Monthly Archives: April 2017

If you’re going to write a piece about the late, great Joe Cocker, or so it seems to me, that piece should be every bit as spastic and twitching all over the place as the feller himself. When he was singing that is. I don’t know as Joe walked the streets gesticulating and twitching and wringing his hands and all. If he did, God bless him.

Anyway, I tried to write a spastic and twitching review of 1969’s Joe Cocker! but gave up after sentence one, because the man did it better than I could ever do. He was possessed by genius, and told those who would exorcise said genius to piss off. A voice as gravelly and soulful and great as his came with a cost, and if that cost was that he twist himself into pretzel-like contortions ever time he sang, so be it.

The early Cocker was a genius of such magnitude that his idea of a great gig was coming on stage, vomiting on the front row, and passing out. A real showman, our Joe. But if his gravel-grinding voice was a gift from Heaven, it need be said that it was not the only reason Joe Cocker! is an indispensible piece of vinyl as you should turn red with shame for not owning.

No, Joe Cocker! is a classic due in part to the pure dead brilliant performances of the people behind the voice, namely his backing outfit the Grease Band, to say nothing of Leon Russell, Sneaky Pete Kleinow, Clarence White, and a veritable heavenly choir of backing vocalists including Rita Coolidge, Merry Clayton, Bonnie Bramlett, and Shirley Matthews, amongst others. I take my hat off in particular to Chris Stainton, the fella as played piano in the Grease Band. His every performance is hair-raising, and he makes the LP worth owning all by his own self.

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Part two of the TVD Record Store Club’s look at the new and reissued wax presently in stores for April, 2017. 

NEW RELEASE PICKS: Valgeir Sigurðsson, Dissonance (Bedroom Community) Sigurðsson has accrued a long list of production credits, working extensively with Bjork, Sigur Rós, Ben Frost and others. This is his first solo release as composer since 2012’s Architecture of Loss, and the combination of electronics (by Sigurðsson) and the sustained hugeness of the string and wind ensemble is a stunning thing to hear, particularly on the 23-minute Mozart-inspired title piece. This is a must for fans of undiluted chamber ambiance, but don’t dally; the 1,000 LPs are rapidly disappearing. CDs and digital are also available. A

Glenn Jones & Matthew Azevedo, Waterworks (Thrill Jockey) This live document from Boston’s Metropolitan Waterworks Museum’s Great Engine Hall pairs Jones’ ever-brilliant guitar and banjo with Azevedo’s sonic manipulations and additives (including field recordings and harmonium), and it’s a total success. Partly due to the bond of the principals, with Azevedo described as Jones’ “mastering guru of 15 years,” and additionally through sensible preparation, the music transcends the acoustic challenges of the structure and entirely eschews the hit-and-miss aura of experimental collaboration. A

REISSUE PICKS: George Gurdjieff / Thomas de Hartmann, The Music of Gurdjieff (Light in the Attic) this astounding 5LP documents philosopher, spiritual teacher, and composer G. I. Gurdjieff’s collaboration with student Thomas de Hartmann. From 1923-’29 de Hartmann translated to European notation the music Gurdjieff composed during his travels in the Middle East and Central Asia; De Hartmann’s solo piano recordings of the results date from the ’50s and weren’t intended for commercial release. Often gentle, the playing never weakens into aural wallpaper, and the use of silence is captivating. A

Meredith Monk, Key (Tompkins Square) Reissue of Monk’s 1971 debut for Increase Records of music composed between ’67 and ’70. First recordings are regularly developmental in nature, but the pieces here, featuring Monk playing organ and Jew’s harp and singing in her uniquely operatic style, are remarkably solid in their foundation. Key still gets pegged as a formative work with some regularity, mainly because she went on to create masterpieces, but as “Fat Stream” highlights, she wasn’t far from that plateau out of the gate. Fans of the 20th century avant-garde tradition should not pass this up. A-

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | Allen Ginsberg’s original 1970 MGM album Songs of Innocence and Experience, in which he sang the poetry of the English Romantic William Blake, will be released on CD and digital for the first time, complemented by a second disc of rarities and previously unissued songs. The Omnivore Recordings expanded reissue will hit the streets on June 23, 2017.

Lester Bangs, writing in Rolling Stone magazine, said the album was “like a labor of love, a salute from a young visionary to an ancient sage.”Complied by producer Pat Thomas (who also worked on the 2016 Ginsberg reissue The Last Word on First Blues), the forthcoming double CD package includes a new essay by Thomas, who tracked down several of the original musicians (never before interviewed) for this project, uncovering rare session photos as well.

