To promote the funky Top 20 hit single "Crushed By The Wheels of Industry", Heaven 17's Martyn Ware provided Smash Hits Magazine a soul-heavy list of his 10 Fave Songs. This list and image comes courtesy of Brian at Like Punk Never Happened
Monday, October 7, 2013
Sunday, October 6, 2013
40 Year Itch : Legs & Thighs, Hellos & Goodbyes
Though consistently good, Caravan's sound could be so inconsistent they were often losing fans at every sharp turn in their musical enthusiasms. On 1971's In the Land of the Grey and Pink they were fey and frilly. On 1972's Waterloo Lily, with the addition of keyboardist Steven Miller, Caravan sounded like a jazz fusion band. Miller had left by the time Pye Hastings and his mates entered the studio to record their fifth album, For Girls Who Grow Plump In The Night.
The result is a more commercial album but not one lacking depth. It's a return to the sound of Grey and Pink but meatier in places, still brimming in silly sexual innuendos ( what is the pretty girl supposed to be holding that's sweet enough to eat in "The Dog, The Dog is at it Again"?) and adorned with newcomer Geoff Richardson's viola playing. Small wonder it's a favorite among Caravan's fans. In fact it may be 1973's ultimate "grower"--the more you listen to it, the more you like it. ( as opposed to Bowie's Pin Ups).
Well they've come along way from the Yardbirds. By the time Renaissance recorded their fourth album, the break-out Ashes Are Burning, Birdmen Keith Relf and Jim McCarty has departed, leaving the spotlight to the five octave vocalist Annie Haslam whose operatic training clearly puts her in a league of her own among rock singers. She's earnest. She's theatrical. And , if you're a punk, she just might put you off Renaissance for good.
If you want to give Renaissance a chance, as millions of people did, begin with Ashes Are Burning . The title cut is spectacular. As is the single"Carpet of the Sun".
Saturday, October 5, 2013
40 Year Itch : Hunting the Horny Back Toad
Where the dogs of society howl
On October 5, 1973 Elton John released his magnum opus, the double disc'd Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, an album steeped in nostalgia, brimming with quirky ideas about sex... and chock full o' hit singles. After spending several days in January of '73 haplessly trying to record the album at the Byron Lee owned Dynamic Studios in Kingston, Jamaica where the Stones made Goats Head Soup, Elton and the boys moved back to the Chateau d'Herouville in France. A documentary team was there the day the band recorded "The Ballad of Danny Bailey 1909-1934).
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road --the second of seven consecutive US #1 albums, selling 31 million copies-- had four hit singles .The hardest rocking of the songs, "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" preceded the album and shot up to #12 in the US. The title track peaked at #2 in the US. Then came "Candle in the Wind", released in the UK. And "Bennie and the Jets" which hit #1 in the US in April of 1974 and scored high on the R and B charts as well. My fave cut, "Grey Seal", would have been the next single but Elton was ready to release a new album ( Caribou) and didn't want it overshadowed.
Not every critic loved the album , which begins with its ominous scene setting overture "Funeral For a Friend". Writing for Rolling Stone Stephen Davis called the epic album opener "an eight-minute instrumental prologue featuring grandiose and tasteless typhoon whooshings, booming ecclesiastic organ, some stinging guitar that would be monumental if properly backlit but seems out of context against a lot of bleating." He also shrugged off the album as "a big fruity pie that simply doesn't bake" .
For Circus, Janis Schacht praised the album closer "Harmony" and called the album a " lush two record set (that) moves from mood to mood with no apparent effort and a great sense of timing, class and style."
There's plenty of nostalgia to be found in the Wizard of Oz imagery of the title cut, the Marilyn Monroe tribute "Candle in the Wind" and yet another Bernie Taupin foray into the Wild West with Danny Bailey. There's also a few strange quirky sexual themes to be found in the album. "All the Girls Love Alice" appears to be the story of a teen age lesbian. "Sweet Painted Lady" is about prostitutes (Getting paid for being laid /Guess that's the name of the game) and the regrettable "Jamaica Jerk-Off" is just a sophomoric pun .
This would have made a lovely, if slightly brittle, single LP.
-Stephen Davis, Rolling Stone
OK Stephen. So I've asked The Flying Monkeys ( a Wizard of Oz reference) to help me condense Goodbye Yellow Brick Road into a single 45-minute disc.
SIDE ONE
2. "Candle in the Wind" 3:50
3. "Grey Seal" 4:00
4. "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" 3:13
SIDE TWO
1. "Bennie and the Jets" 5:23
2. "Sweet Painted Lady" 3:54
3. "All the Girls Love Alice" 5:09
4. "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" 4:57
5. "Harmony" 2:46
The only song it really pains me to lose is "I've Seen That Movie Too". What are your thoughts?
Friday, October 4, 2013
40 Year Itch : Pretty Sweet Mustache
Here's a collection of some celebrated songwriters who put out some fine, somewhat twangy releases in late 1973. Leading the pack is Monkees alumnus Michael Nesmith and his 6th and final album for RCA, Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash. Recorded with a full band, including Red Rhodes on pedal steel, the album's first side is the highlight with " Continuing" and the Monkees era Nesmith tune "Some of Shelley's Blues". Restrained, well arranged, a country rock delight.
Recorded in Nashville, Sweet Revenge is the John Prine album to buy after you've already purchased his debut. Funny, corny and surprisingly moving at times ( Christmas in Prison). Earned a rare A rating from the Dean, Robert Christgau.
Christgau gave Wainwright's fourth album an A-, recorded as "Dead Skunk" was climbing the charts. An odd, mostly funny album featuring the a capella "Liza" ( dedicated to his classmate and sudden Oscar winner Liza Minelli) and "The Swimming Song" which would be recorded on his wife and sister-in-law's 1975 debut album Kate and Anna McGarrigle.
