The Bees Every Step's A Yes 2010

Difficult to describe, primarily because they are delightfully all over the musical map, this fine young band of Englishmen from Isle of Wright have made an excellent new record.

This is the second of their four records I've bought, and I'm very happy they've come through again. Free The Bees from 2004 was a rare and unique find, full of funky surprises and great songs. I was almost afraid to give them another try.

The album opens with I Really Need Love, a rollicking folk-rocker that is perfect English summertime. Winter Rose is a dark dub of a song that feels like a cross between The Bee Gees circa Odessa and The Specials Ghost Town. Silver Line and No More Excuses dig into the psychedelic-folk groove that the band is most famous for, but the band really is a lot better than that category description might lead you to believe. Change Can Happen takes a Velvet Underground line for a roll in the proverbial English countryside hay, and comes out like a sad calliope melody. Several mellower tunes round out the record, but the quality of the songs, the singing, and the playing are exceptional always. The record closes with Gaia, an instrumental that rocks with abandon, and sounds like a Mariachi band on steroids.

The whole psychedelic label they get in the press bothers me. It is descriptive of their sound (sometimes), but it is also wrong, especially since there are a plethora of musical influences going on here from reggae, funk, soul, psych, 60s garage and 70s country rock. The calmer moments remind me of Lambchop at their best, and the more upbeat songs are uniquely The Bees, even when they sound eerily familiar.

It doesn't sound like everything else. And it's good.

NRBQ

NRBQ were a great band. Not a good one that just never hit, but a truly great act. You had to see them live. But even if you never did see their fabulously crazy live show, there is much to enjoy in their records.

The original quintet version of the group made two records. The line-up of Terry Adams- piano, clavinet, organ, vocals, Joey Spampinato- bass, vocals, Frank Gadler- lead vocals, Steve Furgeson- guitar, vocals, and Tom Staley- drums was an exceptionally talented bunch. Steve Furgeson was a particularly hot guitarist. The country/rockabilly/rock 'n' roll/experimental stew they purveyed on NRBQ and Boppin' The Blues (with Carl Perkins), both from 1969, showed a love of diverse songs in the chosen covers, as well as some very sturdy songwriting from the band itself.

In 1972, Scraps featured a slightly more pop-like sound. It had the feel of a transition record, and it certainly was just that. Al Anderson had replaced Steve Furgeson, but Gadler was still on board. Plenty of really good songs with Howard Johnson's Got His Ho-Jo Workin', Magnet, New Tune, and Get A Grip. Also in '72, Workshop was released. Frank Gadler is gone, but Tom Staley is still there on the skins for the last time. It is a lost gem, and one of the more consistent records in their catalog. RC Cola And A Moon Pie, Blues Stay Away From Me, Deaf, Dumb And Blind, and Hearts Of Stone all rock. Joey's Mona and I Got A Little Secret are perfect examples of that Paul McCartney/Jonathan Richmond hybrid that he will do so well for years to come.

Between 1972 and 1974, Staley left the band, to be replaced by Tom Ardolino on drums. This quartet version of the band (Adams, Spampinato, Anderson, Ardolino) lasted twenty years, a durable outfit by any standards, but especially when there's not a single chart hit the whole time. And no reason, except that maybe Terry Adams is too crazy for fame. But really - rock 'n' roll magic with fun lyrics, great vocals, three songwriters, killer (and concise) lead guitar breaks, the best rock 'n' roll keyboards ever (Adams' clavinet), and a solid rhythm section in Spampinato and Ardolino. No one knows why it never happened. But It never did.

There is a lot of material released between 1977 and 1994 by this band, and I'll try to let you know which of these babies to scoop up from the used record bins. The band returned to recording in 1977 with All Hopped Up, and it's a good but not great record. Rocket In My Pocket, Cecelia, and Still In School are some of the strongest songs.

1978's At Yankee Stadium was one of the better studio records they made, and the beginning of a run of four fantastic records. At Yankee Stadium (I Want You Bad, The Same Old Thing, It Comes To Me Naturally, Ridin' In My Car), Kick Me Hard 1979 (Wacky Tobacky, It Was A Accident, Hot Biscuits And Sweet Marie, Don't You Know), Tiddlywinks 1980 (Feel You Around Me, Me And The Boys, That I Get Back Home, Roll Call, Definition Of Love), and Grooves In Orbit 1983 (Rain At The Drive-In, 12 Bar Blues, A Girl Like That, Get Rhythm) all contained classics, and there is very little filler. This run was their finest period. All four of the records above are essential. Especially Tiddlywinks. That's right, it is especially essential.

