CHRIS & RICH ROBINSON
BROTHERS OF A FEATHER: LIVE AT THE ROXY
2007-EAGLE
NO PRODUCTION CREDIT
1. Horsehead
2. Cursed Diamond
3. Over The Hill
4. Magic Rooster Blues
5. My Heart’s Been Killing Me
6. Forgiven Song
7. Someday Past The Sunset
8. Roll Um Easy
9. Cold Boy Smile
10. Driving Wheel
11. Leave It Alone
12. Polly
13. Darling Of The Underground Press
14. Thorn In My Pride
Chris and Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes played a number of shows billed as Brothers Of A Feather in 2007, several of which were at the Roxy in Hollywood. This album is taken from those shows. There is also a companion DVD with 6 additional tracks that was released a couple of months later. This is a mostly unplugged affair (Rich plays some electric guitar) featuring the brothers, Black Crowes backup singers Mona Lisa Young and Charity White, and a guest spot by sax player Dave Ellis. The performance is hampered by the unfortunate between song banter of Chris Robinson, who manages to sound pompous and insulting while trying to be funny…even lying to the audience at one point about a new album coming out.
The real star here is, surprisingly, Rich Robinson. The two songs they play by him are the standouts: “Forgiven Song” and “Leave It Alone”. His guitar playing is excellent throughout, and his vocals are surprisingly good…especially next to his brother, who still sounds tired at this point in his career. They play some Black Crowes songs also: “Cursed Diamond”, “Darling Of The Underground Press”, and a whopping 14 minutes version (too long) of “Thorn In My Pride”. (The DVD features several more, including “Soul Singing”. The covers are well chosen: John Martyn’s “Over The Hill”, ‘Polly” by Gene Clark, and Little Feat’s “Roll Um Easy”. A solid but slightly uneven collection that sounds unspectacular but still mostly very good.
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TOM PETTY
WILDFLOWERS
1994-WARNER BROS
Produced By RICK RUBIN
1. Wildflowers
2. You Don’t Know How It Feels
3. Time To Move On
4. You Wreck Me
5. It’s Good To Be King
6. Only A Broken Heart
7. Honey Bee
8. Don’t Fade On Me
9. Hard On Me
10. Cabin Down Below
11. To Find A Friend
12. A Higher Place
13. House In The Woods
14. Crawling Back To You
15. Wake Up Time
Wildflowers may be officially Tom Petty’s second solo album, but it’s actually a Heartbreakers record. Petty chose as his backing band for this project the same band he’d made his career with. Even a couple of the songs were co-written by Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell. The album opens with the sweet acoustic title track, followed by the slow but huge hit “You Don’t Know How It Feels”… but it gets rocking soon enough. “You Wreck Me” is a nice rocker, and one of Petty’s fastest songs. The first half of the album is solid, with gems like “It’s Good To Be King” and “Honey Bee”.
The second half tails off into mostly filler, though. Aside from the rocking “Cabin Down Below”, the tracks at the end sound like they had to go out and find material to finish the album. Too bad, really…because at the halfway point, you think you might be listening to Petty’s greatest album ever. But the second half make the entire affair unfortunately ordinary, despite some great early songs. Several outtakes from this album were released two years later on the soundtrack for “She’s The One”.
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THE BYRDS
THE BEST OF THE BYRDS: GREATEST HITS VOLUME II
1972-COLUMBIA
Produced By TERRY MELCHER, GARY USHER, BOB JOHNSTON & THE BYRDS
1. Ballad Of Easy Rider
2. Wasn’t Born To Follow
3. Jesus Is Just Alright
4. He Was A Friend Of Mine
5. Chestnut Mare
6. Tiffany Queen
7. Drug Store Truck Drivin’ Man
8. You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere
9. Citizen Kane
10. I Wanna Grow Up To Be A Politician
11. America’s Great National Pastime
So, really…what happened to The Byrds? They were on top of the world from 1965 until 1968…and then it all fell apart pretty quickly. The answer is simple: the original lineup, with the exception of Roger McGuinn, was long gone by the end of 1968. When you lose the likes of Gene Clark, David Crosby, Michael Clarke and Chris Hillman as quickly as The Byrds did. It’s hard to recover. Bringing in Gram Parsons for 1968’s Sweetheart Of The Rodeo only ignited a complete change in musical direction…and the ink was barely dry before Parsons was gone as well.
This 1972 compilation sounds closer to what Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show started as than what The Byrds had once been. A couple of great tracks (“He Was A Friend Of Mine” and “You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere”) and a couple of pretty good ones (“Ballad Of Easy Rider” and “Jesus Is Just Alright”) don’t explain the rest, which is just plain weirdness. “Chestnut Mare” is an uncomfortable and strangely sexual song about a horse; “Drug Store Truck Drivin’ Man” is a strange pick from the Parsons period. The last three tracks sound like bizarre circus music, and are pretty much nothing more than novelty songs. Shortly after this came out, the original members reunited for one terrible album and mercifully called it quits.
