterna,” but as the shortest track here, it may be my least favorite. That’s how much I like the rest of the album.

“Crown of Barbed Wire” has an absolutely wicked guitar solo. When Metallica bears down on you like this track, I can only say, “Woo!” The next track “Chasing Light” features marching drums, squalling guitar from Hammett and when Hetfield’s rhythm kicks in, fasten your seat belt. “Without darkness, there is no light…” At 6 minutes, 45 seconds, just grab that riff and ride it. “If Darkness Had A Son” is in contention for my favorite song. It’s martial drums and a great riff. It’s the story of the recovered addict without being preachy. “Temptation…” I can absolutely relate. I can say the Rock Chick loves this one and it is a quintessential Metallica tune. “Too Far Gone” is the first time on the album I hear that patented Metallica melodic guitar groove when Hetfield and Hammett play the same riff together. I love the chorus on this song.

Metallica finish up the album with the two best tracks. “Room Full of Mirrors” may be Hetfield’s greatest lyrics. I love when he sings, “In a mirrored room Just a simple man, Naked, broken, beat, and scarred, What do I really know? That fear of letting go.” Jeez, the honesty is so intense. His fury comes through. The final track on the album, which is over 11 minutes long, is “Inamorata” which is an absolute masterpiece. It’s the kind of epic song that Metallica made their reputation on. I can listen to this song all day long. Which, at the aforementioned 11 minute play time, it just might take all day. I’ve quoted it once, but when Hetfield sings “Misery she loves me, Oh, but I love her more,” my 20s just come flooding back to me. “Inamorata” is going to go down as one of Metallica’s greatest songs.

I’ll admit, with it’s long run time, over an hour and a quarter, this may be best consumed in parts. Listen to a few tracks here, a few tracks there. It is a full on frontal, aural assault. But this is some fine, fine heavy metal. Since they only put out an album every 7 or 8 years, every new Metallica album should be celebrated. This is the kind of late career masterpiece that B&V was founded to herald. Every hard rock fan should be cranking this album as loud as the neighbors and the local constabulary will allow.

Devil Horns to all of you! Cheers!

The Very Old, Very False Myth That The Devil Isn’t In The Details, He’s In The Rock N Roll Music

~ kcorsini ~ 7 Comments

johnson

I was reading something the other day. It was a discussion of all the preposterous rock n roll rumors that have propagated over the years. Naturally my first thought was that myth that Zeppelin was booed off stage in Kansas City. That of course led me to the old rumor that Van Halen were actually Kiss without their make up. Gene Simmons financed their demo tape and on the debut album, Van Halen, they thank him which started the whole story. This was way before Kiss took their make up off on MTV. I know my friend Brewster was incensed by that rumor. He knew Ace Frehley couldn’t play guitar like Eddie. The only preposterous story I ever heard that seemed like it might be true was the story about a woman being murdered and recorded in the background during the recording of “Love Rollercoaster” by the Ohio Players. That primal scream a couple of minutes into the song used to scare the crap out of me.

The preposterous rumor that didn’t scare me when I was a teenager was the oldest story in the book. The myth that Satan was lurking behind all this rock n roll I loved. If anything those kind of rumors might have fueled my desire to hear more rock n roll. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not Satanist but neither is rock n roll in any real sense. Of course I have to admit the cover art on the Dio fronted Black Sabbath album Mob Rules did give my mother pause…”What the Hell is this you’re listening to?” I read one time that there was a spike in teen smoking after the they put the “The Surgeon General has determined that cigarette smoking is dangerous to your health” warning on the packs. We are collectively drawn toward danger and darkness. We thrive on risk. If they outlaw cigarettes only outlaws will smoke… or something like that? I will say, I think the professor in Animal House played by Donald Sutherland is right… The Devil is the most interesting character in Milton’s Paradise Lost. Who doesn’t love a well written villain? Paging Hannibal Lecter… Again, I’m not decrying religion of any nature… but “God makes me nervous when you get him indoors.”

The whole “Satan” thing really reached preposterous levels when I was in junior high. Supposedly, Rush, who had a pentagram in their logo actually stood for Ruled Under Satan’s Hand. It was said they held Satanic rituals in the arenas after concerts. The more I’ve learned about the guys in Rush over the years, they’re the nicest people in music this side of Dave Grohl. The most Satanic thing Rush ever did was brew their own micro beer. They said the same thing about Kiss. It supposedly stood for Knights In Satan’s Service. I mean, come on? The only thing that Kiss was in service of was commerce. Those guys had Kiss Koffins for sale. I’m willing to say that Ace might been a little dark but Gene Simmons was all about the benjamins. When I finally stopped listening to these rumors were when someone told me the exact same story – Satanic rituals after concerts – about… Journey. I was like, Steve Perry? The man has the voice of an angel? Maybe Satan was who he was singing to in “Don’t Stop Believin’?” Sorry folks this is where I get off the Satan bus.

