ROBERT RANDOLPH & THE FAMILY BAND
UNCLASSIFIED
2003-WARNER BROTHERS
Produced By ROBERT RANDOLPH & THE FAMILY BAND & JIM SCOTT
1. Going In The Right Direction
2. I Need More Love
3. Nobody
4. Soul Refreshing
5. Squeeze
6. Smile
7. Good Times (3 Stroke)
8. Why Should I Feel Lonely
9. Calypso
10. Problems
11. Run For Your Life
Robert Randolph isn’t your everyday guitar hero. His instrument of choice is the pedal steel, and he’s quite an animal on it. Randolph learned to play in church, and was discovered at a Sacred Steel show. Randolph was part of John Medeski’s project The Word (along with North Mississippi All Stars) before releasing their studio debut album, Unclassified. The album was a nice success for the band, thanks largely to the hit “I Need More Love”, a burner which showcases Randolph’s fiery pedal steel playing very nicely. He was snatched up by Eric Clapton to join him on tours afterward, and the band has released five albums since then, although none with the impact of Unclassified despite Colorblind and We Walk This Road attaining higher chart positions. The playing of Randolph has never been an issue. However, consistency in the songwriting department certainly has, as the band’s albums have never soared to the heights of their live shows.
“I Need More Love” makes Unclassified necessary on its own. The song is a whirlwind of great guitar. “Going In The Right Direction” is almost as good, and two songs in you know you’re listening to a very special talent. But even though his playing will amaze you throughout, the songs drop off from there into the territory of unmemorable. Not that Randolph cares. This album is loaded with the energy of the religious revivals he grew up playing in (as are his live shows), and the enthusiastic band is right there with him. In the depths of the musical landscape of 2003, Randolph was a breath of fresh air. A novelty, perhaps, but one with loads of talent and promise. With a few more better quality songs, Unclassified would have been a classic. Still, very good, and worthwhile for hearing a guitarist with this much promise.
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Of dying history
FRANK BLACK
1993-4AD
Produced By ERIC DREW FELDMAN & FRANK BLACK
1. Los Angeles
2. I Heard Ramona Sing
3. Hang On To Your Ego
4. Fu Manchu
5. Places Named After Numbers
6. Czar
7. Old Black Dawning
8. Ten Percenter
9. Brackish Boy
10. Two Spaces
11. Tossed (Instrumental Version)
12. Parry The Wind High, Low
13. Adda Lee
14. Every Time I Go Around Here
15. Dan’t Ya Rile ‘Em
The Pixies were still recording their last album, Trompe Le Monde, when Black Francis started thinking about his solo debut. The original idea was to made an album of covers, but by the time he made it to the studio, there was enough original material to make a proper debut album. Francis changed his stage name to Frank Black, pulled in former Pixie Joey Santiago and Eric Drew Feldman of Pere Ubu, and the recording was on. The album sounds a lot like Trompe Le Monde, and is easily the most adventurous album of Black’s solo career. And adventurous is, as Pixies fans know, the best way to hear Black. Here, he sounds loud and confident, with burst of loud energy and not a lot of subtlety. The one survivor from the original covers concept is “Hang On To Your Ego”, written by Brian Wilson during the Pet Sounds era. Black gleefully rocks it out, as he does everything else here.