Allen Ginsberg began “tuning” Blake’s poetry in 1968 (inspired by attending the tumultuous protests at that year’s Democratic Convention in Chicago), but the origin of the album dates back to a 1948 vision, or “auditory illumination” as Ginsberg called it, of Blake reciting poetry to him in his Spanish Harlem apartment.

Moved by this, Ginsberg began to set Blake’s poetry to music. In 1969, he began recording the results with Peter Orlovsky and jazz legends Bob Dorough, Don Cherry, and Elvin Jones. Nineteen of those songs were released the following year as Songs of Innocence and Experience. In addition to the original LP, Omnivore’s set adds two previously unissued tracks: an alternate take and a song intended for the record but left off due to time constraints.

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“The band name Polaroid Summer embodies a sense of nostalgia that we four share as a group. Whether it’s a Polaroid camera, an old leather jacket, or an old record player, were reminded of a time where music first influenced us.”

“I remember sitting in my grandfather’s tool/music room in Nashville as a 10-year-old kid. It was the one room in the house that was his getaway with only his stuff. When I had permission to go inside I would take full advantage. I would strum the open strings on an old Gibson bass, or a ’70s era Stratocaster wishing I could play them. I had no idea what I was doing, but little did I know it would prove to be the bedrock under my musical love affair.

My grandpa collected many vinyl records. Vinyl was his direct bloodline to his passion for music. Eric Clapton, Roy Orbison, Elvis Presley—too many to count. Even just looking at the timeless artwork was enough to capture my interest. At that age, the only way I was listening to music was via my tape player in my room.

At grandpa’s, I will always remember listening to the crackle of those albums while he changed his guitar strings. Just the way you had to set the needle on the record was so fascinating to me. It was an honest, warm, visceral sound that was really branded into my brain.

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As the bassist for Joy Division and New Order, Peter Hook’s fame is secure. Having quit the latter band in 2007, he’s since been busy with numerous activities including The Light, which features his son Jack Bates and former members of his prior project Monaco. Since 2011, The Light has toured in-sequence live renderings of classic Joy Div and New Order albums, specifically Unknown Pleasures, Closer, Movement, and Power, Corruption & Lies. It’s a high-stakes gamble that’s paid off rather handsomely, and performances of all four are getting strictly limited vinyl editions for Record Store Day through Let Them Eat Vinyl, with CDs and digital to follow on May 5 via Westworld Recordings.

The market for live in-sequence readings of full albums sprang forth only relatively recently, but from the start the endeavors have drawn condescension and outright dismissal from some quarters. Much of the built-in friction stems from the nature of the subject matter. It’s not enough for an album to simply be considered great; it must be a deathless classic having inspired passionate and even severe devotion. For just this reason, the in-sequence treatment, which sometimes arrives hand-in-hand with reunions, triggers the disdain of many. Hook’s quitting New Order surely complicates the issue for some fans.

If ever two bands met the requirements for the in-sequence treatment, it’s Joy Division and New Order, the former having spawned the latter after the suicide of vocalist Ian Curtis. While certainly loved during their existence, nearly all of Joy Div’s following flowered posthumously; in the grand scheme of things, hardly any of their fans saw them perform live.

By contrast, New Order reaped the rewards of a fervent listenership many times over, but their accent was also gradual, and the two albums tackled here by The Light occurred on the upswing. Often acts, particularly those of a punkish disposition, disdain playing older, formative material; a prime example would be Wire in the early ’80s, who went as far as to hire the Ex-Lion Tamers, essentially a cover band (featuring music scribe Jim DeRogatis) to open their ’87 tour with (get this) an in-sequence performance of debut LP Pink Flag.

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VIA PRESS RELEASE | The legacy of legendary soul jazz guitarist Melvin Sparks will be celebrated on April 28, 2017 with the release of Live At Nectars on One Note Records. The recording, to be issued on digital formats as well as limited edition vinyl, documents Melvin’s final band on December 30, 2010 just a few months before his passing in March 2011.

Organist Beau Sasser and drummer Bill Carbone had been working with Sparks for several years and, despite the difference in age—they were in their early 30s, while Melvin was an elder-statesmen of the genre—the unit was razor sharp. The trio played the Burlington, VT club Nectar’s regularly, but this evening featured two variables. Per the recommendation of the venue, they used The Grippo Horns featuring Dave Grippo on alto saxophone and Brian McCarthy on tenor saxophone. This was the only time Sparks utilized a horn section in the last several years of his life. Additionally, they captured the performance on a multi-track recording. Both would prove to be wise decisions.

