Red Planet Review
by Joe Viglione [-] https://www.allmusic.com/album/red-planet-mw0000526778
The Red Planet CD by Sky Saxon & the Seeds is dressed in a wonderful Mars comic book cover (Mars as in the fourth stone from the sun, not Sky Saxon's colleague Mars Bonfire), and is chock-full of Saxon's arsenal of '60s sounds and riffs. The album is a coherent and finely crafted selection of 11 titles that trade in the Kinks-style guitar crunch for fuzztone and heavy organ straight out of the Castaways' "Liar Liar" and ? & the Mysterians' entire repertoire. It's all very fun, with interesting melodies banging around a format perfected by Saxon's protégé, Jeff Conolly of Lyres, a strange karma in which later elements influence the original (think Lou Reed after David Bowie's many musical affectations). Of course, Saxon gets the last laugh and proves that the original is still the greatest, with an Oscar Wilde-ish "Cynical Watcher Mr. Peep" containing the repeating hook of "Save all the animals now." The songs that close out the disc have the most punch, with "Violet Ray," like the earlier tune "Uncertainty," going back to the Castaways in feel but exploring space-age sentiments matching the flying saucers on the CD cover -- "no guns, no bombs" and an intro tipping its cap to the Surfaris. The special effects add something extra, resulting in a pseudo reenactment of Lothar & the Hand People's theremin, the inserted chants from Saxon sprinkled with religious overtones. "Judge with a Bomb" is a heavy dark nursery rhyme, post-mortem Jim Morrison finding alcohol in the whiskey bar of "Alabama Song." "Coming Home" is a strong closer, an acoustic journey straight out of country singer Ron Davies' catalog. It's a commendable and solid effort from Saxon that college radio should embrace wholeheartedly.
The Future/A Full Spoon of Speedy Blues Review SkySaxonTribute 6/25/2009
by Joe Viglione https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-future-a-full-spoon-of-speedy-blues-mw0000007113
The Seeds' 1967 Future LP coupled with another release from that same year, the Sky Saxon Blues Band's "solo" disc A Full Spoon of Seedy Blues, is exciting for collectors as it helps bring the prototype punk group's catalog together under one roof, though these two albums are worlds apart. Future was not only an effort to be totally psychedelic, it explored that world with a vengeance, while A Full Spoon of Seedy Blues is Sky Saxon (aka Richard Marsh) tempting fate by venturing into sacred ground where icons like Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf reign supreme. The punk-pop delicacies are fun while the blues experiment didn't work. The musical vision and pioneering image Saxon put forth found a more comfortable home in the soundtrack to the film Psych-Out, as the first half of the CD proves; as for the latter part, a prophecy from Elton John and Bernie Taupin's line from "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road applies well here: The boy's "too young to be singing the blues." But let's not forget that half of the fun of '60s recordings by a character as charming as Saxon was the capturing of spirited experiments on tape. The strengths of the album Future along with the attitude and energy captured on the Web of Sound and Raw & Alive: The Seeds in Concert at Merlin's Music Box discs demand that all this group's documents from the day be resurrected. Despite its deficiencies, A Full Spoon of Seedy Blues is still more acceptable than much of the posing and whining being manufactured by youthful musicians 30 years after these sounds were committed to tape. These two albums on one disc are a strong charge for the kids of the future to get back to the garage.
by Joe Viglione [-]
Transparency by Sky Saxon is the kind of elaborate musical statement in a deluxe CD/DVD package that the garage rock legend truly deserves, the wise old sage pictured in a circular rainbow of colors placed behind him on a white background for the disc cover, a superb wraparound for this major work from the intuitive lead singer of the Seeds. "You Gotta Ride" sounds like the Doors, a place not foreign to Sky Saxon (see Raw & Alive: The Seeds in Concert at Merlin's Music Box for more details on that), and if more proof is necessary, check out the Morrison-esque aspects of "Daytime Girl" or "Little Red Book," the latter of which could be an uptempo pop version of "When the Music's Over," except that some light and fluffy Vanity Fare riffs pop in over the dark vocal (Frank Zappa would totally approve). "Walk Along" is fun, obscured philosophy à la Willie "Loco" Alexander's "Pup Tune" if it were toned down a few tempos, with off-key vocals about meeting a dog, going to heaven, and dogs somehow morphing into all your gods. The melody is very "Coney Island Baby" from Lou Reed -- and this could be the post-Lou Reed Willie "Loco" Alexander version of the Velvet Underground in a battle of the bands with the Doors. "Alkazam" is a good sonic reenactment of the rainbow picture cover, Transparency sounding like the early Seeds meet Kraftwerk in the concrete jungle. "Lighter" cleverly mops the "Can't Explain" riff from the Who, itself a mutation of "Pushing Too Hard" (or vice versa), and throws in some cool eerie Who-styled backing vocals just for fun.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/transparency-mw0000811619
If 2004's Red Planet offered new glimpses of Sky Saxon's creativity, Transparency fulfills the promise in a striking and bold way -- it's a total treat for fans of Saxon and the genres he represents. And when the Who don't offer enough chord changes to recycle, it is on to Chip Taylor and the Troggs for opening track "You Gotta Ride." Saxon's vocal is more Jim Morrison-soaked than the Phantom of Phantom's Divine Comedy, Pt. 1 fame, and with lots of theremin and Doors-ish phrasings and lyrics, the Seeds frontman proves he's actually the best choice to lead the Doors of the 21st Century. Manzarek and crew could have an entirely new direction by playing some of this inspiring and well-crafted music. "Space Ship" is a terrific ending to the audio version of this excursion: "Is it a bird, is it a plane.../Is it a f*cking seagull." The DVD, Sky Saxon Invades London: Live at the Dirty Water Club, is just as much fun if not more, with quasi-psychedelic motifs and some of the material from the audio CD performed on-stage, as well as the obligatory Seeds classics "Can't Seem to Make You Mine" and "Pushing Too Hard" as part of the 15 selections, along with interview footage. As Transformation was just that for Dave Davies, Transparency from Sky Saxon is the best new album from the Doors -- not the Seeds -- in decades, but more than that, it's a brilliant Sky Saxon package that his fans (and he) should be proud of. It's the post-glam Transformer in a world where Lou Reed's Transformer would probably be hard-pressed to emerge.
