My Favourite Songs - Part VIII

For weeks and weeks, I've had the same little bunch of songs pop into my head frequently, and I'm talking like more than a few times per day. It wasn't because I'd been listening to them a lot, so I guess there is just something special about these tunes that has locked them into my mind's playlist and freed them lately.

Edgar Winter Group rockin' out in the 70's

To begin with, Free Ride by Edgar Winter Group has been the foremost of the songs that repeatedly sneaks into my mental music playlist. I have no idea why. I haven't heard it anywhere in recent times, not on radio, on CD, records, streaming, anywhere. In fact, this wasn't a song I knew at all for many decades. But I'm pretty sure I heard it in some movie set in the 70's, probably quite a while ago. And the summer pop-rock perfection of the song really sank in and stuck. I hear a little Doobie Brothers and Eagles in there, plus something unique to Winter's sound. Those "ooo ooo's" are the cherry on top. The beautiful summery weather lately has put me in the mood for fun, happy music like this. And this led me to finally purchase my first Edgar Winter album - on vinyl - so I could enjoy this song and other classics any ol' time I want.

The Bitch is Back by Elton John goes way, way back for me. This appeared on one of the first records I bought as a young record collector, ol' Elton's (well, young then) Greatest Hits Volume II. That crazy slightly overdriven rhythm guitar, the punchy horn section, and Elton sneering those wacky, cool lyrics - decades later, I still love it. Super catchy melodies and a rich deep recording really give this a kick. The guitar tone is awesome, a fine polish on the tasty licks that give the song even more depth. I always have fond memories when I hear this old Elton classic.

Matte Kudasai by King Crimson has swirled around the edges of my mind ever since I first heard it back in the late 80's. I had the song on a CD compilation years ago, and more recently picked up the KC album Discipline, on which Matte Kudasai first appeared. I had a little trouble appreciating most Crimson music from day one, but have more recently come around. Yet... this particular song really resonated with me from first listen. A thing of beauty, this gentle pop ballad by a band known more for their prog-noise-rock. I could listen to this any time, regardless of my mood.

Girls Got Rhythm by AC/DC. That riff! These famous Aussie rockers were/are kings of the riff, and here's yet another banger that makes me wanna air guitar and holler along with dear Bon (RIP). That urgent, bluesy hard rock core sets off the headbanger in me every time. Definitely one of my fave AC/DC songs, energetic and raunchy and prepared to party. 

I Can See For Miles by The Who was a prototype for heavy metal if there ever was one. That big chugging guitar and bass sound, as simple as it is, lays down a devastating booming bottom end while Mr. Moon frantically bashes every drum and cymbal in his kit. Then on top of all that mayhem are the angelic vocal harmonies and smooth Daltrey verses. That contrast is significant in the success of the song. The energy, power, and excitement of Miles stands the test of time and still, to me, represents all that was and is great about The Who.

---

This is blog post #499... what on Earth will happen in the milestone next post ???

The Rock World Loses Another Legend - Alan White

Last week I learned that Alan White, drummer extraordinaire, passed away at age 72.  That made me pause because as a long-time Yes fan, I knew much of his work with the band. Yes has had many, many talented musicians within its ranks during its existence since 1968. Though White wasn't the only drummer to play with Yes, he did spend the most time behind the kit. He was the longest-remaining member in the band, never leaving, and playing right up until his death. During all of those decades, Yes was a revolving door of players, many leaving, returning, and so on. Yet ol' Alan kept on.

Alan White, during the classic Yes years of the 70s

Quite the storied career there, especially when you look at the other famed artists he worked with: John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band (playing live in concert and on most of the Imagine album), George Harrison, Joe Cocker, Gary Wright, Ginger Baker's Air Force, and The Ventures. That's just a sampling, since he performed on over 50 albums by various musicians.

I was inspired to listen to my favourite Yes song yesterday. Turn of the Century appeared on the Going For the One album (my fave Yes album, by the way) in 1977. I've always been fond of the gentle, emotional story and the lush, intimate instrumentation. Curiously, White barely plays on the track... and yet he co-wrote the song and played a large role in developing its vocal melodies and chord structure. Turn of the Century seems completely devoid of percussion until the latter portion of the song, where White plays mostly timpani, a type of kettledrum, more commonly used in orchestras. This choice of instrument adds to the building drama of the song. I feel like this is the most beautiful piece of music Yes ever composed. I always get a little misty while listening to it. And I never even knew until this past week that White played a major role in developing the track.

White was still active in the band 'til the end, appearing on their 2021 album The Quest. While his style of playing differed from that of original line-up drummer Bill Bruford, who came from a jazz background, his distinctive rock approach defined Yes's progressive sound. Such a loss to the music world. RIP, Mr. White.

--

This is blog post #498.... getting closer to the big 500!

New Additions to the Record Shelf

After a long spell with no new music (on physical format, that is), I got a couple of goodies in the mail this week. It's about bloody time.

More than a month ago, I pre-ordered the vinyl LP of Alex Lifeson's new project Envy of None. This arrived just in the nick of time. I was about to go bat-shit crazy, anxiously awaiting this cool new musical offering from the former Rush guitarist. It isn't just Alex's album, though, as he's got some very talented performers on board: Andy Curran, formerly of 80's hard rockers Coney Hatch; Maiah Wynne, a young singer extraordinaire; and guitarist Alfio Annibalini... plus a handful of other contributors on drums and strings.

Maiah Wynne, vocalist of Envy of None

The album title is sort of the name of the "project", this assemblage of musicians and their set of songs. In interviews, they often hesitate to say it is the band's name, as they may or may not consider themselves a band per se. A bit of mystery there. But fingers crossed that they DO write and record again, because I really, really like this collaboration. As the record's hype stickers reads: "...dark, cinematic alt-rock". It is indeed moody, atmospheric music that is suited to late night chillin' with the headphones on.

Lifeson's guitar seems to be barely present, with only one guitar solo I can remember on the whole disc. Yet in interviews, Alex reveals that he wanted to create an ethereal, atmospheric sonic wash of sounds, something he explored a bit in Rush's lighter, electronics-laden music of the 80's, only here the guitar is so processed that it is barely recognizable. And yet I love the feel of it all. The bass (by Curran) is mixed very up-front and it's easy to enjoy his proficient and melodic style, nothing flashy, yet perfectly aligned with the other elements. Maiah is an up-and-coming vocalist, with chops beyond her years, and I can't wait to hear more from her. 

Overall, Envy of None the album is a beautiful blend of alternative, experimental and alt-rock or even pop. Even though Liar and Look Inside were the advance singles (both great, I should add), it is the instant radio hit (in my opinion) Never Said I Love You that leaps to the fore. There isn't a dull song on here. It's a consistently great album from start to finish, and it works best when digested as a whole. Catchy hooks and wonderful melodic sense somehow strike a balance with the often dark and moody material, some of which borders on edgier styles like industrial. A sort of art-rock album. Love it.

My other recent mail order purchase was an imported Japanese CD copy of the 1989 Voivod album entitled Nothingface. It's rather hard to track down at a reasonable price, but I was happy to find this "deal". I put this album off far, far too long. I have owned a digital download for more than a few years, but never really warmed to it. Only one song grabbed me, and it first did so upon the album's initial release in '89 (when I saw the "new" music video on TV)... it was Astronomy Domine, a cover of the early Pink Floyd tune. Voivod metallized the track, modernizing it for those of us unfamiliar with the original version. I've always liked Astronomy, but the rest of Nothingface... meh. I put that down to the fact that Voivod had toned down their sound for this album, and it always felt kind of limp and soft compared to their earlier thrash classics, and even other metal of the day. But fast forward to 2022, and I find I'm digging it like never before. When I'm not in the mood for the band's noiser, more chaotic music, I can easily put on Nothingface and enjoy its lighter sounding, sci-fi themed progressive hard rock. I can now appreciate the album properly and understand how this won the band mainstream success, or at least a sort of boost in their exposure, as small as that would be for such a marginalized band and genre. With a cleaner guitar tone and a lack of wall of noise, guitarist Piggy conveys a different vibe from other Voivod albums. A more palatable, sort of jazzy feel emerges in his angular riffing and soloing and his out-there chord voicings. Drummer Away is easier to pick out of the mix, too, his fascinating drum patterns driving the music in new ways. The Nothingface album... also a winner.

