Friday, September 06, 2024

September Top 40 MEGALOPOLIS / Willie Loco Alexander, Sir Nyles, FOREIGNER, JOHN BATDORF, OTIS, KOULIE, James Montgomery 9-13-24 The Cabot Theater

 MEGALOPOLIS FLOPS WORSE THAN ADAM DRIVER'S ACTING OR HIS FALLING OFF OF A BUILDING!


Megalopolis

 

Review by Joe Viglione

 

At 8:30 pm September 23, 2024 critics in 65 theaters heard from Francis Ford Coppola, Robert DeNiro and Spike Lee. It was a nice talk, and good to see Mr. Coppola has such good friends.  Because when the movie hit the screen this dystopian disaster flick was just that: a disaster of a flick.   Little or no character development, no rhyme or reason, a pastiche of bizarre, colorful magazine pages cut to pieces.  How to focus on how bad this Coppola film is? The Wachowski’s 2015 mess, Jupiter Ascending, is compelling by comparison.  2021’s The Matrix Resurrections is downright Oscar material compared to Megalopolis.

 

Dustin Hoffman and Jon Voight talents get lost in the mud of this, and Adam Driver – with better acting than we usually see from him, still is no leading man.  Opulence is discussed but not experienced, incoherent insanity with flowery quotations rival Julie Taymor’s 1999 Titus for absurdity. In attempting to be chic and cutting edge, the lengthy film simply bores.  Apocalypse indeed.  There are better ways to spend two hours and eighteen minutes


The Coppola, DeNiro, Spike Lee 30 minutes, replete with Trump bashing and a serious discussion of the potential of human beings by Coppola were far more thought-provoking and appealing than the film they were all hyping. 


Loco Live 1976 Review by Joe Viglione https://www.allmusic.com/album/loco-live-1976-mw0000754370

Willie Alexander and the Boom Boom Band signed a three-album deal with producer Craig Leon and MCA records back in the '70s, but the group imploded after tracking just two albums which failed to capture their magic. Decades later, the Tokyo-based Captain Trip records has seen fit to issue this single CD, which includes portions of two live shows and a bonus 45 rpm. It achieves what the major-label releases did not. The CD begins with material engineered by Jesse Henderson at Boston's notorious nightspot the Rat on August 27, 1976, exactly one month before the recordings this band made for the Live at the Rat album (September 27, 28, and 29 with Jesse Henderson as well). "Pup Tune," "At the Rat," and "Kerouac" sound much clearer on this CD, a better mix than what was released on the legendary double LP from the nightclub, and three more songs to boot. The performances are excellent. Eight additional titles were recorded in May of 1976 at the Club in Cambridge by Erik Lindgren of the band Moving Parts. Dramatically different than the Rat recordings, this earlier tape is muddier -- bootleg quality, but that doesn't stop the power from seeping through. These are historic concert tapes of the band performing "For Old Time's Sake" (aka "Cause I'm Taking You to Bed"), "Garbage Man," and a rare live version of "Gin," the single that landed Willie Alexander his post-MCA deal with New Rose/RCA in Europe. The woman in the audience talking at the prelude of "Garbage Man" is totally annoying, and it is a sin marring what is a fine performance. This is a slow, very nasty version of the sexual escapade that is "Garbage Man" -- as close to the sound of Alexander's former group, the Velvet Underground, as the Boom Boom Band cared to get. This song, along with "Dirty Eddie," caused much controversy in the "Loco" camp. Reportedly, the band became afraid of letting Alexander be Alexander on MCA, but the whole reason they got signed was because of his ability to write great rock & roll with no inhibitions. Hearing this CD will thrill as well as infuriate the devoted followers of Willie Loco because it preserves the power of his performance, and proves that producer Craig Leon and the members of the Boom Boom Band should've just let loose in the studio and allowed the artist the opportunity to do what he does best. The demos that secured the deal with MCA were brilliant, and there was no need to re-record them except in a live setting. "Mass. Ave." is an all-out rocker on this CD, the May performance one of the Boom Boom Band's earlier shows boasting a raw energy and enthusiasm resulting in total artistic expression. "Rock 'n' Roll Lick #76," a masterpiece of song construction, is sublime and, along with "Rhythm a Baby," reveal how cohesive and extraordinary this ensemble was. People say that Barry & the Remains were a live phenomenon which studio recordings failed to capture. That could be said of the Boom Boom Band as well. However, this disc, and the long out-of-print Sperm Bank Babies live radio broadcast from 1976, are able to set the record straight. This is primal Willie "Loco" Alexander with his Boom Boom Band before the politics and the recording industry did a number on them. What it lacks in production is more than made up for with the spirit and energy that sizzle in these CD grooves. The two bonus tracks at the end were released on Somor records and are outtakes from the MCA sessions recorded by Craig Leon. "Dirty Eddie" was perhaps the finest single tune produced for MCA and was rejected for being "too dirty." The band, the label, management, and the producer attempted to "refine" Willie Alexander, and in doing so, stifled him and derailed their gravy train. "She Wanted Me (Nazi Nola)," a live reggae track recorded in the studio, is completely raunchy, and half trying, obliterates the other recordings that were released on the two MCA Boom Boom Band albums. France and Japan revere Willie Loco Alexander for the genius that he is, and this album, despite the jarring caused by the three different tape sources, is very powerful and lots of fun.


