BRUCE COCKBURN
DANCING IN THE DRAGON’S JAWS
1979-COLUMBIA
Produced By EUGENE MARTYNEC
1. Creation Dream
2. Hills Of Morning
3. Badlands Flashback
4. Northern Lights
5. After The Rain
6. Wondering Where The Lions Are
7. Incandescent Blue
8. No Footprints
Until 1979, Bruce Cockburn was known petty much only in Canada as a very talented Christian artist. That changed with the release of Dancing In The Dragon’s Jaws. Moving away from his Christian themes (for which his lyrics received very high praise), this album focuses mainly on his strengths as an acoustic guitar player. The results range from slightly dull to staggering, showing that his playing rises to the level of the song. When the song is good, his playing is the same. When the song is average, his playing is nothing special.
“Wondering Where The Lions Are” is the centerpiece, his only real US hit outside of the minor (and later) “If I Had A Rocket Launcher”, and the song that showcases the most what he is capable of instrumentally. There are other flashes of brilliance here, but this is the song where it all comes together. Cockburn would never again be so in the middle lyrically: after this album, he began moving towards very political themes. Dancing In The Dragon’s Jaws is a good, solid album with a few truly great moments. Worth seeking out.
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DIRE STRAITS
COMMUNIQUE
1979-VERTIGO
Produced By JERRY WEXLER & BARRY BECKETT
1. Once Upon A Time In The West
2. News
3. Where Do You Think You’re Going?
4. Communique
5. Lady Writer
6. Angel Of Mercy
7. Portobello Belle
8. Single Handed Sailor
9. Follow Me Home
The second Dire Straits album has its ups and downs, mainly in trying to follow up the sudden and huge success of their debut. The album is the last to feature Mark Knopfler’s brother David on guitar, and was the first album to hit number one in Germany in its first week of release. The formula is basically the same as the debut, but the songs are not as consistent or fine. The high points are “Once Upon A Time In The West”, which could have fit in easily on the debut, and the album’s lone hit “Lady Writer”, a song not unlike “Sultans Of Swing”.
Despite the album’s lack of commercial success, it is still very solid, as are all of the early Dire Straits releases. Mark Knopfler’s guitar playing carries the album, even with lesser overall material. The band followed up with the much more successful Making Movies, and continued to be successful into the mid 1980’s. Communique is lesser known that Dire Straits, Making Movies, and Brothers In Arms, and it’s not quite as good as any of those, but it’s still a solid release by one of the periods better bands.
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VAN MORRISON
HIS BAND AND THE STREET CHOIR
1970-WARNER BROTHERS
Produced By VAN MORRISON
1. Domino
2. Crazy Face
3. Give Me A Kiss
4. I’ve Been Working
5. Call Me Up In Dreamland
6. I’ll Be Your Lover, Too
7. Blue Money
8. Virgo Clowns
9. Gypsy Queen
10. Sweet Jannie
11. If I Ever Needed Someone
12. Street Choir
If Van Morrison had released Moondance, also from 1970, and His Band And The Street Choir as a double album, there’s no telling how big it would have been. The two albums are very similar, and fit side by side very well. Both albums contain two memorable hits: “Into The Mystic” and the title track from Moondance, and “Domino” and “Blue Money” from Street Choir. “Domino”, in fact, is still the biggest hit of Morrison’s career, having surpassed even “Brown Eyed Girl” over the years.
Street Choir ended up sounding very much like Moondance, but it didn’t start out that way. The original intention was to make an a cappella album, which changed over the course of the recording. The album is typical of Morrison’s early career: strong, soulful, melodic, and with an atmosphere of almost free flowing jazz. Aside from the two hits, “Call Me Up In Dreamland” is also a very high point. A very good album from a man who consistently made very good albums.
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THE FALL
EXTRICATE
1990-PHONOGRAM
Produced By COLDCUT, CRAIG LEON, MARK E SMITH & ADRIAN MAXWELL SHERWOOD
1. Sing! Harpy
2. I’m Frank
3. Bill Is Dead
4. Black Monk Theme Part I
5. Popcorn Double Feature
6. Arms Control Poseur
7. Black Monk Theme Part II
8. Telephone Thing
9. Hilary
10. Chicago, Now
11. The Littlest Rebel
12. British People In Hot Weather
13. And Therein…
14. Extricate
For everyone in the world who complains that Bob Dylan can’t sing, I give you The Fall. I also submit that The Fall may have been the hardest working band in the business. Since forming in 1976, this band released no fewer than 73 albums and EP’s, not counting compilation albums which would put their total well over 100. Lead singer Mark E. Smith doesn’t so much sings as he drones. He’s almost completely tuneless, and has no doubt turned more listeners off to The Fall than anything else. They have periods of sounding very good musically, but the constant has always been Smith. For better or worse.
