Little Steven's quest to get rock and roll out to the people that need and want it the most continues. Now, in addition to his weekly syndicated Underground Garage show, the Sirius Satellite Radio channel of the same name, and the rock and roll shows that criss-crossed our country from September through November, Little Steven re-launches Wicked Cool records.
The first wave of releases is impressive. I wrote about Davie Allan's Fuzz For the Holidays in an earlier post. Today's post looks at The Coolest Songs in the World! Vol. 1.
For those of you that aren't aware, the Underground Garage selects one song to be "the coolest song in the world this week." You would be hard pressed to find a weak track in those selections. Occasionally there's a song or two that doesn't do much for me, but in general, the selections are top notch.
This cd collects the best of those tunes since the Underground Garage hit the airwaves back in 2002. Getting things started is "On the Airwaves" by a Nashville based band called The Shazam. The Shazam have had their music featured on a Coors beer commercial since this song was released. According to their website, the band is also working on new music. If you dig this tune, check out the group's cds.
The first five tunes come from bands with "The" in their name. In the garage-rock world, you can almost guarantee any band with "The" in their name will be good! The Greenhornes, The Forty-Fives, The Charms, and The Chesterfield Kings are excellent bands that had coolest songs in the world and are deserving of your support.
Cotton Mather is the first band featured in this collection that has no "The" in their name. No one's perfect! Cotton Mather is an Austin, Texas band that makes a noise as close to the 1966 version of The Beatles as any current band that I've heard. Unfortunately, the band has been quiet since their 2001 release, The Big Picture.
The Boss Martians and The Mooney Suzuki round out "The" bands. The Mooney Suzuki have had a major label release with 2004's Alive and Amplified. They were also a part of Little Steven's Rolling Rock and Roll Road Show that went out in September. I caught the show in Minneapolis and got to see The Mooney Suzuki. Great live band, great records. A new one is in the works.
The remainder of the bands with coolest songs in the world have names without "The." No harm in that, I guess!
Reigning Sound, Caesers, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Ko & The Knockouts, Mr. Brown, Creatures of the Golden Dawn, and Davie Allan & The Arrows round out this collection, and while it may be unfair to brush over them collectively, I do this with the utmost respect.
These bands, along with "The" bands deserve to be heard. Did I say that already? Too bad. I know rock and roll fans have had to endure a long space of time where rock music sucked. It wasn't for a lack of quality bands, mind you. Some of the bands on this collection have been making records for several years (and this is just the tip of the iceberg folks). I say blame it on the lame radio stations and the changes in FCC regs governing ownership of radio stations.
As rock and roll fans we share some of the responsibility too. We grew older, started families, settled in careers, and along the way, softened up a bit in our tastes. When the radio stations we used to enjoy began playing more Metallica, Ozzy, and Scorpions, we went running away with our tails between our legs.
Little Steven is working his backside off to get people to listen to these new bands, and to re-visit some bands that we missed 15-20 years ago. We owe it to the music we love to find this music and buy it. Wicked Cool releases are being sold at Best Buy stores, so they should not be hard to find. There's not a section devoted to Garage Rock at the store I visited in Omaha, but maybe it's happening at larger stores.
As for me, I can't wait to hear Volume 2 of The Coolest Songs in the World!
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Monday, December 18, 2006
Book 'em Again
I mentioned in the previous post that there were three Springsteen books that would make great gifts for the fan on your Christmas list. Here's my take on the second book worth your investment.
Bruce Springsteen On Tour 1968-2005 by Dave Marsh is the author's fourth book on Springsteen. Having dealt with Springsteen's life and career in his previous three books (check out Born to Run: The Bruce Springsteen Story, Glory Days, and Two Hearts, which takes the story up to 2003), Marsh dives head first into Springsteen's live shows. The result is an extensive look into every tour Bruce has undertaken from his beginnings with The Castilles, through to the Devils and Dust shows.
In beginning with The Castilles, Marsh admits he may be going over ground covered in his previous books on Springsteen. As was the case with most garage bands of the post-Beatles 60's, touring would be an overstatement. Teen dances and battle of the bands were the places you would find most of these groups in their infancy.