You know you’re in for a good time when the first big bass note drops on “Los Angeles”. “I Heard Ramona Sing” is about The Ramones, and “Czar” is about, of all people, John Denver. He rocks very big with “Old Black Dawning” and “Fu Manchu”, while strange bursts like the frantic acoustic freak-out “Brackish Boy” work very well. There’s a bit of padding, something that would be more of an issue on his later albums, but there are enough great moments to keep it interesting. Black’s albums since this one have slipped into the area of average to mediocre, with his maturity turning into something less musically exciting. This is the Frank Black album to have outside of the Pixies. And it sounds better the louder you play it.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
FRANK BLACK
1993-4AD
Produced By ERIC DREW FELDMAN & FRANK BLACK
1. Los Angeles
2. I Heard Ramona Sing
3. Hang On To Your Ego
4. Fu Manchu
5. Places Named After Numbers
6. Czar
7. Old Black Dawning
8. Ten Percenter
9. Brackish Boy
10. Two Spaces
11. Tossed (Instrumental Version)
12. Parry The Wind High, Low
13. Adda Lee
14. Every Time I Go Around Here
15. Dan’t Ya Rile ‘Em
The Pixies were still recording their last album, Trompe Le Monde, when Black Francis started thinking about his solo debut. The original idea was to made an album of covers, but by the time he made it to the studio, there was enough original material to make a proper debut album. Francis changed his stage name to Frank Black, pulled in former Pixie Joey Santiago and Eric Drew Feldman of Pere Ubu, and the recording was on. The album sounds a lot like Trompe Le Monde, and is easily the most adventurous album of Black’s solo career. And adventurous is, as Pixies fans know, the best way to hear Black. Here, he sounds loud and confident, with burst of loud energy and not a lot of subtlety. The one survivor from the original covers concept is “Hang On To Your Ego”, written by Brian Wilson during the Pet Sounds era. Black gleefully rocks it out, as he does everything else here.
You know you’re in for a good time when the first big bass note drops on “Los Angeles”. “I Heard Ramona Sing” is about The Ramones, and “Czar” is about, of all people, John Denver. He rocks very big with “Old Black Dawning” and “Fu Manchu”, while strange bursts like the frantic acoustic freak-out “Brackish Boy” work very well. There’s a bit of padding, something that would be more of an issue on his later albums, but there are enough great moments to keep it interesting. Black’s albums since this one have slipped into the area of average to mediocre, with his maturity turning into something less musically exciting. This is the Frank Black album to have outside of the Pixies. And it sounds better the louder you play it.
ERIC CLAPTON & STEVE WINWOOD
LIVE FROM MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
2009-REPRISE
Produced By JAMES PLUTA, JOHN MCDERMOTT & SCOOTER WEINTRAUB
1. Had To Cry Today
2. Low Down
3. Them Changes
4. Forever Man
5. Sleeping In The Ground
6. Presence Of The Lord
7. Glad
8. Well All Right
9. Double Trouble
10. Pearly Queen
11. Tell The Truth
12. No Face, No Name, No Number
1. After Midnight
2. Split Decision
3. Rambling On My Mind
4. Georgia On My Mind
5. Little Wing
6. Voodoo Chile
7. Can’t Find My Way Home
8. Dear Mr. Fantasy
9. Cocaine
Eric Clapton and Steve Winwood go way back. After the breakup of Cream in 1968, coinciding with Winwood’s departure from The Spencer Davis Group, the two joined forces to form the first really major supergroup in Blind Faith. It didn’t last long, as the Blind Faith tour ended up being loaded with Cream songs because the band didn’t have a lot of material to draw from, forcing Clapton to leave for solo (and Delaney & Bonnie) pastures. But the Blind Faith album did show us one thing…Clapton and Winwood work very well together. This show, recorded in 2008, is the first full show featuring the two together in almost 40 years, and it features some really great moments. Surprisingly, only 9 of the album’s 21 tracks are original: 7 from Winwood and only two from Clapton (JJ Cale out wrote Clapton here, 3 to 2). But there are songs from the entire spectrum of both men’s careers, with the exception of Cream and The Spencer Davis Group.
Blind Faith songs are, of course, prominent, but there’s also material from Traffic, Derek & The Dominos, and the solo careers of both. Lots of blues, and even a two song tribute to Jimi Hendrix. “Rambling On My Mind” is Clapton by himself, while “Georgia On My Mind” features just Winwood. The biggest highlights are the Blind Faith numbers “Can’t Find My Way Home” and “Presence Of The Lord”, one of Clapton’s best songs. The only real issue is that between the two, the overall song list could have been much better. Also, you’ll be much better served to have the companion DVD (mine does not). Having some of their better known material (for instance, “Layla” and “Back In The High Life”) would make this set, at over two hours long, much easier to deal with in a single setting. Songs like (both by Cale) “After Midnight” and “Cocaine” (the encore?) are much too common fare from Clapton, who has a large selection of better material to choose from. If you’re a fan of both, this will do nicely, and the playing is exceptional. Just better material and about 20 minutes off the top would make it so much better.