So, something new and something old. There IS great music out there... you just have to dig a bit to find it. Rock out, music fans!

--

This is blog post #497... a milestone approaches!

The Director's Chair - Part III - Terence Young

It's been a long time since I last wrote about a favourite film director. Though I have a fair-sized list of faves, today it somehow felt like a no-brainer that I'd talk about Terence Young of James Bond fame. Young's contribution to the 007 franchise was no small feat. He was on board right from the start, at the helm for half of the fledgling series' seminal 1960's releases.

Terence Young, having a proper spot of tea on set, with a

couple of hack actors looking on

Young, of Irish descent, was born in Shanghai, China, then returned with his family to the UK, where he studied in London and Cambridge. He began movie screenwriting in the late 1930's. His first credit as a director was for Corridor of Mirrors (1948), which happened to be Christopher Lee's first film appearance. Young directed a variety of movies (none of which I've seen) throughout the 50's, and it was his 1962 adaptation of Ian Fleming's novel Dr. No that would make him a much sought after craftsman in the industry. 

Dr. No the film, while slightly altered from Fleming's 1958 story, presents relative newcomer Sean Connery as the true James Bond, as he should be on screen. Terence Young took the small budget allotted to the project and expertly spun it into a highly influential spy thriller. Unlike subsequent Bond movies, this one centred around a single exotic location, Jamaica. That saved the studio money on airfare. Dr. No introduced many elements that would become part of the Bond formula in the subsequent films: Bond first seen through the gun barrel in the intro, the stylized main title sequence, the theme music, and the overall visual style that would be retained throughout the series.

The casting of Connery was a stroke of genius, of course, but the faces of actors Ursula Andress, Jack Lord, and Bernard Lee ensured Dr. No would be a hit. Terence Young gave Connery a fatherly education in how to conduct himself in the Bond role, resulting in the cultivated, commanding, charismatic, sometimes brutal master agent that we all came to know and love.

Dr. No was a hit, so Young was offered the chair yet again for the follow-up From Russia With Love. This met with even greater success, especially considering the super tight schedule... it was rushed and released the next year, in '63. From Russia involved more air travel than Dr. No, shooting in Turkey, Scotland, Switzerland, Venice, Spain, and Pinewood Studios, resulting in production going over budget and schedule. Most of the crew from Dr. No returned for From Russia With Love. One notable addition was John Barry to compose the film's music. Barry remained on the 007 staff until 1987, scoring eleven of the films in the series. His work remains the gold standard in the history of the franchise, and in spy movies in general.

From Russia introduced even more key components to the world of cinematic James Bond: the pre-title sequence, the villainous character Blofeld, the gadget-master character Q as played by Desmond Llewelyn (who remained for all but one Bond movie until his death in 1999), fun yet deadly gadgets for Bond, a helicopter sequence, a theme song with lyrics, and more, more, more. Heaven for a Bond fan. Young co-ordinated this magical time of invention that would define the 007 adventures and those of imitators. The movie received awards from BAFTA and BSC for its cinematography, and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song.  

Young was offered the third Bond installment, Goldfinger, but he passed, opting to work on an historical comedy instead. He did return for the massive 1965 hit Thunderball, which even today stands as the second most financially successfull entry of the entire series. It won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. Though Thunderball was plagued by legal disputes, those were headaches reserved for the executives, not Young. He again engineered a hit, with most filming done in the Bahamas, and a bit in France. A variety of complex and dangerous stunts and effects gave the film a realism that was at times hair-raising for the actors and crew. As reward for their trials, the team (the film) received many award nominations, plus a couple of wins, including another Academy Award for Visual Effects.

During the rest of the 60's and into the 70's, Young directed mostly European films, scoring another hit with 1967 thriller Wait Until Dark, which impressed me. The long-time Bond production team offered Young the director postion again in the early 80's, but he declined. He continued directing until the late 80's, and passed away in '94.

It's clear I've seen precious few of Young's three dozen-plus movies, but his impact on the world of my beloved James Bond remains untouched. He brought an eye for detail, ingenuity, dedication, perseverence - all manner of directorial talents really, plus his screenwriting skills to his duties on the earliest James Bond classics.

--

For more discussion about my favourite directors, have a look at my introductory post here, then its follow-up posts at: The Director's Chair - Part I - Robert Wise, and The Director's Chair - Part II - Denis Villeneuve.

--

This is post #496... the big 500 is looming.

Songs I Hate By Bands I Love

Don't you hate it when a band you love creates a song that you just can't stand? It happens. Sometimes the musicians have an idea that they think is unique and cool and "Why not?". This can work sometimes, but there is always the potential for it to crash and burn. The worst is when you are enjoying an album by your favourite artist and smack dab in the middle of that glorious set of music is a song that makes you cringe. And you've just gotta skip that track - upon every listen, because it's so insufferable.

Really? Dave Mustaine makes a bad decision,

not for the first - or last - time.

For example, for me, The Beatles were and still are the primo rock-pop band of all time. I love a lot of their music and like pretty much the rest of it. But there's the odd song that brings a frown to my face. Why Don't We Do It in the Road? Why did you guys have to record such an awful tune? There are hardly any lyrics at all... just the song title repeated over and over and over, with a few other words thrown in for kicks. Sounds like an improvised goofball lark... which never should have made it onto any proper album. Droning, unimaginative, plodding piano and drums do nothing for me. The quiet out-of-tune-sounding guitar noodling in the background does nothing to help. I normally like McCartney's singing voice, from full-bodied crooning to powerful screams, but on this track, he just sounds like an angry drunk howling for change on a street corner. In my opinion.

The next song is Neurotica by Rush. This tune doesn't really stick out much within the context of the Presto album, since pretty much the whole record is so low-key and unimpressive. It's a shame, since there are cool little touches here and there. But this track is so completely forgettable that it barely registers at all when you listen to the album. Nothing special going on instrumentally, and Geddy sounds like he's dialing in his vocals, bored with the whole affair. Plus some awkward transitions, especially to the bridge section. And Alex's solo, while usually a spine-chilling foray, feels like a slap-dash effort just patched in at the last moment. It's bland beyond belief. Even Neil's lyrics are repetitive, inane, and uninteresting on any level. Ugh.

Van Halen must have completely lost their minds in a chemical haze when they thought it was a good idea to include a cover of a moldie oldie from 1924 called Big Bad Bill (Is Sweet William Now) on their Diver Down album. The album is, of course, packed with cover songs, but at least they're all rock or pop or something in between. But Big Bad Bill brings the album to a grinding halt in the midst a bunch of fun, up-tempo rockers, the preceding track being the crunchy melodic Little Guitars. It's old-timey music to its core, with light shuffle percussion, dad Van Halen on clarinet, and Dave doing his best vaudeville-style hammy vocals. Silly and maybe a little fun if you've got nothing better to do, but plunked into the middle of an album by the world's greatest rock band (at the time), this kills the mood. Not a terrible song by itself, but it doesn't belong here and I have to hate it for ruining the flow of an album that is pretty darned good despite its fractured conception.