Instead of fast fowarding through these formative years, Marsh takes the time to introduce us to the cast of characters, some of whom would eventually join Bruce on E St., and some of the more memorable moments of Bruce's pre-E St. live shows. One of the shows that looms large in the Springsteen story was at the Clearwater Swim Club in 1970. It's at this show that Danny Federici earns the Phantom nickname that lives with him to this day.
One of the qualities I have always enjoyed in Marsh's writing is his ability to let the fan in him co-exist with the critic. In his best work, I've always felt the fan had the upper hand.
Marsh's introduction to Springsteen, the performer, came in February 1973. It's here that the story becomes Marsh's primarily and the fan in him begins to show itself in the writing. For the remainder of the book, Marsh's experiences overlap with the words of others who were there to tell a story that is every bit as exciting as seeing Bruce performing in person.
The chapter entitled "No Miracles Here," covers "The Other Band," the group that went out on the road with Bruce following the release of Human Touch/Lucky Town. Because so many Springsteen fans went south when Bruce split from the E St. Band, this is a time that many fans may not be as hip to. For those fans who fell off the Springsteen bandwagon during this time, I'd suggest reading this chapter a couple of times.
It's in this chapter that Marsh offers his observations on the fans and the expectations they have of their hero. Clearly, breaking up the ESB was not a part of those expectations. Marsh writes at length of The Other Band and the different noise Bruce made with their help, and offers his take on what may have drawn the ire of the die hard fans during this period.
Along with what I think is some of Marsh's best writing, the book also contains a timeline that joins the chapters with interesting dates in Bruce's musical career. The energy in Marsh's words are complemented by the concert photos included within. Bruce Springsteen On Tour 1968-2005 is as pleasing to look as it is enlightening to read.
With the Seeger Sessions Band tour completed and rumors of E St. activity in 2007, I sure would love to see this book updated in about three years. Let's hope the story has several chapters remaining.
Bruce Springsteen On Tour 1968-2005 by Dave Marsh is the author's fourth book on Springsteen. Having dealt with Springsteen's life and career in his previous three books (check out Born to Run: The Bruce Springsteen Story, Glory Days, and Two Hearts, which takes the story up to 2003), Marsh dives head first into Springsteen's live shows. The result is an extensive look into every tour Bruce has undertaken from his beginnings with The Castilles, through to the Devils and Dust shows.
In beginning with The Castilles, Marsh admits he may be going over ground covered in his previous books on Springsteen. As was the case with most garage bands of the post-Beatles 60's, touring would be an overstatement. Teen dances and battle of the bands were the places you would find most of these groups in their infancy.
Instead of fast fowarding through these formative years, Marsh takes the time to introduce us to the cast of characters, some of whom would eventually join Bruce on E St., and some of the more memorable moments of Bruce's pre-E St. live shows. One of the shows that looms large in the Springsteen story was at the Clearwater Swim Club in 1970. It's at this show that Danny Federici earns the Phantom nickname that lives with him to this day.
One of the qualities I have always enjoyed in Marsh's writing is his ability to let the fan in him co-exist with the critic. In his best work, I've always felt the fan had the upper hand.
Marsh's introduction to Springsteen, the performer, came in February 1973. It's here that the story becomes Marsh's primarily and the fan in him begins to show itself in the writing. For the remainder of the book, Marsh's experiences overlap with the words of others who were there to tell a story that is every bit as exciting as seeing Bruce performing in person.
The chapter entitled "No Miracles Here," covers "The Other Band," the group that went out on the road with Bruce following the release of Human Touch/Lucky Town. Because so many Springsteen fans went south when Bruce split from the E St. Band, this is a time that many fans may not be as hip to. For those fans who fell off the Springsteen bandwagon during this time, I'd suggest reading this chapter a couple of times.
It's in this chapter that Marsh offers his observations on the fans and the expectations they have of their hero. Clearly, breaking up the ESB was not a part of those expectations. Marsh writes at length of The Other Band and the different noise Bruce made with their help, and offers his take on what may have drawn the ire of the die hard fans during this period.