Sir Nyles  Coconut Man  



_________________________________________________________________________________

  James Montgomery 9-13-24 The Cabot Theater

 Edited with some content from Joe Viglione

 


James is going to be performing in Beverly on September 13 at the Cabot Theater.   James appeared on my TV show, the Pop Explosion, on Wednesday, September 4, 2024, right after I interviewed Billy Tauro on his potential election to be Registrar of Deeds.  You can see a Montgomery discography here, which contains a review I wrote of his Capricorn album:  http://thereelbluesfest.org/archive/artists/JamesMontgomery/TRBF-JamesMontgomery-discography.html



 Montgomery does a terrific job with Allen Toussaint's "Brickyard Blues." During this interesting period of Boston rock & roll, James Montgomery's band escaped the "Bosstown Sound" tag by sticking to its roots. Too bluesy to be mistaken for the J. Geils Band, Montgomery is a well-loved personality in New England, and this record is a respectable outing by a very talented bunch.



Here is information from Montgomery's publicist.

 

This show is a Special North Shore debut of the award-winning James Cotton documentary "Bonnie Blue - James Cotton's Life in the Blues, which James co-produced.    Cotton was Montgomery’s mentor and good friend, so James is immensely proud of his involvement in this film.

 


A musician of many talents, James, is an iconic figure in blues music for over 40 years, is an accomplished blues harpist, singer, front man and bandleader, lending these talents to his own band, The James Montgomery Band, and to countless sessions and tours over the years with the likes of Gregg Allman, Johnny Winter, B.B. King, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, Aerosmith, the Rolling Stones, Joe Cocker, James Brown and so many others it would take multiple pages to list them all.  He’s also hosted his own syndicated blues radio show, interviewing and playing the music of numerous blues and blues-rock luminaries.  This man has stories to tell! James was inducted in 2018 into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame and into the New England Music Hall of Fame in September 2021.

Following the screening an incredible show with The James Montgomery Band with Special Guests Christine Ohlman, Jon Butcher, Johnny A, and Willie J. Laws.  The film was one of 5 finalists in The Library of Congress Ken Burns Prize for Film and the performance will electrifying!

Bonnie Blue: James Cotton's Life in The Blues Screening w/ James Montgomery Band & Special Guests | The Cabot

James has recorded seven albums. His first, "First Time Out" has been remastered and re-released by MRG/Capricorn. Other include "James Montgomery Band" on Island Records which was number nine on Billboard's national playlist, "Duck Fever" with members of the David Letterman Band, "Live Trax," with the Uptown Horns (the Rolling Stones' horn section), and his release on Tone-Cool, "The Oven Is On.”