by Joe Viglione [-]
Released on the Sidewalk imprint of Tower Records, manufactured by Capitol, this is an excellent '60s album from a Dick Clark/American International motion picture, Psych Out. There is only one track from Sky Saxon's Seeds, and their "Two Fingers Pointing on You" sounds exactly like, you guessed it, "Pushin' Too Hard." The band made a career out of reinventing that one tune, and they do not disappoint here, lifted from their Future album on GNP Crescendo. Although the Storybook actually have a photo on the back cover, they appear to be a vehicle for Ronald Stein who is credited on this Dean Stockwell/Susan Strasberg film for "Original Music and Adaptation." The first tune on the disc is by the Storybook, written by S.A.Clock (Strawberry Alarm Clock). It sounds very much like the Alarm Clock's "Barefoot in Baltimore." "Rainy Day Mushroom People" and "The World's on Fire," a three-minute-and-thirty-one-second version, are Strawberry Alarm Clock's other contributions to side one; these songs are also on their album Incense & Peppermints. A longer version of "The World's on Fire" ends side two of this soundtrack. In between is one song by a band called Boenzee Cryque. That tune lists five songwriters, but it is actually a whacked-out version of Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze" with the stop from Vanilla Fudge's "You Keep Me Hanging On." Very '60s and, actually, quite fun, despite the fact the Boenzee Cryque track is the weakest cut on this surprisingly good disc. Four more tracks by the Storybook lead off side two. Titles like "Psych-Out Sanctorum," "Beads of Innocence," "The Love Children," and "Psych-Out" -- the third time the film title is used in the name of a song -- all sound like their titles suggest -- either clones of the Strawberry Alarm Clock or the Clock itself under an assumed name. The epic eight-minute-plus version of "The World's on Fire" by the Strawberry Alarm Clock kicks in to end it all. Despite the cheesey cover, this is a far more listenable record than, say, For Children of All Ages by Peanut Butter Conspiracy, and that was a band that took itself seriously. The genre calls for a bit of irreverence. Psych Out delivers that with studied enthusiasm.
MOVIE PREMIERE IN BOSTON, AMC
Review by Joe Viglione
Andy Muschietti's direction is superb, and indulging in the Kink's order to "give the people what they want" is what he does (with the exception of Grant Gustin not in the title role.) The film rocks, the Batcave is sublime, and menacing General Zod (Michael Shannon) and his two cohorts are magnificent in this action film. The terror with which they inflict on this Earth, and total lack of compassion, a different Zod from Terence Stamp's sophisticated murderous criminal in 1980's Superman II. The upgraded horror works well here, though having Batman fighting Zod is kind of like having George Foreman battling Tiny Tim (will the kids today even know those two huge names from the past?) ...Iron Man fighting Howard the Duck. This is where you suspension of belief comes in to play. Somehow I missed the cameo of the late Adam West, but seeing George Reeves and Christopher Reeve via archival footage, and Helen Slater, touches the heart as worlds collide. Even Antje Traue from Man Of Steel shows up, though Henry Cavill, disappointingly, does not. The biggest compliment I can give this DC Comics / Warner Brothers film is that unlike past exercises in battling Marvel, it's a DC Comics film that is worth watching a few more times. - Joe Viglione
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humanly possible. The 4K restoration of INVADERS FROM MARS recently won the inaugural Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) Jury Award for Restoration and Preservation, and the prestigious Rondo Awards for Best Blu-ray and Best Restoration.
exaggerated sets and upward angles. It became a modern classic and was also one of two early 50s classic alien-invasion science fiction films (the other is Robert Wise’s The Day the Earth Stood Still) reflecting Cold War tensions, the Red Scare and paranoid anxiety typical of many films in the 50s.
2)The Quick Mondo Deco
Earle Mankey worked with Sparks and the Dickies, and the type of understanding necessary to translate sounds from those experimental groups is a plus on Mondo Deco, from the original Quick. As with the other major Kim Fowley and Mankey discovery, the Runaways, this band was released on Mercury in 1976, and it is one of the best examples of fun new wave to escape unscathed from all the hype. Unfortunately, it failed to sell in big numbers, but the album is terrific, a real underground gem. Guitarist Steven Hufsteter writes impressive and energetic pop; "Hillary" and "No No Girl" are two excellent examples. The Runaways should have cut "Anybody" -- it could have been their breakout hit. With its tight bassline and perfect hollow underground rock drums, Mondo Deco has lots of treats hidden among its ten tunes. Vocalist Danny Wilde sounds like a hybrid of Nick Gilder and the Sweet, and this music should have been all over the radio. Where the New York Dolls and the Runaways had limitations inherent in their concepts (notice how quickly Joan Jett rose up the charts once she figured that out), the Quick have all the elements that should have opened doors denied to the comical blitz of the Dickies and the quirky insanity of Sparks. What Mankey did to the Pop on Arista was unforgivable -- he mutated them beyond recognition, homogenizing the best elements of what didn't need modification. The Quick, on the other hand, strike that balance missing from other bands, something that would deny the Dickies, for example, airplay on Top 40. The cover of the Four Seasons' "Rag Doll" is fun, but it is their rendition of the Beatles' "It Won't Be Long," which leads off the album, that should have been a number one smash. The cover photo of the five bandmembers eating ice cream cones is a bit too contrived, but the back-cover image of a youthful underground Raspberries works. This is Eric Carmen if he played alternative rock -- and it is one of Fowley's best moments next to his work with the Modern Lovers. ~ Joe Viglione
3)Landscape
Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures Presents
A Plan B Entertainment Production
in Association with Annapurna Pictures
Only in Theaters August 18
Years into a benevolent alien occupation of Earth, the human race is still adjusting to the new world order and its quirky coffee table-sized overlords called the Vuvv. Their flashy advanced technology initially held promise for global prosperity, but rendered most human jobs – and steady income – obsolete. When 17-year-old artist Adam Campbell (Asante Blackk) and new girlfriend Chloe Marsh (Kylie Rogers) discover the Vuvv are particularly fascinated with human love and will pay for access to it, they decide to livestream their budding romance to make extra cash for themselves and their families. Life is good, for a while, until the flame of their teenage love fizzles out and they're forced to make very different, absurdly life-altering sacrifices for their families
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Only in Theaters August 18th
When an occupying alien species' bureaucratic rule and advanced technology leaves most of Earth impoverished and unemployed, two teenagers hatch a risky plan to ensure their families' futures.
Written for the Screen and Directed by: Cory Finley
Based on the Book by: M.T. Anderson
Produced by: Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner
Executive Producers: Brad Pitt, Gabby Shepard, David Kern, M.T. Anderson, Megan Ellison, Tiffany Haddish
Music by: Michael Abels
Cast: Asante Blackk, Kylie Rogers and Tiffany Haddish
Genre: Sci-Fi Drama
Rated: R for language and brief violent content
Site | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | TikTok
#LandscapeMovie
4)Rod Stewart Gilford, NH - Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
David Gilmour With Rod Stewart ❀ In a Broken Dream
The song Broken Dream was written in the 1960s by Python Lee Jackson keyboard player and singer, Dave Bentley. Believing his vocals were not correct for the song, Bentley brought in Rod Stewart. Before being successful with Faces or in his solo career, Stewart was recruited as a session musician for the song and paid by being bought a new set of seat covers for his car. Issued in October 1970, it did not make the charts. Re-released in 1972 following the rise to stardom by Stewart, the song reached number 56 in the US charts before greater success in the UK later that year. Stewart re-recorded the song in 1992 with David Gilmour and John Paul Jones but did not release it. The recording was eventually released in 2009 as part of the The Rod Stewart Sessions 1971-1998
I'm Drinking Again Rod Stewart (with Jeff Beck Group)
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5)Drinking Again Frank Sinatra
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In the aftermath of hit recordings and a legend's passing, what is left but to enjoy the entertainment, and study it." Joe Viglione 2:00 pm Saturday June 10 2023
Aretha Drinking Again
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6)Lil Hanky Panky is ‘Gettin’ There’
Lil Hanky Panky is ‘Gettin’ There’
Dancehall fusion artiste Lil Hanky Panky is excited about the release of a new single, Gettin' There, featuring US-based rapper Kash XO.
