Author Archives: hyperbolium

The Heats: Have an Idea

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Stellar power pop album, mediocre re-mastering

The Heats may be the best power pop band that most power pop fans have never heard. They peaked between the 1970s wave of AM radio pop and its 1980s underground echo, playing Seattle clubs and gaining regional college radio attention. Their lone LP, 1980’s Have an Idea, was produced by Heart’s Howard Leese and released on their managers’ Albatross label to local fanfare but no national attention. It sold 15,000 copies and failed to garner the band a major label deal. The thirteen original songs, including a remake of the catchy single “I Don’t Like Your Face,” are filled with the influences of the Beatles, Big Star, Tom Petty, and Dwight Twilley, and the singing of guitarists Steve Pearson and Don Short borrows some fine harmonies from the Everly Brothers.

This Japanese reissue of the original album was produced from sources that are inferior to the original vinyl pressing (and thus to the original master tapes). The high end is missing, shaving off the keening edges of the voices, guitars, drums, and cymbals, and sounding as if this was played through a radio. Much of this material was reissued in better fidelity on 1998’s Smoke, but this is the first CD to include the original album track “Questions Questions” and the correct album takes/edits of “Ordinary Girls,” “I Don’t Like Your Face” and “She Don’t Mind.” The four bonus songs, “Let’s All Smoke,” “Rivals,” “Count on Me,” and “In Your Town,” are great additions to the original album tracks.

Hats off to Air Mail for having the taste to reissue this album, for digging up superb bonus material (particularly the Flamin’ Groovies’-styled “Count on Me”), and for including the original front and back covers; it’s a shame they couldn’t come up with a better audio source. That said, it’s a mark of just how good this album is that even in lesser fidelity, the music’s chiming charms still shine. At import prices, most listeners will be better off with the near-complete Smoke, but fans will either need to track down an original vinyl copy, or make do with the listenable-but-less-than-ideal sound offered here. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

Shoes: Tongue Twister

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Power pop band’s second album for Elektra

Having taught themselves to record in a home studio, Zion, Illinois’ Shoes produced three full albums on their own, including the “debut” Black Vinyl Shoes that led to their signing with Elektra. Their first outing for the major label, 1979’s Present Tense took them to the UK to co-produce with engineer Mike Stone. The results traded some of the band’s urgency and living room winsomeness for the polish and manicure a real studio allows. The singing, playing, melodies and lyrics, including a remake of “Tomorrow Night,” were terrific, but the fuller studio sound, which had been artfully compressed on their earlier 4-track recordings, gave away some of the band’s mystery.

For their second album with Elektra the band worked with Richard Dashut, who seemed to understand what differentiated Shoes from their peers. He kept the articulation of their previous outing, but dialed back the tendency to lay more studio sound into the final productions than a 4-track would have allowed; the guitars and drums are kept from being too big or stepping too far forward. The absence of keyboards (the buzzing solo of “The Things You Do” was actually played on a processed guitar), keeps this album from falling into the dated sound of the band’s peers’ contemporaneous efforts. The songs are just as hook-filled as those in the earlier catalog, and the vocals and harmonies are memorable.

Air Mail’s reissue augments the album’s original dozen cuts with four bonuses, “Jet Set,” “Laugh it Off,” “Imagination du Jour,” and “A Voice Inside Me.” The mini-LP cardboard jacket reproduces the original album covers, front and back, and the Japanese-language insert is supplemented by a mini-inner sleeve that includes a microscopic reproduction of the original lyric sheet. This is the sort of deluxe reissue that Shoes’ music deserves, making it a more precious collectors’ item than the original two-fer, though not offering up the demo dimension of 2007’s Double Exposure. Air Mail Records has also reissued mini-LP CD versions of Shoes’ two other Elektra releases, Present Tense and Boomerang, but with all three having become collectors’ items of their own, your pocket book is better off nabbing the albums in MP3 form [1 2]. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

Roy Clark: The Last Word in Jesus is Us

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Reissue of Clark’s 1981 album of gospel and country faith

Roy Clark’s worn a number of hats during his career. He’s been an ace guitar and banjo picker, a national television star (both on Hee-Haw and as a guest host for Johnny Carson), a country and pop hit maker, a pioneer in the Branson theater scene, and a member of both the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame. Lesser known is his work in singing gospel and songs of faith. His 1971 release The Magnificent Sanctuary Band cracked the Top 40, and though he dropped the occasional album track like “Life’s Railway to Heaven” and “Dear God,” it was ten more years before he released a second new album of praise, 1981’s The Last Word in Jesus is Us.