James’s latest album, The James Montgomery Blues Band:  A Tribute to Paul Butterfield, has been released on Cleopatra Records.  

Link to James’s Facebook page: 

https://www.facebook.com/OfficialJamesMontgomery

James Montgomery Band performing Who Do You Love:

James Montgomery performs Who Do You Love at The Newport Blues Café.


So sorry to hear this https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/entertainment/nick-gravenites-obituary/ Nick Gravenites, blues rocker and longtime Sonoma County resident, dies at 85
The musician, songwriter and producer worked with Janis Joplin and others. He was a longtime resident of Occidental.| 5 DAN TAYLOR
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
September 20, 2024, 8:54AM
Nick Gravenites, a powerhouse rock and blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer who worked with Janis Joplin, Big Brother and the Holding Company and other legends of the 1960s San Francisco music scene, died Wednesday. He was 85.

Gravenites, a longtime Occidental resident, was born in Chicago, where he connected with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band and wrote “Born in Chicago,” the title track on the group’s 1965 debut album.

He eventually made his way to San Francisco, where he worked with Joplin, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Electric Flag and others

Nick Gravenites Steelyard Blues 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92Iuf64nI5M  



Steelyard Blues [Original Soundtrack] Review by Joe Viglione https://www.allmusic.com/album/steelyard-blues-original-soundtrack--mw0000893286
A tremendous soundtrack album to director Alan Myerson's film Steelyard Blues, which starred Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, and Peter Boyle, this collection feels like a side project collaboration between the Electric Flag and Paul Butterfield Blues Band with added performances by Maria Muldaur and Merl Saunders. The majority of the material is written and performed by the great Nick Gravenites and Mike Bloomfield, the 14 songs really standing up on their own as a work not dependent on the film and not feeling like they are mere chess pieces to supplement a Hollywood flick. Gravenites does a masterful job of producing, with "Common Ground" resembling a great lost Electric Flag song -- Annie Sampson trading off on the vocals with Gravenites as Janis Joplin did with him on In Concert. Muldaur co-wrote "Georgia Blues" with Bloomfield and Gravenites, while they gave Muldaur and Saunders the opportunity to contribute a tune by including their "Do I Care." "My Bag (The Oysters)" adds some pop/doo wop to the affair, a nice twist, and it borders on parody. Gravenites is always able to juggle his serious side with a tongue-in-cheek wink, and this interesting and enjoyable effort deserved much wider play. https://www.allmusic.com/album/steelyard-blues-original-soundtrack--mw0000893286


John Batdorf Bio by Joe Viglione on Apple Music 

  John Batdorf on Apple Music

  

John Batdorf Biography by Joe Viglione

John Batdorf was born in Springfield, OH on March 26, 1952 and musically it all came together for him in the '60s when he saw the Beatles. He knew at that moment that music was what he was meant to do. Self-taught, except for a year of sight-singing courses in 1983 at the Dick Grove School of Music, his earliest musical influences were his dad and uncle, but it was the British Invasion that he says "changed everything for me."

His father, Jack Batdorf, was a musician and young John performed with him in clubs from around the age of five singing material like "Blue Suede Shoes" and "Hound Dog," a natural part of his upbringing which led to him being in bands all his life.

At the age of 15 his group, the Luv'd Ones, opened for the Young Rascals in Los Angeles. He met eventual music partner Mark Rodney in Las Vegas in the summer of 1970 while performing at a coffee house on the University of Las Vegas (UNLV) campus called The Kitchen. The duo, Batdorf & Rodney, got their deal auditioning live for Ahmet Ertegen at the Beverly Hills Hotel in December of 1970. Atlantic Records signed them the next day. There was never a tape demo; Batdorf & Rodney were signed on the strength of their ability to perform and write songs.