"It was great working with Kash XO on the single, the shoot was in Calabasas (California) and the concept was basically rich life, flexing, flossing, big-balling in front of a $50- million mansion. The song itself is just a fun song. On my part, I am talking about levelling up," she said. After releasing an EP last year, she is lining up a string of new releases for her growing fanbase.
Kash XO, who has been making waves in the music industry with his unique sound and captivating performances, was born and raised in Los Angeles. He grew up surrounded by music, which had a huge influence on him from a young age. He started writing his own music at age 16, and it wasn't long before his talent started to gain attention from people in the industry.
Kash XO's big break came in 2020 with the release of his single Glowin, which took the world by storm. The song received widespread critical acclaim and quickly went viral, amassing millions of streams on popular platforms like Spotify and SoundCloud. Now, the plan is to push Gettin There to the next tier with an aggressive social media and marketing plan across the US.
Lil Hanky Panky is excited about the project and the trajectory of her career.
"I plan to do a lot more collaborations over the summer," she said.
7)Cover of "Drive"
The Cars' 'Drive' Given Americana Makeover By David Starr
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https://www.allmusic.com/album/movin-with-nancy-mw0000190324
08) Movin' with Nancy Review
by Joe Viglione [-]
Sundazed released a 1996 CD version of the original Movin' With Nancy album, adding three bonus tracks to the 1968 soundtrack from her television special, and it earns high marks for documenting more of the fun and campy escapades of Frank Sinatra's daughter. Without the opportunity to surpass her dad the way Mira Sorvino or Charlie Sheen may have moved beyond Paul Sorvino and Martin Sheen in terms of popularity, Nancy Sinatra deserves credit for a sultry, hip image and the ability to hit a few home runs. It's easy to hit a home run, of course, when your father owns a piece of the record label, Reprise, and a Rodgers & Hammerstein composition makes its way onto track four, like "Younger Than Springtime," sung by "a very close relative." The uncredited Frank Sinatra performance is great, of course, and is followed by a Dean Martin/Nancy Sinatra "duet" on the Bobby Darin song "Things." It sure sounds like dad called up Martin and asked if he wouldn't mind Nancy overdubbing her voice on a pre-existing Martin track -- this was, of course, before the days of putting Natalie Cole on a Nat "King" Cole master. Despite the awkwardness of it, there is a certain charm that adds to the festivities. Make no mistake, this is a festive album. Heck, some kids go to the circus with their folks, Nancy Sinatra got to play at the record company. Her vocal style is on par with Claudine Longet and Jo Jo Laine, not the kind of singing to give Whitney Houston or Jackie DeShannon sleepless nights, but charming nonetheless. Where this Sinatra really shines is when she and producer Lee Hazlewood do the Sonny & Cher routine on the previous hit, "Jackson," and the real gem here, "Some Velvet Morning." When Nancy Sinatra has Hazlewood as her foil, she is outstanding. Though "Some Velvet Morning" was number nine out of her Top Ten hits as far as chart action goes, it is her strongest performance here, and proves she had more of a voice than maybe she even realized. She walks through Jimmy Webb's "Up, Up and Away," but it works, as does, surprisingly enough, the cover of Ray Charles' "What I'd Say," which closes the vinyl version of this project. Do the math: two hit singles, a duet with Dean Martin, an appearance by the Chairman of the Board (the legend, not the band), and superb production by Lee Hazlewood all make for a highly entertaining disc. Yes, she was lucky to have those doors open for her, but while other showbiz kids fell by the wayside, Movin' With Nancy delivered the goods. You can't help but like her.
9)PRIVATE LIGHTNING
09)Private Lightning
https://www.allmusic.com/album/private-lightning-mw0000818007/
The tremendous music created in Boston, despite the overwhelming financial success of Aerosmith, the Cars, Bobby Brown, New Edition, New Kids on the Block, and others, never received the respect and opportunity afforded other cities like Seattle, New York, Memphis, and San Francisco. Private Lighting is another case of a band with depth and an overabundance of talent, not getting a fair shake. "Physical Speed" opens this album with the ultimate car song. The theme of Jonathan Richman's "Roadrunner" reactivated by a band well versed with driving on America's Technology Highway, Route 128. Vocalist Adam Sherman performed the song over the same backing tracks in French. That version, "Vitesse Physique," never made it to the disc, but received airplay in New England. Originally produced by songwriter David Wolfert, who also recorded Peter Criss' 1980 solo disc, Out of Control, at Air Studios, Montserrat, A&M pulled Wolfert from these sessions and the disc ended up being produced and engineered by Robin Geoffrey Cable. The curse of not releasing the demos strikes again. Clearly, the label did not have faith in the original producer, yet the band's versions of "Song of the Kite" and "Physical Speed" got lots of local airplay in the Boston area, as did the tapes by the Cars before them. This unique band, featuring the violin of Patty Van Ness, the songs and guitar of Paul Van Ness, Sherman's distinctive voice, augmented by keys, bass, and drums provided by Eric Kaufman, Steve Keith, and Scott Woodman respectively, knew how to record their music. The demos have a bite that is missing on this re-creation. Still, the album has merit. Adam Sherman's "Heartbeat" has tension, has drive. The drums don't have the greatest sound in the world and they are up in the mix, à la Roy Thomas Baker's vision of the Cars. That sound hampers "Bright City" and the rest of the disc. John Cale would have been the perfect producer for this group. He understands string work in a rock context, and his A&R and production work for everyone from the Modern Lovers to Jennifer Warnes and Nico could have brought this mix together successfully. A song like "Cultists of True Fun" demanded that kind of eccentric professionalism. Managed by Fred Heller, who didn't seem to know what to do with Mott the Hoople, this is a band that should have enjoyed the success that J. Geils and the aforementioned Cars worked hard for and achieved. A truly original sound, songs like "Side of the Angels" needs power rather than the homogenization here. Singer Adam Sherman came to Boston from New York when post-Lou Reed Velvet Underground member George Nardo invited him to be part of the Rockets, a band represented by Velvets manager Steve Sesnick. In 2001, Sherman found a song of his covered by ex-Modern Lover Elliot Murphy and Ian Matthews of Matthews Southern Comfort on their duo disc, proving good talent does get recognized, but also proving that record labels and management can inhibit musical growth. This album is a testament to great music being shipwrecked by the business. You can hear through the production flaws, though, and the magic, somehow, bursts through.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/private-lightning-mw0000818007/credits
https://www.allmusic.com/album/private-lightning-mw0000818007
Private Lightning Review
by Joe Viglione
[-]
The
tremendous music created in Boston, despite the overwhelming financial
success of Aerosmith, the Cars, Bobby Brown, New Edition, New Kids on
the Block, and others, never received the respect and opportunity
afforded other cities like Seattle, New York, Memphis, and San
Francisco. Private Lighting is another case of a band with depth and an
overabundance of talent, not getting a fair shake. "Physical Speed"
opens this album with the ultimate car song. The theme of Jonathan
Richman's "Roadrunner" reactivated by a band well versed with driving on
America's Technology Highway, Route 128. Vocalist Adam Sherman
performed the song over the same backing tracks in French. That version,
"Vitesse Physique," never made it to the disc, but received airplay in