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TRAFFIC
THE LOW SPARK OF HIGH HEELED BOYS
1971-ISLAND
Produced By STEVE WINWOOD
1. Hidden Treasure
2. The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys
3. Rock & Roll Stew
4. Many A Mile To Freedom
5. Light Up Or Leave Me Alone
6. Rainmaker
Following the departure of guitarist Dave Mason from Traffic in 1971, the band went on to record The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys…and to become more of a Steve Winwood solo project than ever before. Not only does Winwood handle the many keyboards featured here and most of the lead vocals, he’s also the album’s only guitarist. Original members Chris Wood (sax and flute) and Jim Capaldi (percussion) play important but less uipfront roles, and the band employs two additional drummers along with Winwood’s former Blind Faith cohort Ric Grech on bass.
The title track, always viewed as the strength of the album and one of Traffic’s better known songs, is actually an exhausting 12 minute keyboard jam…with not a trace of guitar to be found. Once you get past that piano riff for about the third time, it becomes actually the weak link on the record. “Many A Mile To Freedom” and “Rainmaker” are both over 7 minutes, but not nearly as tedious, thanks to more varied instrumentation. The album overall is interesting, and shows that Winwood was more than capable of holding things together without Mason. You’ll buy it for the title track…but it’s the other songs that will eventually make this one a favorite.
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THE UNDERTONES
1979-SIRE
Produced By ROGER BECHIRIAN
1. Family Entertainment
2. Girls Don’t Like It
3. Male Model
4. I Gotta Getta
5. Teenage Kicks
6. Wrong Way
7. Jump Boys
8. Here Comes The Summer
9. Get Over You
10. Billy’s Third
11. Jimmy Jimmy
12. True Confessions
13. She’s A Run Around
14. I Know A Girl
15. Listening In
16. Casbah Rock
17. Smarter Than You
18. True Confessions
19. Emergency Cases
20. Really Really
21. She Can Only Say No
22. Mars Bars
23. One Way Love
24. Top Twenty
25. You’ve Got My Number (Why Don’t You Use It)
26. Let’s Talk About Girls
The Undertones were kind of the forgotten heroes of the late 70’s punk scene. They made four albums, but this one, their debut, is still considered to be one of punks finest moments. It’s not as political as their brethren The Sex Pistols or The Clash, but it’s fast, raunchy and fun. Led by singer Feargal Sharkey, The Undertones gave us gems like “Male Model”, “Jimmy Jimmy” and “Teenage Kicks”. It’s all fun, and it’s all in one fine package.
The number of bonus tracks here subtracts a little bit from the album (there are 10 of them). But it is great to hear this record, re-released in 2000, in its entirety again. The band has been active again in recent years, although without Sharkey. Two other members formed That Petrol Emotion after the initial breakup in 1983. This is a fine, classic album of early British punk.
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THE UNDERTONES
1979-SIRE
Produced By ROGER BECHIRIAN
1. Family Entertainment
2. Girls Don’t Like It
3. Male Model
4. I Gotta Getta
5. Teenage Kicks
6. Wrong Way
7. Jump Boys
8. Here Comes The Summer
9. Get Over You
10. Billy’s Third
11. Jimmy Jimmy
12. True Confessions
13. She’s A Run Around
14. I Know A Girl
15. Listening In
16. Casbah Rock
17. Smarter Than You
18. True Confessions
19. Emergency Cases
20. Really Really
21. She Can Only Say No
22. Mars Bars
23. One Way Love
24. Top Twenty
25. You’ve Got My Number (Why Don’t You Use It)
26. Let’s Talk About Girls
The Undertones were kind of the forgotten heroes of the late 70’s punk scene. They made four albums, but this one, their debut, is still considered to be one of punks finest moments. It’s not as political as their brethren The Sex Pistols or The Clash, but it’s fast, raunchy and fun. Led by singer Feargal Sharkey, The Undertones gave us gems like “Male Model”, “Jimmy Jimmy” and “Teenage Kicks”. It’s all fun, and it’s all in one fine package.
The number of bonus tracks here subtracts a little bit from the album (there are 10 of them). But it is great to hear this record, re-released in 2000, in its entirety again. The band has been active again in recent years, although without Sharkey. Two other members formed That Petrol Emotion after the initial breakup in 1983. This is a fine, classic album of early British punk.
