REEL BIG FISH
TURN THE RADIO OFF
1996 – MOJO
Produced By JAY RIFKIN & JOHN AVILA
1. Sell Out
2. Trendy
3. Join The Club
4. She Has A Girlfriend Now
5. Snoop Dog, Baby
6. Beer
7. 241
8. Everything Sucks
9. S.R.
10. Skatanic
11. All I Want Is More
12. Nothin’
13. Say Ten
14. I’ll Never Be…
15. Alternative, Baby
16. Cool Ending
The 90’s were about revivals. Punk, swing, you name it. And, of course, there was a ska revival. It didn’t last very long, mainly because it’s limited music that you really can’t do much with. But, for a minute in the middle of the decade, ska was all the rage. And right smack in the middle of it was Reel Big Fish. Like seemingly all of the ska revival bands, they came out of Orange County in southern California. Their debut album was an independent release that got them signed to Mojo Records. Turn The Radio Off is their second album, and is by far their best known work. Reel Big Fish became known for the single “Sell Out”, a song about…selling out. The song is their only real American hit, and has been used by sports teams when they have good crowds at their games.
And that’s about all there is to know about Reel Big Fish. “Beer” is a crowd favorite, and “She Has A Girlfriend Now” (with guest singer Monique Powell of Save Ferris) is pretty good. But the nineties ska revival was short lived, and by their next album, no one really cared any more. They’ve covered some strange songs by a-ha, Tracy Chapman, Katrina & The Waves and Toots & The Maytals, but they haven’t had a hit since “Sell Out”. And yet, Aaron Barrett (the only remaining original member) keeps the band alive to this day, playing shows and releasing albums independently. Today, they are barely remembered as a one hit wonder with a modest underground following. I guess it’s better to have had one hit than to have had no hits at all.
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INXS
SHABOOH SHOOBAH
1982 – WARNER MUSIC
Produced By MARK OPITZ
1. The One Thing
2. To Look At You
3. Spy Of Love
4. Soul Mistake
5. Here Comes
6. Black And White
7. Golden Playpen
8. Jan’s Songs
9. Old World New World
10. Don’t Change
INXS peaked as the decade of the 80’s ended, having become one of the biggest bands in the world. In 1982, they were not there yet…but they were well on their way. After a pair of albums that did well in their home country of Australia and absolutely nowhere else, they recorded “The One Thing” and went shopping for an international deal. They found one, and everything was set in motion for big time worldwide success. The first piece of that was their third album, 1982’s Shabooh Shoobah. Let me begin by saying that the worst thing about this album is the title. A terrible choice. INXS was on top of the world between 1985 and 1990, thanks to the trio of Listen Like Thieves, Kick, and X. But don’t sleep on this one…it’s an underrated gem that started the whole thing for INXS.
Shabooh Shoobah is anchored by two of their greatest songs. The opener, “The One Thing”, is a powerhouse hit…in fact, it was their biggest song in America. Even better, though, is the closer. “Don’t Change” is an absolute tornado of a hit and will leave you wanting more. “Black And White” and “To Look At You” are also excellent, as is “Spy Of Love”. This album was their introduction to the world outside of Australia, and they did not disappoint. INXS showed that they fit with the New Wave, but also that they could rock. The near arrogant swagger of singer Michael Hutchense was already coming into play, and this band had songs. Sure, their later work became better known. But don’t forget about this poorly titled gem of a record. This is INXS breaking down the door in the best way possible.
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B.B. KING
LIVE AT THE REGAL
1965 – ABC
Produced By JOHNNY PATE
1. Every Day I Have The Blues
2. Sweet Little Angel
3. It’s My Own Fault
4. How Blue Can You Get
5. Please Love Me
6. You Upset Me Baby
7. Worry, Worry
8. Woke Up This Mornin’
9. You Done Lost Your Good Thing Now
10. Help The Poor
These days, the truly great blues albums don’t seem to be as appreciated as they should be. And one of the very best blues albums is Live At The Regal. This was recorded in 1964 at the Regal Theater in Chicago, a famous African American venue that closed just four years after this recording. It was torn down in 1973. King was 39 years old when this record was made, and was at the height of his popularity in the US and his influence in the UK. This was King’s first live album, and while it wasn’t a huge hit, it has endured as one of the most important blues documents of all time. King made many great recording during his long career, but he was always at his very best on stage in front of an audience. And the 1964 version of B.B. King is pretty hard to beat.