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GUSTER
KEEP IT TOGETHER
2003-REPRISE
Produced By ROGER MOUTENOT & RON ANIELLO
1. Diane
2. Careful
3. Amsterdam
4. Backyard
5. Homecoming King
6. Ramona
7. Jesus On The Radio
8. Keep It Together
9. Come Downstairs And Say Hello
10. Red Oyster Cult
11. Long Way Down
12. I Hope Tomorrow Is Like Today
Guster is one of those great bands that has been around forever that you’ve probably never heard of. They were formed at Tufts University in 1991, and have been gleefully flying under the radar ever since. Not that they haven’t had some mainstream success. Keep It Together houses two moderate hit singles, and they have had music in movies and TV shows like Disturbia, The O.C., and The Wedding Crashers. The band allows fans to freely tape their live shows, and is, in fact, one of the most fan friendly bands in music today. They are known for playing many instruments during live shows and interspersing humorous cover songs into their concerts. This is one quirky, fun band. Keep It Together is their fourth album, and the first to feature their percussion player on a full drum kit as they expanded their sound to a more electric style. “Amsterdam” and “Careful” are the immediate highlights, but the album will certainly grow on you over time.
There are strange and entertaining quirks on the album. For the song “Backyard”, the band required all ten of the guest musicians (which includes Ben Kweller) used on the album to record a single take to the song…without having heard it beforehand. “Jesus On The Radio” has become a live staple, with the band playing it literally unplugged…acoustic instruments with no amplification. And so it goes with Guster. As Keep It Together shows, they are not perfect…but they are always one of the more interesting bands you’ll hear. The use of banjo, woodwinds, cello, and brass instruments show that they are wide open to experimenting beyond their normal guitar, bass and drum setup. Their last album came out in 2010, so they’re about due for a new one. A band worth checking out, and one that you’ll certainly find entertaining.
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MGMT
ORACULAR SPECTACULAR
2007-COLUMBIA
Produced By DAVE FRIDMANN
1. Time To Pretend
2. Weekend Wars
3. The Youth
4. Electric Feel
5. Kids
6. 4th Dimensional Transition
7. Pieces Of What
8. Of Moons, Birds & Monsters
9. The Handshake
10. Future Reflections
What does psychedelic rock sound like in the new millennium? It sounds like MGMT. Formed at Wesleyan University in Connecticut, the band is a five piece live…but in the studio, it’s a duo with no other musicians playing. Benjamin Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden are both multi instrumentalists, and both share equally in the songwriting. Oracular Spectacular is their major label debut, and it should be considered nothing less than a victory. The sound of this album may seem foreign to listeners who grew up on classic rock…but, hey. It’s not our world anymore, is it? “Time To Pretend” and “Kids” sound like they came from a different world, and that’s not far away from the truth. But it’s a pretty good world, if you’ve got the patience to wrap your ears around it. The first thought is to label it as an electronic album. The reality is that there are plenty of guitars to go around.
They have released three albums since, one every three years or so, so they have shown a pattern of consistency and may be around for awhile. Good thing. This is a real positive for modern rock. The music on Oracular Spectacular is up, danceable, and positive. There’s just enough rock to keep it honest, and lots of heart and soul from the duo behind it. “Kids” and “Time To Pretend” are the obvious highlights, but there are plenty more to be found. “Electric Feel”, for instance, is a great example of what this band has to offer on the positive. Again…older listeners may have a tough time wrapping their heads around this band…they sound nothing like what we grew up getting comfortable with. But stick with it. The music is infectious and very good. Give it a chance, it will grow on you.