Back when I gave punk music a passing interest, I sort of liked Anarchy in the U.K. by the kings of spit and safety pins, the Sex Pistols. But in the hands of the mighty Megadeth, it becomes a wet noodle... a true weak spot on the band's otherwise tech-thrash reputation. Even the obligatory addition of a metal guitar solo and some double bass fills can't save this poor attempt. How was this ever considered a good decision? Why cover such an already hackneyed song? Mega-Dave and Company injected no suitable energy or snarl (for which Dave is famous, too) into this cover, just dialing it in, I guess, as a last minute addition to meet the album length requirement. A head-scratcher, for sure.

Black Sabbath took some chances during their Ozzy years, and the Technical Ecstasy album drew divided opinions. I haven't even heard the album more than a few times in my life, but I was sort of turned off from first listen. I think I'm appreciating more and more of it as time passes, but the track She's Gone is a tune that feels completely out of place here. Tony plucks acoustic guitar over symphonic strings, while Ozzy emotes on this ballad that robs the album of energy. Five minutes of nothing special just to interrupt a set of blistering rockers. Bah!

--

Post # 495 - Countdown to 500!

Books I've Read So Far in 2022

As April winds down, I feel it's a good time to talk a bit about the books I've read so far this year. It hasn't been amazing reading, but I've knocked out a solid eight books, with one now in progress, and one that I got halfway through, then set aside.... and I'm not too sure if I'll get back to it.

Only two of the books (oh, and the unfinished one) were physical paper books, the rest of them e-books. I love the much lower prices (even free, through the library) of e-books, plus I don't have to load up my already crammed bookshelves any further.  

Live Magnetic Air: The Unlikely Saga of the Superlative Max Webster, by Martin Popoff - maybe not as much fun as I expected, but hey, it's the only biography in existence about this little known Canadian rock band of the 1970's. So I got a copy, signed by the author, and will treasure it despite the rambling approach of most of the book. It is very repetitive due to various bandmembers and others recounting the same events over and over, and it didn't read as though an editor had a hand in its construction. Still, nice to have the real story on one of my favourite bands.

Every City Is Every Other City, by John McFetridge - a lightweight little crime novel, not much unlike other detective stuff out there, but it's fun in its own way.

The Redemption of Time, by Baoshu - a fan-fiction novel that somehow got published. A follow-up to the exemplary Three-Body Problem trilogy by Cixin Liu, this has bits of interesting stuff, but ultimately, it was disappointing, even hard to finish.

A Drink Before the War, by Dennis Lehane - my first book by this famed author, and I enjoyed its approach to the private detective duo formula. While not amazing it is certainly a solid story with likable characters (except for the bad guys, of course). First of a series.

Darkness, Take My Hand, by Dennis Lehane - second in the Kenzie & Gennaro crime series (see above), this is again a better than competent investigative tale. Fits the bill for this cloak and dagger fan.

No Country For Old Men, by Cormack McCarthy - I saw the movie many years ago, and was suitably impressed. It was another stretch of time before I discovered the books of ol' Cormack, and even longer 'til I finally got around to the source novel for that creepy movie. His distinctive writing style and knack for building believable characters and settings sets him apart from others. The modern day western never looked so good... even when it's a bad situation.

Faceless Killers, by Henning Mankell - somehow, the Wallander police detective never fell under my radar all these years, but my recent discovery via the prequel TV series led me to the original novels. This 1991 story kicks off the whole world of police detective Kurt Wallander. Loved it... and I have book two on deck. Top notch stuff!

Gridlinked, by Neal Asher - sort of James Bond meets The Matrix. This should grab me, but it doesn't exactly. The extreme amount of sci-fi techno-babble bored me and after sporadic revisits after straying to other books, I gave up on this. I might return to it, but also might not. Could have been a more tightly written novel with emphasis on the action and maybe the characters, too, but it just drags and drags. On hold. Sigh.

Primary Target, by Jack Mars - I can see the appeal of the book's protagonist, though the writing leans toward pulp, kinda rough around the edges, and even slightly cringey at times. Not a master craftsman, the author at least has a decent story and a bit of a clue of how to tell it. It's about a special ops guy called into critical situations that set up high tension action scenes. Not terrible, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Salem's Lot, by Stephen King - though I've read many of King's books over the years, I never got to this, the second novel of his prolific career, until very recently. I'd forgotten just how good this guy was at characterization, storytelling, and just plain writing prose that's worthy of examination. Salem's Lot is a long haul (okay, I'm just over halfway right now), but it's well worth it. Lengthy sections of descriptive details are fascinating, even if they don't advance the story. You just live in that world. I have long been a fan of the TV mini-series (movie on DVD) so I knew I was getting into some eerie vampire stuff here. Cool so far.

The Moon Songs Cycle by Max Webster

 Alrighty... strap yourselves in, Max fans. Today I will talk about the series of moon-related songs that spanned the band's discography. Was it all planned or just an in-joke that wouldn't go away? Whatever the case, these four tunes all rock, and in that trademark wonky, proggy Max Webster way. Let's get started...

Max-tronauts appear calm moments before lift-off

First up is Coming Off the Moon, which appears on the debut self-titled album. Kim Mitchells's fuzzed-out guitar riff announces the track, with laser-light keyboards kicking in, and drums'n'bass propelling the song upward and onward. Bizarro lyrics and vocal harmonies counter the heavy-ish rock sound. Lots of cool and fun guitar licks take this beyond your standard bar band rock. The cryptic words are beyond my comprehension, and yet they perfectly fit the Max musical context. There is mention of "lady luck" and "sky father" and even "wedding bells", so maybe this is in reference to a marriage of some kind, perhaps not of matrimony but of the union of the moon, the skies, and Earth, or some such thing. Your guess is as good as mine. Anyway, a tidy and rockin' tune which is always a pleasure to hear.

Next song please.... In Context of the Moon, from the follow-up album High Class in Borrowed Shoes. This is the quintessential Max album, containing many of the band's best-loved songs. They had worked out the few kinks that might have existed on their first platter, and here we get the songwriting, performance, and production quality all ratcheted up a notch or two. The title track, plus Gravity, Diamonds Diamonds, Oh War!... not to mention the "filler" (no, it ain't filler at all), they all add up to a near-perfect album. In Context of the Moon is no exception. The drumming stands out here, with new guy Mr. McCracken adding urgent creativity to the band's already souped up keys and geetar sound. A chunky riff defines the structure of the song, while keys provide atmosphere and added melody to the proceedings. Wicked guitar solos (yes, more than one!) soar into the stratosphere. The progressive nature of Max emerges strong, with softer passages expertly merged with the heavier components. Lyrics are typically strange, but perhaps there's a romantic angle there, telling a girl she's out of this world. Or maybe it's all just trippy rambling, which may very well have been the case. Puffin'....

Now on to Beyond the Moon, which appears on Max's third album, Mutiny Up My Sleeve. This one approaches epic proportions in its 6:31 runtime, with a suitably progressive bent right out of the gate. Lyrics are weirder than ever, but they're beautiful in their cosmic madness. I think there may be meaning behind the freaked-out words, but I'll be damned if I can figure it out. Just laff and enjoy the ride. The music ranges from soft and ethereal to powerful, searing and heavy, and everything in between. Tempos are all over the place, too. I guess Max thanked label-mates Rush for the influence there. Or Mr. Zappa. Whatever. Musically, this is an experiential journey replete with strung-out solos galore. Whew... I don't think Kim wailed so hard before or after this tune (or album) - ever. A singular occurrence is the fade-out ending that, if you turn up the volume LOUD, reveals the song actually reaching a concluding note. Into the void...