Next up was Tapdancin' Bats in 1983, a record that you either love or hate. Big Goodbyes, Trouble At The Henhouse, and Pretty Thing are strong, but the record suffers from a little too much experimentation (or screwing around) and not enough songwriting. 1987's God Bless Us All is a good live record, with Crazy As A Fox and Sittin' In The Park highlights. Diggin Uncle Q 1988 was a good but unfocused live album, and Wild Weekend 1989 was a good but unfocused studio album. Al Anderson's swan song with the band was Message For The Mess Age 1994, and it was their best effort since Grooves In Orbit. Over Your Head, Ramona, Advice For Teenagers and A Better Word For Love were all fine songs.

In 1994 Anderson left and was replaced by Joey's younger brother Johnny Spaminato on guitar and vocals. They were still fun to see live, but it was never quite the same without Al. 2002's NRBQ was surprisingly good, with Blame It On The World, Sail On Sail On, and Careful What You Ask For leading the way. 2001's Atsa My Band was another pretty good record. 2004's Dummy was the last studio recording, and it has a few keepers. But really it was never quite the same after Al Anderson left. His amazing guitar was, oddly enough, missed the least. His quality songwriting couldn't be replaced, and Johnny wasn't the nuanced singer that Al was, either.

Several other early live and unreleased compilations appeared on the scene since 2004, and fans will suck up anything. The Ludlow Garage 1970 2006 CD is worth a listen, but not essential.

The first two, NRBQ and Boppin' The Blues are killer. Scraps and Workshop are gems. At Yankee Stadium, Kick Me Hard, Tiddlywinks, and Grooves In Orbit strongly argue against the "great live band couldn't do it in the studio" crap that some say plagued the band. Message For The Mess Age was their last noble attempt, but it isn't Workshop or Tiddlywinks.

The 2 CD Peek-A-Boo: Best Of NRBQ from 1990 is a good sampler. The 1985 compilation Uncommon Denominators is also well worth grabbing up, and spans all except the first two records.

Guy Clark Somedays The Song Writes You 2009

Guy Clark made another fine record. Yes, his voice is getting a bit ragged from time to time, but he's still one of the best songwriters in the game.

Somedays You Write The Song, Hemingway's Whiskey, Wrong Side Of The Tracks, and Maybe I Can Paint Over That are all classics from Clark's pen, and he does a wonderful rendition of Towne's Van Zandt's If I Needed You.

There are a few lesser songs, but overall it's quality music. Clark sings from deep in his heart, as he always has. The recording of the acoustic instruments is pristine, and Clark's and Verlon Thompson's guitars ring like you're in the room with them.

Any of Clark's records since 1992's Boats To Build are easy to recommend. This one can join that rich body of work.

Cassandra Wilson Silver Pony 2010

A new Cassandra Wilson release is always exciting news. Wilson has been recording since 1985 and has made some of the finest modern jazz records you can find. She got her start with the M-Base collective in New York, an avant-garde jazz-funk group that featured saxophonist Steve Coleman, among others. She has a deep, throaty voice that is both sultry and expressive. Her phrasing and control are stellar. She writes some great tunes, and her covers are always unique and thoughtful, often surprising reinterpretations.

In 1988, Wilson veered off the avant-garde road to make Blue Skies, a collection of jazz standards with Wilson backed by an exceptional piano trio of Mulgrew Miller on piano, Lonnie Plaxico on bass and Terri Lyne Carrington on drums. It is quite possibly the best modern female jazz singer standards record you can find anywhere.

From there, Wilson made a few more records with M-Base and other influences and plenty of jazz credibility. She found her groove with Blue Light 'Till Dawn in 1993, the record that would define her future approach to music. A mixture of Wilson originals, eclectic pop, blues, and jazz covers with sparse, percussion-heavy, interesting arrangements that made everything she touched sound new and unique.

She's repeated that formula successfully several times with New Moon Daughter 1995, Belly Of The Sun 2002, and Glamoured 2003. Her Traveling Miles from 1999 applies much the same methodology to a Miles Davis tribute, covering songs that Miles recorded as well as originals inspired by Miles. 2008's Loverly returned to the jazz standard songbook, but with the guitar and percussion based instrumentation that is her forte. The only bump in the road was the T-Bone Burnett-produced Thunderbird 2006, which just doesn't have the spark of her other records, possibly because the all-star band is not the talented group of improvisers and like-minded jazz musicians that Wilson herself assembles for her own productions and tours.

Which brings us to Silver Pony. A mixture of mostly live and a few studio recordings, it is one of her finest efforts yet. The record features several long live takes that dig deep into the southern heat that inspired the record. Highlights include the guitar-driven blues of Saddle Up My Pony, Beneath A Silver Moon, with its Ravi Coltrane sax lead, the sultry take on Stevie Wonder's If It's Magic, the funky Forty Days And Forty Nights, and a glorious reading of McCartney's Blackbird. But I could just as easily same something wonderful about every track.