New England. Originally produced by songwriter David Wolfert, who also
recorded Peter Criss' 1980 solo disc, Out of Control, at Air Studios,
Montserrat, A&M pulled Wolfert from these sessions and the disc
ended up being produced and engineered by Robin Geoffrey Cable. The
curse of not releasing the demos strikes again. Clearly, the label did
not have faith in the original producer, yet the band's versions of
"Song of the Kite" and "Physical Speed" got lots of local airplay in the
Boston area, as did the tapes by the Cars before them. This unique
band, featuring the violin of Patty Van Ness, the songs and guitar of
Paul Van Ness, Sherman's distinctive voice, augmented by keys, bass, and
drums provided by Eric Kaufman, Steve Keith, and Scott Woodman
respectively, knew how to record their music. The demos have a bite that
is missing on this re-creation. Still, the album has merit. Adam
Sherman's "Heartbeat" has tension, has drive. The drums don't have the
greatest sound in the world and they are up in the mix, à la Roy Thomas
Baker's vision of the Cars. That sound hampers "Bright City" and the
rest of the disc. John Cale would have been the perfect producer for
this group. He understands string work in a rock context, and his
A&R and production work for everyone from the Modern Lovers to
Jennifer Warnes and Nico could have brought this mix together
successfully. A song like "Cultists of True Fun" demanded that kind of
eccentric professionalism. Managed by Fred Heller, who didn't seem to
know what to do with Mott the Hoople, this is a band that should have
enjoyed the success that J. Geils and the aforementioned Cars worked
hard for and achieved. A truly original sound, songs like "Side of the
Angels" needs power rather than the homogenization here. Singer Adam
Sherman came to Boston from New York when post-Lou Reed Velvet
Underground member George Nardo invited him to be part of the Rockets, a
band represented by Velvets manager Steve Sesnick. In 2001, Sherman
found a song of his covered by ex-Modern Lover Elliot Murphy and Ian
Matthews of Matthews Southern Comfort on their duo disc, proving good
talent does get recognized, but also proving that record labels and
management can inhibit musical growth. This album is a testament to
great music being shipwrecked by the business. You can hear through the
production flaws, though, and the magic, somehow, bursts through.
Author and PL fan, Brian Paone, showing off his new Private Lightning hooded tee shirt. PL was mentioned in Brian's latest time travel novel, "Yours Truly, 2095," where the main character, who is from 1981, has a conversation with another character about PL's self titled album
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July 2, 2023 Lynn auditorium
Joe Viglione interviews Chris Barnes June 12 for Pop Explosion, on Activate Media . org
June 16 Friday night 8 pm soundcloud.com/joe-viglione/c
#joeviglionemedia #pinkfloyd #tribute #lynn #Massachusetts
10 INVASION OF THE SAUCER MEN AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL PICTURES
FEATURING THE RIDDLER, FRANK GORSHIN
Music Review: Steve Dennis E.P.
Music Review: Steve Dennis E.P.
May 30 2017 TMRZoo published our first review of the fine music from Steve Dennis including the titles “Reboot,” “Dubhe,” “Your Garden,” “The King,” and “Any Time Now” …while noting that “the tunes innocently show themselves to be complete in this simple setting.”
Fast forward to this December 2018 release, the self-titled Steve Dennis 5 song extended play offering more production polish on the exquisite “Quicksand,” light, simple and very radio friendly. It will catch your attention immediately – “Baby, I don’t know, where it went wrong…your emotions never show, maybe it’s been too long” almost a psychological self-study. Doesn’t matter that at 4:45 it pushes the airplay envelope, it is an attractive melody with grooving instrumentation that calls for repeated spins.
“Real Love” has the same folksy charm that made the 2017 songs so moving and heartfelt. Guitar and harmonica blend to give an overall feeling of hope tucked inside this blues/pop ballad that floats down a river as introspection falls into place.
“As Much as I Loved You” will tug at your heart – it did to this writer – especially if the love affair you have is in some sort of conflict, short and sweet and effective, a powerful quick statement on the state of emotion.
“Try Me On” has a dance beat and dominant guitar work and is a stark change of pace from what we’ve heard from Steve before. The artist knows how to pitch a catchy chorus with dangling musical sounds embellishing the story.
“The Swell” seems drawn from the musician’s time in Hawaii, a bit of Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground’s “Ocean,” in the minute plus opening. I thought it would be an instrumental but the voice of Steve Dennis sings at 1:08 in over the simple strum and slow-motion splashing of the cymbal, a nice vibration that closes out in a most hypnotic way. Along with being very musical the five songs elegantly capture feeling and heart in a beautiful and compelling way.
Steve Dennis: Facebook | Spotify | Apple iTunes | YouTube
Joe Viglione is the Chief Film Critic at TMRZoo.com. He has written thousands of reviews and biographies for AllMovie.com, Allmusic.com, Gatehouse Media, Al Aronowitz’s The Blacklisted Journal, and a variety of other media outlets. Joe also produces and hosts Visual Radio, a seventeen year old variety show on cable TV which has interviewed Jodie Foster, director/screenwriter David Koepp, Michael Moore, John Cena, comics/actors Margaret Cho, Gilbert Gottfried, Gallagher, musicians Mark Farner and Don Brewer of Grand Funk Railroad, Ian Hunter of Mott The Hoople, Ray Manzarek, John Densmore, Felix Cavaliere of The Rascals, political commentator Bill Press and hundreds of other personalities.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/swept-away-mw0000696021
The legendary guitarist for Mitch Ryder, Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, and session man for Aerosmith, among others, creates a monumental solo disc with Kiss/Pink Floyd wizard Bob Ezrin and co-producer Brian Christian. Opening with a deluxe instrumental version of the Byrds' "Eight Miles High," for fans of '70s rock, this collection contains many revelations. "Eldorado Street" is a variation on Steve Hunter's magnificent composition simply titled "Intro" that was the opening number at Lou Reed shows starting on September 1, 1973, when the "Rock & Roll Animal Band" took stage at Lenox, MA, for the first time. The intro mutated during the tour and may have even inspired John Cougar Mellancamp's song "I Need a Lover." Reed reportedly had a band called L.A. & the Eldorados, so perhaps the title is a tip of the hat to Hunter's former lead singer. The traditional tune "Goin' Down" is arranged by Hunter and includes his first vocal on the disc. It's a country-style folk tune reminiscent of Robert Johnson. A progressive instrumental entitled "Rubberman" sounds like the Edgar Winter Group on the verge of taking on Average White Band, anathema to Hunter's fans, but his guitars save the day and keep it from falling into the funk zone. "Of All Times to Leave" is pretty, a simple excursion into the mood set by the album cover, seagulls and seashore. An absolute gem here is a totally brilliant instrumental version of the Beach Boys' classic "Sail on Sailor." This take is innovative, creative, with background vocals coming out of nowhere. It is a treat and seems to set up the "theme side" of the Swept Away album -- the magic of water. A well-produced title track (also instrumental) seems to be the second of a four part suite -- its melodies blending into the "Sea Sonata" -- a tour de force with guitars, a subdued but effective vocal, and classic Bob Ezrin production. "Deep Blue" concludes the album, with bending guitars, almost Hawaiian -- and conjuring up imagery from George Harrison's All Things Must Pass album. Though Harrison has a song of the same name, this is a Hunter original. A textbook for musicians who should be studying the work of this great session man, and a treasure chest for fans of Reed, Cooper, Ryder, and '70s guitar sounds.