Extricate comes from one of those great sounding Fall periods. The band is sharp, and the songs are up to par with the best of anything he Fall has ever released. “Telephone Thing” was the single: terrific music, vocals from hell. “Popcorn Double Feature”, “British People In Hot Weather”, “Extricate”…all fine songs. This is not for you if you can’t deal with Smith’s vocals…but if you can, there are some of The Fall’s best songs here. Depends on your tastes…proceed with caution!
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CANNED HEAT
THE BEST OF CANNED HEAT
1972-EMI
VARIOUS PRODUCERS
1. On The Road Again
2. Same All Over
3. Let’s Work Together
4. Bullfrog Blues
5. Time Was
6. Boogie Music
7. Going Up The Country
8. Amphetamine Annie
9. Rollin’ And Tumblin’
10. Fried Hockey Boogie
Somewhere in the early 1960’s, American rock & roll forgot all about the blues. The British Invasion brought it back, and Americans then turned it into this thing that somewhat resembled what John Lee Hooker had done in his early days. Boogie was, in the late 60’s and through the 70’s, a rock version of what was actually very white boy blues. Brownsville Station, Humble Pie, and a gazillion other bands followed suit…and Canned Heat was right at the forefront of boogie. The reason why anyone remembers this band at all (and probably the only reason why former members are still carting around the name today) is that they had two pretty sizeable hits back in the day: the driving “On The Road Again”, and the strange, hippiesque and flute driven “Going Up The Country”.
Since 1965, there have been 45 members of Canned Heat, and countless lineups. This album features what is considered the classic lineup, and if you’re into boogie, this is for you. They do it well…there just isn’t a whole lot of soul here. And outside of the two hits, there’s nothing about this best of that is above average. If you want to hear what “boogie” was really all about, check out the 11 minute “Fried Hockey Boogie”…it’s everything you ever wanted to know about boogie, and about 6 minutes more. As a collection of white blues in the late 60’s to early 70’s, this is interesting…very popular in its day, very dated today.
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JOHNNY ACE
THE JOHNNY ACE MEMORIAL ALBUM
1955-MCA
NO PRODUCTION CREDITS
1. Pledging My Love
2. Don’t You Know
3. Never Let Me Go
4. So Lonely
5. I’m Crazy Baby
6. My Song
7. Saving My Love For You
8. The Clock
9. How Can You Be So Mean
10. Still Love You So
11. Cross My Heart
12. Anymore
One of the more curious stories in music. Johnny Ace was a pianist who played with BB King and Bobby Bland before signing as a solo artist in 1952. He had eight hits in the next two years, and was touring with Big Mama Thornton in Houston on Christmas 1954 when he accidentally shot himself in the head (sometimes reported as a game of Russian Roulette). Ace became known forever as the first casualty of rock & roll. The Memorial Album was released the following year as a tribute, and to plug the posthumous single “Pledging My Love”.
Since 1955, the album has been re-released numerous times with different track lists. This list is the original, and it contains pretty much everything he recorded during his short life. Most of the songs are ballads, and his promise is evident. Of particular interest is “How Can You Be So Mean”, which has a very BB King sounding guitar solo. While lacking session notes and a decent biography, The Memorial Album has been almost all there is of Ace over the years, and it remains an important document of the formative years of rock & roll, and a sad picture of what might have been.
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IKE REILLY
HARD LUCK STORIES
2009-ROCK RIDGE
Produced By IKE REILLY & ED TINLEY
1. Morning Glory
2. 7 Come 11
3. Girls In The Back Room
4. Lights Out (Anything Goes)
5. The War On The Terror And The Drugs
6. Good Work
7. The Ballad Of Jack & Haley
8. The Reformed Church Of The Assault Rifle Band
9. Sheet Metal Moon
10. The Golden Corner
11. Flowers On Down
12. Broken Parakeet Blues (Live)
In the world of overlooked and criminally underrated musicians, Ike Reilly is at the top of that list. He was signed to a major deal in the early 2000’s, released the excellent but un-promoted Salesmen And Racists, and disappeared into cult hero status in Chicago. He’s been prolific ever since, and he’s been nothing but excellent. Recording as a solo artist and with The Ike Reilly Assassination, his music is the best of what artists like Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan bring to the table. Only more modern, heavier, and dangerous. You may think I’m overstating…truth is, Ike Reilly is a huge favorite of mine. He’s a songwriter, singer, and performer who deserves much more credit than he will ever get.
As far as Hard Luck Stories goes, this is one excellent album. “Morning Glory”, “Girls In The Back Room”, “The Ballad Of Jack And Haley”, and “The Reformed Church Of The Assault Rifle Band” (“Where’s my goddamn medicine!?!) are all great tracks. “The War On The Terror And The Drugs” is a perfect duet with Shooter Jennings. The album title is right: these are hard luck stories, and this kind of story has never been this much fun. Reilly and his band burn through these songs, and every one of them makes you wish that you were there. I highly recommend that everyone get some Ike Reilly, and this album is a great place to start.