Varese new CD collects all ten tracks of the 1981 album and adds three from the 1971 release. The song list combines traditional hymns (“Just a Closer Walk with Thee,” “Onward Christian Soldiers” and a wonderfully blue reading of “Peace in the Valley”) with contemporary tunes by Nashville songwriters. The sentiments include traditional bible stories, testimonies of faith, and contemplations of Jesus’ place in contemporary society. Bobby Braddock’s “Would They Love Him Down in Shreveport” highlights the un-Christian nature of prejudice and Bobby Goldsboro’s “Come Back Home” anticipates the savior’s deliverance from hate.

The productions have the clean Nashville sound of the 1970s, with the ‘80s only peeking through in the guitar of “Heaven Bound.” The three selections from 1971 are earthier, with “Wait a Little Longer, Please Jesus” adding harmonica, Roy Nichols-styled guitar riffs, and a Western edge. The Jordanaires provide their typically fine backing vocals, augmented by the female voice of Wendy Suits. Eight of the ten album tracks (along with two of the bonuses from 1971) were included on Time-Life’s out-of-print Gospel Songs of the Strength, but this is the first reproduction of the full 1981 release, and a welcome addition to the Roy Clark digital catalog. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

Roy Clark’s Home Page

Dave Brubeck: The Definitive Dave Brubeck on Fantasy, Concord Jazz and Telarc

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Highlights from Brubeck’s pre- and post-Columbia years

By collecting early ‘50s sides waxed for Fantasy and post-70s sides laid down for Concord and Telarc, this two-disc set tells the story of Brubeck before and after his time at Columbia. The selections taste his earliest work with an octet, trio work with Cal Tjader and Ron Crotty, and his initial liaisons with saxophonist Paul Desmond. It skips the seminal quartet formed with Joe Morello and Eugene Wright, and rejoins Brubeck in the early 80s in a group that included his son Chris on electric bass and bass trombone. Though the original versions of Brubeck hits “Take Five” and “Blue Rondo Ala Turk,” aren’t here, the distinctive elements – Brubeck’s blocky chords (magnificently played with competing hands on “Look for the Silver Lining” and chasing one another up and down the keyboard on “This Can’t Be Love”), Desmond’s brilliant tone, and the exploration of percussive arrangements and unusual time signatures – are all heard both early on.

The later sessions find Brubeck rejoined by clarinetist (and original octet member) Bill Smith, and later by alto sax player Bobby Miltello. It’s hard to call this set “definitive,” given that many of the full source albums are in print, but it’s a good introduction for those who know Brubeck’s iconic Columbia releases and have never delved into his earlier catalog. His response to Tjader’s vibes is particularly interesting, as they’re both playing percussive melody instruments – something absent from the more famous quartet. This set also provides an opportunity to hear the directions Brubeck took as an elder statesman with a literal next generation of players. A selection of live tracks show how Brubeck, Desmond and the other players lit up in front of an audience (this is even more evident on  the 50th anniversary reissue of Time Out). The twenty-page booklet includes discographical data, photos, cover and label reproductions, and extensive liner notes by Brubeck’s longtime manager/producer/conductor (and this set’s curator), Russell Gloyd. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

Dave Brubeck’s Home Page

Chet Baker: Sings – It Could Happen to You

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West Coast vocal cool meets East Coast instrumental swing