Second Opinion Review
by Joe Viglione
[-]The eerie rocks in blue fog on the cover of their Capitol self-titled release are replaced on the cover of this Sire Records collection, Second Opinion, by a brown cover with the artists walking on what looks like cracked Earth. It is more great folk/pop from these minstrels -- as with all their releases -- a goldmine of melodies, harmonies, and clever chord changes. "Ronnie" is the Beatles meet the Hollies while "Far Away Falling," one of four Peter Best/John Farrar compositions, is a nice mellow diversion before "Let's Say Goodbye," a total Beatlesgem with vocals that swell like a gospel choir. Alan Parsons is one of the tape operators along with Richard Lush, but this trio probably didn't need his input to emulate the Fab Four as they do. Brian Bennett from Cliff Richards' Shadows, of course, adds percussion, and the super studio musicians craft nugget after nugget, like "Thank Heaven I've Got You," a light pop tune, followed by the slightly harder chant "Lady Of The Morning," the second of two compositions by the three singers, Marvin, Welch & Farrar. It is interesting to see the songwriting combinations, "Come Back to Nature" and "Black Eyes" written solely by Olivia Newton-John producer John Farrar, "Ronnie," "Lonesome Mole," and "All Day, All Night Blues" by the team of Hank Marvin and Welch, while they draw from all sorts of inspirations -- Marvin and Farrar's "Time to Care" would fit nicely on a Crosby, Stills & Nash album while the guitar riff in "Lady of the Morning" could have been derived from Badfinger. These men craft folk/rock the way ABBA crafted rock, and that Olivia Newton-John, Helen Reddy, Leo Sayer, and other artists of the day didn't mine these treasures remains a mystery. That pop radio didn't embrace them the way ABBA garnered hit after hit, is a sin. They are a few notches above England Dan & John Ford Coley, but failed to match that success on this and their other wonderful platters.
Paring Marvin, Welch & Farrar down to a duo of Hank Marvin and Olivia Newton-John producer John Farrar results in "So Hard to Live With," an opening track which sounds more like the Beach Boys than that veteran band did in 1973. John Farrar's original "Music Makes My Day" could be England Dan & John Ford Coley imitating Paul McCartney. "Skin Deep" changes identity yet again, but these consistent minstrels are true craftsmen and the pretty acoustic guitars match their harmonious vocals delivering music as satisfying as their discs with Bruce Welch, who co-writes the final tune, "Lord How It's Hurting" with Hank Marvin. The melancholy "If I Rewrote Yesterdays" is as good a tune as it is a title, it has elements of the Beach Boys and McCartney, an exquisite track for lovers of pop music. The failure of both Sire and EMI to break hit records from this crew is sad, and a loss for the music world. Progressive and psychedelic are the only way to describe "Galadriel (Spirit of Starlight)," it's just a gem of a tune deserving rediscovery. There are so many layers of sound, smart lyrics and shimmering vocal beauty that demand repeated listenings. It's a monster, and this album by two veteran musicians is an absolute find. https://www.allmusic.com/album/marvin-farrar-mw0000479770
Autre Chose Review by Joe Viglione https://www.allmusic.com/album/autre-chose-mw0000412045 Personnel: Willie "Loco" Alexander (vocals, piano); Matthew MacKenzie (vocals, guitar); Walter Powers (vocals).
Audio Mixer: Philippe Abadie.
Liner Note Author: Christian Eudeline.
Recording information: Printemps, Bourges, France (04/03/1982).
Photographer: Patrick Mathé.
Arguably the most concise overview of the prolific and quite valuable career of Willie Loco Alexander, this live album was recorded two years after he signed to what was the RCA-distributed New Rose Records label. His wailing cover of Tennesse Waltz retains the stark madness of Solo Loco, his post-Boom Boom Band release and New Rose debut. With the two prior MCA albums distributed in Paris by Barclay, there was an audience, and this band delivers the goods. The double vinyl includes a wonderful gatefold which has photos of the bandmembers with dates and cities -- Bordeaux on March 7, 1982; Mont De Marsan on April 6, 1982; Paris March 23, 24, and 25 -- 13 dates listed in all. Beyond the great document of a true cult figure, this is also the reunion of post-Lou Reed Velvet Underground members Alexander and Walter Powers. Though they toured the U.K. twice with Doug Yule and Moe Tucker, the eventual Polydor release, Squeeze was Doug Yule with Deep Purple's drummer, Ian Paice. This is partially what Squeeze should have been, and, on that level, it is of great historical importance. "Gin," the single that got Alexander signed to New Rose/RCA is here in a beautiful and rare live version. Joan McNulty, who produced the Buzzcocks live album Lest We Forget on R.O.I.R., was adamant about the recording of "Gin," which led to the European contract. The subtle version recorded here is evidence that the Confessions were truly the band for Willie Alexander; beyond the Lost, the Bagatelle, and his extraordinary Boom Boom Band, these are musicians who treat Loco with the respect he deserves. When the Boom Boom Band imploded, there was a third album that never got recorded for MCA, so producer Craig Leon did two sets of demos, one with Reddy Teddy's Matthew McKenzie on vocals backed by the Boom Boom Band, and a set with Willie Alexander solo. MCA passed on both, but two years on, McKenzie joined the Confessions along with "Ricky "Rock It" Rothchild" from Gary Shane and his band. The unreleased "Killer in a Trenchcoat," which was drenched in keyboards on the unreleased Craig Leon demo, rocks out here in its first official release. Boom Boom Band classics from "Radio Heart" to "Dirty Eddie," "Home Is," and "Hit Her Wid De Axe" are all catalogued in the exciting chaos that Willie Alexander projects when things are clicking. They click on Autre Chose, the album named after the French restaurant outside of Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA, where the artist had a day gig. 18 selections are here, uncensored, so you hear Loco do the things that made MCA cringe. Great stuff. The photos, the song selection, the performances, the dates of the gigs -- everything is here except where each song was recorded. This is two ex-members of the Velvet Underground touring Europe years later producing an album as vital as 1984's brilliant Lou Reed Live in Italy. An obscure single like "B.U.Baby" makes for a tremendous closer, with the band injecting the right jolts; the version here blows away the rare 45 rpm. Ricky Rothchild and Matthew McKenzie both passed away since this was recorded, but it stands as a terrific snapshot of a great band, and an artist that helped shape the rock & roll scene in Boston who, despite releases on Capitol, ABC, MCA, RCA, and myriad independents, has never been given the recognition he deserves. If they gave Grammys out for the best music recorded in a year as opposed to what is popular, Autre Chose would have been a frontrunner in 1982. ~ Joe Viglione