The band of Marvin Sewell (guitar), Reginald Veal (bass), Herlin Riley (drums), Jonathan Batiste (piano), and Lekan Babalola (percussion) get the chance to jam, and are never short of amazing. This is a mature singer with a crack ace band, stretching out beyond the pop styling that has both made her famous and been fodder for her detractors.

It is a fine record indeed. Very highly recommended.

James Brown In The Jungle Groove 1986

These tracks were originally recorded between 1969 and 1971, and the versions here were not all previously available on LP, although most were available on 45s. So the extended jams are here, ready for your ass-shakin' delight on whatever dance floor you can assemble.

It's all funk. Bootsy Collins on bass and Clyde Stubblefield on drums and everybody else is on the good foot, my man. Give It Up Or Turnit Loose, Talkin' Loud And Sayin' Nothing, The Funky Drummer, Get Up, Get Into It And Get Involved, and Soul Power. If these titles mean nothing to you, I'm sorry.

The extended version every time, so the groove is very deep. If you can't stand the funk, stay out of the kitchen. It's cookin' in here.

Marti Jones 1984-2014

Marti Jones has an exceptional alto voice that rivals Linda Ronstadt's, but with a more organic feel. Her songwriting with husband Don Dixon is quality stuff, and the song selection of covers is first-rate. Dixon's production is perfect every time. Her interpretations of other songwriters material are spot-on every time.

Marti's first recording was a six-song EP by the pop-rock band Color Me Gone in 1984. The heartfelt pop vocals that would become her trademark are already on display, but the band never took off.

Marti's first solo record was produced by Don Dixon, as were all of her subsequent records. They married not long after the record was made. Unsophisticated Time 1985 is a fine start. Walk Away, Follow You All Over The World, Hiding The Boy, The Element Within Her are all standouts. The record has a slightly more folk feel than later releases, but it's all here, even on the debut. The voice, the songs, the arrangements.

A&M and Dixon pulled out all the stops for Match Game in 1986. A big-budget recording with great players and guest stars, songs from Dwight Twilly, Elvis Costello, David Bowie and Paul Rogers along with Dixon's finest, but nothing detracts from Marti. Her voice is clear and beautiful, and Inside These Arms, We're Doing Alright, Just A Memory, Soul Love and Be Myself Again are all top notch. I love the big rock sound of the record- it's the only time they did one like this, and it's a fine setting for her voice.

Next it was 1988's Used Guitars. Dixon and Jones' Tourist Town starts things off swinging. John Hiatt's The Real One rocks like Rondstadt never could, while Graham Parker's You Can't Take Love For Granted gets a highly percussive arrangement from Dixon that's fun and just right. Jackie DeShannon's Each Time and Hiatt's If I Can Love Somebody are both terrific readings of fine songs. That this record didn't turn her into a star is almost impossible to believe. A similar blend of folk, rock and pop tunesmith worked great for Shawn Colvin and Mary Chapin Carpenter.

In 1990 it was off to RCA for Any Kind Of Lie, another fine outing, this time featuring the songs Dixon and Jones were writing together. The core band of Jamie Hoover (guitar), Dixon (bass and lots of stuff), Jones (guitar), Jim Brock (percussion extraordinaire), and Denny Fongheiser (drums) show off great Dixon-Jones songs Living Inside The Wind, Any Kind Of Lie, My Tears Are Poison, Read My Heart and Is This The Game? Again, there just seemed to be no market for the kind of intelligent pop-rock craft on display, but I'll be darned if I could tell you why. The bizarre hair and make-up of the cover (aimed squarely at the burgeoning Adult Contemporary market) may have frightened off any fan that had seen the wonderfully unassuming Marti live.

After that one also did not bring stardom, Marti decided to take a few years off and have a baby. She returned in 1996 with My Long-Haired Life, a reference to her shorter, motherly locks of the previous few years. It's another fabulous record. Focusing on a generous selection of covers, her brilliant interpretations of Nick Lowe's I Love The Sound Of Breaking Glass, Squeeze's Black Coffee In Bed, Aimee Mann's Put Me On Top, and Elvis Costello's Sleep Of The Just are all super. Her own It's Not What I Want and several other by Marti and Don are just as good.

Also in 1996, Live At Spirit Square was released. This might be my favorite live record ever. Recorded in 1990 in Charlotte to a Dixon home-town crowd, the song selection is an impeccable greatest hits plus best songs from her catalog, even while it features Any Kind Of Lie, the new release of the time. The sound is excellent. The band of Jones on acoustic guitar, Dixon on bass and vocals, Jamie Hoover on lead guitar and vocals (one of the best, and most fun to watch, guitarists on the planet), Jim Brock on percussion, and Tom Wilhelm on drums is the tightest band ever. Really. Ever. The different texture of each song is voiced in the arrangements and playing in a way that is remarkable. You really should hear it if you have any interest in a fine female voice and great songwriting in combination.