RYAN ADAMS & THE CARDINALS
JACKSONVILLE CITY NIGHTS
2005-LOST HIGHWAY
Produced By TOM SCHICK
1. A Kiss Before I Go
2. The End
3. Hard Way To Fall
4. Dear John
5. The Hardest Part
6. Games
7. Silver Bullets
8. Peaceful Valley
9. September
10. My Heart Is Broken
11. Trains
12. Pa
13. Withering Heights
14. Don’t Fail Me Now
In 2005, it was hard to find anyone more prolific than Ryan Adams. He released three albums that year: Cold Roses, Jacksonville City Nights, and 29. Jacksonville (a reference to Adam’s hometown in North Carolina) is the more country oriented of the three, and contains some of Adams’ more beautiful songs. With the opening track, Adams lets you know that this is most definitely a country album, led by Jon Graboff’s pedal steel. “Dear John” is a duet with Norah Jones, and almost all of the songs are listed as group compositions.
The album is not as strong as the excellent Cold Roses, but is still a fine album from Adams. Like all of his records, it does contain its share of filler, but unlike some of his efforts, it’s not too long that those lesser tracks become burdensome. Adams is a streaky writer…his streaks are very large, and he tends to record it all. Still, Jacksonville is a good look at the more country side of Ryan Adams.
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THE JOHN BUTLER TRIO
THREE
2001-ATO
Produced By JOHN BUTLER TRIO & SHAUN O’CALLAGHAN
1. Betterman
2. Attitude
3. Media
4. Believe
5. Take
6. Life Ain’t What It Seems
7. Money
8. Pickapart
9. Earthbound Child
10. Don’t Understand
If you can imagine a trio being a jam band, The John Butler Trio is it. This three piece band has evolved into basically a John Butler solo act with an ever-changing rhythm section. From Australia, the Trio released their debut album in their homeland. Three is actually their second album, and their first to hit the US. It’s technically classified as a bluegrass album, but it’s much more a rock album, given the electric nature of the music. Jam band? The album contains four tracks at over eight minutes apiece. And even though Butler’s guitar is the only lead instrument, it does not get boring.
“Betterman” and “Money” are the highlights, but there’s much more to choose from. Also, the US album has ten tracks over the original version’s eight. Butler releases albums infrequently, and is not a big star in the states, although he does quite well in Australia. He is a very interesting artist with an exceptionally cool sound. Well worth checking out any of his work, and, even better, go see him live. Three is a fine place to start with Butler.
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BOB DYLAN
MODERN TIMES
2006-COLUMBIA
Produced By JACK FROST
1. Thunder On The Mountain
2. Spirit On The Water
3. Rollin’ And Tumblin’
4. When The Deal Goes Down
5. Someday Baby
6. Workingman’s Blues #2
7. Beyond The Horizon
8. Nettie Moore
9. The Levee’s Gonna Break
10. Ain’t Talkin’
Thirty two albums into his career, and Bob Dylan still has people talking. Modern Times finds Dylan with precious little of his voice left, but with enough savvy to be able to use it to its maximum ability. It’s notable that the album entered the Billboard chart at number one, making the 65 year old Dylan the oldest person to do so. And it happened for good reason: Modern Times is a pretty great sounding album.
However, there are questions regarding the songwriting, all of which is credited to Dylan. He freely lifts lyrics and musical phrases from other songs…but the songs he takes from are old enough now to have become public domain. “Someday Baby” is clearly based on “Trouble no More”, an old song made famous by Lightmnin’ Hopkins, Muddy Waters, and The Allman Brothers Band.” The Levee’s Gonna Break” is clearly based on the old song Led Zeppelin made famous that has been in public domain since 2004. There are several other obvious examples, but Dylan broke no copyright laws in using the material. And, overall, Dylan comes out with a pretty cool album. It’s not Highway 61 Revisited or Blood On The Tracks, but it is a great example of latter day Bob Dylan.
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DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES
BIG BAM BOOM
1984-RCA
Produced By DARYL HALL, JOHN OATES & BOB CLEARMOUNTAIN
1. Dance On Your Knees
2. Out Of Touch
3. Method Of Modern Love
4. Bank On Your Love
5. Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid
6. Going Thru The Motions
7. Cold Dark And Yesterday
8. All American Girl
9. Possession Obsession
In the 1970s, Hall & Oates released 8 albums and scored with hits like “Sara Smile”, “She’s Gone” and “Rich Girl”. They went from folky duo to showcasing Hall’s powerful and soulful voice. And then came the 80’s. The release of the Voices album began a string of 6 years in which the duo ruled the airwaves. At the end of this fruitful period came Big Bam Boom. There are signs here that after having been at it since 1972, they were beginning to run out of steam. The production is darker and more covered in echo, and there is noticeably more filler than on previous efforts. There’s even a lead vocal from Oates (“Possession Obsession”). And after Big Bam Boom, the decline was swift.
There are, however, still glimpses of what made them so big. “Method Of Modern Love” and “Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid” are solid, pure Hall & Oates hits, and the album’s best song, “Out Of Touch”, is as good as anything they’d done in the previous ten years. Halls vocals are, as always, on top of the world, and the album is musically solid. It turns out that Big Bam Boom would mark the end of an era, and it’s not as good as its immediate predecessors. Still, a solid and interesting album.
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