Off the ShelfThey recorded three albums starting with 1971's Off the Shelf on Atlantic followed by 1972's self-titled Batdorf & Rodney on Asylum. In 1973 Batdorf sang vocals on Dave Mason's It's Like You Never Left while the duo recorded Life Is You that same year while switching label affiliation to Arista. After that album had a minor hit with Jim Weatherly's "You Are a Song" the duo recorded a 45 version of the tune "Somewhere in the Night" produced by Clive Davis. It would be their highest charting single despite getting caught up in a political battle with a version by Helen Reddy. That war of the 45s hurt both Reddy and Batdorf & Rodney's releases, but the situation did open the door for Barry Manilow to have a hit with the same song. It also may have been the final straw as "Somewhere in the Night" failed to make it onto an album and the team of Batdorf & Rodney disbanded.

Batdorf joined Arista band Silver, which had a minor hit in 1976 with "Wham Bam." Simultaneously, the singer's vocals got a lot of session work with acts like Eric Andersen, Berlin, Rod Stewart, Donna Summer, David Lee Roth, Harry Connick, Jr., Michael McLean and many others. He also released a solo single, "Be My Baby," a cover of the Ronettes classic in 1982 on 20th Century Fox Records.

Theatre of PainA staff songwriter in the '80s composing tunes for Kim Carnes, America,England Dan and others, as well as being a studio singer on tons of jingles, movies and TV shows, few people know that John Batdorf and Max Gronenthal are the backing vocalists on Mötley Crüe's 1985 sessions for Theatre of Pain. The band didn't want anyone to know that someone else sang the background vocals, but Batdorf and Gronenthal sang on every cut and were listed on the album credits in the "Special Thanks" section. And beyond Mötley Crüe, the main titles to TV shows like Tom and Jerry Kids, Garfield and Friends, Promised Land, and Doctor, Doctor feature the voice of Batdorf.

Don't You KnowBy 1996, Batdorf became the music composer for the CBS drama Promised Land starring Gerald McRaney. It lasted three seasons and when it was canceled, Batdorf went on to work on Touched by an Angel for four years as alternate composer. He wrote 90-percent of all the source music until it was canceled in 2003. In 1997 he formed Batdorf & McLean with the aforementioned Michael McLean, with whom he'd with earlier as arranger and vocalist, and they released an album, Don't You Know, one of four CDs the pair recorded.

All Wood and Stones

In 2002 Batdorf composed the entire musical score to PAX TV's Book of Days film which aired in 2003. With James Lee Stanley he recorded All Wood and Stones, which offered a different perspective on the music of the Rolling Stones, and then his first solo E.P. In 2006 he released the solo album Home Again, which actually reunited him with Mark Rodney on some of the tracks and features many Batdorf & McLean compositions. John Batdorf, a man fortunate to be recorded by both Ahmet Ertegun and Clive Davis in the '70s, continues his soundtrack and session work along with writing and releasing more of his unique original compositions.



Side One

Artist: John Batdorf 

Side One Review by Joe Viglione

In the liner notes to his five-song extended play Side One CD John Batdorf explains that this is the "solo" debut he's been attempting since 1969. Of course in 1981 he was signed to 20th Century Records and released a 45 rpm cover of the Ronettes' "Be My Baby," but the label that also featured Genya Ravan and Harriet Schock folded before a full album from this artist could be released. Twenty-four years later this compact and elegant package features the singer's distinctive voice interpreting music he composed with Michael McLean, an artist who has close to two dozen releases on his own and who is a frequent collaborator with Batdorf. The opening track, "I Found You," is delightful sunshine pop with an uplifting vocal over a descending guitar line and sparkling radio-friendly production. "All for You (Song from an Unknown Soldier)" is back to the coffeehouse folk circuit with introspective thoughts making for a nice musical bridge between the opening and "Only Seventeen," a progressive rock/ballad that Janis Ian could make controversial, and which would be an interesting follow-up to her 1975 hit "At Seventeen" if performed from her perspective. It's about a father having a crush on his son's beer drinking teenage girlfriend. The interesting thing about this short (just under 21 minutes) CD, truly one side of a vinyl LP, is that the music rides different waves, from pop to folk to borderline Genesis complexities as in "One of the Lucky Ones," actually a perfect opportunity for Phil Collins with its positive message told through extravagant production. "See Us Shine" returns the music full circle to familiar John Batdorf material, although the progressive flavors still infiltrate the folk/pop, but in an acceptable fashion that makes for good listening. There's always a temptation to pack a compact disc with as much music as possible, and though the 1981 single, "Be My Baby" would've been a nice hidden bonus track, the five songs here have a greater impact because they work so well in this handy and easy to absorb package.