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UNCLE TUPELO
89/93: AN ANTHOLOGY
2002-COLUMBIA/LEGACY
VARIOUS PRODUCERS
1. No Depression
2. Screen Door
3. Graveyard Shift
4. Whiskey Bottle
5. Outdone (1989 Demo)
6. I Got Drunk
7. I Wanna Be Your Dog
8. Gun
9. Still Be Around
10. Looking For A Way Out (Acoustic Version)
11. Watch Me Fall
12. Sauget Wind
13. Black Eye
14. Moonshiner
15. Fatal Wound
16. Grindstone
17. Effigy
18. The Long Cut
19. Chickamauga
20. New Madrid
21. We’ve Been Had (Live)
Uncle Tupelo was a pretty important band, really. They were at the forefront of kickstarting alternative country . The band contained the beginnings of two important bands, Wilco and Son Volt. And, they recorded some pretty fine music during their time together. 89/93 is a very good anthology. During that time period, the band released four albums, with an obvious degree of growth on each one. When the band split up after the Anodyne album, they knew it was time to go their separate ways. Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy had grown apart as musicians and songwriters, and both went on to do fine work in their new bands.
89/93 contains not only the best from the 4 Tupelo albums, but it also has a couple of nice previously unlisted tracks, the demo for “Outdone” and “I Wanna Be Your Dog”, and some of the better liner notes you’ll find in a package like this, including complete track information and a well written biography. If you’re a fan of Uncle Tupelo, or a fan of alt country, this set will do very nicely for you. A well put together, well planned package for one of the great Americana groups ever assembled.
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THE JAYHAWKS
SMILE
2000-AMERICAN
Produced By BOB EZRIN
1. Smile
2. I’m Gonna Make You Love Me
3. What Led Me To This Town
4. Somewhere In Ohio
5. A Break In The Clouds
6. Queen Of The World
7. Life Floats By
8. Broken Harpoon
9. Pretty Thing
10. Mr. Wilson
11. (In My) Wildest Dreams
12. Better Days
13. Baby, Baby, Baby
After Mark Olson left The Jayhawks following 1995’s Tomorrow The Green Grass, The Jayhawks struggled to find themselves. The first album without Olson was Sound of Lies, and it’s mostly a disaster. Then came Smile, and a change in style and sound. Moving further away from the alt-country sound that had worked so well with Olson, Gary Louris and the band went in a more straightforward rock direction that showed some positive results. It was on Smile that the band shows that while they may have lost their leading light, they were far from being over.
Smile is a fine sounding album: there’s nothing great here, but it’s transitional (their next album, Rainy Day Music, would complete that transition). There are still excellent melodies and some great harmonies, there are still some great moments like “Better Days” and “I’m Gonna Make You Love Me”, showing that Louris was more than capable of fronting this band alone. The other band members help out here more with the songwriting as well, and it mostly works. This is far from the best work by The Jayhawks, but it still sounds very good, and won’t turn you away from the band.
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BIG STAR
THIRD/SISTER LOVERS
1978-RYKO
Produced By JIM DICKINSON
1. Kizza Me
2. Thank You Friends
3. Big Black Car
4. Jesus Christ
5. Femme Fatale
6. O, Dana
7. Holocaust
8. Kangaroo
9. Stroke It Noel
10. For You
11. You Can’t Have Me
12. Nightime
13. Blue Moon
14. Take Care
15. Nature Boy
16. Till The End of The Day
17. Dream Lover
18. Downs
19. Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On
One of the strangest and most controversial albums ever made, right down to the title and the credited artist. Only two members of Big Star were present (Alex Chilton & Jody Stephens), and it was thought at the time to have been a Chilton solo album: the band was surprised when it was put out as a Big Star album. Sister Lovers came from something scribbled on a notepad about Chilton and Stephens dating sisters at the time of the recording. The album was almost released in 1975, finally was in 1978, and has seen multiple releases and track lists since. And then there’s the musical content…this album is often referred to as the sound of a man (Chilton) literally falling apart both artistically and personally.
There are some truly amazing moments on this album. “Holocaust” is one of the most hauntingly beautiful songs ever recorded. “Kangaroo” was supposedly tampered with by Chilton to keep it from sounding commercial…but it’s still an amazing track. A version of The Velvet’s “Femme Fatale” may be the best version of the song, and there are countless other gems. There are also train wrecks and bad tracks, all of which add to the legend of the album and Chilton. Third is as close as an album has ever come to the actual recording of a raw nerve ending, a mess, a piece of pure beauty, and the sad chronicle of the end of a band…and the beginning of the slow end of one of rock’s most talented and influential men. Imperfection at its most perfect.
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