"The greatest thing about rock & roll is that someone like me can be a star" -- that quote from Elton John is utilized in part for the title of this Kate McIntyre-narrated documentary DVD on the superstar's life. As these "unofficial biographies" go (and this package from Eagle Media doesn't use that handle), this Bob Franklin-directed vehicle, Someone Like Me, is well crafted, starting off with biographer Judy Parkinson giving her thoughts amidst photos of Elton's early home life: his school, a photo of his soccer-playing cousin, and other interesting imagery. Music biographer David Buckley, former manager Ray Williams, music journalist Paul Gambaccini, journalist Nina Myskow, and biographer Philip Norman all get dressed up and assist McIntyre in telling the story of Elton John's career, helped out by news footage and interview clips of Elton himself. There's chatter about the singer's first suicide attempt, Long John Baldry's advice for Elton not to get married, and -- beyond the salacious nature of some of the quips (labeling Baldry the "gay" lead singer of Bluesology seems a bit unnecessary) -- there's solid information on Bernie Taupin and Elton working with music publisher Dick James in the early days and the lawsuit against James that emerged in the latter years. All in all, the one-hour-and-12-minute biopic is informative, entertaining, and a very good place to get the CliffsNotes version of the singer/songwriter's career. As a bonus there are 11 minutes of additional interview "outtakes" with the commentators. Four other bonus features are also included: a two-minute clip of the singer selling clothing via the Elton John AIDS Foundation, a two-minute news clip on Elton purchasing Goon Show radio scripts, an offbeat three-minute clip on Carnaby Street, and a discography with photos and chart information. The project gets a B grade, and that's actually a compliment for an unofficial non-music project. ~ Joe Viglione
About Movie Mars
Joe V Reviews, Movie Mars via eBay
Additional Information from Movie Mars
Product Description
Personnel: Barry Tashian (vocals, guitar); Billy Briggs (piano, Wurlitzer organ); Vern Miller (bass guitar); Chip Damiani (drums); Daniel Tashian, Angelo (percussion).
Audio Mixer: Jim DeMain.
Recording information: The Hum Depot; Universal Studios, Nashville, TN.
As authentic a dozen tunes any fan of the Remains could hope for find a niche in the digital grooves of Movin' On, Barry Tashian's distinctive voice picking up where he left off on the group's last full album, which was, ah...1966? Almost 40 years in between releases sure beats the two years it took Sly Stone to get a new disc out during his heyday! But it's worth the wait as Vern Miller, Bill Briggs, Chip Damiani, and Tashian deliver the goods. "You Never Told Me" and "Over You" could easily slip into the Eagles' repertoire, which is the dilemma for hardcore Remains fans who always wanted their heroes to sustain that launch that culminated in a tour with the Beatles and Bobby Hebb. And God knows the Eagles needed some real competition. "A Man's Best Friend Is His Automobile" showed up on Barry & Holly Tashian's 2002 release At Home and gets the Remains treatment here. Holly Tashian contributes backing vocals to the album, the group also augmented by Daniel Tashian on vocals, percussion, and B-3 as well as Angelo on backing vocals, percussion, and a co-write on "Don't Tell Me the Truth." Speaking of which, for those who loved "Don't Look Back," the 45 rpm that ended up on the original Nuggets before getting tagged onto the first Remains disc, opening track "Don't Tell Me the Truth" will satisfy their needs. "Listen to Me" is lots of fun as is the album closer, "Time Keeps Movin' On," resplendent in sounds toward the end of the tune that would make Lothar & the Hand People proud, but the standout and potential hit is "Hard to Find (So Easy to Lose)." "The Power of Love" and "Ramona" both add to the legend, but it's "Hard to Love" that could open up this band to a larger and well-deserved audience. As the Zombies tour, sometimes with Pete Best's collection of early Beatles music, the addition of Barry & the Remains would make a potent trio of artists from an era whose popularity will remain perpetual. TheRemains.com is how to find this music if you can't locate it in the usual places. ~ Joe Viglione
Gimme Shelter https://youtu.be/KTxc65X_rDA
36)Blushing Brides Unveiled
Unveiled Review
by Joe Viglione [-]
Before Creedence Clearwater Revisited decided to clone the work of their former bandmate John Fogerty, the Blushing Brides reigned supreme as the ultimate tribute band. https://www.allmusic.com/album/unveiled-mw0001202293 Their specialty was the Rolling Stones, and rumor had it singer Maurice Raymond actually had surgery to look like Mick Jagger. "Sweet Sister" is some weird combo of the Stones' "Sweet Virginia" and "Star Star"; "Foreign Supplement" is, you guessed it, "Star Star." The band had wanted Jimmy Miller to produce them, and that would have been a brilliant pairing -- Miller would have brought out all the elements this band had but don't display on this very studied release. The cover of "Fortunate Son," the Creedence Clearwater tune, is superfluous and also the best track on the record. The Blushing Brides were a great cover act in the 1980s, and quite formidable on stage -- but their live intensity is missing from this major label debut. When one thinks about the concept, it makes perfect sense for a major label to sign an act touring the country to packed houses, even if it is a tribute band. The problem is that the original compositions are totally derivative and don't stand on their own. The opener, "What You Talkin' 'Bout?," is a far cry from the hits that would leap off the first track of a Rolling Stones record. The production values are below the standard of the day, and singer Raymond has a tendency to sound like John Cougar on the originals rather than Jagger, especially on "Run and Hide." The image is also run-of-the-mill when they could have adopted a New York Dolls approach to the cover. In performance they actually looked like the Rolling Stones, but here they resemble an ordinary rock group. "Won't Be Found," the J. Geils-ish "Got to Like Yourself" (and the J. Geils Band, after all, emulated -- not copied as this band does -- the Rolling Stones better than anyone), and "Can't Come Back" are listenable, adequate performances. One has to give these guys credit for putting together a better disc than the Spiders From Mars, the Billion Dollar Babies, and ex-members of the Guess Who, but where Creedence Clearwater Revisited put all the Fogerty hits on their double-CD debut, this genuine cover band failed to give the world the thing they did best.