KOULIE


While we’ve all heard the saying “there is nothing new under the sun” when it comes to art and one of its forms, with music this is not always accurate. History has proven that new creations can always come about especially  in the industry you thought you heard and knew. Speaking of which, in the reggae world comes a very special talent you should know Richard “Koulie” Glass. Koulie manages to turn every negative into positive energy that drives him to making music to uplift the masses. Born in Miami, Florida to Jackie “Timi” Lynch a Jamaican born Harmony House recording artist and background singer for Beres Hammond and Richard Glass a prominent business man and guitarist. Music is in his bones. He utilizes his gift and the musical influences, crafting reggae music that illuminates the culture. Koulie’s works are original, though he often pays homage to the greats before him. He fluently sings in true reggae fashion, a master of technique that flies over strong reggae riddims. Koulie has recently joined forces with Kingston-based producer/engineer Colin “Bulby” York. His goal is to spread the message of courage especially to the youth. Linking with Sizzla Kalonji at his home Judgement Yard in Kingston, Jamaica to collaborate on a new single soon to be available on all streaming platforms. He may still be new to the mainstream industry, but the truth is, he’s not so new to the underground music scene. He has bagged positive responses to his music ever since he began performing at local Vibes nightclub in Decatur, GA when he was only 16. Since then, he’s experienced standing ovations from audiences all over. Koulie wishes to contribute to making the world a better place. Reggae as a form of culture accommodates a straightforward messages that can be easily understood by anyone. In the hands of a talented young man like Koulie, the rich reggae music will have a big impact for a brighter future. Think of a young man driven by passion and positivity, think of the essence of reggae, that’s where you’ll find Koulie.


https://youtu.be/Kq8O5OK7F4E?si=hiMe9U97f_BJkAF_


https://open.spotify.com/artist/4SeGJTSezSoRCNQAbvZby8


https://youtu.be/g6uU6pDsybM?si=hJlFfGWHrPLC9yM9


https://youtu.be/rAgg36figE0?si=cSTSHI--Obgu7Dwi


Instagram : @Koulienation

Tik tok : @koulienation8

X : Koulietv

Youtube : @Koulienation8 / @Koulienation 








Album Review


Live in Las Vegas Vol. 2 Review by Joe Viglione from AllMusic
https://www.cherfanclub.com/album/live-in-las-vegas-vol-2
There are 17 photos of Sonny & Cher adorning the front, back, and gatefold of Live in Las Vegas Vol. 2. The first volume on Kapp was recorded at the West Side Room; like that album, this set of recordings is again produced by Denis Pregnolato, but taped at the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas during July and August of 1973. The show begins with their 1971 Top Ten hit "All I Ever Need Is You," and contains their obligatory self-deprecating humor woven throughout the medley of "I Can See Clearly Now," "You've Got a Friend," and "Where You Lead," all 1971-1972 standards. Even Jeff Porcaro on drums and Dean Parks on guitar can't keep the Jack Eglash Orchestra from adding too much schmaltz to the proceedings. The band is extraordinary — conductor/keyboard player David Paich played with Jefferson Airplane, Joe Cocker, and Elton John, while Dean Parks had an equally long resumé, including Cocker and Neil Diamond. Sonny & Cher do their TV show onstage, the aforementioned Diamond represented here by "Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show," while the original risqué lyrics to "Superstar" by Bonnie Bramlett flow from Cher's lips. Perhaps the real nugget here is the version of Stevie Wonder's "You and I" (not one of his more popular numbers, but one that shows his prowess), proving that a Vegas act can perform a non-hit and make it a standout. There is a twist of fate here: On Stevie Wonder Live, Wonder goes through the Vegas-type routine, while on this very showbiz double-set by Sonny & Cher, his tune is the diamond in the rough. But that cliché is not totally fair — these professionals are doing what the audience expects, and they are pop art icons. Sonny Bono's version of his composition "You Better Sit Down Kids" works much better than the studio recording from the All I Ever Need Is You album. Though Cher's 1967 Top Ten gender-flip version is still the classic, it is very nice to hear the author do his song in the presence of the star who made it famous. Decades after being recorded, Live in Las Vegas Vol. 2 stands as an important document by two important personalities, backed up by stellar musicians. It is classy and classic stuff. Where Stevie Wonder Live crammed an hour's worth of music on two sides, MCA wisely spread this music and comedy over four.