Along with what I think is some of Marsh's best writing, the book also contains a timeline that joins the chapters with interesting dates in Bruce's musical career. The energy in Marsh's words are complemented by the concert photos included within. Bruce Springsteen On Tour 1968-2005 is as pleasing to look as it is enlightening to read.
With the Seeger Sessions Band tour completed and rumors of E St. activity in 2007, I sure would love to see this book updated in about three years. Let's hope the story has several chapters remaining.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Book 'Em
Fans of Bruce Springsteen have three books to put on their Christmas lists this season. This is my take on one of those books, Greetings From E St. by Robert Santelli.
Santelli contributes to the Springsteen fanzine, Backstreets, and has written several books over the years. With Greetings From E St., Santelli has assembled a boatload of artifacts from Springsteen's early bands up to the Reunion tour with the E St. Band.
Plenty has been written about Springsteen's career, and Santelli wisely avoids re-telling the story in great length. Instead, his text hits the high points with just enough detail for the fan who may be new to Springsteen and his music. Santelli takes the story through the Vote For Change tour from 2004, wrapping up the story in under 100 pages.
The brevity is not a criticism, by the way. The detail of Springsteen's story is only part of the reason this book needs to be a part of your collection.
Santelli augments his text with pictures from a variety of sources, including the collection of E Streeter Danny Federici. His pictures provide a nice lead-in to the years before hooking up with Springsteen. Frank Stefanko's photos are also well-represented in Santelli's book. Stefanko shot the covers for Darkness on the Edge of Town and The River, and has had his work featured in Dave Marsh's first book on Springsteen, Born to Run.
There are two pages of pictures showing the E St. Band in action . . . . playing softball! There are plenty of shots of the band before, during, and after the many shows they've played throughout the years too. Chapter 5, covering The River tour, includes a centerfold made up of all the various backstage passes printed for the tour.
Several pages include a packet with reproductions of news clippings (dating back to Steel Mill), business cards, and backstage passes. Chapter 4 holds a copy of the Spring 1979 issue of Thunder Road, a Springsteen fan magazine. Also found in this chapter are the famous (infamous?) Time and Newsweek covers. If all of this wasn't cool enough, reproductions of handwritten setlists from three Reunion shows at the Meadowlands can be found in the book's final chapter.
The book rests inside a hardcover box, appropriately adorned with pictures and a few of the above mentioned reproductions.
This book will make a great gift for the Springsteen fan on your list. Borders had this on special when I was out, so get one for yourself too!
Santelli contributes to the Springsteen fanzine, Backstreets, and has written several books over the years. With Greetings From E St., Santelli has assembled a boatload of artifacts from Springsteen's early bands up to the Reunion tour with the E St. Band.
Plenty has been written about Springsteen's career, and Santelli wisely avoids re-telling the story in great length. Instead, his text hits the high points with just enough detail for the fan who may be new to Springsteen and his music. Santelli takes the story through the Vote For Change tour from 2004, wrapping up the story in under 100 pages.
The brevity is not a criticism, by the way. The detail of Springsteen's story is only part of the reason this book needs to be a part of your collection.
Santelli augments his text with pictures from a variety of sources, including the collection of E Streeter Danny Federici. His pictures provide a nice lead-in to the years before hooking up with Springsteen. Frank Stefanko's photos are also well-represented in Santelli's book. Stefanko shot the covers for Darkness on the Edge of Town and The River, and has had his work featured in Dave Marsh's first book on Springsteen, Born to Run.
There are two pages of pictures showing the E St. Band in action . . . . playing softball! There are plenty of shots of the band before, during, and after the many shows they've played throughout the years too. Chapter 5, covering The River tour, includes a centerfold made up of all the various backstage passes printed for the tour.
Several pages include a packet with reproductions of news clippings (dating back to Steel Mill), business cards, and backstage passes. Chapter 4 holds a copy of the Spring 1979 issue of Thunder Road, a Springsteen fan magazine. Also found in this chapter are the famous (infamous?) Time and Newsweek covers. If all of this wasn't cool enough, reproductions of handwritten setlists from three Reunion shows at the Meadowlands can be found in the book's final chapter.