Concord Records initiated a new pass through their Original Jazz Classics catalog in March of 2010, and they now add five more titles to the program. Each reissue features a new 24-bit remaster by Joe Tarantino, extensive liner notes, and bonus tracks. By the time of this initial 1958 session for Riverside, Baker had been complementing his trumpet playing with vocal turns for several years. This release expands upon the vocal talent shown in earlier Pacific Jazz sessions: the tone of his voice is still startlingly pure, but the intimacy of West Coast cool has become even more pronounced in his style. Baker’s vocal lines often mimic what he might play on the trumpet, but the mechanics of trumpet valves don’t impact his singing, giving the transitions a smoothness that separates his singing from his horn playing. The material selected for these sessions is drawn primarily from the great American songbook, but his then current quartet of Kenny Drew (piano), Philly Joe Jones/Dannie Richmond (drums), and George Morrow/Sam Jones (bass) are driven more by the rhythms than the melodies, particularly on the tracks featuring Jones. Baker seems more comfortable with the songs than those on this earlier vocal sets, swinging freely (though still quite coolly – compare his take on “You Make Me Feel So Young” with Sinatra’s 1956 version) and indulging his voice more naturally than before. The element of surprise that came with earlier vocal outings was dispelled by this point, but the quiet strength of his singing is still completely mesmerizing. Baker plays his horn only occasionally, scat singing a few solos and giving pianist Drew several of the instrumental leads. Drew is also exceptional as an accompaniest – adding flavor without ever overwhelming Baker’s vocals. Concord’s 2010 reissue of this set adds four bonus tracks, “While My Lady Sleeps,” and “You Make Me Feel So Young,” both of which were on the original Original Jazz Classics CD reissue, and alternates of the album tracks “The More I See You” and “Everything Happens to Me.” The fold-out booklet includes full-panel reproductions of the original covers (front and back), Orrin Keepnews’ original album notes, and new liners by Doug Ramsey. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

Wes Montgomery: Boss Guitar

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The boss of the jazz guitar in a stellar ’63 trio setting

Concord Records initiated a new pass through their Original Jazz Classics catalog in March of 2010, and they now add five more titles to the program. Each reissue features a new 24-bit remaster by Joe Tarantino, extensive liner notes, and bonus tracks. This 1963 set finds jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery at the peak of his creative powers, backed by the talented Mel Rhyne on Hammond B-3 and the sharp-as-a-tack swing of Jimmy Cobb on drums. Montgomery’s tone is both smooth and penetrating, and he’s as mesmerizing playing upbeat romps as he is laying back into ballads. The fluid paths taken by his solo improvisations feel fresh and spontaneous, and his chords are complex yet remain musical. The album is filled with the grooves of Rhyne’s organ playing, but the slow numbers, including Henry Mancini’s “Days of Wine and Roses” and a serene take on Eddie Heywood’s “Canadian Sunset” are winningly thoughtful. Montgomery thrived in the trio format, and the mix of up-tempo, ballad, original and cover material, along with straight and Latin-inflected rhythms, give this album terrific range and balance. It’s been fifteen years since the last domestic reissue of this title, so it’s great to have modern digital practices applied to this classic. The bonus tracks are alternate takes of the album tracks “Besame Mucho,” “The Trick Bag” and “Fried Pies,” and the fold-out booklet includes full-panel reproductions of the original covers (front and back), Joe Goldberg’s original album notes, and new liners by Neil Tesser that include fresh interview material with Rhyne and Cobb. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

Bleu: Four

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Accomplished L.A. songsmith rocks soulful original pop

Bleu (nee William James McAuley) is a Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter whose biggest commercial successes have come from album tracks placed with Disney stars Selena Gomez (“I Won’t Apologize”) and the Jonas Brothers(“That’s Just the Way We Roll”), singer/One Tree Hill television star Kate Voegele (“Say Anything”), and indie-rock and pop acts Boys Like Girls, Jon McLaughlin and Ace Enders. It’s a resume that prepares listeners for the craft he puts into the details of his songs, but not the soulfulness he puts into his own projects.

Bleu’s come a long way from the major label machinations that surrounded his 2003 debut, Redhead, retaining the sound quality afforded a major label artist while shucking off the lyrical and stylistic limitations necessary to market a commercial, mainstream property. His new songs are more personal, and heavily laced with adult thoughts of mortality that wouldn’t click with the tweener set. Of course, Bleu still writes great pop melodies, as he does for the stream-of-consciousness verses of “Singin’ in Tongues,” the celebratory funeral party of “Dead in the Morning,” and the ex-pat’s ecstatic anthem “B.O.S.T.O.N.,” but they’re in service of lyrics and emotions that make a lasting impression.