37 Late at Night Review
by Joe Viglione [-] https://www.allmusic.com/album/late-at-night-mw0000870190
Motown was the perfect label for Billy Preston's late-'70s/early-'80s creativity, the Top Five "With You I'm Born Again" his biggest chart action since the string of hits he had for A&M in the early to mid-'70s. Pairing the Beatles/Rolling Stones keyboard player with Syreeta Wright on this glossy hit from the film Fast Break created a wondrous adult contemporary/gospel/rhythm & blues staple. The problem with the album Late at Night is that, outside of the hit, it is a recording, for the most part, lost in time. The title track and "All I Wanted Was You" are disco numbers, and even with Scherrie Payne of the latter day Supremes and Rolling Stones horn player Bobby Keyes on saxophone, this great artist squanders his talent on this limiting format, especially on the opening track "Give It Up, Hot." It's that same familiar voice, it's up-tempo and energetic, but half of the album also lacks identity. "You," on the other hand, closes out side one with startling urban pop. Yes, it has the Herman Melvin & the Blue Notes kind of dressing, but the song breaks through the trappings and could evolve as a pop hit with a different arrangement. Rita Coolidge worked Tom Snow's song with the same title the year before achieving chart action, and George Harrison went Top 20 in 1975 with yet another song titled "You." Billy Preston's co-write with Gloria Jones and Richard Jones could've followed suit. Side two continues the pop leanings of "You"; "It Will Come in Time" is a pure hybrid of Sly Stone's "Somebody's Watching You" flavored with Preston's own "Nothing From Nothing" beat. "I Come to Rest in You" sounds like it was written after Preston listened to "Georgia on My Mind" by Ray Charles. There's lots of musicians, and the album has lots of heart, but for an artist who graced the stage and is immortalized on the Concert for Bangla Desh album, he certainly had the opportunity to reinvent himself at Motown. Reuniting with Sly Stone, who worked with Preston on the Pickwick/Capitol release Organ Transplant, and maybe Stevie Wonder was what the doctor ordered, but the prescription just never got filled. Late at Night is not as much a bad effort as it is disappointing. It could have been so much more.
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Holland's Brainbox were founded by Jan Akkerman in the mid-'60s. While H.P. Lovecraft kept changing members around the drummer, this band would release a record with totally new people in 1972, entitled Parts. Yet the original Brainbox do have qualities somewhat resembling the earlier H.P. Lovecraft, and their eponymous album is a worthwhile collection of musically diverse and eclectic performances. The decent liner notes call this "progressive pop," and in some respects it is, though they shift gears from the Simon & Garfunkel classic "Scarborough Fair/Canticle" to the 17-minute plus original "Sea of Delight," and take lots of other directions in between. The Damned had a song called "New Rose," which is where the French record label got its name, and there was the aforementioned Savage Rose, but Brainbox start the album with "Dark Rose," a blend of Jethro Tull meets the Mothers of Invention. Brainbox ups the ante by sliding into Tim Hardin and a very credible cover of "Reason to Believe" a full two years before Rod Stewart would get a B-side hit with it (the original A-side of the "Maggie Mae" single), they pull off a chameleon-like change on this to become folk rockers. Casimirz Lux has a very appealing voice with a bit of Stewart's rasp, making "Reason to Believe" a highlight of the album. The liner notes credit Jimmy Smith for writing "Baby, What You Want Me to Do," but the tracking properly gives it to Jimmy Reed, and his Top 40 1960 hit is as bluesy as you can get here, the band changing styles yet again and showing their grasp and appreciation of American music. From progressive rock to folk-rock to blues-rock to the folk-pop of Simon & Garfunkel, who is to say they weren't rewriting Blind Faith's lengthy "Do What You Like" by way of "Sea of Joy" for their epic "Sea of Delight"? The album is a dense amalgam of sounds and themes from England and America, but is reverent in its borrowing and presentation. Brainbox's rendition of "Summertime" sounds like Deep Purple adding heavy keyboard sounds and slowing up the Billy Stewart 1966 hit reinvention of the Gershwin tune from Porgy & Bess. Of course, Janis Joplin did it two years earlier than Brainbox and psychedelicized it with an immortal performance -- but a good song is a good song, and this is Jan Akkerman before he would give us "Hocus Pocus" from Focus, and that fact makes the album more than just a curiosity. Since these gents were so enamoured of American music, it seems credible that they took the Vanilla Fudge sound -- famous in Europe a year before it hit in America -- and put it on a Janis Joplin favorite. Released with five bonus tracks on CD, including additional versions of "Sea of Delight," this is much more than the "bargain bin" item many American record buyers passed it off as. It's a real diamond in the rough.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/sun-secrets-mw0000837807
40)Blue Swede
Blue Swede - Out of the Blue Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic
https://www.allmusic.com/album/out-of-the-blue-mw0000848983
Out of the Blue by Blue Swede leans more toward an American band like Wild Cherry than their European neighbors, the Shocking Blue, and that's a shame because the album is more listenable than one would picture after hearing their two Top Ten hits from the 1974 Hooked on a Feeling debut. Crassly commercial, they do no favors to Cher's number one hit from the previous year, 1973's "Half Breed," but Alan O'Day's "Flashback" comes off with credibility. Lead singer Bjorn Skifs and producer Ben Palmers co-write three of the songs here, "Why Don't You Go Your Way" sounding like a disco cover act emulating the Grass Roots. As funny as that sounds, it isn't as bad as the notion that description might conjure, and lo and behold, the album concludes with Grass Roots songwriters Lambert and Potters' "I Didn't Sing (In the New York Subway)," which does sound like a show band performing in Rob Grill's shadow. Skif's vocals fall somewhere between Rare Earth and the aforementioned Wild Cherry, not the thing to endear him to fans of the Velvet Underground. Following a dreadful rendition of "Baby I Need Your Lovin'," which is so insincere Levi Stubbs would be perfectly justified in filing a lawsuit for potential damage to his fan's memories, is a version of Lou Reed's "Rock & Roll" which destroys any of the compassion the high points of this album evoked from the listener. This is a remake of the Runaways' Kim Fowley's version, which itself was a copy of the Bob Ezrin/Mitch Ryder arrangement, a masterpiece which it is said Reed called the best cover of one of his tunes he had ever heard (at that point in time). There's no denying Blue Swede was tasteful in their selection of songs, but when they performed "Rock & Roll" on The Midnight Special television program it probably stifled sales. Lou Reed's "Rock & Roll" is an underground standard, and though the group had a good grasp of the English language, they failed to grasp the nuances of what makes something hip to those attracted to specific genres. What is unique, though, is the opening track, a bizarre concoction of the Joe South/Deep Purple smash "Hush" with Tommy James and Peter Lucia's "I'm Alive." This is borderline brilliant, a combination of two songs which work so well together someone might be able to do to Blue Swede what they did to Jonathan King when they ripped off his rendition of "Hooked on a Feeling" to get them all this U.S. attention in the first place. Any group with the good taste to put a Tommy James and Lou Reed composition on the same album at least can be lauded for having some good fan sense. It's just when you hear their original, "Don't Be Fooled by the Name," that, once again, everything gets shot to hell. This is not a parody, and because they do this with a straight face, the only thing that might stop you from smashing this disc against the wall is to consider it as warped humor. A tough one.
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Stereo Review (favourable)[9]
The album received favourable reviews from music critics. Joe Viglione from AllMusic website gave the album four out of five stars and wrote that the album "is one of the most fun albums from Olivia Newton John". He also said that "[the album] is one of her most satisfying projects" and "one of the more consistently entertaining albums in the collection."