Izzy Meth’s “99 Degrees” Single Out Friday, September 13

(Pop Song Includes Tip of the Hat to Ramones and Features The Dictators’ Andy Shernoff on Bass) 





Foreigner

 Unusual Heat - Foreigner | Album | AllMusic

https://www.allmusic.com/album/unusual-heat-mw0000264532


Unusual Heat Review by Joe Viglione

With Rick Willis on bass, Dennis Elliot playing drums, Mick Jones on guitar/keyboards, and the debut of Johnny Edwards from King Kobra and Buster Brown on vocals, the 1991 version of Foreigner actually was better than one would expect. Ten of the 11 songs on the Unusual Heat CD were written by co-producer Terry Thomas, new singer Johnny Edwards, and band mainstay Mick Jones, and they still had that bombast and brash appeal of the group which once featured so many textures brought to life by the voice of Lou Gramm. The unusual thing about Unusual Heat is that it is actually a good product and quite listenable. "Only Heaven Knows" kicks things off, and it could be the second cousin (or sequel) to Lou Gramm's solo smash from four years earlier, 1987's "Midnight Blue." Edwards is a stylish vocalist, and he, like the multiple replacements for Bad Company's Paul Rodgers, the Guess Who's Burton Cummings, and the Jefferson Starship's Grace Slick, has that tonal quality that can keep the public happy by keeping the sound consistent with what came before. "Lowdown and Dirty" actually got onto the band's Rhino double-CD retrospective Juke Box Heroes, and is another solid rocker. Everything here sounds very much like the product Foreigner was known for, but as slick album-oriented rock was fighting other genres vying for the public's attention, it may have been more advisable for the group to go into a slightly different direction -- some acoustic music here might have been a nice break from the generic onslaught. The lone Mick Jones solo composition, "Safe in My Heart," is mellow, but not a dramatic departure needed to establish a new identity. But it's all hooky hard pop, from "I'll Fight for You" to the "Juke Box Hero" clone that is "No Hiding Place" and the title track, "Unusual Heat," a strong chorus surrounded by the thumping hard rock sound. It's a record Johnny Edwards, Mick Jones, and crew can be proud of. Guest appearances by Stories' Ian Lloyd (Mick Jones had, after all, worked on Lloyd's Third World Civilization solo outing), and additional keyboardists Tommy Mandel and Richard Cottle make things somewhat interesting, though the keys take a back seat on this album (you have to strain your ears at some point to hear them, à la when Flo & Eddie called Mountain's Steve Knight "the most useless man in rock & roll"). It may have been funny, but as Corky Laing came to Knight's defense, saying he kept the rhythms going, the rhythm and spirit is prevalent on this interesting addition to the Foreigner catalog. In an ironic turn of events, bassist Rick Willis departed after this for Atlantic labelmate Bad Company.

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December top 40, The Best Albums of 2024, #1 Defiance Part 2 ian hunter, lou reed, Dylan Tribute, Chicago, The Rolling Stones, Kitty Wells, Mama Cass and more!

Album of the Year:  Ian Hunter's Defiance Part 2  Listen to the EPK with Ian talking about the disc https://youtu.be/sV0Bh8Ub_-s        ...