Finally, there is the lyric-less Moon Voices off the A Million Vacations album. Synth-heavy with guitars relegated to supporting role, this, too, is a night flight off-world expedition. Keyboardist Terry Watkinson truly shines on the track, injecting spacey effects into his electro-synthetic mix of melody and broad sound washes. Wordless choral sections build and soar, fueling the mission into the heavens. The song is an instrumental story, effectively shifting from mood to mood, as it jettisons stages to lighten the interspatial payload. Moon Voices is the most compact of the moon song quartet at barely over three minutes. A glorious conclusion.

Houston... we have achieved lunar landing.

Albums I'm Supposed to Like... But I Don't

Some folks think their favourite albums, especially those considered "classics", should appeal to everyone else. Well, I've got news for you, not everyone likes the same stuff, whether it be music, movies, books, food, whatever. And I'm not one of those people who decides I don't like something without ever having checked it out first, basing my decision only on other people's (possibly) more informed opinions. I know for a fact that the albums I'll list below are held in high esteem by the majority of music listeners. Yet even after forcing myself to give repeated listens to these, I simply could not get into them. Or maybe an initial "sort of" liking due to the enthusiasm of a friend will fade rather quickly and I'll realize I don't much like it after all. It happens.

You'd think The Eagles' Desperado album would be super cool judging by the cover photo.

But no. Not for me.

Aja, by Steely Dan: yeah, people rave about it, but I find it so uninteresting compared to the much more varied and fun tunes of the Dan's earlier albums. These songs are so samey, plodding, and sterile. Great musicianship and super slick production don't save these dull compositions for me. Smooth "rock' at its most sleep-inducing, with the exception of Deacon Blues and Peg. Oh well.

Desperado, by The Eagles: this Old West outlaw concept album seemed like a good idea at first glance, but the endless country (and bluegrass?) noodling lost me pretty darned quick. I can enjoy some country rock, but there ain't much (any?) rock here. The title track and Tequila Sunrise are about all I can stomach. Too bad, 'cuz I do like an awful lot of Eagles music elsewhere.

And Justice For All, by Metallica: ugh. Yes, there have been its detractors from day one based on the sound engineering alone. Zero bottom end, no bass, tinny drums, et cetera. But on top of that (and even on the newer bass-enhanced versions), I have trouble with the songs themselves. Something seriously changed in their approach after the epic metal masterpiece Master of Puppets. The drumming is so pared down and uninspired... that huge kit, and this is all Lars will give us? Guitars are reduced to the leanest parts possible. Their songwriting went in a direction where I just could not follow. At least on the next (Black) album, they punched up the tuneship and fattened the sound.

Fear of Music, by Talking Heads: okay, I've always loved their big hits, including Life During Wartime, which appears here. Buuuut... this other stuff, well, it's kinda beyond me. More out there (weird) than I can appreciate. I mean, it took me decades to enjoy some 80's King Crimson, and that's similar to this. When it comes to Byrne and Co., I want more straight-up (a little wonky is okay) pop. Much of this is not that, with the very odd exception, like Paper. Otherwise, it sounds very samey from track to track, with slightly different tempos, but unchanging guitar twanging and plump-plump bass. Other than Wartime, I can live without this. Too bad.

Houses of the Holy, by Led Dirigible: sacriligious to say this, I know, but I cannot enjoy Houses. I guess I did somewhat for a while way back in the late 70's-early 80's when there wasn't much else to compare to Zeppelin. But today (I tried it twice recently) I can't get past Plant's Smurf squeals. The Rain Song is interminable, The Crunge just plain painful. The Song Remains and Over the Hills and The Crunge are cool enough instrumentally, but I have seriously soured on Plant's vocal delivery. Hey, I grew up on this stuff, so it is hard to explain what happened. Just no longer my cup o' tea. 

Triumph - Rock and Roll Machine Documentary

 A little while back, I caught the Triumph documentary Rock and Roll Machine on one of my streaming services. Only weeks later, it appeared on network TV. As soon as I learned about the doc, I was keen to see it ASAP. And I'll tell you why...

Triumph was one of my absolute favourite bands back in the late 70's and early 80's, right after the kings of Canada, Rush, and possibly vying for position with Van Halen and The Police. A friend turned me on to their music, and hearing some of their tunes on rock radio reinforced my interest. When in late 1980, it was announced that Triumph would play a show on the coming New Year's Eve in the big city nearest me, my pal and I made a point of being there. It was a game-changer. My first true concert experience... in a large venue (does the Beatlemania show I saw earlier count?). So my best friend and I reserved our tickets for that evening down the road, and counted the days 'til the big event. More on that here and over here.

Long story short, I was blown away by the big venue experience. Triumph had one of the most impressive high-tech stage shows at the time, with flashpots, explosions, fog effects, and a massive lighting array which included lasers. I was hooked on the whole rock concert thing and this set me off on a long journey into the world of music, attending gigs both small and large.

At one time, I had all of their albums on cassette tape, and then on CD, but as the years wore on, I lost most interest in them (on to heavier pastures with Metallica and Megadeth) and cast off a bunch of my Triumph albums to make room for newer stuff. I do still own a couple of their albums, one on CD (Rock and Roll Machine) and one on vinyl (Just a Game). Good enough.

Fun fact: my ex-wife's uncle, who lived in the Toronto area during Triumph's early days, hung out with the band and even served as their roadie for a time. Before they hit the big-time with arena shows, that is.

Back to the documentary: it gives us a fun and informative overview of Triumph's career, their rise to fame, their unfortunate decline, and slight shuffling of personnel in order to carry on until they packed it in in 1993. A few reunion shows came about in the subsequent decades. Tons of concert and interview footage is fascinating and revealing - and often funny, and I once again felt like a super-fan. After about the mid-80's, after seeing them on their Thunder Seven tour, I sort of forgot about them, or at least stopped following their progress or buying their new releases. I did continue to listen to their earlier work, though they just didn't hold my attention much longer. But this documentary piqued my interest given my nostalgic feelings for the band and their music. And that milestone first concert experience.

So.... if you are a Canadian rock fan of a certain age (or any age, I say), I highly recommend this doc to immerse you in a wave of great nostalgic hard rock, Canuck style. Rock out, roll on...

In the Listening Room

I haven't found much time for proper music listening lately. I might pop on a CD while I cook dinner or something, but to actually sit down and pay attention to what I'm listening to, well, that hasn't happened much in a while. But I'm working at carving out an hour or two on weekends to spin some of my records. Those things I've been working at collecting for the past four years.

A young suave Roy Orbison, shades intact, pluckin' his geetar

This weekend has been pretty good for tunes. I dusted off a couple of records that were given to me about a year ago. They were in a stack of albums, most of which were of great interest. I cleaned up and dedicated some time to those immediately cool ones, but set aside a couple that I was doubtful about. But lo and behold... that old, very rough around the edges copy of The Roy Orbison Collection (on Jukebox Records) plays very nicely and introduced me to some great music. Of course, I knew the biggies on there, like Crying, Oh Pretty Woman, and Only the Lonely, but all those unknowns impressed me, too. My knowledge of Roy's history is pretty much non-existent, but I sort of gather that he was operating in the same era as Elvis on the rock'n'roll timeline, right? And I can hear parallels in Orbison's music. The production, the arrangements, the strings and vocal accompaniments... not unlike Elvis' material. Great songwriting that stands the test of time.

Then I had a hankering for some Styx on vinyl, so I chose Cornerstone (1979), a really strong set of songs that range from the ballad Babe to sleek pop-rocker Lights to the folk-rock of Boat on the River. This was Styx's first Top 5 album in the States, thanks mainly to Babe, which went to #1 on Billboard and was everywhere during my early high school days. It's glossy ear-candy for rockers, and even though I wasn't really a fan back then, I can appreciate it a lot now. Great musicianship and songwriting... stuff that holds up amazingly well today.