The book rests inside a hardcover box, appropriately adorned with pictures and a few of the above mentioned reproductions.
This book will make a great gift for the Springsteen fan on your list. Borders had this on special when I was out, so get one for yourself too!
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Fuzz For the Holidays
Need some new Christmas tunes to play at your parties this season? May I recommend Fuzz For the Holidays by Davie Allan and the Arrows?
For those of you not familiar with Davie Allan, he is one fuzzed-up guitarist, whose music you've heard in movies like Skaterdater, Devil's Angels, and The Wild Angels, to name three.
Fuzz For the Holidays features those Christmas tunes you know by heart, drenched in fuzz guitar. Until you've heard "Winter Wonderland," "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," and "White Christmas" decked out in all their fuzz, you ain't heard nothin' yet!
If your taste leans more toward the pop side of Christmas music, feast your ears on "Feliz Navidad," "Little Saint Nick," and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree." Injected with fuzz, these tunes come alive!
Fuzz For the Holidays closes with a version of "Sleigh Ride" that rivals Jimi Hendrix's version of the Star Spangled Banner for the most outrageous and glorious sound you've ever heard come from a guitar.
Released back in 2004, Fuzz For the Holidays is available again on Wicked Cool Records, the coolest label in the world, put together by Little Steven Van Zandt. This re-issue is one of six Wicked Cool releases available at Little Steven's website or at Best Buy.
There's more to come from Wicked Cool, so get out and support the label and get some great music at the same time. If there's not a Best Buy near you, check out www.littlestevensundergroundgarage.com for this and other titles.
For those of you not familiar with Davie Allan, he is one fuzzed-up guitarist, whose music you've heard in movies like Skaterdater, Devil's Angels, and The Wild Angels, to name three.
Fuzz For the Holidays features those Christmas tunes you know by heart, drenched in fuzz guitar. Until you've heard "Winter Wonderland," "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer," and "White Christmas" decked out in all their fuzz, you ain't heard nothin' yet!
If your taste leans more toward the pop side of Christmas music, feast your ears on "Feliz Navidad," "Little Saint Nick," and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree." Injected with fuzz, these tunes come alive!
Fuzz For the Holidays closes with a version of "Sleigh Ride" that rivals Jimi Hendrix's version of the Star Spangled Banner for the most outrageous and glorious sound you've ever heard come from a guitar.
Released back in 2004, Fuzz For the Holidays is available again on Wicked Cool Records, the coolest label in the world, put together by Little Steven Van Zandt. This re-issue is one of six Wicked Cool releases available at Little Steven's website or at Best Buy.
There's more to come from Wicked Cool, so get out and support the label and get some great music at the same time. If there's not a Best Buy near you, check out www.littlestevensundergroundgarage.com for this and other titles.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Under the Skin
Lindsey Buckingham was the experimental pop voice of Fleetwood Mac, since he and Stevie Nicks joined the band back in the mid-seventies. Proof of this lies in Buckingham’s contributions to Tusk.
With Under the Skin, Buckingham cranks up the echo on his voice and presents some of the best songwriting and guitar playing of his solo career. The CD opens up with "Not Too Late," featuring a hauntingly beautiful vocal accompanied by some great guitar work. I don’t expect this will be released as a single, but for my money it’s the song of the year.
Two of the songs in this set are covers. "I Am Waiting," a Rolling Stones song from their Aftermath period, and a little-known Donovan tune called "To Try for the Sun." Interestingly enough, "To Try for the Sun" sounds like a nod to his former partner, Stevie Nicks, with its “gypsy girl” reference.
Mick Fleetwood and John McVie join Buckingham for "Down on Rodeo," a song that has its roots in the Fleetwood Mac sessions that produced their 2003 effort, Say You Will. As the most Mac-like song on this CD, it’s getting more than its share of attention from critics.