The only downside to this record is that it could have been longer than 34 minutes. The first half especially is simply blistering…King tears his way through classic blues songs like “Every Day I Have The Blues” and “How Blue Can You Get”. King proves that he’s not just a master guitarist, but a great singer as well. The band consists of piano, trumpet, a pair of saxes, bass and drums. It’s one of the greatest live albums ever made, and one of the best blues records as well. It’s sometimes almost forgotten, but the great players who were influenced by it (Clapton, Santana, and many more) haven’t let that happen. And neither have those who love the blues. It’s nowhere near as popular as it was in the middle of the last century, but that doesn’t mean it should be forgotten. This is one of the greats. Give it a listen.
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TRUCKSTOP HONEYMOON
DIAMONDS IN THE ASPHALT
2007 – SQUIRREL RECORDS
Produced By TRUCKSTOP HONEYMOON
1. Rockabilly Debutante
2. The Ordinary Things
3. The Perfect Pair Of Sunglasses
4. Open The Door
5. Bad Attitude
6. Diamonds In The Asphalt
7. Strawberry
8. Never Look Back
9. Wichita
10. Lotus Blossom
11. Malathion Man
12. Night Out In
13. How Long
14. Home
Ah…another breath of fresh air from America’s first couple of redneck shenanigans. Katie and Mike West, better known as Truckstop Honeymoon, released their fourth album, Diamonds In The Asphalt, in 2007. Their adventures in rural America almost always end up as comedy, and that’s okay. They are genuinely funny…and talented. Never famous, they don’t care. They make fun, relatable music. “The Perfect Pair Of Sunglasses” are found in a truck stop. The “Rockabilly Debutante” never throws a gutter ball. You get the picture. They are known mostly for their fun live shows, but don’t sleep on their studio work. Diamonds is a fine work, with Mike sounding like an almost lazy SOB who’s almost sad…while Katie is a raucous ball of almost unhinged fun.
They’ve gleefully made a career out of singing about their sometimes average life, but it’s never boring in their eyes. Through ten studio album, this duo does what they love to do and it shows. You won’t find hit songs here, but that’s just because they don’t have a label behind them. They will always bring a smile to your face, and they always sound great. It’s not all comedy, either…songs like the title track are lovely pieces of Americana, showing that they don’t have to be gaining laughs in order to sound good. Because they’ve never been signed, you may have to dig for their albums, but they are well worth picking up. Because a lot of it is comedy, it’s not going to be for everyone, but if it works for you, albums like this can be true gems.
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KENDRICK LAMAR
DAMN.
2017 – TDE / AFTERMATH / INTERSCOPE
Produced By 9TH WONDER, THE ALCHEMIST, BADBADNOTGOOD, BEKON, CARDO, DJ DAHL, GREG KURSTIN, JAMES BLAKE, MIKE WILL MADE IT, RICCI RIERA, SOUNWAVE, STEVE LACY, TERRACE MARTIN, TEDDY WALTON & TOP DAWG
1. Duckworth
2. God
3. Fear
4. XXX (Feat. U2)
5. Love (Feat. Zacari)
6. Lust
7. Humble
8. Pride
9. Loyalty (Feat. Rihanna)
10. Feel
11. Element
12. Yah
13. DNA
14. Blood
I don’t think I’ve ever seen an album as fairly rated, and as unfairly spoken of as this one. There are many people who listened to Damn and recognized it as another great album from a great artist. But let’s learn something here. Kendrick Lamar made a pair of exceptional and groundbreaking albums (Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City and To Pimp A Butterfly). His next album, 2017’s Damn, is not like those albums. And many people have been critical just because of that. Well, I’m calling shenanigans. Thank God Kendrick Lamar didn’t make another To Pimp A Butterfly. Do what’s in your heart, man. Go where your talent leads you. And shame on people for crapping on an album because the artist didn’t make it the way YOU wanted him to. That’s unfair of you, and it’s unfair to the artist.
I say this for one reason. Damn is a great album. Period. Yes, it’s not like his last two albums. Thank God for that. Take your comparisons, throw them in the trash and listen to this album on it own. It’s amazing. Kendrick Lamar cements his vision and talent here with what is a great set of songs. “Humble”, “Duckworth”, “Fear”…it’s all great stuff. Despite having way too many producers, he still makes a cohesive record that quite simply works. If you want to hear To Pimp A Butterfly, go listen to that album. But I think it’s high time we appreciate Damn a bit more. It’s not “groundbreaking”. Why does it have to be in order for people to enjoy it…why does it have to be that to be a great album? Damn is simply great. Comparing it to Lamar’s past work because it takes fewer chances is unnecessary and unfair. He already took those chances…why do you want him to do it again?
(Note: You may notice the album cover is different and the track listing is backwards. That’s because the version I have is the Collector’s Edition, which has the reverse tracklist and is individually hand numbered. The reverse order is because Lamar believed the album works forward as well as backward. He was right.)