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THE BAND
CAHOOTS
1971-CAPITOL
Produced By THE BAND
1. Life Is A Carnival
2. When I Paint My Masterpiece
3. Last Of The Blacksmiths
4. Where Do We Go From Here?
5. 4% Pantomine
6. Shoot Out In Chinatown
7. The Moon Struck One
8. Thinkin’ Out Loud
9. Smoke Signal
10. Volcano
11. The River Hymn
12. Endless Highway (Early Studio Take)
13. When I Paint My Masterpiece (Alternate Take)
14. Bessie Smith (Outtake)
15. Don’t Do It (Outtake – Studio Version)
16. Radio Commercial
After their first two albums, it looked like The Band could do no wrong. Their third album, Stage Fright, was still very good…but the cracks were beginning to show. On Cahoots, their fourth album, the cracks are wide and severe. Several issues raised their ugly heads here that The Band never fully recovered from. The creative and personal decline of Richard Manuel is painfully present. The end of the songwriting collaborations that had helped to make the early albums great was down to one song. The decline of the songwriting of Robbie Robertson. And the fact that they were weary of each other and growing ever more distant from each other can be heard throughout the album: where are the great harmonies? Where is the fine instrumental give and take between members? It’s all in a chronic state of decay and sadness. It only took four albums for The Band to become a shadow of their former great selves.
There are a handful of moments, however. The album starts off with a powerful one-two punch that gives you great hope that this will be a great album. “Life Is A Carnival” is the last truly great Band song, and the only group collaboration on the album. “When I Paint My Masterpiece” is a perfect Dylan cover, and maybe Levon Helm’s greatest vocal. But from there’ it’s mostly downhill. And fast. The only other sign of real life is “4% Pantomine”, a song Robertson co-wrote with Van Morrison. The rest is a mess, sadly missing the spark that made The Band so special in the beginning. The saving grace here is actually the bonus tracks, and why I rate it as high as I do: having studio versions of “Bessie Smith” and “Don’t Do It”, even though flawed, is a huge plus. But overall, a sad album from a great band beginning its decline.
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With all due respect, "Acadian Driftwood" and "Ophelia" are certainly great Band songs that come after Cahoots _________________ It's easier to say "I love you," than "Yours, sincerely," I suppose
With all due respect, "Acadian Driftwood" and "Ophelia" are certainly great Band songs that come after Cahoots
Absolutely agree. There were moments...but there were no more great albums. The great songs became the exception instead of the norm. _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
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THE BLACK CROWES
LIONS
2001-V2
Produced By DON WAS
1. Midnight From The Inside Out
2. Lickin’
3. Come On
4. No Use Lying
5. Losing My Mind
6. Ozone Mama
7. Greasy Grass River
8. Soul Singing
9. Miracle To Me
10. Young Man, Old Man
11. Cosmic Friend
12. Cypress Tree
13. Lay It All On Me
One music critic wrote “The Black Crowes are unaware it’s no longer the 70’s, and after one listen to Lions…it’s clear someone should tell them”. There really isn’t a much better way to describe this record, a loud and pretty misguided homage to Led Zeppelin and overly loud guitars. It’s an album that probably shouldn’t have been made, and if it wasn’t for the success of its two singles “Lickin’” and “Soul Singing”, Lions would have probably disappeared without a trace. At the time of Lions, the band was in the midst of personnel upheaval: lead guitarist Audley Freed was a new member, and the band didn’t even have a bass player. They had just spent time playing with Jimmy Page, so the songs have what sounds like an attempt to reincarnate Zeppelin, with muddy results. Coupled with Chris Robinson’s somewhat uncomfortable lyric writing inspired by Kate Hudson, and the rapid decline in the quality of the band’s songs, and you have the recipe for a bad album.
The work of producer Don Was doesn’t help. His almost completely hands off approach left the direction and overall sound in the hands of the band with poor results. But the biggest disappointment is in the songwriting. Lyrically, when not crooning to Hudson, Robinson gets lost in trying to be current and fails pretty miserably. The bottom of the barrel is “Cosmic Friend”, an almost hip hop stew of embarrassment. “Lickin’” and “Ozone Mama” are not far behind. Overall, Lions is a mess. The sound is weird and doesn’t fit anything, especially (and most importantly) the songs. Maybe the Crowes should have waited, taken a listen down the road, and decided if they really wanted to do this. Maybe they would have had a change of heart and done a completely different record. We’ll never know…and we’re stuck with Lions.
Link _________________ I'm leaning on the threshold
Of her mystery
And crashing through the walls
Of dying history
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