Often compared to Brian Wilson for his ability to stretch the boundaries of pop music, Under the Skin sounds more like an album Donovan would make if he had Wilson’s ear for pop music and production. These influences aside, Buckingham has put together one of the best releases of 2006. A heartfelt collection of songs best summed up by a verse from "Not Too Late:"
I’m not a young man but I’m a child in my soul
I feel there’s room for a man who is whole
And there’s a need for songs that are sung
For chances not taken for deeds not yet done
With Under the Skin, Buckingham cranks up the echo on his voice and presents some of the best songwriting and guitar playing of his solo career. The CD opens up with "Not Too Late," featuring a hauntingly beautiful vocal accompanied by some great guitar work. I don’t expect this will be released as a single, but for my money it’s the song of the year.
Two of the songs in this set are covers. "I Am Waiting," a Rolling Stones song from their Aftermath period, and a little-known Donovan tune called "To Try for the Sun." Interestingly enough, "To Try for the Sun" sounds like a nod to his former partner, Stevie Nicks, with its “gypsy girl” reference.
Mick Fleetwood and John McVie join Buckingham for "Down on Rodeo," a song that has its roots in the Fleetwood Mac sessions that produced their 2003 effort, Say You Will. As the most Mac-like song on this CD, it’s getting more than its share of attention from critics.
Often compared to Brian Wilson for his ability to stretch the boundaries of pop music, Under the Skin sounds more like an album Donovan would make if he had Wilson’s ear for pop music and production. These influences aside, Buckingham has put together one of the best releases of 2006. A heartfelt collection of songs best summed up by a verse from "Not Too Late:"
I’m not a young man but I’m a child in my soul
I feel there’s room for a man who is whole
And there’s a need for songs that are sung
For chances not taken for deeds not yet done
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
The Doll Test
Listening to Little Steven's Underground Garage channel on Sirius today, I heard the "Love" version of Drive My Car and learned it was the "coolest song in the world this week." Great choice!
Today's post will be shorter in honor of the 5-song CD called Gasoline and Banks by a group called The Doll Test, a 3-piece band featuring Scott Sutherland, a former member of the Seattle group, The Model Rockets.
If you love the sounds of guitar-driven rock with enough hooks to make you think it was 1966, this is a CD worth seeking out. While the core of the band is guitar, bass, and drums (masterfully played by Sutherland, Boyd Remillard, and Graham Black, respectively), the group gets an assist from Johnny Sangster on the Hammond and Farfisa organ. Sangster also produced this CD.
The title song opens the CD, and to these ears of mine it should be a boss hitbound single. Like the other tunes on this set, it's a perfect blend of rock and pop music.
"Sings Without Sounds" comes up next and the guitar work here is excellent. Again, the Hammond is in the background, adding depth to the sound and blending in to the proceedings. Sutherland's guitar solos are short and to the point with no wasted notes.
More great guitar work is featured on "Scared Out of Your Mind." The haunting melody makes this one another radio-ready tune.
The pace picks back up with "Rains All the Time" and the closing tune, "Whole Lotta Nothin'." With the exception of the title song, the songs here all clock in under four minutes. There's no wasted motion here; just great songs.
Gasoline And Banks was released in August and is available from the good folks at Not Lame, www.notlame.com.
Enjoy!
Today's post will be shorter in honor of the 5-song CD called Gasoline and Banks by a group called The Doll Test, a 3-piece band featuring Scott Sutherland, a former member of the Seattle group, The Model Rockets.
If you love the sounds of guitar-driven rock with enough hooks to make you think it was 1966, this is a CD worth seeking out. While the core of the band is guitar, bass, and drums (masterfully played by Sutherland, Boyd Remillard, and Graham Black, respectively), the group gets an assist from Johnny Sangster on the Hammond and Farfisa organ. Sangster also produced this CD.
The title song opens the CD, and to these ears of mine it should be a boss hitbound single. Like the other tunes on this set, it's a perfect blend of rock and pop music.
"Sings Without Sounds" comes up next and the guitar work here is excellent. Again, the Hammond is in the background, adding depth to the sound and blending in to the proceedings. Sutherland's guitar solos are short and to the point with no wasted notes.
More great guitar work is featured on "Scared Out of Your Mind." The haunting melody makes this one another radio-ready tune.