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DAVID WILCOX
THE VERY BEST OF DAVID WILCOX
2001 – A&M
Produced By MIKE RAGOGNA
1. Eye Of The Hurricane
2. Language Of The Heart
3. Rusty Old American Dream
4. How Did You Find Me Here
5. Leave It Like It Is
6. Johnny’s Camaro
7. Saturday They’ll All Be Back Again
8. The Kid
9. Daddy’s Money
10. Farther To Fall
11. Top Of The Roller Coaster
12. Covert War
13. Advertising Man
14. Last Chance Waltz
15. Chet Baker’s Unsung Swan Song
16. Strong Chemistry
17. New World
18. That’s What The Lonely Is For (Alternate Version)
19. Break In The Cup
20. Farthest Shore
Not to be confused with the Canadian blues player with the same name. David Wilcox is a folk singer who tends to sound a whole lot like James Taylor. He was signed by A&M Records at the end of the 1980’s, and made four albums for that label between 1989 and 1994. This compilation is from that period, released seven years after his contract with the label expired. Wilcox has always been a critically acclaimed lyricist who plays music that usually borders on what could be best described as snoozy. Still, during his time with A&M, while he didn’t really have any hits to speak of, he did release some fine songs, which A&M did a good job of capturing here. This compilation makes most of the rest of his albums from those years unnecessary. At twenty tracks, this is more than generous.
Wilcox is an interesting fingerstyle guitarist, who plays a lot in open tuning and utilizes unique capos that allow the lower strings to remain open. When he’s at his best (“Eye Of The Hurricane” and “New World” are good examples), you wonder why he hasn’t had more of a career, but there are a few too many sleepy moments that answer that question. Still, he’s a talented guy, and has been able to carve out a nice career for himself. After his stint with A&M, he recorded a couple of records on the Vanguard label before going full independent. He still tours, and he has a new record out called My Good Friends. David Wilcox is not going to rock you, but if the singer songwriter does it for you, then this could be your guy. Always good, but never quite great.
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PEARL JAM
VITALOGY
1994 – EPIC
Produced By BRENDAN O’BRIEN & PEARL JAM
1. Last Exit
2. Spin The Black Circle
3. Not For You
4. Tremor Christ
5. Nothingman
6. Whipping
7. Pry, To
8. Corduroy
9. Bugs
10. Satan’s Bed
11. Better Man
12. Aye Davanita
13. Immortality
14. Hey Foxymophandlemama, Thet’s Me a.k.a. Stupid Mop
Whatever grunge had become with the dawn of the 90’s, it was beginning to dissipate as early as 1994. Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain committed suicide in April, and seven months later, the genre’s other big star Pearl Jam released the very ungrunge album Vitalogy. The band took a wide left turn from their first two records (Ten and Vs.) with experiments in punk, harder rock, and strange artsy tracks that were as far from the Seattle sound as could be. Casual fans were maybe a bit lost in what they were doing, but the hardcore PJ folk were all in. Because it was Pearl Jam, Vitalogy and its strange packaging sold a gazillion copies out of the gate, and even though it was such an odd release, Pearl Jam held their hold as one of America’s most successful bands.
Vitalogy (which means the study of life) has some really great songs on it. “Better Man” and “Spin The Black Circle” are among the band’s best. “Nothingman” and “Immortality” are terrific as well. The strangeness of tracks like “Bugs” and “Hey Foxymophandlemama” is tough to explain, and it can be hard to not skip over those. But for the most part, Vitalogy is a worthwhile disc, even though it might take a bit of patience. The packaging is interesting, designed by singer Eddie Vedder and chock full of facts about health that are no longer really valid and notes that relate to the songs on the album. It’s one of the more interesting album packages in rock. Of course, they are still at it…touring, releasing an album here and there, fighting Ticketmaster. And always about their fans. Vitalogy is an odd duck, but it’s also a pretty good album.
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UTE LEMPER
UTE LEMPER SINGS KURT WEILL
1988 – DECCA
Produced By MICHAEL HAAS
1. Fennimores Lied
2. Casars Tod
3. Die Moritat Von Mackie Messer
4. Salomon-Song
5. Die Ballade Von Der Sexuellen Horigkeit
6. Zu Potsdam Unter Den Eichen
7. Nannas Lied
8. Lied Des Lotteriagenten
9. Alabama-Song
10. Denn Wie Man Sich Bettet
11. Je Ne T’Aime Pas
12. I’m A Stranger Here Myself
13. Westwind
14. Speak Low
Ute Lemper is an award winning German actress who has appeared in several films and plays…but she is also a very prolific singer who has recorded more than twenty albums since her debut in 1986. Kurt Weill was a composer who lived from 1900-1950 in both Germany and the United States. Lemper recorded four albums of Weill’s music in the eighties and nineties, including this one. Perhaps the best known song from this set is “Die Moritat Von Mackie Messer”, later known in English as “Mack The Knife”, which Weill wrote in 1928 for the play The Threepenny Opera. Lemper’s take on this music is highly listenable. She’s a very dramatic and powerful voice, and she sings this older music like she’s standing at center stage in front of a packed house. Lemper absolutely has the voice to sing this music with the flair it deserves.