Lovingly mixed by guitarist, producer and Melvin Sparks’ fanatic Eddie Roberts and curated for release by drummer Simon Allen, both members of the acclaimed modern funk band, The New Mastersounds, the album demonstrates that the 64-year old guitarist played as well in the final months of his life as at any other time. From the opening number, “Miss Riverside” through rousing set closer “Whip! Whop!,” Sparks peppers his performance with quotes from jazz standards, pop songs, and cartoon themes, all woven effortlessly into the bebop-funk dialect he helped create. He offers delectable melodies, patiently and methodically, through his lengthy lead on “Breezin’,” while delivering a slice of red hot boogaloo on “Fire Eater.” Sparks is audibly uplifted by The Grippo Horns helping him perform his 1973 arrangement of “Ain’t No Woman (Like The One I Got)” for the first time in decades.

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“When we were talking to each other about how to approach this write-up, one word kept coming up: ‘discovery.’ To both of us, vinyl represented discovery. Neither of us remember our very first album we owned on vinyl but we both remember very early experiences with records.” —TeamMate

“I don’t remember the first vinyl I bought for myself, but I can remember the first record that made an impact on my life. A lot of people are able to point back to one or two really artful and classic records, and I think that’s really special. However, my first album was not that hip but it was just as meaningful.”

“When I was little, my brother and I would spend hours listening to Sesame Street’s Born to Add. The album art was of Bert wearing a leather jacket, guitar slung over his shoulder, leaning on Cookie Monster playing the saxophone. It was a recreation of Bruce Springsteen’s Born to Run artwork and it was the coolest. Essentially, it was a covers record with the Sesame Street characters (with punny names) singing parody versions of rock & roll songs. “Letter B,” “Honk Around the Clock,” and my favorite, “Hey Food,” just to name a few.

This record was extremely influential and introduced me to Bruce Springsteen, The Beatles, and The Rolling Stones. Because of this record, vinyl has always represented a place of discovery. As I wore this record out, I dug deeper and deeper into my parents’ collection of Paul Simon, Hall & Oates, Billy Joel, the Supremes, the Shirelles, Michael Jackson, Carole King, and many others. Those were all some of the primary albums to shape my taste and influence me, musically. But, it all started with Born to Add.
—Dani Buncher, drums, vocals

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Say what you will about the Australian new wave outfit Men at Work—not only did they make the most famous sandwich in the history of rock’n’roll they made it out of vegemite to boot, which an Aussie fella in a restaurant not long ago told me is completely inedible and to be to be avoided at all costs unless you want your taste buds to sue for divorce.

Men at Work produced songs that were as unprepossessing as their name, were frequently jabbed at for sounding too much like the Police, and enjoyed their 15 minutes of fame at the dawn of the eighties. And if I have a mild case of affection for Men at Work while despising the Police it’s because Men at Work aren’t remotely as pretentious as the Police, although being less pretentious than the Police is child’s play. Or maybe I like them because their lead singer has a lazy eye, which made watching their videos on MTV more interesting.

Anyway, Men at Work’s 1982 LP Business as Usual went monolithic and brought in enough moolah to open a kangaroo ranch or two. And this despite the band’s tame and yes even docile exterior, about which no one has ever cried, “Men at Work got my baby!” No, Men at Work did not truck in fury and revolt but simply did their job of producing likeable songs that you can pet without losing your hand. And I for one am glad they did so, because despite being as non-threatening as your average koala, Business as Usual contains some songs I really like even if I am not likely to ever fight about them.

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Press Play is our Monday recap of the new and FREE tracks received last week to inform the next trip to your local indie record store.

Whetherman – What Am I Supposed To Think
The March Divide – Closedown (The Cure cover)
Beth // James – Bring Your Fire To Me
Quicksilver Daydream – Echoing Halls
Wild Skies – Fumes & Faith
Tree Machines – Waiting On The Sun
vōx – I / You

TVD SINGLE OF THE WEEK:
Sparks – Hippopotamus

Tidelines – Winter
Elouise – Saturn Bar
Diamanda Galas – Round Midnight
Tabah – Curtain Call
Curse Of Lono – Pick Up The Pieces
Kill The Precedent – Irrational Anthem
Dot x JNTHN STEIN – No Filter
Velvo & Zayy – Sober (feat. Nico Blue)