I also popped my vinyl copy of the new Voivod album, Synchro Anarchy, on the turntable. While this isn't bowling me over immediately the way their previous recording (The Wake) did, repeated listenings reveal fascinating aspects of the band's creativity. Voivod have morphed themselves several times during their career, from the punk thrash of the first two albums to the technical sci-fi metal of the late 80's, on to stripped down progressive, then a lighter almost radio-friendly sound, then veering back toward their heavier prog-thrash style. The Wake was a true return to form, in my opinion, and Synchro sort of branches off from that, with not quite as big a sound, but amping up the complexity. Loads of apocalyptic sci-fi lyrical meanderings, most of which I can't make head nor tale out of, yet it's engaging and somehow works. That's what Voivod succeeds at.... making their brand of chaos seem perfectly natural. It's not for everyone, but I dig it.

I have Elvis' first album (1956) playing on Youtube as I write this. I'm giving it a couple of test listens to see if this is something I'd like to add to my record collection. While I do enjoy that early roots rock'n'roll vibe and sound, there aren't enough songs that really grab me. Blue Suede Shoes is a given, with a handful of other neat ones. For now, I'll stick with my three vinyl compilations and about five more on CD. At least there's a lot of coverage of his hits plus some slightly lesser known tracks. All timeless classics that I never tire of. All hail The King.

Songs About Sickness... Music For What Ails You

Not to be morbid here, but a while back, after a little bout with the virus that's been floating around the planet, I got to thinking about songs about illness or anything related, like doctors, medication, and so on. So just for "fun", off the top of my head, I came up with a bunch of ill tunes. Yup, sick of it all.

Some of the songs are not specifically about physical illness, but are related to the seemingly feverish state of love, or of other things that fog the brain and weaken the body. So here's my modest list of sick songs... take two and call me in the morning:

Love is the Drug, Roxy Music

Catscratch Fever, Ted Nugent

Boogie Fever, The Sylvers

Saturday Night Fever & Stayin' Alive, BeeGees

Sick as a Dog, Aerosmith

Fever & Burning Up, Kylie Minogue

Bad Medicine, Bon Jovi

Calling Doctor Love, Kiss

Somebody Get Me a Doctor, Van Halen

Hot Blooded, Foreigner

Sick Again, Led Zeppelin

Fever, Peggy Lee

Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor Doctor), Robert Palmer

Medication, Garbage

Lithium, Nirvana

Industrial Disease, Dire Straits

Spreading the Disease, Queensryche

I Want a New Drug, Huey Lewis & the News

Dr. Feelgood, Motley Crue

Poison Was the Cure, Megadeth

Get well soon!

New Addition to the Record Shelf AND Is Cheap Trick Cool Again?

So here's a funny co-incidence:

A couple of weeks ago I bought a nice gently used 70's issue of Cheap Trick's live At Budokan album on vinyl. The very next week, I learned of the announcement that the band would be coming to my city in the fall. Unfortunately, they are only playing support act to... Rod Stewart?! Nah, I'll give it a pass. I was never a Rod fan, and he is WELL past his prime. Plus the steep ticket prices scare me off what would be a very short Cheap Trick set, probably less than an hour. What a weird pairing, though, eh?

As for that record, it's in really nice condition and plays like it's brand new. It's the only live album I know I'll listen to (not a live recording fan normally), so it was worth grabbing to complete my early-era Trick vinyl collection. A very reasonable price, too. In a live context, the band really heavies up classics like Look Out, Come On Come On, Surrender, and I Want You To Want Me, and I love the CT hard rock treatment of Ain't That a Shame... its extended intro with guitar and drum solos stands alone in history for me. I also have a thing for the dark and heavy vibe of Need Your Love, which would arrive a bit later on the Dream Police studio album.

After spinning and thoroughly enjoying that LP, I remembered that I had two other versions of the album on CD (not to mention another vinyl copy, which is unplayable). The first is At Budokan: The Complete Concert, which includes an assembly of all 19 songs played at two Japan shows. The other edition is Cheap Trick - Budokan!, a 30th Anniversary release. This package is bursting with previously-unreleased material, including a CD of the same setlist on the Complete Concert, bonus tracks from other live performances, and a DVD of 15 songs that were filmed live at those shows for Japanese TV. That live video was what prompted me to jump on that purchase. Live vintage 70's Trick!

It can be a bit confusing with this mangled history of the album. Apparently the original At Budokan was actually an edited down compilation of songs pulled from two different concerts. The Complete Concert contains one version of every song they played at those shows, where setlists varied slightly. Then the live video was a selection of those songs. Whew.

Now...

Something has struck me lately, and it is that Cheap Trick, 1970's rock superstars, have never completely left the public consciousness. They reached their peak in the late 70's with their live At Budokan and studio Dream Police albums. After that, there was sporadic success with hit singles (like The Flame in '88), but they weren't on the tip of everyone's tongue any longer. And even though I was a huge fan up until Dream Police or maybe even All Shook Up (1980), I lost interest in following the band any longer. I was moving on to heavier, proggier music while keeping the classic-era Rick and Company music close to my heart.

Cheap Trick never stopped touring and recording, though. They have, according to Wikipedia, played more than 5,000 concerts, released over 20 albums, and sold more than 20 million units  over the course of their career. And still going.

It's interesting though how I've noticed a nod to this seminal "cult" band in a couple of movies and a TV show I saw recently. I'm certain there are many more references to the Trick in film (Top Gun, Heavy Metal, and so on), but just within the past couple of weeks, I noted some neat ones. I watched, for the first time, 10 Things I Hate About You, a 1999 teen comedy which is okay but nothing to write home about. The final scene and credits were backed by a cover version of I Want You To Want Me by indie band Letters To Cleo (never heard of them before). We actually see the band playing the song high up on a rooftop. Cool to see this, with a decent instrumental interpretation, though the vocals were kind of touch-and-go.

Then in episode 8 of the 2020 TV series High Fidelity (cancelled, sadly), we are treated to that exact same song - I Want You To Want Me, as part of the soundtrack, as played by Cheap Trick. And then there's the Simon character in the show, who is frequently wearing the same Trick T-shirt. A pretty good re-interpretation of the story (the book and the original movie adaptation).

Another recent Cheap Trick sighting was in the 2009 movie Bandslam, a pleasantly fun teen music flick. That same song, a popular one of course, shows up in an early scene. The kid who shows up to hear the teen band play for the first time gets to hear a super rough version of the tune. The girl has a pretty good singing voice but it doesn't really suit the song all that well. And sloppy guitar. Still, neat seeing this modern-day nod to one of my favourite all-time bands.

Though my affection for the band is rooted far in the past, a warm nostalgic feeling sweeps over me when I see acknowledgement of Rick and boys. Well.... back to Budokan.

--

For more on Cheap Trick, check these posts:

Cheap Trickery

Cheap Trick Hits #1 in U.S. - 1988

The Radio in My Head

It's funny, isn't it, how we music fans not only get songs stuck in our heads, but are able to internally conjure up a whole rack of tunes to see us through long mundane tasks or just a boring break in the day. I experience this now and then (not often enough, really), and it seems to happen when I most need it, like on a Friday, as my work week is winding down.

I am able to recall every note and nuance of songs that I know well and replay them in my head. Notice that I said "songs that I know well", meaning I can't recall an entire song after just one or two listens. It is through repeated listenings of a song that I absorb and retain all the fine details and can replay them in my mind. As though I'm hearing the songs, but not with my ears. Might sound weird or unbelievable to some people, but there it is. And I remember the music with this clarity years, even decades later.