Within his performances you can hear the buoyant rock ‘n’ roll of Billy Joel, the croon of Nilsson (“How Blue”), the soulfulness of Van Morrison (“In Love With My Lover”) and the melodic complexity of the late Kevin Gilbert (“Evil Twin”). He pairs a lovely soul arrangement of strings, horn and tympani with the surprisingly coarse lyrics (and all-in vocal performance) of “When the Shit Hits the Fan.” Bleu adds love songs and philosophical meditations (“Ya Catch More Flies with Honey than Vinegar”), jauntily scoring with strings and twinkling harpsichord (“Everything is Fine”). This is a terrifically accomplished release that’s written, played and sung with deep emotion and seemingly effortless polish. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

MP3 | Singin’ in Tongues
Listen to selections from Four
Bleu’s Home Page

The Highwaymen: Essential

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The intertwined creativity of Waylon, Willie, Cash and Kristofferson

Though Waylon, Willie, Cash and Kristofferson recorded three full albums as The Highwaymen, the foursome had much richer musical relationships than the purpose-built quartet dates. Legacy’s 2-disc Essential set documents both their official collaborations under the Highwayman moniker, and the duets and covers that found these artists returning to one another over the course of their careers. In addition to seven songs from the Highwaymen’s three albums, this thirty track collection includes solos and duets drawn from the artists’ original albums, television and stage performances (including tracks from the Johnny Cash Show and VH1’s Storytellers), and soundtracks. Among the riches are several covers of Kristofferson’s songs, including Nelson’s 2008 rendering of “Moment of Forever.”

The one previously unreleased track is a live version of Guy Clark’s “Desperados Waiting for a Train” recorded by the foursome at the 1993 Farm Aid concert, but the set’s real strength is its telling of the back-story through cuts sourced from twenty-five different albums. The collection paints a picture of four strong-willed, artistically-rich musical icons who found equal-strength partners in one another, and with whom they could collaborate without compromise. Their shared musical roots (neatly summarized in the trio of songs “The Night Hank Williams Came to Town,” “If You Don’t Like Hank Williams” and “Are You Sure Hank Done it this Way”) and hard-won artistic integrity bound them together like few other superstars, and the musical legacy they left as compadres is winningly excerpted in this set. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

Ed Bruce: In Jesus’ Eyes

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Original country, folk and gospel songs of faith

Singer-songwriter Ed Bruce’s career evolved from  songwriting (“The Man That Turned My Mama On,” “Restless,” “Mamas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys,” “Texas (When I Die)” for Crystal Gale, Waylon & Willie, and Tanya Tucker) to hit making in the mid-80s, but by the end of the decade he’d turned to acting. He released albums sporadically over the next decade, including the inspirational titles Changed in 2004 and Sing About Jesus in 2007. Varese’s new collection pulls together a dozen originals from that pair of self-released albums, offering testimony of rebirth and giving witness to the warmth of faith’s family. Bruce sings of Christian charity, makes the most of his resonant voice on the bluesy “Tougher Than Nails,” and works through feelings of loss on “I Know.” There’s folk, country, blues, two-steppers and gospel swing that will please everyone, and plenty of praise to please the faithful. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

Ed Bruce’s Home Page

Various Artists: Look to the Light – Songs of Faith from the Pen of Rick Lang

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Contemporary bluegrass and gospel songs of faith

Rick Lang is a contemporary songwriter whose works have been recorded by a who’s-who of modern bluegrass players, including the Lonesome River Band, IIIrd Tyme Out and Southern Rail. Mandolinist Jesse Brock and guitarist John Miller have teamed with a collection of crack singers and acoustic instrumentalists to record fourteen of Lang’s tunes. The lead vocalists include Russell Moore, Junior Sisk, Jeff Parker, and Dale Perry, with Brock, Miller and the supremely talented Dale Ann Bradley adding harmonies. Lang writes songs of praise that are filled with musical spirit, which makes them enjoyable by bluegrass fans of all religious and irreligious stripes. The arrangements focus on the lyrics and vocals, but the players show their wares in support and in short instrumental breaks; Roger Williams’ dobro is particularly compelling. This is a low-key, at times an almost meditative album whose religious conviction is laid into both the words and beautiful music. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

Rick Lang’s Home Page