Perhaps the first time the Satan myth popped up was about legendary bluesman Robert Johnson, pictured above. The story goes that he was an average to weak guitar player. He supposedly went down to the crossroads where he met the Devil, who tuned his guitar. After that his playing was amazing. It’s kind of a take on the whole Faustian legend if you ask me. Faust sold his soul to the Devil for ultimate knowledge and pleasure. After this alleged meeting with Satan or possibly Papa Legba, Johnson became quite the legend. I’m guessing the truth is a little different. Likely preachers, upset by the effect Johnson’s music and guitar playing was having on people – especially women – decided there must be demonic forces here. If the pretty woman in town won’t sleep with the preacher but will with the guy singing “Sweet Home Chicago,” the Devil must be at work here. And believe me, Robert was popular with the ladies… The preachers finally began to decry Johnson and blues music as the work of the Devil. And like that cigarette warning label, it probably helped his career.

It was a similar case in the 50s. When what we now call rock n roll sprung up it terrified the conservative establishment. Those folks thrive on fear in the masses. Fear divides us and keeps us docile to the powers that be. Preachers and elder statesmen in the 50s were decrying this new music as the work of the Devil to scare parents. It worked, to a degree. Frightened parents tried to keep their kids away from that primal music. Again I think they were particularly frightened of how women were reacting. Most of our history revolves around keeping women down, if you think about it. Why else would they insist that the Ed Sullivan Show only film the King from the waist up? Elvis the Pelvis as he was known. Anything that sexual has to be bad… at least it did in 50s, Eisenhower America where the female orgasm was still a myth. I’m beginning to think the Devil is the tool of the establishment. If anything parents trying to keep rock n roll away from their kids, making it seem more illicit, made the rebellious music take off like they couldn’t imagine. I know Frank Sinatra was dismayed. By the time the 60s hit, rock n roll helped lead a youth rebellion.

I remember Zeppelin was supposedly Satanic. Anybody that big had to be “in league with Lucifer.” I knew a girl in Arkansas who took my friend Doug and I out to a spot outside of town that she claimed was frequented by Devil worshipers. She said they all sat around listening to Zeppelin. I couldn’t help but think, why not Sabbath? Anyway, these “Devil worshipers” had written “Serve Satin” on the rock wall. I was like, “Satin? Like the sheets?” The young lady said they misspelled Satan’s name as “Satin” because it furthered their blasphemy. Sigh. Maybe they should have furthered their education to work on their spelling? Zeppelin’s lead guitar player Jimmy Page was into the occult and owned the former house of occultist Aleister Crowley. They had songs like “Black Dog” and “In My Time Of Dying” that scared people. This was the 70s where films like The Exorcist and Omen were current hits. There was always scary black dogs running around chewing up the good guys, Rottweilers if I’m not mistaken. Doug’s mother was fond of the movie Devil Dog, Hound of Hell. It was Zeppelin’s iconic track “Stairway To Heaven” that got the attention of everybody. Supposedly if you spun the record backwards you could hear them say “Here’s to Sweet Satan.” I will admit, when we did this when I was in high school I thought I could hear the word Satan but I think it was a coincidence. I don’t think it was planned. I remember jumping up on the couch in fear but I’m a lover not a religious crusader… yeah, I was scared. ELO made fun of it by doing a backward masking thing on “Fire On High.” When played backwards it said, “The music is reversible but time is not.” I don’t think, despite Page’s dark bent, that Zeppelin had anything to do with Satan.

It was Black Sabbath who realized the value of adopting that whole Evil thing. Instead of running away from it they realized that calling themselves Black Sabbath and having scary album artwork could actually work in their favor. Embrace the scary evil and it draws people in. So many heavy metal bands have adopted the same stance. It puts them outside the norms of society and makes them seem like outlaws and/or outcasts which is a vibe all teenagers can gravitate toward it. Let’s face it folks, Satan Sells. That’s why you’ve got Motley Crue singing “Shout At The Devil,” and people like Rob Zombie out there doing whatever you call what he does. We used to laugh at Iron Maiden and their mascot Eddie. We called them, amongst others, “Scary Monster Rock.” But you know what, they were the ones laughing all the way to the bank. The Devil is actually an accountant in a three-piece suit.

The next time you hear your grandmother or some preacher telling you that rock music – if anybody even remembers rock music anymore – is the tool of the Devil, please laugh that off. It’s the most preposterous thing in the world. Anytime the establishment wants to scare you away from something, run toward it. I’m going to spend my weekend cranking Iggy Pop’s new album Every Loser and anything by Jeff Beck, who just passed, that I can get my hands off. Because Jeff Beck played that Devil’s guitar better than almost anybody out there.

Be safe out there but break some rules this weekend. Be naughty because it feels so nice.

Cheers!