I wish I had the ability to let that internal recording become external through my fingers as I play guitar, but if this is all I've got, I'll gladly take it. I did a tiny bit of research on this phenomenon and apparently not everyone has this ability. I can play an entire song, start to finish, in my head and it's even in the right key (or pretty darn close, I'd say). Even if I'm hazy on the lyrics, which I often am, the vocal sounds are still there, and in the right key (or really close, again). I may be kind of crappy at recalling written information, but I have a knack for remembering music vividly. Sadly, there is no use for this internal "talent", so it's not like I can profit from it in any way.

A quick Google search revealed a few different terms for this ability, though some of them may not apply. They are: Phonographic Memory (I think this applies to me), Audiographic Memory, Echoic Memory (though this is short-term memory), and Eidetic Memory (also short-term). 

The reason I believe Phonographic Memory is the one is that I can still remember songs I listened to on records when I was young... and my recollection includes the occasional skip that occurred on those records. Isn't that crazy? Well, according to the researchers who wrote the articles I read about this, it isn't pathological, but is normal, if rather uncommon. Here's a link to one article: Phonographic Memory

Anyway, last Friday at work, beginning early in the morning, I found that a string of great old rock and metal songs flowed effortlessly in my mind. The day sure passes quickly when my personal internal radio station is playing, not disturbing anyone else, motivating and propelling me toward the end of my work shift.

This little playlist didn't last all day long, but along with some similar tunes on my phone during lunch and coffee breaks, it sure helped keep my mood up. At times, I had to focus more on work so the music went on Pause mode. So there were lulls in the entertainment department.

Oh, and strangely, the very first song, Sister Christian, by Night Ranger, kept playing over and over in an endless loop for far too long. A cool and catchy tune to be sure, but it began to drive me crazy after a while. That's when I forcibly cleared my mind and allowed another song, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap by AC/DC, to take over. Then that one flowed easily into Photograph, by Def Leppard. And so on. It truly felt like a 70's and 80's set of music programmed for a radio station tailored precisely to my tastes. Pure nostalgia.

Here are the tunes I enjoyed inside my head last Friday:

Sister Christian, by Night Ranger

Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, AC/DC

Photograph, Def Leppard

Ain't That a Shame, Cheap Trick

Bastille Day, Rush

Night Train, Guns'n'Roses

Hot For Teacher, Van Halen

Love Me Like a Reptile, Motorhead

Symptom of the Universe, Black Sabbath

Big City Nights, Scorpions

Lay It Down, Ratt

Ain't No Stranger, Whitesnake

Live Wire, Motley Crue

Books and Bookstores in Movies

 I love books. And I love movies. I especially love movies that feature books and/or bookstores. There is something wonderful about seeing shops packed top to bottom with glorious books, old and new... but especially old. A sense of history breathes life into an old hardbound, even handbound, book - perhaps with a hint of the ornate on the spine and maybe the cover. Even musty, worn paperbacks hold an appeal for me. I own softcover books in both fine and shabby shape that date back as far as the 1950's. I have some even older hardcovers.

Johnny Depp in The Ninth Gate, a creepy film about a dealer of rare books

I've seen a fair number of films in this neat little genre, though I know I need to check out at least a few notables that I've missed. What got me to thinking about even writing about this topic is my recent viewing (first time!) of the charming 84 Charing Cross Road, starring Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins. I've always been aware of this 80's movie but put it off as boring grown-up stuff. Now that I'm a boring grown-up, I thought it was time to give this a chance. I loved it! I never even knew the story (based on real life) was about a bookshop. Bancroft is a New York writer who in her search for rare old books, locates a London, England bookseller, Hopkins, who can fulfill her requests through mail order. Their long-distance relationship by mail continues for twenty years. Charing Cross gave me the warm fuzzies, just the perfect love letter to the world of books.

One of my favourite "book movies" is The Ninth Gate, a suspenseful horror thriller starring Johnny Depp as a rare book dealer. He turns detective in his search for a rare and ancient book that is said to have the power to summon the Devil. A genre mash-up made in heaven for me. The Ninth Gate is based on the novel The Club Dumas, which I enjoy a lot, too, though there are differences between the literary source and its film adaptation. I gravitate toward the movie (though some feel it's inferior), mainly because of its neo-noir atmosphere, cinematic depiction of mysterious and supernatural events, and fascinating characters realized by a strong cast. I've watched Ninth Gate innumerable times since it's theatrical release in 1999.

A more recent amazing find is The Bookshop, a 2017 drama about a widow who opens a store in a small English coastal town. Actor Emily Mortimer is perfect as the mousy yet strong-willed shop owner who battles with influential townsfolk who wish to shut down her business. Bill Nighy is a likable wealthy and bookish recluse who slowly warms to the new bookseller. It's a quiet and gently humourous film that I immediately loved, and even tracked down an import copy on Blu Ray to enjoy again and again. This has become my favourite book movie.

Far from an exhaustive list, here are some other book movies I've enjoyed over the years:

Hugo - a mesmerizing fantasy tale that checks all the boxes for me. It's about movies, really, but involves books and the history of both enough that I'm a fan. A visual feast.

Before Sunset - part two in a film trilogy about writer Jesse and Celine, who first met randomly in Europe and instantly connected. They shared mere hours together, yet they promised to meet up again. This is their next brief meeting, years later, where they reconnect and share much about their lives apart. An intimate and fascinating character study.

The Name of the Rose - an historical mystery surrounding the murders of Franciscan monks, each death resembling those depicted in ancient texts. I read the book and saw the movie decades ago, so I recall almost nothing about the story, but I do recall enjoying it.

The Ghost Writer

Adaptation

The Book Thief

Manhattan

Young Adult

You've Got Mail

When Harry Met Sally

The Last Bookshop (a short film which can be found on Youtube)

Dan in Real Life

So, read books and watch movies about books. G'day!

The Future of James Bond? SPOILERS

Be warned, dear Reader, for today I will drop a few spoilers from the latest James Bond film, No Time To Die. So if you haven't seen it yet and intend to, then I suggest you stop reading here.

Now on to business. 

The big bombshell (heh) of Bond's death at the end of No Time leaves no doubt in our minds that this is the end of actor Daniel Craig in the role of 007. I believe the demise of the character was part of the deal to bring the reluctant Craig back for one more "romp". It's been a long time since there's been an actor shift in the Bond role. Casino Royale was Craig's debut as the super-spy, and that was released in 2006. Sixteen long years... not that very many Bond movies came our way during that time; long lapses in between some of the films really stretched things out for poor little rich boy Daniel. The latest, No Time To Die, is the fifth and final of the Craig-era movies.

Naomie Harris as Miss Moneypenny in the Craig-era Bond films

Who will take over the starring role? I know that a handful of actors' names have been floating around the rumour mill for at least a few years, but as talented and charismatic as these guys are, there are logistical problems with them... for me. For example: Idris Elba, would be great, but he's nearly age 50 - that's fine now, but how many movies would we get out of him... a few, tops? Same age issue with Tom Hardy, though he looks capable right now. But when an actor nears 60, things become problematic in the highly physical role. We need someone maybe in their early-to-mid 40's, at the oldest. And perhaps mid-30's at the youngest. Bond is supposed to be a seasoned field agent, with some serious missions under his belt, not to mention a prior career in the navy. So a new actor must at least look old enough to have those experiences on his resume and yet be young enough to be able to manage four, five, maybe even six movies as 007.

Henry Cavill could be a good candidate for the 007 role, even age-wise at just under 40. I didn't even know he was British until this moment, and thought his assumed American blood would be dead wrong for the part. So there's a maybe. But... he's very famous, and when I see his face, I think Superman. Hm.