The music here is played by the RIAS Berlin Kammerensemble, tastefully and admirably so. The stars here are not the orchestra, but Weill and especially Lemper. Because he died young, and because he’s been somewhat forgotten (at least outside of Germany), there aren’t a lot of recordings from his lifetime, so having Lemper to help keep his legacy alive is a godsend. These performances by Lemper are brilliant, and deserve to be heard. (“Alabama-Song” puts The Doors version into a whole new light.) And if you enjoy this music…well, there’s a pretty large and impressive catalog of Lemper’s music to explore: albums of tributes to other artists, as well as her own material. Her Kurt Weill albums are all great, though. A heartfelt and entertaining tribute to a songwriting genius from the past.
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THE O’JAYS
SHIP AHOY
1973 – PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL
Produced By KENNY GAMBLE & LEON HUFF
1. Put Your Hands Together
2. Ship Ahoy
3. This Air I Breathe
4. You Got Your Hooks In Me
5. For The Love Of Money
6. Now That We Found Love
7. Don’t Call Me Brother
8. People Keep Tellin’ Me
9. Put Your Hands Together (Live)
The O’Jays have been a group since 1958, with two original members still there. But there were a lot of pretty lean years. They recorded throughout the decade of the sixties, with just one US R&B top ten hit (“I’ll Be Sweeter Tomorrow”). They were just about to hang it up in 1972 when they were signed by the production team of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. Reduced to a trio, their next album, Back Stabbers, made them sudden stars with the title track and the #1 hit “Love Train”. The O’Jays rode this sudden wave throughout the seventies. Their next album was Ship Ahoy, which became their first platinum album. The single “For The Love Of Money” kept the group on top, proving that they were not a fluke or a one album wonder. And the strength of these early albums has carried them ever since.
Since the end of the seventies, The O’Jays have slipped back into their previous role of being very good, but not creating hits. But Ship Ahoy era O’Jays were on top of their game. The title track is memorable stuff, and “Put Your Hands Together” and “Now That We Found Love” are standout tracks. But the centerpiece is truly “For The Love Of Money”, a powerful soul funk track that a younger generation identifies with pre-Presidential TV game show era Donald Trump and his show “The Apprentice”. Its beat and unique bass sound are pure seventies funk gold. The rest of Ship Ahoy is worth hearing, a great example of how good this era of funk and soul music really was. And kudos to Eddie Levert and Walter Williams for sticking it out for what is now a whopping 67 years.
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BEN FOLDS
ROCKIN’ THE SUBURBS
2001 – EPIC
Produced By BEN FOLDS & BEN GROSSE
1. Annie Waits
2. Zak And Sara
3. Still Fighting It
4. Gone
5. Fred Jones Part 2
6. The Ascent Of Stan
7. Losing Lisa
8. Carrying Cathy
9. Not The Same
10. Rockin’ The Suburbs
11. Fired
12. The Luckiest
Is Ben Folds an absolute genius? Pretty tough to argue against that. This is a man who seems to easily succeed at everything he tries…acting, rock music, classical music, comedy, being in a band, being a solo artist. Ben Folds just makes everything look easy. After the first ending of his trio, Ben Folds Five, he released his first solo album, Rockin’ The Suburbs, on the unfortunate date of September 11, 2001. One of only five of the solo albums he’s recorded, this one may be the best of those. One thing that Folds is not is a hitmaker, but that’s okay. He makes coherent albums that are always worth listening to. On Rockin’ The Suburbs, it’s all Folds…he plays every instrument (except for a guitar part or two), and adds a pair of guest singers (including John McCrea of Cake of “Fred Jones Part 2”). Truly a solo album, Folds proves here how talented he really is.
The nu-metal parody of the title track is more fun than you get from most albums. “Still Fighting It” is another standout. Folds likes to use names of people in his song titles, both real and imagined. You get the impression that his writing is honest and informed, filled with interesting stories and ideas. Folds rarely falters, something he does not do here. He’s really a genius, he’s funny, articulate, and endlessly musical. This is as good a place to start with his music as anywhere. If this works for you, then it’s not a far jump to his band albums and his many collaborations with others (William Shatner’s Has Been album is surprisingly listenable…that’s thanks to Ben Folds). Rockin’ The Suburbs is a fine album, one that rewards repeated listens. Definitely recommended.
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