The pace picks back up with "Rains All the Time" and the closing tune, "Whole Lotta Nothin'." With the exception of the title song, the songs here all clock in under four minutes. There's no wasted motion here; just great songs.
Gasoline And Banks was released in August and is available from the good folks at Not Lame, www.notlame.com.
Enjoy!
Monday, December 04, 2006
All You Need is "Love"
Over the years there have been several Beatle compilations unleashed on the public. Since the group split up the casual fan could get collections of rock and roll music, love songs, and even their number one hits. For the casual fan, I suppose those were good things.
But, what about the life long Beatle fanatic? We got the Anthology series back in the 90's, which provided a brief look into how some of the Beatles songs were constructed, thanks to the alternate takes and demos included in each set. Plus, we did get two "new" Beatle songs out of the deal.
Which brings us to "Love," a project assembled by Beatle producer George Martin and his son, Giles. Call me crazy, but I think this is a great collection.
If you haven't heard this collection of songs yet, "Love" is a 78-minute tour de force. As George Martin writes in the liner notes, the goal was to "create a soundscape . . . .using any sound I needed from the original Beatles multi-track recordings."
Martin's idea of a soundscape is pretty clear from the start. "Love" begins with the vocal track of "Because," which leads right into the opening chords of "A Hard Day's Night," Ringo's drum solo from "The End," and builds up to "Get Back."
From there, father and son take Beatle tracks and mix them together to create a sound that is both familiar and new. The blending of "Drive My Car," "The Word," and "What You're Doing" is perfect. The use of "Blackbird" as an intro to the oft-recorded "Yesterday" breathes life into this McCartney standard and makes it sound fresh.
A very early version of Lennon's "Strawberry Fields Forever" is used for the "Love" collection. As the song reaches the ending we've come to expect, more songs are introduced faster than you can say "I buried Paul." No less than the sounds of five other Beatle songs join with Ringo's fine drumming to bring "Strawberry Fields" to a rousing finish.
There are so many moments like the one described above. After listening to this a dozen times since its release, I still hear things I missed on previous listens.
Maybe listening to this set is tougher without seeing the Cirque du Soleil performers on stage. I haven't seen the show, but have heard it's quite the experience. It may put this soundscape into its proper context.
Just the same, if I never see the Cirque du Soleil production, I will always enjoy the magic that was constructed from some of the best music of our generation.
But, what about the life long Beatle fanatic? We got the Anthology series back in the 90's, which provided a brief look into how some of the Beatles songs were constructed, thanks to the alternate takes and demos included in each set. Plus, we did get two "new" Beatle songs out of the deal.
Which brings us to "Love," a project assembled by Beatle producer George Martin and his son, Giles. Call me crazy, but I think this is a great collection.
If you haven't heard this collection of songs yet, "Love" is a 78-minute tour de force. As George Martin writes in the liner notes, the goal was to "create a soundscape . . . .using any sound I needed from the original Beatles multi-track recordings."
Martin's idea of a soundscape is pretty clear from the start. "Love" begins with the vocal track of "Because," which leads right into the opening chords of "A Hard Day's Night," Ringo's drum solo from "The End," and builds up to "Get Back."
From there, father and son take Beatle tracks and mix them together to create a sound that is both familiar and new. The blending of "Drive My Car," "The Word," and "What You're Doing" is perfect. The use of "Blackbird" as an intro to the oft-recorded "Yesterday" breathes life into this McCartney standard and makes it sound fresh.
A very early version of Lennon's "Strawberry Fields Forever" is used for the "Love" collection. As the song reaches the ending we've come to expect, more songs are introduced faster than you can say "I buried Paul." No less than the sounds of five other Beatle songs join with Ringo's fine drumming to bring "Strawberry Fields" to a rousing finish.
There are so many moments like the one described above. After listening to this a dozen times since its release, I still hear things I missed on previous listens.
Maybe listening to this set is tougher without seeing the Cirque du Soleil performers on stage. I haven't seen the show, but have heard it's quite the experience. It may put this soundscape into its proper context.
Just the same, if I never see the Cirque du Soleil production, I will always enjoy the magic that was constructed from some of the best music of our generation.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)