Irish actor Cillian Murphy, who I know from the series Peaky Blinders, might fit the bill, too. Tom Hiddleston, of the BBC series The Night Manager, also has solid cred. Even Richard Madden, of the show, Bodyguard, could wear the tux and holster. There are others on the various prospective lists out there, but either I don't know anything about them or even care. I feel that a lesser known actor would be the best choice for 007 going forward. Easier for him to be accepted as Bond and not have audiences picturing him as a previous character. Some of the above-mentioned actors could do that without much problem.

But I find it even more interesting to ponder the future of the secondary characters in this long-running franchise. There's only a small core group of recurring characters, some of whom only show up from time to time, while others appear in just about every film. Bond's boss, M, is a constant, as are M's secretary Miss Moneypenny and Q, head of MI6's gadget research and development. James' CIA counterpart and old friend Felix Leiter appeared in a number of the earlier movies and was brought back in the Craig era. Evil villain Blofeld was also resurrected for the modern films after a long hiatus from the franchise.

As those who saw No Time To Die know, both Leiter and Blofeld met their demise. So whatever happens next, whether a clean reboot or a "continuation" of sorts, neither of those actors can appear again. I mean, they're not superhuman. And neither is Bond (but close). It only makes sense then that new actors are used in whatever revamped world of 007 we see next.

I thought that the casting of supporting actors during the Craig era of Bond films was great. Judy Dench convincingly carried on as M from her stint in the Pierce Brosnan movies. The veteran thespian brought the goods as a tough yet motherly head of MI6, and she gracefully passed the torch to another fine actor, Ralph Fiennes. I have a problem with losing Fiennes as M so soon; I think he is excellent in the part and 'ought to continue. He's a likable and more than capable version of M. As for a replacement, I haven't given it any thought, and don't really care to. There are a lot of elder actors who would be suitable for the role.

Same goes for Q, ever the lovable gadget-master of the series. The cranky old version of Q in Desmond Llewelyn managed to charm audiences for nearly four full decades, suffering the parade of Bond actors who came and went. I grew to enjoy the quirky fun that even his successor, relative youngster Ben Whishaw, brought to the role. Again, since he's appeared precious few times in the Bond films, why not keep him on? I like Whishaw's take on the Q character, with his modern lifestyle and youthful nerdy-tech tendencies.

While the Miss Moneypenny character plays a very minor role in the film series, she feels like part of the Bond family, and so it seems like a piece of the puzzle is missing when she doesn't make even a tiny appearance. She has been a constant  in the world of 007, exchanging teasing affection and repartee with Bond. Her mocking displays of a schoolgirl crush on James are endearing, especially when we glimpse her strong feelings for him.

Moneypenny has been portrayed by only a few actors in the nearly sixty years of cinematic Bond, mostly thanks to Lois Maxwell, who kept MI6 offices running smoothly for over twenty years (14 films!). After Maxwell, someone different came on board with each subsequent Bond actor. The Craig-era Moneypenny was played by the cool, fun, and lovely Naomie Harris. I'd like to see Harris remain in the role, for we have only just gotten to know her a little in her few stints in the Bond movies. Let's keep her on board.

And last but not least, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, super villain. Most of his appearances were in the earliest films, during the 60's, though we were teased along by his return to the last two films. And I, for one, was let down. Actor Christoph Waltz was underused in the role in these franchise entries. He wasn't given much to work with, and despite Waltz's strong talent elsewhere, he could not make this new world Blofeld convincing. Sort of a limp noodle portrayal, underwhelming, and barely a hint of the sinister, maniacal master criminal we came to know in early iterations. I blame the directing and writing departments most. His dialogue and even his hidden lair seemed slap-dash. Waltz's delivery and manner injected nothing of substance, either. Maybe if he had lived (not died in No Time), his character might have become more colourful and demented. But nope, Waltz is gone. Now, if the producers care to bring Blofeld back, they must rustle up some new talent... and hopefully a more engaging version of the character.

I was extremely nervous about Daniel Craig when he first took the 007 mantle, but despite his very non-Bond look as far as I was concerned, he gradually grew into the role, and bothered me far less. Some great movies, to be sure, but he never completely satisfied me as a fan of 007. I am just as anxious about the studio's next choice for Bond. Not at all happy with No Time To Die's last act, I hope the franchise can find its feet again and pull disappointed long-time fans back in with a good fresh cast and solid stories that'll throw off the silly notion that family and parenthood belong in a Bond film. Nope. I want escapist, dangerous spy thrillers that take me away from ordinary real world drudgery.

New Additions to the Record Shelf

This past week, I received some records in the mail. I've been going stir-crazy lately, what with my unpleasant mood due to pandemic insanity, the extreme cold and cabin fever here in my neck of Canada, and general stress of this time of year. Let's get to spring and summer, all right?! Anyway, hopefully a bit of new music will get me through.

80's era King Crimson - musical masters

I had ordered the first record online over a month ago, and it finally arrived... after an economy mail trip (by seagull?) across the Atlantic from the UK. But well worth the wait. This was the album Lucifer II, by the Swedish-German band Lucifer. It was released a few years ago, but since this is a smaller musical act, vinyl pressings were somewhat limited, so I had to hunt down a German import. Anyway, the very cool 70's-styled hard rock/near metal sound is impressive. There are obvious nods to their influences, but Lucifer is carving out their own niche based on the downer-doom vibes of early Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, and Danzig, among others. It's riff-y and sometimes downright catchy, though the dark, oppressive, sludgy tempos dominate. Frontwoman Johanna Sadonis formed the band in Germany after the dissolution of former group The Oath (with whom I've been familiar for several years). Sadonis possesses a vocal quality that isn't exactly powerful (to my ears) but it is entrancing, quite suitable for the cryptic lyrics and doomy instrumentation. I'm still busily absorbing the songs on Lucifer II, and haven't formed thoughts on favourite tracks yet, though opener California Sun made an immediate impression.

Next up is something I really should have owned long, long ago: Discipline, by King Crimson. In the late 80's, on a trip to England, I bought a CD compilation of Crimson's music, never having heard more than maybe one tune on the radio years before. But as a young man getting serious about progressive rock, this seemed the correct thing to do. I didn't entirely warm to the music, though. A small handful of tracks worked nicely for me, and I never bothered with the rest of them. Years passed, and since I never revisited the album, I sold off the CD. Fast forward a couple of decades -  to a couple of weeks ago, and I found myself investigating the music of classic-era King Crimson on Youtube. I wasn't wild about their 70's output (what little I tried) but found I was drawn to some of their 80's music, which just happened to be the handful of tunes I remembered from that old CD. After some homework online, I learned that one particular album was comprised of nearly all those tracks I had enjoyed so long ago. And that album was... and is... Discipline.

Apparently Crimson changed up their personnel and sound often during their long career. The 80's saw a melding of their established prog-rock with the experimental styles and technology of that time. It was this material that resonated most with me, and it holds up today. I found a vintage copy of Discipline on vinyl LP on Discogs, my preferred online source for record shopping. Very gently used, this album sounds terrific, both in its near-perfect preserved sound quality and in its boundary-bashing musical content. I'm a fan. Of this album. I admit - again - that it hasn't been easy learning to love Crimson. But having exposed myself to many forms of extreme and weird music over the years, I feel like I am now much more open to KC's avant-garde style. The entire album is primo, though standout tracks are: Frame By Frame, Matte Kudasai, Thela Hun Gingeet, Elephant Talk, and The Sheltering Sky. Each song is brilliant in its own unique and weird way. The least weird of the bunch is Matte Kudasai, one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard. A sort of sad, maybe bittersweet, ballad both lyrically and instrumentally. I've long known the names of all the musicians in this 80's incarnation of the band, but to finally hear them all doing their respective insanely talented thing here kinda blows my mind. Fripp on guitar... wow, Levin on bass... whew, Bruford on percussion... yikes, Belew on vocals... my, my. 