Totally Hot Review by Joe Viglione [-]
https://www.allmusic.com/album/totally-hot-mw0000202460
Totally Hot is one of the most fun albums from Olivia Newton John. Total abandon is its trademark, the atmosphere lightened up a bit, and from top to bottom it is one of her most satisfying projects. "Please Don't Keep Me Waiting" is a girl group all grown up. Is it Newton-John's voice or Michael Botticker's synthesizer at the end of the first track? A little jarring for her country audience, but she takes care of them on "Dancin' 'Round and 'Round," a wonderful country-pop tune and quick about face. As with the Let Me Be There release, her name is prominently splashed on the cover and the tan background suits her well, with the mysterious look with the kerchief on the inside cover as playful as the music. David Foster, Steve Lukather, and Tom Snow add their talents to the project, but it is Newton-John, with the guidance of John Farrar, who really shines here. Her own "Talk to Me" is bouncy adult contemporary, but it is the two hit singles which, naturally, stand out. Tom Snow's "Deeper Than the Night" was a nice musical departure for the singer, with its strong piano reflecting the melody. Along with the John Farrar smash "A Little More Love," those involved showed that Olivia Newton-John could move beyond the three huge hits from the film Grease which saturated the airwaves in 1978. "A Little More Love" went Top Three in December of 1978, with "Deeper Than the Night" hovering around the Top Ten in May of 1979. The album contains a nice balance, something missing from 1985's Soul Kiss. "Borrowed Time" is more country-pop and is one of the more serious tracks on the album. The cover of Spencer Davis Group's "Gimme Some Lovin'," on the other hand, is as close to a drunken party as one will get on a Newton-John album. Jimmy Miller, producer of the original 1967 hit, would probably approve of the spirit -- it is definitely more fun than the Blues Brothers' version which charted three years after this. John Farrar actually pens three songs in a row on Totally Hot, including the title track, and with Newton-John's two contributions, the songstress and her producer compose half of this album. That the prolific John Farrar didn't contribute more to these albums shows how careful they were about material, but "Never Enough" is stunning, and maybe Newton-John will take on the Marvin, Welch, & Farrar songbook sometime in the future. The precision on the verse and chorus make for a beautiful album track, lyrics that flow perfectly on the singer's voice. The title track is funky and the big mistake on this disc is that Dr. John isn't performing a duet with Newton-John on this New Orleans adventure. The cover of Eric Carmen's "Boats Against the Current" is a nice feather in his cap. It's a dramatic reading that shows the other side of this recording. The Olivia Newton-John catalog runs deep, and Totally Hot is one of the more consistently entertaining albums in the collection. https://www.allmusic.com/album/totally-hot-mw0000202460
Additional Information from Movie Mars (ebay) Review by Joe Viglione On the June 2023 Joe Vig top 40.com
Product Description
"Shimmy Baby, Pt. 1," a lively early-'60s rocking studio performance with overdubbed applause and glasses tinkling, easily melts into a creative Hawaiian instrumental from Eden Ahbez entitled "Lonely Island," which in turn weaves its way into the third track, "Walking Down the Street." None of Joey Dee's five Roulette Records Top 40 hits appear on this Scepter release called The Peppermint Twisters, and no one song stands out as memorable, though it is an interesting artifact from the day. Dee singing "hey hey" in "Walking Down the Street" could be the precursor to Chris Montez asking "Let's Dance," or Tommy Roe's plea to "Sheila," a low-rent predecessor to the two big hits that would emerge a year after this outing. "(Bad) Bulldog" resembles many a Kingsmen album that would follow in these footsteps, so the style of the sound that Joey Dee was imprinting on these Scepter discs would have its impact, which makes these dozen performances all the more interesting. "Coming Back to Me" dips into the '50s -- and though there are no credits other than the star and liner note writer Ira Howard, one wonders if actor Joe Pesci is performing in this 1961 version of a band he was a part of in that era, the Starlighters. Joey Dee sounds more like a teen idol cutting the Doc Pomus classic "Lonely Avenue," Willie "Loco" Alexander giving it a more intense reading two decades later as documented on El Loco's Greatest Hits release. The manufactured "live concert" sounds return on the second side, along with "Shimmy Baby, Pt. 2," and those sounds are as bothersome as they would be showing up on The Kingsmen on Campus a couple of years later. Maybe it was a Scepter/Wand label thing. If you ever had a need to hear the Flamingos backing up Bobby Vee, the song "The Face of an Angel" sure comes close. "These Memories" keeps the mellow mood before the instrumental "The Twister" kicks in like a B-side from the Champs, with presumably Joey Dee on saxophone. "Before We Met" might have the most personality on an album that lacks that quality, though is a pretty accurate imprint of the sock-hop sounds of the early '60s. ~ Joe Viglione
1962's Back at the Peppermint Lounge (Recorded Live) in Miami Beach: Twistin' With Joey Dee and His Starliters (say that title three times fast) is a sequel of sorts to Joey Dee & the Starliters' 1961 release Doin' the Twist at the Peppermint Lounge. In the wake of the Chubby Checker twist craze, Dee had no less than five album titles in a row between 1961 and 1962 featuring a reference to "the Twist" or "Twistin'," though the dance craze is absent from the song titles here. The legendary Henry Glover produces this set, Roulette Records economozing by splashing red, white, blue, and orange lettering on an LP with no photos and the usual, uncredited, tacky (for the day) liner notes. Glover gets an above-bootleg sound (also for this time period) on the rock legend as he has some fun with familiar material ranging from "Kansas City" and "Money" to "C.C. Rider" and Lloyd Price's "Have You Ever Had the Blues?" That other question, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?," retains its double-entendre, "can I believe the magic of your sighs" (aka "size") and is the poppiest of the bluesy material included here. With no credits other than singer and producer, no dates, and no mention if future Young Rascals appear in the grooves, the disc remains an interesting period piece that is mildly entertaining. Now if ex-Joey Dee sideman Jimi Hendrix showed up on this as he does on mastering engineer Little Walter DeVenne's Revere Beach tape of Little Richard, well, the LP would go from artifact to gold.
1962's Back at the Peppermint Lounge (Recorded Live) in Miami Beach: Twistin' With Joey Dee and His Starliters (say that title three times fast) is a sequel of sorts to Joey Dee & the Starliters' 1961 release Doin' the Twist at the Peppermint Lounge. In the wake of the Chubby Checker twist craze, Dee had no less than five album titles in a row between 1961 and 1962 featuring a reference to "the Twist" or "Twistin'," though the dance craze is absent from the song titles here. The legendary Henry Glover produces this set, Roulette Records economozing by splashing red, white, blue, and orange lettering on an LP with no photos and the usual, uncredited, tacky (for the day) liner notes. Glover gets an above-bootleg sound (also for this time period) on the rock legend as he has some fun with familiar material ranging from "Kansas City" and "Money" to "C.C. Rider" and Lloyd Price's "Have You Ever Had the Blues?" That other question, "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?," retains its double-entendre, "can I believe the magic of your sighs" (aka "size") and is the poppiest of the bluesy material included here. With no credits other than singer and producer, no dates, and no mention if future Young Rascals appear in the grooves, the disc remains an interesting period piece that is mildly entertaining. Now if ex-Joey Dee sideman Jimi Hendrix showed up on this as he does on mastering engineer Little Walter DeVenne's Revere Beach tape of Little Richard, well, the LP would go from artifact to gold.
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