The founder of The Youngbloods released this gorgeous record in early October 1973. With touches of jazz and just good pop, this album, dedicated to his daughter, charted higher than any albums from The Youngbloods.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
40 Year Itch : Half Breed Hits #1
On the week ending October 6, 1973 Cher topped the Billboard charts with "Half Breed", a song written to play up Cher's mixed heritage, which includes some Native American roots. Like her other #1 single, "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves", also produced by Snuff Gordon, the song is a story about a girl shunned because of her heritage.
For the song's TV debut on The Sonny and Cher Show ( still going strong despite the couple's break-up), Bob Mackie designed one of his most famous costumes-- a headdress decked out in feathers, a sequined halter top and a loin cloth that reached down to her platform shoes. Mark Bego writes in Cher: If You Believe, of the star's first reaction to the costume:
I remember when I first got that (outfit) I thought 'Oh my God, Sonny's going to have a heart attack when I walk out in this !' It looked like I was naked and he was always a little bizarre about that. But he saw me in it and he was OK with it".
A lot of people have been OK with it.
At a recent Experience Music Project exhibit on Women In Rock, I came across the Mackie designed costume. Not something I'd feel comfortable wearing myself.
Top 5 Singles in the Billboard Hot 100 October 6, 1973
1 Cher "Half Breed"
2 Paul Simon "Loves Me Like A Rock"
3 Marvin Gaye "Let's Get It On"
4 Grand Funk Railroad "We're An American Band"
5 Stevie Wonder "Higher Ground"
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
40 Year Itch : Waves of Nostalgia
In October of 1973 a surprising number of artists released albums containing nothing but cover versions of songs. It was a way to pay homage to the artists who influenced them. First out among them was Bryan Ferry's solo debut These Foolish Things, released October 5, which contains covers from artists ranging from The Beatles and The Rolling Stones to Lesley Gore and The Four Tops. But it's his vamping cover of Dylan's "A Hard Rain's A -Gonna Fall" that stands out.
On October 15th, The Band released Moondog Matinee, a collection of tunes from the late 50's and early 60's that the band played as Levon and the Hawks... including Clarence "Frogman" Henry's "Ain't Got No Home", Lee Dorsey's "Holy Cow" and Elvis Presley's " Mystery Train". Of the album, singing drummer Levon Helm said in 2002:
[Out of Print]
As if "American Pie" wasn't enough of a tribute to Buddy Holly and the musicians of that era, Don McLean recorded Playing Favorites, an album of covers featuring two Buddy Holly tunes, "Everyday" and the little known B Side "Fool's Paradise".
Although I thought "Let's Spend the Night Together" was the worst thing about Aladdin Sane, David Bowie didn't ask me. For Pin Ups, Bowie recorded a selection of his favorite songs from 1964-1967, minus anything by the Beatles or the Stones. Pin Ups held the #1 album spot in the UK for 5 weeks. So I guess he was right but , like bubblegum, Pin Ups loses its flavor after repeated chews.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
40 Year Itch: 1973 in Spaghetti Prog
1973 may have belonged to British prog rockers like Pink Floyd ( Dark Side of the Moon) , Genesis (Selling England By the Pound), ELP ( Brain Salad Surgery) and King Crimson ( Lark's Tongue in Aspic) but the Italians were very much on a continuous roll from 1972. The topic of 1973 in Spaghetti Prog could easily take up a week of posts so I apologize in advance for all the bands I missed.
One advance warning: these albums tend to be melodramatic. Subtlety is in short supply.
Le Orme's 1973 symphonic prog masterpiece, Felona e Sorona is a concept album about a dark and sad planet called Felona and a light and happy planet called Sorona and what happens when The Creator tries to disrupt the balance in Felona's favor. Brilliant musicianship ( Michi Dei Rossini is one of the 70's most criminally underrated drummers) and listenable tunes make this album a great way to introduce yourself to Italian prog. At 33:39, surprisingly short for a prog rock concept album. Re-recorded in English a year later.
Palepoli is a breath-taking, ambitious tour de force from Osanna, the Neopolitan band who opened for Genesis on that band's legendary 1972 tour of Italy. Like Genesis's front man, Osanna wore costumes and make up on stage. Here's an earlier video just to give you a sense of the epic eccentricities of the musicians involved.
On Palepoli there's perhaps less Genesis to be heard; more early King Crimson. Every few minutes Osanna sounds like it could be a completely different band as they move from sweet vocals to Jethro Tull like flute break downs straight into stunning punk guitar riffing. Great for short attention spans!
One of the cornerstones of Italian prog rock, Museo Rosenbach's Zarathustra is considered in some quarters to be one of the best prog albums of all time ...with one of the worst album covers of all time. In fact the artist who made the collage slipped in a photo of Mussolini which led to a boycott by Italy's nationally owned radio stations. Their loss. Cinematic!
Though not as highly rated as the Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso two albums from 1972, Io Sono Nato Libero ( I Was Born Free) deserves attention for its 16 minute opening track "Canto Nomade Per Un Prigionier Politico", one of the all time great progressive rock tracks.
This is the Premiata Forneria Marconi album that actually crept into the Billboard 200 albums chart thanks to Greg Lake, of Emerson Lake and Palmer, who not only championed the band but convinced them to re-record the best songs from previous albums with English lyrics written by King Crimson's Pete Sinfield.
Inspired more by Zappa than Genesis, Area--led by future PFM bass player Patrick Djivas--just might freak you out or make you hungry for a burnt weeny sandwich. Celebrated singer Demetrio Stratos is an interplanetary god.
A mind blowing trip into the great unknown!
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