Yes, a very happy addition to my collection, and certainly one of the best albums on my vinyl shelves. I highly recommend Discipline. Now off to discover another Crimson album...

---

P.S. I actually saw two members of King Crimson perform live many moons ago. In the mid-1980's, I saw Bill Bruford drumming in a jazz duo with pianist Patrick Moraz (who I knew of from his brief residency with prog-rock act Yes) in a Toronto nightclub. Then in the late 80's, I saw Tony Levin on bass with the Anderson-Bruford-Wakeman-Howe reunion concert in Ottawa. A highly memorable show.

Copycat Bands?

I am right now listening to Long Cool Woman by The Hollies. Um, anyone else out there hear the similarity to Creedence Clearwater Revival? The song was released in 1971, right near the end of CCR's career. I'm not all that familiar with The Hollies' recorded catalogue, so I can't say if they did this CCR thing very much, but I think it's undeniable that Long Cool Woman has a distinctly Creedence sound, from vocals to the sound of the instruments.

Aussie retro-rock band Wolfmother stomps like a new Zep-AC.DC hybrid

I was led to this song (which I'd heard before, but never made that connection) by a bit of online discussion about "copycat" bands. And what brought me to even look that up was something that happened recently. I suggested to a co-worker that he try out the modern band Cats in Space, who successfully wrap together a variety of classic rock band sounds (Styx, Journey, Boston, etc). While he appreciated the musicianship, he used a car analogy to describe his feelings about Cats: "why drive a Civic when you can drive a Rolls Royce?" While not an entirely effective analogy, I got what he was talking about. I do like Cats, mainly because they have a familiar sound that makes me feel warm and fuzzy, a nostalgic nod to those that did it best. And they do it well. There are hints of other artists in there, too, though less obviously... a little bit of Beatles, maybe a touch of Rush here and there, among others.

Then later on, I thought about bands that have done this before, either directly mimicking someone else or perhaps less aggressively allowing their influences to show in their music. I think way back to the 60's, when the British Invasion took place. The Beatles made their big splash, then along came The Yardbirds, Stones, Zombies, Kinks, Animals, Herman's Hermits, The Troggs, Manfred Mann, Small Faces, and so on. You can see how so many of those artists tried to capitalize on what The Beatles did, even if only a little bit and briefly to get their careers going.

But then jump into the 80's, when the hard rock-glam rock/hair metal thing hit hard... all thanks to those party animals Van Halen. Between the insane (and rarely as listenable) guitar shredding, vocal howling, and onstage clothing and antics, those (mostly) Sunset Strip bands were taking a page directly from the Van Halen handbook. Consider Ratt, Motley Crue, Poison, and others of that ilk. I guess we could also blame the style sense of Steve Tyler of Aerosmith.

Going back a bit further for influences, look at Whitesnake and their blatant Led Zeppelin song and stage performance. David Coverdale wouldn't have adopted that schtick if Robert Plant hadn't already established that look and vocal style. And look at Kingdom Come, an 80's band who made a minor splash in the hard rock world with their Zeppelin angle. These groups made it work, even if they were criticized by some listeners.

Still in the 80's, how about Krokus, the Swiss band who made a business of sounding just like AC/DC (original lineup with vocalist Bon Scott)? They weren't big stars, but I recall hearing some of their songs on the radio. So big enough. Oh, and I can't neglect to mention modern day hard rockers Airbourne, who actually do AC/DC better than AC/DC themselves. Better guitarists, maybe better singer, less clunky original songs. All with that famous Aussie spirit and sound. Fun stuff. And their videos are so 80's... kinda daring in our current hashtag world.

The Tea Party, a 90's group, harnessed the best of Zeppelin and The Doors for something rather unique, with those influences adding nice textures within highly original tunes. Their blend of bluesy rock and progressive rock tinged with Middle Eastern styles was actually refreshing, if a bit derivative.

Can't forget ol' Lenny Kravitz, either. He sort of embodies late 60's, early 70's rock with his blend of Zep, Hendrix, Beatles, and Stevie Wonder influences, among others.

Not that many years ago, I discovered Wolfmother, whose music bore an unmistakable 70's rock vibe, not far off AC/DC, Zeppelin, and maybe Aerosmith. Cool and enjoyable, it's easy to forget these guys lifted elements from the oldies to fuel their songs.

Which brings me to the more current band, Greta Van Fleet. I have zero interest in their music (Civic vs Rolls), but I have listened to enough of it to hear the huge resemblance to Zeppelin. Yes, they, too, face condemnation for their mimicry, yet they are hugely successful. Go figure. They are Zeppelin for generation Z, as I've heard said in many sources. Just not a fan. Too on the nose.

Of course, I'm only scratching the surface here. I know there are countless other copycats out there, but how deep do I really want to dig here? Just enough for today's post. Cheers!

Rush Song Lyrics NOT by Neil Only

It's not as if this hasn't been covered before on the interwebs, but for the first time, I want to get this straight, complete and accurate, and put down on virtual paper for my own purposes: for which Rush songs was Neil Peart not the lyricist... or not the only person who wrote it?

Over the years, especially when I was a teenager and in my early adult years, I learned this and that about songwriting credits from the liner notes on records, tapes, and CDs. It was sometimes hazy about who actually wrote the lyrical content, since all band members were credited with the creation of the song instrumentally.

Neil Peart has long been applauded (or scorned, depending on which side of the fence you're on) for his song lyrics. Early albums show his interest in genre fiction like sci-fi and fantasy, but also a leaning toward classic literature. Peart's evolution as a writer brought us something more real world, with commentary on history and politics, the human condition, and even personal events. Not nicknamed "The Professor" for nothing, it should be noted that Neil wasn't a hog in the writing department. The other guys in the band contributed words on occasion, and in more than a few instances, someone from outside the band offered their services to the crafting of lyrics.

Some of today's findings were old-hat and others were surprising. I never really thought about Rush's first album, since it was a newbie exercise in raw heavy rock à la Zeppelin and I don't really have any interest in it anymore. That wasn't really Rush yet, if you know what I mean. On sophomore recording Fly By Night, Peart, getting a handle on his new duties, found that Lee and Lifeson had already fleshed out certain songs.

So here ya go. A complete rundown, to the best of my knowledge and research, of Rush song lyrics not by Mr. Peart, or not by him alone:

The whole first Rush album - lyrics by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson. Pre-Peart, of course.

Best I Can - by vocalist and bassist Geddy Lee. A fave rockin' oldie of mine

In the End - by Geddy. The music is metallic, plodding, and simplistic. The lyrics, too

Lessons -  by Lifeson. OK-ish. Heavy & howling, it feels like a companion to the 2112 suite.

Tears - by Geddy. Probably his most emotional performance ever. And a ballad, too!

Closer to the Heart - co-written by Peart and non-band member Peter Talbot. First "hit" song!

Cinderella Man - by Geddy. Very much like Peart's writing, cool and optimistic

Different Strings - by Geddy. Another successful ballad with Peart-like word-play

Tom Sawyer -  Peart co-wrote this with Max Webster lyricist Pye Dubois

Chemistry - lyrics by the whole band, and the last time Al and Ged would get lyric credits

Force Ten - again a co-write with Dubois

Between Sun and Moon - another Dubois collaboration

Test For Echo - Neil collab with Dubois

Limbo - borrows a sample from the 60's novelty tune Monster Mash