In 2002 came My Tidy Doily Dream. Another fine record, this one features new songs by Dixon and Jones with several guest writing partners. Compared to the her previous work, this one is pretty mellow, but not the worse for it. You just need to adjust to a more delicate sound, sort of like recent Kim Richey or Aimee Mann records. Always, Innocent Kiss, Slave, and So Lonesome I Could Fly are standouts. There are a few too many slow ballads among the rest of the songs for it to be my favorite, but when I'm in the mood for introspection...

In 2008 Don and Marti released Lucky Stars: Lullabies For Old Souls as a download only under both of their names. A mixture of some nice new songs and quite a few instrumental themes, it works as the piece of art-folk it is. Gentile folk songs inspired by love and family, it's a bit twee occasionally, but it also includes some fine moments in Lucky Stars, When I Saw You, and Watching Closely.

2011 brought another Marti Jones and Don Dixon release, Living Stereo. Unlike the previous Lucky Stars, this one is a proper CD release, and for the first time ever, a proper duets record for Don & Marti. It's just a load of fun. Feels Like 1972 gets a big production from Don, That Scorching Song has fantastic harmonies, and Trouble Is As Trouble Does features the amazing Mr. Brock's percussion. It's mostly a folky record, but they do it so well. Hanging My Laundry, Walk Outside, and Why, Why, Why all display special qualities. And then there's Marti's reading of These Arms Of Mine, and she just nails it with beauty and reverence.

Out of the blue in 2014, Marti released You're Not The Bossa Me. I certainly didn't see a bossa nova record coming, but it is a delight. A particularly skilled bunch of songwriters include Paul Cebar, Kelley Ryan, Don Dixon, Bill DeMain (Swan Dive), Amy Rigby (who Marti toured with in 2006 as the Cynical Girls), and Bill Lloyd, all of whom contribute fine songs just made for the bossa approach. Marti sings everything in a relaxed, sometimes breathy style that is perfect. Jon Thorton's trumpet and flugelhorn add an authentic element, and enhance the efforts of the core band of Dixon, Ryan, Cebar, and percussionist extraordinaire Jim Brock. Song highlights include DeMain and Rigby's hilarious Keep It To Yourself and Dixon and Cathy Smith-Bowers' How I Became An Existentialist, but everything works.  

I've seen Marti and Don many times live in Cleveland (they live in Marti's NE Ohio hometown), usually with Hoover and Brock rounding out the band, and they are always excellent live. Marti has apparently retired to paint, but if they ever come around, you'll have a good time and see a fine show. You can't go wrong with Used Guitars, Any Kind Of Lie, My Long-Haired Life or Live At Spirit Square. Pick one up- you're in for a treat.

Zappadan 2010 again

Well, I made it happen, and I'm pleased with the results. In my last post, I discussed the difficulties I was having preparing a new Zappa mix as a companion piece to this one I discussed last year. After angsting over the song list and running order, I think I have produced a worthy second collection.

Inspired by Conceptual Continuity, and featuring songs from several records which did not appear on the first compilation, I winnowed the list down to a reasonable mix of instrumental and vocal performances for my very own listening pleasure.

Here's the CD I just finished making. It goes like this:

1. Be In My Video Them Or Us 1984

2. Hungry Freaks, Daddy Freak Out! 1966

3. Little House I Used To Live In Fillmore East, June 1971 1971

4. One-Shot Deal Waka/Jawaka1972

5. Stink Foot Apostrophe(‘) 1974

6. Zoot Allures Zoot Allures 1976

7. Joe’s Garage Joe’s Garage1979

8. Tinseltown Rebellion Does Humor Belong In Music? 1986

9. What’s New In Baltimore? Does Humor Belong In Music? 1986

10. Holiday In Berlin, Full Blown Burnt Weenie Sandwich 1970

11. Lemme Take You To The Beach Studio Tan 1978

12. What’s The Ugliest Part Of Your Body? We’re Only In It For The Money 1968

13. Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance We’re Only In It For The Money 1968

14. The Grand Wazoo The Grand Wazoo 1972

15. G-Spot Tornado The Yellow Shark 1993

16. Montana Overnite Sensation 1973

We've got some early social satire (some of Frank's best lyric writing), some moments of strangeness (Holiday In Berlin, Little House), some serious music (Grand Wazoo, G-Spot Tornado), and plenty of good dirty fun. What's New In Baltimore? contains one of Zappa's most melodically conventional (and super hot) guitar leads , and One Shot Deal features a section that can almost be called country music.

Put your own playlist together of your favorites. Load them onto the digital media player of your choice, or just slap the records onto a turntable and spin, baby spin. Turn your friends on to Frank's music.

Have a happy Zappadan any way you wanna.